Di Oro

1. Béléza Négra

2. Nha Manèra

3. Terra Crêtcheu

4. Cé Là Vida

5. Assim Não

6. Nila

7. Junta Ma Nos

8. Da-Li, Da-Là

9. Pãe Di Oro

Di Oro,Boy Ge Mendes & Manu Lima,Lusafrica,Afro-Pop,Int'l & World Music,Pop

Average customer rating: A primadonna showpiece of dubious style Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR Believe the Hype

Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Massenet: Manon Donizetti - Three Queens (Anna Bolena ~ Maria Stuarda ~ Roberto Devereux) ASIN: B00005Y84R Release Date: 2001-02-27

Customer Reviews:

A primadonna showpiece of dubious style.......2007-02-26

I've been fascinated by this 1969 production since I read an interview of the great Renata Tebaldi who performed the opera early in her career and who basically dismissed the way Rossini's music was performed in this Scala production. She claimed that by the time he wrote it, Rossini wanted to move away from florid music. Initially I thought Tebaldi was excusing herself for not performing the florid music but a little bit of research proved me wrong.

The great reviewer L.E. Cantrel below touched on this and his instincts were right but it isn't only the excessive ornamentation that is out of place here. The role of Pamyra is in the same group as Matilde in Gulielmo Tell and obviously Anna in Maometto. As such, the tessitura very much lies in the middle of the voice requiring anything but a high coloratura. Secondly, Assedio did not originally have a contralto but a tenor role because Rossini knew that in France, where he first presented Siege, they did not like women in male roles. The music he wrote for his tenor, unlike the trouser Calbo in Maometto, was not very ornamented.

When Schippers decided to have a contralto as Neocle in Assedio (and none other than Marilyn Horne) he also had to bring back the music from Maometto otherwise Horne would be useless. With Sills regular upward transpositions, a borrowed aria from an early Rossini opera and interpolated high notes solved the problem of Pamyra's tessitura and pleased the crowd who after all didn't know much about this obscure work.

What came out was spectacular singing by both ladies who without a doubt sieged La Scala. Rossini's intentions were of course dismissed and this ends up sounding more like most of his very florid early works without the more sophisticated style that is still preserved in Gulielmo Tell. I'm not dismissing his early works but it is nice to see a different side of him which this recording however doesn't offer us. The sound is adequate and the supporting cast good with promising beginners. For Sills, Horne and all coloratura fans it's a must but for Rossini studies you should look further as it doesn't deserve the 4 stars I gave for the singing..:-)

Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded.......2006-07-10

I bought this after reading all the superlatives lavished on this recording, and yes, they are correct. But while it is all extremely exciting and virtuosic, it is also very beautiful. This opera contains some wonderfully melancholic music by rossini and sills magically spins the lines, creating a chilling atmosphere, much as she does with the opening scena of Lucia. It is also interesting to hear here live because she really was a daredevil and goes for all the notes and trills that one wishes many other sopranos would try for also. She is not always successful as can be heard at the end of the first ensemble where she goes for a high 'e' but sort of just squeels. Also, it's interesting to note the size of her voice in comparison to her colleagues. It can be heard quite well on its own, but when she sings with others, such as horne, one can really tell that Sills' voice is really lacking in size. Anyways, the sound is what you would expect from D'oro, though I thought it would be a little better because it was recorded in 1969. Alas, it should have been done in the studio!

Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound.......2006-01-07

Source: Live performance at La Scala in Milan, April 14, 1969.

Sound: Not very good, no better than fair--and that is a very generous assessment. Rest assured, anyone who buys this set must do it for the performance, not for the sound reproduction.

From the applause heard so close to the microphone pick-up, it is clear that this set was recorded from the audience. Since the orchestra and voices are in fairly good balance--or at least, not in as bad balance as found on many pirate recordings--and the cheering from the audience in the cheap seats is rather distant, my guess is that the pirate-recordist was sitting on the main floor, but away from the stage, well toward the back of the house. His or her recording equipment was far from state-of-the-art for 1969.

Cast: Pamira - Beverly Sills; Neocle - Marilyn Horne; Cleomene - Franco Bonisolli; Maometto II - Justino Diaz; Jero - Paulo Washington; Omar - Gianni Foiani; Ismene - Milna Paoli; Adrasto - Piero Di Palma. Conductor: Thomas Schippers with the Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan.

