Sen [Import]

1. Zabij Swój Strach

2. Urodziny

3. Zart W Zoo

4. Tatuaz

5. Sen

6. Walczyk

7. Angel

8. Koziorozec

9. Wewnatrz

10. Move Over

11. Before You Came

12. Zanim Cos...

Sen,Edyta Bartosiewicz,Import [Generic],Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Int'l & World Music,Poland,Pop,Pop/Rock

Average customer rating: Excellent Worth the money Joe Hisaishi is excellent as always. Mark's Thoughts On: Spirted Away Spirited Away from what?

Spirited Away (Score) Joe Hisaishi Manufacturer: Milan Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Howl's Moving Castle Princess Mononoke: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture Spirited Away Princess Mononoke: Symphonic Suite Laputa: Castle in the Sky Soundtrack ASIN: B00006HCT7 Release Date: 2002-09-10

Tracks:

1. One Summer's Day
2. A Road To Somewhere
3. The Empty Restaurant
4. Nightime Coming
5. The Dragon Boy
6. Sootballs
7. Procession Of The Spirits
8. Yubaba
9. Bathhouse Morning
10. Day Of The River
11. It's Hard Work
12. The Stink Spirit
13. Sen's Courage
14. The Bottomless Pit
15. Kaonashi (No Face)
16. The Sixth Station
17. Yubaba's Panic
18. The House At Swamp Bottom
19. Reprise
20. The Return
21. Always With Me

Amazon.com

Despite an enthusiastic cult following, the talents of master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki have yet to gain the sort of mainstream acceptance regularly afforded American feature animation in the artist's own country. But Hollywood sponsorship of Princess Mononoke and this new Miyazaki anime masterpiece is an encouraging sign. To create the musical soundscape for his phantasmagorical adventure, the director has again tapped Mononoke composer and longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi, and the results are another distinctive triumph. Effortlessly blending ancient Japanese modalities and percussion with Westernized influences (pastoral string and piano flourishes, snarling brass, and gentle woodwinds), the composer evokes the gentle lyricism of Sakamoto in one movement, the pulse-quickening action and suspense of Williams the next. The collection ends on the warm note of Youmi Kimura's gentle, neo-baroque song "Always with Me." While American feature animation scores have frequently been preoccupied with pop star career burnishing, Hisaishi has again reinvented and refined an instrumental language that powerfully evokes all the magic of Miyazaki's fantastic images. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-03-11

I ordered this as the tune at the end of the film is haunting and stays with one all day. However, I find the music on the CD is more "Modern Classical" than I remember from the film. It could be rated on a par with John Williams or Karl Jenkins. Therefore all the more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Sound quality is a wee bit uneven as some tracks are quiet so turning up the sound for them, then makes it too loud for some of the other tacks. Its a CD that sits in a pile near my computer so that I can play it on my portable CD player when working on the computer and there's nothing of interest on the radio. Well worth the money and the trouble of ordering it from the USA as I don't think its available in Britain. Chris Walker

Worth the money.......2007-03-08

Joe Hisaishi is definitely one of the best composers of our time. Since all of his scores are for Japanese films, he doesn't get much exposure in the U.S. But his music ranks up there with the likes of Howard Shore, James Newton Howard, and even John Williams. Spirited Away is an incredible movie, and the soundtrack is absolutely perfect. I gave this album only four stars because I think Hisaishi's scores for Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke are even better (I gave them five stars -- a couple of the best film scores of all time). But this one is still worth your money. You'll enjoy it again and again.

Joe Hisaishi is excellent as always........2007-02-28

I've loved all of Joe Hisaishi's work, especially for the Miyazaki films. The music in Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle are masterful, but Spirited Away is my all time favorite of the bunch. Even my 11-year-old brother, who detests all music classical, loves this CD.

Mark's Thoughts On: Spirted Away.......2007-01-19

Once in a great while, I stumble across a story that into which I seek to immerse myself. When this happens, I hope to find a soundtrack that compliments the story. I must say that this soundtrack fullfilled that desire most adequately. Soft piano, "animated" woodwinds, at turns playful and somber. One need not watch the movie to pick up on the magic that is this wonderful film by Studio Ghibli ( but of course one should!); the music carries its own.

Spirited Away from what?.......2007-01-09

This CD is only music, no lyrics. Makes it kinda hard to enjoy the songs from the movie with my child.

Average customer rating: Monumental Recording Simply fantastic Marvellous fun and great singing Worth it! Gorgeous,but one tiny qualm !

Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD] Manufacturer: Virgin Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Biondi, Fabio | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Vivaldi: Orlando Furioso Lamento Vivaldi: Griselda Handel - Saul / Joshua · Bell · Zazzo · Ovenden · Saks · Slattery · RIAS Kammerchor · Concerto Köln · Jacobs ASIN: B00022LE38 Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

1. Allegro
2. Andante Molto
3. Allegro
4. Recitativo: Prence Lo So: Vi Devo
5. Aria: Del Destin Non Dee Lagnarsi
6. Recitativo: Non Si Perda Di Vista
7. Aria: Nasce Rosa Lusinghiera
8. Recitativo: Principe, Or Ora I Greci
9. Aria: In Si Torbida Procella
10. Recitativo: Il Tartaro Ama Asteria
11. Aria: Quel Ciglio Vezzosetto
12. Recitativo: Or Si, Fiero Destino
13. Aria: Vedeste Mai Sul Prato
14. Recitativo: Non Ascolto Piu Nulla
15. Aria: Amare Un'alma Ingrata
16. Recitativo: Cosi La Sposa Il Tamerlano Accoglie?
17. Aria: Qual Querriero In Campo Aramato
18. Recitativo: E Bella Irene
19. Aria: Non Ho Nel Sen Constanza
20. Recitativo: Amico, Tengo Un Testimon Fedele
21. Recitativo: Sarete Or Ostinato
22. Aria: Anche Il Mar par Che Sommerga
23. Recitativo: Gloria, Sdegno Ed Amore
24. Aria: Stringi Le Mie Catene

Tracks:

1. Recitativo: Ah, Disperato Andronico!
2. Aria: La Sorte Mia Spietata
3. Recitativo: Signor, Vergine Illustre
4. Aria: Cruda Sorte, Avverso Fato!
5. Recitativo: Senti, Chiunque Tu Sia
6. Aria: La Cervetta Timidetta
7. Recitativo: Gran Cose Espone Asteria
8. Aria: Sposa, Son Disprezzata
9. Recitativo: Dov'e Mia Figlia, Andronico?
10. Aria: Dov'e La Figla?
11. Recitativo: Asteria, Siamo Al Soglio ...
12. Quartetto: Si Crudel! Questo E L'amore
13. Recitativo: Figlia, Siam Rei
14. Aria: Veder Parmi, Or Che Nel Fondo
15. Recitativo: Andronico, Il Mio Amore
16. Aria: Barbaro Traditor
17. Recitativo: Lascero Di Regnare
18. Aria: Spesso Tra Vaghe Rose
19. Recitativo: Eccoti, Bajazette
20. Arioso: Verro Crudel, Spietato
21. Recitativo: Signor, Fra Tante Cure
22. Aria: Son Tortorella
23. Recitativo: Signore, Bajazette
24. Accompagnato: E Morto, Si, Tiranno
25. Aria: Svena, Uccidi, Abbatti, Atterra
26. Recitativo: Deh, Tu Cauto la Segui
27. Coro: Coronata Di Gigli E Rose

