Ancora [Import]

1. Al Piano Bardi Susy

2. Quando l'Amore Se Ne Va

3. Alle Sei Di Sera

4. Uomini Semplici

5. Doppia Vita

6. Ancora

7. Treno

8. Chitarra Mia

9. Padre

10. Uomini Semplici

Tracks:

All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)
Isabel
I Believe In You- featuring Celine Dion
You Raise Me Up
Si Tu Me Amas
Hasta Mi Final
Heroe
En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
Esisti Dentro Me
Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore

Amazon.com

There are those who will tell you that Il Divo, the multinational quartet of sharp-dressed crooners, synthesize Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion to concoct something worse. And they will not be entirely incorrect. Yet it's hard to argue with a sensation that has entrenched itself so deeply so fast, and a first spin of Ancora makes it harder still: while predictable selections like "I Believe in You," a duet with Celine, and "You Raise Me Up," a Spanish-sung Josh Groban retread, ratchet up the treacle, the foreign-language tracks that are truly foreign lend this foursome enough Euro mystique to redeem them. Particularly melt-worthy is "Poor Que Tu M'aimes Encore," the closer. Singing in tongues, on the face of it, sounds like a bad idea. Ancora counters that with bold voices, brimming hearts, and its cover--if the songs aren't quite enough to seduce you, the singers might just do the trick. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

2006 studio album that reflects the multi-national character of the group; the songs are not all sung in English, but drift between Spanish, English and Italian. However they are worded, all use the emotional Esperanto of love. The group's debut album, IL Divo hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com after a breakout career-defining appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (April 5, 2005) where the quartet performed its interpretation of Toni Braxton's `Unbreak My Heart (`Regressa A Mi'). Highlights on Ancora include 'Isabel' a duet with Celine Dion and IL Divo's cover of Mariah Carey's 'Hero'. Columbia.

More from Il Divo

Il Divo

The Christmas Collection

Il Divo [DualDisc]

Sing the Songs of Il Divo [Karaoke]

Il Divo--Encore [DVD]

Il Divo [Sheet music]

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Ancora....Il Divo.......2007-07-16

Again, a wonderful CD by amazing voices. Will listen to this again and again. All their CD's are great music!!!!!!!

Il Divo.......2007-07-16

Love the CD, the music is great and just what I expected it to be.

Kay, NJ

A Little Peice of Heaven.......2007-07-10

Beautiful music transcends all boundaries! I speak minimal Italian, but these musicians speak to me! Hope to attend a concert soon. Until then, thank you so much for this heavenly CD.

il divo - ancore.......2007-06-27

Powerful singers that blend beautifully. Most songs in Italian. Definitely well worth listening to if you like Josh Gorban, the three tenors, etc.

Il Divo is to die for!.......2007-06-10

What a fantastic compilation of musical genius. This group has something for everyone. Their music is not only romantic but their voices send tingles up your spine. Their timing is impeccable.
Besides being romantic in nature, the music also has it's twists and turns combining jazz with rock and soft blues all in one. I am very very pleased......make some more music guys & hurry it up! I'm a new fan:)

Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs

Average customer rating:

useful
Cecilia Bartoli at her best.
Great companion to Schirmer's 24 Italian Arias book
Great Bartoli, but not her best Italian songs
Beautiful and useful CD

Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs
Alessandro Scarlatti , Antonio Caldara , Antonio Lotti , Antonio Cesti , Giovanni Paisiello , Anonymous , Benedetto Marcello , Giuseppe Giordani , Giulio Caccini , Alessandro Parisotti , Pietro Francesco Cavalli , Antonio Vivaldi , Giacomo Carissimi , Cecilia Bartoli , and György Fischer
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Bartoli, Cecilia | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)
Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico
24 Italian Songs and Arias - Medium High Voice (Book/CD): Medium High Voice - Book/CD
Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias

ASIN: B00000420F
Release Date: 1992-10-13

Tracks:

Gia, Il Sole dal Gange
Son tutta duolo
Se Florindo e fedele
O cessate di piagarmi
Spesso vibra per suo gioco
Caro mio ben
Pur dicesti, O bocca bella
Intorno all'idol mio
Nel cor piu non mi sento
Il mio ben quando verra
O leggiadri occhi belli
Quella fiamma che m'accende
Selve amiche
Sebben, crudele
Tu ch'hai le penne, amore
Se tu m'ami
Chi vuol la zingarella
Amarilli
Delizie contente
Sposa son disprezzata
Vittoria, vittoria!

Amazon.com

The 17th-century Italian art song repertory traditionally reserved for novice singers is given new life via Bartoli's artistry. With impeccable diction and evocative phrasing, she captures every innuendo of these simple, but passionate, pieces. No two repetitive phrases are alike; she chisels every line into a landscape of interpretive magnificence. Scarlatti's simple "O Cessate di Piagarmi" becomes a testament of innocent pain and plaintiveness. Giordano's "Caro Mio Ben" is transformed into a tender cry for love. All embellishments are imaginative and well executed. Accompaniment by György Fischer is equally appealing, sensitive and precise. Every singer questing for the art of singing should study these. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

useful.......2007-04-11

I feel like recommending this compilation to neophites wanting to listen to some old arias to learn if they like this genre and to singing students:
Ms Bartoli's voice is not beautiful, nor perfect when heard live, but her technique sounds perfectly good on record. Here and there her voice gets harsh, flat, losing brilliance and warmth, but most of the time one can concentrate on the accurate rendering of these old and beautiful arias.

