Santa Domingo [Import]

1. Santo Domingo

2. Ich Schau Hinunter In'sk Tal

3. Morgen; Ja Morgen

4. Oh Lonesome Me

5. Das Kommt Vom Gluck In Der Liebe

6. Wer An Das Meer Sein Hersz Verliert

7. Wenn Der Abschied Kommt

8. Ohne Sterne Ist Der Himmel Leer

9. Doch Dann Kan Johnny

10. Komm Heim, Mein Wandersmann

11. Oh Blacky Joe

12. Louissiana Moon

13. Der Mond Ist Der Freund Der Verliebten\

14. Vomn Winde Verweht

15. Abschiedsrosen

16. Addio My Love

17. Schick Ihn Nicht Fort, Daddy

18. Warum Gleich Tranen

Tracks:

Christmas Prologue
Deck The Halls
The Closing Of The Year
Tu scendi dalle stelle
Walking In The Air
Adeste Fideles
Away In A Manger
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
First Of May
Il Re Gesu
Froliche Weihnacht
Cantemos Rapaces
Christmas Is Here Again
Child In A Manger
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
Another Christmas Song
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Silent Night
First Of May (Studio Version) - (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

You don't hear many live Christmas records, but then it's seldom you get as many operatic powerhouses under one Austrian town-hall roof with a full orchestra and large children's choir. Placido Domingo (who dominates the proceedings with his commanding tenor), Britain's own Sarah Brightman, Belgian Helmut Lotti, and Italy's Richard Cocciante raise the roof on this international gala recording from 1997 under the skilled baton of Steven Mercurio and choir master Elizabeth Ziegler. Chief among the performances during this black-tie event are the Domingo-Cocciante duet of "Walking in the Air," Brightman's chilling "First of May," (the Bee Gees song) and a strange medley of European-American songs, traditional and pop, ranging from Roger Whittaker and John Lennon and Yoko Ono to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and a handful of traditional Welsh, German, and Spanish works, plus that Yank standard "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." For button-down audiences only who still can appreciate pop songs in expanded and exploded arrangements. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

A Gala Christmas in Vienna.......2007-01-15

Excellent Christmas music with some very good vaiety of voice and composition.

Helmut Lotti and others sing for Christmas.......2005-09-24

I am a great fan of Helmut Lotti. This particular recording is one my husband I already own and enjoy. We purchased this one for our adult daughter. Each of the performers on this disk are first rate and the recording as a whole is well worth adding to one's holiday pleasures.

Great for Christmas Time!!.......2004-02-26

Beautiful concert, with a lot of Spirit, Sarah Brightman voice is wonderful, this 4 singers give soul to the concert, is great for christmas time, I love this CD & also the DVD amazing..

Still my favorite Christmas album.......2004-01-08

I read all the other reviews and just had to add my thoughts. This is still my favorite Christmas album after listening to it for 5 seasons now. I can hardly wait for next Christmas so I can enjoy it all over. Sarah Brightman is wonderful of course - wish I could find a separate recording of - First Of May - , wow! If you like good Christmas music and the spirit of Christmas you will enjoy this album.

humorously horrible.......2002-12-24

This album is so wretched it made me laugh. In the store I looked at the artists and the songs and thought it would provide nice holiday music. I put it on when I got home and wondered if maybe Spike Jones had slipped in some joke tunes. I can't believe these people sound so bad. Sure, some of the numbers are very nice, but then you split a gut laughing at the others--or worse, cringing.

Average customer rating:

Grammy Award Nominee - Best Opera Recording 1981
Puccini's first more enjoyable than Verdi or Wagner debuts.
Scotto and Domingo Shine

Puccini: Le Villi

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B0000025J1
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

Grammy Award Nominee - Best Opera Recording 1981.......2003-02-11

I would think that this recording would be more readily available, given the accolades it has received.

Puccini's first more enjoyable than Verdi or Wagner debuts........2001-11-12

Puccini's first opera 'Le Villi', even in the revised version recorded here, bears all the marks of having been rushed in a few months for a competition deadline (he lost), and being based on a sloppy, almost comically inept libretto. As 'Suor Angelica' would later prove, the supernatural never suited Puccini's prosaic temperament (although, effectively, the ghost of the dead heroine here inspires ghostly remembrances of the earlier part of the score); the eerie atmosphere the Villi (restless spirits of women who died before marriage, revenging themselves by dancing their faithless men to death) should evoke is botched by abrupt plotting; and the climax, in which the anti-hero Roberto is chased in a ballet by furious spirits, after a 'Tannhauser'-like reunion scene, verges on the ridiculous.

