Ferment

Amazon.com
One of the finest albums to arise out of the shoegazing trend coating the early 1990s, Ferment is rich, lush, and wrenching. For what it's worth, Catherine Wheel get a mention in the liner notes of the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. Perhaps it's indicative of the fact that this album rocks a little harder than the genre-defining releases from the likes of the Stone Roses, the Charlatans, and the Inspiral Carpets. Ferment includes guitar solos, albeit tasteful guitar solos, that most of Catherine Wheel's contemporaries would have balked at. Later releases abandon the ethereal noise wash, leaning a little more toward the sound of their admirers the Pumpkins. A beautiful, spiraling release, Ferment is pliable but impenetrable. --Beth Bessmer

Ferment,Catherine Wheel,Mercury / Universal,Alternative Pop/Rock,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Shoegaze

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Ferment

Average customer rating: Catherine Wheel: Ferment sunlight bleaches you A great album to sum up the Manchester scene in the early 90's The best single second of alt-rock ever recorded Pure Genious...

Ferment Catherine Wheel Manufacturer: Fontana Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Shoegazing | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Chrome Nowhere Souvlaki Happy Days Adam and Eve ASIN: B000001DVN Release Date: 1992-06-09

Tracks:

1. Texture
2. I Want To Touch You
3. Black Metallic
4. Indigo Is Blue
5. She's My Friend
6. Shallow
7. Ferment
8. Flower To Hide
9. Tumbledown
10. Bill and Ben
11. Salt
12. Balloon

Amazon.com

One of the finest albums to arise out of the shoegazing trend coating the early 1990s, Ferment is rich, lush, and wrenching. For what it's worth, Catherine Wheel get a mention in the liner notes of the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. Perhaps it's indicative of the fact that this album rocks a little harder than the genre-defining releases from the likes of the Stone Roses, the Charlatans, and the Inspiral Carpets. Ferment includes guitar solos, albeit tasteful guitar solos, that most of Catherine Wheel's contemporaries would have balked at. Later releases abandon the ethereal noise wash, leaning a little more toward the sound of their admirers the Pumpkins. A beautiful, spiraling release, Ferment is pliable but impenetrable. --Beth Bessmer

Customer Reviews:

Catherine Wheel: Ferment.......2007-03-31

This is an awesome CD and an awesome band. The 90's were definitely the decade where I became musically aware, and most of my favorite bands are from that decade, but somehow I never heard - or even heard of - Catherine Wheel until 2007. Man, I was missing out. I actually fell in love with them via "Crank," a song from CW's second album, Chrome...but by now, I like Ferment even better than Chrome.

If you have always wished that Radiohead would make a sequel to The Bends, then check out Catherine Wheel. And after going through Catherine Wheel's catalog, you might check out The Autumns for a current band that makes this (EXACT!) kind of music. Also, obviously, get The Bends if you don't have it yet. Enjoy.

sunlight bleaches you.......2007-03-08

A very impressive debut album from a band that will help shape and shift the landscape of the British underground. Compared to other Catherine Wheel albums, Ferment is very raw in it's production and is the main reason that they were lumped into the shoegazer category. Beautiful pop melodies that are twisted around a vaccuum of distorted fuzz to create a powerful collection of tunes. Catherine Wheel has always had the ability to make you weep with their frailty and then rip your face like an emotional juggernaut. It all starts with Ferment. Rob Dickinson begins to develop his signature breathy vocals. His voice truly is another instrument. Brian Futter drops bombs of ambient distortion. Neils Simms and Dave Hawes anchor the songs so that they don't sail 10,000 miles over the moon. Over time, Catherine Wheel would develop and refine their sound even more but this is the album that started it all. Outstanding.

A great album to sum up the Manchester scene in the early 90's.......2007-01-15

Anyone who knows the early sounds of the 90's would hear every trick in this outstanding album produced by Catherine Wheel. A great example of the 'Manchester scene' that captures those distinctive wayward guitar rifts and catchy melodies, a must for anyone who wants to bring those days back to life.

The best single second of alt-rock ever recorded.......2006-12-11

...is the one in which those four sixthteenth-note snare hits rocket us out of the moody interlude of "Black Metallic" at the 6:03 mark and back into that impeccible guitar-drenched finale. You want catharsis? This is catharsis.

The rest of the album isn't exactly bad either.

