L' Amour Avec Toi [Import]

1. Oublie Moi

2. Loving You

3. Peuse un Peu à Moi

4. Fille Rétro

5. Rock de Samedi Soir

6. Amour Avec Toi

7. Quand la Musique Dause

8. Femme d'Amour

9. Ne Me Quitte Pas

10. Je l'Aime - Nicole Martin,

11. Je T'Aime Autant Qu'avant

12. JL Est Eu Nous l'Amour

L' Amour Avec Toi,Nicole Martin,Unidisc Records,France,Int'l & World Music,Pop

Average customer rating: Superlative collection Great value for the money Great for the money and a good starter on opera.... Amazing Value

100 Best Opera Classics Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Lalo, Edouard | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | 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 General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Arias Best Classics 100 The Most Famous Opera Duets The Best of Italian Opera The #1 Opera Album ASIN: B0007QOERC Release Date: 2007-05-14

Tracks:

1. Voi Che Sepate - Teresa Berganza
2. Porgi Amor - Heather Harper
3. Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra - Thomas Allen
4. Batti, Batti, O Bel Masetto - Elizabeth Gale
5. Der Holle Rache - Edda Moser
6. O Isis Und Osiris - Cornelius Hauptmann
7. Temerari...Come Scoglio - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
8. La Calunnia E Un Venticello - Ruggero Raimondi
9. Nei Giardin Del Bello - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
10. Casta Diva - Maria Callas
11. Se Quel Guerrier...Celeste Aida - Franco Corelli
12. Tenesta La Promessa...Addio Del Passato - Beverly Sills
13. Niun Mi Tema - Jon Vickers
14. Un Bel Di Vedremo - Renata Scotto
15. E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
16. Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi - Mirella Freni
17. In Quelle Trine Morbide - Montserrat Caballe
18. Signore, Ascolta - Kiri Te Kanawa
19. Recitar...Vesti La Giubba - Jose Carreras
20. Amor Ti Vieta Di Non Amor - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

1. Le Veau D'Or Est Toujours Debout - Boris Christoff
2. Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue? - Mady Mesple
3. L'Amour, L'Amour...Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil - Alfredo Kraus
4. Allons! Le Faut...Adieu Notre Petite Table - Ileana Cotrubas
5. Toute Mon Ame Est La Pourquoi Me Reveiller - Nicolai Gedda
6. Quand La Flamme De L'Amour - Jose Van Dam
7. L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Victoria De Los Angeles
8. A Cette Voix...Je Crois Entendre Encore - Alain Vanzo
9. Une Puce Gentille - Gabriel Bacquier
10. Je Vais Mourir...Adieu, Fiere Cite - Regine Crespin
11. Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix - Rita Gorr
12. Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abenstern - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
13. Johohoe! Traft Ihr Das Schiff Im Meere An? - Anja Silja
14. In Fernem Land - Chor Der Wiener Staatsoper
15. Heil Dir, Sonne! - Siegfried Jerusalem
16. Mild Und Leise - Helga Dernesch

Tracks:

1. Che Faro Senza Euridice? - Agnes Baltsa
2. Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja - Walter Berry
3. Finch'Han Dal Vino - Nicolai Ghiaurov
4. E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono - Barbara Hendricks
5. Abscheulicher! - Christa Ludwig
6. Ne M'Abandonne Pas, Espoir De La Vengeance...Asile Hereditaire - Nicolai Gedda
7. Largo Al Factotum - Tito Gobbi
8. Ella Giammai M'Amo! - Ruggero Raimondi
9. La Donna E Mobile - Alfredo Kraus
10. Di Quella Pira - Franco Corelli
11. Esultate! - James McCracken
12. Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Placido Domingo
13. Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore - Maria Callas
14. In Questa Reggia - Ghena Dimitrova
15. Tanto Amore - Janine Micheau
16. O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
17. Ed Anche Beppe Amo - Luciano Pavarotti
18. Poveri Fiori - Maria Callas
19. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio - Roberto Alagna

Tracks:

1. Les Grands Seigneurs...Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir Si Belle - Victoria De Los Angeles
2. Marie, Avec L'Enfant Jesus - Jules Bastin
3. Heureux Petit Berger - Janine Micheau
4. Connais-Tu Le Pays - Jane Rhodes
5. Elle Ne Croyait Pas Dans Sa Candeur - Nicolai Gedda
6. Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous Le Rendre...Toreador - Victoria De Los Angeles
7. Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille - Mady Mesple
8. Maintenant, Chantons...Devant La Maison De Celui Qui D'Adore - Gerard Souzay
9. Depuis Le Jour - Beverly Sills
10. Da Geht Er Hin - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
11. Einsam In Truben Tagen - Regine Crespin
12. Dich, Teure Halle - Hildegard Behrens
13. Leb Wohl, Du Kuhnes, Herrliches Kind - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
14. Hojotoho! Hojotoho! - Ute Walther

Tracks:

1. Non Piu Andrai - Thomas Allen
2. La Ci Darem La Mano - Graziella Sciutti
3. Duo: Pa-Pa-Pa - Andreas Schmidt
4. Soave Sia Il Vento - Delores Ziegler
5. Mira, O Norma - Maria Callas
6. Il Dolce Suono - Edita Gruberova
7. Com'e Gentil - Alfredo Kraus
8. Una Voce Poco Fa - Maria Callas
9. Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - Alfredo Kraus
10. Gualtier Malde!...Caro Nome - Michele Pertusi
11. Ritorna Vincitor - Birgit Nilsson
12. Ave Maria - Katia Ricciarelli
13. Nessun Dorma - Franco Corelli
14. Che Gelida Manina - Nicolai Gedda
15. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Barbara Hendricks

Tracks:

1. Mes Amis, Ecoutez L'Histoire - Nicolai Gedda
2. Mieux Vaut Mourir...Amour Sacre De La Patrie - Alfredo Kraus
3. Ah! Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve - Mady Mesple
4. Puisqu'on Ne Peut Flechir...Vainement, Ma Bien-Aimee - Henry Legay
5. Suis-Je Gentille Ainsi?...Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins - June Anderson
6. Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Jessye Norman
7. La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee - Jose Carreras
8. C'est Toi!...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - John Aler
9. Werther, Werther, Qui M'Aurait Dit...Ces Lettres! - Tatiana Troyanos
10. Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
11. Ah! Je Suis Seule Enfin...Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
12. Alerte, Alerte!...Anges Purs, Anges Radieux - Nicolai Ghiaurov
13. Boris's Farewell - Boris Christoff
14. Schreckensschwur! - Gary Lakes
15. Die 'Selige Morgentraum-Deutweise'...Selig, Wie Die Sonne - Peter Schreier
16. Was Am Besten er Kann...Nothung! Nothung! - Siegfried Jerusalem

Customer Reviews:

Superlative collection.......2006-10-11

A collection of 100 individual arias and ensembles from the EMI catalogue of complete works recorded between 1955 and 2003. It includes selections from operas by Italian, Austrian, German, Russian and French composers. The French composers are especially well represented unlike most such anthologies. And there are several more obscure contributions, such as an aria from Catalani's La Wally. A well-judged balance of musical periods and styles, and the very best singers of the last half of the last century. And remarkably, the whole collection of 6 CDS, over 7 hours of music, is being sold for the cost of only 1 CD !