What saves this opera is its intimations of future greatness; the epic, orchestrally rich melodies synonymous with Puccini; the communal, dancing jubilation that opens the work, anticipating the heady second act of 'La Boheme'; the gloomy funeral dirge looking to the famous 'Intermezzo' of 'Manon Lescaut'; the plot about a woman abandoned by a fickle man, and an extraordinary, extended love duet hinting at 'Madama Butterfly'. further, the bulk of Act 2 is taken up with an amazing, long, broken series of anguished arias by Roberto, lamenting his moral weakness, the loss of his betrothed and communal warmth, and the intolerable weight of remorse figured ironically in the wispy sprites tormenting him.

With this cast - Renata Scotto, a superbly harried Placido Domingo, a sardonic Tito Gobbi as Narrator - could make a radio jingle sound emotionally overwhelming; with Loren Maazel creating great gusts with his orchestra, this flawed but promising little work is a must-have.

Scotto and Domingo Shine.......1999-08-15

This is the best recording of Puccini's first opera. The music is beautiful and powerful. There are so many great moments in this opera, and Scotto and Domingo show great artistry in this recording. Their duet at the begining is very moving and their exchange at the end of the opera is thrilling. Domingo's aria at the end has never been sung better by anyone. Cura, and Alagna can't touch him.

Average customer rating:

Actually, its more Mad About Placido Domingo
I really am Mad About Italian Opera

Mad About Italian Opera

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
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Similar Items:

Mad About Sopranos
The Best of Italian Opera
Mad about The Classics
The Most Famous Opera Arias
The Most Famous Opera Duets

ASIN: B000001GOO
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Largo al factotum
La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
Turandot: Nessun dorma!
Lucia di Lammermoor: Sextet: Chi mi frena in tal momento?
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
La Boheme: Si, Mi chiamano Mimi
La Traviata: Follie!...Sempre libera
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
Madama Butterfly: Flower Duet
Nabucco: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
La Traviata: Parigi, o cara
Cavalleria Rusticana: Turiddu's Farewell
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Lucia di Lammermoor: Ah! Verrano a te sull'aure (Love Duet)
Il Trovatore: Miserere

Customer Reviews:

Actually, its more Mad About Placido Domingo.......2001-09-15

"Mad About Italian Opera" is really more like "Mad About Placido Domingo" since 11 of the 19 tracks feature the tenor. Another three offer vocals by Luciano Pavarotti, so obvious the emphasis is on tenors with this collection. Yes, there is the "Anvil Chorus" from Il Travatore and the "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" from Nabucco, but the vast majority of tracks are tenor solos (e.g., "Il barbiere di Siviglia" from The Barber of Seville) or tenors engaged in operatic duels with sopranos (e.g., "Ah! Verrano a te sull'aure" from Lucia di Lammermoor), with a few soprano solo arias (e.g., "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca) tossed in for good measure, but you will not find a superstar soprano on this disc. However, you do get to hear Domingo sing Pavarotti's traditional encore piece, "Nessun dorma!" from Turandot, which is the best proof that this collection is a show case for that particular tenor.

I really am Mad About Italian Opera.......2001-09-13

If you don't have any experience with opera, or if you have had opera experience and hated it, this is the CD for you. I had some experience with opera, but I rarely listened to it voluntarily, until I got this CD. It has the most famous and consequently most beautiful arias ever written for opera, and you get the benefit of listening to the most famous singers in the world, unlike other CDs you can get for this price. It is a wonderful investment, and can make even the most die hard opera opponents gain appreciation for the genre because of its caliber.

Verdi - Il Trovatore / Domingo · Plowright · Fassbaender · Zancanaro · Nesterenko · Santa Cecilia · Giulini

Average customer rating:

YES~It's a "keeper"...with a notation
A stately and dignified performance!
Beautiful But Not Powerful:
Everything is right except the soprano, alas
Technically Perfect But Seems To Be Missing Something

Verdi - Il Trovatore / Domingo · Plowright · Fassbaender · Zancanaro · Nesterenko · Santa Cecilia · Giulini
Giuseppe Verdi , Carlo Maria Giulini , Pácido Domingo , Rosalinde Plowright , Brigitte Fassbaender , and Evgeni Nesterenko Giorgio Zancanaro
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Verdi: Rigoletto / Cappuccilli, Cotrubas, Domingo, Ghiaurov, Obraztsova, Moll; Giulini
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera / Domingo, Ricciarelli, Bruson, Raimondi, Gruberova, Abbado
Verdi - Aida / Freni · Carreras · Baltsa · Cappuccilli · Raimondi · van Dam · Ricciarelli · Moser · Wiener Phil. · Karajan
Verdi: Aida
Giacomo Puccini: Manon Lescaut