Amazon.com

This stunner of an opera involves the proud sultan Bajazet (bass) and his battle with his bloodthirsty rival-tyrant Tamerlane (counter-tenor). More than 50 operas were composed on the subject. Here Vivaldi has composed all the recitatives and marvelous arias for the dignified, fine characters and used arias by other composers--Hasse, Giacomelli, Carlo Broschi--for Tamerlano and the nasties. The music is energetic and virtuosic throughout. Fabio Biondi leads Europa Galante and soloists with urgent, theatrical precision, making the story come to life. The singing could not be better: Ildebrando d'Arcangelo is a remarkably sympathetic Bajazet, singing with fluency and power; David Daniels amazes as Tamerlano; Marijana Mijanovic sings the role of Asteria (Bajazet's daughter) with love and precision; and Viveca Genaux dazzles with her perfect coloratura as Irene. This is a treasure trove of singing, and a bonus DVD allows us to see/hear the performers in rehearsal. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Monumental Recording.......2007-03-14

From the same composer that
brought us "The four Seasons"
Antonio Vivaldi, comes this
'dramma per musica' it tells
us the story of Bajazet, a Turkish
leader who ruled vast portions of
the Ottoaman empire, and his defeat
by his great foe, Tamerlano(Timur Lenk).
In the past composers like Handel and
others had taken an interest in the story.
This is the World Premiere recording of
the work. Much musicological research was done
by conductor and violinist Fabio Biondi and others
to put together this monumental recording.As personally
for me this is the first complete opera that
I hear by Vivaldi. This opera comes with a
DVD that features all six soloists in an aria.
Europa Galante and Maestro Biondi do a wonderful
job, and the soloists are great. Wonderful work,
thank you Maestro Biondi...

Simply fantastic.......2007-02-28

This is one of the best recordings that I have bought recently. The entire opera is a treasure, and they couldn't have picked a better cast. Vivica Genaux, Elina Garanca, and David Daniels are especially strong, and Fabio Biondi's orchestra is always clean and polished. The recording quality is also top-notch. It's unlike me not to offer some kind of a criticism, but I can't think of one for this recording. Highly recommended.

Marvellous fun and great singing.......2006-09-19

I have to say that I prefer Handel's Tamerlano for musical reasons. However, Vivaldi's opera on the same subject is very enjoyable and entertaining. Like it has been said of the operas of Haydn, Vivaldi's operas are not great operas, but they do contain great music.

Europa Galante, directed from the 1st violin by Fabio Biondi, is in great form and I've never heard them play better. I have their older recording of Handel's opera Poro, and I enjoyed that one, too.
The singers here are an excellent ensemble. I like the dark and expressive voice of Ildebrando D'Arcangelo - he was also marvellous as Leporello in Gardiner's Don Giovanni. David Daniels is fantastic, as usual, and he is possibly the best operatic countertenor in the world at the moment. Patrizia Ciofi is best heard and not seen - sweet voice coming from a madwoman (check out the DVD!). Vivica Genaux has been hyped to within a centimetre of her life recently. She has a nice flexible mezzo voice. A little too much vibrato for my tastes and she looks like a chipmunk when she attacks coloratura passages. Marijana Mijanovic sings well - she was excellent as the neurotic Penelope in the Christie / L.A.F. DVD of Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. She is alarmingly thin - possible health problems? She doesn't engage with the conductor or orchestra at all in the DVD - the only singer who doesn't. Elina Garanca looks beautiful (and healthy!) and sings beautifully. She has a lovely contralto voice. I hope I see and hear more from this artist in the future.

I am not a big fan of Vivaldi's operas - I enjoy them as collections of arias. I wonder how well Bajazet worked on stage?
I'd love to have a DVD of this production, I would like to see how a Vivaldi opera works on stage. Vivaldi's operas don't have imaginative scorings and the orchestral passages are fairly prosaic. A lot of what goes on in the Vivaldi operas I've heard (I have a few in my CD collection) is pretty routine. However, I am open minded on the subject and I would like to see how well a Vivaldi opera works on stage.

Worth it!.......2006-05-23

This album exceeded my expectations. In the true pasticcio form, Vivaldi copied and pasted other composers' work, and his own of previous operas. The arias are un-paralleled in harmony, balance, up-beat rhythm, and beauty. The orchestration by Fabio Biondi is first rate and world class. Vivica Genaux rocks in her interpretation of "Qual Guerriero in Campo Armato" as so much energy, control, and speed are gushed out at once and sustained without wavering. Her ornamentation in the da capo aria is amazing. Vivica's voice is powerful, ethereal, and acrobatic. She recreates what a castrato voice might have sounded like, beautiful and strong. While Vivica sings perfectly the most demanding and technically difficult aria of the opera, Ciofi delights us with the most beautiful "Nasce rosa". After listening to her, it would be near to impossible to imagine anyone else singing this aria with such charm. But what she excelled at "Nasce", she lacked at "Anche il mar". This aria is perhaps as technically and impossibly challenging as "Qual guerriero", but Ciofi's coloratura is discontinuous. Cecilia Bartoli executes this aria in her Vivaldi Album stunningly in one breath. If there was ever a team of opera gold medalists, that team is put together in this album. Ildebrando's "Dov'e la Figla?" is a handsome showcase of his voice and strong presence. While his singing is worthy of high praise, his hand movements and wedding band flashing might have already cost him 90% of his fan base, not to mention dashing his chances at becoming a teen idol or gay icon. His comportment at the high note of the aria is reminiscent of an opera Olympiad doing a vocal triple summersault in mid-air and sticking a perfect landing. "Dov'e la figlia?" is also an aria that illustrates the great genius of Vivaldi as an opera composer. He wrote very distinct music for the same lyrics and for different registers (basso and castrato) in Bajazet, and Motezuma (with Dominique Visse). At the same time, he used the identical music for two different lyrics in Motezuma, and Orlando Furioso (Sorge l'irato Nembo).The bonus DVD proves not only interesting but also very entertaining at the gesticulations and facial configurations sometimes taken for granted to sing bel canto's finest arias. Superb job!