Great value for the money.......2006-04-23

This is simply the best collection of opera arias that I have seen. It's not 100% in that there are a few well-known arias that are not here, but what is here is simply a treasure. The organization is a bit strange, but there's some logic. For example, Disk 6 is mostly from French operas. A seemingly endless amount of glorious music. Just fabulous. You won't be disappointed.

Great for the money and a good starter on opera...........2006-01-07

This cd is a splendid collection of songs, and the price is unbeatable; I have but a few minor complaints about the overall product. The cd would have been much more enjoyable if they had put the music in some sort of order, rather than jumping around from artist to artist sporatically. My only other complaint would be that they could have chosen some better vocalists to play some of the songs. For example, in CD 6, track 3: Romeo et Juliette, the singer was not nearly as strong and definative as she should have been and I've definately heard in various other versions that were way better than this. This disappointed me greatly. But even with these few small complaints, this collection is still great and the price is amazing. It includes MOST of the famous opera pieces, as well some great songs that are often overlooked such as the beautiful song from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg (CD 6, track 16) along with others.

Amazing Value.......2005-08-23

I am so impressed by this collection that I must share my joy at getting so many beautiful arias, duets, et al in one collection. It captures many of the great operatic voices in stellar performances spanning the last 50 years. If you are enchanted by beautiful operatic highlights, removed from their operatic storylines, this set is for you. Hours of gorgeous music for practically pennies!

Average customer rating:

Bizet: Carmen (Highlights) Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra ASIN: B000006OGH Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Avec la garde montante
2. Carmen: Habanera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
3. Carmen: Parle-moi de ma mere!
4. Carmen: Seguedille: Pres des remparts de Seville
5. Carmen: Chanson boheme: Les tringles des sistres tintaient
6. Carmen: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre
7. Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
8. Carmen: Melons! Coupons!
9. Carmen: C'est des contrebandiers... Je dis, que rien ne m'epouvante
10. Carmen: Les voici!
11. Carmen: C'est toi!... C'est moi!

Average customer rating: Great recording very enjoyable Highlights Are Fine But The Whole Opera Is Better Get the complete recording!

Bizet: Carmen (Highlights) Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Aida (Highlights) Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Highlights) Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (Highlights) Mozart: The Magic Flute (Highlights) The Most Famous Opera Arias ASIN: B00004ZDL9 Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

1. Prld - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
2. Act I: Avec La Garde Montante - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Claude Meloni/Jon Vickers/Bernard Gontcharenko
3. Act I: Quand Je Vous Amerais?...L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle 'Habanera' - Grace Bumbry
4. Act I: Parle-Moi De Ma Mere!...Ma Mere Je La Vois! - Mirella Freni/Jon Vickers
5. Act I: Pres Des Ramparts De Seville - Jon Vickers/Grace Bumbry
6. Act I: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
7. Act II: Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient - Grace Bumbry
8. Act II: Votre Toast, Je Peux Vois Le Rendre 'Song Of The Toreador' - Kostas Paskalis
9. Act II: La Fluer Que Tu M'Avais Jette 'Flower Song' - Jon Vickers
10. Act II: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
11. Act III: Melons! Coupons! - Grace Bumbry/Jon Vickers/Eliane Lublin/Victoria Cortez
12. Act III: Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'Epouvante - Mirella Freni
13. Act III: Entr'acte - Orch Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Rafael Fruhbeck De Burgos
14. Act IV: Les Voici! - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre/Bernard Gontcharenko/Eliane Lublin/Victoria Cortez
15. Act IV: C'est Toi! - Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre
16. Act IV: Ou Va Tu? - Grace Bumbry/Jon Vickers/Chor Of The Paris Nat Opr Theatre

Customer Reviews:

Great recording.......2005-07-08

Nice Carmen version... if you are looking for one brilliant version... choose THIS one...

very enjoyable.......2004-09-08

this is an enjoyable version of carmen. bumbry has a dark, sultry voice that's well suited for this gypsy vixen. and when she's on - and this is most of the time - she's hot. but there are times when she seems a little aloof, and her voice doesn't have the all the colors that callas has (but who does?), so she doesn't bring quite as much insight to the role. still, a good interpretation. her don jose is the excellent jon vickers. at first, i was skeptical that his heldentenor voice was right for this mama's boy, but vickers turns down the volume and turns up the heat. his trademark acting abilities are on full display here. his might not be the most beautifully sung jose, it is the most characterful. too bad vickers and callas never recorded carmen together. that would have been THE carmen for the ages! freni is ok as micaela. her diction is fine and she's in fresh, youthful voice, but she sometimes sounds like she's singing puccini and not bizet, a problem that's made worse by her distinctly italianate voice. a light lyric soprano, or a lyric soprano like ileana cotrubas would be more suitable for this role. the escamillo here does a workmanlike job, not particularly suave and the voice a little undersized, but still serviceable. the conducting is idomatic and non-obtrusive. you hear all the colors and the lines are clean. a tres french performance which is what you want.

on the whole, an enjoyable carmen. maybe not the best, but it's worth hearing for bumbry's carmen and vickers' jose.

Highlights Are Fine But The Whole Opera Is Better.......2002-08-31

Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers are undeniably the greatest interpretors of Don Jose and Carmen. This cd contains highlights from the 70's performances of the two singers. Bizet's Carmen is easily the most recognizable opera in the world. Because there is such a tradition around it, there have been so many excellent mezzo-sopranos who have mastered the role, including Maria Callas at the end of her life, Marylin Horne and most recently Susanna Guzman. But Grace Bumbry's voice is full of fire, mischief and seduction, as evident in the arias that have made Carmen herself opera's sexiest woman "Habanera" "Seguidilla" and other songs including the Gypsy Song. Jon Vickers is a dramatic, intense Don Jose, and Mirella Freni, although lower in the vocal talent range on this recording, does a passable Micaela. The Spanish music is full of flavor, especially striking are the bullfight music and its chorus and the ever famous finale. I seriously suggest you hear the whole opera, and in my opinion, the finest Carmen out there is the rarest- Black Dog Opera Library contains audio books with two cd's and the libretto. Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni, Kostas Paskalis (Escamillo). There is no doubt that Burgos is the most apt conductor of Bizet's score for the opera. Listen to the intensity and fatalism of the fate theme, played in a subtle, psychotic wind-down as Carmen and Don Jose confront for the last time, as well as the overture, duet music between Micaela/Don Jose and Carmen/Don Jose, the preludes, and the ensemble music (two ensemble finales- at the end of the second act and the scene before the bullfight). I hope you find this review helpful.

