Dove Sei Tu [Import]

1. Ultramarine

2. Yesterday's Film

3. Invisible Girl

4. Wherever Finds You

5. Truman Show

6. Triathlon

7. Give It Back

8. How Deep Is Your Love

9. Milly's Song

10. One Perfect Day

11. Goccia

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
UK version of the Italian rock act's 2003 album. Features 11 tracks including a duet with Robert Wyatt onm 'Goccia' along with many other English version tracks not features on the Italian version. Sony.

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Jewel Song ~ 20 Great Soprano Arias / Crespin, Freni, Te Kanawa, Sutherland, Jo, Tebaldi, Cotrubas, Caballé, Cerquetti...

Average customer rating:

Jewel Song 20 Great Soprano Arias
Sutherland, Battle, Te Kanawa.....Need I say More?
A good selection
A few real jewels with a couple of paste ones mixed in...
Very Nice

Jewel Song ~ 20 Great Soprano Arias / Crespin, Freni, Te Kanawa, Sutherland, Jo, Tebaldi, Cotrubas, Caballé, Cerquetti...

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | 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

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The #1 Soprano Album
Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
The Most Famous Opera Duets
Ten Top Sopranos
Mad About Sopranos

ASIN: B000024581
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Dove Sono: Le Nozze di Figaro
Un Bel Di: Madama Butterfly
Merce, Dilette Amiche (Bolero): I Vespri Siciliani
Deh Vieni, Non Tardar: Le Nozze di Figaro
Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontana: La Wally
Suicidio! La Gioconda
Signore, Ascolta! Turandot
Convien Partir! La Figlia del Reggimento
Chi il Sogno di Doretta (Doretta's Dream): La Rondine
Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia: Un Ballo in Maschera
O Dieu! Que de Bijoux! (Jewel Song) Faust
Vissi d'Arte: Tosca
O Mio Babbino Caro: Gianni Schicchi
Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi: La Boheme
Mesicku na Nebi Hlubokem (O Silver Moon): Rusalka
Quando m'en Vo (Musetta's Waltz Song): La Boheme
Tu Che di Gel Sei Cinta: Turandot
Welch Wonne, Welche Lust: Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail
Du Bist der Lenz: Die Walkure
Der Holle Rache: Die Zauberflote

Customer Reviews:

Jewel Song 20 Great Soprano Arias.......2006-06-26

Recording quality excellent
A must for the soprano voice lover

Sutherland, Battle, Te Kanawa.....Need I say More?.......2005-12-30

This truly is a marvellous recording of the top Soprano's of our time in their prime. The Album starts with Kiri Te Kanawa singing Mozart's "Dove Sono", in which she captures the true essence of a wife questioning her marriage that has disintegrated over the years. And her phrasing in this song is heavenly. Battle's version of "Welche Wonne" is the best I've heard to date. I've listened to numerous other recordings of this aria and still havent found one that measures up to this one. Sutherland pulls off gounod's "O dieu, que di bijoux" excellently, with the greatest of ease. I could go on and on, but I'll end my review with this: These are excellent recordings of excellent singers at their very best, singing music by the masters. It would be worth your money.

A good selection.......2004-11-04

I rate this as a very valuable sampler. It gives the listener not only a reasonable introduction to various operatic works and styles (though there is a prominent Puccini verissimo presence) but a good introduction to the different artists. I like the fact that some operas feature more than one work on the CD because there's less of a chance you'll fall in love with one aria and go buy the entire opera, only to discover that the aria is nearly all that you enjoy.

As for the sopranos... I adored nearly all of them. I have listened to many of their recordings and I can vouch for these arias as good indicators of their outstanding talent....the few exceptions will follow, however.

I make special mention of some sopranos. Leontyne Price's Tosca, is the first. Her Aida has been her crown jewel but I would place her Tosca as a very strong rival. Also, the Turandot recording with Monsterrat Caballe is perhaps the finest on CD, and her Liu here shows why: she is blessed with a heart-melting upper register. Pilar Lorengar's Russalka was a very pleasant surprise...I wish I could find a complete recording of her singing the title role. I believe we will just have to contend with this however. I'd never heard of Virginia Zeani prior to this CD but I loved the secure purchase and `sanguine tinge' of her voice...I'll be on the look out for her in the future. Of course, we get a reliable performance from Mirella Freni: touching and delicate as usual, but never weak. Kathleen Battle proves why she can get away with her notoriously despicable attitude: she really was the golden voice of the Met! Sumi Jo's technically perfect and stunning aria (again a good indicator of what you can generally expect from her) is the perfect, exciting end to this compilation.

The exceptions? I found Graziella Sciutti's tone to be too `heady'... if you'll forgive the crude term. I imagined the sound to come from an old woman. This will be a matter of preference. Renata Tebaldi is a touchy subject for some people because of some petty bashing that sometimes takes place. While I'm no `basher,' I never found her voice aesthetically appealing. I find her tone metallic and hard. Here, however, is the best I've heard her (I've heard her Cavaleria Rusticana, her La Wally and her Turandot). While her La Rondine here is not bad, Angela Georghiu's interpretation is one example of a soprano who is vastly superior in my opinion. Finally, the `immortal' Kirsten Flagstad performs "Du bist der Lenz" from Die Walkure in Wagner's Ring cycle. The old sound quality aside, I would not have enjoyed her Sieglinde, `full-throated' as it was. I wrote this off immediately as an idiosyncrasy for Flagstad fans. Apologies if anyone is offended (and this is sincere) but the whole musical effect is that of some lumbering leviathan...this is the stereotypical tedium that people ascribe to Wagner. All-in-all, however, I found the experience invaluable. I certainly am more aware of recordings that I'm not likely to enjoy and so have avoided making mistakes. When saying so, however, these sopranos are truly legendary. But as in all things, preferences will vary and so I have stated mine.

A few real jewels with a couple of paste ones mixed in..........2004-11-04

Most aria/song compilations suck. That's just the nature of compilations in general - It's hard to get a good mix of singers, arias and performances that will appeal to a broad audience.