She wisely decided to follow the letter of Parisotti's score, therefore meeting the need of all singing students of having a reference for their study. The agility is outstanding but pronunciation and expression, as well as the perfect gusto in presenting the phrases, are what make this compilation worthwhile. Not a word goes wasted or neglected but her being Italian and her sensitivity manage to avoid overkill.

One could wish she would publish compilations of single authors of the xvi and xvii centuries, edited according to philological criteria or else other compilations of the dated but still useful Parisotti edition.

Cecilia Bartoli at her best........2007-03-06

A great singer is one who dedicates singing to the text itself instead to himself/herself.
This is achieved 100% by Ms. Bartoli in this earlier album of hers. The recordings here cannot be termed otherwise than 'immaculate'. The very opening song 'Gia sole dal gange' is a display of Bartoli's unique timbre in its full beauty - glorious, rich and full. Many singers could tackle the range of this song, mezzos or sopranos, but who could pull it off in the manner as Ms. Bartoli? Credit to the one who picked this as the opening song of this fantastic album.
The songs following come in different styles and moods, all given full authentic interpretations by the singer. Compare the 'Vittoria, vittoria mio core' to 'Intorno al'idol mio' or 'Amarilli, mio bella' the vast contrast of mood, brought out equally well. The songs' requirement of versatility of interpretation is fully catered for.
I hate it when people say that this is a learners' album accompanying the 24 Italian Songs edited by one publisher. Such remarks could barely do justice to Ms. Bartoli's superb artistry, though admittedly, this CD would be an invaluable one for THAT purpose. What about the songs NOT included in the 24 Italian songs?

Great companion to Schirmer's 24 Italian Arias book.......2007-02-21

Cecilia Bartoli beautifully demonstrates many of the songs in Schirmer's 24 Italian Songs & Arias Of The 17th & 18th Centuries, which is widely recognized as an intermediate collection of Italian repitoire.

Great Bartoli, but not her best Italian songs.......2006-06-15

'The Impatient Lover' sung by Cecilia Bartoli is a collection of 18th and 19th century songs in Italian which were written by the predominantly German composers, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Hayden. Oddly, this is very seriously a better, or at least a more enjoyable collection, to my ear, than the 'If you Love Me' collection of Italian songs written by Italians, including Scarlatti, Caldera, and Vivaldi. And, neither collection of Italian songs is as interesting as Mme. Bartoli's collection of French love songs, 'Chant D'Amore'. All are done on London, but with three different accompaniests. I think the French material is just better than the Italian.

Beautiful and useful CD.......2006-03-22

I used this CD as accompaniment and inspiration for a voice class. It's very useful and Cecilia Bartoli sounds amazing.

Average customer rating:

Music that calms me
Interesting Choices
Great for non experts
On-Point
For Those so Engrossed by the Film, Here are the Excerpts that Molded It

Match Point
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Woody Allen Classics
The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
Woody's Winners: 20 Classic Tracks from the Films
Match Point
Casanova

ASIN: B000BU0C7K
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Tracks:

'Mal Reggendo All'aspro Assalto' From 'Il Trovatore'
'Un Di, Felice' From 'La Traviata'
'Mia Piccirella' From 'Salvatore Rosa'
'Gualtier Malde!...Caro Nome' From 'Rigoletto'
'Mi Par D'udir Ancora' From I Pescatori Di Perle'
'Arresta ... Quali Sguardi!' From 'Guillaume Tell'
'O Figli, O Figli Miei!' From 'Macbeth'
'Desdemona Rea, Si, Per Ciel' From 'Otello'
'Una Furtiva Lagrima' From L'elisir D'amore'

Album Description

Match Point tells the story of social-status climber Chris, a modest tennis instructor. His marriage to Chloe gains him comfort and prestige in society, but his passion leads his astray into the arms of his soon-to-be sister-in-law, the very sexy American, Nola. In Match Point, which deals with luck, ambition and guilt, writer/director Woody Allen draws on the talent of actors Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer, and in the role of Nola, Scarlett Johannson.

Customer Reviews:

Music that calms me.......2007-02-08

I am no expert. I just like listening to arias that have the capacity to bring me into the music. For me, the songs are like oxygen and taking deep breaths lowers my heart rate and helps me get my mind off everything but the soulfullnes and beauty of the human voice instument.

Interesting Choices.......2007-01-05

Very interesting choices for this soundtrack. Very evocative. Understood that these are old recordings, so sound quality is not fabulous.

Great for non experts.......2006-10-05

I really have no knoledge about opera or I had never had an interest for it but when I saw the movie I just loved the music. The CD is not a disappointment at all. It is only opera and a great selection of songs I would say. If you liked what you heard on the movie you should have it.

On-Point.......2006-05-12

I love everything that has to do with this film at the moment, and the soundtrack is NO exception. Woody Allen has a knack for picking just the right songs to compliment his films, and while watching the WONDERFUL Match Point you can't help but be drawn into the music that laces each scene like delicate embrodery placed only to embelish each frame and make it all the more impressive. This is a soundtrack to enjoy OVER AND OVER again. Each track, although there aren't many, is a joy in itself, but the best track is 'Una Furtive Lagrima' which serves as the theme song of sorts. Seriously though, even though I'm reviewing the soundtrack and not the film, I can't stress enough how brilliant this film really is, and the soundtrack is the perfect companion to the film. They go together hand in hand and should be enjoyed time and time again.

For Those so Engrossed by the Film, Here are the Excerpts that Molded It.......2006-04-28

This soundtrack is a fun little exercise in discovery for those who loved the film MATCH POINT and want to know more about the music that accompanied the story in such an integrated way. It is also a terrific souvenir for opera fans who do not yet own the recordings of the legendary Enrico Caruso!