Get the complete recording!.......2002-05-26

This is one of the best sung and conducted Carmens I have heard, but get the complete opera recording on the EMI Black Dog Series for less than 18 dollars, for, unlike other recordings, they squeeze it onto two discs. Moreover, it is packaged in a booklet which, in addition to the libretto and plot synopsis, gives you a lot of information about the background and genesis of this opera, and also contains a number of pictures of noted exponents of the principal roles. Furthermore, this is the first recording to include the spoken dialogue that was intended for it as an opera-comique, and there is no better trio than Bumbry, Vickers and Freni, who were all in peak vocal form at the time of this recording (1970). In particular, Vickers digs deeper into the role of Don Jose than Domingo ever did with his more externalized approach. Finally, De Burgos conducts with real intensity and fire and the sound is quite good. This definitely has to be the best bargain available by far for recordings of Carmen.

Average customer rating: A relative success AN ALMOST GREAT CARMEN Leontyne Price a Great Carmen A Gloriously Sung Carmen Maybe I'm a little partial...

Bizet: Carmen / Price, Corelli, Merrill, Freni; Karajan Georges Bizet , Wiener Philharmoniker , Herbert von Karajan , Leontyne Price , Franco Corelli , Vienna State Opera Choir , Mirella Freni , and Robert Merrill Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Freni, Mirella | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | 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 Similar Items: Puccini: Madama Butterfly Tristan Und Isolde Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera Mozart: Così fan tutte Verdi - Rigoletto / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes, LSO, Bonynge ASIN: B000009W7K Release Date: 1997-02-03

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Overture - G. Bizet
2. Carmen: Sur la place, chacun passe - G. Bizet
3. Carmen: Regardez donc cette petite (Micaela) - G. Bizet
4. Carmen: Avec la garde montante (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
5. Carmen: C'est bien la (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
6. Carmen: La cloche a sonne - G. Bizet
7. Carmen: La voila, la voila (Carmen) - G. Bizet
8. Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Carmen) - G. Bizet
9. Carmen: Carmen! sur tes pas - G. Bizet
10. Carmen: Quels regards! Quelle effronterie (Don Jose) (Micaela) - G. Bizet
11. Carmen: Parle-moi de ma mere (Don Jose) (Micaela) - G. Bizet
12. Carmen: Reste la maintenant, pendant que je lirai (Don Jose) (Micaela) - G. Bizet
13. Carmen: Que se passe-t-il donc la-bas? - G. Bizet
14. Carmen: Mon officier, c'etait une querelle (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
15. Carmen: Tralalalala, coupe-moi, brule-moi (Carmen) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
16. Carmen: Pres des ramparts de Seville (Carmen) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
17. Carmen: Voici l'ordre; partez (Carmen) - G. Bizet

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Entr'acte - G. Bizet
2. Carmen: Act 2 - Les tringles des sistres tintaint (Gypsy Song) (Carmen) - G. Bizet
3. Carmen: Act 2 - Messieurs, Pastia me dit (Carmen) - G. Bizet
4. Carmen: Act 2 - Vivat! vivat le Tor - G. Bizet
5. Carmen: Act 2 - Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Toreador Song) (Escamillo) - G. Bizet
6. Carmen: Act 2 - La belle, un mot (Escamillo) - G. Bizet
7. Carmen: Act 2 - Eh bien, vite, quelles nouvelles? (Carmen) - G. Bizet
8. Carmen: Act 2 - Nous avons en t une affaire (Quintet) (Carmen) - G. Bizet
9. Carmen: Act 2 - Mais qui donc attends-tu? (Carmen) - G. Bizet
10. Carmen: Act 2 - Halte lQui va l(Don Jose) (Carmen) - G. Bizet
11. Carmen: Act 2 - Enfin c'est toi! (Carmen) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
12. Carmen: Act 2 - Lalalala - Attends un peu, Carmen (Don Jose) (Carmen) - G. Bizet
13. Carmen: Act 2 - La fleur que tu m'avais jet(Flower Song) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
14. Carmen: Act 2 - Non! tu ne m'aimes pas (Carmen) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet
15. Carmen: Act 2 - HolCarmen! HolHol(Don Jose) (Carmen) - G. Bizet
16. Carmen: Act 2 - Bel officier, bel officier (Carmen) (Don Jose) - G. Bizet

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Entr'acte - Georges Bizet
2. Carmen: Act 3 - Ecoute, ecoute, compagnon, ecoute (Carmen) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
3. Carmen: Act 3 - Reposons-nous une heure ici (Carmen) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
4. Carmen: Act 3 - Melons! Coupons! (Card Scene) (Carmen) - Georges Bizet
5. Carmen: Act 3 - Eh bien? - Eh bien (Carmen) - Georges Bizet
6. Carmen: Act 3 - Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire (Carmen) - Georges Bizet
7. Carmen: Act 3 - C'est des contrebandiers (Micaela) - Georges Bizet
8. Carmen: Act 3 - Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante (Micaela's Air) (Micaela) - Georges Bizet
9. Carmen: Act 3 - Je ne me trompe pas (Micaela) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
10. Carmen: Act 3 - Je suis Escamillo, Torero de Grenade! (Escamillo) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
11. Carmen: Act 3 - Hola, hola Jose! (Carmen) (Escamillo) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
12. Carmen: Act 3 - Moi, je viens te chercher! (Micaela) (Don Jose) (Carmen) - Georges Bizet
13. Carmen: Act 3 - Helas, Jose! (Micaela) (Don Jose) (Escamillo) - Georges Bizet
14. Carmen: Entr'acte - Georges Bizet
15. Carmen: Act 4 - A deux cuartos ! - Georges Bizet
16. Carmen: Act 4 - Les voici! Voici la quadrille! - Georges Bizet
17. Carmen: Act 4 - Si tu m'aimes, Carmen (Escamillo) (Carmen) - Georges Bizet
18. Carmen: Act 4 - C'est toi! - C'est moi! (Carmen) (Don Jose) - Georges Bizet
19. Carmen: Act 4 - Ou-vas-tu? - Laisse-moi! (Don Jose) (Carmen) - Georges Bizet

Customer Reviews:

A relative success.......2007-07-11

From his multiple readings of the nine Beethoven symphonies, to his controversial, unconventional production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, to his individual achievements in the realms of Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Sibelius, Mahler, Strauss, and Schoenberg, the Austrian conductor-legend Herbert von Karajan left his irreplaceable fingerprint on the world of music. However, in spite of all his brilliance in the aforementioned and unmentioned spheres, Georges Bizet's relentlessly celebrated opera Carmen was as musical tapestry Karajan never fully understood.