Pure Genious..........2006-11-10

You can say what you want about the whole "shoegazing" movement to come out of the UK in the early 90's, but you cannot deny the utter brilliance of this album. Loveless by MBV and Nowhere by Ride are equally impressive albums, but Ferment is the complete package. Every song is a gem and I dare the listener to play Ferment, turn off the lights and see if it doesn't make your mind travel. "Flower to Hide" is a forgotten gem on the album that gave us "Black Metallic" and "I Want to Touch You". Other standout tracks to me are "Indigo is Blue" and the title track, "Ferment". Just buy it and find out for yourself

Average customer rating: This is the very best

Very Best of Jussi Bjorling Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Björling, Jussi | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Jussi Bjorling: Opera Arias The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano Artists Of The Century - Jussi Bjorling, The Ultimate Collection The Very Best of Franco Corelli ASIN: B000083GOH Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

1. Questa O Quella - Jussi Bjorling
2. La Donna E Mobile - Jussi Bjorling
3. Ah Si, Ben Mio - Jussi Bjorling
4. Di Quella Pira - Jussi Bjorling
5. Di Tu Se Fedele - Jussi Bjorling
6. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida - Jussi Bjorling
7. Ingemisco - Orchestra
8. Cujus Animam - Orchestra
9. Una Furtiva Lagrima - Royal Orchestra
10. Cielo E Mar - Orchestra
11. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio - Jussi Bjorling
12. Amor Ti Vieta - Orchestra
13. E La Solita Storia - Nils Grevillius
14. Donna Non Vidi Mai - Royal Orchestra
15. Che Gelida Manina - Jussi Bjorling
16. In Un Coupe?...O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni - Robert Merrill
17. Recondita Armonia - Jussi Bjorling
18. E Lucevan Le Stelle - Nils Grevillius
19. Nessun Dorma - Orchestra
20. Mamma! Quel Vino E Generoso - Nils Grevillius
21. Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba - Jussi Bjorling
22. No. Pagliaccio Non Son - Robert Shaw Chorale

Tracks:

1. Mi Batte Il Cor...O Paradiso - Orchestra
2. Salut! Demeure Chaste Et Pure - Orchestra
3. Ange Adorable - Nils Grevillius
4. Ah! Leve - Toi, Soleil - Royal Orchestra
5. Intant Charmant...En Ferment Les Yeux - Orchestra
6. Je Suis Seul!...Ah, Fuyez, Douce Image - Royal Orchestra
7. La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee - Orchestra
8. Je Crois Entrende Encore - Royal Orchestra
9. Adelaide - Harry Ebert
10. Morgan! - Harry Ebert
11. Cacilie - Harry Ebert
12. In The Silence Of Night - Nils Grevillius
13. Lilacs - Nils Grevillius
14. Ideale - Orchestra
15. 'O Sole Mio - Orchestra
16. Mattinata - Orchestra
17. Becuase - Royal Orchestra
18. Only A Rose - Orchestra
19. For You Alone - Orchestra
20. Uti En Skog Pa Berget Ida (Au Mont Ida Trois Deesses) - Orchestra
21. Nu Ar Jag Pank Och Fagelfri ( Ich Hab Kein Geld) - Orchestra
22. Julsand (O Helga Natt) - Royal Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

This is the very best.......2007-01-25

Unless, you are as crazy as I am about Bjorling and willing to buy everything available anyway, this is the collection to purchase.

It includes the best of all the other compilations. The sound is very clean: much better than some of the records that I have with the same material.

The French stuff is wonderful -- especially Le Reve. There is something so melancholic about his voice. He doesn't need to act or add anything phony. As soon as he opens his mouth, you know this story is not going to end well.

The collection covers more than 20 years. It's amazing that the voice changed so little. His voice lost none of it beauty or power over the years.

Best Beethoven Adeliade ever. What a pity he never recorded any Schubert song cycles.

My God, this collection even includes Adam's Julsang -- which as far as I know existed only in a Swedish RCA 33 rpm. You will never think of "Oh, Holy Night" the same way again.

If you have not listened to Bjorling before, you will never think of some other famous tenors the same way either.

And a bargain. Two disks for $17? Start here.

Average customer rating: A star among modern Werthers, but there are others Another Smash Hit From The French Opera Specialists ¿El mejor Werther despues de Kraus? Best Werther recording since the 1930s thoughts on "Werther"

Massenet - Werther / Alagna · Gheorghiu · Hampson · Petibon · Courtis · Fouchécourt · Frémeau · LSO · Pappano Jules Massenet , Antonio Pappano , Roberto Alagna , Angela Gheorghiu , London Symphony Orchestra , Tiffin Children's Choir , Thomas Hampson , Patricia Petibon , Jean-Philippe Courtis , Jean-Paul Fouchécourt , Jean-Marie Frémeau , James Savage-Hanford , Pierre Dupont , and Sophie Boulanger Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Massenet - Manon / Gheorghiu, Alagna, Patriarco, van Dam, Ragon, Rivenq, Panzarella, Koch, Schimmack, Pappano Puccini - La Rondine / Gheorghiu · Alagna · Matteuzzi · Mula · Rinaldi · Ciofi · Bacelli · LSO · Pappano Massenet: Le Jongleur de Notre Dame Puccini - Il Trittico / Alagna, Gheorghiu, Guelfi, Guleghina, Gallardo-Domás, Manca di Nissa, Palmer, Shicoff, van Dam, Pappano Rossini - Guillaume Tell / Bacquier, Caballé, Gedda, Mesplé, Kovacs, Howell, RPO, Gardelli ASIN: B00001ZSVU Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