This one mostly succeeds with a few exceptions. The singers are, over-all, excellently selected. Most of the performers are excellent singers, and their respective selections show them at the highest level of their careers. This was a treat to realize, because quite often, compilations fall back on using poorer quality artists.

There are a few, however, that don't match up to the performances of some of the other soprani on the album. That's not to say that they don't have their own talent and value, but it's hard to appreciate their lesser stars when faced with the brilliance of Caballe, L. Price & other similar talents.

The selection of arias was also not to my taste. I personally could live in peace the rest of my days without hearing another "O Mio Babbino Caro," but personal taste aside, it would have been nice to hear some of the greater, but less frequently performed arias, as well as some of the commonly done but more appealing arias, too.

Out of all the music written by Mozart and Wagner, the best they could do was Welche Wonne, welche Lust & Du bist der Lenz?

This probably isn't a great album to introduce newbies to opera in general, but there is some good listening on it - particularly Caballe's Signore, Ascolte & Tebaldi's Che il bel sogno di Doretta.

Very Nice.......2002-09-01

As a big fan of the many "Top such and such sopranos" type CDs, I found this to be one of the best yet. It exemplifies the highlights of each sopranos career...and leaves you with a great impression of them all.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Recital with Caballe at her Best.......2006-12-10

At the wake of Maria Callas' explorations into the bel canto repertoire, great sopranos such as Joan Sutherland, Leyla Gencer, and most importantly, Montserrat Caballe, dominated the Italian repertoire during their careers to revive the forgotten operas of Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, and Rossini. I say that Caballe is the most important of these three post-Callas sopranos because more so than any of these divas, she epitomized the true bel canto style needed to make her characterizations come to life. Sutherland had an excellent technique, but her characterizations were sadly lacking in verve, and Leyla Gencer was too often in an undesirable state of voice despite her thespian histrionics. Montserrat had both, and she championed the great operas of Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Massenet, Wagner, Strauss, Mozart, Giordano, Pergolesi, and all the other great, almost-unknown composers who became part of her core repertoire, if there was any at all. Her excellent technique allowed her to continue assuming roles that displayed her magnificent artistry well into her 70's...up to today! Yes, she is still singing, and in fact she is going to be starring in a role in the Vienna Opera next year.

This recital shows Caballe in the repertoire that was arguably her best. Although I found her compelling in some Verdi, I thought that she lacked the spinto sound needed to set those Verdi roles on fire. In this recital, Caballe shows her knack and ability to make the earlier Verdi operas shine. She had a coloratura facility that was simply astounding for an instrument of her particular smoothness, beauty, and timbre, and I believe that her excerpt from Aroldo is a must hear. Her Donizetti is brilliant as well, a highlight being the Parisina and the Belisario excerpts. It makes us wish that there were a Belisario lying around somewhere with her singing. Her Rossini makes us hope for an Armida and a Tancredi. This recording finds her in superb voice, much more so than many of the recordings of her latter years that find her singing with a trademark Caballe bleat. For people who love bel canto and tasteful singing, I think this is a recital that anyone should own.

no news.......2006-02-21

If you have the earlier release of this set (1992 I think), there's really no need to replace it. This current (2004) release was supposedly remastered, but I can hear little if any difference. Amazon shows both versions, but I'd bet the earlier one may well be out of print. You get all the Caballe trademarks here: floated pianissimos, gorgeous mid-range singing - and the usual glottal stops. Even if you're not a big MC fan, the set is worth getting for all those arias you're not likely to hear elsewhere, or done as well.

Montserrat Caballe's Claim To Fame.......2005-11-09

Bel canto opera was soprano Montserrat Caballe's claim to fame. Blessed with both a huge and lyrically resplendent voice, she was a refreshing change from the purely dramatic style of singing provided by Maria Callas. Her pianissimi are still talked about even long after they disappeared, her coloratura is dynamic, her stamina and breath control impressive and her orutund, vigorous but beautiful tone made her particularly suited for the roles of queens or strong women- Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia and Bellini's Norma especially. The other reviewer says she was perfect for the roles of mothers, queens and wives, and this is true because she was able to portray seemingly powerful women dying of love underneath. She would have made an exceptionally terrific Turandot but she never sang the role in her career.Her career in opera spanned the decades of the 60's, 70's and even part of the 80's. The arias from Parisina and Torquato Tasso are indeed outstanding. These operas are obscure bel canto operas by Donizetti, Rossini and even early Verdi operas. These operas will never be staged again and some of them enjoyed only mild success in their original stage premieres in the 19th century. This is the work of young and energetic composers who had not yet mastered character insight and thrilling dramatic elements. Mostly, it's beautiful singing, the actual definiton of the term bel canto. What we get in place of dramatic potency is ornate, lush singing. In the very least, these arias should be sung in recital. Caballe sang numerous bel canto pieces in recital, displaying her gift for this type of singing. She is the very embodiment of bel canto. Not even Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills, considered her fellow peers in the same "back to bel canto" movement could essay the arias with such grace, elegance and majestic beauty. Sutherland sang with obvious gloss and no real dramatic power, Sills sang beautifully but focused on the significance of text as drama and therefore "spoke" some of her lines or cried or raged instead of singing. Callas was the same way only hers was a bigger voice. Caballe gave us simply beautiful singing. And we thank her for that.

Welcome to the Caballe school of singing!.......2004-12-18

This re-released recitals indisputably rank among Caballe's best recording material. Each "rarity" has something different to offer. In Rossini, Caballe mostly displays her coloratura ability which was not in the same league as Sills', Callas' or Sutherland's but had a magic of its own. One never expects such agilty from such a firm and full voice. The Tancredi scene is my favourite.