Gorgeous,but one tiny qualm !.......2006-04-20

While I agree with all the good things that have been written of this splendid perfomance,there is a small,but I feel important, detail about the recording which I find vexing.
When a recitative is is sung the performers are placed across the audio stage,disposed left or right,as you will.When an aria is sung ,the soloist leaps to the very center of the sound stage, which is quite disconcerting,especially when listening through headphones.This points to the arias and recits being recorded in separate sessions.Nothing wrong with that given the ravishing perfomance.Well worth the purchase price.

Average customer rating: Yes, she DOES sing a High G! Intriguing and powerful voice A beautiful voice, but the wrong stylistic approach... The Voice God A Bel Canto Cake: Enjoy

Renée Fleming: Bel Canto Gioacchino Rossini , Patrick Summers , and Orchestra of St. Luke's Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Renée Fleming Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss Renee Fleming: By Request Renée Fleming - Visions of Love ~ Mozart Arias / Mackerras Renée Fleming - Signatures ~ Great Opera Scenes / Sir Georg Solti ASIN: B00006589U Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

1. Bellini/La sonnambula: "Ah!..se una volta sola"
2. Bellini/La sonnambula: "Ah!..non credea mirarti"
3. Bellini/La sonnambula: "Ah! non giunge uman pensiero"
4. Donizetti/Maria Padilla: "Abbracciami"
5. Donizetti/Maria Padilla: "Il piu tenero suon d'arpa morende"
6. Donizetti/Maria Padilla: "Ah! non sai qual prestigio si cela"
7. Rossini/Semiramide: Introduzione
8. Rossini/Semiramide: "Bel raggio lusinghier"
9. Rossini/Semiramide: "Dolce pensiero di quell'istante"
10. Bellini/Il pirata: Introduzione
11. Bellini/Il pirata: "Ah! s'io potessi dissipar le nubi"
12. Bellini/Il pirata: "Col sorriso d'innocenza"
13. Bellini/Il pirata: "Oh sole! ti vela di tenebre oscure"
14. Rossini/Armida: "D'Amor al dolce impero"
15. Rossini/Armida: "Gli augei tra fronde e fronde"
16. Rossini/Armida: "La fresca eta sen fugge"
17. Rossini/Armida: "Ah! si, godete amanti"
18. Donizetti/Lucrezia Borgia:"M'odi, ah m'odi, io non t'imploro"
19. Donizetti/Lucrezia Borgia: "Figlio!...Figlio!...Ola, qualcuno!"
20. Donizetti/Lucrezia Borgia: "Era desso il figlio mio"

Amazon.com

Surely Renée Fleming's soprano must be one of the most beautiful voices before the public today. Though renowned for her interpretations of Mozart, Strauss, and Verdi, as well as for her commitment to contemporary music, she says that the bel canto repertoire has always been central to her career. On this recording, which features scenes and arias from operas by Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini, she proves that she has achieved total, effortless technical mastery of the uniquely difficult vocal writing characteristic of the style. Every note is perfectly placed. Her runs, including scales over a huge range in both directions, are as clear and evenly paced as a chain of exquisite pearls. Her leaps always land in the center of the pitch. Her intonation is flawless.

Fleming also displays her emotional affinity for the drama, pathos, and lyricism of the music and her ability to identify with her larger-than-life heroines. Chosen from familiar and unfamiliar operas, the music is beguilingly beautiful, ranging from peacefully pastoral to darkly menacing. However, some listeners may feel that Fleming's tendency to overinflect, overphrase, make long pauses, and put swells on long notes, especially in the slow arias, undercuts the music's simplicity and the directness of her expressive communication. The performances are based on the latest scholarly research into the "bel canto" style regarding historically correct ornamentation (only in repeats) and the problems of balancing textual fidelity with imaginative freedom. The Orchestra of St. Luke's gives splendid support, with outstanding solos, especially from the winds. --Edith Eisler

Album Details

Bel Canto is Shrink Wrapped as a Strictly Limited Edition, with a Bonus Disc of Four Unreleased Tracks of Popular Favorites By: Bach, Handel, Mozart and Debussy

Customer Reviews:

Yes, she DOES sing a High G!.......2007-03-21

When I was reading the other reviews of this album, I saw people talking about Renee Fleming going up to a High G (that is G above High C), and I was a bit skeptical...I was used to hearing her in the roles that climax on High B-Flat or High C. But now that I have the album, I can verify that she does indeed go that high! She just touches on it, but hey, that counts! My favorite selections from this album are "Ah! Non Giunge" when she sings a brilliant high E-flat, and because I just love that bouncy little aria. And "Era desso il figlio mio"... that's the one where she sails up to a High G...and She ends the piece with another glorious High E-Flat. Her melismas are delectable. And her high notes are not grating or shrill. Her tone quality is, as usual, plush and sumptuous...and the way she turns the musical phrases so poetically is just amazing. I'm SO glad she made this CD!

Intriguing and powerful voice.......2007-01-21

Renee Fleming has an interesting voice and is obviously an accomplished bel canto singer. Her voice seems to have a heavier, darker sound than many sopranos who essay the coloratura corpus. The sound is very rich. While I'm not sure that I would call her voice ravishing or beautiful, it is clearly up to the task of producing a compelling sound.

This CD begins with a scene from Bellini's "La Sonnambula." Her version of "Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero" is nicely done. She displays an agile voice. She hits the high notes well. Other versions feature trills; hers does not. However, later cuts on this CD surely show that her trill is one of the better ones today. I had never heard even small selections from Donizetti's "Maria Padilla" before. However, Fleming does a very good job. In the final part of the scene that she sings, "Ah, non sai qual prestigio si cela," she trills wonderfully. I have been acquiring CDs and listening to contemporary bel canto singers lately and, to this point of those to whom I have listened, she has one of the best trills around.

"Bel raggio lusinghier" from Rossini's "Semiramide" is nicely sung. Again, she is agile, can hit the high notes, and displays good coloratura technique. The high notes are wonderfully wrought; appoggiaturas well crafted. A number of other reviewers comment on her high note to conclude the cut from Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia." She nailed it pretty well, as those others noted.

And so on. No need to go through each cut one by one. All in all, a very good CD. Her darker, heavier voice combined with her vocal agility and coloratura technique make for a very interesting work. She clearly has some of the better coloratura technique among sopranos working in the vineyards of opera today.

A beautiful voice, but the wrong stylistic approach..........2005-11-16

I remember hearing Renee Fleming's first CD - I was instantly struck by the extremely beautiful lyric sound, and the ease with which Ms Fleming sang repertoire that required a high tessitura. I was reminded very much of Kiri Te Kanawa's tone, atlhough at the time, of course, Ms Fleming didn't have the polish of Te Kanawa.