Text: This is one of those operas that offers--or rather suffers from--a multiplicity of texts. In Rossini's time, the best way for a worldly young composer (of which Rossini was a sterling example) to make pots of money was to write operas. Operas were commissioned by impresarios for performance during a specific season for a specific theater. After that, any scoundrel who could get his hands on the score or a reasonable facsimile thereof, could offer the piece as he saw fit--and Rossini (or Bellini or Donizetti) could whistle for his money. Only the presence of the composer on the spot to oversee an authentic performance was likely to guarantee that any money would find its way into his pockets.

In 1820, Rossini delivered this opera as "Maometto II." It came with a tragic conclusion. Two years later, he obtained another payday, but at a less sophisticated theater whose impresario demanded a happy ending. Rossini dutifully delivered one. Some years after that, Rossini hit the jackpot by receiving an invitation to present his opera in Paris, at the richest opera house in the world. The French, of course, fancied themselves as more cultivated than the over-emotional Italians. They certainly regarded Italianate vocal fireworks as more than a bit uncouth, so they demanded more sedate and dignified vocal lines as well as translation into their own language. Since the cause of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire had become fashionable, they also demanded a change in plot: the opera would no longer sing the tale of the overwhelming of Negroponte, an Italian military colony; now it would be about the fall of Corinth, a suitably Greek town. Rossini gave them everything they wanted with the renamed "Le siege de Corinthe," then happily counted his money.

The revised opera was a hit in Paris. Back in Italy, French success acted as good advertising for local performances, so enterprising gentlemen translated the new French libretto into Italian as "L'assedio di Corinto," and tossed in whichever snippets of Rossini's music came to hand, even as they absent-mindedly neglected to send any money in Rossini's way.

And it has now come to pass that Amazon offers "Maometto II"--in both the 1820 and the 1822 versions, "Le siege de Corinthe" and "L'assedio di Corinto," the last in versions that reflect both Rossini's Frenchified approach and the uncorseted, unabashedly Italianate form under consideration in this review.

Documentation: Typical anemic Opera d'Oro package. No libretto. A few hundred words on the background of the opera. A few hundred words summarizing the plot. Track list.

Performance: An Amazon reviewer writing back in 2003 had this to say: "This is absolutely the most spectacular coloratura singing ever done by Beverly Sills. It's her debut at La Scala and it was a triumph." I quite agree, both about the singing and the triumph. I further affirm that the singing of Marilyn Horne is equally impressive, and in no way overshadowed by Sills. On the basis of those two tremendous performances, I have no qualms about endorsing the five-star ratings assigned by eleven of the thirteen previous reviewers.

But ... I can't help remembering a story about Rossini that is so well-documented and so widely spread that it might even be true. In his old age, the grand old man lived in Paris, self-acknowledged center of all the universe. A young, up-and-coming singer of fabulous potential--she might have been Adelina Patti--was presented to him. She sang "Una voce poco fa" from "The Barber of Seville," putting into it every trill, high note and spectacular decoration of which she was capable, all in the hope of impressing the great composer. When she was finished, Rossini smiled, applauded politely and said, "That was a nice tune. Who wrote it?"

I have no close familiarity with this score. I am satisfied to take the assurance of earlier reviewers that Sills, like Patti before her, tossed in astonishing high notes, glistening coloratura passages, exquisite trills and probably a kitchen sink or two. It was perfectly proper that she do so, for opera is show biz written large, and a large part, perhaps most, of the audience comes to hear just that sort of stunt singing. They generously award their bravissimas for it, and they depart the opera house warmly content in the knowledge that they have received good value for the outrageous prices of their tickets. After they leave, only curmudgeons like me and Rossini are left to mutter, "That was nice. Who wrote it?"

The rest of the performance is all right. Justino Diaz was a good, reliable singer but not, I think, on anyone's A-list of great bass-baritones. Franco Bonisolli could sometimes be a fine, stirring tenor. Cleomene is not one of his signature roles. Schippers and the orchestra seem to be OK, but the recording quality does them no favors.