In Donizetti, Caballe truly reigns! If only she'd recorded these operas completely. I've always found her sound perfectly suited to roles of wifes, mothers and aristocratic ladies in general. The operas chosen here deal with marrital problems and Caballe is the definition of the Donizzeti roles she sings here! My favs are the Parisina and Torquato Tasso moments. Comparing her and the lighter sopranos who nowadays perform these operas makes one realise that high notes are not the issue here. The full, sumptuous sound of a Monsterrat is what these operas need!

Early Verdi has a lot in common with bel canto and Caballe is again sublime! The Un Giorno extract stands out. It's breathtakingly perfect! Caballe finds meaning in every phrase she sings. But all other tracks are unforgettable as well. Needless to say that the voice at this moment of her carreer was at its best!

These recitals will always have a special place in my opera collection and my heart!

Leontyne Price (The Prima Donna Collection)

Average customer rating:

A brilliant collection from a great soprano
If I could have only one collection......
Yes this is great!
The Grandest Collection of Leontyne Price Arias
The Greatest Soprano Ever Recorded

Leontyne Price (The Prima Donna Collection)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | 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

Operettas | 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

Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Opera Arias
Ed Sullivan Show 2: Great Moments in Opera
Voices of Firestone: The Great Sopranos / Steber, Price, Tebaldi, Sayao, Nilsson, Moffo, Albanese, Peters, Munsel, Traubel, Sutherland
The Great Recordings
Handel: Arias

ASIN: B000003FAF
Release Date: 1992-08-11

Tracks:

Dido and Aeneas: Act 3: Thy Hand, Belinda!
Dido and Aeneas: Act 3: When I Am Laid In Earth
Le nozze di Figaro: Act 3: E Susanna non vien!
Le nozze di Figaro: Act 3: Dove sono
La traviata: Act 3: Teneste la promessa
La traviata: Act 3: Addio del passato
L'africaine: Act 2: Sur mes genoux, fils du soleil
Manon: Act 2: Allons! il le faut!
Manon: Act 2: Adieu, notre petite table
Otello: Act 4: Era piu calma?
Otello: Act 4: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella (Willow Song)
Otello: Act 4: Ave Maria
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 1: Ecco: respiro appena
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 1: Io son l'umile ancella
Louise: Act 3: Depuis le jour
Turandot: Act 2: In questa reggia
Die tote Stadt: Act 1: Marietta's Lied
Vanessa: Act 1: He Has Come, He Has Come!
Vanessa: Act 1: Do Not Utter A Word

Tracks:

Atalanta: Act 1: Care Selve
Don Giovanni: Act 1: Don, Ottavio, son morta!
Don Giovanni: Act 1: Or sai chi l'onore
Der Freischuetz: Act 2: Wie nahte mir der Schlummer
Der Freischuetz: Act 2: Liese, leise
Tannhaeuser: Act 2: Dich, teure Halle
Macbeth: Act 2: La luce langue
Macbeth: Act 4: Vegliammo invan due notti (Sleepwalking Scene)
Macbeth: Act 4: Una macchia e qui tuttora
Mefistofele: Act 3: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
Rusalka: Act 1: Song To The Moon
L'Enfant Prodigue: Air de Lia: L'annee en vain
Andrea Chenier: Act 3: La mamma morta
Francesca da Ramini: Act 3: Paolo, datemi pace
Suor Angelica: Senza mammo, o bimbo, tu sei morto!
Amelia Goes To The Ball: While I Waste These Precious Hours

Tracks:

Alceste: Act 1: Divinites du Styx
Don Giovanni: Act 2: Crudele? Ah, no, mio bene
Don Giovanni: Act 2: Non mi dir
I lombardi: Act 2: O madre, dal cielo
I lombardi: Act 2: Se vano e il pregare
Martha: Act 2: The Last Rose Of Summer
Simon Boccanegra: Act 1: Come in quest'ora bruna
La Perichole: Act 3: Tu n'es pas beau
Die Walkuere: Act 1: Du bist der Lenz
Die Fledermaus: Act 2: Czardas: Klange der Heimat
Carmen: Act 3: Ces des contrebandiers
Carmen: Act 3: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete
Thais: Act 2: Ah! je suis seule
Thais: Act 2: Dis-moi que je suis belle
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Les dialogues des Carmelites: Act 3: Mes filles, voila s'acheve

Tracks:

Semele: Act 2: Where 'er You Walk
Idomeneo: Act 3: O smania! O Furie!
Idomeneo: Act 3: D 'Oreste, d' Ajace!
La damnation de Faust: Part 4: D'amour l'ardente flamme
Oberon: Act 2: Ozean, du Ungeheuer!
Norma: Act 1: Sediziose voci, voci di guerra
Norma: Act 1: Casta diva
Norma: Act 1: Ah! bello a me ritorna
Rigoletto: Act 1: Gualtier Malde
Rigoletto: Act 1: Caro Nome
Tristan und Isolde: Act 3: Liebestod: Mild und leise
Pagliacci: Act 1: Ballatella: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 4: Poveri fiori
Gloriana: Act 1, Scene 2: Soliloquy & Prayer: On Rivalries 'tis Safe For Kings
Gloriana: Act 1, Scene 2: Soliloquy & Prayer: O God, My King, Sole Ruler Of The World

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant collection from a great soprano.......2007-04-30

Leontyne Price was much admired and this 4CD collection shows her outstanding vocal gifts to the best advantage. Numerous reviewers have commented on the wide-ranging styles present and I can agree wholeheartedly with them. You would be hard-pressed to find a greater compilation of Ms Price, showcasing her amazing gifts as a great singer!

If I could have only one collection.............2006-11-12

....it would be this. Such fine singing in so many periods, languages, and styles. She is truley a great artist and this set helps you see just HOW GREAT she is. I won't go thru all the tracks but will say Cara Selve drives me wild. "When I am Laid in Earth..." comes across very nicely. There are some rare exerpts too like Gloriana, Menotti's Amelia goes to the Ball. Overall most tracks are inspired. The musicianship is to the highest standards. I JUST lOVE IT!