The voice itself is a miracle. It is one of the beautiful voices of this age. But increasingly, I have become disenchanted with the WAY in which Renee Fleming uses her voice. Endowed with such a lovely voice, with a rich and even legato quality throughout, one would think that bel canto repertoire would suit Ms Fleming perfectly. And I think potentially it does... If you do not already possess the full opera recordings of Rosmonda d'Inghilterra (Donizetti) and Armida (Rossini), with Fleming in the title roles, I would like to recommend that you purchase them. They are very beautiful - stunningly so.

A small digression... My CD collection, I should mention (just casually), is nearly 3000 CDs strong, all of which are classical, and the majority of which are vocal (opera, oratorio, Lieder, operetta, early music, French chansons, etc.). The bel canto portion of my collection is substantial. I am also a bel canto singer myself. I speak, thus, with a knowledge of bel canto style, with particular reference to the ways in which the composers would have expected singers to handle their works.

So I hope readers will understand that when I say that Ms Fleming isn't performing on this CD with appropriate bel canto style, I am not speaking out of ignorance, malice, or uninformed opinion. The liner notes shed light on Renee Fleming's approach: she mentions that "like the great singers who premiered these works, we must use our own musical intelligence and imagination to make this music come alive. For someone like myself, trained as a jazz singer, this comes as a liberating reveltion."

Yes. That puts the finger on the major difficulty here. Of course the arias and scenas need to give interpretation and wonderful ornamentation in the repeats of cabalettas, etc. - but NOT, please God, with jazz in mind. The two fields are completely different. This explains to me why Ms Fleming's later recordings fail to satisfy me as much as her earlier ones. I was surprisingly enchanted by her Schubert album, in which I thought a lot of careful interpretative work had gone, and those two earlier full recordings of bel canto operas were superb. How had that wonderful bel canto technique gone astray in this recording? I think - I may be wrong - but I think that Renee Fleming is now relying almost entirely upon her own idea of how bel canto should be sung, rather than being given detailed guidance from an experienced conductor who's both au fait with the requirements and not intimidated by Ms Fleming's very beautiful voice and star billing.

I did buy this CD with great anticipatory pleasure, and I was disappointed because I had such high hopes. I am sorry, because I adore Ms Fleming's voice, but the swoops and the bathos of the interpretations are not moving to me. I so much want Ms Fleming to record bel canto in the future with a great conductor guiding her to avoid the mannerisms that may seem very expressive to Ms Fleming, but strike many listeners as only detracting from the creamy and lovely tone.

Three stars from me, because the voice is unquestionably beautiful.

I do hope that Renee Fleming decides to follow the guidance of some bel canto specialists.

For more authentic bel canto soprano singing, I recommend the peerless Edita Gruberova (still singing wonderfully), the beautiful Sumi Jo, and the great classic recordings of Callas, the young Caballe, and the young Joan Sutherland.

The Voice God.......2005-09-08

I've been a lover of opera for the past 5 years, and I'm 20 now. Never have I been so utterly blown away from a recording, and I have many. After purchasing this CD, I quickly bought 4 of her other recordings, as well as her film. After listening to "Bel Canto" I am sure that you will be convinced, as I am that Renee Fleming is hands down this generation's greatest soprano. Every selection on the CD is amazing, especially the scene from Lucrezia Borgia where she hits a high G above high C. You can feel the passion and drama through her voice, it pierces your heart it's so beautiful! For me, this CD was truly an epiphany. I did not realize that the human voice could be so beautiful, and now singing is all that I want to do! I highly recommend this CD for anyone who wants to hear unbelievable singing.

A Bel Canto Cake: Enjoy.......2005-07-27

Renee Fleming is today's leading American opera diva and her many albums attest to her versatility and superb musicianship. Among these albums, the recent jazz album Haunted Heart, (Fleming originally intende to sing jazz)Strauss- Der Rosenkavalier, Arabella and Cappricio as well as Four Last Songs, Mozart Don Giovanni (in the role of Dona Ana) Nozze Di Figaro (Countess)Cosi Fan Tutte (Fiordiligi)The Schubert Album, and such successful roles as Violetta in Traviata, Massenet's Manon and Dvorak's Rusalka. Not to mention she sang for such films as Lord of the Rings (in Elvish) and Bride of the Wind about the composer Gustav Mahler's ambitious composer wife Alma. Fleming has established herself as the most beautiful voice of recent years in the opera scene. I didn't know of her until she rose to prominence in the late 90's (she is also credited in the Mass In C by Beethoven in the movie Immortal Beloved). Fleming is primarily a lyric voice, whose purity and focus on tone is more important to her than dramatic effect. In this way, she is only following the tradition of the techniques of such sopranos as Elisabeth Schwartkopff, Leontyne Price, Montserrat Caballe and Joan Sutherland. She does have an ethereal beautiful voice, and this album - bel canto - is a showcase for gorgeous legato, pianissimi and coloratura trills and roulade fireworks.

Bel canto literally means "beautiful singing" and Renee Fleming brings that meaning back. Because of the illustrious efforts of such singers as Beverly Sills, Shirley Verrett, Leyla Gencers and inevitably Maria Callas, bel canto has now been a vehicle for dramatic intensity. Callas was never afraid to sound ugly or gritty to bring out the dramatic portions in the opera. But Renee Fleming knows she has a miraculous voice of sheer beauty of sound and she pleasures our ears with the sound of it. But one also sees her own efforts to sound as dramatic as she can sound. In La Sonnambula, Bellini created a vehicle for beautiful lyric sopranos with coloratura prowess. Singers like Anna Moffo made it sound gorgeous but Callas sang it and unearthed its dramatic power. Fleming attempts the Callas effect and even at times sounds like Montserrat Caballe, especially in such arias from Il Pirata (an opera Caballe recorded and performed on stage). She sounds creamy, golden, full-voiced, with gleaming high tops and rich chest registers, effectively colorizing all the melodic lines. I have not heard singing like this in a long time, and again Montserrat Caballe comes to mind. Just listen to how she sings Lucrezia Borgia, especially in the outburst "E sperto! " (He's dead!) the dramatic moment when Lucrezia discovers she has poisoned her own son. Fleming is also exceptional in Rossini's Semiramide. This is not her first experience singing Rossini. She has sung Il Vaggio A Reims, a rare Rossini opera. Bel canto is truly challenging, and it was for her, but she stepped up to the challenge and came out on top.

What's in the future for Fleming ? I would love for her to take on heavier roles, but she is herself very cautious about ruining her voice. Lyric sopranos like her can easily break if not properly trained. While she has sung Handel well and modern operas like "Ghosts of Versailles" I fear she will never take on the roles I long for her to sing - Tosca, Norma, not even Madame Butterfly. Mirella Freni, a voice quite like Fleming's managed to transition to heavier repertoire well- she sang Butterfly and Tosca with flying colors. Perhaps Fleming will continue to sing purely lyric roles- more Desdemonas, more Tatianas in Eugene Onegin or perhaps the heroine in Queen of Spades. But perhaps she can step outside herself and sing Elisabeth Valois in Don Carlo, or perhaps Lucia Di Lammermoor (why hasn't she sung that ? It's tailor made for her)Who knows what she has in mind but whatever it is, she will sound brilliant.