HISTORICAL NOTE: In 1453, Sultan Mehmet (Mohammed II or Maometto II) captured Constantinople to the enormous dismay of Christendom. When the torn corpse of Constantine XI was brought before him, having been found among the piled bodies of Constantinople's final defenders and identified by the golden eagles sewn upon his shoes, the great sultan gave the last of the Byzantine emperors an honorable burial. Mehmet then divided the churches of the City equally between the victorious Moslems and his new Christian subjects and, from the very throne of the Roman Caesars, returned the pastoral staff to Patriarch Gennadius.

Mehmet busied himself with restoring, improving and re-populating the former Constantinople, now Istanbul [from the ubiquitous road signs, "eis ton polis" (to the city)]. For years he disdained to take notice of the mini-"empires" established in Greece by the tag ends of old Byzantine dynasties. In 1469, however, he wearied of the endless civil wars among the Greek dynasts. Leading a small but sufficient fraction of his total forces, the Sultan simply rolled over their strongholds, one of which was Corinth. Those of the would-be emperors that he captured he pensioned off, then sent them into exile in Rumania. Those who managed to escape to Italy and elsewhere busied themselves for the remainder of their squalid lives by selling off claims to the imperial title to any western prince foolish enough to pay them.

The mighty conqueror, Mehmet, continued to scare the bejabbers out of the princes and prelates of Europe until, to their vast relief, he died in 1481.

UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR.......2005-06-29

Singing like this - I did not think it possible. This must be the best performace with Beverly Sills ever recorded and one of the best in the history of recording!

Believe the Hype.......2005-04-04

I'm not big on live recordings, but this is one of such historical significance that I figured I had to have it. And I was curious. Could Sills really be as marvelous as legend and the other Amazon reviews have said? Well, yes...and then some. OK, she hits one clinker somewhere on the first disc (nobody's perfect), but this is a truly goosebump-inducing performance. Now I get why Sills became the mega-star she did. And the supporting cast (Diaz & Horne in particular) are just as good. Electrifying from start to finish, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of 20th century operatic performance -- and those who just want to wallow in thrilling music and splendid singing.

Average customer rating: Mostly nice selections sung well Painful introduction to Salieri Bartoli- The Most Important Voice of Our Age Genius! Sheer genius! A revelation!

Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album Antonio Salieri , Adam Fishcer , and Cecilia Bartoli Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Salieri | Salieri, Antonio | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Bartoli, Cecilia | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works Featuring Bartoli | Bartoli, Cecilia | A to B | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs ASIN: B0000A01J6 Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com

Antonio Salieri is, unfortunately, best known as Mozart's great Viennese rival. Some of his work has appeared on recordings, and he was clearly an interesting composer of well-crafted, entertaining music. But now that a singer with the stature and prodigious gifts of Cecilia Bartoli has undertaken an entire CD of his opera arias, he may just become a quasi-household name. Here he proves himself a composer who wrote for virtuosos; Bartoli is nothing if not a vituoso. And, indeed, this CD opens with an impressive bang: An aria from La secchia rapita features a wild vocal line complete with wild coloratura, huge leaps, a range from low G to high D flat (Bartoli flirts more and more with the soprano range while using her chest register even more forcefully!), and vast dynamic changes accompanied by a full orchestra augmented with grand, martial trumpets. Other arias--one from Palmira, Regina di Persia, for example--are more introspective and are spun out with a graceful, seamless legato and seemingly endless pianissimo. Everything one loves about Bartoli is here: the intensity, absolute fluidity in execution, breath control, glorious trill, the ability to whisper or holler, and an identification with the character she's portraying which makes the situation credible and involving for the listener. At the same time, we can't overlook a tendency to overstatement and exaggeration and a breathiness to some of the delivery which can be an annoying mannerism. But where else can one get such excitement and commitment coupled with an irresistible charm in a singer so clearly at her peak? Most/all of the arias and operas here are virtually unknown; this CD whets our appetites for more Salieri. The accompaniments are as superbly thought-out and played as one would hope for--the wacky pizzicato strings and solo wind and brass lines in an aria from La Cifra, for instance, will delight. Bartoli fans and fans of great singing should not wait another moment before ordering this. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mostly nice selections sung well.......2007-03-07

This CD features many delightful selections of Salieri's music, expertly performed by Ms. Bartoli and by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Anyone who likes Bartoli, and most people (non-experts) who like Mozart, would enjoy this album. The slower pieces, such as "Ah sia gia" and "Lungi da te" are especially beautiful.