Yes this is great!.......2006-10-14

But "When I am Laid in Earth" was written by PURCELL! Handel's "Care Selve", however, is also on this set, and it is GORGEOUS!!! I love just about everything on here. A few items from the fourth CD are a bit telling of her age (D'oreste d'ajace!")- but even they are fabulous. THe price of this set is unfortunate - however, it has dropped a little! :) I originally purchased it from BMG in 1994, for next-to-nothing, then "gave" it to my best friend! Two years ago, she lost hers to Hurricane Ivan, and paid a LOT for a new set!

The Grandest Collection of Leontyne Price Arias.......2005-08-08

If you're a fan of Leontyne Price, this should be at the top of your list of her recording albums. I don't know when this was issued, but it's from the RCA Label which was her best promotional record company. It's a box set featuring dozens of arias from magnificent grand operas (some of which Leontyne Price never sang on stage in full and instead sang some bits in concert). Leontyne Price sings in fresh, beautiful and strong voice in dramatic and versatile roles, mastering each music from each composer. She masters such strikingly different masters's works as Samuel Barber (Vannessa) Webber (Der Freischutz) Wagner (Tristan and Isolde, Tannhauser) Falla (Atalanta) Mozart (Le Nozze Di Figaro). She sings the title roles of Massenet's Manon, Bizet's Carmen, Bellini's Norma, Verdi's Lady Macbeth, Amelia in Un Ballo Di Maschera, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Turandot and Suor Angelica, Flotow's Martha, and even oratorio such as Handel's Semele and Benjamin Britten's Gloriana. This is a vast repertoire, far grander in variety than I have ever known any one soprano sang. While critics will indeed compare Leontyne Price to Maria Callas (as another review critic brought up) these two sopranos could not have been any more different. It's not even a matter of their different racial backgrounds- Callas was born in Greece and became an American citizen then gave it up for French citizenship..and Price was born in Mississippi and was African-American) it's a matter of how different their approach at opera was and their vocal category. Callas was a dramatic soprano sforzando (literally "forced dramatic soprano")who would prefer to produce a choking, ugly, harsh sound merely for the dramatic effect and the integrity of the text in her lines. Leontyne Price was the definition of a soprano lyrico-spinto ("pushed" lyric-dramatic singing)which meant above all, to sound beautiful and to fill up those dramatic lines with as much vocal and tonal beauty as possible. Price had a more thrilling mezzo di voce and high soaring top register and a cleaner, smoother sound than the wobbly Callas, no offense to Callas fanatics of which there are many. It is true that Price did lose her touch in a sense in her older years (the 1970's and 80's) when her voice lacked the vibrant lyricism and attention to diction. Her 1970's Toscas and Aidas are therefore a sloppier than her 1950's and 60's Toscas and the same went for her Leonoras in both Trovatore and Forza Del Destino. Nevertheless, Price is an ageless singer. Her voice, dark, messy or bright and smooth, is still what was said of her in her debut at the Met as Leonora in Trovatore - a "bright, unfurling banner". She was goddess of the opera and paved the way for the new generation of black sopranos of today.

This collection does not showcase the more famous roles that were in fact her signature ones - Leonora from Trovatore and Forza, Aida is'nt even in here and that one even she considered her greatest role, we don't find her Madame Butterfly here. Instead we find rare pieces that she sings beautifully and dramatically, making us wish she had sung the entire operas in full on stage. She never sang a full-length Norma and that's a pity- even Grace Bumbry and Shirley Verrett did in their careers. Price seemed to enjoy singing Samuel Barber's vocal works - she opened the 1965-1966 Met season with Barber's Antony and Cleopatra (a bad production by the way but not through any fault of Miss Price but the overblown spectacle of the design of the opera itself) and here she sings his Vanessa. Benjamin Britten's Gloriana sounds lovely in her hands. Her Norma and Dona Anna in Mozart are dramatic and fiery, her Lady Macbeth darkly mysterious, her Suor Angelica peaceful with powerful inner fire and her Dialogue Des Carmelites are also sensational. Yes, many of these arias are beautiful to hear, and thank God she doesn't have any of the flaws critics keep hearing in her later recordings. Without a doubt, this is her finest album. I think you should listen via audio samples here the following to make you get this recording: the Countess aria from Nozze Di Figaro, her Manon (Adieu Petit Table) La Mamma Morta, her version of Sediziose Voce/Casta Diva from Norma, the excerpt from Carmen, "Don Ottavio son Morta...Or Sai Chi L'Onore" from Don Giovanni, Care Salve, the Dido and Aeneas excerpts, the La Traviata excerpts (Addio Del Passato) and the beautifull, mystic, haunting and well-executed Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, which I even feel surpasses Birgit Nilsson's version. Just listen to how heart-felt that Liebestod is! I have not heard the likes of it anywhere else.

The Greatest Soprano Ever Recorded.......2005-03-20

O.K. So that is only my opinion. But Leontyne Price was one of the most dedicated singers of the 20th century. Her vast repertoire is showcased in this extensive collection of arias. While to many Maria Callas will forever be the ultimate and the greatest of them all, Leontyne Price had the same poswerful, high dramatic voice, in addition a more generous chest register and a regial presence. Moreover, she overcame so much to get to the top. In her day, African-American women in opera was new. Marian Anderson was the first to get into the mainstream opera world, with much difficulty and intervention, such as Eleanor Roosevelt's support. After Marian Anderson finally landed her first role at the Met in the 50's, a new generation of black women in opera began. The 60's and 70's would see the rise of mezzo sopranos later turned to dramatic sopranos such as Grace Bumbry, Shirley Verrett and it would follow into the 80's with Jessie Norman and Kathleen Battle. Today, black women have made opera one of their highest achievements. Leontyne Price began singing in the 50's. A televised production of Tosca was not shown in some Southern states that were racistad opposed the idea of seeing a black woman in a "white" role. Leontyne Price would master the role of Tosca as successfully as Maria Callas. I think that while she is at her best in the Puccini and Verdi operas she recorded and performed (not showcased here)- Trovatore, Aida, Forza Del Destino, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Suor Angelica. However, there is so much that she is absolutely remarkable in. I love her as Violetta in Traviata (few black women sing the traditionally white role of Violetta), Massenet's Manon, Verdi's Lady Macbeth (which was another of Shirley Verrett's great roles)Dido from Dido and Aneas, Dona Ana and Elvira in Don Giovanni, The Countess in Figaro, Bellini's Norma (she is outstanding in that powerful druid diva role). I think if we narrow it down to a few roles that she really made her own it would be 1: Aida....2:Tosca...3Dona Ana/Dona Elvira 4 Desdemona from Otello and 5..Leonoras from Trovatore and Forza.

