Verdi: I Lombardi Alla Prima Crociata

On this CD:

1. I Lombardi alla prima Crociata, opera
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rome Opera House Orchestra with Alfredo Colella, Umberto Grilli, Fernando Jacopucci, Sofia Mazzetti, Luciano Pavarotti, Ruggero Raimondi, Mario Rinaudo, Renata Scotto, Anna di Stasio

Tracks:

Rigoletto: La donna e mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
Nabucco: Va pesiero - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
La forza del destino: Overture - Kirov Orchestra
La Traviata: Un di felice - Joan Sutherland
I Vespri Siciliani: Merce dilette amiche - Maria Chiara
La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Joan Sutherland
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira - Jose Carreras
Il Trovatore: Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Stride la vampa! - Stefania Toczyska
Aida: Ritorna vincitor! - Leontyne Price
Don Carlo: Dio che nell'alma infondere - Carlo Bergonzi
La Traviata: Prelude - Orchestra E Coro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Rigoletto: Caro nome - Joan Sutherland
Don Carlo: O don fatale - Olga Borodina
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi! Celeste Aida - Carlo Bergonzi
Emani: Ernani! Ernani involami - Joan Sutherland
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di tu se fedele - Jussi Bjorling
Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro ma prima in grazia - Margaret Price
Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido - Luciano Pavarotti
Aida: Gloria all'Egitto - Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies irae - Wiener Philharmoniker
La forza del destino: Pace pace mio Dio - Angela Gheorghiu
Rigoletto: Questa o quella - Carlo Bergonzi
Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell'amore - Luciano Pavarotti
Otello: Ave Maria - Renee Fleming
La Traviata: Parigi o cara - Frank Lopardo
Macbeth: Ah la paterna mano - Luciano Pavarotti
Il Trovatore: Squilli echeggi la tromba guerriera - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Don Carlo: O Carlo ascolta - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Requiem: Ingemisco - Luciano Pavarotti
Simon Baccanegra: Come in quest'ora bruna - Kiri Te Kanawa
Macbeth: Salve o Re! Si colmi il calice - Lucia Aliberti
Aida: O patria mia - Leontyne Price
I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere - Placido Domingo
Aida: Lo sguardo avea degli angeli - Montserrat Caballe
La forza del destino: Solenne in quest'ora - Nikolai Putilin
Macbeth: Patria opressa - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte - Katia Ricciarelli
I due Foscari: Dal piu remoto esilio - Odio solo ed odio atroce - Jose Carreras
Don Carlo: Spuntato ecco il di esultanza - Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano

Customer Reviews:

OKAY, TAKE ME AWAY........2006-01-20

I don't know opera.

Last summer we had an incredible 20th anniversary trip to Italy. As a side trip from Venice, we planned a night in Verona. Neither my wife or I had been to an opera.

Is this how its supposed to be...

...an incredible star filled night with a three quarter moon, the largest stage and outdoor theatrical production on the planet, all taking place in a roman colleseum (arena) built in 180 a.d., an incredible colorful set and production with a full symphony orchestra and voices that don't come easy. Aida.

Now I know what all the hpye is as you opera fans sure are lucky to have such a beautiful setting for all your productions.

Okay, we got spoiled. But I also found myself getting spoiled on the Italian composer Verdi.

For me, this set is not only a "take me back to Verona" trip, but a great introduction to Verdi's other works. With some of the biggest names in the opera world in starring roles, I listened to both discs twice the first night they arrived.

And, of course, we are planning a return trip to Verona in the very near future to see some more Verdi...perhaps Nabucco or Otello or Macbeth...I'll even settle for Aida again. It was such a magical experience and a superb introduction to opera and Verdi.

This set continues that magical moment for us and provides a great introduction to a master of the opera...Verdi.

Great music...stunning recording quality.......2002-11-01

This is a marvelous compendium of Verdi's opera works that even the serious opera fan wouldn't turn his nose up at. These are the top contemporary soloists singing with first tier orchestras. When I saw the Decca label, I expected reasonable quality, but this disk is stunningly well engineered. Most of the vocals match the best jazz cds for immediacy and intimacy, and the orchestras are equally well done.

Incredible.......2002-06-05

I don't say incredible about too many things, but Verdi was the zenith of Italian Opera and Solti and the Chicago Symphony and the Vienna Philharmonic are the quintessential ensembles for modern classical performance. Not to mention that most of the voices showcased have their own lines of CDs (Pavarotti, etc.) This CD is the best Verdi album available, and it has EVERYTHING. BUY THIS CD!

Just Stunning!.......2002-01-26

In my opinion this recording is stunning. I am not usually a fan of compilations in classical music, as they're usually watered down representations made under the presumption that the listener would find the full-blown version intimidating or boring. This one, however, is not only an exception in my view, but a recording that deserves a high place of honor in every serious listener's collection. The representation of artists, both vocal and orchestral, is breathtaking and impressive for the span of years. A great big thank you to the people at Decca responsible for putting this collection together, as it is obvious to this listener that a great deal of thought and care went into looking for the most beautiful version of every piece on here. I have purchased two copies, one for home and one for the office, and have gotten two friends similarly hooked. I am also feverishly searching for more pairings of Joan Sutherland and Carlo Bergonzi. In the meantime, I'm on to Essential Puccini!!

Average customer rating:

Another supeb tenor.
The one.
A New Star voice
Quite Good
Promising debut by new lyric tenor

Italian Opera Arias

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
Rolando Villazon: Opera Recital
Opera Recital [Includes Bonus DVD]
Verdi: La Traviata
Gitano

ASIN: B00018TIOA
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Lamento: E La Solita Storia
Recitativo E Romanza: Inosservato...Angelo Casto E Bel
Aria: Quanto E Bella
Aria: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Recitativo Ed Aria: Tombe Degli Avi Miei...Fra Poco
Aria: Il L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
Aria: Io L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
Aria: O Figli...Ah! La Paterna Mano
Scena Ed Aria: Ella Mi Fu Rapita...Parmi Veder
Canzone: La Donna E Mobile
Scena, Aria E Cabaletta: Lunge De Iei...De' Miei Bollenti...O Mio Rimorso
Aria: Che Gelida Manina
Aria: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Aria: Anche Tu Beppe Giungi...O Amore
Aria: Vergini, Muse...Quando Al Soave Anelito

Amazon.com

This is a glorious debut recital by a tenor, from whom, if he sings the right roles and keeps way from jet-setting and too much singing, might just be the lyrico-spinto tenor we've been waiting for. He has the class of Carlo Bergonzi and a ringing tone which is somewhere between Domingo's big, dark sound and Pavarotti's brightness; he sings with a true mezza voce (not a falsetto); he always obeys the composer's markings and delineates character. He seems incapable of vulgarity, refusing to gulp or sob when a musically expressive gesture will do. The opening aria here--from L'Arlesiana--is so beautifully, touchingly sung that it's a heartbreaker; he doesn't take the usually opted-for high note near the end, but never fear: in the Traviata and Bohème excerpts, Villazon offers big, whopping high Cs. This CD is a knockout; let's hope it's only the beginning of an illustrious career, both recorded and live. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Another supeb tenor........2007-05-13

We can be thankful that the old guard of the opera stage has been replaced by a trio of youthful artists. Villazon along with Calleja and Florez makes a great addition to the world of opera.