ASIN: B000001G9Y
Release Date: 1989-11-21

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 1: Introduzione - All'erta! All'erta! - (Ferrando) (Familiari) (Armigeri)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 1: Introduzione- Di Due Figli Vivea Padre Beato... Abbieta Zingara. Sull'orlo Dei Tetti - (Ferrando) (Familiari) (Armigeri)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena E Cavatina - Che Piu T'arresti? - (Ines) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena E Cavatina - Tacea La Notto Placida... Di Tale Amor - (Ines) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena, Romanza E Terzetto - Tace La Notte! - (Il Conte)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena, Romanza E Terzetto - Deserto Sulla Terra - (Manrico) (Il Conte)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena, Romanza E Terzetto - Non M'inganno. Ella Scende!... Di geloso Amor - (Il conte) (Leonora) (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Coro Di Zingari E Canzone - Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie (Zingari ) (Zingare)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Coro Di Zingari E Canzone - Stride La Vampa! - (Azucena)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Coro Di Zingari E Canzone - Mesta E La Tua Canzon! - (Zingare) (Zingari) (Azucena) (Manrico) (Un Vecchio Zingaro)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Scena E Racconto - Soli Or Siam! - (Manrico) (Azucena)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Scena E Racconto - Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi - (Azucena) (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Scena E Duetto - Non Son Tuo Figlio? (Manrico) (Azucena) (Un Messo)
Il Trovatore: Part II - Scene 1: Scena E Duetto - Mal Reggendo All'aspro Assalto (Manrico) (Azucena) (Un Messo)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Tutto E Deserto - (Il Conte) (Ferrando)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso... Per Me, Ora Fatale - (Il Conte) (Ferrando) (Seguaci)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Finale Secondo - Ah! Se L'error T'ingombra - (Religiose) (Il Conte) (Ferrando) (Seguaci)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Finale Secondo - Perche Piangete? - (Leonora) (Ines) (Il Conte) (Religiose)
Il Trovatore: Part I - Scene 2: Finale Secondo - E Deggio, E Posso Crederlo? - (Leonora) (Il Conte) (Manrico) (Ferrando) (Seguaci) (Ines) (Religiose) (Ruiz) (Armati)

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 1: Coro D'Introduzione - Or Co'dadi... Squilli, Echeggi La Tromba Guerriera - (Armigeri) (Ferrando)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 1: Scena E Terzetto - In Braccio Al Mio Rival! - (Il Conte) (Ferrando) (Soldati) (Azucena)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 1: Scena E Terzetto - Giorni Poveri Vivea (Azucena) (Ferrando) (Il Conte) (Soldati)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Quale D'armi Fragor Poc'anzi Intesi? - (Leonora) (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Ah! Si, Ben Mio - (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - L'onda De' Suoni Mistici - (Leonora) (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Manrico? Che? La Zingara - (Ruiz) (Manrico) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part III - Scene 2: Scena Ed Aria - Di Quella Pira - (manrico) (Leonora) (Ruiz) (Armati)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena, Aria E Miserere - Siam Giunti - (Ruiz) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena, Aria E Miserere - D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena, Aria E Miserere - Miserere. Ah! Che La Morte Ognora - (Voci Interne) (Leonora) (Manrico)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena, Aria E Miserere - Tu Vedrai Che Amore In Terra - (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena E Duetto - Udiste? Come Albeggi - (Il Conte) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 1: Scena E Duetto - Qual Voce! Mira, Di Acerbe Lagrime... Vivra! Contende Il Giubi - (Il Conte) (Leonora)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 2: Finale Ultimo - Madre, Non Dormi? Ai Nostri Monti - (Manrico) (Azucena)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 2: Finale Ultimo - Che! Non M'inganna Quel Fioce Lume?... Ha Quest'infame L'amor - (Manrico) (Leonora) (Azucena)
Il Trovatore: Part IV - Scene 2: Finale Ultimo - Ti Scosta! Non Respingermi - (Manrico) (Leonora) (Il Conte) (Azucena)

Customer Reviews:

YES~It's a "keeper"...with a notation.......2007-05-31

As my reviews are usually "long", I decided to make this one very short, but clearly deliniate where I feel this recording falls for a recording of "Il Trovatore" with Placido Domingo.

