| 1. Nativita |
| 2. Icaro |
| 3. Dolce Sorella |
| 4. Un Cane |
| 5. E Svegliarsi In Un Giorno |
| 6. Cammellandia |
Editorial Reviews
Japanese limited edition reissue of the progressive rock act's 1973 album, packaged in a miniature gatefold LP sleeve. RCA. 2004.
Opera Prima,Paolo Rustichelli,Carlo Bordini,Bmg/RCA,Rock,Rock/Pop
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Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera: The Original London Cast Recording (1986 London Cast)
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000001FLQ Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Think Of Me
- Angel Of Music
- The Mirror (Angel Of Music)
- The Phantom Of The Opera
- The Music Of The Night
- Prima Donna
- All I Ask Of You/Reprise
- Entr'acte
- Masquerade
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- The Point Of No Return
- Down Once More.../Track Down This Murderer
Amazon.com
Highlight versions of cast recordings are by definition a compromise, and this reduction of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera is no exception. Weighing in at 59 minutes, it's over 40 minutes shorter than the two-disc version, excising many musical scenes that convey the flow and impact of the show (which include, admittedly, a lot of patter and screaming). On the other hand, all the hits are here--"Think of Me," "Angel of Music," the title tune, "The Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You," "Masquerade," and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"--and Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman are still on hand to make their distinctive contributions to the original London cast. So if you're looking for a convenient, inexpensive single disc that will let you enjoy Lloyd Webber's scrumptious melodies without having to immerse yourself in the action, this just might be for you. --David HoriuchiCustomer Reviews:
Music of the Night????????.......2007-02-28
Great short version!.......2006-12-06
A long time favorite.......2006-08-26
The Best Recording of this Show Available.......2006-04-21
1)It has the original Broadway cast, the best.
2)It cuts out the more risqu? parts of the show (believe me, there are some), making it "appropriate for the whole family."
3)The entire CD is on one disc, so you can go through the show w/o switching discs.
4)The only song that the movie soundtrack has on it that this doesn't is "Learn to Be Lonely," which appears in the credits, and isn't really a great song anyways.
Great CD.......2006-03-14
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Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites
Manufacturer: Castle Pulse ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0009SOFXG Release Date: 2005-08-01 |
Tracks:
- Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (CWM Rhondda) - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
- Land of My Fathers - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
- Dies Irae
- Men of Harlech
- You'll Never Walk Alone
- Cadwyn O Emyn Donau Cymreig: Joanna (Trad./Elfion Wyn)/Crugybar (Trad.
- Old Folks at Home
- Il Liza Jane
- Faust/Soldier's Chorus - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
- Vergine Degli Angeli
- Ballard of Rourke's Drift - Cwt-Y-Collen Choir
- My Hero
- God Bless the Prince of Wales - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
- German Mass/Gloria
- German Mass/Sanctus
- Misbles/Master of the House/On My Own/Drink with Me/Empty Chairs at
- All Through the Night - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
- Arwelfa
- Invictus
- Softly as I Leave You
Tracks:
- Diolch l'R L
- Hine E Hine (Maori Lullaby)
- Pererin Wyf (Amazing Grace)
- Tribute to the USA: America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates)/God Bless ...
- Memories of Martha
- I Lombardi/The Crusaders' Chorus - Treorchy Male Choir
- Myfanwy - Treorchy Male Choir
- Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
- Creation's Hymn
- In the Spirit!
- Shall We Gather at the River
- Nos a Bore
- Very Best Time of Year
- Soon Ah Will Be Done
- Thanks Be to God
- Flower That Shattered the Stone
- Rhys - Treorchy Male Choir
- Where Shall I Be?