Woody Allen created his character Chris as a lover of opera and integrated that love for opera into the family of wealth he 'enters'. The story is so well written and Allen is so well versed in opera that his selections for excerpts greatly added to the depth of the film.

Here are the old recordings of Enrico Caruso singing arias from 'Il Trovatore', 'Salvator Rosa', 'Les Pecheurs de perles', 'Macbeth', and 'L'elisir d'amore'. In addition to these are excerpts from contemporary singers performing arias form 'La Traviata' (performed by Monika Krause and Georg Tichy), 'Rigoletto' (sung by Alida Ferrarini with Alexander Rahbari conducting), 'William Tell' and 'Otello' (performed by Igor Morozov and Janez Lotric with Johannes Wildner conducting the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra). Probably copyright laws prevented the use of the 'live performances' at Covent Garden we heard in the film with very fine young singers, here substituted with Slovak recording artists. But the mood is still there.

This soundtrack recording makes for nice reminiscing about a fine film while adding a bit of flavor to the usual classical music collection! Grady Harp, April 06

Average customer rating:

A truly amazing artist
About time I said how good this recording is!
a voice teacher and early music fan
Stellar Performance and a Sign of the Greatness to Come
David Daniels: La voz del barroco.

Handel: Opera Arias; David Daniels
David Daniels , George Frideric Handel , Roger Norrington , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sento Amor; David Daniels;
David Daniels - Serenade
Handel: Oratorio Arias
Stephanie Blythe - Handel & Bach Arias / David Daniels · Ensemble Orchestral de Paris · John Nelson
Rinaldo

ASIN: B00000FDND
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Tracks:

Serse: Recitativo accompagnato Frondi tenere
Serse: Larghetto Ombra mai fu
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Va tacito e nasacosto
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Al lampo dell' armi
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Recitativo accompagnato Dall' ondoso periglio
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Aure, deh, per pieta
Tamerlano: Aria A dispetto
Ariodante: Recitativo E vivo anora
Ariodante: Aria Scherza infida
Giulio Cesare in Egito: Aria Cara speme
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria L'angue offeso
Rodelinda: Sinfonia Pompe vane di morte
Rodelinda: Largo Dove sei?
Rodelinda: Aria Vivi, tiranno
Rinaldo: Largo Cara sposa, amante cara
Rinaldo: Aria Venti, turbini

Amazon.com

David Daniels seems to be the current leader of the opera world's March of the Falsettos--and with good reason: he's one of the first countertenors with enough beef in his voice to sound convincing in the heroic castrato roles of Handel's operas. His first solo disc is a collection of arias from just those roles--and an impressive debut it is. Daniels has the solid coloratura technique a Handel singer needs and a quick, narrow vibrato that can blend with Baroque instruments without alienating traditional opera buffs. (In fact, he sometimes sounds surprisingly like Marilyn Horne, one of his coaches.) Best of all, he has a musicality and dramatic sense that save the laments and slow serenades from dullness and the bravura showpieces from empty virtuoso display. The performances aren't flawless: Norrington's tempos are occasionally too quick for comfort (Daniels's and the listener's), and Daniels's vibrato sometimes spreads unattractively at the top of his range. He's at his best in the low alto roles that Handel wrote for the great castrato Il Senesino, such as the title roles in Giulio Cesare and Orlando. Let's hope we get to hear him in complete recordings of these operas soon. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

A truly amazing artist.......2007-06-21

David Daniels is one of the finest singers alive. I heard him recently in the Met's Julius Caesar and was overwhelmed with his performance. He not only has a truly beautiful voice, he is a complete artist, both emotionally and technically. This recording does him justice, and the music is some of Handel's finest. We are very lucky to have Mr. Daniels.

About time I said how good this recording is!.......2006-10-02

I've had this CD for a few years now and it is one that I often play. David Daniels is a great singer and his interpretations of Handel's arias are sublime. He is one of the best countertenors currently working in the world and he has few peers - Andreas Scholl, Bian Asawa, Derek Lee Ragin, Daniel Taylor, Robin Blaze, Lawrence Zazzo, Philippe Jaroussky, Gérard Lesne, Bejun Mehta and, of course, James Bowman are his only serious rivals.

This collection is well selected and it includes popular arias as well as a few less well known ones.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is in magnificent form and Sir Roger Norrington gets magic from the various sections of the orchestra - particularly the Baroque bassoons in "Scherza infida".

This album is both a showcase for the singer and the orchestra. It is vastly superior to most Handel opera aria collections.

I unreservedly recommend this superb disc to all music lovers.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-06-24

David Daniels has devised this program so that it provided a view of Handel at the most significant stages in his London career as an opera composer. With his spectacular debut in England with 'Rinaldo'(1711), he established his ability to compose for the stage, and immediately followed it with 3 masterpieces: 'Tamerlano' and 'Guilio Cesare in Egitto', both from 1724, and 'Rodelinda' the next year. The unique 'Serse' (1738)is from the twilight of his operatic career, while 'Ariodante' shows a time when Handel and his London company was having difficulty competing with the rival Opera of the Nobility sponsored by the Prince of Wales.
Handel's greatest contribution to operatic history is his ability to rise above the sterertypical in his characters, endowing them with a total humanity by allowing them to experience the entire emotional gamut throught a variety of arias and recitatives. Moreover, David Daniels , being one of the finest interpreters of Handel is aware of the need not to be so blinded by the purity of the musical line as to forget what he is singing about. In fact, Handel often shaped the melodic line according to the degree a particular word was to be stressed. Handel was very aware of new devlopments, and styles and attitudes of his time, without ever betraying his own musical personality.
To my mind, Daniels is the consummate Handelian singer, and it is probably this music that he performs best! His delivery is highly dramatic as it should be, his diction absolutely flawless, his tone quality strong and sonorous; in short he is one good singer! It is indeed a very fine disc, not only because of the line-up but also because all arias are sung extremely well by him. I found myself focusing on his selection from "Serse": "Ombra mai fu". He sings this so much more emotionally and endows it with his own unique style. It's so well-done!!! My other favorite is from "Rinaldo": Venti,turbini". This displays his very skillful vocal technique in addition to his excellent diction. I really think he is the leading AMERICAN countertenor.