This collection is pretty impressive. I didn't know a soprano could be that versatile. Leontyne Price is remarkable. Her rich, lyric voice, capable of plaintive and melancholy lines as well as powerful high C's and dramatic whoops, was always clean, smooth and intense. Of course, like most sopranos, she had her bad days. Her later Toscas (in the mid or late 70's) became too melodramatic and sloppy, when she used to be more mannered and poised with the role, her Cleopatra in Samuel Barber's opera was a fiaco because the production was too bizarre and messy, etc. But for the most part, mostly in Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and as Norma, she was radiant, glorious and perfect. Her background in Church music made her incredibly suited to singing Requiems, such as Verdi's Requiem. There will never be another Leontyne Price. She was a one woman Golden Age of Opera, and sang with the best of the best- Bjussi Bjorling, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro / Don Giovanni / Così fan tutte / Die Zauberflöte - The Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra & Chorus / Arnold Östman

Average customer rating:

Refreshing and Surprising!
Some of the most thought-provoking recordings ever, combined with some of the most perfect performances I have ever heard.
Best ever!!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro / Don Giovanni / Così fan tutte / Die Zauberflöte - The Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra & Chorus / Arnold Östman
Barbara Bonney , Arleen Auger , and The Drottningholm Court Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (Fra)
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Weber: Der Freischütz
Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection: Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Entfuhhrung aus dem Serail, Idomeneo, Die Zauberflote (6 DVDs)
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin

ASIN: B00006IU7V
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Album Details

These Pioneering Performances of Four of Mozart's Greatest and Most Popular Operas under the Direction of Arnold Östman were Recorded at Nacka Aula, Stockholm. They all Attracted Great Critical Acclaim at the Time of their Original Release and have Been a Part of Decca's Vast Opera Catalogue Ever Since. The Da Ponte Trilogy (One of the Greatest Librettist/Composer Collaborations in the Entire History of Music), Comprising Le Nozze Di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così Fan Tutte, is Paired with One of Mozart's Last Operas, Dating from the Last Year of his Life, Die Zauberflöte. The Superb Casts Assembled for These Recordings Include Such Experienced Mozart Interpreters as Arleen Auger (Countess, Donna Anna), Barbara Bonney (Susanna, Zerlina, Pamina), Håkan Hagegård (Count, Don Giovanni, Speaker), Sumi Jo (Queen of the Night), Della Jones (Marcellina, Donna Elvira), Petteri Salomaa (Figaro), Kurt Streit (Tamino), Lillian Watson (Papagena), Gösta Winbergh (Ferrando), Rachel Yakar (Fiordilig

Customer Reviews:

Refreshing and Surprising!.......2006-11-24

I would strongly recommend this collection to anyone who is seeking a new approach and sound world for these Mozart operas. Ostman opts for brisk tempi and transparent textures, but hardly ever at the expense of characterization or expressivity. The singers respond to the challenge with performances that bristle with excitement and fun. The cast blends with the orchestra like a chamber music ensemble, inspiring the listener to experience the opera as a conversation between the text and the intimations expressed in Mozart's musically and psychologically penetrating orchestration. Occasionally one may miss the lyric line and warmth associated with such great Mozart conductors as Bruno Walter or Karl Bohm; but the brio, virtousity, and brilliant insights of Ostman compensate with different kinds of rewards. Also, there is an intimate atmosphere in these recordings that is most faithful to the ethos and meaning of the libretti themselves. After listening to this period approach, my understanding of Mozart has changed radically, and I continue to relish the challenge that these performances have given to my interpretative sensibilities.

Some of the most thought-provoking recordings ever, combined with some of the most perfect performances I have ever heard........2005-09-14

First of all, I must state first that I was ANXIOUS to write this rave review. Ever since I got these cd's and realized the treause that is to be found in these recordings I just couldn't wait until I'd had the chance to tell everybody else about it... I honestly believe these recordings should be heard by anybody who is interested in this repertoire and music in general, since this are also some of the most perfect pieces of music in the repertoire.

As for the music itself, I am not going to write about. I think it is enough to read my last sentence to realize exactly what I think about it - and it is really just a must. That's composition taken to the highest possible level.

What I do want to write is about the performances.
Arnold Ostman, not the most known figure in the musical world, (not even amongst musicians- I come from Juilliard, and that name is definitely not one everybody knows) has created in the 80's in Mozart the equivalent of what Harnoncourt and Gardiner have done in Bach performance practice, i.e. has totally changed the conecption which was assimilated into everybody's mind regarding notions about how music of that era should sound like.

Trying to create a performance experience which emulates Mozart's period performance practice he changed everything starting from tempos, through ornamentation and of course- the voices themselves.

For us, most people indoctrinated by the post-romantisicm eastablished especially by Herbert von Karajan and the ilks of him, the first initial response will be a shock. The almost imperceptible swift tempos, the small voices etc. are sure to knock over anybody who haven't heard these recordings before. It might create an intial negative response but hang-on there, as the result is so much more gratifying then of hearing a recording of Karajan, Giulini, Furtwangler or any GREAT other conductor from that era- They were obviously incredible musical figures, but in terms of style and total perception of the piece it just doesn't work on the same level, in Mozart of course. (You'd still want to keep your Furtwangler's ninth copy...)