- Bywyd y Bugail
- Lord's Prayer
Tracks:
- Ave Maria
- Pearl Fishers/Divine Brahma
- She Was Beautiful (Cavatina) - Treorchy Male Choir
- Cymru Fach
- Nidaros
- Jacob's Ladder - Treorchy Male Choir
- Watching the Wheat
- Pan Ddaw y Saint (When the Saints Go Marching In)
- Misbles/Stars
- Rachie
- Pirates of Penzance/With Cat-Like Tread - Treorchy Male Choir
- There Is a Balm in Gilead
- Rise Up Shepherd and Foller
- My Lord, What a Mornin'
- Bryn Myrddin
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Medley: Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna/The Last
- Finnish Forest (Suomen Salossa)
- Nabucco/The Glory of Israel
- Ride the Chariot
- Tydi a Roddaist - Treorchy Male Choir
Tracks:
- Y Nefoedd
- Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
- Morte Christe (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
- By Babylon's Wave
- I'm Gonna Sing
- Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
- Holy City - Treorchy Male Choir
- Mefistofele: Ave Signor, Degli Angeli
- Senzenina (Zulu Chant)
- That's All I Want from You
- Deep Harmony - Treorchy Male Choir
- Give Me Jesus
- Just a Closer Walk with Thee
- My Wish for You
- Jeptha/Waft Her Angels
- Mose in Egitto/Prayer
- Be Still My Soul (Finlandia Hymn)
- God's Choir in the Sky
- Floral Dance - Treorchy Male Choir
- Smilin' Through
Tracks:
- Calon Lan
- True Love
- Mor Fawr Wyt Ti (How Great Thou Art)
- Aberystwyth
- Comrades in Arms
- Cats/Memory
- They Led My Lord Away
- State Fair/It's a Grand Night for Singing
- When I Fall in Love
- Let's Face the Music and Dance
- Windmills of Your Mind
- How Soon
- Non Nobis Domine
- Rhythm of Life
- Kalinka
- Sound an Alarm
- Neapolitan Trilogy: It's Now or Never (Di Capua/Schroeder/Gold)/Mo ...
- Turandot/Nessun Dorma
- Christus Redemptor
- Ann Evening's Pastorale
Album Details
Choirs Include the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Pontadrddulais Male Voice Choir, the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, the Cwrt-y-gollen Choir, the Treorchy Male Choir and the Lucknow Male Voice Choir.
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Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun dorma (Arias & Duets)
Luciano Pavarotti , Mirella Freni , and Katia Ricciarelli Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004Z32N Release Date: 2001-03-27 |
Tracks:
- La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Brindisi)
- Werther: Pourquoi me reveiller
- L'Elisir d'Amore: Una parola ... Chiedi all'aura
- La Gioconda: Cielo e mar
- La Traviata: Parigi, o cara
- L'africana: Mi batte il cor ... O paradiso
- Turandot: Nessun dorma
- Petite Messe solennelle: Domine Deus
- Requiem: Ingemisco
- La Traviata: Lungi da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
- Macbeth: Ah, la paterna mano
- I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere
- Otello: Gia nella notte densa
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The MARIO LANZA Collection
Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003F6V Release Date: 1991-11-12 |
Tracks:
- Be My Love
- I'll Never Love You
- Because You're Mine
- The Song Angels Sing
- Drink, Drink, Drink
- Serenade
- The Loveliest Night of the Year
- La Donna E Mobile
- Because
- For You Alone
- Golden Days
- Deep In My Heart, Dear
- If I Loved You
- Yours Is My Heart Alone
- One Night Of Love
- Beloved
- Beautiful Love
- With A Song In My Heart
- You Are My Love
- Call Me Fool
Tracks:
- All The Things You Are
- My Song,My Love
- Love Is The Sweetest Thing
- Will You Remember
- Granada
- Lolita
- Serenade
- Temptation
- Lygia
- Lady of Spain
- This Land
- Lee-Ah-Loo
- Tina-Lina
- Boom Biddy Boom Boom
- The Bayou Lullaby
- The Lord's Prayer
- And Here You Are
- Song of Songs
- Somewhere A Voice Is Calling
- I Never Knew
Tracks:
- Ciribiribin
- Wonder Why
- Come Dance With Me
- O Sole Mio
- Younger Than Springtime
- For the First Time (Come Prima)
- Never Till Now
- Arrivederci, Roma
- If You Were Mine
- Behold!
- A Night to Remember
- Love in a Home
- Do You Wonder
- Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
- One Alone
- Aida:Celeste Aida
- Carmen: Flower Song
- La Traviata: Brindisi
- Rigoletto:Questa O Quella
- Pagliacci:Vesti La Giubba
- Cavalleria Rusticana: Addio Alla Madre
Customer Reviews:
Selections from the Greatest Voice of the Last Hundred Years.......2007-03-13
I recommend this for those who already know Lanza to some extent but want to go into more depth and understand his marvelous skills.