The one........2006-06-24

He's the real deal. Domingo-like burnished voice, great actor. Not just hype, he's genuinely worthy of all the praise.

A New Star voice.......2005-09-25

Rollando Villazon can't fail to impress a listener. He is an enourmous breath of fresh air for people waiting for a new generation of Opera superstars to emerge. Those somewhat dissapointed by the somewhat ncomfortable edge to Salvator Licitra's voice, may take refuge in the freshness of Villazon.
I don't really want to ruin the magic of his singing, with caddy comparisons, but it is sufficient to say that he excellent. Many compare his to Domingo, to that I would say that Villazon has an ease to his top that Domingo never had, but perhaps lacks the focus and thickness of Domingo's lower registers.
Overall what hits you most about Villazons performance, is the induviduality of his interpretations and voice. The top of his voice has a ring and tone that sets his apart from the pack.
To my ear, he sounds at his best in the Mid Period verdi, where the cut of voice come through in the long high-lying passage, (expecially the cut from Traviata,
Enjoy this incredible singer

Quite Good.......2005-05-26

A very promising debut album with some excellent burnished tenor sound. To the reviewer who went on and on about Mr. Villazon only being in his 20's -- I hate to burst your bubble, but he was born in 1972, which makes him 33! And, by the way, the age of the singer is not a "huge" advantage; let us remember that some of our greatest singers didn't come into their element until their 40's (e.g., Flagstad, Milanov...)

Promising debut by new lyric tenor.......2005-05-05

Rolando Villazon immediately made himself a name we should all watch out for, after his appearance on a NY City Opera telecast of Boheme, as Rodolfo. Since then he has become a regular artist in leading lyric roles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, has sung two parts at the Met already, and obviously has much ahead for him. The voice itself has a number of virtues, evenness of tone across the different registers, and the ability to encompass long lines without taking unnecessary breaths and showing the control to taper many lines off softly. It has also taken on perhaps a prematurely dark quality, in contrast with what I remember of the La Boheme telecast.

This recital of Italian opera arias presents Villazon near the alpha of his career (one appearance as the Steersman on the Barenboim Flying Dutchman before, for Teldec) and the conductor at his omega - the just deceased Marcello Viotti, at the age of 52, who suddenly replaced Sinopoli in Berlin for the second of two performances of Verdi's Aida in 2001. Sinopoli had passed away at 54 the night of the first performance that weekend in Berlin.

On first impression, Federico's lament from Cilea's L'Arlesiana is taken too slowly, and yet from repeated listening to this disc, it is one of nearly half a dozen selections that contribute the most to making this an interesting recital. The lachrymose manner and delivery here, though, sets a little too much of an overall tone for the rest of the recital, including its several or so lighter numbers. Said to also be a Caruso favorite, the aria from Donizetti's Duca d'Alba is a real highlight as close to being Schubertian in feeling as some Verdi - as late into Verdi's work as Forza and Don Carlo. Villazon's singing here is as warmly ardent as you'll find anywhere on this disc, and his personal identification with the character of Don Carlo, several tracks later, is as complete as that of its best interpreters of the recent past, Placido Domingo especially.

The two Elisir d'amore selections are pleasant vocally, but too dark, especially the start to so many phrases of "Una furtiva." The remorse felt during the opening aria of the Tomb Scene from Lucia, after a slightly uncertain start, is entirely felt. Oronte's brief aria from Verdi's Lombardi is handled with an easy, pleasant swagger from both Villazon and Viotti, leading one to expect similar lightness in selections that soon follow, and which is not entirely forthcoming; the beginning of the recitative to "Parmi veder" from Rigoletto shows a palpable anxiety in this peculiar moment for the Duke in which he finds himself. Intonation falters momentarily at the end of this aria. "Ah! la paterna mano", after good recitative, gets pushed a little too forward, robbing the crest of several lines in it their full expressive potential. Contrast of expression between Alfredo's aria and cabaletta from Traviata is so minimal, almost to have been erased altogether; Viotti here, so deft and highly musical an accompanist he is for most of the rest of this disc, is similarly disengaged. Connecting music between aria and cabaletta and repeat of the latter both get awkwardly cut.

That leaves four verismo tracks for the remainder of this disc. Most distinctively sung is "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca, but frequently quite close to sounding a copy of Domingo's interpretation. The honeyed placement for the top of the staff, once the voice takes on the melodic line, could hardly remind you of anyone else. "Che gelida manina" is also given a fine performance here, but begins to lose all consonants on a couple of words right before the ascent to the high C in the aria. After hearing Dino Borgioli and Cesare Valletti as Fritz, each more of a benchmark than Pavarotti, it is hard to identify the villager Fritz, from how disinteresed Villazon sounds. A slight cut is taken between two portions of recitative before Fritz's Act III aria. "Quando al soave anelito" from Mascagni's Nerone, obviously a rarity, is one for which I can only find a Domingo recital before. Here, the singing is fine, but the youthful sense of wonderment for Nero, in his vision of Venus, as wordly-wise a fellow he is, gets understated. Accompaniments to these four arias are mostly as fine as the others, but all come to abrupt endings, the endings of Boheme and Amico Fritz which lose all their shimmer here.

Much criticism here, but there is also much hope felt from listening to this disc, for a bright future for Mr. Villazon still. He is only seldom a conscientious and musical performer, but as opposed to what the liner notes might say, part of being musical in singing such selections or opera in general, is being specific for each character being portrayed here. Villazon should also take note that his singing is most interesting and also most easy to distinguish from his widely celebrated mentor, when he sings lightly. First impressions are strong - I first anticipated awarding this disc five stars - but unfortunately it just barely deserves four. Sound quality, if a bit heavily miked for climaxes and a bit recessed for the orchestra, especially at closings to arias, is warm and full.

Average customer rating:

Not as good as Amore
a voice teacher and early music fan
Verdi
The triumph of mediocrity
no expert

Andrea Bocelli: Verdi
Zubin Mehta , Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , and Zubin Mehta
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Andrea Bocelli - The Opera Album ~ Aria
Cieli di Toscana
Andrea
Romanza
Sogno

ASIN: B00004X16D
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: Di quella pira (Il Trovatore)
Il Trovatore: Ah si, ben mio (Il trovatore)
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile (Rigoletto)
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di'tu se fedele (Un ballo in maschera)
Un Ballo in Maschera: Ma se m'e forza perditi (Un ballo in maschera)
Rigoletto: Ella mi fu rapita (Rigoletto)
Rigoletto: Possente amor mi chiama (Rigoletto)
Aida: Celeste Aida (Aida)
La Traviata: De' miei bollenti spiriti (La traviata)
La Traviata: oh mio rimorso (La traviata)
I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere vorrei (I lombardi)
Ernani: Merce, diletti amici (Ernani)
Don Carlo: Io la vidi e il suo sorriso (Don Carlo)
Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido (Luisa Miller)
La forza del destino: La vita e inferno all'infelice (La forza del destino)