That said, some of the selections seem to drag on (Salieri's fault). After a while listening, one just gets the feeling that "Vi sono sposa e amante" should have ended already, and the same goes for "Sulle mie tempie."

Painful introduction to Salieri.......2006-10-27

Ms. Bartoli is one of the great mezzos of our recent era, and her voice used to delight me, especially in the repertoire of Rossini, Mozart, & Handel sung by other great mezzos like Teresa Berganza.
Unfortunately, the voice that used to move so smoothly and accurately through florid passages is entirely absent here, and I have no explanation or understanding for the fervent praise bestowed upon this CD by others.
It is, in short, a travesty.
Bartoli emits the most painful and harsh pecking sounds......listening to just ONE of the tracks all the way through is a test of willpower and endurance! Granted, as someone else pointed out, these Salieri pieces are not an ideal choice for Bartoli, which explains some of the discomfort, but there is no way to excuse the vocalization that permeates the entire disc.
Sadly, this is a recording that should never have been released, and is a mockery of what the bel canto voice used to be.

Bartoli- The Most Important Voice of Our Age.......2006-02-27

Cecilia Bartoli is not only noteworthy for her unique voice, but for her contributions to musical study. She seems to be effectively and singlehandedly changing the face of how we approach music history with her recordings. This is why this recording is important.

She has been recording rare arias from operas which have dropped out of common repetoire for centuries. She has unearthed forgotten operas of great musical innovators such as Glueck and Vivaldi, and now Salieri. And due to what she achieves here, I will happily put "Salieri Album" in a rank next to my most prized Mozart records.

It seems as though Mozart dominates today's ouvre as the sole Classical Period composer of opera, but it was composers like Vincente Martin y Soler and Antonio Salieri who dominated the scene. Salieri was also just as innovative as Mozart. Works such as the overture to "Cesare in Farmacusa" harbor proto-Beethovenian storms, while his opera "Axur," in it's ahead-of-its-time construction, look foreward to the music-dramas of Wagner. These days, we look mainly at Mozart and his Donna Anna or Queen of the Night as THE voices of the Classical Period, but when you consider the bigger picture, Salieri's heroines, especially those the Cecilia Bartoli electrifyingly portrays on this record, equate or exceed what we might hear from Mozart in technical demand and overall beauty (Take for example the first track on this record).

With Cecilia Bartoli, opera is never boring. Some might thing she overacts, but is opera not essentially a fusion of music and drama? In this respect, Signora Bartoli is the perfect voice to define our generation, a generation which is looking to expand its musical horizons by exploring operas of more obscure composers. It is a relief that she knows how to bring her roles to LIFE. This is why her mission to revive these works has been so succesful. She has people interested.

As for the composer himself, Salieri was without a doubt, the most influential on the upcoming Romantic Period, even more so than Mozart. Notable names who had their musical education nurtured under Salieri's wing include Schubert, Weber, Beethoven, Mozart's son Franz Xaver, and even Liszt. It really is unfortunate that Pushkin and Peter Shaffer have pinned against Mozart, a composer who Salieri admired and had good relations with, according to letters.

The recording quality is excellent, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment compliments Bartoli's voice perfectly. Adam Fisher, furthermore, has a difficult task since much of this recording is world-premiere material. However, he presents the material as vividly as though they have never left the repetoire.

Buy this recording. I believe Signora Bartoli has set out on something great, and "Salieri Album" will have a ripple effect in the music world. I love this release.

Genius! Sheer genius!.......2005-12-19

Cecilia Bartoli is known for recording unfamiliar music. Here she recorded arias by Mozart's great rival Salieri and how beautifully she does it. She finds the right colours for every single piece, combined with her brilliant technique you get a feast of tasteful singing that will take your breath away! Buy it!

A revelation!.......2005-04-05

I came rather late to this CD. Am I the only one who saw "Amadeus" and came out wanting to hear more of the music of Salieri?

Ms Bartoli brings a her wonderful skills to the recording of some feriously difficult arias and proves up to the task. I know that some people have commented on flaws in her singing or the recording but the the joy of the album is the journey of discovery....each track is an adventure and a revelation.