This is Truly a Great recording of one of Verdi's earlier masterpieces. Everything is Very Good, or Better, from all of the singers, and also the orchestra, and, of course, Maestro Giulini's conducting (could he ever turn in anything that was not "the Best?"). And, if you have space for several recordings of this opera, it belongs in a large collection.

However, I personally need to interject the statement....."But, don't forget Domingo's earlier entry with Price and Milnes under Zubin Mehta!" I think one starts first with this recording for a Domingo "Il Trovatore". For a "Best" recording, I would look to the past, perhaps to Callas' effort on EMI, or the RCA with Bjoerling, Milinov, and Warren.

A stately and dignified performance!.......2007-01-19

I don't refer to Maria Callas or any other singer when determining what is correct in Il Trovatore or any other Verdi performance, and I try to keep in mind that enjoyment is the primary interest of the public. So, I must say that this performance fills both requirements: it is enjoyable and accurate!

One may interpret G. Verdi accurately in only two ways, exactly as written or rather fast. Verdi believed that liveliness was the key guarantee that his works would not be boring and suggested that dragging the tempo would ruin the best intentions of accuracy. Guilini's tempi are sometimes slow but they never drag and he had the talent to interpret exactly what Verdi wrote without sounding like an academic conductor. How incredibly beautiful are the horns in di Luna's scene, the strings in Manrico's "mal reggendo" and the accents in the opening scene. The texture is rich, full, and fluid almost impressionistic. I do believe the cover is platinum gold for a reason. Giulini must have had an affinity with the levels vibration and the effects of depth, height, and strength because this Il Trovatore is unrivalled for its high quality. It is altogether lovely and much will be revealed to you, in fact, I never knew just how beautiful the orchestration of Il Trovatore really is, I just would get excited by all the melodrama. But now I know!

Domingo is in good voice and I have never heard him sing better. The high C's in "di quella pira" seem somehow unatural, perhaps touched up a bit by digital technology but to very good effect. His "mal reggendo" is a lovely piece of singing and he seems fully up to the challenge. I am really not a Domingo fan; even his live performances made no impression on me, but I am objective enough to admit how beautiful his middle voice is, how even his passaggio, how strained his top is. Zancanaro is a blessing in this recording and seems a true Verdian by the quality of his attack and tonal thrust, the breath goes straight through the tone in best Verdi tradition. A narrow but rich voice, Zancanaro commands it well. Fassbaender has some surprisingly effective moments and her bright vowels became attractive before the end of the recording.

The Leonora, yes, Dona Leonor! Rosalind Plowright does not live up to her later Leonor in Forza del destino in terms of excitement, but her stately portrayal, slightly heady and nebulous is perfect for this recording. Leonora is simply a peripheral character nothing more, and she is not quite in her right mind. Those show stealing Leonoras are great, of course, but do they really personify this character without a past or a future? We know NOTHING about Leonor, she is a mystery, a disturbance, and nuissance to Manrico! She yearns for that singing Troubador so hard that she forgets herself totally. Have you ever wondered who would miss her when she died? Maybe her parents were very old or she ran away, was adopted, exciled, or just plain crazy. I am sure Neptune was squaring her Sun from the fourth house! Anyway, Plowright's reticence, her strange veiled voice, her insecurity, betray a noble background in my mind and she alternated great beauty with languid frailty and lonliness, and therefore, I can't find any flaws with her. And, Leonor is written for a dramatic soprano and with that huge sound, she more than filled the requirement. The spintos didn't inherit Leonora until the late 1950's before then we had only the full dramatics and dramatic coloraturas like Arangi-Lombardi, Milanov, Scacciati, Eva Turner, Carena, Mancini, Juyol, Crespin and Destinn.

Finally, I have no intention of throwing away my sets with Banaudi, Tucci, Molinari; there is just too much excitement in those, but I have added this one! How lucky I am!!!!

Beautiful But Not Powerful: .......2006-02-20

This recording of Verdi's Trovatore, made in the 80's, should not be your first choice for a Trovatore recording, despite a beautifully sung interpretation by great singers- Placido Domingo (in his third recorded Manrico), Rosalind Plowright, Birgitte Fassbaender and Giorgio Zancanaro. Conductor Carlo Maria Giulini, late in his career, conducts with utmost delicacy and a slow, leisurely pace, revealing his old age as compared to the vigor he conducted with in such earlier recordings as Mozart's Don Giovanni and the EMI Don Carlos with Domingo, Caballe and Milnes. However, it is a beautiful reading of the score, and sounds considerably darker and more haunting than other conductor's treatments - like the supercharged Herbert Van Karajan for instance or Zubin Mehta.