Average customer rating: chefkenneth A dissapointment Marvelous It's like butter! That is what it's all about!

Cecilia & Bryn ~ Cecilia Bartoli duets Bryn Terfel Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gioachino Rossini , Gaetano Donizetti , Myung-Whun Chung , Cecilia Bartoli , Bryn Terfel , Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia , and Gioacchino Rossini Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | 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 Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | 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 Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bartoli, Cecilia | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Bryn Terfel - Opera Arias / MET, Levine Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars Bryn Terfel - The Vagabond & other songs by Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, Finzi & Ireland Silent Noon Bryn Terfel - If Ever I Would Leave You (Songs from My Fair Lady, On a Clear Day, Camelot, The Little Prince, Brigadoon) ASIN: B00000I92V Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

1. Le nozze di Figaro: Act I - Duet : Cinaue... dieci... venti... trenta...
2. Le nozze di Figaro: Recitative : Cosa stai misurando, caro il mio Figaretto?
3. Le nozze di Figaro: Duet : Se a caso madama la notte ti chiama
4. Le nozze di Figaro: Recitative : Or bene, ascolta, e taci
5. Le nozze di Figaro: Cavatina : Se vuol ballare signor Contino
6. Le nozze di Figaro: Act II - Un moto di gioia
7. Le nozze di Figaro: Act III - Recitative : Signor... la vostra sposa ha i soliti vapori
8. Le nozze di Figaro: Duet : Crude! perche finora farmi languir cosi?
9. Cosan tutte: Act II - Recitative : Passeggiamo anche noi
10. Cosan tutte: Duet : Il core vi dono, bell'idol mio
11. Don Giovanni: Act I - Recitative : Alfin siam liberati, Zerlinetta gentil, da quel scioccone
12. Don Giovanni: Duet : La ci darem la mano, la mi dirai di si
13. Die Zauberfl Act II - Duet : Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Papagena
14. Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Act I - Recitative : Ebben, signor Figaro?
15. Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Duet : Dunque io son... tu non m'inganni?
16. L'Italiana in Algeri: Act I - Duet : Ai capricci della sorte io so far l'indifferente
17. L'Elisir d'Amore: Act II - Recitative : Come sen va contento!
18. L'Elisir d'Amore: Duet : Quanto amore! Ed io spietata!

Amazon.com essential recording

Superlatives don't do justice to this priceless and incomparable collection of duets by opera's two most charismatic singers, whose interpretations are brimming with nuance only the truly gifted could capture. However pleasing Cecilia Bartoli's renditions of Cherubino and others in Mozart Arias, the depth of Susanna's emotional life that Bartoli conveys has yet to be even imagined by other sopranos, as she rips through opera's boundaries, creating her very own Fach and threatening the jobs of soubrettes the world over. Once she and Bryn Terfel draw you into their world of stellar, multidimensional creations, there's no escape from pleasure; in their talented hands, recitative becomes as interesting as any aria. The duo's inherent charm overcomes Bartoli's difficulties with German and the dramatic Terfel's with coloratura; however, their sincere attempts to meet these challenges are most endearing. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

chefkenneth.......2006-11-03

I can't stop listening to this CD! Anyone who is a fan of Bryn and Cecilia must have this in their collection!

A dissapointment.......2003-01-20

I expected more from this recording. Both singers are wonderful and sound great in other recordings. I think the quality of this recording is poor.

Marvelous.......2002-11-20

As splendid as Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel are individually, their glory is just that much expounded when singing together. At many points it seems almost as if they are competing in their melodic virtuosity, but you can tell they are just having the most magnificent time while competing thus. They sing a pleasant variety of duets, and are decidedly fine singing practically any style.

I probably enjoy this album more than either singer's individual albums, although they are wonderful themselves. For while solos are glorious, duets are ethereal.

It's like butter!.......2001-07-27

I Adore Cecilia and Bryn!!! They are just so amazing! Thank the lucky stars above that we have such wonderful talent in the younger operatic world! Don't get me wrong, I love the more established singers, but these two are incredibly charming and it is a treat to be able to hear them sing together!

SingerSpell

That is what it's all about!.......2000-05-10

The kind of collaboration, friendship and joyous love for the music evident on this CD is exactly what opera should be. It brings a ray of sunshine to us listeners, particularly to those of us who haven't yet gotten a chance to see Cecilia and Bryn live. (Thankfully, there is a video account of their splendid "Le Nozze di Figaro", selections from which are featured here.)

The CD is clearly subdivided into Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti sections, with Mozart given a priority in terms of number of selections. Both artists are blessed with a gift for opera buffa, their personifications are very funny and very accurate without exaggerations. They may go full-out on stage (e.g. the way Suzanna hits Terfel's 6'6" Figaro is hilarious) but it does not distort their exemplary vocal lines. The recitatives included are extremely important and the lines are tossed back and forth with unrestrained enjoyment. Conductor Myung-Whun Chung gives the singing actors plenty of space to express their ideas, my favorite example being "Il Barbiere" where the tempi slows down as Rosina and Figaro work out the details of their plan.

The booklet does not include libretti, but since the selections are from well-known operas, it's not a problem. But it does include marvelous pictures of Cecilia and Bryn, this alone is guaranteed to put you in a good mood. Like the reviewer from San Francisco, I also loved the ice-cream shot.

After listening to this album, all I could say was "I want more." I hope these wonderful young artists would get together real soon and give us another album to treasure. By the way, if you liked this one, check out the one from Olga Borodina and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. They also shine, but in a different program (Dunque io son being the only common number) and they have completely different but also lustrous voices. But from pure fun standpoint, I've never heard a more delightful album than Cecilia and Bryn. Don't delay and get it now!

Average customer rating: Wonderful An Excellent Deal Howls moving castle (4.5 stars) It is really good "Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed anime films with scores by Joe Hisaishi"

Hayao Miyazaki Box: Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away Manufacturer: Milan Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Princess Mononoke: Symphonic Suite Howl's Moving Castle Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind Soundtrack Laputa: Castle in the Sky Soundtrack Princess Mononoke ASIN: B0001XAS7G Release Date: 2004-04-27

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-04-19

I prefer the music from Spirited Away but both pieces are absolutely wonderful. The sound quality and the composition are both glorious, there's little else to say. I can listen to this for hours and hours and always hear something new. Well worth the money, especially considering the surprising cost of his other albums. Go for it.

An Excellent Deal.......2007-04-04

If you are a Miyazaki movie fan and Hisaishi music fan, you can't go wrong with this box. Individually on Amazon, these sell for much higher. Save a few dollars and get this box. The music is very moving, but I'm assuming you know that if you've seen the movies and are interested in the soundtracks!