What is so great about Ostman is the freshness of mind with which he walks into every piece. Just like a real iconoclast
it seems as if he has landed from an entire different planet, and is just coming to conduct these pieces and give their debut. I can't give a more sincere and true compliment than that, musically speaking.

The results are the most fresh interpretations up to date of Mozart most important operas which also derive from some of the best vocal performances I have ever heard.
Under Ostman's direction it seems as though all the singers bloom and give their most musical and inspired performances,
holding on under the swiftest tempos in an admirable way. There is no point in pointing out names because it is as in a rule that the performances are just stellar one by one, even though not carrying around sometimes the most famous names.

This is not to say that all of the recordings in this set are equally perfect, and that I agree to all of the interprations and the insights given by Ostman, but you can't disregard the feeling that he knew EXACTLY what he wanted and executed it almost flawlessly. (the one exception might be small part of Cosi, mainly the overture, which was recorded very early in the stages of period instruments playing- therefore not always as perfect as you would have liked to hear it, but the performance as a whole is still the most beautiful Cosi I know.)

As for the packaging itself: The price is a complete steal, (incredible especially if you order it through other sellers, got mine for about 40$). What you DON'T get are the librettos, so you'd HAVE to get them from a different source. Either a different recording you might have, (you just might want one of the standard reference recordings one usually hears about like Giulini's) or you could just buy the librettos through Amazon, would still cost you very little.

Should not be missed by any terms by anybody who cares for music.

Ran

Best ever!!.......2004-01-12

Ostman created a stir when he made these recordings in the 1980s. And now it available in a collectors' edition box. I'm so excited. Sumi Jo's Queen of the Night here is even better than her recording for Solti. Ostman's Don Giovanni is the fastest I've ever heard, not to mention the most exciting. This Cosi Fan Tutte is Gramophone's reference Cosi. And this Figaro has many "alternative" arias that other recordings never bother with. Don't worry, the alternative is at the back so you can program it out. In fact, this is the only set of Mozart operas with ALL the alternative arias available. Even Gardiner does not have some of these. So this is a supreme set of importance.

Tracks:

Egli non riede ancora! - Non so le tetre immagini
Les Chemins de l'amour
E Susanna non vien! - Dove sono i bei momenti
Non! tu ne m'aimes pas!
Es gibt ein Reich
Thy Hand, Belinda - When I Am Laid In Earth
Auf dem See, D. 543
L'ile inconne
Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43 No. 1
Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen
Fruhling
Love Is Here To Stay
Ave Marie
Sanctus

Customer Reviews:

Simply Wonderful.......2003-11-15

I have always loved Jessye Norman since the first time I heard her voice. That occasion occurred when I bought a completely unknown Verdi opera, Il Corsaro, and was delighted with the result. I knew who Caballe was (I had recordings of her singing, and enjoyed them), but Jessye Norman was a complete unknown to me. I was taken back by the rich vibrant spacious voice that I heard. What also interested me was the fact she could do coloratura work, and float a very beautiful high B flat. The voice then was not as fully developed as now, nor was her artistry as deep, but what I heard was simply breathtaking and I was hooked on her as an artist from that time forth.

This disk is simply a sampling of her singing, and it does show her singing a wide variety of things. She is not perfect in everything she sings (and even the Great Maria Callas was not successful in everything she sang, and I doubt any artist is; some works simply are better suited to their voices and their temperments than others), but one cannot fault her interpretations. The voice is always beautiful and well managed.

I perfer Norman in German opera, which is sampled here, and even though I think she sings a great Strauss (the Ariadne) I feel that composer really doesn't give her much. I have a recording of her doing Salome, which I love and she is superb, but Strauss is not the composer for her. Wagner is where she really sings and takes your breath away. Sadly, there is no real representation of his music here.

French opera is another place she really excels. However, nothing of any real worth is represented here.

American music, particularly spirituals, is another field in which she is sublime. Her Christmas Album is incredible. In this area all we have is the Gershwin, which is extremely well sung, but not really to my liking. To me, for some reason, Ethel Mermon should be singing that song.

As for the Baroque music; Norman is actually exceptional in it. Her voice is fabulous and breathes much warmth into music that is often sung in such a cold lifeless way it loses any power to communicate. I happen to love her Dido (I have the complete opera, and I have that opera with many other singers who are equally fine). I do agree with the one writer who stated that her voice is really "too much" for this music. It actually is. If one has heard Norman in real life, she has an incredibly powerful, full voice. It has nobility in it that is well suited to the grandest of the grand. She is an unforgetable Cassandre in Berlioz's opera. In many ways, it is like hearing Brunhilde sing Vivaldi with the voice large enough to wash over a Wagnerian orchestra being accompanied by 10 instruments. However, not matter how loud or strong her singing, the voice always remains warm, caressing, and enveloping (it is never sharp and penetrating like Nilsson cutting into the ear like a spear). Norman never violates the style of the music she sings. She just has a huge voice. Yes, she can sing the most melting pianissimos, and does so, but God gave her a treasure trove (not a simple chest) of virtues and abilities in her voice. Even though I love her voice, and her singing of Dido, the truth is she is too much of a good thing for that role. Now that isn't to say the music is lesser music, not at all for it is truly great music, it is simply the way it is written, the style of the period it comes from, and the emotional content and the way it should be expressed is simply not right for her lush and glorious sound.

With all this said, this is a super recording. The sound is excellent. I would say, Norman did very well with her recording career having Philips be her label. They have served her voice well. One thing I must say, and this is rather general about recordings; Philips has really done well to capture the true quality of this amazing voice. Most companies simply can't capture large voices well, and often we hear their many problems before we can hear their many strengths. Decca for all its wonderful recording technique never captured the real Nilsson, nor the real Sutherland (and definitely not the real Tebaldi), simply because the miking system has the most terrible time capturing large voices without distorting them. EMI was the worst at capturing big sounding voices and keeping them sounding true.