Amazon.com Classical Music Reviews

With this CD devoted solely to operatic arias--by none less than Giuseppe Verdi, the greatest Italian opera composer of all time--pop crossover phenomenon Andrea Bocelli throws his hat into the operatic ring with the big boys. The hat occasionally fits, and occasionally it doesn't. The beauty of the voice is undeniable, as is the relative ease in all registers. But, regardless of what the engineers do, it is clearly a small voice. For "Celeste Aïda"--Radames's great aria from Aïda--Bocelli opens with fine, as-big-as-possible exclamation and sounds confident; the long diminuendo on the aria's final high B-flat is stunning (whether or not the engineers were twiddling with the knobs, we'll never know). The tenor is more at home with Alfredo's Act Two music from La Traviata; he sings with grace and charm, ending the rarely performed cabaletta (a brief and showy piece that usually follows an aria) with one of the longest, most solid high Cs ever recorded. Elsewhere, there are mixed results: "Di' tu se fedele" from Un ballo in maschera is so free of feeling that it seems digitally produced. A big, unnecessary high D at the close of the Duke's cabaletta "Possente amor" from Rigoletto is screamed, and Bocelli sounds at times as if he's about to collapse from exhaustion during a heavy aria from Ernani. But "Ah si, ben mio" from Il Trovatore is beautiful, as is the Luisa Miller aria; Don Carlo also seems to fit Bocelli well. Needless to say, the singer's fans will certainly want to have this--and it might encourage them to try other recordings of music by Verdi. Newcomers and the curious will find plenty to admire, too. The sound itself remains alluring, and Bocelli has taken steps also towards improving his technique. In short, some nice surprises for the opera lover, and many for the Bocelli fan. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as Amore.......2007-03-24

This CD came perfectly, I just prefer the Amore CD better.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-14

It is said that from the age of eleven years, Guiseppe Verdi (1813-1901) wanted to write operas. He left his post as organist to study music in Milan, a move made possbile by his patron,Barezzi, whose daughter he eventually married in 1836. Shortly thereafter he composed his first opera 'Oberto" which was so successful that his future seemed secure. However, the death of his wife and two babies some time later forced him into a state of depression. The impressario Mirelli gave him the book 'Nabucco' (Nebuchadnezzar) to read, and he immediately began to write music for it. Therewith he embarked on the career which eventually made him the "Grand Old Man" of Italian opera. In modern slang, he was a "natural".From "Oberto", written in his twenties, to "Falstaff", completed when he was eighty, his characteristic integrity and intensity persisted; as he wrote his 30 operas, his powers of expression broadened and deepened. By the time he wrote 'Aida', commissioned by the Khedive of Egypt, Verdi was 56. 'Aida' is often named as his greatest opera. The live elephants used in the production, the authentic costumes and musical instruments copied from ancient Egyptian tombs made an attractive picture, and his music made a "Celeste Aida" of the whole.
Lets face it; Bocelli is no Pavoratti, and perhaps it was not wise to choose some of the arias associated with tenors of his ilk, but Bocelli makes the best of his talents, which are considerable. And he has done a lot to create interest among young voice students,(male) and as a voice teacher I make use of his appearance and his youthfulness to engage their interest, and he does that!!!!I think his record sales tell the tale.

Verdi.......2007-01-03

Excellent Verdi selections. As usual, top tonal quality with excellent breath control. The best tenor to come along with such diversification as to sing just about anything presented to him. A superb choice for the connoisseur of italian operas.

The triumph of mediocrity.......2006-02-04

No, Bocelli is not an awful singer, he is an awful OPERA singer, and it shows here. His colorless, uneducated and bland voice make me wonder why people like him so much. As a baritone in training I'm able to say that my voice teacher's STUDENTS sing much better than this guy.
His tessitura is nowere near adequate for singing any of the arias from Rigoletto, "La donna è mobile" sounds much like a kid would sing it. "Celeste Aida" is one of the worst selections, and one of the most electronically enhanced, as it requires a precise voice placement (which Bocelli doesn't posses) since much of it lies very high in the register, and a heavier, rounder voice; if the role is not adequate for many REAL tenors, it is much less adequate for a pop singer. The "feeling" raving reviewers talk about is nothing more than a voice coming (incorrectly) from the throat, and the "beautiful" high D in "Possente amor" is a beautifully screamed falsetto, the same could be said about "Di quella pira"'s C; what's amazing about all this is the fact that electronic enhancement doesn't make his voice sound better. Some have ludicrously compared him to the likes of Vargas, Domingo, and Corelli, even saying he's better; this is nothing more than ignorance and bad taste.
Maybe his fans are tired of detractors bringing out the big names in their defense, so let's be honest: he's one of the WORST opera interpreters out there, I wish great singers like Mariusz Kwiecen, Matthew Polenzani, and René Pape received the publicity he gets, though it won't happen; at least some consolation lies in the fact that these people are true artists willingly and GLADLY offering their art to the people in order to make a living; I'm sure if Andrea didn't make so much $$$$ with his opera experiment, he would've dropped this travesty long ago.

no expert.......2005-12-17

I'm not a genuine, dyed-in -the-wool opera fan. The sound of the soprano voice makes me grit my teeth. Some of the great tenors are very pleasing, but mostly I'm just not especially enthusiastic or impressed. Actually, I think it's rather stupid for good singers to abuse their voices by bellowing. This was necessary before the invention of amplification, but not any more.
So, obviously, I'm not in the position to compare Bocelli's arias to those of the tenors considered the greats. I can hear that his voice lacks the robustness of the Pavarottis of this world. BUT - I like many of the famous arias, and to my ear, Bocelli's performances, electronically enhanced or not, are melodic and pleasant to the ear. As a result of listening to Bocelli, I've become familiar with some great music that I would otherwise be likely to ignore.
So I listen and enjoy and really don't care about all the criticism.

Average customer rating:

Best of Luciano Pavarotti

Manufacturer: Golden Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Luciano Pavarotti: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection
Romanza

ASIN: B00013NDKU
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

A' Vucchella
Ultima Canzone
Non T'Amo Piu
Malia
Serenata
Mattinata
Per la Gloria d'Adorarvi
Gia' il Sole Dal Gange
Pace Non Trovo
Che Fiero Costume
Dolente Immegine Di Fille Mia
Bella Nice Che d'Amore
Vaga Luna Che Innargenti
In Questa Tomba Uscura
Ave Maria
Pieta Signore
Messa Di Requiem, "Ingemisco"
Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Cielo Mar, "La Gioconda"
E Lucevan le Stelle, "Tosca"
Recondita Armonia, "Tosca"
Giunto Sul Passo Estremo, "Mefistofele"
Nessun Dorma, "Turandot"
Una Furtiva Lagrima "L'Elisir d'Amore"
Lunga da Lei...De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti...I Mio Rimorso Infame, ...
Mia Letizia Infondere...Come Poteva un Angelo, "I Lombardi Alla ..."
Pourquoi Me Reveiller, "Werther"
Ideale
Donna Non Vidi Mai, "Manon Lescaut"
Vaga Luna Che Inargenti
Me Voglio Fa' Na Casa
Tarantella

Angela Gheorghiu & Roberto Alagna - Verdi per due

Average customer rating:

Verdian voices that love each other
Sensitive, compelling performances
A well presented and very listenable album