Howls moving castle.......2006-05-05

This movie was excellent. The amnimation was excellent so was the speaking. it gave a rather thrilling feel anmd atmostphere. I therefore encourage the director to produce more films

(4.5 stars) It is really good.......2005-12-01

the music will bring you back to the scenes in the movies, and are as moving and beautiful on cd as they are in the films. If you've seen the movies, and I figure you have since you're looking at this, then you will know the overall themes and feelings that the movies portray. The Princess Mononoke cd has more of a heavier, ominous sound to it, whereas Spirited Away is lonely and thoughtful. I only took off the half star because many of the songs are rather short. They could have easily been expanded or stretched out. But then again, you don't have to listen to the same notes for ten minutes, so it keeps it fresh.

"Hayao Miyazaki's acclaimed anime films with scores by Joe Hisaishi".......2005-10-14

Milan Records and Hayao Miyazaki presents two Joe Hisaishi film scores "Princess Mononoke" (1997) and "Spirited Away"(2001)...would put this music right up there with "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings"...the tracks are as good or better than John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith or Howard Shore, each cue expressing the story-line with inner-feelings that give the characters life.

Both albums have inclusive symphonic clarity with melodic to dynamic arrangements that make this an original experience in the acclaimed Anime films...Hisaishi give us another insight to the opening track "THE LEGEND OF ASHITAKA" from "Princess Mononoke" over-lapping blending counterpoints with each measure, the result is a wonderful and outstanding performance...another highlight "SEN'S COURAGE" from "Spirited Away" stirring your emotions once again as you recall each epic animated film performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the power-mood-setting score by composer, arranger and producer...JOE HISAISHI!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Milan Entertainment 36076 ~ (4/27/2004)

Average customer rating: Not a good choice Stellar Females Guide Handel's Lesser Known Arcadian Duets Something's not quite right in the state of Arcadia... Beautiful and artistic Haendel 'di chiesa'

Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm George Frideric Handel , Natalie Dessay , Véronique Gens , Le Concert d'Astrée , Emmanuelle Haïm , Paul Agnew , Ana Maria Panzarella , Laura Claycomb , Marijana Mijanovic Brian Asawa , and Juanita Lascarro, Patricia Petibon Sara Mingardo Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis Natalie Dessay ~ Delirio (Handel Italian Cantatas) Sandrine Piau - Handel Opera Seria Patricia Petibon ~ French baroque arias (Rameau, Lully, Charpentier, Grandval) / Les Folies Françoises, Cohen-Akenin Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski ASIN: B00005UVA0 Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

1. "Ahi, nelle sorte umane"
2. "Ahi, nelle sorte umane"
3. "No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
4. "No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
5. "No, di voi non vo' fidarmi"
6. "Caro autor di mia doglia"
7. "Caro autor di mia doglia"
8. "Caro autor di mia doglia"
9. "Quel fior che all'alba ride"
10. "Quel fior che all'alba ride"
11. "Quel fior che all'alba ride"
12. "Conservate, raddoppiate"
13. "Conservate, raddoppiate"
14. "Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
15. "Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
16. "Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi"
17. "Va, speme infida"
18. "Va, speme infida"
19. "Va, speme infida"
20. "A mirarvi io son intento"
21. "A mirarvi io son intento"
22. "A mirarvi io son intento"
23. "Sono liete, fortunate"
24. "Sono liete, fortunate"
25. "Sono liete, fortunate"

Amazon.com

It's tempting to think these duets, which Handel composed at various points in his career, are just chips from the master's block. But they constitute a delightful hour's worth of music, and when sung with the vocal brilliance and stylishness displayed here by ten top singers in various pairings, they add up to one of those rare discs it's hard to stop returning to. Handel must have thought a lot of them too--since he reused some of this music for oratorios like Messiah--and turned to the chamber duet form in his last years as well. There isn't a weak link among the soloists, though the contributions of Natalie Dessay, Veronique Gens, and Sara Mingardo are especially noteworthy. Whether asked to sing plaintive laments or flashy coloratura displays, these well-matched voices thrill. The accompaniments (harpsichord or organ, lute and cello) are faultless. The appeal of this disc extends far beyond Baroque specialists to anyone who enjoys outstanding singing. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Not a good choice.......2007-02-07

If you are not a great fan of Haendel, pass! It's interesting but not the best 'job' of Haim...

Stellar Females Guide Handel's Lesser Known Arcadian Duets.......2005-05-27

Ten world-class singers have been assembled for this 2002 anthology of Handel's chamber duets, nine in all. The selections are sometimes in two movements but more often in three contrasted movements with various changes in tempo, as they tell sometimes disheartening, sometimes effusive tales of the effects of love. They all have the familiar pastoral feel that Handel often brings to his compositions, and these, in particular, are inspired by the Arcadian academies and courts of Italy at the end of the 17th century. Led by Emmanuelle Haïm, this recording intelligently uses many distinct voices to lend individuality to each of the selections, in contrast to, say, the recent 2004 Handel duets CD in which soprano Patrizia Ciofi and mezzo-soprano Joyce Di Donato ambitiously tackle an almost overwhelming variety of Italian opera duets just by themselves.

All the women here are excellent. The particular standouts are French sopranos Natalie Dessay and Véronique Gens on the opening duet, "Ahi, nelle sorte umane" with their bright voices intertwined with deep, intense feeling; the lightness of Laura Claycomb's soprano matched with the superb fullness of Sara Mingardo's contralto on "Tanti strali al sen mi scocci" and again on the concluding "Sono liete, fortunate"; and the similarly contrasting performances of soprano Patricia Petibon and contralto Marijana Mijanovic on "A mirarvi io son intento". The two men featured are somewhat disappointing but only by comparison - tenor Paul Agnew sounds a bit unctuous and lead-footed against Petibon's ethereal silvery tones on "Caro autor di mia doglia", and countertenor Brian Asawa, despite a purity in tone, sounds dramatically constrained on "Conservate, raddoppiate", his brief duet with soprano Juanita Lascarro. Regardless, the overall mood of the recording is appropriately sonorous and for the most part, period-authentic except for Haïm's organ which is used to sparing dramatic effect. As she has proven with her wondrous direction of an equally stellar cast on the 2003 Virgin Classics recording of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas", Haïm provides intense musical leadership among a varied set of talents with the able accompaniment of her ensemble, Le Concert d'Astrée.

Something's not quite right in the state of Arcadia..........2004-04-30

I saw this CD with deep interest, and purchased it without a second thought. The singers listed on the recording included some strong favourites of mine, and since I may be recording some of the Handel duets on this album this year, I was looking forward to hearing other interpretations of the music.

I was... not entirely disappointed, but sadly not captivated.