A Must Have .......2006-12-12
The Mario Lanza Collection.......2006-11-10
The MARIO LANZA Collection.......2006-08-19
WONDERFUL!!!!!.......2005-10-19
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Essential Verdi
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000056JSW Release Date: 2001-02-13 |
Tracks:
- Rigoletto: La donna e mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
- Nabucco: Va pesiero - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- La forza del destino: Overture - Kirov Orchestra
- La Traviata: Un di felice - Joan Sutherland
- I Vespri Siciliani: Merce dilette amiche - Maria Chiara
- La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Joan Sutherland
- Il Trovatore: Di quella pira - Jose Carreras
- Il Trovatore: Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
- Il Trovatore: Stride la vampa! - Stefania Toczyska
- Aida: Ritorna vincitor! - Leontyne Price
- Don Carlo: Dio che nell'alma infondere - Carlo Bergonzi
- La Traviata: Prelude - Orchestra E Coro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
- Rigoletto: Caro nome - Joan Sutherland
- Don Carlo: O don fatale - Olga Borodina
- Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi! Celeste Aida - Carlo Bergonzi
- Emani: Ernani! Ernani involami - Joan Sutherland
- Un Ballo in Maschera: Di tu se fedele - Jussi Bjorling
- Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro ma prima in grazia - Margaret Price
- Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido - Luciano Pavarotti
- Aida: Gloria all'Egitto - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Tracks:
- Requiem: Dies irae - Wiener Philharmoniker
- La forza del destino: Pace pace mio Dio - Angela Gheorghiu
- Rigoletto: Questa o quella - Carlo Bergonzi
- Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell'amore - Luciano Pavarotti
- Otello: Ave Maria - Renee Fleming
- La Traviata: Parigi o cara - Frank Lopardo
- Macbeth: Ah la paterna mano - Luciano Pavarotti
- Il Trovatore: Squilli echeggi la tromba guerriera - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
- Don Carlo: O Carlo ascolta - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
- Requiem: Ingemisco - Luciano Pavarotti
- Simon Baccanegra: Come in quest'ora bruna - Kiri Te Kanawa
- Macbeth: Salve o Re! Si colmi il calice - Lucia Aliberti
- Aida: O patria mia - Leontyne Price
- I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere - Placido Domingo
- Aida: Lo sguardo avea degli angeli - Montserrat Caballe
- La forza del destino: Solenne in quest'ora - Nikolai Putilin
- Macbeth: Patria opressa - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
- Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte - Katia Ricciarelli
- I due Foscari: Dal piu remoto esilio - Odio solo ed odio atroce - Jose Carreras
- Don Carlo: Spuntato ecco il di esultanza - Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano
Customer Reviews:
OKAY, TAKE ME AWAY........2006-01-20
Last summer we had an incredible 20th anniversary trip to Italy. As a side trip from Venice, we planned a night in Verona. Neither my wife or I had been to an opera.
Is this how its supposed to be...
...an incredible star filled night with a three quarter moon, the largest stage and outdoor theatrical production on the planet, all taking place in a roman colleseum (arena) built in 180 a.d., an incredible colorful set and production with a full symphony orchestra and voices that don't come easy. Aida.
Now I know what all the hpye is as you opera fans sure are lucky to have such a beautiful setting for all your productions.
Okay, we got spoiled. But I also found myself getting spoiled on the Italian composer Verdi.
For me, this set is not only a "take me back to Verona" trip, but a great introduction to Verdi's other works. With some of the biggest names in the opera world in starring roles, I listened to both discs twice the first night they arrived.
And, of course, we are planning a return trip to Verona in the very near future to see some more Verdi...perhaps Nabucco or Otello or Macbeth...I'll even settle for Aida again. It was such a magical experience and a superb introduction to opera and Verdi.
This set continues that magical moment for us and provides a great introduction to a master of the opera...Verdi.