Angela Gheorghiu & Roberto Alagna - Verdi per due
Giuseppe Verdi , Berliner Philharmoniker , Claudio Abbado , Angela Gheorghiu , Roberto Alagna , London Voices , and Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu - Duets & Arias
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Verdi Heroines
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Roberto Alagna ~ Serenades

ASIN: B00000DFNW
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

E Dessa! ... Un Detto, Un Sol ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Ma Lassu Ci Vedremo - Angela Gheorghiu
Oh Belle, A Questa Misera ... - London Voices
All'Armi! ... Che Ascolto! - London Voices
Cielo Di Stelle Orbato ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Vieni A Mirar La Cerula - Angela Gheorghiu
Gia Nella Notte Densa - Angela Gheorghiu
Pensando A Me! ... E Dolce Raggio Celeste Dono - Angela Gheorghiu
Giovanna, Ho Dei Rimorsi ... - Angela Gheorghiu
E Il Sol Dell'Anima ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Che M'Ami, Deh, Ripetimi - Angela Gheorghiu
Addio! Speranza Ed Anima - Angela Gheorghiu
La Fatal Pietra Sovra Me Si Chiuse ... Immenso Ftha ... - London Voices
O Terra, Addio - London Voices
Qual Mare, Qual Terra Da Me T'Ha Diviso ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Qui Nel Bosco? Solinga? Smarrita? ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Lassu Risplendere Piu Lieta E Bella - Angela Gheorghiu
Miserere ... Quel Suon, Quelle Preci - London Voices
Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici - London Voices

Amazon.com

Today's most glamorous husband-and-wife opera team offer a recital in which energy and enthusiasm more than compensate for lack of polish. Seldom do artists on a studio recording throw themselves into each "scene" as if they were onstage actually performing an opera, as these two do here. Abbado and the Berlin are second to none when it comes to accompanying Verdi, and when needed, extra soloists and chorus are included to complete the production. Although a number of Verdi's most famous moments are included, lesser-known music (e.g., I Lombardi and I Masnadieri) proves equally challenging and dramatic. Fine sound, from the Jesus Christus-Kirche in Dahlem (Berlin). --Paul Turok

Customer Reviews:

Verdian voices that love each other.......2003-12-09

Although French tenor Roberto Alagna and Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu are each formidable artists in their own right, when they sing together they create something truly extraordinary. Much of this is no doubt due to the couple's real-life marriage, although even many operatic married (or otherwise romantically involved) couples rarely give the sense that their voices and artistries are 'married' the way these two do. Their voices are just astonishing - his warm earth and sun darkening into bronze, hers melting sweetness and starlight. Even more important is their musical sensitivity and complete immersion into the drama. All these qualities make Alagna and Gheorghiu ideal Verdi interpreters even if their voices are smaller and more lyric than what many would think of as right for the composer. To put the icing on the cake, the singers have Claudio Abbado's magisterial support in the pit, full of authority, imagination, finesse and sensitivity.

The disc begins with the final Carlo-Elisabetta duet from 'Don Carlo'. This is my favorite opera and I believe that the 'ma lassu ci vedremo' section which concludes this selection is one of Verdi's greatest inspirations. Needless to say, I am extraordinarily picky about the way it is performed, and it is glorious - full of sublimated passion and pain, tenderness and resignation. The title role (in French) is already one of Alagna's greatest stage and recording triumphs, and Gheorghiu is so musically and dramatically intense that you would never believe she learned the duet at Abbado's suggestion 3 days before the recording!

Best of all, however, is the great love duet from 'Otello'. Never before have I heard this music sung so beautifully or with such tenderness and nuance, the lyric voices really making the romance between Otello and Desdemona believable. Admittedly this is probably the most lyric section of the score, and whether Alagna is up to the some of Otello's big outbursts, even in a small theater, is debatable, though Gheorghiu is an ideal Desdemona. Still, Alagna's astonishing pianissimo swell on 'Vien, venere splende' is alone worth the price of the entire disc. No less fine is the ravishing high note with which Gheorghiu ends the scene from 'Simon Boccanegra', where the singers easily go from tender serenade to dramatic urgency to seductive radiance.

The Tomb Scene from 'Aida' is also very effective, although it is true that Gheorghiu's is a more lyric voice than I would like for Aida, her excellent recording of 'O patria mia' on her 'Verdi Heroines' album notwithstanding. Alagna is about as light as I would go for Radames, but as it is really a spinto and not a true dramatic role, he copes very well, darkening his tone. Both artists, as usual, are totally alert to the drama, and this makes up for them possibly having the 'wrong' voices. I only wish this pair of lyric singers could have sung the final B flat in 'si schiude il ciel' pianissimo, as did Zinka Milanov and Jussi Bjorling - I believe Gheorghiu obliges and Alagna doesn't.

Another real treat is the rarities - how many 'love duet' albums include scenes from 'I Lombardi', 'I Vespri Siciliani' or 'I Masnadieri'? Again, all so marvelously sung - especially the rousing cabaletti - that we are convinced these are by no means the 'lesser' works that many critics claim, although it is a pity that the 'Vespri' selection isn't in the original French.

Turning back to more familiar music, having heard Alagna sing the Duke in 'Rigoletto' first at the Met under the flaccid Carlo Rizzi and then on the Sony recording under the hard-driving, pedantic Riccardo Muti, I was delighted to hear how fresh-voiced, dashing and impetuous he sounds in 'E sol dell'anima' here. Clearly all he needs is the right conductor! Gheorghiu's voice is a bit more mature than most people would think of for Gilda, but fully conveys her longing for her lover and her growing sexual awareness. The 'Miserere' from 'Il Trovatore' is also splendid, although not quite as intense as the version on their complete recording. A spirited and ravishing rendition of the famous drinking song from ýLa Traviataý brings the disc to a delighful close.

Besides the luxurious support of the Berlin Philharmonic (as Gheorghiu put it in an interview, 'the Rolls Royce of orchestras'), London Voices makes a splendid choral contribution in their four selections. There is also excellent work from contralto Sara Mingardo, better known in baroque repertory, as Giovanna and Amneris, as well as from the singers who take on Ceprano and Borsa in the 'Rigoletto' excerpt.

The documentation has full texts and translations plus excellent notes written by British voice maven John Steane, who points out the considerable musical and dramatic variety that exists among love duets, even ones written by the same composer. Unfortunately, there is no biographical information at all of any of the artists, let alone typical CD gush (so much for 'the overhyped Alagnas'!). The pictures in the booklet's interior are wonderful, with the couple relaxing in a Berlin park, but the cover's attempt to be 'romantic' is hokey - they look like airbrushed mannequins.

As with most of their other operatic recordings, Alagna's and Gheorghiu's work here is a must listen to anyone who cares about this music or the human voice. You will rarely hear this music served so well by contemporary artists. It turns out this disc is essential for a less pleasant reason as well - I have just read the horrible news that EMI has decided not to continue making studio opera recordings, making it extremely unlikely that we will ever hear Alagna and Gheorghiu together in this repertory on disc again. What a tragedy not only for the singers but also for Verdi, and all the more reason to cherish the beauty we have here.

