Il Vovo [Import]

Product Description
Japanese limited edition reissue of the progressive rock act's 1974 album, packaged in a miniature gatefold LP sleeve. Number One. 2004.

Tracks:

Oltre La Tempesta
Siempre Adorarla
Odissea
Il Volo
Fantasma D'Amore
Dovunque Sarai
Solo Amore
Maria
Son Gli Occhi Tuoi
Je Crois Entendre Encore
Mia Per Sempre
Viaggio
Vita Mia
Au Fond Du Temple Saint
Beyond The Storm (Oltre La Tempesta)

Amazon.com

The Italian Salvatore Licitra and the Argentinian Marcelo Alvarez are, arguably the two most exciting, promising (they're in their 30s), big-voiced, bread-and-butter (or steak-and-potatoes) "Italian" tenors around. Yhey have proved themselves on the stages of the great opera houses of the world and on recordings. This CD is designed to present them to a wider audience--it is clearly meant to appeal to Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli fans. And, in fact, it succeeds. These guys have glorious voices: Licitra's is darker and somewhat heavier than Alvarez's, but the latter's shine is irresistible; one might compare them to Domingo and Pavarotti, respectively, to make that point. Neither has any problem throughout his entire range; each has big, secure top notes, and there's an innate musical intelligence at work at all times. Opera fans will relish the fantastic singing--listening to them trade high B naturals in the CD's third song, "Odissea," is thrilling--but will probably be disappointed by the music. It's soupily arranged, sentimental background drivel with catchy melodies (parts of "Salut demeure" from Gounod's Faust show up in something called "Son gli occhi tuoi," complete with a stellar high C from Alvarez), and even the gorgeous duet from Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles (one of two "classical" pieces on the CD, if one doesn't count an instrumental piece by Bach to which trite lyrics have been added) has been re-arranged to include a tinny chorus, when singing it as written would have been a magnificent treat. Their voices are bathed in a phony-pop glow which will please the Bocelli market while continuing to horrify purists. Yet it is impossible not to be bowled over by the singing--a few off-pitch-at-low-volume moments and a mess of a "Je crois entendre encore" aside. In short, two high-power, world-class operatic tenors in their prime, singing, for the most part, music in which the treacle level is obnoxiously--even dangerously--high. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Great CD and Voices........2005-10-18

I love tenors and Italian music. Groban, Safina, Bocelli, Frangolis. These two men are in their category, and one of them even sounds like Safina. Very pleasant to listen in the car and in my office. I can listen more than once a day. You have to listen more than once. Don't expect to fall in love from the first sound.

Some critisizm:
a)One of the tenors is using to much vibrato, since it's popera... otherwise it's sounds great.
b)Duetto needs to be a Tenor - Soprano. These two guys should make separate CDs with two ladies. Groban does it very well!

The young tenors........2005-09-12

The amazing part of this album is that two young tenors can make as much music as three tenors (Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti) have in the past. Salvatore Licitra and Marcelo Alvarez are the future - there is a balance in how they sing together, adding strength to rather than competing with one another.

UNEXPECTED.......2005-08-09

I bought this CD on suggestion from Amazon.com...I am thrilled with the music. The songs are emotional, beautiful, and well done. It was a great choice.

Pop Op.......2004-05-15

Their voices blend well and the opera duets are a little out of the ordinary. Unfotunately,they have been orchestrated with a Hollywood flair and sung with synthetic flamboyance. What a pity that it is only nice background music. I had hoped for excitement.

Fabulous!.......2004-02-24

I LOVED this CD. I'm a fan of tenors, but not a serious student of their voices, so I can't attest to the flawlessness of phrasing, etc. However, I found the music to be soulful and stirring, and Licitra and Alvarez's voices full and rich. I have given this CD to everyone I know - my parents, cousins, great aunts and friends, even my massage therapist, and everyone has enjoyed it. I listen to it often, pretending to sing along!

Peri - Euridice / Banditelli · Fagotto · Cecchetti · Zambon · Foresti · Bertini · Benvenuti · Zanasi · Ensemble Arpeggio · de Caro

Average customer rating:

The first complete opera to have survived in a fine recording
Complete opera at mid-price

Peri - Euridice / Banditelli · Fagotto · Cecchetti · Zambon · Foresti · Bertini · Benvenuti · Zanasi · Ensemble Arpeggio · de Caro
Sergio Foresti , Rossana Bertini , Monica Benvenuti , Furio Zanasi , and Paolo Da Col
Manufacturer: Arts Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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
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ASIN: B000005AQ4
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