I found some of the accompaniments to the duets to be heavy-handed and almost paternalistic in their approach, particularly when the organ was employed. And stylistically, some of the singing was just... wrong. In particular, the flights of Natalie Dessay (who has done some gorgeous things - her Lakmè is ravishing) jarred. On reflection, I do not consider Dessay to be an ideal singer for the repertoire - she does much better in the 19th century French works and in coloratura Strauss roles, where she shines like a cluster of diamonds.

Although some of the singing here with the various singers was beautiful, it was not uniformly good, and in particular the duet work seemed under-rehearsed. Tightness in ensemble singing, even when it's 2 voices as opposed to more, is a MUST. There was no true blend present with any of the duet singing, but this was a problem that occurred more in some of the tracks than in others.

I could recommend this disc for its rarity value - Handel's duets are splendid stuff! - but not for the performances in the main. I wish I could have been more positive. I can only say that at least this disc is mostly better than another recording of Handel duets which I possess. Perhaps this CD is worth having for the repertoire, and one can always skip the particularly "not very good" tracks...

You'll know them when you hear them. Just listen for the wobble.

Beautiful and artistic.......2003-12-29

Much of Handel's work is borrowed into these pieces. This album is very well recored and beautifully sung. The many singers make this a real work of passion. Haim is musician and conductor is reaching new levels. This is one of the truly artistic albums of 2003. One could spend serious time studying the phrasing and note so many of the endings have a Handel's signature. This is the definitive Arcadian Deuts album.

I note it is diffucult for me to randomly select pieces from this album. It is best taken like a good meal, from beginning to end.

Haendel 'di chiesa'.......2003-08-05

The most famous male conductor of the moment offers, in her new recording, a selection of Handel's religious duets. With a chamber formation of her ensemble, Le concert d' Astrée (here wiyh only 3 musics, and Haim sit at the harpsichord and the organ) and with a very big formation of 10 famous solists: 6 sopranos, 2 altos, 1 countertenor and 1 tenor (all of them very experts in the barroque repertory) Haim makes a great recording, and she wins a lot of congratulations by me. A great disc tath all barroque lovers must have.

Average customer rating: Swenson Coloratura? A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson A True Successor It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it! Positively golden...!

Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias Gaetano Donizetti , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Vincenzo Bellini , Charles Gounod , Nicola Rescigno , London Philharmonic Orchestra , and Ruth Ann Swenson Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( 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 Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | 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 | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ruth Ann Swenson - Con Amore ~ Italian Opera Arias / Rudel, London SO Ruth Ann Swenson - i carry your heart / Warren Jones Vesselina Kasarova - A Portrait Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella Twilight and Innocence ASIN: B000002RTG Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

1. Linda di Chamounix. Act I Recitative and Cavatina: Ah! tardi troppo...O luce di quest' anima
2. Lucia di Lammermoor.Act I Cavatina: Regnava nel silenzio...Quando, rapito in estasi
3. I Puritani.Act II Aria: O rendetemi la speme...Que la voce... Vien. diletto
4. La Sonnambula. Act I Scene and Cavatina: A te diletta... Come per me sereno... Sovra il sen
5. Romeo et Juliette. Act I Ariette: Je veux vivre
6. L'Africaine. Act I Romance: Adieu, Mon doux revage... Pour celle qui M'est chere
7. Les Huguenots. Act II Aria: O Beau pays de la touraine!...A ce Mot seuls'anime
8. Dinorah. Act II Aria: Ombre legere, qui suis mes pas ( Shadow Song)

Customer Reviews:

Swenson Coloratura? .......2007-03-22

WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO HEAR THE BEAUTY OF THE HUMAN VOICE? PLEASE, Listen to the Coloraturas of the Golden Age. This young lady's singing is muddled, hooty, there is no center to the tone and the articulation is muffled. Absolutely no brilliance to the voice. These singers, and even moreso their teachers, should listen to Nezhdanova, Muzio and more. Alas, it is too late - the Golden Age of Singing will not return as long as the correct frequency of the human voice is not developed. 1 Star for the conductor

A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson.......2007-02-09

Ruth Ann Swenson takes on some standard coloratura roles from Bellini and Donizetti and then some examplars from the French repertoire (Gounod and Meyerbeer). In this CD, we see a number of examples of the standard technique of Bellini and Donizetti, with a cabaletta following a slower work. As the Wikipedia puts it: The cabaletta is a "form of aria within 19th century Italian opera. It usually refers specifically to the second half of a double aria: a faster or more rhythmic movement following a cantabile section. . . . Classic examples include "Vien diletto, è in ciel la luna" from I Puritani by Bellini (1835). . . ."

Some samples of her style from this CD. In Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," we are treated to Swenson's version of "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quanto rapito in estasi." Hers is a somewhat darker, heavier voice than that of Dessay or Sills (more similar to Netrebko and Callas in that regard). Still the voice is agile; her trill technique is adequate but not noteworthy. In the cabaletta, she shows agility and her florid technique is fine. She is able to hit the higher notes well. In the repeat of "Quanto rapito in estasi," she is fine, but not at the level of top coloraturas such as Dessay or Sills or Sutherland.

Bellini's "I Puritani" features the standard cantabile-cabaletta structure as per the Wikipedia's description above, "Qui la voce. . .Vien, diletto." Classic coloratura territory. In the first part, she shows a nice smoothly sung line. In the cabaletta, she hits the high notes cleanly, Her florid technique is fine but not exciting. Her trills are adequate but not wonderful. In the repeat, her ornamentation moves up a jot. All in all, a competently done--but not exciting--version.

From Bellini's "La Sonnambula," we have "A ti deletta. . .Sovra il sen." Again, Swenson does a technically sound version. There is a very nice trill early on. She floats some higher notes very well. The cabaletta is fine, her florid technique is good, she shows off in this cut a nice trill, and she closes out with a well executed high note.

All in all, Ruth Ann Swenson comes off as a good coloratura soprano with fine technique. She lacks some of the firepower and technique of the top performers, but this is a nice CD in the final analysis.

A True Successor.......2004-03-15

Ruth Ann Swenson is one of the finest coloratura sopranos singing today. Her voice is a seamless, pearly-timbred instrument; her technique is rock-solid. In her first solo CD (recorded in 1993) Swenson concentrates on the bel canto repertory and gives us some of the most assured singing in this since Joan Sutherland. My favorite track is the Act I aria from LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, in which Swenson conveys Lucia's horror in a stream of eerily pure tone, which then sparkles in the cabaletta, "Quando, rapito in estasi." In both beauty of sound and coloratura virtuosity, Swenson is a very worthy successor to Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe. "Positively Golden" is, so far, my favorite coloratura recital next to Sutherland's "The Art of the Prima Donna."