Sensitive, compelling performances.......2003-06-09

Mr. and Mrs. Alagna sound wonderful in this collection of Verdi duets. The case can be made that Alagna is a lyric tenor, and shouldn't be singing the dramatic roles like Otello and Radames, however, he brings a pleasant, warm tenor that when needed, rises in plangency to the demands of the moment. In the future, he may indeed expand to become a dramatic tenor. In any case, his singing is in no way lacking. Angela Gheorghiu has already reached the status of compelling Verdian soprano, in my mind. She sings with drama, force, and elan.
The duets from I Lombardi and I Masnadieri are particularly nice, as they are not often heard. Bravos all around to Abbado and the Berliner as well.
This is a thoroughly enjoyabled disc.

A well presented and very listenable album.......1999-10-25

Since I first listened to Alagna and Gheoghiu I have always felt that Gheorghiu is the superior artist of the two. This album is presented with gusto and enthusiasm. Both are putting their souls into the music, although Alagna can be a bit brash at times, not unlike Del Monaco a few years ago. In Rigoletto it sounds more like intended rape than seduction! The duet from Otello is beautifully done - it could well be one of their future complete recordings. Overall a well recorded album with favourites as well as lesser known selections. Well worth the buy for admirers of the singers.

Average customer rating:

Aspects of Verdi and Bel Canto!

Verdi Arias

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor
Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini
The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda
Russian Album

ASIN: B00027LE5Q
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Aspects of Verdi and Bel Canto!.......2004-10-02

Mr. Bergonzi is a famous Verdi tenor and this collection is simply sublime, beyond words. His singing is both accented and lyrical, perhaps too lyric for the ideal Verdi voice. Bergonzi's Verdi comes with a bel canto approach.

Well this is where we may separate a Verdi voice from Verdi style. Bergonzi is a Verdi stylist par excellence and deserves the highest respect possible where certainly no other tenor since Lauri Volpi, with his more virile and wide ranging voice, has realized the magnitude and beauty of Verdi's style combined with the great dramatic accents and declamation.

Among the greatest Verdi stylists, which are rarer among tenors than the other voice categories, are Martinelli, Lauri-Volpi, Bergonzi, and even Veriano Luchetti; rare indeed but these men have the tone, the accent, the power, the legato, and the INTELLIGENCE to bring Verdi's drama to life. That is what Verdi wanted after all: "Accent Accent Accent"

The 3 Tenors ~ José Carreras · Luciano Pavarotti · Plácido Domingo

Average customer rating:

One of Great album for Opera
Best yet from the 3 Tenors!

The 3 Tenors ~ José Carreras · Luciano Pavarotti · Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo , Luciano Pavarotti , José Carreras , and Giuseppe Verdi
Manufacturer: Goldies Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000086DX
Release Date: 1997-04-24

Tracks:

Quanto E Bella - Luciano Pavarotti
Una Furtiva Lacrima - Luciano Pavarotti
A Te O Cara - Luciano Pavarotti
Egli S'avanza - Luciano Pavarotti
Cuius Aninam - Luciano Pavarotti
Oh Fede Negar Pstessi Agl'occhi Miei - Luciano Pavarotti
La Donna E Mobie - Luciano Pavarotti
Che Gelda Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti
La Mia Letizia - Jose Carreras
Oh Belle A Questa Misera - Jose Carreras
Questa O Quella - Jose Carreras
Ella Mi Fu Rapita - Jose Carreras
La Donna E Mobile - Jose Carreras
Brindisi - Jose Carreras
S'avanza Il Conte - Jose Carreras
Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti - Jose Carreras
Ah Dessa E La - Jose Carreras
Ah Rimiro Il Bel Sebiante - Jose Carreras
Ideale - Jose Carreras
Malia - Jose Carreras
L'alba Separa Dalla Luce Lombra - Jose Carreras
Merce Diletti Amici - Placido Domingo
Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi...celeste Aida - Placido Domingo
Parle Moi De Ma Mere - Placido Domingo
La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
L'anima Ho Stanca - Placido Domingo
Bridnisi - Placido Domingo
Recitar...vesti La Giubba - Placido Domingo
Ideale - Placido Domingo

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation features one disc apiece for the '3 Tenors', Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, & Jose Carreras. Goldies. Standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. 1999.

Album Details

This Box Set is Comprised of Live Recordings of the Three Tenors, Each Performing Separately During the Mid-To Late 1960's & Early 1970's. Luciano Pavarotti Performs Excerpts from Sabat Mater, Turandot, La Boheme & Other Works. Jose Carreras Sings Passages from La Traviata, Rigoletto, I Lombardi & More. Placido Domingo Vociferates Sections from Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Aida & Others.

Customer Reviews:

One of Great album for Opera.......1999-03-21

I can't expressed my felling about how much I love it! The only thing can say is very very great! I listen it more than 100 times in first 3 months after bought.

Best yet from the 3 Tenors!.......1998-08-30

I've been waiting since early July for the CD of this Paris performance. The wait was worth it, and the video is not bad either.

Average customer rating:

LIVE RECORDING... HOW MANY SINGERS DARE DOING THIS??
Unexpected Vocals
MAESTRO AND PIANO ALONE.
This is Pavarotti at his very best.

The Recital

Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Los Angeles 1973 (Recital UCLA Campus 1973)

ASIN: B00000JQEF
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

Un' aura amorosa
La promessa
La danza
Delante immagine di fille mia
Malinconia, ninfo gentile
Vanne, a rosa fortunato
Bella Nice che d'amore
Ma rendi pur contendo
La mia letizia infondere
Pourquoi me reveiller?
Nevicata
Pioggia
Nebbie
M'appari' Tutt' Amor
Serenata
La Girometta
Occhi Di Fata
Recondita Armonia
'A Vucchella
Marechiare
Donna Non Vidi Mai
O Sole Mio
Una Furtiva Lagrima

Customer Reviews:

LIVE RECORDING... HOW MANY SINGERS DARE DOING THIS??.......2007-03-24

The previous comment does not make justice to Pavarotti. Live recordings cannot be compared with studio recordings. Certainly there are recordings in which Pavarotti's voice is fresher, in which he sings much better, etc... but come on, are they live or in studio? You just cannot compare. How many repetitions does it take to have a fine studio recording of a given song? 5? 10? 15? what's more.. how many different recordings are pasted together in a seemingly single track? If a singer does not like a given phrase, then he would sing this phrase again and again until it is OK, and then this is cut and glued into a previous take.

I own the DVD where this recording comes from, and the atmosphere is magic, you can feel the immense presence of this singer in front of a whole opera house, alone with a pianist, singing with an amazing talent an original and carefully chosen repertoire. The small mistakes that one hears... sorry, but this adds magic to this music. I know of very few (...I cannot think of any actually, but there probably are a couple around) singers that allow a live CD to go to press like this.

My best moment in this CD : Massenet's "Pourquoi me reveiller".