The CAST: Giorgio Zancanaro [Count Di Luna) ** Rosalind Plowright [Leonora] ** Brigitte Fassbaender [Azucena] ** Plácido Domingo) [Manrico ** Evgeny Nesterenko [Ferrando] ** Anna di Stasio [Ines] ** Walter Gullino [Ruiz] ** Alfredo Giacomotti [An old Gypsy] ** Aldo Verrecchia [A messenger).

Enough has already been said about the flawed vocal technique and interpretation of Leonora by soprano Rosalind Plowright, who has of course retired and other than this recording, is found as Leonora Di Vargas in Forza Del Destino. A British soprano, she possesses a huge, lyric voice but she has been criticized for thsi Leonora because it's considerably underpowered next to the more razzle-dazzle Leonoras of Maria Callas and Leontyne Price. For me, only Leontyne truly satisfies as the best Leonora. Plowright has some things in her favor however. Her account of the role is mature, beautiful and controlled. Instead of succumbing to melodrama, she remains the most cool Leonora ever performed. Consequently, she masters all the slow cavatinas - Tacea La Notte, D'al Amor Sul Ali Rosee and the Miserere scene. For the Miserere scene, however, she self-consciously sings like Maria Callas, lowering her voice to reveal a chest register that is not as good as one would like. In fact, throughout the more dramatic portions of the opera, she imitates Callas quite well, though admitedly she's better than Angela Gheorghiu in the recent recording with Roberto Alagna. But on the upside, Domingo sings what many have come to believe is his finest Manrico on recording. His voice at this stage in his career was darker, more mature and able to produce subtle tones. He has lost the freshness and vitality of his RCA 1970 Manrico with Price and Milnes. I don't think this is his best Manrico, though there are terrific moments such as the famous "Di Quella Pira" which stands out from all others because Giulini followed Verdi's original instructions. Manrico's aria is supposed to be dramatic but written in mezzo di voce and therefore Domingo sings the aria without the glorious high top, stepping it down octaves lower than usual and does not sustain the high note that finalizes the aria. This, however, does not detract from the intensity of the moment, but alas Domingo sounds like he's done with singing Manrico by this point. And indeed he never sang Manrico on recording after this. This is not his best Manrico (the one with Leontyne and Sherill Milnes is) but it is a very handsomely sung interpretation. Is there anything that Domingo does not sing beautifully ? This one's for Domingo fans.

Birgitte Fassbaender had a flexible, lyric mezzo soprano voice and she has done excellent operatic roles that range from Prince Orlofsky from Strauss' Die Fleidermaus and Charlotte the heroine in Massenet's Werther. But Fassbaender is primarily a lyric mezzo soprano and does not possess the "nastiness" and "bite" for the role of Azucena, the vindictive, witch-like Gypsy who gets her revenge on the Count Di Luna at the end of the opera. Fassbaender, therefore, is consequently miscast as Azucena and is lackluster next to the Azucenas of Fiorenza Cossotto and Dolora Zajick- whose account of the role on the Aprille Millo/Domingo Trovatore is unrivaled. Fassbaender does a lot of beautiful things with the music for Azucena but is totally miscast. You have to be a fan of hers in order to appreciate her Azucena. But I think it's purely experimental of her part to sing this. Even Elena Obraztsova scored better success as Azucena.

Finally, Zancanaro is an outstanding Count Di Luna, perhaps even outshining Sherill Milnes. He is into his character, sing with fine Verdi musicality and his bass voice is expressive, huge and handsome. Zancanaro is less admirable as Scarpia which he sang in a recording with Carol Vaness. This role is better suited to his lyric voice. The truth about this recording's merits are that the singers are lyric, as is the conductor's reading of the score. But if you prefer more dramatic and fiery Trovatores, look elsewhere. Try these:

The Maria Callas Trovatore (inevitably)

Any Trovatore with Mario Del Monaco as Manrico

Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Giuletta Simionato, Ettore Bastianni/Karajan

Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Fiorenza Cossotto, Sherill Milnes/Mehta

Aprille Millo, Placido Domingo, Dolora Zajick/Levine

Katia Ricciarelli, Jose Carreras/Sir Colin Davis

Everything is right except the soprano, alas.......2005-09-27

Somewhere inEngland Rosalind Ploweright must be sitting in obscurity, unknown to the wider world and forgotten by opera fans except for the fact that she ruined this recording of Il Trovatore and Sinopoli's of La Forza del Destino. It was a gamble to use her in the first place, but she did have a big dramatic Verdi voice, and its peculiar unpleasantness of tone was no worse than Callas.