1. Werther: Prelude (Orchestra)
2. Werther: Act One: Assez! Assez! M'ecouterat-on cette fois? (Le Bailli, Les Enfants)
3. Werther: Act One: Bravo pour les enfants! (Johann, Schmidt, Les Enfants, Le Bailli, Sophie)
4. Werther: Act One: Alors, c'est bien ici la maison du Bailli?
5. Werther: Act One: Je ne sais si je veille (Werther)
6. Werther: Act One: Jesus vient de naitre!...Chers enfants! (Les Enfants, Werther)
7. Werther: Act One: Ah! comme ils sont meilleurs que moi! (Werther, Les enfants, Le Bailli)
8. Werther: Act One: Arrivez donc, Bruhlmann! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Werther, Sophie)
9. Werther: Act One: O spectacle ideal d'amour et d'innocence (Werther)
10. Werther: Act One: Monsieur Werther!...Vivat Bacchus, semper vivat! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Sophie)
11. Werther: Act One: Sophie!...Albert! Toi de retour! (Albert, Sophie)
12. Werther: Act One: Elle m'aime!...Quelle priere de reconnaissance et d'amour (Albert)
13. Werther: Act One: Interlude (Orchestre)
14. Werther: Act One: Interlude (continued) ...Il Faut nous separer
15. Werther: Act One: Mais vous ne savez rien de moi
16. Werther: Act One: Reve! Extase! Bonheur! (Charlotte, Werther)
17. Werther: Act One: Charlotte! Charlotte! Albert est de retour! (Le Bailli, Charlotte, Werther)
18. Werther: Act Two: Prelude (Orchestre) ....Vivat Bacchus! Semper vivat!
19. Werther: Act Two: Allez, chantez l'office (Johann, Schmidt)
20. Werther: Act Two: Trois mois! Voici trois mois que nous sommes unis! (Albert, Charlotte)
21. Werther: Act Two: Un autre est son epoux!
22. Werther: Act Two: J'aurais sur ma poitrine (Werther)
23. Werther: Act Two: Si! Katchen reviendra, je vous dis! (Schmidt, Johann)
24. Werther: Act Two: Au bonheur dont mon ame est pleine...Vous l'avez dit: mon ame est loyale et sincere (Albert, Werther)
25. Werther: Act Two: Frere, voyez! Voyez le beau bouquet!...Heureux! Pourais-je l'etre encore? (Sophie, Werther, Albert)
26. Werther: Act Two: Ai-je dit vrai? L'amour que j'ai pour elle Ah! qu'il est loin, ce jour plein d'intime douceur
27. Werther: Act Two: N'est-il donc pas d'autre femme
28. Werther: Act Two: Oui, ce qu'elle m'ordonne
29. Werther: Act Two: Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage avant l'heure
30. Werther: Act Two: Mais venez donc! le cortege s'approche (Sophie, Werther, Charlotte, Albert)

Tracks:

1. Werther: Act Three: Prelude (Orchestra)
2. Werther: Act Three: Werther! Werther!...Qui m'aurait dit la place
3. Werther: Act Three: Des cris joyeux d'enfants montent sous ma fenetre (Charlotte)
4. Werther: Act Three: Bonjour, grand soeur! (Sophie, Charlotte)
5. Werther: Act Three: Va! Laisse couler mes larmes (Charlotte)
6. Werther: Act Three: Tiens, Charlotte, crois-moi, ne reste pas ici (Sophie, Charlotte)
7. Werther: Act Three: Ah! mon courage m'abandonne! (Charlotte)
8. Werther: Act Three: Qui, c'est moi! Je reviens! (Werner, Charlotte)
9. Werther: Act Three: Ha! bien souvent...Toute mon ame est la!...Pourquoi me reveiller, o souffle du printemps? (Werner)
10. Werther: Act Three: N'achevez pas! Helas!
11. Werther: Act Three: Ah! Moi! Moi, dans ses bras! (Charlotte, Werther)
12. Werther: Act Three: Werther, est de retour...on la vu revenir (Albert, Charlotte)
13. Werther: Act Four: Entr'acte: La Nuit de Noel (Orchestra)
14. Werther: Act Four: Werther! Werther! Rien! (Charlotte)
15. Werther: Act Four: Qui parle? Charlotte, ah! c'est toi!
16. Werther: Act Four: A cette heure supreme, je suis heureux (Charlotte, Werther)
17. Werther: Act Four: Noel! Noel! Noel!...Dieu! Ces cris joyeux (Les Enfants, Charlotte, Werther, Sophie)
18. Werther: Act Four: Ah! ses yeux se ferment!...Non...Charlotte!...je meurs (Charlotte, Werther)