It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it!.......2001-12-01

Ruth Ann Swenson is like Michael Jordan - a supremely gifted & disciplined athlete, & also a freak of nature. The great basketball player shatters the backboard, the colortura soprano shatters the wine glass. Composers use the colortura aria to show off a certain kind of composing that requires an unreal voice. It's strictly showbiz. Conveying a character - that demonstration of peculiar, exaggerated emotions many opera fans call "acting" - is completely optional. So just crank up the volume, sit back, & let Ms. Swenson raise goosebumps on your neck. That's the job Gounod, Bellini, Donizetti & Meyerbeer gave her to do. & boy, does she do it swell!

Positively golden...!.......2000-06-08

I first heard Ruth Ann Swenson when she was in the Merola Opera Program at SFO, saw and heard her on several occasions that year and have followed her career with interest since then. This album showcases the beauty and perfection of Miss Swenson's voice, and immediately became one of my most favorite coloratura soprano arias recordings.

Average customer rating: Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition) Janet Baker , John Shirley-Quirk , Graham Sheen , Johann Sebastian Bach , Ludwig van Beethoven , Hector Berlioz , Giovanni Bononcini , Benjamin Britten , Giulio Caccini , and Antonio Caldara Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Caldara, Antonio | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chausson, Ernest | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Giordani, Giuseppe | ( G ) | 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 Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Martini | Martini, Giovanni Battist | ( 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 Paisiello | Paisiello, Giovanni | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pergolesi | Pergolesi, Gio Battista | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Piccinni, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rameau | Rameau, Jean Philippe | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Alessandro Scarlatti | Scarlatti, Alessandro | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stradella | Stradella, Alessandro | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | 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 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 London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Janet Baker Artistry of Elly Ameling (Coll) Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967 Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx Baker Sings Gluck, Lully, Marcello, etc. ASIN: B0000B0A0Q Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

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

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

Average customer rating: Great Mozart, uniformly good Bartoli Rich full bodied delivery of superb selections of Mozart's art Beautiful Bartoli Pipes Stylish, definitive Mozart

Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Cecilia Bartoli , Edita Gruberova , Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Daniel Barenboim , Berliner Philharmoniker , Concentus musicus Wien , Lella Cuberli , Ferruccio Furlanetto , and Yvonne Kenny Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | 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 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | 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 | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bartoli, Cecilia | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Portraits Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico Cecilia Bartoli - A Portrait ASIN: B000005E4C Release Date: 1996-09-03

Tracks:

1. Lucio Silla K 135: Aria 'Il tenero momento'
2. Lucio Silla K 135: Aria 'Pupille amate'
3. Lucio Silla K 135: Duetto 'D'elision in sen m'attendi'
4. Lucio Silla K 135: Accompagnato 'Cecilio, a che t'arresti' - Aria 'Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio'
5. Le Nozze Di Figaro K 492: Arietta 'Voi, che sapete che cosa e amor'
6. Le Nozze Di Figaro K 492: Aria 'Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio'
7. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Duetto 'Ah guarda, sorella'
8. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Aria 'E amore un ladroncello'
9. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Terzettino 'Soave sia il vento'
10. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Duetto 'Prendero quel brunettino'
11. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Duetto 'Il core vi dono, bell'idolo mio'
12. COSI FAN TUTTE K 588: Recitativo 'Ah, scostati' - Aria 'Smanie implacabili'

Customer Reviews:

Great Mozart, uniformly good Bartoli.......2006-06-19

'Mozart Arias' by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is uniformly as good as virtually all her other albums I have heard and reviewed. The problem is that this leaves me nothing on which to recommend this album over all the other Bartoli albums, except for the fact that it is MOZART, and that is certainly something.

So, from the point of view of the relatively naive listener to classical music, who happens to have listened to a lot of albums of this sort, I say, very nice, very nice, but not really great.

Rich full bodied delivery of superb selections of Mozart's art.......2006-03-08

The rich full voice of Cecilia Bartoli really shines in these selections. I suspect that her native language of Italian is a contributing factor to the totally natural sound of her lyrics and voice. Bartoli has a dramatic flair that emerges in her delivery that seems perfect for the selections. The recordings are consistently beautiful. Bartoli is a mezzo-soprano with incredible range. Her warm voice is so welcome.

Beautiful Bartoli.......2001-10-29

This is some absolutely beautiful music by Mozart, sung wonderfully by Cecilia Bartoli. I especially love the two arias that have the obbligato for basset clarinet or basset-horn from the opera "La clemenza di Tito" K621. Mozart had already written the great Clarinet Quintet K581 for Anton Stadler, who had invented the bassett clarinet, with an extended lower range and warmer tone than the conventional clarinet. These are played very nicely by Peter Schmidl on this CD. But the highlight of this disc is the taxing Concert aria K505, with the added delight of an obbligato piano part, played with feeling by Andras Schiff. It is the best of both worlds: combining Mozart's exquisite piano writing, with orchestra, and his penning of heavenly vocal lines. Cecilia Bartoli delivers on all counts. This is an absolute MUST for all serious Mozart collectors.

Pipes.......2001-06-13

A collection of technically superb if somewhat passionless performances of Mozart's finest arias by one of the great voices of our time. The mastering is a bit low, so I find myself turning the volume wayyyyyy up to hear Bartoli's more delicate moments.

Stylish, definitive Mozart.......2000-09-12

At a time when most mezzo-sopranos are doing local repertory and hoping for auditions, Cecilia Bartoli, not yet 25, recorded this album. This is a work which would proudly be referred to as the crowning achievement of many an illustrious career but, in this case, was simply a portent of things to come from the vocalist who may be the best Mozart soprano of our lifetimes. To hear Cecilia sing PUPILE AMATE alone justifies any expense. Her duets with Edita Gruberova are especially entrancing and make me wish I had been able to attend their performance live. Make no mistake, this is as fine a performance as anyone of us is likely to hear...even with Bartoli's other great works out there. Erato's MOZART ARIAS is a MUST!

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

Tracks:

1. Questo guajo mancava...Son qual lacera tartana (La secchia rapita)
2. Che dunque!...Or ei con Ernestina...Ah sia gia (La Scuola dei gelosi)
3. Vi sono sposa e amante (La Fiera di Venezia)
4. Voi Lusingate invano lo smarito cor mio...Misera abbandonata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
5. E void a buon marito...Non vo gla che vi suonino (La Cifra)
6. Alfin son sola...Sola e mesta (La Cifra)
7. Dopo pranzo addormentata (Il Ricco d'un glorno)
8. No, non cacillera...Suelle mi temple (La secchia rapita)
9. Lungi da me sen vada quella veste fatal...Dunque anche il cielo...Contro un'alma sventurata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
10. Se lo dovessi vendere (La Finta scema)
11. Eccomi piu che mai...Amor pletoso Amore (Il Ricco d'un Glorno)
12. La ra la (La Grotta di Trofonio)
13. E non degg'io seguirla!...Forse chi sa...Vieni a me sull'ali d'oro (Armida)

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.

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