Prologue: Io, Che D'alti Sospir Vaga E Di Pianti - Gloria Banditelli
Scene I: Ninfe, Ch'i Bein Crin D'oro - Sergio Foresti/Mario Cecchetti
Scene I: Vaghe Ninfre Amorose - Monica Benvenuti
Scene I: Donne, Ch'a' Miei Diletti - Gloria Banditelli
Scene I: Credi, Ninfa Gentile - Mario Cecchetti
Scene I: In Mille Guise E Mille - Gloria Banditelli
Scene I: Al Canto, Al Ballo All'ombra, Al Prato Adorno - Monica Benvenuti/Rossana Bertini/Gloria Banditelli/Giuseppe Zambon/Mario Cecchetti/Paolo Da Col...
Scene II: Antri, Ch'a' Miei Lamenti - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene II: Sia Pur Lodato Il Ciel, Lodato Amore - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene II: Tirsi Viene In Scena Sonando La Presente Zinfonia - Paolo Da Col
Scene II: Deh Come Ogni Bifolco, Ogni Pastore - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene II: Lassa! Che Di Spavento E Di Pietate - Rossana Bertini
Scene II: Per Quel Vago Boschetto - Rossana Bertini
Scene II: Non Piango E Non Sospiro - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene II: Ahi! Mort'invid'e Ria - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene II: Sconsolati Desir, Gioie Fugaci - Mario Cecchetti
Scene II: Cruda Morte, Hai! Pur Potesti - Monica Benvenuti
Scene III: Se Fato Invido E Rio - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene III: Con Frettoloso Passo - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene III: Io Che Pensato Havea Di Starmi Ascoso - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene III: Se De' Boschi I Verdi Onori - Monica Benvenuti/Rossana Bertini/Gloria Banditelli/Giuseppe Zambon/Mario Cecchetti/Paolo Da Col...
Scene III: Poi Che Dal Bel Sereno - Mario Cecchetti

Tracks:

Scene IV: Scorto Da Immortal Guida - Monica Benvenuti
Scene IV: L'oscuro Varc'onde Siam Giunti A Queste - Monica Benvenuti
Scene IV: Funeste Piagge, Ombrosi Orridi Campi - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene IV: Ond'e Cotanto Ardire - Furio Zanasi
Scene IV: Dhe, Se La Bella Diva - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene IV: Dentro L'infernal Porte - Furio Zanasi
Scene IV: O Re, Nel Cui Sembiante - Gloria Banditelli
Scene IV: A Si Soavi Preghi - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene IV: Sovra L'eccelse Stelle - Sergio Foresti
Scene IV: Trionfi Oggi Pieta Ne' Campi Inferni - Furio Zanasi
Scene IV: Poi Che Gl'eterni Imperi - Monica Benvenuti/Rossana Bertini/Gloria Banditelli/Giuseppe Zambon/Mario Cecchetti/Paolo Da Col...
Scene V: Gia Del Bel Carro Ardente - Giuseppe Zambon
Scene V: Voi, Che Si Ratt'il Volo - Mario Cecchetti
Scene V: Quand'al Tempio N'andaste, Io Mi Pensai - Mario Cecchetti
Scene V: Chi Puo Del Cielo Annoverar Le Stelle - Mario Cecchetti
Scene V: Gioite Al Canto Mio, Selve Frondose - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene V: Quella, Quella Son'io Per Cui Piangeste - Gloria Banditelli
Scene V: Modi Or Soavi Or Mesti - Gian Paolo Fagotto
Scene V: Felice Semideo, Ben Degna Prole - Mario Cecchetti
Scene V: Ritornello Strumentale - Ens Arpeggio/Roberto De Caro
Scene V: Biond'arcer, Che D'alto Monte - Gloria Banditelli

Customer Reviews:

The first complete opera to have survived in a fine recording.......2005-11-01

Opera grew out of the court festivals of late sixteenth century Italy. The nobles were quite interested in all the arts and employed skilled painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians. There was also a great deal of interest in reviving all things Greek because they were seen as the ideal model for all things intellectual. Reviving Greek music involved a great deal of conjecture and imagination because only a few fragments of their music survive and it is by no means agreed upon, even to this day, what they actually mean. One of the groups of Florentine intellectuals surrounded a Count Bardi, which he called the Camerata. They wrote letters to each other, so we have some idea of their thoughts about what it was they were trying to do.

They called what they did the "New Music" or the "Second Practice" and music students learn to call this style monody (solo voice with simple accompaniment). It caused quite a furor among those who were proponents of the older style of counterpoint. One of those who opposed Monteverdi was a fellow named Artusi. Every music student reads his articles against those composers with "smoke in their heads". And of course, Artusi always comes out on the wrong side of history and made to look the fool. However, the art of these composers was shocking and their free use of dissonance compared to the rules of Zarlino and the practice of Palestrina, Ockeghem, Josquin, and others is jarring. However, we have a hard time hearing the difference in these musical styles unless you pay close attention and develop some familiarity with what the argument was all about.

Some of these Second Practice composers came to believe that the Greeks sang their plays from beginning to end. This is almost certainly not true, but the point was they believed it. Composers such as Caccini, Peri, and Monteverdi developed a style of solo singing they felt captured this idea and called it the "stile rappresentativo" (the representative style). It is this recitative style that Caccini and Peri used in developing their art. When you listen to Peri's "Euridice" you will notice that most of it is a very expressive version of what we would call recitative - the almost spoken parts between the arias - and that the aria as even Monteverdi developed it a few years later is almost nonexistent. If you understand that they were trying to recapture the Greek storytelling that they believe was a sung style, this makes a great deal of sense.

In fact, this kind of work was not called "opera" until the mid-seventeenth century (opera simply means "work" as in a work of art). Before that term came into general use, the composers referred to their works as musical fables or music dramas. However, our referring to all of it as opera makes sense given the genealogy of the art form.