Stellar Performance and a Sign of the Greatness to Come.......2004-08-10

It is hard to imagine that there could be a finer recital disc of Handel's arias than this one reflecting the exquisite taste and powerful talent of David Daniels...unless of course, you count his splendid follow-up disc of Handel's lesser known oratorio arias released in 2002 (also strongly recommended). But the focus in this 1998 release is the rich music within six of Handel's best-known operas. Now nearly six years after its release, this recording not only holds up beautifully as an introduction to his prodigious talent, but also demonstrates his keen sense of adventure when his voice was at its most pure and unfettered.

Daniels' coloratura technique is amazingly seasoned even at this point of his career, and he approaches each aria in a singular fashion with that incredibly flexible legato that is literally breathtaking. Compare the impressive runs he employs on his rendition of "A dispitto" from "Tamerlano" to his seductive and sonorous tones on "Aure, deh, per pietà" from "Giulio Cesare in Egritto", and you get an idea of the range of emotion and technique of which Daniels is capable. Listening to the two arias from "Rodelinda" will make you recognize how over the course of twelve minutes, he has shown the two distinct sides of Bertarido - the mournful, dejected husband who goes unrecognized in "Pompe van di morte...Dove Sei?" and his enemy's savior at the end with "Vivi, tiranno".

The two arias from "Rinaldo", are also beautifully performed. Six years later, one can appreciate these versions within the context of Daniels' career, as he later recorded the title role in the famous 2000 recital recording of the opera with Cecilia Bartoli and yet again in the 2001 David Alden staging of the opera captured recently on DVD. I recommend getting your hands on all three and comparing the performances, as all are wonderful but quite different. Personally I think his voice ripened to just the right timbre in the Alden-staged version, especially during the opera's centerpiece, "Cara sposa, amante cara". Of all the stellar selections, it is really difficult to pick just one as a favorite, but his version of "E vivo ancora....Scherza infida" from "Ariodante" is especially moving in the way he sings of his plight in being humiliated by an unfaithful woman. Written for a castrato named Carestini in 1735, it is a sublime piece made all the more moving by the warm, round tones Daniels brings to it.

Sir Roger Norrington and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment provide able accompaniment on period instruments, never intrusive or jarring to the ears. It is easy to tell from this recording why Daniels received so much hype for bringing the countertenor voice to the mainstream and why his career has been so meteoric since the release of this disc. Now you can see that it was more than hype...David Daniels is the real thing.

David Daniels: La voz del barroco........2003-10-26

Para los amantes del barroco en su estado puro es esencial tener este cd en el cual el gran contratenor DAVID DANIELS repasa las arias mas celebres de las operas de George Friederich Haendel. Daniels impone una voz bella, muy femenina, homogenea en todo el registro, sin problemas en los agudos, y que enamora nada mas oirla. Ademas canta las arias con un extraordinario sentimiento. ROGER NORRINGHTON dirige a la ORQUESTA DEL SIGLO DE LAS LUCES (que suena magnificamente con sus instrumentos originales) con gran conocimiento del estilo barroco, lo que termina de hacer de este disco una pieza fundamental para los amantes de la opera barroca, que afortunadamente son cada vez mas.

Sumi Jo - La Promessa / Vincenzo Scalera

Average customer rating:

Slow, tuneless, boring.
Bettered by the real thing
Sumi Jo tackles Belcanto
A promise fulfilled
Loverly voice, perfect technique

Sumi Jo - La Promessa / Vincenzo Scalera
Vincenzo Bellini , George Frideric Handel , Alessandro Scarlatti , Domenico Scarlatti , Giuseppe Verdi , Giuseppe Sarti , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Salvator Rosa , Giuseppe Giordani , Francesco Paolo Tosti , Antonio Cesti , Gioachino Rossini , Sir Julius Benedict , Stefano Donaudy , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Antonio Caldara , Giovanni Paisiello , Sumi Jo , and Vincenzo Scalera
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sumi Jo sings Mozart
Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
Sumi Jo - Prayers / James Conlon
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella
French Coloratura Arias

ASIN: B00000AEKD
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Caro mio ben
Lungi dal caro ben
Malinconia, ninfa gentile - Bellini
Qual farfalletta amante - D. Scarlatti
Ad una stella - Verdi
Lascia ch'io pianga - Handel_
Per pieta, bell'idol mio - Bellini
O del mio dolce ardor - Gluck
Star vicino
Se Florindo e fedele
Non t'amo piu
Intorno all'idol mio
La promesa - Rossini
La Capinera
O del mio amato ben
V'adoro pupille - Handel_
Vaghissima sembianza
Ridente la calma - Mozart
Alma del core
Nel cor piu non mi sento

Customer Reviews:

Slow, tuneless, boring........2007-07-13

This, that horrible collection of pop tunes, her prayers and her xmas carols are the Sumi Jo recitals I deliberately did NOT buy. Until the bitter end, I suckered to the reviews, craved some more of that wonderful singing and bought the pop crap and now this. I do not like art songs (except some Mozart), particularly not art songs to a piano accompaniment. If you do (and if you say you do, I'll doubt you), dig in, this is your meat and potatoes. Her voice is beautiful (it always was), the music is not.