A revelation of two great musical talents in top form ..Bartoli and Salieri.

Salieri's music is technically sophisticated and he wrote some truly glorious music for the female voice.

I can only recommend this to any lover of music.

Average customer rating: A Great Introduction to Opera Excellent Potpourri

Opera Obsession! - Opera d'Oro's Greatest Hits Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Boito, Arrigo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | 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 General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Opera Obsession Act II Opera Obsession! Act III The Most Famous Opera Arias The Best of Italian Opera The Most Famous Opera Duets ASIN: B000062Y9J Release Date: 2002-03-05

Customer Reviews:

A Great Introduction to Opera.......2004-11-28

This CD serves as a great beginner's guide to opera. there is plenty to choose from on this CD. Placido Domingo starts off the CD with his trademark "Celeste Aida." Next, Alfredo Kraus and Giuseppe Taddei sing "Au fond du temple saint," in Italian instead of French. Renata Tebaldi follows in "Ebben? ne andro lontana." You can't have a opera CD without Luciano Pavarotti, and you get him in "Io son sol...Ah dispar, vision!" from Manon. A great trio from La fille du regiment, "Il faut partir" follows, starring Beverly Sills, Fernando Corena, and Grayson Hirst. Jose Carreras and Renata Scotto follow in the Brindisi from La Traviata. Montserrat Caballe graces the #7 spot in "Oh nube! che lieve" from Maria Stuarda. Franco Corelli is excellent is "Nessun dorma" from Turandot. Alfredo Kraus returns again in "Dalla sua pace" from Don Giovanni. This is one of my favorite arias on the CD. Carlo Bergonzi follows in "Die campi, dai prati" from Mefistofele. Franco Corelli follows in the role he was made for: Manrico's "Di quella pira" from Il Trovatore. Montserrat Caballe and Siegmund Nimsgern sing in one of the only German arias on the CD: "Und du wurst mein..." from Arabella. Gundula Janowitz sings in "Dich teure Halle," the other German aria on this CD. I can't believe Nicolai Gedda isn't on this CD more than once. He sings "Merci, doux crepuscule" from La damnation de Faust. Mirella Freni comes next in "Si. Mi chiamano Mimi" from La Boheme. My favorite tenor, Giuseppe di Stefano comes in the next two clips: "E lucevan la stelle" from Tosca, and, with Maria Callas, "E il sol dell'anima" from Rigoletto. How can this great recording end? With Pavarotti in "Tu che a Dio" from Lucia di Lammermoor of course.

Excellent Potpourri.......2004-09-12

Do not be misled by the incredibly low price on this album; the recording quality is quite good. I would have liked more information in the liner notes (especially the year of the performance), but that is a minor quibble when compared to hearing some of the best opera stars of the last century for less than a matinee movie ticket.

So, indulge and enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Buenos Aires Madrigal: Argentine Tangos & 17th Cent. Italian Madrigals La Chimera Manufacturer: M.a. Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Marenzio | Marenzio, Luca | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Piazzolla, Astor | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Argentina | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Mexico | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Tango | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: La Segunda ASIN: B0001K63R8 Release Date: 2004-05-25

Average customer rating: All hail to Callas the greatest Lucia of them all Unforgettable live Lucia in nice sound The best Lucia ever! Lucky Mexico City The only Lucia!!!!!!!

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lucia Di Lammermoor Rossini: Armida Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) EMI's Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin Verdi: La Traviata Maria Callas ~ Cherbini - Medea [selection] ASIN: B00003Q5B4 Release Date: 2000-01-11

Customer Reviews:

All hail to Callas the greatest Lucia of them all.......2005-05-05

I have listened to many versions of Lucia di Lammermoor (including non Callas performances) and Callas still delivers the best performance for the role of Lucia. This 1952 version shows the la Divina in top of her prime. Hearing that flat e rising just makes me thank God for giving Callas to the world. The only thing I do not like in this cd package is that there is no Lyric sheet. As a non italian this is important for me. Its a good thing I have all the versions of Lucia di Lammermoor of Callas . Both EMI complete versions offer the lyric sheet.
But despite this fact one should never let this version pass.

