Si Ce Soir V.1 [Import]

1. Alors Regarde

2. Meme Si On Est Fou

3. Flash Back

4. L'appart

5. Elle M'regardait Comme Ca

6. De Face

7. J'te L'dis Quand Meme

8. La Fille De L'aeroport

9. Samba Em Preludio

10. Que Sera Que Sera

11. Decale

12. Musique Vielle

13. Partir Ailleurs

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

Mesmerizing set. La Divina's gift to the world.
Breathtaking!
Callas is Still Opera's Queen
Grand
The divine Callas

Callas: La Divina [Limited Edition]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | 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

Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Maria Callas - Life and Art
Maria Callas Live
The Very Best Of Maria Callas

ASIN: B000002S6V
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

Madama Butterfly, Un Bel Di Vedremo
Carmen, Lamour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
La Wally, Ebben Ne Andro Lontana
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, Una Voce Poco Fa
Norma, Casta Diva
Samson Et Dalila, Mon Coeur Souvre A Ta Voix
Rigoletto, Caro Nome
Verdi La Traviata, Sempre Libera
Romeo Et Juliette, Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve
Puccini: La Boheme
Don Giovanni
Cavalleria Rusticana
La Gioconda
Puccini: Gianna Schicchi
Puccini: Turandot
Puccini: Tosca

Tracks:

Divinites Du Styx
Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient
Surta E La Notte
In Quelle Trine Morbido
Ritorna Vincitor
Jai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Bolero: Merce Dilette Amiche
Depuis Le Jour
Donde Lieta Usci
Ah, Pour Ce Soir
Teneste La Promessa
O Don Fatale
Printemps Qui Commence
Compagne Teneri Appena
Ecco: Respiro Appena
Spargi Damaro Pianto

Tracks:

La Mamma Morta - Andrea Chenier
O Nume Tutelar - La Vestale
Je Ne Suis Que Faiblesse - Manon
Oh, Sara La Piu Bella....Tu, Tu Amore? - Giuseppe Di Stefano (Tenor)
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguedille) Acte I - Carmen
Dunque Io Son Atto - Barbiere Di Siviglia
Dov' E L'indiana Bruna? - Lakme
Qui Radames Verra!...O Patria Mia - Aida
O Soave Fanciulla - La Boheme
Signore, Ascolta! - Turandor
Qual Fiamma Avea Nel Guardo...Hui! - Pagliacci
D'amor Sull' Ali Rosee - Trovatore
Vagliatemi Bene, Un Bene Piccolino - Madama Beutterfly
Ombra Leggiera - Dinorah

Tracks:

Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview

Amazon.com

In case there was a moment in your life when your suspected that Maria Callas was not a driving force in opera in the last half of this century, pick up this set. Apparently unable to give a dull performance, here we get Callas in La Divina as Rossini's flirty Rosina; Verdi's emotion-torn Aida; Catalani's unbelievably sad Wally (a classic performance, by which all others are measured); Bellini's Norma (ditto); Puccini's lovely, youthful Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi; the same composer's frigid, furious Turandot as well as his confused, desparate Manon Lescaut; Verdi's Loenoras--each noble; Meyerbeer's ditzy Dinorah and Delibes's loco Lakme (in some fabulous, high-flying coloratura singing); and at least a dozen more roles. While it's true that her control over her voice varies--the French coloratura arias, from Gounod and Thomas operas, can be pretty acidic--there's never an uninterested reading, never a once-over read-through. You'll get to know the characters as well as their music by hearing Callas as each heroine--indeed, this collection is like a who's who in opera. No music lover should be without it. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mesmerizing set. La Divina's gift to the world........2006-07-30

I have listened to this 4-cd set numerous times and each occasion yields an abundant harvest. Maria Callas, one of my favorites, thrills, exalts, and saddens the listener to no end. You don't have to be a classical music fan to enjoy and be moved by this music. I cannot find words to substantially explain the beauty and meaning of this set.

Thank you La Divina.