While Karajan aficionados plot their revenge for this seemingly gratuitous attack, it should be noted that he was not alone among conductors in this fault; in fact, when one considers than Carmen is the "C" in any beginner's guide to opera ("A" being Verdi's Aïda and "B" being Puccini's La Bohème), it is almost laughable to discover how many disregarded the proper form in which Carmen should be played. Carmen was not a grand opera, despite what Sir Thomas Beecham, Georges Prêtre, Thomas Schippers, and the like wished so ardently to believe. Bizet composed Carmen in the tradition of the opéra-comique, a parallel of the modern musical, with musical sections coupled with spoken melodramas or dialogues. The most superb recorded example of the properly performed Carmen is the Sir Georg Solti recording with Tatiana Troyanos, Plácido Domingo, José van Dam, and Dame Kiri te Kanawa. (Karajan did make a similar recording later in his career, with Agnes Baltsa, José Carreras, van Dam, and Katia Ricciarelli, but his interpretation was regrettably slow and vapid, and the melodramas were spoken (one must wonder why) by actors, rather than the singers.)

In spite of all this, the stars of this recording are superb. Leontyne Price injects a little bit of Bess into her Carmen, which results in a soulful, lyrically beautiful, and dramatically venomous gypsy vamp. Her Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle") and Seguidilla ("Près de remparts de Séville") are bewitching. Franco Corelli, who, in 1963, embodied the entire institution of opera with his sultry, sheik-like physique and his hot-blooded, titanic tenor register, is a full-fledged madman as the obsessed Don José. Robert Merrill is a bit too American as the swaggering toreador Escamillo, but his rendition of "Votre toast je peux vous le rendre" is nonetheless suave and debonair. Mirella Freni had not yet reached her silkiest prime in 1963, but she glides through Micaëla's Act III aria ("Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante") like a songbird. (It should be noted that the diction of the four stars is poor, particularly Corelli and Freni; the two of them coupled in Alain Lombard's 1968 recording of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with similar overall success, hampered only by their abysmal pronunciation.)

The high water mark of this recording is the final track, featuring the opera's cataclysmic finale ("Où vas-tu?"..."Laisse-moi!"). Corelli is so venomously fanatical ("Ainsi, le salut de mon âme"), Price is so inanely noxious and cruel ("Eh bien! Frappe-moi donc, ou laisse-moi passer!"), and the Wiener Philharmoniker is in such tempestuous voice, the following three lines deserve special recognition:

- Don José: "Pour la dernière fois, démon, veux-tu me suivre?"

- Carmen: "Non! Non! Cette bague, autrefois, tu me l'avais donnée. Tiens!"

- Don José: "Eh bien! damnée!"

The above excerpt is literally worth the entire recording; Corelli and Price are unmatched in bravado.

AN ALMOST GREAT CARMEN.......2007-04-13

This Carmen could have been a great one without the role of Don Jose held by Corelli who butchered the french text , which makes me think by the way that unfortunately there is no french opera singers able to deliver an acceptable Opera Comique version ( with the dialogue). (Corelli had also made a mess of the Faust role -with a splendid Ghiaurov-with his
dreadful french accent)..Sorry to say that of deceased great singer but the Carmen libretto is not a text to be only sung but deeply felt which french language does not allow to a singer who does not rehearse enough.
Robert Merrill marvelous dark tone and Mirella Freni, almost a debutante at that time saved the day.

Leontyne Price a Great Carmen.......2007-03-26

Having several Carmen cds, I bought this one on the advice of a great opera expert, Ron Shaheen of San Diego fame. Glad I did. Miss Price is a dramatic on-fire Carmen. Sings with passion and panache. My favorite of all the ones I've heard. Unless you can find one with Milena Kitic singing Carmen, I recommend this version. Corelli, Merrill and Freni, of course, are automatic harbingers of a great cd purchase. All this from an avid opera buffoon. Viva L'Opera!

A Gloriously Sung Carmen.......2006-08-09

One of the sad ironies of opera history is that Bizet never lived to see Carmen become the smash hit of the opera world. Described as the world's first musical, with one hit song after another, the opera is packed with great music and memorable melodies such as the Seguidilla, the Habanera and the Toreador Song. It is one of the first operas set in real time in a real place with ordinary people. Today it is arguably the most popular opera in production.
While there are many wonderful recordings, here it's the voices that make this recording so memorable. Leontyne Price is simply in sumptuous form, with the richness of a mezzo in the lower register plus her ringing top notes. Franco Corelli is a clarion and passionate Don Jose, Mirela Freni a sweet voiced Micaela, and Robert Merrill a rich and robust Escamillo. In some respects this is the "Italian" Carmen, (Corelli and Freni don't have the best French accents and Price was never known for her diction), but the quality of the voices make up for any linguistic deficiency.
As is his wont, Herbert von Karajan emphasizes his orchestra, which becomes almost another member of the cast in his hands--this can sometimes be at the expense of his singers, but Price, Corelli, Freni and Merrill But a von Karajan performance is always thrilling, whether it is this album or his Salzburg Festival DVD with Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirela Freni and a very young Justino Diaz.
For a fan of Leontyne Price this is a MUST HAVE, and a worthy addition to any opera collection.

Maybe I'm a little partial..........2006-04-23

I first heard this version of Carmen many years ago, and for two main reasons, I can not give up listening to it. Reason #1: Leontyne Price's voice is so rich and spot-on, and reason #2: the Vienna Boys Choir add the necessary youthful element to the opera. I feel that this is a good, solid recording, well worth the five stars I gave it and far, far better than the versions of Carmen that make me cringe (and which shall remain nameless). The voices were cast well, and as usual, Herbert von Karajan conducts superbly.