Bettered by the real thing.......2007-03-21

I discovered the wonder that is Sumi Jo after I kept remarking to myself "Wow", every-time I played an operatic compilation and this one track came around - same track each time - hers! So, I sought to hear more and bought this CD, for no other reason than it was the only one Tower stocked. Sadly it seems that Sumi Jo is a little slow in receiving her rightful invitation to stand on the main podium. In my opinion, she is about as good as it gets, and certainly has a rightful place alongside the greats of Callas, Horne, Hendricks et al.
Well, what can I say, I love this CD, her voice is fluid and elegant, sharp but not cutting, well formed and with a force that can be projected or held, it's a wonderful CD on so many levels and one I have never grown tired of listening to each morning, what a great way to start the day! As an introduction to operatic arias I would certainly recommend this as I am sure it would surprise and enchant even the most hardened of sceptics who think that "Opera is not for me", or that there was no life after Callas.
This afternoon I was very fortunate to have 5th row seats at her spring recital, here in Japan, and what a truly awe-inspiring performance. A genuine world-class soprano Sumi Jo certainly is. Today's repertoire ran from Handel, Vivaldi, Benedict, Strauss, Bellini to Verdi. Singing comfortably in FOUR languages she delivered a performance that the CD in now way prepared me for. A performance that brought her four encores, numerous standing ovations and thunderous applause from a usually reserved (Japanese) audience. Besides her obvious musical talents I have to say that I found her to be such a marvellously warm and appreciative human being who was genuinely appreciative of her audience and I can't wait to get out there and listen to more of the joy that is Sumi Jo.

Sumi Jo tackles Belcanto.......2006-11-03

Coloratura soprano Sumi Jo delivers another delightful album, focusing on arias and pieces from the Italian chamber music composers (Giordani, Bellini, Rosa, Caldara, Cesti, etc.). While I believe Sumi Jo is better-suited to the French composers (see her album "Les Bijoux" on the Erato label), she proves her mettle here by delving wholeheartedly into a section of opera which a lot of sopranos do find quite difficult, the belcanto pieces are an artform in themselves.

In particular, her readings of "Star vicino" (Rosa), "Alma del core" (Caldara), and "Intorno all'idol mio" (Cesti) are chill-inducing. Supported by Vincenzo Scalera on the piano, the feather-light voice of Sumi Jo glides through these pieces with enviable skill. A beautifully-presented album.

[Erato/Warner Music 3984-23300-2]

A promise fulfilled.......2004-10-28

This collection of famous Italian arias is in my opinion one of the greatest recordings of the decade. Jo finds a new style and colour for each song, be it hauntingly romantic or elegant, poised baroque. One of the most beautiful voices today. Do not miss this at all costs!

Loverly voice, perfect technique.......2003-04-04

I noticed her voice a couple of years ago on TBS TV station live concert in Korean. The applause for her was like thouder storm, and since then I remembered her forever.

There is no doubt about her voice and technique, which is one of the best among her peers today. But even in her best reviewed CDs and live performances, I always felt there is a little regret, which is the lack of passion. Behind her crystallike and gentle voice, I found the music is second to the technical showoff, or maybe I should say she is so perfect techincally that the music content was overshadowed. While, from another perspective, all her CDs can be perfect text books for students.

Pops Plays Puccini
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"Pops" Puccini

WONDERFUL CD.......

WONDERFUL MUSIC......

WONDERFUL MUSIC......

Lyrical Clarity... Beauty... and Gracefulness...

Pops Plays Puccini

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini Without Words

Opera Without Words

Opera without Words

Puccini Without Words

ASIN: B000003CX9
Release Date: 1991-03-14

Tracks:

O Mio Babbino Caro
Recondita Armonia
Perche Chiuso?-Qual Occhio-Mia Gelosa!
Largo Religioso Sostenuto Molto : Finale
Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'Amore
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Nessun Dorma!
Ancora Un Passo Or Via
Vogliatemi Bene
Un Bel Di
Humming Chorus Finale
Orchestral Prelude
In Quelle Trine Morbide
Che Gelida Manina
Mi Chiamano Mimi
O Soave Fanciulla
Quando Me'n Vo'
Speravo Di Trovarvi Qui
Sono Andati?

Customer Reviews:

"Pops" Puccini.......2005-10-04

Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra has done a marvelous job of playing operatic orchestral music. Other titles in the series include Verdi Without Words, Puccini Without Words, Carmen Withour Words and Wagner Without Words. Puccini's music alone is entirely lyrical, and in several instances slide into dramatic and powerful moments of climax. Kunzel and his Pops Orchestra lavish the scores with finesse, beauty and power. On this album: music from Tosca - the Love Duet between Tosca and Mario beginning with "Mario! Mario! Mario! Son Qui..." in Act 1. It is followed by the music for Act 1's finale, the Te Deum, in which the evil Baron Scarpia blasphemously declares that Tosca makes him forget God, the music concludes with Scarpia's celebrated motif. This bombastic, brash music is oddly at variance with the more spiritual, slower-paced "Vissi D'arte" music that accompanies Tosca's prayer aria. The music slowly builds to a crescendo and then subsides. The passionate music from Tosca is followed by the equally passionate music to Madama Butterfly. On here is the music for Butterfly's Entrance when she first meets B.F. Pinkerton, the exotic melancholy that is Butterfly's aria "Un Bel Di" and the Japanese-influenced Humming Chorus. The CD concludes with the beautiful, lilting and sad music from La Boheme. For fans of opera and orchestral music, this is a must have. It is a fine way to get into opera by listening to the score first as well.