Unforgettable live Lucia in nice sound.......2004-10-04

On this page you can download two nice tracks to see if the sound-quality is good enough for you, I suggest to listen to those first. ;-) In any case this Lucia from 1952 marks the rebirth of Lucia as redeemed from chirpers like Pons and Robin who had turned it into a "Listen to my hiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh notes" fest. Lucia being a DARK and dramatic character despite her innocence and her really over the top naiveté it's a character that fits Callas like a glove. Her "Regnava nel silenzio" tears off all facades of Lucia's character, here her weak mental health is clearly shown and how Callas sings it and the cabaletta afterwards! Incredible colours in the cantabile, amazing fireworks and acuti in the cabaletta. The dialogue with Enrico is spine-chilling, the madscene unsurpassable in its vocal magnitude, virtuosic bel canto and colours. To see how BEAUTIFUL young Callas could sound listen to her singing "Verranno a te..." with di Stefano as Edgardo. This Lucia is the best ever made available. Do not miss it at all costs!!!!

The best Lucia ever!.......2004-05-11

This one beats all the other "famous" Lucias easily. A live-recording of incredible magnitude! Brava La Divina!

Lucky Mexico City.......2004-04-15

Even this early in Callas' career she new what the music was about. Listen to the endless coloration in the act two scene one duet with Lucia's brother. This performance on a whole is very provincial and very exciting. It is hard to listen to others who have recorded this opera. You can listen to this Lucia a hundred times and still find something new. di Stefano too makes other tenors who sang this role sound boring. What passion, what opera!

The only Lucia!!!!!!!.......2004-03-11

I got this Lucia yesterday! Finally!!!!!! After this magnificent Lucia I cannot listen to any other Lucia anymore, not even Sutherland! I'm a new Callas-Fan! So glad I bought this! Finally I understood why all opera-experts adore this woman!

Average customer rating:

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Puccini: Turandot (Complete Opera) Maria Callas; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: Eugenio Fernandi; Tullio Serafin Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Anna Moffo, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria, Teatro alla Scala, Serafin ASIN: B000EQ5PW8 Release Date: 2006-04-11

Album Description

"If I could own but a single Callas set it would be this one!" - John Ardoin, Callas biographer. "By common consent, this is about the best performance of Callas' Lucia recorded live or in the studio...I (like John Ardoin) might well choose this one to take to a desert island." -ALAN BLYTH

"Callas brings a passion and intimacy to the role that no toehr soprano [in the last] century has equalled...Karajan creates ideal support for Callas's blinding performance." -ROUGH GUIDE TO OPERA

Live performance, Berlin, September 29, 1955.

Average customer rating: Tebaldi/Di Stefano Shine

Giordano: Fedora Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Otello ASIN: B000055X2I Release Date: 2001-02-06

Customer Reviews:

Tebaldi/Di Stefano Shine.......2001-02-18

This is probably one of the MOST pirated recordings by Renata Tebaldi. First of all, because she NEVER recorded the role, second because of the tremendous work by Di Stefano.THIS time, the performance is remastered from the ORIGINAL tapes, not from an LP. FORGET those other CD editions of this, GRAB this one!! Basile's conducting is superb, and this opera has many fascinating musical moments, it's no wonder so many wish Renata had recorded this role. This is the ONLY extant recording of Tebaldi in this role, at least until, or if, the Chicago performances with Bjorling ever surface. Do yourself a favor, get this.

Average customer rating: Nearly chaotic, as Ardoin described it Callas' miraculous Elvira

Bellini: I Puritani Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B00004SU8V Release Date: 2000-05-30

Customer Reviews:

Nearly chaotic, as Ardoin described it.......2005-05-30

It sometimes makes one wonder if the people who've reviewed a certain item, have ever actually listened to it.

The Callas "vedovi" take it on me simply because I point out the flaws but hey, John Ardoin, a quite serious Callas admirer but knowledgeable enough to hear the problems, called this performance chaotic! I just happen to agree.

Elvira, as heard on the Fonit Cetra and EMI studio recording is one of my favourite Callas roles. She made me sob with her first recording of Qui la voce. In Mexico however apart from some lovely moments, she fails to convince. I've been told that the Mexico performances were under rehearsed and judging from this and her Rigoletto, which is another all-over-the-place performance, I'm sure it's true. Picco in this case is also to blame for his support is far from ideal. Although struggling to lighten the voice throughout the performance, Callas sang many great top notes. The E-flat at the end of an otherwise touching mad scene however turns unruly as if she didn't know what she was doing.