Amazon.com

The modern discography of Massenet's Werther has long been dominated by the (currently out of print) Philips recording starring José Carreras and Frederica von Stade as well as the earlier EMI version with Alfredo Kraus and Tatiana Troyanos. But this EMI newcomer is within shouting distance of greatness, mainly due to conductor Antonio Pappano. Although any Werther succeeds or fails on the strength of its singers, the conductor is a crucial catalyst (on the Philips set, it's Colin Davis, while on EMI it's Michel Plasson) for maintaining the poetic intensity in a drama that can too easily seem like a naive case study in stalking. The Byronic title character essentially practices emotional blackmail on the married woman he loves by never hiding his suicidal tendencies, though one never thinks such mundane thoughts with tenor Roberto Alagna. Although his voice lacks the tenor bloom one might want, he's so at home with the role and the French language that he delivers a characterization full of imagination and immediacy, sometimes bordering on vocal genius. Soprano Angela Gheoghiu's vocal center is too high for this mezzo role, but she makes a vivid impression through the sheer force of her personality. Thomas Hampson gives vocal glamour but surprising dramatic restraint to the role of her husband, Albert. Although the sound quality is somewhat studio bound, Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra play as if it's a live performance. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A star among modern Werthers, but there are others.......2006-05-28

The reviewers below have praised this EMI Werther so thoroughly that there's little to add. Gheorghiu is the only soprano besides Victoria de los Angeles (1868, also on EMI) to record this classic mezzo role, and at times one hears the strain as she reaches for the bottom notes. She lacks de los angeles's many emotional shadings, giving us instead a fairly consistent, verismo-tinged passion, but her vocalism as such is thrilling.

Roberto alagna, a native French speaker despite his name, is the only prominent Werther who can claim that distinciton. I've always felt he was much better suited to French opera than the heavier Verdi-Puccini roles that he now sings, and which (shadoes of Carreras) have led to a coarsening of his voice, along with a pronounced wobble and intonation problems. but he is a star, no doubt, and here he brings charisma and style to Wether. He takes care to find many musical shadings throughout, and since the date for this recording is 1998-99, he is nearly in best voice.

Everyone has praised Pappano (are they following the lead of The Gramophone reviewer, who thought he was the best thing here?), but Colin Davis, Georges Pretre, and Kent Nagano had done as well. Pappano;s distinciton is that he is a bit slower, more dleiberate, and self-consciously refined. I'm not sure that's always a great advantage in Massanet, whose music is given to sighs and longueurs--it can use help form an energetic conductor. EMI's recording form London is a bit distant but otherwise quite good.

IN all, this is a gripping peformance that deserves all the praise it has gotten, but it doesn't erase memories of other fine Werthers, an opera that has been amazingly successful on records. The Davis features a remarkable Charlotte in Frederica von stade and a passionate, verismo Carreras in top form (Philips), the Nagano has gorgeous if not quite idiomatic singing from von Otter and Hadley in a more low-key, melliflous style (Erato), and of course there's the classic Pretre version with de los Angeles and Gedda. This only skims the surface, for there is an oustanding live 1977 performance with Domingo and Fassbaender under Lopez-Corbos from Munich (Orfeo). Indeed, when the Amazon reviewer claims that the Plasson set with Troyanos and Kraus on EMI "dominated" the stereo era, he is far from accurate.

Another Smash Hit From The French Opera Specialists .......2006-02-25

Husband and wife singing sensatio Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu, in another stunning EMI recording, dramatically commit themselves to the passionate characters in this now forgotten opera Werther, which quite possibly is Massenet's best work. Although Alagna and Gheorghiu can sing the Italian opera repertoire with aplomb (Tosca, Trovatore, Boheme, Pagliacci, La Rondine) they have proven time and again that their strongest reperotoire is French opera. As soon as their Romeo Et Juliette hit record stores and stage houses, they were immediately hailed as today's finest French opera singers, a rarity. Not only do they possess beautiful voices but they are intensely dramatic and character-driven. Never more so than in Massenet's Werther, a Gothic romantic drama about the tormented love of the titular hero who kills himself. It's drawn from a popular Romantic-Era 19th century novel - The Sorrows of Young Werther. Both Alagna and Gheorghiu are in great vocal shape. They understand the significance of the text and they are blessed with the talents of their champion conductor, Antonio Pappano, who draws out the power in the musical score with the London Symphony Orchestra. All true fans of Alagna and Gheorghiu will want to own this one, as it is indeed their best work yet.

Roberto Alagna has been criticized for his flawed technique- he sings with self-conscious grandeur and often imitates the lyric tones of predecessors Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli. He has a nearly "pop" style voice - all razzzle-dazzle, great volume, beautiful tone, but often fails in the more difficult music. He is however, very gifted and intelligent and attempts to sing with as much passion and drama as possible. I for one love what I hear from him, especially in this recording, where he has never sang better. Angela Gheorghiou sings with her usual dramatic diva flair - thrilling high notes, tessitura, chest voice, musicality and all the good things she has used for other great hits like Juliette and Manon. But in this performance, while it is still good, she is not really in her element. This is a mezzo-soprano role. Charlotte, Werther's unattainable love, must sing with mezzo soprano voice in order to seduce Werther a la Bizet's Carmen. While it is definately a role for a high mezzo, it is not for the purely soprano voice of Angela Gheorghiu. You have to be a fan of these two in order to appreciate Gheorghiu's treatment of a mezzzo soprano role. It is basically the same thing as her Carmen, another mezzo soprano role. If you want to hear outstanding mezzo sopranos in Werther check out the dramatic mezzo style of Brigitte Fassbaender who is by far the best intepretor or check out Federica Von Stade who sings a cooler and less intense Charlotte opposite the supercharged Jose Carreras. Pappano does a great job with the music - bloom, brilliance, darkness and this is by far the best modern recording of the opera.