Average customer rating: The Greatest By Far Absolutely the Best Carmen No, please L'amour est un oiseau rebelle

Bizet: Carmen [Highlights] Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Bach - Mass in B minor / Argenta, Nichols, Chance, Stafford, Milner, W. Evans, Gardiner Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 24 & 25 Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1 Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1/Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 Beethoven: Symphonien Nos. 5 & 7 / Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ASIN: B000001G52 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Prelude
2. Carmen: Act 1: Sur la place (Micaela)
3. Carmen: Act 1: Avec la garde montante
4. Carmen: Act 1: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Carmen)
5. Carmen: Act 1: Parle-moi de ma mere (Don Jose, Micaela)
6. Carmen: Act 1: Pres des remparts de Seville (Carmen, Don Jose)
7. Carmen: Act 2: Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Carmen)
8. Carmen: Act 2: Dialogue
9. Carmen: Act 2: Vivat! vivat le Torero! (Carmen)
10. Carmen: Act 2: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Escamillo, Carmen)
11. Carmen: Act 2: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Don Jose)
12. Carmen: Act 3: En vain, pour eviter les reponses ameres - Parlez encore, parlez, mes belles (Carmen)
13. Carmen: Act 3: A dos cuartos!
14. Carmen: Act 3: (musique de transition)
15. Carmen: Act 3: C'est toi! - C'est moi! (Carmen, Don Jose)

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest By Far.......2006-03-09

Agnes Baltsa [Carmen] ** José Carreras [Don José] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Escamillo] ** Katia Ricciarelli [Micaëla] ** Christine Barbaux (soprano) [Frasquita] ** Jane Berbié (soprano) [Mercédès] ** Alexander Malta (bass) [Zuniga] ** Mikael Melbye (baritone) [Moralès] ** Gino Quilico (baritone) [Le Dancaïr] ** Heinz Zednik (tenor) [Le Remendado] ** Michel Marinpouille (tenor) [Andrès] ** Berlin Philharmonic ** Herbert von Karajan (conductor]

There is no doubt in my mind that this studio recording is by far the most powerful Carmen I've ever heard. This 80's recording captures both the lush, beautiful musicality of this opera-comique and the intense visceral "verisimo" drama, thanks to the efforts of Karajan and his illustrious Berlin forces and the great singing from Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli and Jose Van Dam.

Karajan had previously recorded Carmen in the 70's, in a more dramatic, overblown fashion when he conducted the Vienna Phil with the voices of Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. Although that recording has its individual merit, it was not really his best effort. He had scored greater success with Grace Bumbry in the lead role and Jon Vickers as Don Jose, productions he conducted at the Salzburg Festival in the late 60's. In the 80's he was a white-haired old man, the image many younger music lovers remember him from after seeing videos and recording covers he was in fact experiencing the last phase of his career before his death in the late 80's. He is nevertheless a supremely gifted conductor, masterful and able to bring out the best from his orchestra. The Berlin is actually better than the Vienna Phil in his earlier recording with Leontyne Price. The Berlin forces weave great music, capturing the colorful slices of life in this steamy, sordid opera. Yes, it is of the "grand opera" and verisimo vein and not the more simplistic, opera-comique Carmen but it is absolutely powerful in its wake. Karajan has never done a better job. It is his second recorded Carmen and his best.

Each of the singers bring a vitality and nuance to their performance and sing with the freshness of their prime. It is not surprising to find Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli in the same cast. Theses two worked well together and recorded and performed operas throughout the 80's, even carrying out an affair together. Ricciarelli and Carreras as Don Jose and Micaela sing with glorious harmony, making their romance all the more tragic because Don Jose rejects the purity of her love and destroys himself in his passionate relationship with the temptress Carmen. Their duet in the beginning feels prolonged but that's a great thing because their voices are so beautiful to hear together.

From the beginning, Jose Carreras sings with a darker voice. He understands that Don Jose becomes obscessed with Carmen and develops a psychosis. It is a rich, powerful and masculine voice, albeit darker and edgier than even Jon Vickers and Placido Domingo. He sings everyting with great passion, despite the fact that his voice may not have done what he may have wanted it to. He is somehow, strangely, through sheer force of will, the best Don Jose, the most dramatically satisfying. His detractors and critics claim he was in bad vocal shape, at least in regards to his age (he was past his prime, he had been operated for leukemia, etc) and worse, his Don Jose has been called "melodramatic, hysterical". I whole-heartedly disagree. Carreras sings with so much integrity to the character's essence that he single-handedly blows all other contenders away. I've heard them all- Franco Corelli (in the Leontyne Price recording) Placido Domingo (in the Berganza recording and the Obraztsova, and Migenes movies) and Jon Vickers (in the recording and film with Grace Bumbry). His tenor voice is right on target for the darker side of Don Jose. He is passionate, yet lyrical in the first part and by the climatic finale he is understandably pushed to the edge. There is definate chemistry between Carreras and Baltsa and they would also make a film of the Metropolitan Opera stage production, which is wonderful. Please give Carreras a chance. He is the best Don Jose I've ever heard.

Ricciarelli is a very nuanced, soulful Micaela, bringing passion and grandeur to the role, instead of singing the role like a shrinking violet. This Micaela is willing to fight to get her man back from Carmen. In this way, she is a lot like Mirella Freni, who also sang a feistier Micaela. Ricciarelli is in great vocal form, and her rendition of "Je Dis" is beautiful and heart-felt. Those who have criticized her for what they feel is forced singing didn't really listen to the recording. She is mannered, she is mellow and in control. She has a genuinely dramatic way of singing, but then again, I've already made the comparison to Mirella Freni, whose Micaela is also dramatic. Quite frankly, this is the way Micaela should be sung. She is still a soprano, usually the lead in an opera and Ricciarelli understands that if she doesn't impress in the few moments she has in the opera, then she is letting the mezzo-soprano take all the glory. Ricciarelli is wonderful here and Micaela is one of her greatest roles, despite the fact she moved on to sing heavier roles like Tosca, Leonora, Aida and Turandot. She is probably better in the subdued lyrical roles then the heavier roles.

Jose Van Dam's Escamillo is dark, "butch" and strongly sung. He has a sharp musical intelligence and recognizes that Escamillo is also not the star but has his moments of radiance. He sings the famous Toreador Aria with great gusto and power. Karajan's slow conducting and colorful orchestration allows his few moments in the opera to really burst with maximum energy. Upon hearing Jose Van Dam's Escamillo, one can understand why Carmen jilts the now lackluster Don Jose. Van Dam is absolutely superb.