Great music...stunning recording quality.......2002-11-01
Incredible.......2002-06-05
Just Stunning!.......2002-01-26
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Italian Renaissance Dances
Manufacturer: Hmf Classical Exp. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000059WLF Release Date: 2001-05-08 |
Tracks:
- Galliard III Based on "La Mantoana"
- Galliard
- Non Ha'l Ciel Cotanti Lumi - David Douglass, Ellen Hargis, Andrew Lawrence-King
- Qual Cadavero Spirante - David Douglass, Ellen Hargis, Andrew Lawrence-King
- Pavane II
- Se Pur Ver
- Dances from il Scolaro:Aria del Gran Duca
- Dances from il Scolaro:Gagliarda Di Santino Detto la Muzza
- Dances from il Scolaro:la Bergamesca
- Dances from il Scolaro: Basso Delle Ninfe
- Dances from il Scolaro: Bassa Gioiosa
- Dances from il Scolaro: Il Ceferino
- Gagliarda Falsa
- Lagrime d'Erminia - David Douglass, Ellen Hargis, Andrew Lawrence-King
- Sonatae Concertate, Book 2:Sonata XVI a 4
- O Durezza Di Ferro - David Douglass, Ellen Hargis, Andrew Lawrence-King
- Galliard
- DSoletto
- Galliard I, Known as "The Gallant One"
- Consonanze Stravaganti
Customer Reviews:
Thoroughly enjoyable.......2005-01-28
So give these performances a chance, because this disc is bursting with life and musicianship: The King's Noyse play like a group of old friends together; Andrew Lawrence-King's harp playing is enchanting, and Ellen Hargis produces richly nuanced, beautifully coloured and poignant performances of the laments. The whole mixture is delighful.
It's also superbly engineered: the sound is detailed, rich, vibrant and delicate. (It's set in a fairly warm acoustic, which may partly account for vvic's feeling of 'churchiness'.) A pity there are no sound samples here on Amazon.
I presume this is a re-release of an earlier disc. The budget savings come from corners cut in packaging - the booklet is fairly perfunctory, but as my Dad says, 'you pays your money. you takes your choice'!
ps. I'm a really terrible dancer!
Disappointed.......2003-05-04
Gratzi for the Italian Renaissance.......2002-03-24
I don't know if I should feel guilty for having spent so little on this CD or irritated that more CDs of this quality are not available at this price. The other releases I have heard from the Classical Express label have been as good. (e.g. Mozart Horn Concertos, French Love Songs)
refreshing, sprightly and fun.......2001-07-12
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Andrea Bocelli: Verdi
Zubin Mehta , Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , and Zubin Mehta Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004X16D Release Date: 2000-09-12 |
Tracks:
- Il Trovatore: Di quella pira (Il Trovatore)
- Il Trovatore: Ah si, ben mio (Il trovatore)
- Rigoletto: La donna e mobile (Rigoletto)
- Un Ballo in Maschera: Di'tu se fedele (Un ballo in maschera)
- Un Ballo in Maschera: Ma se m'e forza perditi (Un ballo in maschera)
- Rigoletto: Ella mi fu rapita (Rigoletto)
- Rigoletto: Possente amor mi chiama (Rigoletto)
- Aida: Celeste Aida (Aida)
- La Traviata: De' miei bollenti spiriti (La traviata)
- La Traviata: oh mio rimorso (La traviata)
- I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere vorrei (I lombardi)
- Ernani: Merce, diletti amici (Ernani)
- Don Carlo: Io la vidi e il suo sorriso (Don Carlo)
- Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido (Luisa Miller)
- La forza del destino: La vita e inferno all'infelice (La forza del destino)
Amazon.com Classical Music Reviews
With this CD devoted solely to operatic arias--by none less than Giuseppe Verdi, the greatest Italian opera composer of all time--pop crossover phenomenon Andrea Bocelli throws his hat into the operatic ring with the big boys. The hat occasionally fits, and occasionally it doesn't. The beauty of the voice is undeniable, as is the relative ease in all registers. But, regardless of what the engineers do, it is clearly a small voice. For "Celeste Aïda"--Radames's great aria from Aïda--Bocelli opens with fine, as-big-as-possible exclamation and sounds confident; the long diminuendo on the aria's final high B-flat is stunning (whether or not the engineers were twiddling with the knobs, we'll never know). The tenor is more at home with Alfredo's Act Two music from La Traviata; he sings with grace and charm, ending the rarely performed