Unexpected Vocals.......2001-10-03

In owning this CD, I am given the privaledge of hearing several rarely performed let alone recorded songs for voice and piano. This attribute led me to buy this disk lest ye not forget that Pavarotti himself is the vocalist. This fact naturally leads one to assume that these pieces are sung here to near perfection and style. I found that this is not the case. The recording itself is not even fully satisfactory. In one of the last tracks, either Pavarotti has left the stage and is singing in the audience or the microphone was covered suddenly with tupperware. The sound is oddly muffled. It is noticable throughout this recital that Pavarotti is not in "good voice". I am a fan of such a fine artist as Pavarotti, but found this CD to showcase his vocal abilities in a poor light. Hearing him reach from below and often never gaining his famous brilliant tone in the upper regester is a big dissapointment. Even on some selections, he takes liberties with the music that seem wrong or just plain inaccurate. Whatever the reason, this was apparently not one of his better evenings. It should be noted however that the Bellini portion of the recital is magnificent and given a firey treatment. I listen to this CD for its choice of literature and try to disregard the poor singing. If you love Pavarotti for his voice and love to hear him sing... do not buy this disk. If these songs are of interest to you and this CD affords you with the unique opportunity to hear them played and sung live... do buy this CD. I enjoy the recording, but remain dissatisfied with our old stand-by, Pavarotti. These songs are beautifully crafted masterpieces and derserve a hearing.

MAESTRO AND PIANO ALONE........2000-02-04

IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF 'FORTITUDE' TO PERFORM LIVE WITHOUT FULL ORCHESTRA. YOUR REVIEWER (R. LEVINE) PROBABLY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS DISTINCTION. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS NOT DISTRIBUTED VIA DECCA LONDON. THIS IS A RARE RECITAL C.D. ONE WITH MAESTRO'S FAVORITES WHICH GENERALLY ARE NOT SUNG IN CONCERT. LOVABLE 'LA GIROMETTA', 'UN AURA AMOROSA',HIS MASTERFUL 'UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA' & POURUOI ME REVEILLER' AND THE VERY INTENSE 'LA MIA LETIZIA INFONDERE' ARE EACH WORTH THE PRICE OF THE C.D. ALONE.THIS GRATIFIES MY MEMORY WHEN HE SANG 'UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA' AT HIS 30th. MET GALA LAST YEAR. WHEN HE APPEARED ON STAGE, I HAD 'LAGRIMA' IN MY EYE ALSO. TWENTY THREE (23) SOULFUL RENDITIONS AND THE GREAT LEONE MAGIERA AT THE PIANO. LISTEN YOURSELF AND IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT, SEND IT TO ME AND I WILL PAY YOU YOUR COST. RINGRAZIARE AMAZON

This is Pavarotti at his very best........1999-08-28

Pavarotti proves why he is the Master in this "unplugged" performance. Man and piano. A true "find" for any Pavarotti and opera fan. It is truly amazing this brilliant recital has been kept under wraps until now.

Average customer rating:

Rare but well-polished Verdi gems.

Les Introuvables Du Chant Verdien

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Les Introuvables du Chant Français
Les Introuvables Du Chant Wagnérien
The Verdi Recordings
Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson

ASIN: B000051W4C
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Ernani: Act I: Surta E La Notte... Ernani! Ernani, Involami - Frieda Hempel
Ernani: Act I: Che Mai Vegg'io!... Infelice!... Infin Che Un Brando Vindice - Boris Christoff
Ernani: Act II: Vieni Meco... - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Cors/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
Ernani: Act III: O De' Verd'anni Miei - Giuseppe Kaschmann/Salvatore Cottone
Ernani: Act III: Gran Dio!... O De' Verd'anni Miei - Benvenuto Franci
Ernani: Act III: O Sommo Carlo - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Corsi/Luigi Colazza/Aristodemo Silich/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
Il Trovatore: Act I: Tacea La Notte Placida - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
Il Trovatore: Act I: Deserto Sulla Terra - Francesco Tamagno
Il Trovatore: Act II: Stride La Vampa! - Fedora Barbiera
Il Trovatore: Act II: Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi - Margarete Klose
Il Trovatore: Act II: Perigliarti Ancor (Sung In German) - Margarete Matzenauer/Heinrich Knote
Il Trovatore: Act II: Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso - Giuseppe Pacini
Il Trovatore: Act III: Ah! Si Ben Mio, Coll'essere - Charles Dalmores
Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira (Sung In French) - Cesar Vezzani
Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira - Jussi Bjorling
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Timor Di Me?... D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - Emmy Destinn
Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Sung In German) - Frida Leider
Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - EVA TURNER
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Udiste?... Mira, D'acerbe Lagrime... Vivra! - Carlo Galeffi/Giannina Arragi-Lombardi
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Si M'ami Ancor... Ai Nostri Monti - Beniamino Gigli/Cloe Elmo

Tracks:

Macbeth: Act II: La Luce Langue (Sung In German) - Martha Modl
Macbeth: Act IV: O Figli, O Figli Mie!... Ah La Paterna Mano - Enrico Caruso
Macbeth: Act IV: Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora - Margherita Grandi/Vera Terry/Ernest Frank
Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Alfred Piccaver
Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Dino Borgioli
Rigoletto: Act I: Pari Siamo! - Tito Gobbi
Rigoletto: Act I: Gia Tre Lune... Veglia, O Donna (Sung In German) - Claire Dux/Joseph Schwartz
Rigoletto: Act I: E Il Sol Dell'anima (Sung In French) - Miguel Villabella/Elde Norena
Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In Russian) - Lydia Lipowska
Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In German) - Maria Ivogun
Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigiani, Vil Razza Damnata (Sung In German) - Joseph Schwarz
Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigianni, Vil Razza Damnata - Pasquale Amato
Rigoletto: Act II: Ciel! Dammi Corraggio! Tutte Le Feste - Olimpia Boronat
Rigoletto: Act II: Tutte Le Feste... Piangi Fanciulla - Lotte Schone/Herbert Janssen
Rigoletto: Act II: No, Vecchio, T'inganni... Si Vendetta - Maria Galvany
Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Enrico Caruso
Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Tino Folgar
Rigoletto: Act III: Bella Figlia Dell'amore - Beniamino Gigli/Louise Homer/Amelita Galli-Curci/Giuseppe De Luca
Rigoletto: Act III: O Mia Gilda... Lassu In Ciel - Tito Ruffo/Graziella Pareto

Tracks:

Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A Te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacerto Spirito - Francesco Navarini
Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacertato Spirito - Alexander Kipnis
La Traviata: Act I: Un Di, Felice - Bjorn Talen/Lola Artot De Padila
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors' e Lui (Sung In Russian) - Antonina Neshdanova/Umberto Mazetti
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui - Maria kousnezoff
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui... Follie!... Sempre Libera - Luisa Tetrazzini
La Traviata: Act II: De' Miel Bollenti Spiriti - Fernando De Lucia
La Traviata: Act II: Lunge Da Lei... De' Miei Bollentti Spiriti - Giuseppe Di Stefano
La Traviata: Act II: Dite Alla Giovine - Nellie Melba/John Brownlee/Harold Craxton
La Traviata: Act II: Madamigella Valery?... Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Dite Alla Giovine - Rolando Panerai/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
La Traviata: Act II: Che Fai? Nulla Scrivevi? (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge/Maria Cebotari
La Traviata: Act II: Mio Figlio... Di Provenza - Mattia Battistini
La Traviata: Act II: Alfredo, Alfredo... - Lilli Lehmann
La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio, Del Passato - Claudio Muzio
La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio De Passato - Margherita Carosio

Tracks:

Nabucco: Act I: Sperate, O Figli - Nazzareno De Angelis
Nabucco: Act II: Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno - Ines De Frate
Nabucco: Act III: Ah! Prigioniero Io Sono... Dio Di Giuda - Carlo Galeffi
La Forza Del Destino: Act I: Ma Pellegrina Ed Orfana - Gina Cigna
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Celestina Boninsegna
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Son Giunta!... Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Dusolina Giannini
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Chi Puo Legger Nel Futoro (Sung In German) - Ivan Andresen/Meta Seinemeyer
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Alzatevi... La Vergine Degli Angeli - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Chor Of The Metropolitan Opr
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli - Francesco Merli
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Solene In Quest'ora - Enrico Caruso/Antonio Scotti
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Morir!... Urna Fatale... E Salvo (Sung In German) - Heinrich Schlusnus
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Invano, Alvaro - Gino Bechi/Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Salomea Kruszelnicka
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Zinka Milanov
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Non Imprecare - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Giovanni Martinelli

Tracks:

Don Carlo: Act I: E Lui... Dio, Che Nell'alma - Giuseppe De Luca/Giovanni Martinelli
Don Carlo: Act II: Nell Giardin Del Bello (Sung In German) - Margarete Arndt-Ober
Don Carlo: Act II: Restate - Boris Christoff/Tito Gobbi
Don Carlo: Act IV: Ou Suis-je!... Je Dormirai Dans Mon Manteau Royal (Sung In French) - Pol Plancon
Don Carlo: Act III: Ella Giammai M'amo!... Dormiro Sol - Boris Christoff
Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Frida Leider
Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Clara Butt
Don Carlo: Act III: I. Convien Qui Dirci Addio... Per Me Giunto/II. O Carlo Ascolta... Lo Morro - Tito Gobbi
Don Carlo: Act IV: Tu Che Le Vanita - Hertha Stolzenberg
I Vespri Siciliani: Act II: O Tu Palermo - Boris Christoff
I Vespri Siciliani: Act III: In Braccia Alle Dovizie - Riccardo Stracciari
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Giorno Di Pianto (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Arrigo! Ah Parli A Un Core - Ester Mazzoleni
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Merce, Dilette Amiche - Rosa Raisa

Tracks:

I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Je Veux Encore Entendre - Leonce Escalais
I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Grace, Mon Dieu!... O Jour Fatal - Paul Payan
I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act III: Or Non Piu... Qual Volutta Trascorrere - Elisabeth Rethberg/Beniamino Gigli/Ezio Pinza
Aida: Act I: Celeste Aida (Sung In French) - Paul Franz
Aida: Act I: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!... Celeste Aida (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
Aida: Act I: I Sacri Nomi (Sung In French) - Felia Litvinne
Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Giannina Russ
Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Florence Austral
Aida: Act III: O Patria Mia (Sung In German) - Emmy Destinn
Aida: Act III: Qui Radames Verra... O Patria Mia (Sung In Russian) - Natalia Yushina
Aida: Act III: Pur Ti Riveggo - Giovanni Martinelli/Rosa Ponselle
Aida: Act III: Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti (Sung In German) - Elsa Bland/Leo Slezak
Aida: Act III: Lo L'amo Sempre... Gia I Sacerdoti (Sung In German) - Sabine Kalter/Richard Tauber
Aida: Act III: Ohime!... Morir Mi Sento - Ebe Stignani/Chor Del Teatro Dell'Opr Di Roma
Aida: Act III: Morir Si Pura E Bella (Sung In German) - Leo Slezak/Sofie Sedlmair
Aida: Act III: O Terra, Addio - Johanna Gadski/Enrico Caruso

Tracks:

I Due Foscari: Act I: O Vecchio Cor - Riccardo Stracciari
I Due Foscari: Act I: Questa Dunque - Pasquale Amato
Otello: Act I: Esultate - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Otello: Act I: Esultate - John O'Sullivan
Otello: Act I: Qua, Ragazzi... Inaffia L'ugola! - Apollo Granforte/Nello Palai/Piero Girardi/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano
Otello: Act I: Gia Nella Notte - Tino Pattiera/Meta Seinemeyer
Otello: Act II: Credo In Un Dio Crudel - Cesare Formichi
Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio (Sung In French) - Jose Luccioni
Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio - Mario Del Monaco
Otello: Act II: Era La Notte - Eugenio Giraldoni
Otello: Act II: E Qual Certezza... Era La Notte - Lawrence Tibbett
Otello: Act II: Si Pel Ciel - Giovanni Zenatello/Paquale Amato
Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar (Sung In German) - Lauritz Melchior
Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Renato Zanelli
Otello: Act IV: Piangea Cantando (Sung In German) - Lotte Lehmann
Otello: Act IV: Mia Madre Aveva Una Pavera Ancella - Yvonne Gall
Otello: Act IV: Ave Maria (Sung In German) - Tiana Lemnitz
Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Francesco Tamagno/Salvatore Cottone
Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Giuseppe Borgatti

Tracks:

Luisa Miller: Act I: Ah! Tutto M'arride... Il Mio Sangue - Tancredi Pasero
Luisa Miller: Act II: Oh! Fede Negar Potessi... Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Giuseppe Anselmi
Luisa Miller: Act II: Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Aureliano Pertile
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: Zitti... L'incanto... Re Dell'abisso - Irene Minghini-Cattaneo
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: E' Scherzo Od E Follia - Aureliano Pertile/Ines Maria Ferraris/Luis Bertana/Antonio Righetti/Cesare Baromeo
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Eugenai Burzio
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Hina Spani
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia (Sung In German) - Melanie Kurt
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia - Elisabeth Rethberg
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Eri Tu - Giuseppe De Luca
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Saper Vorreste - Selma Kurz
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Forse La Soglia Attinse... Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti - Antonio Cortis
Falstaff: Act I: L'onore! - Mariano Stabile
Falstaff: Act II: Alfin, T'ho Colto... Quand'ero Paggio - Antonio Magini-Coletti/Elisa Petri
Falstaff: Act II: Quand'ero Paggio - Victor Maurel
Falstaff: Act III: Ehi! Taverniere - Mariano Stabile
Falstaff: Act III: Da Labbro Il Canto - Tito Schipa
Falstaff: Act III: Sul Fil D'un Soffio Etesio - Toti Dal Monte/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scal, Milano

Amazon.com

This collection, whose French title might be translated "Verdi Vocal Rarities," is a unique contribution to the Verdi centennial year. Its 136 selections on eight compact discs offer an in-depth survey of singers who recorded notable Verdi performances during the era of 78-rpm recording. Coincidentally, this period covers, within a few years, the half- century after the composer's death, in 1901. Some of the singers in the earliest cuts--tenor Francesco Tamagno and bass Victor Maurel, for example--had known Verdi and sung for him. Many of the singers will be familiar to connoisseurs of Verdi discography--Enrico Caruso, Boris Christoff, Fedora Barbieri, Ezio Pinza, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Tito Gobbi, Beniamino Gigli, and Jussi Bjoerling, to name a few. Others, such as Frieda Hempel, Emmy Destinn, Martha Modl, Joseph Schwarz, Gino Cigna, and Mattia Battistini, are names you come across in books about opera, but you have heard their voices only if you spend a lot of time with historic recordings. And a lot of performances, including some of the best, are likely to be the work of singers encountered for the first time.