¿El mejor Werther despues de Kraus?.......2004-10-23

Sorprendente acierto de la EMI (la casa para la que grababa Alfredo Kraus, uno de los interpretes de referencia del papel de 'Werther') al confiar a una de las parejas mas activas discograficamente del momento, Roberto Alagna y Angela Gheorghiu, la grabacion de 'Werther' en 1999 (justo el año de la muerte del mitico Kraus)
Y digo sorprendente porque quizas ROBERTO ALAGNA sea el mejor interprete de Werther desde el mitico Kraus. Sus interpretaciones son muy diferentes entre si, ya que Alagna muestra un timbre mas baritonal que el liviano de Kraus y un canto mas afrancesado: Un canto elegante y entregado capaz de llegar a los agudos sin grandes problemas, que hacen de Alagna seguramente el mejor Werther de su generacion (y por tanto el mejor despues de Kraus).
Como Charlotte encontramos a la soprano ANGELA GHEORGHIU, en un papel que aunque habitualmente es cantado por mezzos, le queda francamente bien: la voz doliente y expresiva de Gheorghiu se presta perfectamente a la psicologia de Charlotte, y la quimica con Alagna en los duos de amor (sobra decir que es su esposo en la vida real) es total.
Completando el reparto nos encontramos con los lujos de PATRICIA PETIBON (una Sophie cuyo timbre recuerda mucho al de Natalie Dessay) y el Albert de un THOMAS HAMPSON que es todo sutilidad. El resto del reparto rinde tambien a buen nivel.
ANTONIO PAPPANO dirige a la LONDON SIMPHONY (que suena igual de bien que siempre) y el coro infantil canta con mucha correccion. Si a esto le sumamos un sonido magnifico (podemos oir en algunos momentos incluso los susurros de Pappano a la orquesta), esto nos lleva a pensar que este 'Werther' sea la mas adecuada segunda opcion, despues de tener la obviamente obligada de Alfredo Kraus. Muy buen trabajo.

Best Werther recording since the 1930s.......2000-03-17

I will admit that I am "imprinted" on the Georges Thill/Ninon Vallin recording from the 1930s and no recording since then has even come close. But this recording does. Alagna (who is a native French speaker, in spite of the Italian name) has the diction and, more important, the style to sing poor Werther perfectly. Gheorghiu sings beautifully as well, and there is no problem with the tessitura, in spite of Charlotte generally being more comfortable for mezzos. Pappano is an up-and-coming conductor who does himself proud with this recording. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one.

thoughts on "Werther".......2000-01-07

Perfect casting for the title role... Alagna feels *good* and sorry for himself...no problems there! Just listen to him belt and bleat through "Pourquoi"...it's no wonder Charlotte changes her mind. "Stop whining!"

This CD is worth your money, provided you already like the opera. Personally, Werther's selfishness drives me up a wall.

There's only one major problem: why is Gheorghiu singing a mezzo role? The middle register of her voice is *not* her best of show.

Average customer rating: Wonderful, but just SOME of the very best of Nicolai Gedda Excellent compilation Nicolai Gedda . . . the 4th tenor

The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda Nicolai Gedda , Adolphe Adam , Ludwig van Beethoven , Vincenzo Bellini , Hector Berlioz , Georges Bizet , Gaetano Donizetti , Friedrich von Flotow , Mikhail Glinka , and Karl Goldmark Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Glinka | Glinka, Mikhail | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Goldmark | Goldmark, Karl | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Gedda, Nicolai | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Alfredo Kraus The Very Best of Franco Corelli Nicolai Gedda - French and Russian Arias & Songs The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli ASIN: B0000A1WP3 Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Pourquoi Me Reveiller
2. Instant Charmant...En Ferment Les Yeux
3. L'Amour, L'Amour!...Ah! Leve-Toi Soleil
4. Une Heure Encore...La Gloire Etait Ma Seule Idole
5. Va, Pour Kleinzach!
6. Zurga, Quand Tous Deux...Au Fond Du Temple Saint
7. A Cette Voix...Je Crois Entendre Encore
8. La Fluer Que Tu M'Avais Jetee
9. Mes Amis, Ecoutez L'Histoire
10. Elle Ne Croyait Pas Dans Sa Candeur Naive
11. Asile Hereditaire - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
12. Quanto E Bella
13. Una Furtiva Lagrima
14. Fra Poco A Me Ricovero
15. Prendi: L'Anel Ti Dono
16. Di' Tu Se Fedele
17. La Donna E Mobile
18. Donna Non Vidi Mai

Tracks:

1. Il Mio Tesoro
2. Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
3. Ach, So Fromm
4. In Fernem Land
5. Magische Tone
6. Kuda, Kuda, Kuda Vi Udalilis (Lenski's Aria)
7. Dimitri! Tsaryevich! Dimitri!
8. Souvenir
9. O Moonlight Night
10. At The Ball
11. Don Juan's Serenade
12. O Cease Thy Singing, Maiden Fair
13. How Fair This Spot
14. Adelaide Op. 46
15. Heimliche Aufforderung, Op. 27, No. 3
16. Strandchen, Op. 17, No. 2
17. Als Flotter Geist...Ja, Das Alles Auf Ehr'
18. Gern Hab' Ich Die Frau'n Gekusst
19. Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, but just SOME of the very best of Nicolai Gedda.......2005-07-03

This is but a subset of the glorious recorded singing by Nicolai Gedda; however, it is a good sampler of the repertoire that made him legendary. And, at least a couple of the tracks ("Asile Hereditaire" and Lenski's aria) seem to be his best recordings of those particular works. Gedda is a member of a small circle of famed tenors noted for disciplined and artistic vocal production. He could find and consistently produce the "ping" we all love to hear. And, that was necessarily accompanied by flawless breath control. He holds the last note of the rousing "Hereditaire" for approximately eleven seconds! Onward! Ho! The emotion and delicate treatment he showed in Lenski's aria is a high-water mark. I can not imagine it being done better.

I first heard him in a recording of La Boheme (with Freni) in 1975 and have heard him in person both in Faust (1976) and in recital (1981). Whether on stage or in recording, Gedda is remarkable and consistent. If you are new to opera or are younger and addicted to the stars of today (and some of them are very good too), you should hear Gedda. It will raise your definition for what it takes to be a great tenor. Go find a recording of Fritz Wunderlich too.

Excellent compilation.......2005-01-30

Beautiful, easy lyric tenor; also great diction and phrasing -- a good example to any tenor on how this rep. should be sung.

Nicolai Gedda . . . the 4th tenor.......2004-06-13

Those of you who know the three tenors should look into this incredibly versatile singer. The first time I heard this remarkable tenor sing was from a recording of Mozart's Magic Flute. From then on I became an avid fan. This recording highlights how Gedda could go from singing lyric repertoire, to the bigger and more difficult French and Bel Canto and even tackling Russian and operetta. Any aspiring tenor and dedicated opera fan would do well to own this CD set.

Average customer rating: At last, some REAL Bjorling rarities!

Jussi Bjoerling: Rarities Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Jussi Björling Rediscovered ASIN: B00004U1BW Release Date: 2000-06-06

Customer Reviews:

At last, some REAL Bjorling rarities!.......2000-12-26

I often go into a record store and see a `new' recording of Jussi Bjorling material, usually on a very small and not terribly reputable label, that proclaims `The Greatest Rarities of Jussi Bjorling!', or something like that, and I grab the CD with great eagerness only to find that this is yet another transfer of the same Bjorling recordings from the late 1930s which have been put on CD hundreds of times already. No doubt the people putting out these records think that everything Jussi did before the LP era began is `rare'. While Bjorling fanatics like me may be perfectly happy to own 20 DIFFERENT versions of this great tenor singing, for example, `Che gelida manina' , we don't want 20 of the exact same recording! So I am delighted to report that this isn't yet another collection of the same old stuff, and indeed contains several songs and sacred arias he never recorded anywhere else.

This collection was put together by Cantor Don Goldberg, probably the foremost Bjorling authority in the United States - and I say `probably' only because Jussi's son Anders lives in Minnesota. In addition to presumably providing the original recordings, he has also written some excellent and perceptive notes on Bjorling's career as a recitalist and radio artist, which actually took up much more of Bjorling's time than his work on the opera stage.

Of the 21 selections on this CD, 5 have never been released in any form, an additional 9 have never been released on CD to the best of my knowledge, and all but one of the rest of the offerings are on CDs that are now out of print. This `not really rare' selection is a `Flower Song' that also appears on the Bluebell CD `Jussi Bjorling Live in Holland and Norway'. All these tracks are originally from radio broadcasts, mostly from the Bell Telephone Hour and the Voice of Firestone. The operatic selections are familiar (i.e `Nessun Dorma', and arias from Manon, Carmen, etc), although occasionally in unfamiliar form, such as a Swedish language `Salut, demeure', and the songs tend to be those `chestnuts' well liked by American radio audiences of the time, such as `A Dream' by James Caroll Bartlett, and `The Rose of Tralee'. He throws in a few Italian songs as well, such as `Funiculi Funicula' and `La Danza', although the last is sung in Swedish as well.