Peri's "Euridice" is the first surviving opera we have in complete form. His "Dafne" came first, but is now lost. Caccini was a court rival and was working on his own version of "Euridice" and at the first performance there was apparently a mix of the two composer's works. But the nod is given to Peri and Caccini published his own version, but he completed his version later. It is interesting the Monteverdi also did a version of this myth, but called his "Orfeo".

This is a beautiful recording of this work. It is important to know that even though the complete opera in printed form survives, there is a great deal that is not in the score. A great deal of scholarship and artistic sensitivity has to go into recreating a version of this opera that both succeeds musically and has some claim of authenticity to Peri's intentions for performance.

You will also note the vocal style has nothing to do with Verdi or Wagner. This was for a much smaller hall with only a few hundred of the nobility present. And while it was first performed for a wedding festival and did not please those for whom it was written, it began a four hundred year development of an art form that millions adore and consider to be one of mankind's great achievements. I am one of them.

Enjoy! There is a very helpful booklet with these disks to help you understand the history and the libretto is provided in English and Italian.

Complete opera at mid-price.......1999-03-18

As Peri's Dafne of 1598 is largely lost this work of 1600 counts as "the first ever opera" (CD Box). With Gloria Banditelli as Euridice obviously this is a subtantial release for lovers of early opera.

Tracks:

Ouverture - Orchestre De L'Opera De Lyon
Act One, Scene I: Introduzione: 'Son nov'ore' (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 2: 'Epermesso?' (Malatesta, Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 2: Romanza: 'Bella siccome un angelo' (Malatesta, Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 2: 'E mia sorella!' (Malatesta, Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 2: 'Ah! Un foco insolito!' (Malatesta, Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 3: Recitativo e duetto: 'Son rinato' (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Act One, Scene 3: 'Prender mogile' (Ernesto, Don Pasquale) - Luca Canonici
Act One, Scene 3: 'Sogno soave e casto' (Ernesto, Don Pasquale) - Luca Canonici
Act One, Scene 3: 'Due parole ancor di volo' (Ernesto, Don Pasquale) - Luca Canonici
Act One, Scene 3: 'Ah! Mi fa il destin mendico' (Ernesto, Don Pasquale) - Luca Canonici
Act One, Scene 4: Cavatina: 'Quel guardo il cavaliere' (Norina)
Act One, Scene 4: 'So anch io la virtu magica (Norina)
Act One, Scene 4: Recitativo: 'Il Dottor non si vede' (Norina)
Act One, Scene 5: Duetto: 'Bueno nove, Norina' (Malatesta, Norina)
Act One, Scene 5: 'Mi volete fiera' (Norina, Malatesta)
Act One, Scene 5: 'Vado, carro' (Norina, Malatesta)
Act Two, Scene I: Recitaativo: 'Povero Ernesto' (Ernesto) - Luca Canonici
Act Two, Scene I: Aria: 'Cerchero lontanna terra' (Ernesto) - Luca Canonici
Act Two, Scene I: 'E se fia che as altro oggeto' (Ernesto) - Luca Canonici
Act Two, Scene 2: Recitativo: 'Quando avrete introdotto' (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier

Tracks:

Terzetto: 'Via, da brava' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Don Pasquale)
'Non Abbiate paura' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Don Pasquale)
'Misecordia' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Don Pasquale)
'Fra da una parte' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Ernesto) (Notario) (Don Pasquale)
'Pria di parttir' (Ernesto) (Norina) (Malatesta) (Don Pasquale)
'Questo contratto adunque' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Ernesto) (Notario) (Don Pasquale)
'Un uom qual voi decrepito' (Malatessta) (Norina) (Ernesto) (Don Pasquale)
'E rinasto la impietrato' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Don Pasquale) (Ernesto)
'Riunita immantinente' (Norina) (Don Pasquale) (Malatesta) (Ernesto)
'Io? Io?' (Don Pasquale) (Ernesto) (Norina) (Malatesta)
'I Diamanti, presto, presto' (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Ferro
Recitativo: 'Vediamo, alla modestia' (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Duetto: 'Signorina in tanta fretta' (Don Pasquale)
'E finita, Don Pasquale' (Don Pasquale) (Norina)
'Via caro sposino' (Norina) (Don Pasquale)
'Qualche nota di cuffie e di merlatti' (Don Pasquale)
'Che interminabile andirivieni' - Gabriel Ferro
Recitativo: 'Siamo intesi' (Malatesta) (Ernesto) - Luca Canonici
Recitativo: 'Don Pasquale' (Malatesta) (Don Pasquale) - Gabriel Bacquier
Duetto: 'Chetti, cheti, immantinente' (Don Pasquale) (Malatesta) - Gabriel Bacquier
'Aspetta, aspetta' (Don Pasquale) (Malatesta) - Gabriel Bacquier
Sereneta: 'Com e genti' (Ernesto) - Luca Canonici
'Tornami a dir che m'ami (Norina) (Ernesto)
'Eccoli, attenti ben' (Don Pasquale) (Malatesta) (Norina)
'Eccomi' (Ernesto) (Malatesta) (Norina) (Don Pasquale)
'Bravo, bravo, Don Pasquale' (Malatesta) (Norina) (Ernesto) (Don Pasquale)

Customer Reviews:

Themeless Opera.......2006-10-19

As far as I know this work of 1843 is the last major opera buffa to be composed unless the definition of the genre is expanded to include works like Verdi's Falstaff. Although the recording booklet states that Don Pasquale is Donizetti's "undoubted comic masterpiece," I prefer L'Elisir D'Amore (1832), a less formulaic work labeled a "melodrama." There is nothing wrong with formulaic art as long as the formula means something. Paisiello's opera buffa Astrologi Immaginari (1779) satirizes dilettante pretensions to being a "philosopher" and thus disposes of a vestige of Renaissance culture that was fading away after 1740. Paisiello's opera makes good sense and is perfectly matched by the music. I find it more difficult to assign meaning to Don Pasquale; and the opera may well appeal to audiences interested in themeless "mere entertainment." The work synthesizes Rossini's approach to instrumental music with Bellini's style of flowing bel canto arias. The appeal of bel canto might be described as a physical sensation. All art depends on sensation. But opera consists of drama, and themeless drama makes no sense. The recording booklet reports that at Paris, "The critics found the subject somewhat threadbare." Themeless work could not compete, for example, with the striking historical settings of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots and Le Prophete or even with Bellini's Norma and I Puritani. The contrast between these operas and Don Pasquale is analogous to the one between the rich historical settings of Sir Walter Scott's novels and the uncolored, if intelligently worked out settings of Jane Austen. In appreciating Don Pasquale, one must develop a taste for Plain Jane and set aside "Robert the Devil." As Dr. Malatesta sings in Act I, Scene 5, "You have to play the simpleton." Ironically Donizetti based his most popular opera Lucia di Lammermoor on a Scott novel.

Forget the others - buy this one!.......2003-10-02

I originally purchased the RCA Red Seal recording of this opera with Bruson-Mei-Lopardo-Allen never having heard the work before. While the Red Seal recording certainly did not sound bad, I couldn't help but think that, as the heroine, Mei missed a lot of opportunities to hit those incredible highs that Donizetti is so famous for. Since I wasn't familiar with the work, I only assumed that she opted to go an octave lower than Donizetti had originally intended for the part. Well, sure enough I finally saw the opera performed live in San Jose and was blown away by all the highs that the soprano hit throughout the show. I immediately purchased this recording to see if the Norina in this particular performance (Barbara Hendricks) offered a more gutsy performance and boy does she ever! Mei's voice on the Red Seal recording is undeniably beautiful, but Hendricks simply blows her out of the water with all of her vocal fireworks in this recording. The orchestras and male performers are equally good in both, but if you love the sound of a bel canto soprano hitting an incredible high note, then forget about the RCA recording and go for this one instead.

Average customer rating:

Real Life Game
Miro
Manufacturer: M2U
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000LZPU5E

Product Description

Korean Exclusive Release. Packaged in LP Miniature Cover. 8 Tracks.

Symposium Opera Collection 8: Florence Easton

Average customer rating:

Symposium Opera Collection 8: Florence Easton
Easton , Crimi , Verdi , Puccini , Bizet , and Wagner
Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000657XE
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Essere O Non Essere? Essere, Essere, Essere!

Average customer rating:

Great Italian prog with jazz rock flourishes
Ecstatic, Period.
Excellent Italian prog rock
Instrumental prog rock from Italy

Essere O Non Essere? Essere, Essere, Essere!
Il Volo
Manufacturer: Pidm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004WFF2
Release Date: 1999-02-01

Tracks:

Gente in Amore
Medio Oriente 249000 Tutto Compreso
Canto di Lavoro
Essere
Alcune Scene
Svegliandomi Con Te Alle Sei del Mattino
Canti E Suoni

Album Description

Reissue of 1975 album by the Italian prog rock outfit, complete with the original artwork and all six of the cuts that first graced it. 1999 BMG Ariola S.p.A. release. The full title is 'Essere O Non Essere? Essere, Essere, Essere!'.

Customer Reviews:

Great Italian prog with jazz rock flourishes .......2006-09-03

The world of Italian prog really is a great place and this mellow 1975 album certainly adds to the overall quality. In contrast with a lot of prog albums from Italy however, where European classical typically sat in the driver's seat, there are some jazz rock overtones on this album. As such, this album can be neatly lumped with releases by Arti + Mestieri and the late 1976-1977 output of PFM. As a fan of both prog and jazz rock, I enjoyed this album quite a lot although there were tiny moments that sounded just a teeny tiny bit dated. They were far and few between however and did not ruin the listening experience in any way.

The six tracks on the album are pretty short and range from 4'00" to 6'14" - each track is distinct from one another and the six tracks are not arranged in a suite.

Musically, this is largely an instrumental album (about 95%), although there are brief sections where both wordless vocals and vocals (in Italian) are featured. The vocals really are not too bad at all and are typically heavily electronically altered with a lot of echo on them. In terms of instrumentation this is a very keyboard heavy album (e.g. moog, string synthesizer, Hammond organ, acoustic piano, electric piano, clavinet), along with the standard bass guitar, drums, and electric guitar lineup. I think that I also heard the occasional electric sitar bit and a host of percussion instruments are used as well, e.g. tablas, chimes etc.

Like a lot of Italian prog, the ensemble work is fantastic and the use of melodies is unrivaled. All of the musicians are pretty good although there is very little in the way of the breakneck tempos and wildly virtuosic soling that is characteristic of much jazz rock. In fact, I guess it is this property, combined with the abundant use of melodies that places them more fully in the prog camp rather than the jazz rock camp.