Most of the big moments from Verdi's operas are included--grouped by opera, not by chronological order of recording. There are a few strange omissions; for example, the "Miserere" scene from Il trovatore. But other selections, such as "Ah fors' e lui" and "La donna e mobile," are given in two or three performances--sometimes in French, German, or Russian as well as Italian. Some of the performances are classics; many are mind-boggling.

Some favorite Verdi singers--Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, among them--are absent because they began recording after the collection's cutoff date. Other problems are mostly related to the dates of the original recordings. The sound is all pre-high-fidelity and sometimes quite primitive, though some remarkable work has been done to optimize the earliest items. The annotations are minimal--mostly the date, venue, and performers in each cut, with pictures of the biggest stars. This decision was probably made to keep the price low, and those who already know most of the arias and ensembles will likely find the tradeoff acceptable. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Rare but well-polished Verdi gems........2001-10-21

Classical music enthusiasts will have become aware that EMI have been marketing several boxed sets with a French title containing the word "introuvables". The word suggests that when you open the box you'll find items that are so rare as to be almost unobtainable. It suggests also that their rarity is not due only to age or production limitations, it is also due to the incomparability of their quality.

Few would quibble about the quality of what is to be found in this splendid collection of Verdi "introuvables". You will hear how Emmy Destinn portrayed Aida yearning for her homeland in 1908, and how Elisabeth Schwarzkopf portrayed Violetta intereacting with her lover's father in 1953. You will hear several items duplicated. Francesco Navarini, recorded in 1907 with a piano, makes a stunning Fiesco in the "Simon Boccanegra" prologue, as is not up-staged by the more familiar Alexander Kipnis version which follows.

You might regret that your favourite Verdi record is not here. You'll have opportunities to make comparisons, however. I could never believe that anyone could equal Giuseppe de Luca'a 1930 "O sommo Carlo" from "Ernani, but here I have a chance to hear for the first time how the famous baritone Mattia Battistini did it in 1906.

Keith Hardwick compiled and transferred this collection originally in the late 1980s. He has augmented and transferred that issue onto 8 CDs, and provided the annotations. Full recording details are provided, there are many singer photographs but no singer biographies.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Recital with Caballe at her Best.......2006-12-10

At the wake of Maria Callas' explorations into the bel canto repertoire, great sopranos such as Joan Sutherland, Leyla Gencer, and most importantly, Montserrat Caballe, dominated the Italian repertoire during their careers to revive the forgotten operas of Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, and Rossini. I say that Caballe is the most important of these three post-Callas sopranos because more so than any of these divas, she epitomized the true bel canto style needed to make her characterizations come to life. Sutherland had an excellent technique, but her characterizations were sadly lacking in verve, and Leyla Gencer was too often in an undesirable state of voice despite her thespian histrionics. Montserrat had both, and she championed the great operas of Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Massenet, Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Giordano, Pergolesi, and all the other great, almost-unknown composers who became part of her core repertoire, if there was any at all. Her excellent technique allowed her to continue assuming roles that displayed her magnificent artistry well into her 70's...up to today! Yes, she is still singing, and in fact she is going to be starring in a role in the Vienna Opera next year.

This recital shows Caballe in the repertoire that was arguably her best. Although I found her compelling in some Verdi, I thought that she lacked the spinto sound needed to set those Verdi roles on fire. In this recital, Caballe shows her knack and ability to make the earlier Verdi operas shine. She had a coloratura facility that was simply astounding for an instrument of her particular smoothness, beauty, and timbre, and I believe that her excerpt from Aroldo is a must hear. Her Donizetti is brilliant as well, a highlight being the Parisina and the Belisario excerpts. It makes us wish that there were a Belisario lying around somewhere with her singing. Her Rossini makes us hope for an Armida and a Tancredi. This recording finds her in superb voice, much more so than many of the recordings of her latter years that find her singing with a trademark Caballe bleat. For people who love bel canto and tasteful singing, I think this is a recital that anyone should own.

no news.......2006-02-21

If you have the earlier release of this set (1992 I think), there's really no need to replace it. This current (2004) release was supposedly remastered, but I can hear little if any difference. Amazon shows both versions, but I'd bet the earlier one may well be out of print. You get all the Caballe trademarks here: floated pianissimos, gorgeous mid-range singing - and the usual glottal stops. Even if you're not a big MC fan, the set is worth getting for all those arias you're not likely to hear elsewhere, or done as well.

Montserrat Caballe's Claim To Fame.......2005-11-09

Bel canto opera was soprano Montserrat Caballe's claim to fame. Blessed with both a huge and lyrically resplendent voice, she was a refreshing change from the purely dramatic style of singing provided by Maria Callas. Her pianissimi are still talked about even long after they disappeared, her coloratura is dynamic, her stamina and breath control impressive and her orutund, vigorous but beautiful tone made her particularly suited for the roles of queens or strong women- Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia and Bellini's Norma especially. The other reviewer says she was perfect for the roles of mothers, queens and wives, and this is true because she was able to portray seemingly powerful women dying of love underneath. She would have made an exceptionally terrific Turandot but she never sang the role in her career.Her career in opera spanned the decades of the 60's, 70's and even part of the 80's. The arias from Parisina and Torquato Tasso are indeed outstanding. These operas are obscure bel canto operas by Donizetti, Rossini and even early Verdi operas. These operas will never be staged again and some of them enjoyed only mild success in their original stage premieres in the 19th century. This is the work of young and energetic composers who had not yet mastered character insight and thrilling dramatic elements. Mostly, it's beautiful singing, the actual definiton of the term bel canto. What we get in place of dramatic potency is ornate, lush singing. In the very least, these arias should be sung in recital. Caballe sang numerous bel canto pieces in recital, displaying her gift for this type of singing. She is the very embodiment of bel canto. Not even Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills, considered her fellow peers in the same "back to bel canto" movement could essay the arias with such grace, elegance and majestic beauty. Sutherland sang with obvious gloss and no real dramatic power, Sills sang beautifully but focused on the significance of text as drama and therefore "spoke" some of her lines or cried or raged instead of singing. Callas was the same way only hers was a bigger voice. Caballe gave us simply beautiful singing. And we thank her for that.

Welcome to the Caballe school of singing!.......2004-12-18

This re-released recitals indisputably rank among Caballe's best recording material. Each "rarity" has something different to offer. In Rossini, Caballe mostly displays her coloratura ability which was not in the same league as Sills', Callas' or Sutherland's but had a magic of its own. One never expects such agilty from such a firm and full voice. The Tancredi scene is my favourite.

In Donizetti, Caballe truly reigns! If only she'd recorded these operas completely. I've always found her sound perfectly suited to roles of wifes, mothers and aristocratic ladies in general. The operas chosen here deal with marrital problems and Caballe is the definition of the Donizzeti roles she sings here! My favs are the Parisina and Torquato Tasso moments. Comparing her and the lighter sopranos who nowadays perform these operas makes one realise that high notes are not the issue here. The full, sumptuous sound of a Monsterrat is what these operas need!

Early Verdi has a lot in common with bel canto and Caballe is again sublime! The Un Giorno extract stands out. It's breathtakingly perfect! Caballe finds meaning in every phrase she sings. But all other tracks are unforgettable as well. Needless to say that the voice at this moment of her carreer was at its best!

These recitals will always have a special place in my opera collection and my heart!

Music Review:

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