cabaletta (a brief and showy piece that usually follows an aria) with one of the longest, most solid high Cs ever recorded. Elsewhere, there are mixed results: "Di' tu se fedele" from Un ballo in maschera is so free of feeling that it seems digitally produced. A big, unnecessary high D at the close of the Duke's cabaletta "Possente amor" from Rigoletto is screamed, and Bocelli sounds at times as if he's about to collapse from exhaustion during a heavy aria from Ernani. But "Ah si, ben mio" from Il Trovatore is beautiful, as is the Luisa Miller aria; Don Carlo also seems to fit Bocelli well. Needless to say, the singer's fans will certainly want to have this--and it might encourage them to try other recordings of music by Verdi. Newcomers and the curious will find plenty to admire, too. The sound itself remains alluring, and Bocelli has taken steps also towards improving his technique. In short, some nice surprises for the opera lover, and many for the Bocelli fan. --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
Not as good as Amore.......2007-03-24
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-14
Lets face it; Bocelli is no Pavoratti, and perhaps it was not wise to choose some of the arias associated with tenors of his ilk, but Bocelli makes the best of his talents, which are considerable. And he has done a lot to create interest among young voice students,(male) and as a voice teacher I make use of his appearance and his youthfulness to engage their interest, and he does that!!!!I think his record sales tell the tale.
Verdi.......2007-01-03
The triumph of mediocrity.......2006-02-04
His tessitura is nowere near adequate for singing any of the arias from Rigoletto, "La donna è mobile" sounds much like a kid would sing it. "Celeste Aida" is one of the worst selections, and one of the most electronically enhanced, as it requires a precise voice placement (which Bocelli doesn't posses) since much of it lies very high in the register, and a heavier, rounder voice; if the role is not adequate for many REAL tenors, it is much less adequate for a pop singer. The "feeling" raving reviewers talk about is nothing more than a voice coming (incorrectly) from the throat, and the "beautiful" high D in "Possente amor" is a beautifully screamed falsetto, the same could be said about "Di quella pira"'s C; what's amazing about all this is the fact that electronic enhancement doesn't make his voice sound better. Some have ludicrously compared him to the likes of Vargas, Domingo, and Corelli, even saying he's better; this is nothing more than ignorance and bad taste.
Maybe his fans are tired of detractors bringing out the big names in their defense, so let's be honest: he's one of the WORST opera interpreters out there, I wish great singers like Mariusz Kwiecen, Matthew Polenzani, and René Pape received the publicity he gets, though it won't happen; at least some consolation lies in the fact that these people are true artists willingly and GLADLY offering their art to the people in order to make a living; I'm sure if Andrea didn't make so much $$$$ with his opera experiment, he would've dropped this travesty long ago.
no expert.......2005-12-17
So, obviously, I'm not in the position to compare Bocelli's arias to those of the tenors considered the greats. I can hear that his voice lacks the robustness of the Pavarottis of this world. BUT - I like many of the famous arias, and to my ear, Bocelli's performances, electronically enhanced or not, are melodic and pleasant to the ear. As a result of listening to Bocelli, I've become familiar with some great music that I would otherwise be likely to ignore.
So I listen and enjoy and really don't care about all the criticism.
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The Phantom of the Opera (Highlights from the 1989 Original Canadian Cast)
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000072VS Release Date: 2002-11-26 |
Tracks:
- Prologue-The Stage Of The Paris Opera House, 1911
- Overture
- The Dress Rehearsal Of Hannibal
- Think Of Me
- The Mirror... (Angel Of Music)
- The Phantom Of The Opera
- The Music Of The Night
- Notes/Prima Donna
- All I Ask Of You
- I Gave You My Music...
- Entr'acte
- Masquerade
- The Graveyard
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Wandering Child.../Bravo Monsieur...