Last but certainly not least, there is Agnes Baltsa's Carmen. She was born to sing this role. It is a Carmen of several levels- she is playful (listen to how she slides her voice in the Habanera and Seguidilla) she is feminine but wordly. If she sounds mature and not youthful this is still to her credit. Carmen is a wordly, experienced libertine. Baltsa lives the character in ever scene. She sings with great power and beauty. The Death Card Aria has a tragic quality to it and she sings with a resigned spirit, acknowledging her fate. More than any other mezzo-soprano who has sung Carmen on record, to my knowledge, she really acts the hell out of that final scene. She is singing with grand flair, dramatic to the point she is boiling over with rage. Listen to how she emotes when she declares "Libre Elle Nee e Libre elle Morra" (I was born free and I shall die free!) and "E Bien! Frappe-Moi Donc, Or Lassez Ma Passe! (Very Well Then! Kill Me! Or Let Me Pass!). Finally, she nearly cracks her voice with the high, anguished cry of "C'este Autefrois Que Tu Me Vais Donne - TIENS!!!" (This ring you once gave me - TAKE IT!!!). Both Carreras and Baltsa take the trophy when it comes to dramatically belting out this famous scene in opera.


Once upon a time I thought that Jon Vickers and Grace Bumbry were the greatest Carmen/Don Jose interpretors. I don't believe that anymore after hearing Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa.

Absolutely the Best Carmen.......2004-12-14

This CD is not only for opera lovers, but for anyone with an appreciation of classic voice music. I have seen productions of Carmen the world over, in Paris, in Vienna, multiple times at the Met in New York and many local companies. None has come close to the perfection of the voices on this recording. The emotion and quality of L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, one of the most recognized arias in all of opera, is unsurpassed. The gypsy dance which begins act 2 (Les tringles des sistres tintaient) is rich with fevor and lust. The music leaps off the CD and provides excellent insight into the intensity of this work.

This CD is for everyone, from the novice to the expert, and will be appreciated by all. It is the best opera recording I have heard and has stood the test of time. This should be a required addition to the collection of anyone with an appreciation of fine music.

No, please.......2000-06-10

This is an surprisingly boring recording, especially when looking at the star-cast, of one of the most enjoyable operas ever. I think the greatest problem with it lies in Karajans conducting.

The kindest thing I can come up with about this highlights recording is just the fact that it's a highlights edition - you don't have to listen to the whole debacle. Karajan has done a much, much better recording for RCA (Price, Corelli & Freni), where he doesn't suffocate his singers in an unengaging search for nothing but beauty. This search makes me lose my hair, and for example disturbes much of Carmen's music. Carreras here is not even close to the vocal prime he was in ten years earlier. His voice surely is soft and beautiful in the more quite parts, but he avoids using it to full power, even when called for, and his performance therefor gets rather boring. Baltsa probably would have done much better if she'd been supported instead of opposed by Karajan. Van Dam is definately the best of the cast in the role of Escamillo.

My very favorite of Carmen is the Beecham (de los Angeles, Gedda on EMI) set. You can also try a highlight of either Karajan (RCA - Price, Corelli) or Abbado (DG - Berganza, Domingo), which both give different but very good accounts of Carmen - use the Amazon.com possibility to listen to samples of these version to find out which one you prefer.

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle.......2000-06-09

This highlights CD happilly dismisses most of the dialogues and has an hour-plus of great music. The complete version is also available on amazon.com. Maestro Von Karajan achieves his trademark perfection with the Berliners and with the cast of ideal singers for Biset's masterpiece. Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa is simultaneously playful, witty, self-indulgent, and, for all purposes, dangerous Carmen. She has a very long vocal phrase and plenty of power; listen to fiery rendition of "Les tringles des sistres tintailent"! Jose Carreras shows Don Jose's character development extremely well, from ardent and passionate, ready-to-leave-everything young soldier to a man obsessed; gradually you begin to believe Don Jose could kill. His Flower Song is very gentle and tender, as opposed to the war-cries often displayed by others. The final scene is so vividly enacted, I had "tingles down my spine". Katia Ricciarelli is fully "at home" with a role of angel-like Micaela, her 1st Act duet with Carreras is one of the most beautiful things one could ever hear. Van Dam brings out everything we like to see in Escamillo: single-mindedness, arrogance, and swagger. Karajan uses an interesting orchestral arrangement of the Toreador Song before "Tout d'un coup, on fait silence..." making you imagine the pause just before the bull charges. He also slows it down a bit, increasing the tension throughout and the last chords of it are like wineglasses clashing triumphantly together. Supporting roles are taken by some impressive vocal powers, including Jane Barbie and Gino Quilico. Btw, there is a Carmen video featuring Baltsa and Carreras, also from DG, fantastically sang and recorded.

Average customer rating:

Bizet: Carmen (Highlights) Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Gheorghiu, Angela | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Puccini - La Rondine / Gheorghiu · Alagna · Matteuzzi · Mula · Rinaldi · Ciofi · Bacelli · LSO · Pappano ASIN: B00018ZRVI Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

1. No.1 Prelude
2. Avec La Garde Montante... Une Jeune Fille Charmante... Et La Garde Descendante
3. L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
4. Parle-moi De Ma Mere!
5. Pres Des Remparts De Seville
6. Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient
7. Votre Toast, Je Peux Vous Le Rendre... Toreador, En Garde!
8. Nous Avons En Tete Une Affaire
9. La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee
10. Melons! Coupons!... En Vain Pour Eviter
11. C'est Des Contrebandiers... Je Dis, Que Rien Ne M'epouvante
12. Les Voici! Voici La Quadrille!
13. C'est Toi!... C'est Moi!... Tu Ne M'aimes Donc Plus?

Average customer rating: Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty Stylish Thais Set AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM A fad Lovely but too late

Massenet: Thaïs / Sills, Milnes, Gedda; Maazel Jules Massenet , Lorin Maazel , Beverly Sills , Nicolai Gedda , New Philharmonia Orchestra , John Alldis Choir , Sherrill Milnes , and Norma Burrowes Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Maazel, Lorin | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany] Massenet: Manon Bellini - I Puritani / Sutherland ASIN: B000002S67 Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

1. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Voici le pain...Et le sel (Cenobites, Palemon)
2. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Le voici! Le voici! (Cenobites, Athanael, Palemon)
3. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Helas! enfant encore (Athanael)
4. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Ne nous melons jamais, mon fils (Palemon, Cenobites, Athanael)
5. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Vision (Orchestre)
6. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Toi, qui mis la pitie dans nos ames (Athanael)
7. Thais: Act I - Scene I : Mon fils, ne nous melons jamais (Palemon, Athanael, Cenobites)
8. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Prelude (Orchestre)
9. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Va, mendiant chercher ailleurs ta vie! (Serviteur, Athanael)
10. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Voila donc la terrible cite (Athanael)
11. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Athanael, c'est toi!
12. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Ah! Ah! Ah!...Je vais donc te revoir (Crobyle, Myrtal, Nicias, Athanael)
13. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Gorde-toi bien! Voici ta terrible ennemie! (Nicias, Choeur)
14. Thais: Act I - Scene II : C'est Thais, I'idole fragile (Thais, Nicias)
15. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Quel est cet etranger (Thais, Nicias, Athanael)
16. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
17. Thais: Act I - Scene II : Non! Non! je hais vos fausses ivresses (Athanael, Thais, Nicias, Choeur)
18. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Ah! je suis seule, seule enfin!
19. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Dis-moi que je suis belle (Thais)
20. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Etranger, te voila comme tu l'avais dit
21. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Eh bien, fais-moi connaitre tout cet amour
22. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je suis Athanael, moine d'Antinoe! (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
23. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Je n'ai pas plus choisi mon sort que ma nature (Thais, Athanael, Nicias)
24. Thais: Act II - Scene I : Meditation Religieuse - Symphonie (Orchestre)

Tracks:

1. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Pere, Dieu m'a parle par ta voix,
2. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Non loin d'ici, vers I'occident
3. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Considere, o mon pere (Thais, Athanael)
4. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Suivez-moi tous, amis! (Nicias, Choeur, Crobyle, Myrtal)
5. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (i) (Orchestre)
6. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Voila I' Incomparable! (Nicias)
7. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Celle qu vient est plus belle (Crobyle, Myrtal)
8. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Divertissement (ii) (Orchestre)
9. Thais: Act II - Scene II : Eh! c'est lui!...Athanael! (Nicias, Choeur, Athanael)
10. Thais: Act II - Scene II : II dit vrai! (Thais, Nicias, Athanael, Choeur)
11. Thais: Act III - Scene I : L'ardent soleil m'ecrase
12. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Ah! des gouttes de sang coulent de ses pieds (Thais, Athanael)
13. Thais: Act III - Scene I : O messager de Dieu, si bon dans ta rudesse (Thais)
14. Thais: Act III - Scene I : Baigne d'eau mes mains et mes levres (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
15. Thais: Act III - Scene I : La paix du Seigneur soit avec toi (Athanael, Albine)
16. Thais: Act III - Scene I: Mon oeuvre est accomplie! (Athanael, Thais, Albine, Choeur)
17. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Que le ciel est pesant! (Cenobites, Palemon, Athanael)
18. Thais: Act III - Scene II : C'est lui qui vient! (Athanael, Palemon)
19. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Qui te fait si severe (Thais, Athanael, Choeur)
20. Thais: Act III - Scene II : Thais va mourir! (Athanael)
21. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Seigneur, ayez pitie de moi (Choeur, Albine)
22. Thais: Act III - Scene III : Sois le bienvenu dans nos tabernacles (Albine, Athanael, Choeur)
23. Thais: Act III - Scene III : C'est toi, mon pere! (Thais, Athanael)

Amazon.com

This set is primarily for devoted fans of Beverly Sills, for fans of Sherrill Milnes in his prime, and for those who must have the uncut version where it's available. The estimable Ms. Sills was in less than ideal voice for the making of this recording, which is unfortunate, but the artistry still shines through. Mr. Milnes sings with rich tone. But Lorin Maazel's conducting is leaden and out of empathy with the score. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Lapsing Faith and Lost Beauty.......2006-09-23

The reason I assign the recording four stars rather than five is that the pathos of the opera strikes me as too extreme. The same combination of exquisite beauty and suffocating pathos turns up in Barbra Streisand's song "The Way we Were." Beverly Sills sings the pathetic part of Thais to the hilt; and Massenet's familiar "religious meditation" does the rest. All of these intensely pathetic operas including Pagliacci and Tosca derive from the epoch-making example of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with its unrelieved love-and-death sorrow. As a Christian I associate this powerful tradition with lapsing faith in Europe after 1865. Massenet's opera treats the early Christian monks of Egypt as caught up in tragic error. Thais is a supremely beautiful woman won from a life of immorality to Christianity by a well-intentioned monk who knew her in his earlier days. As the converted Thais lives and dies for the abstract reward of heaven, the monk grieves over the beauty he has destroyed. The real spiritual solution to the dilemma posed by the opera lies in the correlation between future resurrection, universal vitality and intense beauty; but theologians have generally missed he point and shown more interest in heaven than in concrete resurrection. In any case there was no way out for Massenet and his source.

Stylish Thais Set.......2005-10-16

This 1976 recording of Thais is my favorite of the two recordings I have - the other being the Fleming/Hampson. Sills' vibrato is a little more pronounced here than it was a few years earlier, but it doesn't bother me. She still has a gorgeous voice and brings this conflicted character vividly to life. Having studied with the likes of Mary Garden as a young singer, Sills has an innate understanding of the French style, and uses her voice with much imagination and flair. Also, the character of Thais is not supposed to be a young girl - an aging courtesan of 30ish or so... Sherrill Milnes, in a departure from his usual Italian repertoire, sings a most impassiaoned Athaneal - the voice full and resonant, the character's obessiveness wonderfully realized. I think he never did anything better on disc. Nicolai Gedda is a little past his best here, but like Sills understands the French style and delivers the vocal goods as required. Maazel conducts an exciting performance (even playing the solo violin in the Meditation himself) and the sound is excellent. The Fleming/Hampson set is beautifully sung, but I feel the drama of the story is not fully realized somehow - hard to put my finger on what's missing there. This Thais is one of my favorite French opera recordings - recommended highly.

AN UNDER-APPRECIATED GEM.......2004-12-03

Late 19th-century French opera is often disparaged these days, which isn't really fair. Delibes had some beautiful melodies, and Massenet was a much better composer than many give him credit for. And although "Manon" and "Werther" may be more famous, to me, his late opera "Thais" is his masterpiece. There are three major recordings of this opera, one with Anna Moffo, Gabriel Bacquier and Jose Carreras, a recent one with Renee Fleming, Thomas Hampson and Giuseppe Sabattini, and this 1976 recording with Beverly Sills, Sherill Milnes, and Nicolai Gedda. All three versions have their strengths and weaknesses. The Moffo/Bacquier vesion, although excellent and showing Carreras in his prime, is unavailable. (I'm not sure it was ever issued in CD.) The Fleming/Hampson recording is also excellent--Fleming has a gorgeous and luscious voice, and Hampson a silky smooth baritone--but I find myself reaching for the Sills/Milnes version most often.
Sills was past her prime when she recorded this, and her high notes are a little thin and sometimes wobbly. Nevertheless, her artistry is so great that she infuses the role of the courtesan with the tremendous drama the role requires. Thais' radical change of character, from the insouciant hedonist to the redeemed penitent, is gloriously demonstrated in Sills' portrayal.
And this opera is as much about Athanael as it is Thais. Milnes, at the height of his career when he recorded this in 1976, brings tremendous power and vitality to the role of the priest, whose reverse progression from moralistic religious surety to tortured doubt parallels that of Thais, the object of his forbidden love. Nicolai Gedda's singing is, as always, stylish and graceful, and Loren Maazel's reading of the score is well paced and forceful. This recording belongs in all opera collections.