Although the production is OK, it is a bit muddy and bass/drum heavy and many of the keyboard instruments are buried deep in the mix. This is unfortunate because the keyboardist is excellent. One other minor drawback is the fact that at 30'48", this album is really, really short. However, I feel that the overall quality of the music more than makes up for the low production values and the brevity.

In summation, I would have to say that this album would make an excellent addition to the Italian prog collection and might also appeal to more open minded jazz rock fans as well. Highly recommended along with stylistically similar Italian albums including Tilt (Arti + Mestieri, 1974), Chocolate Kings (PFM, 1976), and Jet Lag (PFM, 1977).

Ecstatic, Period........2003-06-13

Well, I don't think all of the songs on this CD are great. But you SHOULD have this amazing CD for the last track, Canti e Suoni. I have a huge collection of progressive rocks but there are only a couple of songs I think 'Ecstatic'. One is 'the onlything she needs' by UK (79 Danger money), and 'Canti e Suoni'. Generally I don't buy a CD only for a song or two but this was a true exception. I hardly bother with the other songs on this CD. Canti e Suoni is what I want from this CD. And beautiful album jacket is a bonus. Strongly recommened! ---------Young

Excellent Italian prog rock.......2001-11-03

Il Volo is yet another one of those Italian prog bands that released a couple of albums then went their separate ways. Il Volo was actually a supergroup consisting of some of the best musicians from Italy's pop and prog scene. And while "supergroup" might spell bad news to many people (look at Asia, for example), Il Volo has everything I like so well of the best qualities of prog from the mid 1970s. Two of the members I know for sure came from Formula 3, Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi. There were also members of Osage Tribe and some other bands I'm not aware of or don't remember. While I only have one Formula 3 album, Sognando e Risognando (1972), it sounds much like PFM and ELP with some experimental passages. Il Volo's Essere o Non Essere, from 1975, which is their second and final release doesn't sound much like the Formula 3 album I have at all. In fact their music tends to be a more funk oriented prog sound that was typical of many bands of the time, like Eela Craig (particularly One Niter) and Goblin (like on Roller). None of the music has elaborate solos, it sounds like a real band effort so each member gets his chance to be heard. The music is really easy to get in to as well. There's often a '70s hi-tech feel to these songs as well, one of the cuts, "Alcune Scene", particularly the string synths, sounds like it should belong on a sci-fi film. The instruments are typical of prog, drums, bass, acoustic guitar, clavinet, electric piano, synthesizers, string synths, and sax (although it sounds more like a Computone Lyricon, which was an electronic wind instrument). Most of the occasional vocals are wordless, so it's mainly instrumental. There's not a bad moment on this album, and I am rather surprised that not everyone likes this album. Certainly it's not particularly complex or challenging, but it's still a truly amazing example of what prog was all about in the 1970s, and is definately right up your alley if you like Goblin's Roller and Eela Craig's One Niter.

Instrumental prog rock from Italy.......2001-05-05

Il Volo was an Italian progressive rock band that released two albums. (This supergroup included former members of Formula 3 and Osage Tribe.) Their music has all the usual keyboard works together with some electric guitar play. This album was their second from 1975 and sounds like a colder and jazzier version of typical Italian symphonic prog rock like PFM, Le orme and Banco. It contains a mainly instrumental work but some fine musicianship ,inventive arrangements and production.

Tracks:

Rodelinda - Act II, Scene 3: Spietati
Rodelinda - Act I, Scene 7: Ombre, piante, urne funeste!
Riccardo I - Act III, 8: Il volo cosi fido
Guilio Cesare - Act II, 8: Se pieta di me non senti
Guilio Cesare - Act III, 3: Piangero la sorte mia
Guilio Cesare - Act III, Scene 6: Da tempeste il legno infranto
Scipione - Act II, Scene 8: Scoglio d'immota fronte
Ottone - Act I, Scene 3: Falsa immagine
Ottone - Act I, Scene 10: Affanni del pensier
Tamerlano - Act I, Scene 5: Se non mi vuol amar
Alessandro - Act III, Scene 4: L'Amor che per te sento
Flavio - Scene I, Act 13: Amante stravagante

Customer Reviews:

Full of Handelian Esprit.......2006-06-18

George Frideric Handel (1685 -1759), Arias for Cuzzoni. Lisa Saffer, soprano; Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conducted from the harpsichord by Nicholas McGegan. Recorded November 1990 at Skywalker Sound, Nicasio, California. Released as Harmonia Mundi HMU 907036; also available on HMX 2907171.74. Total time: 72'19".

Francesca Cuzzoni (d. 1770) was one of two Italian soprano “prima donnas” that Handel kept busy at his opera houses in London during the 1720’s and 1730’s. As one can well imagine, the two of them were not on the best of terms, and it is said that it came to blows on stage, something that was made fun of a little later in Gay’s “Beggar’s Opera”. But despite the shortcomings in her character, Cuzzoni appears to have been a wonderful singer, eliciting from some bright spark the memorable phrase: “Damme, she has a nest of nightingales in her belly.” Handel penned a large number of his finest arias with Cuzzoni in mind, and the most difficult decision facing Lisa Saffer and Nic McGegan when they planned this CD of “Arias for Cuzzoni” must have been, which ones to leave out. In the end they made, I think, a fair choice, with two arias each from “Rodelinda” and “Ottone”, three of Cleopatra’s airs from “Giulio Cesare in Egitto”, and single numbers from “Ricardo Primo”, “Scipione”, “Tamerlano”, “Alessandro” and “Flavio.” A further great decision they made was to include the preceding recitative before each aria, thus creating a little bit of context: Handel’s da capo arias were not really intended for a 72 minute recital by a single singer, and the recitatives provide small breaks and introduce the listener at the same time to the situation and the emotions involved in the following aria.