WONDERFUL CD..............2002-05-26

I REALLY LIKE THIS CD. I ENJOY OPERA WITHOUT WORDS AND THIS IS
A WONDERFUL RECORDING TO HAVE IF YOU LIKE OPERA. QUALITY IS GREAT AND THE PERFORMANCE IS SPLENDID......

WONDERFUL MUSIC.............2002-05-26

I REALLY LIKE THIS CD. I PLAY IT OFTEN ALONG WITH THE OTHER
"OPERA WITHOUT WORDS" CDS I HAVE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CD.

WONDERFUL MUSIC.............2002-05-26

I REALLY LIKE THIS CD. I PLAY IT OFTEN ALONG WITH THE OTHER
"OPERA WITHOUT WORDS" CDS I HAVE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CD.

Lyrical Clarity... Beauty... and Gracefulness..........2001-08-29

This album of Puccini pieces contains orchestral playing which sounds top-rank and effortless...though that is the true sign of excellent lyrical discipline and ensemble sensitivity by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The aspect which is so stunning in these pieces is the ensemble string playing...in a piece such as "Recondita Armonia" from *Tosca,* you almost believe that you have never really heard the lyrical beauty of this piece before...the strings are sumptuous, yet clear... The only piece which sounds "ponderous," because of the orchestration's bringing out the menace as well as the fatefulness is the "Te Deum" from *Tosca*... the organ is there...the brass is there...but it simply does not seem to be in synch with the lyrical beauty and grace of the other pieces...though it is, in itself, melodic, chordlike, but too heavy... There is quite a dramatic contrast which occurs on the CD as you go from the loud climax of the "Te Deum" and then are introduced to the quiet lyrical beauty of the "Vissi d'arte"...though it, too, builds in intensity to a climax... which subsides into quiet beauty once again... Much of the reason for the beauty and the grace of the sounds on this album must go to the adaptation and orchestrations of the pieces...these have been done by Crafton Beck, Steven Bernstein, and Erich Kunzel... ...the "E lucevan le stelle" is exquisite...quiet...but melancholy...lyrically longing...never strained...simply ravishing in its haunting beauty and sentiment...with a crescendo climax that also quietly fades away... ...I personally do not care much for the use of the horn at the beginning of the "Nessun Dorma"...but then the string playing becomes incredibly stately and harmonic... and when the horn returns the second time, it seems quite appropriate at that spot... ...if there are two pieces which sum up the beauty and lyricism of this album, they are the "Ancora un passo or via" from Act I of *Madama Butterfly* and the "Vogliatemi bene" from Act I of *Madama Butterfly*...the string playing is passionate, tender, and compelling (especially on the "Vogliatemi bene")...and the clarinet playing in the early part of the "Vogliatemi" is as harmonically apt as is the use of the same instrument in the "I pini del Gianicolo" in Respighi's "Pines of Rome"... ...lyrical clarity...beauty...and gracefulness...

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)

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Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)
Janet Baker , John Shirley-Quirk , Graham Sheen , Johann Sebastian Bach , Ludwig van Beethoven , Hector Berlioz , Giovanni Bononcini , Benjamin Britten , Giulio Caccini , and Antonio Caldara
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000B0A0Q
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer.......2004-01-09

For those of us who grew up on Janet Baker's recordings (and were lucky enough to hear her "live" as well), the sound of her voice and her singular artstic personality - British restraint coupled with fierce emotional and spiritual commitment - are indelibly imprinted in our minds and hearts. The closest current equivalent is Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, another superb artist who has charted her own course, and not surprisingly there is some overlap of repertoire, in the music of J.S. Bach, of course, but also Berlioz's Didon and Beatrice, Handel's Ariodante and Britten's Phaedra (composed for Baker).
This wonderful compilation is complementary to EMI's 2-CD "The Very Best of Janet Baker" -- no overlap of repertoire whatsoever. Unlike that set, which focused on concert repertoire (with orchestra or piano) there's a generous sampling here of Baker's operatic roles including Handel, Mozart, Purcell, Rameau, Gluck, and Britten. Also welcome is "Phaedra," one of Britten's strongest late works. And it's good to have the Berlioz: "Cleopatre" and "Herminie" complete, the big aria from "Beatrice et Benedict." (Why EMI included nothing from her recording of the last 2 scenes of "Les Troyens" is unfathomable.) The wide time-span allows us to hear Baker's voice in all its youthful, "sappy" warmth, as well as in its artistic maturity (though truth to tell she was pretty much a complete artist from the start). There are a few signs of wear in later items, nothing serious, in fact rather less than I remembered. I could have done with fewer of the "Arie Amorose" in favor of more cuts from her Gluck LP, which I believe has never been issued complete on CD, but that's just personal preference. The focus here is entirely on orchestrally accompanied works (or, in the case of the marvelous early disc of Ravel, Chausson & Delage songs, with chamber ensemble) so for Baker the supreme interpreter of English, German and French song you'll need to go elsewhere (the EMI has a fair sampling, especially of her Schubert). But everything here is indispensible.