Di Stefano is in fine voice and sings with ardour. His voice in "a te o cara" as on the EMI recording shines. He and Callas however fail to impress in the third act duets, which sound rather routine. The rest of the cast is inadequate and forgettable. Under these circumstances, this is hardly a recommendable Puritani, particularly when the EMI recording with the excellent Serafin has Callas, Di Stefano in better shape with a good supporting cast is available. Sutherland's second studio is still the all-around most recommendable recording for its sound, complete score and outstanding cast while any Devia Elvira will give you probably the most Bellinian singing ever.

In terms of sound by the way, the new archipel release offers probably the best.

Callas' miraculous Elvira.......2004-02-23

Callas once performed a true vocal miracle: She sang Wagner's Brünnhilde and Bellini's Elvira in the same week! That's like letting Nilsson do Elvira and Sills Brünnhilde!!!! Impossible? Callas made it possible and conquered the world of opera! This is one of those recordings where Callas was caught in her fullest prime, the time where she was a true assoluta. This word fits no other soprano because neither Sills nor Sutherland nor anyone could do Puritani AND Walküre. She has brilliant moments, INCREDIBLE Ds, Es and more! Glittering coloratura, powerful drama! Not even the most fanatic Callas-basher will find a mistake in her singing here. And this recording also destroys the stupid prejudice that Callas was fine for the drama and not the technique. Her high notes, the burning, exquisite coloratura and the haunting pathos of "Qui la voce sua suave" where she alone brings out the madness, tragedy and the fear of this precious woman rank this as THE "I Puritani". Di Stefano sounds better than on the studio-recording he and Callas did later and is a real opponent for Pavarotti. Picco's conducting is fine, the sound-quality is great for a live-broadcast. The audience adores them. And so will you!

Average customer rating: Tuccissima! A Recognition of a Great Interpretation! Excellent An Excellent Il Trovatore Our Amazing Stars in Moscow

Verdi: Il Trovatore Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Giordano: Andrea Chénier Verdi: Il Trovatore Verdi: La Traviata Wagner: Tannhauser - Bayreuther Festspiele/Giuseppe Sinopoli ASIN: B000000UO0 Release Date: 1997-09-16

Amazon.com

Here is a live performance from Moscow, with the La Scala forces, taped in 1964. Gabriella Tucci, a fine singer who was only lacking the individual timbre needed for stardom, is an excellent Leonora, and Carlo Bergonzi is among the most elegant and stirring Manricos on disc. Giulietta Simionato, nearing the end of her career, sings with great passion as the crazy Azucena, and Piero Cappuccilli delivers a big Count de Luna. Gianandrea Gavazzeni, an old hand obviously trying to impress those cold-war Russkies, pulls out all the stops, along with his cast. This one is near the top of the list. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Tuccissima! A Recognition of a Great Interpretation!.......2005-03-02

La Mia Tuccissima! Gabriella Tucci IS Leonora. Only with her do I feel the hectic torture that this woman endures, the pain of not knowing, the agony of love gone astray, the confusion of complex feelings and the joy of the brief happy yet fleeting moments. Tucci portrays the kind of mercurial agony that all the characters, except perhaps Azucena whose suffering is life long, experience. She accomplishes this through superb vocalism (that is very much on a par with any Verdi soprano) and emotional insight. Never is she too intense, haughty, or too flighty. There is perfect balance and in this way she surpasses other interpretations. For example, the closing phrase of "D'amor sull'ali rosee" the final cadenza is on the word "le pene" (pain)which Verdi wrote in an awkward shifting up and down motion descending, which suggests a kind of mental collapse. Tucci gives it an amazing speed and tortured quality which causes the audience to gasp. Other sopranos slow it down and apply portamenti and so on....lovely?....perhaps yes!....dramatically effective....not really! Tucci understands that Leonora is slightly touched......a little crazy.

As for her voice, it is very distinctive. It seems to possess extreme qualities simultaneously ice cold/hot metal .....hard to explain. Her style is excellent and her heart is warm!

This is a great Trovatore overall! I have heard many live recordings and few sopranos drive audiences to the point of frenzy that Tucci does! Thats all that matters in the end!