As with David Thomas on his “Arias for Montagnana”, there have been differences of opinion concerning Lisa Saffer’s performance here; and as there, I think this is probably just a matter of taste: personally, I enjoyed Lisa Saffer’s singing greatly, although I did detect some hardness of timbre in exposed passages. Ms Saffer is technically brilliant, but her voice is relatively small, so that I felt she had to replace emotional intensity with brilliant modulation and ornamentation. I compared the “Giulio Cesare” arias on the disc with Roberta Alexander’s performance with the Concentus Wien under Harnoncourt, recorded a couple of years earlier, and came to the conclusion that Lisa Saffer could not match Ms Alexander’s emotional expressivity. On the other hand, Saffer’s voice seems to be more appropriate to the “early music” style – and the McGegan disc is, from the standpoint of both orchestra and engineering, at least head and shoulders better than the Harnoncourt.

Even those who are not enamoured of Ms Saffer’s voice tend to admit that the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra gives a marvellous performance on this CD. The music is full of Handelian esprit and is captured more or less perfectly, including solos by Stephen Schulz, transverse flute, and Judith Linsenberg, recorder, and not to forget Nic McGegan himself at the harpsichord providing great continuo and sometimes more. It is a measure of the quality of the disc that I have just listened to it three times in a row and found myself loving it more each time.

Handel - Agrippina / D. Jones, A. Miles, Ragin, Chance, Brown, J. P. Kenny, von Otter, EBS, Gardiner

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a voice teacher and early music fan
An wonderful recording of this important opera that set Handel on his path to fame and history
Jones and Miles are fantastic
first class recording of one of Handel's finest operas
Absolute Genius from young Handel.

Handel - Agrippina / D. Jones, A. Miles, Ragin, Chance, Brown, J. P. Kenny, von Otter, EBS, Gardiner
Michael Chance , Donna Brown , George Mosley , Jonathan Peter Kenny , Anne Sofie von Otter , and English Baroque Soloists
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041JV
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Agrippina: Sinfonia
Agrippina: Act One : Recitativo - Nerone, amato, figlio! (Agrippina, Nerone)
Agrippina: Aria - Col saggio tuo consiglio (Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Per cosrande impresa (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - La mia sorte fortunata
Agrippina: Recitativo - Or che Pallante into (Agrippina,)
Agrippina: Aria - Volo pronto, e lieto il core
Agrippina: Recitativo - Quanto fa,quanto puote (Agrippina); Aria - L'alma mia fra le tempeste (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Arioso - Qual piacere a un cor pietoso (Nerone); Recitativo - Prendi tu ancora, prendi (Nerone); Arioso - Ma rassembra tormentoso (Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Amici, al sen vi stringo (Nerone, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Voi, Che dell'alta Roma (Agrippina); Quartetto - Il tuo figlio (Pallante, Narciso, Agrippina, Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Ma qual di liete trombe (Agrippina); Arietta - Allegrezza, allegrezza!; Recitativo - Che sento! (Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Alle tue piante, o Augusta (Ottone, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - Tu ben degno (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - L'ultima del gior meta gradita (Ottone); Aria - Lusinghiera mia speranza (Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Vagne perle, eletti fiori (Poppea)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Otton, Claudio, Nerone (Poppea, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - E un foco quel d'amore (Poppea)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Ma qui Agrippina viene (Poppea, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - Ho un non so nel cor (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Cieli,quai strani casi; Aria - Fa quanto vuoi
Agrippina: Recitativo - Non veggo alcun
Agrippina: Aria - Pur ritorno a rimirarvi (Claudio)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Ma, oh ciel, mestra e confusa (Claudio)
Agrippina: Arietta - Vieni, o cara (Claudio)

Tracks:

Agrippina: Act One : Recitativo - Che mai faro (Poppea, Claudio); Terzetto - E quando mai i frutti (Claudio, Poppea); Recitativo - Pur al fin si riando (Poppea, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - Non ho cor che per amarti (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Se Ottone m'inganno (Poppea); Aria - Se giunge un dispetto (Poppea)
Agrippina: Act Two : Recitativo - Dunque noi siam traditi?
Agrippina: Aria - Coronato il crin d'alloro (Ottone); Recitativo - Roma, piu ch'il trionfo (Ottone, Agrippina, Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Ecco il superbo (Agrippina, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone)
Agrippina: Coro - Di timpani e trombe (Poppea, Nerone, Agrippina, Ottone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Nelle Britannia vinta (Claudio); Aria - Cade il mondo soggiogato(Claudio)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Signor, quanto il mio core (Agrippina, Claudio, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone)
Nulla sperar da me (Agrippina); Recitativo - E tu, Poppea (Ottone); Aria - Tuo ben l trono (Poppea); Recitativo -Soccorri almen, Nerone! (Ottone); Aria - Sotto il lauro ch'hai sul crine (Agrippina); Recitativo - Scherzo son del destino (Ottone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Otton,qual portentoso fulmine (Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Voi che udite il mio lamento (Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Bella pur del mio diletto (Poppea); Recitativo - Il tormento d'Ottone (Poppea)
Agrippina: Arioso - Vaghe fonti (Ottone); Recitativo - Ma qui che veggo, oh cieli! (Ottone); Recitativo - Ottone traditore! (Poppea, Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Ti vo'giusta e non pietosa (Ottone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Di quali ordite trame (Poppea, Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Pur al fine ti retrovo! (Poppea)
Agrippina: Aria - Col peso del tuo amor (Poppea)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Qual bramato piacere (Nerone); Aria -Quando invita la donna l'amante (Nerone)
Agrippina: Aria - Pensieri, voi mi tormentate! (Agrippina); Recitativo - Quel ch'oprai e soggetto a gran periglio (Agrippina); Aria - Pensieri, voi mi tormentate! (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Se ben nemica sorte (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria -Col raggio placido

Tracks:

Agrippina: Act Two : Recitativo - Di giunger non dispero al mio desire (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Aria - Spereroi che mel dice
Agrippina: Recitativo - Per dar la page al core (Agrippina, Claudio)
Agrippina: Aria - Basta sol che tu chieda (Claudio)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Favorevol la sorte oggi m'arride (Agrippina); Aria - Ogni vento ch'al porto lo spinga (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Act Three : Recitativo - Il caro Ottone al precipizio io spinsi (Poppea, Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Taceracerttone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Attendo qui Nerone e Claudio ancora (Poppea, Nerone, Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Coll'ardor del tuo bel core (Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Amico ciel, seconda il mio disegno (Poppea, Claudio, Nerone, Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Io di Roma il Giove sono (Claudio)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Pur al fin se ne andoppea, Ottone)
Agrippina: Aria - Pur ch'io ti stringa al sen (Ottone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Piega pur del mio cor (Poppea); Aria - Bel piacer (Poppea)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Cotanto osppea? (Agrippina, Nerone)
Agrippina: Aria - Come nube che fugge dal vento (Nerone)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Evvi donna piia? (Claudio, Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Adorato mio sposo (Agrippina, Claudio)
Agrippina: Aria - Se vuoi pace, o volto amato (Agrippina)
Agrippina: Recitativo - Ecco la mia rivale (Agrippina, Poppea, Nerone, Ottone, Claudio)
Agrippina: Coro - Lieto il Tebro inscrespi l'onda
Agrippina: Recitativo - D'Otton e di Poppea sul grande innesto; Aria - V'accendano le tede
Agrippina: Ballo

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-05-20

May I Please award this l0 stars!!!!Every singer in this opera was first-rate. And imagine having that great duo of countertenors :Michael Chance and Derek Ragin together again as in the opera "Tamerlano". IN addition, we have Jonathan Kenny another countertenor who sings quite well. This opera gave Handel the first great popular triumph of his career. It was composed while he was visiting Italy in 1706. The story is about Agrippina who was Nero's mother and her manipulations to get him the throne from the emperor Claudius. The situations are full of humour, but for the most part, the characters are motivated by strong, even passionate impulses. Michael Chance portrays "Ottone" the commander of the imperial army and the one who is deceived thruout the entire opera until the end when (believe it or not) everybody gets what they want. The voices of Chance and Ragin make a nice contrast:Chance's voice: rich, mellow filling up his entire body with sound;Ragin's voice: lighter, strong prone to more vibrato and ornaments. This opera is a marvelous listening treat; worth the effort it will be to purchase it.

An wonderful recording of this important opera that set Handel on his path to fame and history.......2005-10-31

Some believe that it was the brilliance of this opera that led to Handel being invited to London. Handel was reluctant to write because he didn't see any advantage to doing all that work. However, he was persuaded and set it to a brilliant libretto by Vincenzo Grimani. Apparently the entire opera was written in only a few weeks. Some dispute this because of the quality of the writing, but contemporary testimony and Handel's fast work habits lead others to believe this accomplishment to be true.

Beyond the names, general moral depravity, and a broad historical shape, this is not an historical story. Some see it as simple a comedy of courtly manners, but others see some sly commentary on the War of Succession that was then ongoing. When Charles II died he bequeathed the crown to Phillip V much to the consternation of Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor, who wanted to maintain his territory intact. In this opera, Claudius names Otho his successor much to the consternation of Agrippina.

The opera opens when Agrippina receives news that Claudius has died at sea. She seizes the opportunity to advance her son, Nero, to be named Emperor. However, just before he can be crowned, Claudius arrives. He had been saved by Otho and in gratitude named him his successor. Agrippina cannot confront him directly but uses her knowledge of Claudius and his lust for Poppea to spring her trap and it almost works.

Poppea is a beauty who trades on that, but if she cares for anyone it is Otho, but she cannot deny the Emperor. It also turns out that Nero has improper desires for her as well. It is Nero's chasing her that actually undoes Agrippina's plan, but in the end all works out. Agripina gets her son names to the throne, Poppea gets Otho, and Claudius gets some peace and quiet.