- The Point Of No Return/Down Once More
- The Phantom's Lair
Amazon.com
A few years after The Phantom of the Opera debuted in London, Harold Prince unveiled Andrew Lloyd Webber's gothic musical in Canada, in 1989. It was so good that this recording of highlights from the Canadian cast is--dare we say it?--more enjoyable than the equivalent London cast highlights album. No, it doesn't have the authenticity of London principals Sarah Brightman (for whom then-husband Lloyd Webber wrote the role of Christine) and Michael Crawford, but it doesn't have their idiosyncrasies, either, and it does have the richer voices of Colm Wilkinson and Rebecca Caine (who played Jean Valjean and older Cosette, respectively, in the 1985 London cast of Les Misérables). At 69 minutes, the Canadian album is also 10 minutes longer than the London, allowing inclusion of the prologue and dress rehearsal for Hannibal. Of course, Lloyd Webber's melodies--"Angel of Music," "The Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"--are scrumptious on any continent. --David HoriuchiAlbum Description
1990 Polydor release featuring highlights from Andrew Lloyd Webber's epic musical by the Original Canadian Cast, including Colm Wilkinson and Rebecca Caine. Directed by Harold Prince, it features 17 tracks, including 'Think Of Me', 'Notes/ Prima Donna', 'Masquerade' and 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again'.Album Details
Contains highlights from the Andrew Lloyd Webber brainchild performed in Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal & Calgary during April, 1991 through September, 1992. Stars Colm Wilkinson & Rebecca Caine in leading roles.Customer Reviews:
Iffy.......2007-01-22
And Colm Wilkinson as the Phantom? Whose idea was that??? I really do not like his voice, even as Valjean in Les Miz. I highly doubt he's a strong enough singer to pull of "Music of the Night" the way Michael Crawford or Hugh Panaro (best Phantom EVER) can.
If, however, this was on iTunes, I'd jump at the chance to get Rebecca's songs!
Rebecca Caine is what made me buy this album........2006-12-04
As for everything else...
Honestly, Colm Wilkinson cannot sing. His voice is just too weak for the role. Like one of the reviewers before me said, he's no Michael Crawford, not even Gerard Butler. Maybe I should hear him sing in Les Miserables to appreciate his voice.
As for Byron Nease, he's okay, but I've easily heard better.
In all, the album's okay, but there are many better recordings.
Very Nice!!!!.......2006-08-25
Apart from that Rebecca Caine is a stunning Christine!!!! And at times seems to me to be...dare I say.... better than (my personal favourite singer) sarah brightman, Ms. Caine's "Think Of Me" blew me away, it was very inspiring....
Overall the rest of the cast is very good as well and if you are a true "phan" this is a must have CD very much worth its price!!!!
NOT AS GOOD AS THE LONDON CAST RECORDING.......2006-07-02
Phantom, with its operatic and lush melodies, intensive story and grandiose staging, remains one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time.
The musical is based on the Gaston Leroux's novel of the same title. It is set in the second part of the 19th century Paris and its famous opera house. The young soprano, Christine, is discovered as a talented young opera singer in the opera house. She is noticed by an old childhood friend, Raoul, and they fall in love. However, we find out that a third person, the mysterious Phantom, hiding behind a mask, is a musical genius who had been giving Christine singing lessons and who has developed a mad passion for his young pupil. He hides in the catacombs of the opera house, lurking on the outside world. He is determined to keep Christine for himself and the story evolves from here.
Apart from this interesting plot, the audiences were swept away by Lloyd Webber's tremendous score, which probably remains his best work. It combines the beautiful love songs and sweeping operetta-like arias, with numerous orchestral leads and crescendos. You can't help but being charmed by this beautiful and haunting score. The large numbers, especially, the last one, will probably move you deeply. The most popular numbers are "The phantom of the opera", a vibrating duet between Christine and the Phantom; "All I ask of you", a lovely love duet between Christine and Raul; Phantom's mesmerizing voice will hold you till the end in "The music of the night", Christine in "Wishing you are somehow here again" will evoke sadness, and many more.
One of the main reasons for the early success of this show and this recording was its original London cast. All of the three principals: Sarah Brightman as Christine, Michael Crawford as The Phantom and Steve Barton as Raoul gave the performances of their lives. Michael Crawford's take on the role of The Phantom became stuff legends are made of, due to his amazing vocalisation and the powerful, almost hypnotic attraction in his voice and performance, exactly how the Phantom is supposed to sound.
The lyrics by Richard Stilgoe and Christopher Hampton are the weakest link here, but they manage to convey the basic story.