A fad.......2004-05-21

This Thais is ruined by Sills. Buy Renee Fleming's Thais instead. She has the big voice, the looks and the talent. Sills didn't, all she can do is make my ears bleed. Shame on that shrieker!

Lovely but too late.......2004-02-24

I have a live-recording with Sills which is MUCH better. Sills was always at her best live on stage. For studio-recordings get the Fleming-set or the sadly cut recording with the divine Renee Doria. (My favourite Thais)

Average customer rating:

Bizet: Carmen [Highlights] Manufacturer: Teldec ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00006I4AV Release Date: 2006-05-29

Average customer rating:

Emma Calvé Georges Bizet , Jules Massenet , Jacques Offenbach , Pietro Mascagni , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Anonymous , Charles Gounod , Felicien David , Vincenzo Bellini , Ludwig van Beethoven , Benjamin Godard , Jean-Baptiste Lully , Salvator Rosa , Joaquin Valverde , Spanish Traditional , Stephen Foster , Michael Bland , Thurlow Weed Lieurance , Burnham , Ambroise Thomas , Isadore de Lara , John Stafford Smith , Reynaldo Hahn , Victor Masse , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Louis Herold , and Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber Manufacturer: Marston ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Godard, Benjamin | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Lully | Lully, Jean-Baptiste | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Smith, John Stafford | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sacred & Religious | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | 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 Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000DLYF Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

1. Carmen: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
2. Magali
3. Enchantement
4. Ser De Zanetto (Ser Du Passant)
5. Carmen: Pres Des Remparts (Seguedille)
6. Carmen: Pres Des Remparts (Seguedille)
7. Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi Lo Sapete
8. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Mon Coeur Soupire (Voi Che Sapete)
9. Carmen: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
10. Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi Lo Sapete (Romance De Santuzza)
11. Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle)
12. Carmen: Les Tringles Des Sistres (Chanson Boheme)
13. Carmen: En Vain Pour Eviter (Air Des Cartes)
14. Celebre Ser
15. La Perle Du Bresil: Charmant Oiseau
16. Norma: Casta Diva
17. In Questa Tomba Oscura
18. La Perichole: O Mon Cher Amant (Air De La Lettre)
19. La Vivandiere: Viens Avec Nous, Petit
20. Sapho: Pendant Un An Je Fus Ta Femme
21. Amadis De Gaule: Amour, Que Veux-Tu De Moi?
22. Quand On Aime
23. Clavelitos
24. Barcarolle

Tracks:

1. Coplas Andaluz
2. Old Folks At Home
3. Dixie Land
4. By The Waters Of Minnetonka
5. Mary Rose
6. Comin' Thro' The Rye
7. Ma Voisine
8. Le Rondel De L'adieu
9. The Star-Spangled Banner
10. L'Heure Exquise
11. Dernier Voeu
12. Faust: Est-Ce Toi, Marguerite (Excerpt From Jewel Song)
13. Anges Purs, (Excerpt From Trio And Apotheosis, Act V) - Emma Calve/Andreas Dippel/Marcel Journet
14. Carmen: Quand Tu Verras (Excerpt From Finale, Act II) - Emma Calve/Marguerite Marilly/Thomas Salignac/Albert Reiss/Charles Gilibert
15. Cavalleria Rusticana: [Batti] Mi, Insultami (Excerpt From Santuzza-Turiddu Duet) - Emma Calve/Carrie Bridewell/Emilio De Marchi
16. Cavalleria Rusticana: Ah! No! Turiddu (Excerpt From Santuzza-Turiddu Duet) - Emma Calve/Emilio De Marchi/Giuseppe Campanari
17. Carmen: Prends Garde A Toi (Excerpt Form Habenera)
18. Sapho: Pendant Un An Je Fus Ta Femme - Cecile Merguillier
19. Galathee: Quelle Couleur! C'est Blonde Et Vermeille (Air De La Coupe) - Cecile Merguillier
20. Le Pardon De Ploemel: Ombre Legere - Cecile Merguillier
21. Pre Aux Clercs: Souvenirs De Mon Enfance - Cecile Merguillier
22. Le Domino Noir: Qui Je Suis?... Une Fee, Un Bon Ange - Cecile Merguillier
23. Manon: Adieu, Notre Petite Table - Cecile Merguillier
24. Hamlet: Pale Et Blonde Dort Sous L'eau Profonde - Cecile Merguillier
25. Manon: Ecoute-moi... N'est-ce Plus Ma Main (Scene De La Seduction) - Cecile Merguillier
26. Galathee: Quelle Couleur! C'est Blonde Et Vermeille (Air De La Coupe) - Cecile Merguillier
27. Mignon: Je Suis Titania (Polonaise) - Cecile Merguillier
28. Mireille: Heureux Petit Berger - Cecile Merguillier
29. Philemon Et Baucis: Ah! Si Redevenais Belle (Romance) - Cecile Merguillier
30. Philemon Et Baucis: O Riante Nature (Air) - Cecile Merguillier
31. Romeo Et Juliette: Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve (Valse) - Cecile Merguillier
32. Mireille: O Magali, Ma Bien-Amiee - Cecile Merguillier/Monsieur Gluck

Average customer rating: One of the best

Classique Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Granados, Enrique | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tarrega | Tarrega, Francisco | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | 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 Greece | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Imports | Stores | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000084EF Release Date: 1999-04-15

Tracks:

1. Franz
2. Qual Cor Tradisti
3. Andaluza
4. Adagio
5. Romance
6. Gloria Eterna
7. Aranjuez Mon Amour
8. Voi Che Sapete
9. Habanera
10. Te Chante Avec Toi Libert
11. Una Furtiva Lagrima
12. Mon Dieu
13. Serenade
14. Plasir d'Amour
15. Casta Diva
16. Der Lindenbaum
17. Recuerdos de la Alhambra
18. Ave Maria

Album Details

L'original Album. Reissue of the Classic Album.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best.......2003-10-17

Most surprising for any CD/Album every song is a familiar classic and I like each song. Her voice is superb and magnificent and touches and revives many senses and emotions.

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