Breathtaking!.......2006-06-11

I am no expert, I just love music. I bought this set in order to get an overview of what Callas offers, boy did I get more than I bargained for. There are many wonderful sopranos, I won't say this one or that one is better... its like good wine, what you choose to drink depends on your mood. Sutherland is purity, Bartoli is sheer joy, Callas is darkness. For me she is the Schubert of the voice and she can make me weep, that is her power, pure and simple.

Callas is Still Opera's Queen.......2005-01-25

With the apparent genius embedded in Callas' singing, it is no wonder that decades after her death, her voice will still echo within the chambers of our living rooms. Her great sense of the bel canto style, combined with the empassioned soul she juxtaposed into her performances, along with her amazing control over the three hundred (acclaimed conductor Nicola Rescigno said this) voices she had, are undeniably the reason why such a controversial singer survived the passing of time with a legion of fans still eager to submit to her amazing and passionate singing. She had the ability to chop a singular, monotonic-sounding instrument to convert it into a million shades of human emotion--something that no great singer was able to do today. She was the divine goddess of opera, able to command any listener to watch and listen to her declaim her roles. It was because of this that she was called "La Divina", and then many years later as "The Voice of the Century". But what defines a Voice of the Century, you might ask? It is the ability to live the life of a character all the while singing the lines, the melodies, the trills, and the embellishments required to bring a certain degree of drama into the role. Meaning there was no need for overornamentation, or such and so. Being the Voix du Secle didn't mean that you could sing coloratura roles so efficiently. If that were so, then Lily Pons would have been the Voice of the Century. Callas did so much more than that. She breathed life into opera, and turned it into the most illustrious and the most highly celebrated of all arts. No other singer can claim to have done that, no matter how amazing the range, how great the tonal quality whatsoever. Only Callas deserves such a title...and she truly was La Divina and The Voice of the Century.

I am also a big fan of Joan Sutherland. I just don't find it right for her to be tackling overly dramatic roles such as Norma, which her middle voices couldn't support. The middle voice is required for Bellini, you know. Joan Sutherland has a perfect vocal technique, but let me let you in on something divulged to me by an authority in music: Joan Sutherland never learned to read notes. She had a perfect sense of hearing, and it was Andre Previn and not Richard Bonynge who introduced the roles to her. Andre Previn would play a note on the piano, and she would just follow by singing. Surprising isn't it that the most celebrated coloratura of our age never learned to read notes? She has a great voice anyhow, but the only other thing that bothered me is that she didn't put her soul into singing. Although her voice remained in her throat until her 60's, the only reason that happened was because she didn't pour out her soul. Callas' technique, although one of the most attractive ever to have walked this planet (she could very well sing anything and be the character), was damaging to the vocal cords. Pouring your soul into the role has a tendency to scratch your instrument. Still, she was the Divine One, and she truly places first as my favorite soprano of all time.

Grand.......2004-05-21

Why won't this Callas-Hater leave Maria alone? If he hates her so much, why did he listen to all her recordings? I doubt that he did, bashing a perfect recording like Callas' Aida shows he hasn't heard it. Even Callas' enemies were floored by her Mexican performances. This collection is absolutely magnificent. La Divina will always be La Divina and no one comes close!

The divine Callas.......2004-05-08

An awesome collection of the most supreme voice in the world! Brava La Divina!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The Essential Coloratura Album

The Viennese Nightingale

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | 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

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Strauss, Saint-Saens / Rita Streich
Rita Streich: Folksongs & Lullabies
Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B0000U1NGU
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Customer Reviews:

The Essential Coloratura Album.......2007-02-16

The artistry of Rita Streich presented in this multi-disc set represents an art that in all likelihood would not return: the Viennese school of coloratura and lyrical singing.
Together with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Rita Streich studied voice with Maria Ivogun, a great coloratura soprano of the German-Austro school. Together with her colleague, Streich excelled in the Viennese-style coloratura singing. This album presents her wide range of repertoire from Austro-German to French to Italian opera; from classical opera to romantic Strauss operetta; from lieder to folk songs.
What this album does NOT include is Streich's Russian repertoire, some thing that, owing to her maternal descent, she was most adept at.
Unlike Schwarzkopf, Streich owned a voice that is out-right lyrical. It is even lighter, even more agile, even more silvery, though not as forceful as Schwarzkopf's on demand. Listen to her delightful "Bastien und Bastienne", her Mozart concert arias and enjoy her highly articulated, musically refined delivery. It is the exemplary Viennese singing. Her soubrettes as well as lyrical heroines are nothing short of being superb.
Not being as internationalised a singer as Schwarzkopf, Streich nonetheless was a representative figure of Viennese coloratura singing. Some times I would even feel that her coloratura is even more superior to that of the great dramatic coloratura of the 20th century, Joan Sutherland, again a very much more internationalised singer than Streich.
If you are undergoing voice training, this box set is essential.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully vivid and exotic.
Two-and-a-half hours of beauty

Maggie Teyte: A Vocal Portrait

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully vivid and exotic........2003-10-07

Renowned accompanist Gerald Moore's comments about the many luminaries of C20 music that he accompanied were both pertinent and perceptive. The effect that Maggie Teyte's singing had on him, he said, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Listening to this excellent anthology, you might register a similar response. Try two of the songs by Reynaldo Hahn, in which she is accompanied by Gerald Moore, and you will be aware of singing that is at once a crie de coeur and ecstatic.

At an advanced age, Maggie Teyte proved to be a feisty and imperious subject in many radio interviews. She had much to tell, of course, about many of the composers with whom she worked, some of whose songs she sings here. She also admitted that recordings such as these, made late in her career, carried her name to all parts of the world and opened doors into large, well-filled concert halls. The vocal longevity was remarkable. Her last recording here, Ravel's Sheherazade, was made in her 60th year. One critic welcomed it with the description "wonderfully vivid and exotic", and that is how it still sounds to me.

You'll find many ratities here, including a clean copy of a discarded duet Maggie Teyte recorded with John McCormack. The Irish tenor holds the last note for almost half a bar longer than Maggie Teyte does - an irregularity that possibly caused the recording to remain unissued for many years.

Two-and-a-half hours of beauty.......2003-06-02

This two CD issue from Naxos of singing by Maggie Teyte (1888-1976) is a treat for two different audiences. For those of us who have long known and loved her voice, it is 2 1/2 hours of mostly French mélodies and arias sung as only she could sing them, in a pristine restoration by that wizard, Ward Marston. For those who don't know her singing, it is a fabulous introduction at budget price to a singer who put the stamp of her unmistakable personality on everything she sang with great musicality, intelligence, impeccable diction, and purity of tone throughout her range.

Included are fifteen mélodies by Debussy (Fetes galantes I & II, Trois Chansons de Bilitis, Le Promenoir de deux amants, et al.) accompanied by the inimitable Alfred Cortot. Almost all the other piano-accompanied songs are with Gerald Moore, that paragon who accompanied every important artist of his era. Also included are Ravel's Schéhérazade, some of the best known Fauré songs (Aprés un reve, Nell, Clair de lune), the delectable Psyché of Paladilhe, and three by Reynaldo Hahn (Offrande, L'Heure exquise, and Si mes vers avaient des ailes). There are assorted other songs by Purcell, Martini, Pergolesi, a couple of selections from Berlioz's Nuit d'été (Absence, and Spectre de la rose), Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Chausson, Duparc (Phydilé, L'Ivitation au voyage), Offenbach (Tu n'es pas beau), Messager. It ends with several songs in English by Elgar (Pleading), Quilter (the exquisite Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal), Thomas's Night Hymn at Sea (with John McCormack, and never before released), a song from a Kennedy Russell operetta, and Romberg's Deep in My Heart, Dear.

The last songs were recorded when she was over sixty and one cannot hear any erosion of the voice at all. It had maintained its fragile lyric beauty after more than forty years of performing.

Some of these performances are available on other labels (e.g. Pearl) but at much higher price. You simply cannot go wrong here. One again Naxos has given us an issue of major historical interest. Long may they continue this effort!

Recommended.

Scott Morrison

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