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The Complete Caruso

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001TSWQO
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Average customer rating:

A fab collection of the loveliest soprano voice ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
LA SUPERBA!
Madame Caballé is great!!!
Amazing collection!
Cannot be called an "ultimate" collection

Montserrat Caballé: Ultimate Collection

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best of
Diva:Montserrat Caballe
Very Best of
Montserrat Caballe - Beyond Music
Grandi Voci: Renata Tebaldi

ASIN: B00000J914
Release Date: 1999-05-25

Tracks:

La Boheme: Si. Mi chiamano Mimi
Norma: Casta diva
L'Assedio di Corinto: Giusto ciel! In tal periglio
Sapho: O ma lyre immortelle
Semiramide: Serbami ognor... Alle piu calde immagini
Otello: Piangea cantando (Willow Song) -
Otello: Ave Maria
Herodiade: Il est doux, il est bon
Lucrezia Borgia: Tranquillo ei posa... Com'e bello!
Suor Angelica: Senza mamma
Rigoletto: Caro nome
La Sonnambula: Ah! non credea mirarti

Tracks:

La Traviata: E strano, e strano! -
La Traviata: Follie! Follie! -
La Traviata: Sempre libera degg'io
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
Il corsaro: Egli non riede ancora!
Il corsaro: Non so le tetre immagini
Armida: D'amore al dolce impero
I Pagliacci: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!
Roberto Devereux: E Sara in questi orribili momenti... Vivi, ingrato
Il Trovatore: D'amor sull'ali rosee
Stabat Mater: Inflammatus et accensus
Adriana Lecouvreur: Io son l'umile ancella
Anna Bolena: Al dolce guidami
Adelson e Salvini: Dopo l'oscuro nembo
I Vespri Sicillani: Arrigo! Ah, parli a un core

Customer Reviews:

A fab collection of the loveliest soprano voice ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1.......2005-12-23

First off this two cd set is for the price of one,that is always great.Montserrat caballe is the star of this cdset,and she demonstrates all that is beautiful in singing,on ever track.Her ave maria from othello is included here.It is one of the best performed arias by caballe ever,she ends it with a heavenly piano top note.Also included is her magical casta diva from norma.Caballe sings all these arias with her legendary sound and breath control.On this set there are plenty of examples of long sustained notes,seemless legato,glorious high notes,and magically floated soft notes.Check out the cover to,there are some great photos of Caballe in opera costumes.These cds have great sound,and play for over two hours,too.

LA SUPERBA!.......2005-11-22

Montserrat Caballe is an amazing person and an amazing singer. In my opinion she has a more beautiful voice than Maria Callas. The high notes she reaches are just fantastic! Her Sempre Libera is the best ever! Her Ave Maria is stunning and her Vissi D arte is really moving. Her voice is so beautiful, it's as if it's an angels voice coming from her.

Madame Caballé is great!!!.......2003-04-06

This collection of Caballé's recordings is fantastic! Her soprano is the most beautiful that has been recorded. L. Price, Tebaldi, Ponselle, and a few others have gorgeous voices, but can any of those voices compare with Caballé's? Caballé's singing throughout is of the highest standard. Her "Ave Maria" is spectacular. "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" has never sounded more beautiful. I love her "Non so le tetre immagini". Such beautiful singing does not come any better than this. Her "Caro nome" is disappointing. She is clearly not suited to this aria. "Inflammatus et accensus" is glorious. The later recordings are nice, but they are not the best Caballé has committed to disc. "Il est doux, il est bon" betrays a slight wobble in her otherwise still beautiful voice. "Dopo l'oscuro nembo" features very respectable soft singing from Caballé. This version does not do justice to Bellini's exquisite orchestration. For a version that does, check out Opera Rara's "The Collection: Volume 2". That version features competent singing from an inferior-voiced soprano, but the orchestra is ravishing. The one reviewer who mentioned the aria from "I Vespri Siciliani" as having "fioriture effects Berio could sign on to" is incorrect. The aria included here is not "Mercè, dilette amiche". That aria is more famous and much more florid than the aria included in this collection, "Arrigo, parli a un core". By the way, Caballé performs this aria ravishingly well. This is a superb testament to one of the all-time greats in opera.

Amazing collection!.......2003-04-05

I will write this review objectively, but I will not avoid praising Caballé when praise is due.