But Callas was a genius, which is why one accepted, or endured, her squawks and curdled tones, her stabs at high notes and leathery chest tones, whereas these drawbacks are merely grating in Plowright.

Everything else, especially Giulini's conducting and domingo's portrayal of Manrico, is first class. But a Trovatore without a soprano is a pretty sad affair.

Technically Perfect But Seems To Be Missing Something.......2005-07-16

IL TROVATORE is an opera that is laughed at because of its implausible plot of two rivals fighting for the same woman only to learn that they are brothers. How did they get separated at birth? A gypsy steals a baby and when she tries to escape, she accidentally throws her own child into a fire and raises the kidnapped child as her own son. If Manrico, Leonora, Azucena, and the Count di Luna lived today we'd probably see them on JERRY SPRINGER. Still, the opera survives and is a perennial favorite due both to its exciting music and the opera's opportunities for singers to demonstrate their abilities at vocal fireworks. Over the years there have been great Manricos such as Mario del Monaco and Franco Corelli and of course both Callas and Tebaldi made the role of Leonora their own. Each star that sings this great opera often adds flourishes and bits and pieces never penned by Verdi but somehow are a part of this work. The vocal fireworks often make the recording.

This recording of the opera is technically perfect. The singing is first rate as one would expect from the likes of Domingo, Zancanaro, and in roles not often associated with their voices, Rosalind Plowright and Brigitte Fassbaender. Carlo Maria Giulini has magnificent control over all the moving pieces and the chorus is magnificent. The only problem is the recording is flat sounding. It is a recording that is accurate at the expense of being exciting.

My guess is that most people who have listened to this recording as their first TROVATORE are mesmerized by it, as anyone should be by such a spectacular cast, but those who own other recordings or have heard some of the singers from what is often called opera's "Golden Age" may find this set good but lacking.

Average customer rating:

Canto Gregoriano
Gregorian Chant , Ismael Fernandez de la Cuesta , and Coro de monjes del Monasterio Bendictino de Santa Domingo de Silos
Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000025XSS
Release Date: 1994-01-01

Average customer rating:

Domingo Duets

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001GPT
Release Date: 1996-07-16

Tracks:

TOSCA: Puccini: Tosca
Cavelleria Rusticana: Cavalleria Rusticana
A Masked Ball: Verdi: Rigoletto
Lucia di Lammermoor: Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor
Rigoletto: Verdi: Rigoletto
The Tales Of Hoffman: Offenbach: The Tales Of Hoffmann
Aida: Verdi: Aida
Luisa Miller: Verdi: Luisa Miller
Il Trovatore: Verdi II: Trovatore
La Traviata: Verdi: La Traviata
La Traviata: Verdi: La Traviata
Manon Lescaut: Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Otello: Verdi: Otello
Carmen: Bizet: Carmen

Average customer rating:

A work unlike any other in 1000 years of music history
Great mass!

Misa Tango

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Soul of Tango
Martinez: Soprano Songs and Arias
Misa Criolla
Rodrigo y Gabriela (with Bonus DVD)

ASIN: B00004YZ31
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Tracks:

Misa Tango: 1. Kyrie: Andante - Ana Maria Martinez/Placido Domingo/Hector Ulises Passarella
Misa Tango: 2. Gloria - Ana Maria Martinez/Placido Domingo/Hector Ulises Passarella
Misa Tango: 3. Credo: Tempo Di Milonga - Condombe - Ana Maria Martinez/Placido Domingo/Hector Ulises Passarella
Misa Tango: 4. Sanctus: Lento Flessibile - Moderato (Allegretto) - Ana Maria Martinez/Placido Domingo/Hector Ulises Passarella
Misa Tango: 5. Agnus Dei: Andante - Ana Maria Martinez/Placido Domingo/Hector Ulises Passarella
Tangosain - Luis Bacalov
Adios Nonino (Tango Rapsodia) - Luis Bacalov
Libertango - Luis Bacalov

Amazon.com

One day someone was bound to do it, but it could have been totally daft; praise be, this tango Mass is a total success. Conceived by composer Luis Bacalov, an Argentinean Jew who lives in Rome, it welds what might be considered disparate elements--operatic solo voices and clubland instruments from Buenos Aires--into an entirely satisfying unity. Verdi is the first thought that comes to mind as the chorus begins the Kyrie, and the Gloria that follows it has strong echoes of Bernstein, hotly pursued--as a solo violin swings into tango rhythm--by Piazzolla. And it's appropriate that the last two tracks should be Bacalov's own arrangements of two Piazzolla classics, "Adios Nonino" and the immortal "Libertango." Bacalov himself officiates brilliantly at the piano; the tenor is none other than Plácido Domingo, in sweetly mellifluous voice. Myung-Whun Chung and the choir and orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia provide the musical foundations, on which Hector Ulises Passarella weaves gracefully angular patterns on his bandoneon. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