Philips has managed to capture the sound of Norman's voice and to remain fairly true to it. One is not surprised to hear her in performance after hearing one of her recordings. You just feel more "part of it" in a live setting than on the recordings. Nilsson shocked me, for I was completely unprepared for the strength of her penetrating and exciting sound when I hear her live for the first time. It was like the records captured only a shadow of what and who she was.

The fact that the engineers at Philips have captured her sound so well really places this recording (and all the rest of Normon's recordings) on the top of my list for "authentic sound." I recommend this recording as a wonderful introduction to the art of Jessye Norman. She is a complete artist, and like all singers, she has areas where she is super and without rival, and other areas where she is not necessarily our first choice. Yet, no matter what she sings one can never claim she is uninvolved, detached, or careless in her work. She sings with conviction, and she puts her own stamp on everything she sings. She literally makes the music her own.

Jessye is the best!.......2001-08-09

This is an excellent sampling of some of Jessye's great works. She is so clear and vibrant. You will want to listen to this over and over again. I even bought some of the full length recordings of her music that was sampled here.

A monumental talent.......2000-08-06

Jessye Norman has a landmark voice. It has such warmth, variety of colour, strength and depth that few can surpass her interpretations. The tracks on this CD are a good mixture that show off the best qualities of her voice.

Of course few CDs are perfect and, I'm afraid this is not one of them. Although the Poulenc and Brahms songs are supurbly executed and the Strauss song and aria are similarly noteworthy I must take exception to two of the renditions. Jessye's Dido leaves something to be desired. For me, and those others I have discussed this with, her voice is too rich and uncharacteristic for a touching Baroque aria. I've had the good fortune to play continuo in a live performance of Dido and Aeneas and the Dido in that performance was much colder, though still emotional. For me too Jessye's vibrato is a little too much for the work. Likewise unsatisfactory for me was the Gerschwin. I thought it was a little too much like a vacuum cleaner at points (no offence intended).

Tracks:

Don Giovanni: Ouverture
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene I -Introduzione: (Leporello) (Donna Anna) (Don Giovanni) (Commendatore)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 2 - Recitaivo: Leporelli, ove sei? (Don Giovanni) (Leporelli)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 3 - Recitativo: Ah! del padre in periglio (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 3 - Duetto: Fuggi, crudele, fuggi! (Donna Anna) ((Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 4 - Recitativo: Orsu, spiccati presto (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 5 - Terzetto: Ah! chi mi dice mai (Donna Elvira) (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 5 - Recitativo: Chi e la? (Donna Elvira) (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 5 - Aria: Madamina, il catalogo e questo (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 7 - Duetto & Coro: Gioveinette, che fate all'amore (Zerlina) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 8 - Recitativo: Maco male, e partita (Don Giovanni) (Leporelli) (Zerlina) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 8 - Aria: Ho capito, signor si! (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 9 - Recitativo: Alfin siam liberati (Don Giovanni) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 9 - Duettino: La ci darem la mano (Don Giovanni) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 10 - Recitativo: Fermati, scellerato! (Donna Elvira) (Zerlina) (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 10 - Aria: Ah! fuggi il traditor (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 11 - Recitativo: Mi par ch'oggi il demonio (Don Giovanni) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 12 - Recitativo: Ah, ti ritrovo ancor (Donna Elvira) Quartetto: Non ti fidar, o misera (Donna Elvira) (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio) (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 12 Recitativo: Povera sventurata! (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 13 - Recitativo: Don Ottavio... son morta! (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 13 - Aria: Or sai chi l'onore (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 14 - Recitativo: Come mai creder deggio (Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 14 - Aria: Dalla sua pace (Don Ottavio)

Tracks:

Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 15 - Recitativo: Io deggio, ad ogni patto (Leporello) (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 15 -Aria: Finch;han dal vino (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 16 - Recitativo: Masetto...senti un po (Zerlina) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 16 - Aria: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 16 - Recitativo: Guarda un po' come seppe (Masetto) (Don Giovanni) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 16 - Finale: Presto, presto, pira che venga (Masetto) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 17: Su svegliatevi, da bravi! (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 18 - Tra quest'arbori celata (Zerlina) (Don Giovanni) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 19 - Bisogna aver coraggio (Donna Elvira) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 19 - Protegga il giusto cielo (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 20 - Riposate, vezzose ragazze (Don Giovanni) (Leporello) (Masetto) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 20 - Venite pur avanti (Leporello) (Don Giovanni) (Donna Anna) (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 20 - Ecco il birbo che t'ha offesa (Don Giovanni) (Leporello) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna) (Donna Elvira) (Zerlina) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act I - Scene 20 - Trema, trema scellerato (Tutti)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 1 - Duetto: Eh via, buffone, non mi seccar! (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 1 - Recitativo: Leporello...Signore (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 2 -Terzetto: Ah! taci, ingiusto core (Donna Elvira) (Leporello) (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 2 -Recitativo: Amico, che tim par? (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 3 - Recitativo: Eccomi a voi (Donna Elvira) (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 3 - Aria: Deh! vieni alla finestra (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 4 - Recitativo: V'e gente alla finestra (Don Giovanni) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 4 - Aria: Meta di voi qua vadano (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 5 - Recitativo: Zitto...lascia ch'io senta (Don Giovanni) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 6 - Recitativo: Ahi! ahi! la testa mia! (Masetto) (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 6 - Aria: Vedrai, carino (Zerlina)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 7 - Recitativo: Di molte faci il lume (Leporello) (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 7 - Sestetto: Sola, sola in buio loco (Donna Elvira) (Leporello) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 8 - Sestetto: Ferma, briccone! Dove ten vai? (Zerlina) (Masetto) (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Elvira) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 8 - Sestetto: Mille torbidi pensieri (Leporello) (Zerlina) (Donna Anna) (Don Ottavio) (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 9 - Recitativo: Dunque quello sei tu (Zerlina) (Donna Elvira) (Don Ottavio) (Masetto)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 9 - Aria: Ah! pieta, signori miei! (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 9 - Recitativo: Ferma, perfido; ferma (Donna Elvira) (Masetto) (Zerlina) (Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 9 - Aria: Il mio tesoro (Don Ottavio)