Excellent.......2004-12-05

Firstly, for a live recording, I have to say the sound it top notch! This is really a wonderful recording, and it does reflect the practices of the times (the Cabaletta after the famous Miseria for Leonora is cut, which was a common practice at the time, yet, a stupid one to me, for if the soprano can sing the coloratura's of the first act, she would have no worries in this aria, for it is far easier). What I find sad is that these great singers recorded so little together. Each recorded some on their own, and with other singers, but they work so well together. Tucci sings a wonderful Leonora, and she actually has a very beautiful trill. Some say her voice just wasn't individual enough to make her a star. I find her voice very individual, and I find I have no trouble instantly identifying her when I hear her sing, however, she does remind one of Stella a great deal. Bergonzi has always been a favorite Manrico, but not the only tenor I enjoy in the part (I love Corelli, Domingo, Di Stephano, del Monaco, and each for very unique reasons). He brings a very lyric quality to the role, one of a young lover, even if in the super dramatic moments there are others who really do a more compelling job. Cappuccilli is his "not-at-all-subltle" self (I don't think he ever sang a role without reminding you of a bull in a china shop, but no matter how loud and large he was in voice, it works here beautifully). However he works well with the other principles. Then there is the famous Simionato, and I have to say my most favorite Azucena ever. I wish she recorded the role with the high C that it contains, for she did sing it that way on occasion (but not often, as she really stuck more to performing practices of the day), yet, at this stage in her career, I am sure that note was beyond her. I think this is one of the only times (excepting a newer recording out with Pavarotti containing the Azucena of Verrot, and she is nearly her 70's when she made that recording) we actually hear the singer portraying the role who is close to the age of the role (we make that comment sometimes in regard to sopranos who are at last young enough to match the age of the heroine they are portraying, but we seldom think of it in terms of being old enough to reflect the age of the person they are portraying). Personally, no matter the actual shortcomings of Simionato in this role, I really think being the correct age for the gypsy mother only adds to the reality of the part. We are hearing an old wornout person who deeply reflects the distructive forces of a life filled with hate. Simionato's age works for her making this portayal very real, and very authentic to that sort of a person. It is very true that there are moments one is forced to listen to some real struggling to get out the music, but again, I don't see that as a draw back at all. It only makes her suffering all the more real, the pains of life actually gulping away her ability to speak. This is an electric Trovatore, and sadly, we NEVER see that in the theater today. The singers either have voices far too small for the roles, or are too intent on sounding pretty, and all the drama is lost.

An Excellent Il Trovatore.......2004-11-28

This recording of Il Trovatore is underappreciated. It features an all-star cast with an excellent conductor. Carlo Bergonzi is one of the best Manricos alive. He sings with dramatic intensity, which is relevant in his "Infida!" in Act I. Bergonzi's finest moment in the opera is his High Cs at the end of "Di quella pira." Gabriella Tucci is an under recorded opera star. Her Leonora is one of the best around today. Her vocal beauty is apparent in "Tacea la notte," and "Di tale amor." Piero Cappuccilli is one of my favorite baritones, so his presence on this CD influenced me to purchase it. His powerful baritone voice is perfect for Count di Luna. His "Il balen" is absoutely wonderful. Giulietta Simionato is THE Azucena. Her "Stride la vampa" is great, and her best moment. She sounds just like a crazy gypsy mother seeking revenge on the Count. The supporting singers ae also great. Ivo Vinco is a commanding Ferrando. Piero de Palma is one of my favorite "supporting singers", and is excellent as Ruiz. Conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni is a superb conductor, and pulls out everything he has to impress the Moscow audience.

Our Amazing Stars in Moscow.......1999-09-11

This recording is set in Moscow as La Scala's opera tour. For the names of the singers you may choice this set without any hesitation. Of couse, all the singers are pretty good. Although Simionato is already old, she sings still exactly. And Tucci is in her pick. She's cool! Cappuccilli is normal. But our Bergonzi is not so good at that time and "Di quella pira"is downed in a half-note. The reaction of Moscow's audience is very passionate. But remastering isn't a little satisfying. But I'd like to tell you, only if you love this opera, to buy this set.

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Rossini: L' Assedio di Corinto (Seige of Corinth) Complete Opera Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B00008FI2I Release Date: 1997-09-16

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