After the show's success in London and on Broadway, the Canadian production was mounted and it premiered in Toronto's Pantages Theatre in September 1989. This CD captures the highlights of that production. All the important musical numbers are here, however, the problem is the cast, that is, some of them. Colm Wilkinson is a great singer, his interpretation of Jean Valjean being the best example. Unfortunately, he doesn't have what it takes to play the Phantom. His interpretation lacks the depth of Michael Crawford and he struggles to stretch his voice, especially on the high notes. Overall, he sings too deep for the role, sounding as if he is still in Les Miserables. Still, he is much better than the mediocre performance Gerard Butler gave in the 2004 movie version. Rebecca Caine is a fine Christine, her soprano has no problem of getting into the character. Byron Nease, who plays Raoul, also fails to deliver, sounding too old and squeaky. The unwritten rule of the musical theatre, that the miscasting can affect the best of materials, is regrettably evident here. There is also a minor problem with the orchestrations, since some parts have a faster tempo than in the original. The aficionados will notice small lyrical changes in comparison with the original cast recording.
The CD comes with a synopsis (a rear treat in the Andrew Lloyd Webber's cast recordings), the lyrics and production photos.
This recording works best as an addition to the existing Phantom collection. For the first time listeners, I highly recommend the 2-disc 1986 London Cast Recording. Not only does it feature almost the entire musical, but also the cast is much, much better, as well as the orchestrations, which have a more classical touch.
I liked Colm Wilkinson better in Les Miz.......2006-05-12
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Italian Opera Arias
Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00018TIOA Release Date: 2004-02-10 |
Tracks:
- Lamento: E La Solita Storia
- Recitativo E Romanza: Inosservato...Angelo Casto E Bel
- Aria: Quanto E Bella
- Aria: Una Furtiva Lagrima
- Recitativo Ed Aria: Tombe Degli Avi Miei...Fra Poco
- Aria: Il L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
- Aria: Io L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
- Aria: O Figli...Ah! La Paterna Mano
- Scena Ed Aria: Ella Mi Fu Rapita...Parmi Veder
- Canzone: La Donna E Mobile
- Scena, Aria E Cabaletta: Lunge De Iei...De' Miei Bollenti...O Mio Rimorso
- Aria: Che Gelida Manina
- Aria: E Lucevan Le Stelle
- Aria: Anche Tu Beppe Giungi...O Amore
- Aria: Vergini, Muse...Quando Al Soave Anelito
Amazon.com
This is a glorious debut recital by a tenor, from whom, if he sings the right roles and keeps way from jet-setting and too much singing, might just be the lyrico-spinto tenor we've been waiting for. He has the class of Carlo Bergonzi and a ringing tone which is somewhere between Domingo's big, dark sound and Pavarotti's brightness; he sings with a true mezza voce (not a falsetto); he always obeys the composer's markings and delineates character. He seems incapable of vulgarity, refusing to gulp or sob when a musically expressive gesture will do. The opening aria here--from L'Arlesiana--is so beautifully, touchingly sung that it's a heartbreaker; he doesn't take the usually opted-for high note near the end, but never fear: in the Traviata and Bohème excerpts, Villazon offers big, whopping high Cs. This CD is a knockout; let's hope it's only the beginning of an illustrious career, both recorded and live. --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
Another supeb tenor........2007-05-13
The one........2006-06-24
A New Star voice.......2005-09-25
I don't really want to ruin the magic of his singing, with caddy comparisons, but it is sufficient to say that he excellent. Many compare his to Domingo, to that I would say that Villazon has an ease to his top that Domingo never had, but perhaps lacks the focus and thickness of Domingo's lower registers.
Overall what hits you most about Villazons performance, is the induviduality of his interpretations and voice. The top of his voice has a ring and tone that sets his apart from the pack.
To my ear, he sounds at his best in the Mid Period verdi, where the cut of voice come through in the long high-lying passage, (expecially the cut from Traviata,
Enjoy this incredible singer
Quite Good.......2005-05-26
Promising debut by new lyric tenor.......2005-05-05
This recital of Italian opera arias presents Villazon near the alpha of his career (one appearance as the Steersman on the Barenboim Flying Dutchman before, for Teldec) and the conductor at his omega - the just deceased Marcello Viotti, at the age of 52, who suddenly replaced Sinopoli in Berlin for the second of two performances of Verdi's Aida in 2001. Sinopoli had passed away at 54 the night of the first performance that weekend in Berlin.