The music is marvelous. It is important to remember that opera was only a century old at this time; about the same distance from the beginning of football or maybe basketball to our present time. Certain aspects of the recitative and aria had certainly been developed and made more brilliant, but there was much left to explore in the form. Handel added a great deal to the expressiveness and character development in his creative use of music appropriate to the character, for example Claudius is given wide leaps and musical lines the emphasize his clumsy and awkward qualities. These are qualities Handel develops over his career writing dozens of brilliant operas.

In this opera the roles of Nero, a boy still learning evil from his mother, was written for a castrato, but sung here by the brilliant countertenor Derek Lee Ragin. Otho was originally written for a woman, but sung here by the terrific countertenor Michael Chance. Agrippina is given all her devious splendor by Della Jones, and Poppea's beautiful shrewdness by Donna Brown. Claudius requires a very special bass voice that can plumb the depths down to the C below the staff and Alistair Miles is simply wonderful in the role.

This is a treasure of a recording of a very important opera to Handel's career. Starting with "Rinaldo" Handel wrote more brilliant operas, and others that were more subtle. However, this was the one that got him the attention that set him on the course of fame and history.

Jones and Miles are fantastic.......2001-10-03

I'll stay out of the pro/contra countertenor argument- I am by far most impressed with Della Jones and Alastair Miles. They sing their music magnificently, not just with generally impeccable technique but with as much drama as any Verdi opera. No boring stand and sing baroque nonsense with these two. Miles has a big, rich, incisive, gorgeous basso that could sing Verdi, yet has no trouble with the coloratura. Beautiful diction and full understanding in the delivery of his recitative (Donna Brown deserves credit in this area as well).

It is almost needless to say, but Della Jones delivers her usual hgihly involved, totally committed performance with complete conviction. Every word from scheming Agrippina is invested with meaning- when do baroque recitiatives (which can be so tiresome) sound this exciting? Her arias could hardly be better sung, with beautiful line in her slow solos and accuracy at high speed in the fast coloratura. Nothing is tossed off as mere display- she sacrifices tone for dramatic expression, but just a couple of times. A real tour de force for Jones, and more justification for my impulse to buy any recording with her name on it without having to hear it first.

first class recording of one of Handel's finest operas.......2000-11-18

When it comes to recordings of Handel's Agrippina there is admitedly little to choose from. Fortunately the two recodings we have available are excellent and either will give you a fine representation of the score. Ultimately it will come down to which conductor you prefer: Gardiner versus Mcegan. Gardiner seems to favor a more dramatic, and slightly slower approach, to the music. The orchestra really crackles in the fast numbers ("lalma fra le tempeste", etc.) in a way that Mcegans do not. I miss something of Mcegans lightness and finesse at times, but Gardiners dramatic take on the music is undeniably well executed by his forces. The singers are an interesting lot and I mean this in the best way possible. Della Jones flies through Agrippinas spiky coloratura with extraordinary ease and her highly unique true mezzo helps to give the character necessary venom. Her countrerpart on the Mcegan set is the very fine Sally Hayword who sings coloratura as brilliantly as Della Jones and makes up for what she may lack in vocal juice with a keen verbal sense. Donna Brown has a juicier voice than Lisa Safer on the Mcegan set. She sings Poppeas virtuosic music exceedingly well and creates a compelling character. As for Nerone, Derek Lee Ragin frankly sounds uncomfortable with the soprano tessitura of his part (the part lies higher than Agrippinas part) but when coloratura is called for he delivers brilliantly. On the Mcegan set Ottone is sung by the fine Drew Minter and while his slightly chalky voice may not be the most beautiful sound in the world he uses it with such complete musicality and strong sense of Handelian style that it makes up for any vocal shortcomings. Michael Chance sings well as Ottone on the Gardiner set but I find the voice a little colorless and uninteresting. I miss something of Minters dramatic fire. Miles is a very good Claudio. His voice is more cupo than we are used to hearing in Handel's music nowadays but he handles the fiendishly wide ranging coloratura so well that he seems beyond reproach. The supporting players are better on the Gardiner set including the added bonus of Ann Sofie von Otter singing as stylishly as ever as Giunone.

Absolute Genius from young Handel........2000-11-03

This recording of Handel's 3 opera, is indispensable. The voices are beuatiful, and the music, (as always) is beuatiful and gorgeous. The leading role of Agrippina, Della Jones, is great, the Nerone, Derek Lee Regin, is great in the soprano role. I had never Ragin's voice before, when I heard this, I thought a real female soprano was singing this, this man is great! The Claudio is a little to cupo, I think he sould back off some, the two henchmen are also good. And of course, Anne sofie, and Micheal Chance are always great. The orchestra is on Period instruments, which I very much appreciate (thank you so much John Eliot Gardiner) and of course, Gardiner is a great Handel interpreter. The orchestra is very crisp, and very good on the slow tempi arias, and brisk and quick on the bravuratura arias. The Beautiful, gorgeous aria, in the second act of this opera, "Voi che uditi il mio lamenti" is absolutely beautiful, the rythmic balance, Polyphony are genius, and this is why I love Handel's Music. The Arias are gorgeous, and the music is always great. I cannot begin to complement Gardiner, and the english Baroque Soloists on their porformance of this opera. The tempi is great, and I will always cherish this recording for ever. Buy this it is worth it's money!

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Il Volo
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Manufacturer: Numero Uno
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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