Of course, the singing is uniformly marvelous. Few would deny that Bjorling was, if not the greatest tenor of the twentieth century, at least in the top 5, and I, of course, would put him at number 1. Some highlights are `Nessun Dorma' sung by someone who actually understands that it's not a soccer anthem but the dreamy rapture of a man in love, a gorgeous rendition of `The Rose of Tralee' with superb feeling and legato, his marvelous English diction and facility with runs in `Clorinda', a superb `La Reve' from Manon, and, no great surprise from this master of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette and Faust, a deeply moving `O Divine Redeemer' by the same composer. There is a marvelous moment in the aforementioned `Funiculi Funicula' while the chorus is singing the words where he sings 4 notes ascending the scale of such beauty and power it makes one shiver. He also has marvelous soprano partners Grace Moore and Eleanor Steber in scenes from `Faust' and `Il Trovatore', and a very decent baritone partner, Donald Dickson, in a scene from `La Forza Del Destino', a pre-echo of the same duet recorded 12 years later with Robert Merrill.

Why, then, only 4 stars, or more accurately, 3 1/2? Either I have better sounding LP originals than Cantor Goldberg does, which I think is highly unlikely, or the remastering had some problems. Some of the selections, notably `Funiculi Funicula' and `O Divine Redeemer', simply do not sound as good as they do on my LPs. It is possible this is due to my hearing the LPs and this CD on different systems, and also I have not listened to the LPs in some time and may be remembering incorrectly. In general, I get the impression that the process used was something similar to the Ambisonic Process used by Nimbus Records - both give Bjorling a faraway sound, sometimes almost like he is underwater. One thing I think was a very bad idea was that in virtually every case applause was cut off, making the ends of songs seem very abrupt and in some cases taking away from the impact of Bjorling's final (occasionally high) notes. To be even more picky, I think I would have also preferred the French language Gounod `Sanctus' he sang on the same broadcast as `O divine redeemer', because I don't think it's a terribly good English translation and it sounds better in Latin anyway. Still, I understand that Cantor Goldberg wanted to give us the rarest items possible.

Though Jussi Bjorling impresses under almost any circumstances, I think this is a CD less for people who are comparatively new to his voice than for committed collectors, for whom this disc will be essential. And of course, I hope for Volume II and III and IV, or even more, even if they might need to change engineers. There's still quite a few more Bjorling rarities out there...

Average customer rating:

Rare Recordings from His Golden Years, 1930-1945 Manufacturer: Minerva ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Björling, Jussi | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Giordano, Umberto | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Gounod, Charles | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Flotow, Friedrich von | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Massenet, Jules | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Meyerbeer, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Offenbach, Jacques | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Borodin, Alexander | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000005R85 Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

1. Romeo Et Juliette: 'Ah! Leve-Toi Soleil!'
2. Prince Igor: 'Vladmir's Cavatina'
3. L' Illustre Fregona: 'Melancolique Tombe Le Soir'
4. Fanal: 'I Manner Over Lag Och Ratt'
5. Sadko: 'Song Of Italy'
6. L' Africana: 'O Paradiso'
7. La Fanciulla Del West: 'Ch' Ella Mi Creda
8. Manon: 'Instant Charmant...En Ferment Les Yeux'
9. Carmen: 'La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee'
10. La Belle Helene: 'Au Mont Ida Trois Deesses'
11. Der Zigeunerbaron: 'Wer Uns Getraut?'
12. Der Bettelstudent: 'Ich Hab' Kein Geld, Bin Vogelfrei'
13. Marta: 'M' Appari Tutt' Amor'
14. Faust: 'Salut! Demeure Chaste Et Pure'
15. Fedora: 'Amor Ti Vieta'
16. Turandot: 'Nessun Dorma'
17. Manon: 'Je Souis Seul!...Ah, Fuyex Douce Image'

Average customer rating:

James Macmillan: Into the Ferment; The Berserking; Britannia Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by MacMillan | MacMillan, James | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000A2ZVA Release Date: 2003-08-26

Tracks:

1. Britannia
2. The Berserking
3. The Berserking
4. The Berserking
5. The Storm
6. Here We Met, Three Merry Boys
7. In Dispraise Of Whisky
8. We Are Na' Fou!
9. It Is The Moon, I Ker Her Horn
10. Three Merry Boys Again (Sometime Later)
11. Wha' First Shall Rise To Gang Awa
12. Man To Man...Shall Brithers Be...
13. Finale

Average customer rating:

Tenors of Imperial Russia, Vol. 2 Manufacturer: Pearl ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Glinka | Glinka, Mikhail | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rubinstein | Rubinstein, Anton | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0002NY8H6 Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