First off, this compilation is amazing! I have always thrilled to hearing Caballé's voice and this compilation is no different. I am amazed at Caballé's instrument; such extraordinary purity combined with great power! Even when she sings pianissimo, she can be clearly heard! Her voice literally fills up the room. These arias really show off her remarkable voice. Of special note is her rendition of the hauntingly beautiful "Non so le tetre immagini". Amazing! Her "D'amor sull'ali rosee" is exquisite, but she sings it too softly. Her trill is quite weak. Voices like hers don't respond well to being forced to trill. The tracks from the 1990's show off the remarkable preservation of her voice. The voice retains its purity and beautiful timbre, but is now heavier and darker. "Sempre libera" is not that good. Her coloratura is not up to par with Verdi's demands and she cannot hit the high E-flat at the end. However, she sings the main part of Violetta's aria very well, with supple, gorgeous tone and ravishing pianissimos. "Ah! non credea mirarti" is ravishing, but it is missing its energetic cabaletta. Presumably, it was cut because Caballé could not deal with the coloratura. Caballé's legato lines in this aria are superb. Her version of the "Lucrezia Borgia" Prologue is masterful. Elizabeth's last aria from "Roberto Devereux" is noble and touching. She is not quite Sills, but that aria benefits from a spinto voice instead of a soubrette one. Her aristocratic phrasing is very well used throughout the selections, with a few exceptions. Her "Willow Song" is beautiful, first time on CD. However, she fails to completely show Desdemona's despair. Some parts were good, but the whole thing failed to touch the heart. Her phrasing here is too indulgent. I have to say that I prefer Sutherland's touching version on her "The Art of the Prima Donna" recording. However, I loved "Ave Maria". Caballé sounds most beautiful when singing softly and this selection really shows her in the best light. Her cadenzas are intoxicatingly beautiful. "Caro nome" is not really her aria. The coloratura is suspect and some of the staccati are replaced with upward flourishes. She avoids the last short passage of staccati. Her phrasing in this aria is way too indulgent and she really fails to suggest Gilda's innocence. Even Sutherland is better at portraying Gilda's girlish qualities. Her "Armida" aria has some nice coloratura. She does the runs really well and is fearless in the triplet passages. For some reason, she does not sing the second "fronde" in the first line of the third stanza nor does she sing the last line of this stanza, "i muti abitator". She also does not sing the last line of the fifth stanza, "il tempo vorator". Caballé's first recorded version of "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" is included here. This just may be the most beautiful version of this aria ever recorded. It certainly is Caballé's best version of the aria. The climax is handled in one breath by Caballé. She diminuendos the big high note twice in the same breath. Amazing! The rolling of the "r" in "Signor" after the last diminuendo is quite nasal and reminds us that the sound we are hearing is coming from a human throat. It also shows that these diminuendos are natural and not studio produced. She infuses Tosca's aria with real feeling and piety. The compilation ends with a knockout reading of "Arrigo, parli a un core". Caballé is at her best in this aria. She sings softly to stunning effect. This version may be the most beautiful of this particular aria ever recorded. RCA has done Caballé justice with this wonderful collection. Caballé is truly a remarkable artist with a million-dollar voice. Brava!

Cannot be called an "ultimate" collection.......2003-02-05

This is a prime example of the a major recording label being fickle with the goods, in order to force you to continue buying other recitals and full-length studio recordings. Of course, any Caballe fan would already want to own those other recordings anyway, so the point is moot.

Other reviewers here have cried out against the exclusion of one of her most essential and artistic roles, Imogene from Il Pirata. I would like to emphatically express the same. In fact, I would even have settled for the exclusion of Casta Diva, in favor of Col Sorriso di Innocenza.

Some other stellar recordings not represented her are the Sleepwalking Scene from MacBeth, and Pace, Pace Mio Dio from La Forza del Destino. Also worth mentioning is her O Patria Mia from Aida. She might not be Leontyne Price or Martina Arroyo, but she gives a superb reading of this wonderful aria.

Of course, brevity does require some editing- a true "Ultimate" Caballe collection would span four or five CDs, at least- but to include late-career and less-than-best selections at the expense of others is a crime.

Tracks:

Ancora Tu
Luce Dell'est
Uomo Che Ti Ama
Nostro Caro Angelo
Prendi Fra le Mani la Testa
Mio Canto Libero
Dove Arriva Quel Cespuglio
Collina Dei Ciliegi
Luci Ah
Veliero
E Penso a Te
Io Vorrei... Non Vorrei... Ma Se Vuoi
Nostro Caro Angelo
I Giardini Di Marzo

Album Description

1993 compilation for the Italian singer/songwriter.

Customer Reviews:

Italian songs .......2007-03-03

My heart feels real pain when I heard this CD. Really good one!

Divine influence.......2004-11-25

This music is beautiful... It generates so deeply from his heart and soul that it feels divine to me. I love everything that he has done; I wrote a poem that relects how his music has affected me. I recommend everything by him.

My poem to Lucio...

How did you connect
with the universe
like that?

So beautiful, with
so much love...
Divine love.
Musically, divine.

He is in all of
your expression;
He lives in the
hearts of all
that adore you.

You inspired so many,
and they loved you so.

So many hearts affected
by the love you so
freely gave to all.

And still you give the
love that He gives to you!

And still you inspire
so many. With His love
you send us all into
a place that He alone
exists.

Your gift to the world;
your gift to us all.
His gift to the world;
His gift to us all.

Thank you.

I love Lucio's music.......2004-10-01

Lucio Battisti was a gifted songwriter. I keep Lucio's music very close to my heart. My family introduced me to Lucio when i was younger, but didn't start listening to him until i went to Italy this past summer. His style of writing just grasps my soul and takes me on a ride - of memories. For example, when I listen to 'Ancora Tu' on this album, I can close my eyes and see the beauftiul sceneries of Italy, for that was the place where i lsitened to the most Battisti. He is a genius.

Lucio Battisti missed.......2002-05-11

The music of Lucio Battisti even with its "ups and downs" is kept very close to my heart. He is missed dearly and the news of his death were a shock to me. Albums like this one revive the memory of his music and of his love for singing. I am always impressed by the new generations of Italian-Americans who are devoted to his music and are willing to learn more about his life. Lucio Battisti's songs have, nevertheless, travelled all over the world where they are kept in the hearts of peoples from different countries and ethnic backgrounds...

La canzone piu' bella.......2002-02-03

It's difficult to write a review of music that has been such a huge aprt of your life; has accompanied you through broken hearts and inspired you toward new romantic adventures. Songs so beautifully written that poets would delight in envy, while the notes and orchestration has all the sophistication of classical music. Yet, I want to somehow share this beauty with so many people outside Italy who do not know that such music was written in the latter 20th century. I picked this album because it has the songs that first drew me to Battisti: E Penso a Te (I think of you) and I Giardini di Marzo (the gardens in March), just the title should stir some anticipation. Battisti is revered in Italy but his populartity was not boosted by commercial music or hype. For once, the popularity was justified by the quality. On any beach, piazza, a mountain resort you'll see Italians of different generations live their stories and significant moments to the tune of Battisti.

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