A work unlike any other in 1000 years of music history.......2001-10-18

I would like to
congratulate first of all
the composer, Mr. Bacalov;
soprano Martinez, Mr. Domingo
and Mr. Chung and his orchestra
for a job well done. This mass
in a tango style is like nothng else
ever written before. Is an uplifting
life affirming work, but yet full
of the nostalgia of tango. The work
is based on the Latin ordinary of the
Catholic mass(Even though Mr.Bacalov is
of Jewish faith)is written in Spanish.
The Gloria is marked as "Tempo di Milonga"
is a very nostalgic movement, yet full of
joyful parts. The credo is also a joyful section
which contains a very pronounced percussion
section. The other works can be are arregements
of works by Astor Piazzola arrenged by Mr. Bacalov
for full orchestra are very nostalgic and sensual
pieces. Mr.Pasarella, does a wonderful work on
the bandoneon(an accordion like instrument popular
in Argentinian tango).Thank you all one more time
for a work well done.

Great mass!.......2000-11-22

This is a great Mass work. It is good that Mr. Domingo and the people from Deutsche Grammophon recorded this work from Bacalov. Placido Domingo is great at always finding and recording new genders of music. I believe this is the first time this work is recorded. His recent recording of Albéniz "Merlin" (Decca London) is also a first. He is accompanied on both works by Ms.Ana Maria Martinez who in my oppinion has one of the best young voices today. She sings beautifully on both works. Her vocal range and musicality is one of the best my ears have listen to. I saw her live singing with Andrea Bocelli and she brought tears to my eyes. What a voice!! I will definetly buy more copies of Misa Tango to give to my friends this holiday season.

Para Que No Me Olvides..varios[import] Edicion De Enamorados.

Average customer rating:

Para Que No Me Olvides..varios[import] Edicion De Enamorados.
DANNY DANIEL,JUANELO,MIGUEL GALLARDO,NAPOLEON,VICTOR Y TURBR,JOSE AUJUSTO,ROBERTO JORDAN,ENRIQUE GUSMAN,JOSE DOMINGO,YACO MONI,ALTEMAR DUTRA,DYANGO,ROBERTO LUTI,JOSE LUIS GASCON,GERMAIN,CESAR COSTA, LORENZO SANTA MARIA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000N93JF6

Product Description

para que no me olvides/ por el amor a una mujer/ espejismo de amor/ hoy tengo ganas de ti/ despues de tanto/ felicidad/ semaforo rojo/ no se a dado cuenta/ que vuelvas/ no se ha dado cuenta/ me esctoy acostumbrando ati/ siempre te recordare/ peleas/ querer y perder y mas by 100 anos de musica

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One of the Great Pianists of Our Century
Revelation

Rosita Renard at Carnegie Hall

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003LJ1
Release Date: 1995-11-06

Tracks:

Partita No. 1, B Flat: Prelude
Partita No. 1, B Flat: Allemande
Partita No. 1, B Flat: Courante
Partita No. 1, B Flat: Sarabande
Partita No. 1, B Flat: Minuets 1 And 2
Partita No. 1, B Flat: Gigue
Sonata No. 15, K. 310, A Minor: Allegro Maestoso
Sonata No. 15, K. 310, A Minor: Andante Cantabile con Espressione
Sonata No. 15, K. 310, A Minor: Presto
Variations Serieuses, Op. 54
Rondo, K. 485, D Major
Etude, Op. 10 No. 11, E Flat
Etude, Op. 25 No. 5, E Minor
Etude, Op. 10 No. 3, E Major
Etude, Op. 25 No. 8, D Flat
Etude, Op. 25 No.4, A Minor
Etude, Op. 10 No. 2, A Minor
Mazurka, Op. 30 No. 4, C Sharp Minor
Prelude, Op. 104 No. 1, B Flat
Etude, Op. 25 No.2, F Minor
Etude, Op. 25 No. 3, F Major
Etude, Op. 10 No. 4, C Sharp Minor

Tracks:

Valses Nobles et Sentimentales
Danse
Mazurka, Op. 59 No. 3, F Sharp Minor
Quintet, Op. 13 No. 5: Minuet
Rondo, K. 485, D Major
Sonata, Op. 31 No. 1, G Major: Allegro vivace
Sonata, Op. 31 No. 1, G Major: Adagio grazioso
Sonata, Op. 31 No. 1, G Major: Rondo allegretto
Prelude, Op. 104 No. 1, B Flat
Prelude, Op. 28 No. 7, A Major
Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 2, E Flat
Nocturne, Op. 15 No. 2, F Sharp
Arabesques On Themes From The Beautiful Danube: Santa Cruz: From The Suite, Vinetas, Op. 8
Arabesques On Themes From The Beautiful Danube: Galente
Arabesques On Themes From The Beautiful Danube: Grotesque

Customer Reviews:

One of the Great Pianists of Our Century.......2004-02-14

And unfortunately this is her only set of recordings. The main thing of interest is the complete concert recorded at Carnegie Hall on January 19, 1949. She had been living for years in obscurity and was persuaded by her students to perform in New York. Thank God above she did, for this is truly one of the greatest concerts ever recorded.

First, her Bach Partita #1 in B, the most popular of Bach's six, is played with unbelievable speed and dexterity. It's the most exciting recording of this piece I've ever heard, and her tone is unbelievable. These pices are, after all, dance pieces, and under Renards hands, Bach's original intent fully springs to life. The speed with which she performs the third movement, the courante, is overwhelming, yet her control keeps this movement taut and spirited. Her sarabande is also quite fast, and purists will probably get a bit touchy here. Still, this is playing from another time, a time when Bach playing wasn't so pedantic. Her originality in this piece cannot be overstated.

Her Mozart sonata reminds me a bit of Lipatti's performance of this work. Again, the speed and color are unrivaled, but her playing is always lyrical and brilliant interpretively.

The next thing I'd like to mention are her Chopin etudes. They are truly some of the most unique recordings of these pieces, though she only plays nine of them. Her E flat op 10 no 11 is flowing and lush, and the e minor's middle section is lyricism incarnate with perfect balance between the left hand melody and the right hand accompaniment in the upper octaves of the piano. Her op 25 no 8 is fast and spirited, though I prefer Cortot's recording for this piece. Still her Chopin reminds me of Cortot's because of its speed, lyricism, rubato, and romantic temperament. The op 25 no 4 in a minor is a tempestuous gallop, the chromatic op 10 no 2 a wry, witty and amazingly clear (this is not an easy one to play at all!) performance. The op 25 no 2 is probably one of the (if not the) fastest recording of this piece in history. It's probably her crowning achievement with the etudes. You can here the left hand's broad quarter note triplets just as clearly as the rights triplets, and many pianists view the left hand here as just a mere accompaniment. Her performance reveals a lot of the subtleties and harmonic ingenuity in this piece. The next, galloping op 25 no 3 is played beautifully, full of enery and drive, with some unique interpretive interplay between the two hands. Her sense of variation even in this small piece is quite astonishing, for she plays two similar passages with a completely different tonal emphasis each time. Her op 10 no 4 etude is fast, furious, and brilliant.

The Ravel and Debussy are quite remarkable, and her last encore, the chopin op 59 mazurka I actually prefer over horowitz's recording of this same piece. Hers is so subtle and colorful- like no other performance I've ever heard of this harmonically and technically challenging dance.

All in all, Rosita Renard should be reassessed. She is known only to a small number of collectors and hardcore piano recording buffs. It's unfortunate, because her vision is intense, colorful, and approaches the spiritual. This is playing in the grand tradition, and this artist should not be overlooked by anyone who cares deeply about the art of the piano.

Revelation.......1999-06-14

A sensitive and technically accomplished pianist on a level with her junior Chilean compatriot, Claudio Arrau, Rosita Renard gave this Carnegie Hall recital shortly before her untimely death. We are indeed fortunate it was recorded, for it contains many felicities, and these are apparently this pianist's only extant recordings. This is elegant, tasteful and timeless playing.

Average customer rating:

One of Ricciarelli's best recitals

Verdi: Arias & Duets
Giuseppe Verdi , Placido Domingo , Katia Ricciarelli , Philharmonic Orchestra of Rome , and Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000E6CA
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

One of Ricciarelli's best recitals.......2007-02-21

This CD, recorded in the 1970's, showcases Ricciarelli's beautiful voice and fine musicianship singing arias and duets (with Placido Domingo) by Verdi. Her voice as recorded here showed why she was so loved by the public. One of my favourite recital albums

Music Album:

Music Album