1. In My Blood The Fire Of Desire Burns - Andrej Labinsky
2. O Give Me Oblivion - Andrej Labinsky
3. I Love You, Olga - Andrej Labinsky
4. Wintersturme Wichen Dem Wonnemond - Gavriil Morskoj
5. O You Dark Forest - Gavriil Morskoj
6. Pour Berthe, Moi Je Soupire - David Juzhin
7. Il Segreto - Alexander Davydov
8. The Donkey And The Nightingale - Fable - Alexander Davydov
9. Night ('Why Do I Love Thee, Night?') (Op. 60, No.9) - Alexander Davydov
10. Leave Me! (Gypsy Song) - Alexander Davydov
11. On Desire's Soft Fleeting Wing - Alexander Bogdanovich
12. What Happiness! - Alexander Bogdanovich
13. Love Is A Delightful Dream - Alexander Bogdanovich
14. Je Crois Entendre Encore - Leonid Sobinov
15. En Ferment Les Yeux (Le Reve) - Leonid Sobinov
16. Das Susse Lied Verhallt - Leonid Sobinov
17. Mein Lieber Schwann - Leonid Sobinov
18. Sleep, My Beauty - Leonid Sobinov
19. Unwillingly To These Sad Shores - Dmitri Smirnov
20. There Is A Desert Country - Dmitri Smirnov
21. Se Il Mio Nome - Dmitri Smirnov
22. Tranquility - Dmitri Smirnov

Average customer rating:

Leonid Sobinov Manufacturer: Symposium ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Boito, Arrigo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rubinstein | Rubinstein, Anton | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000026CF0 Release Date: 1999-10-26

Average customer rating: Good bargain choice Quite acceptable, but others are better

Werther Massenet , Haddock , Azzaretti , and Casadesus Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B00006RHQ0 Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Assez! Assez!
3. Alors, C'est Bein Ici
4. Jesus Vient De Naitre...
5. O Spectacle Ideal D'Amour...
6. Sophie!... Albert! Toi De Retour?
7. Elle M'Aime! Elle Pense A Moi!
8. Orchestral Interlude
9. Il Faut Nous Separer...
10. Mais Vous Ne Savez Rien De Moi...
11. Charlotte! Charlotte! Albert Est De Retour!
12. Prelude
13. Vivat Bacchus! Semper Vivat!
14. Trois Mois! Voici Trois Mois Que Nous Sommes Unis...
15. Un Autre Est Son Epoux!
16. Au Bonheur Dont Mon Ame Est Plein...
17. Frere! Voyez Le Beau Bouquet!
18. Ai-Je Dit Vrai?
19. Lorsque L'Enfant Revient D'Un Voyage Avant L'Heure...

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Werther... Werther...
3. Bonjour, Grande Soeur...
4. Va! Laisse Couler Mes Larmes
5. Alors! C'est Convenu, Tu Viendras?
6. Ah! Mon Courage M'Abandonne!
7. Oui! C'est Moi...
8. Toute Mon Ame Est La! Pourquoi Me Reveiller, O Souffle Du Printemps...
9. N'Achevez Pas! Helas? De Desespoir...
10. Ah! Moi! Moi! Dans Ses Bras!
11. Werther Est De Retour
12. La Nuit De Noel
13. Werther! Werther!
14. Qui Parle?
15. Oui, Du Jour Meme Ou Tu Parus
16. Noel! Noel! Noel!
17. Ah! Ses Yeux Se Ferment!

Customer Reviews:

Good bargain choice.......2006-01-09

For an opera that is not presented all that often, "Werther" seems to have accumulated an extraordinary number of complete recordings.

Unfortunately for dedicated audiophiles, far and away the best performance, one that almost certainly is not going to be matched or even approached by the current or foreseeable crop of singers and conductors, is fossilized on recordings made about seventy years ago. That is the "Werther" with the great Georges Thill, a performance as authentically French as the Eifel Tower. For anyone more interested in art than in mechanical reproduction of sound, I strongly recommend that you acquire a copy right now. Naxos has done an admirable job in rescuing as much of its sound as current technology allows.

For those of you who feel comfortable only with DDD sound, this performance is as good as more expensive ones with better-known performers. It is consistently and competently sung throughout. It is workmanlike in execution and as close to being authentically French as is likely to be found in this era of the jet-setting "international" style.

For overall performance of the opera, as opposed to star-turns from famous (but sometimes curiously cast) singers, this "Werther" is as good as anything recorded in the digital era.

And, of course, it has to be better than that thing with Bocelli.

Quite acceptable, but others are better.......2003-01-22

This live recording from a regional opera company in France has several things going for it. First, of course, is the price - as always a plus with Naxos releases. Then there is the excitement of a live performance. (By the way, there is no audience noise that I can hear except for a burst of applause at the end of the opera.) There is the mostly French cast, which means that diction of the French text is better than most. And finally, both the conductor and primary singers are quite acceptable. The only non-French singer is the American tenor, Marcus Haddock, who has quite a nice voice with heft and an easy top, although the sound is a bit generic. His diction and his acting are quite good. The Charlotte, mezzo Béatrice Uria-Monzon, has a first class voice and knows how to act through the voice.

This recording will not erase memories of the classic recording from the 1930s with Ninon Vallin and Georges Thill. Nor is it as good as the recent Alagna/Gheorghiu/Pappano recording. Nor does it have as good an Albert (René Massin) as the Pappano recording (Thomas Hampson, in one of his best portrayals).

Be warned that the libretto is in French only, so unless you know the opera very well or are fluent in French, this should not be your only recording of this opera that some feel is Massenet's best.

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9. Julio Iglesias - My Life: Greatest Hits
10. Just Like Blood

Rap Music

rap music

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