On first impression, Federico's lament from Cilea's L'Arlesiana is taken too slowly, and yet from repeated listening to this disc, it is one of nearly half a dozen selections that contribute the most to making this an interesting recital. The lachrymose manner and delivery here, though, sets a little too much of an overall tone for the rest of the recital, including its several or so lighter numbers. Said to also be a Caruso favorite, the aria from Donizetti's Duca d'Alba is a real highlight as close to being Schubertian in feeling as some Verdi - as late into Verdi's work as Forza and Don Carlo. Villazon's singing here is as warmly ardent as you'll find anywhere on this disc, and his personal identification with the character of Don Carlo, several tracks later, is as complete as that of its best interpreters of the recent past, Placido Domingo especially.
The two Elisir d'amore selections are pleasant vocally, but too dark, especially the start to so many phrases of "Una furtiva." The remorse felt during the opening aria of the Tomb Scene from Lucia, after a slightly uncertain start, is entirely felt. Oronte's brief aria from Verdi's Lombardi is handled with an easy, pleasant swagger from both Villazon and Viotti, leading one to expect similar lightness in selections that soon follow, and which is not entirely forthcoming; the beginning of the recitative to "Parmi veder" from Rigoletto shows a palpable anxiety in this peculiar moment for the Duke in which he finds himself. Intonation falters momentarily at the end of this aria. "Ah! la paterna mano", after good recitative, gets pushed a little too forward, robbing the crest of several lines in it their full expressive potential. Contrast of expression between Alfredo's aria and cabaletta from Traviata is so minimal, almost to have been erased altogether; Viotti here, so deft and highly musical an accompanist he is for most of the rest of this disc, is similarly disengaged. Connecting music between aria and cabaletta and repeat of the latter both get awkwardly cut.
That leaves four verismo tracks for the remainder of this disc. Most distinctively sung is "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca, but frequently quite close to sounding a copy of Domingo's interpretation. The honeyed placement for the top of the staff, once the voice takes on the melodic line, could hardly remind you of anyone else. "Che gelida manina" is also given a fine performance here, but begins to lose all consonants on a couple of words right before the ascent to the high C in the aria. After hearing Dino Borgioli and Cesare Valletti as Fritz, each more of a benchmark than Pavarotti, it is hard to identify the villager Fritz, from how disinteresed Villazon sounds. A slight cut is taken between two portions of recitative before Fritz's Act III aria. "Quando al soave anelito" from Mascagni's Nerone, obviously a rarity, is one for which I can only find a Domingo recital before. Here, the singing is fine, but the youthful sense of wonderment for Nero, in his vision of Venus, as wordly-wise a fellow he is, gets understated. Accompaniments to these four arias are mostly as fine as the others, but all come to abrupt endings, the endings of Boheme and Amico Fritz which lose all their shimmer here.
Much criticism here, but there is also much hope felt from listening to this disc, for a bright future for Mr. Villazon still. He is only seldom a conscientious and musical performer, but as opposed to what the liner notes might say, part of being musical in singing such selections or opera in general, is being specific for each character being portrayed here. Villazon should also take note that his singing is most interesting and also most easy to distinguish from his widely celebrated mentor, when he sings lightly. First impressions are strong - I first anticipated awarding this disc five stars - but unfortunately it just barely deserves four. Sound quality, if a bit heavily miked for climaxes and a bit recessed for the orchestra, especially at closings to arias, is warm and full.
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Italian Opera Arias
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000174LXE Release Date: 2004-04-13 |
Tracks:
- Tracea La Notte Placida
- Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia
- Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella...Ave Maria
- Suicidio!
- Voi Lo Sapete
- Un Bel Di (Cio-cio-san)
- L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous singing by a great singer.......2004-05-15
If you want to hear Crespin at her best, try to acquire her live recordings. They are very hard to find, but are well worth the effort. The live recordings really show how big her voice was, and give you some idea of the enormous lower register she had at her disposal. Unlike many soprano lower registers, hers was feminine sounding and quite beautiful.
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