Tracks:

Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 10 - Recitativo: In quali eccessi (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 10 - Aria: Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata (Donna Elvira)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 11 - Recitativo: Ah! ah! ah! questa e buona! (Don Giovanni) (Leporello) (Commendatore)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 11 - O statua gentilissima (Leporello) (Don Giovanni)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 12 - Recitativo: Calmatevi, idol mio (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 12 - Recitativo: Crudele? Ah no! mio ben! (Donna Anna) Aria: Non mi dir (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 12 - Aria: Forse un giorno (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 12 - Recitativo: Ah, si segua il suo passo (Don Ottavio)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 13 - Finale: Gia la mensa e preparata (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 14 - Finale: L'ultima prova (Donna Elvira) (Don Giovanni) (Leporello) Che grido e questo mai? (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 15 - Finale: Don Giovanni, a cenar teco (Commendatore) (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Scene 15 - Finale: Da qual tremore insolito (Don Giovanni) (Leporello)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Final Scene - Ah! dov'e il perfido? (Tutti)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Final Scene - Or che tutti, o mio tesoro (Don Ottavio) (Donna Anna)
Don Giovanni: Act 2 - Final Scene - Questo e il fin (Tutti)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2005-05-08

I just bought this set and I am very impressed. To start off I am a very big fan of the soprano and baritone voice. In addition to this I am of the belief that Kiri Te Kanawa and Ruggiero Raimondi can do no wrong when it comes to singing, so naturally it was not very hard for me to decide which Don Giovanni to add to my collection.

This set does not dissapoint. Both the Don and Elvira are in exceptional voice. In addition to this rest of the cast is terrific. Donna Anna, sung by Edda Moser, is truly remarkable especially in her first aria. I have read other reviews about her singing of this role and it seems that the reviewers are split in half. One half seems to think her Wagnerian sounding voice is far too heavy and aggressive for this role while the other half seems to find her perfect. Although, I must admit there are others that I have listened to and enjoyed just as much as Moser, it is nice to be able to hear "Or sai che l'onore" sung as though the soprano has just deiscoverd some horrifying fact and is ready to take action against it rather than faint. True, singing anything softer than forte is an alien concept to this woman, I feel that most people will be duly impressed.

Besides, if you do not enjoy Edda Moser's voice then any buyer can be certain to have loads of fun with Teresa Berganza, who sings the role of Zerlina. To put it plainly Berganza's singing and interpretation of this role may exceed even that of Bartoli's, who is yet another singer I firmly believe does no wrong when it comes to music.

The rest of the cast is also excellent. Don Ottavio, Leporello, and Masetto are all sung and portrayed as well as any. Overall this is a fine set and is well worth the purchase

The Best Don Giovanni On Record.......2004-09-15

Everyone has their pick of their favorite Don Giovanni, and recordings which they consider to be the ultimate. For me, this 1979 studio recording, which was also the soundtrack for the Joseph Losey film, is the greatest on record. It has the right voices for the dark and witty drama that is Don Giovanni, the right orchestration and there is a certain magic to the whole thing that is going to leave you an opera fan for life. Ruggero Raimond sings the role of the Don. He is convincing both as a singer and an actor, bringing life to the dark, predatory, perverted, scheming character. Don Giovanni is a wolf disguised as a gentleman. He is charming, elegant but beneath his mantle of aristocratic nobility, he is the Devil incarnate. His music, mostly through recitatives (he gets only a toast aria "Finc al vino" and a Serenade "Vieni A La Finestra"of elegance) is full of wit, sophisticated humor and bawdy ribald perversion. He is a man whore, who delights in making love to all women of any age, shape or size (but never twice). He is anti-marriage even anti-romantic love. He was married briefly to Dona Elvira who is still demanding her rights as a wife and follows him everywhere, obscessed with him, attempting to regain his love, warning other women of his deception and betrayal. The role of Dona Elvira is sung by Kiri Te Kenawa who is in excellent late 70's voice, her dramatic inflections are perfect for the role. Actually, she makes a convincing and less cartoonish Elvira. Dona Elvira is usually played quite histerically and even comically but Kiri Te Kenawa plays her with a dignity of her own. If she is dramatic it is because she is madly in love with Don Giovanni and conflicted. She has a love/hate relationship with him.

Donna Ana is performed by Edda Moser. A German soprano of lyric dramatic coloratura, she has the perfect category of voice for Dona Ana the way she ought to be sung. Nowadays it's popular for a light lyric soprano to sing the role, as Renee Fleming has done. But I am pretty sure Mozart intended for her to be a dramatic soprano with a heavier voice that is nevertheless lyric, beautiful, full of pianissimo and high top register. There is one coloratura aria "A Forse Un Giorno Il Cielo" and dramatic lines in her recitatives. Right from the start, she is screaming in horror as she discovers her father has been killed by Don Giovanni. There are also moments in which the dramatic music compliment the dramatic outbursts such as the moment when she recognizes Don Giovanni as the man who tried to rape her. "O Dei ! O Gods!" she cries. There is an intense quality to the aria "Or Sai Che L'Onore" in which she is resolved that Don Ottavio take revenge against the Don. Edda Moser has a Wagnerian voice that is quite good for Dona Ana, especially because in this "version" she has some feelings of temptation for the Don which she is vigorously fighting to kill.

Lorin Maazel is a good conductor, even if he makes an excess of strings and conducts some moments such as the Act I finale at a faster pace. Jose Van Dam is a perfect support for Raimondi as Leporello, the faithful, clever and comic servant. His basso buffo voice is perfect for the role. Zerlina is sung by the adorable Teresa Berganza who has a sweet, lyric voice and who plays the almost seduced peasant girl with great conviction. In the end, she loves Masetto and will not betray him. Malcom King's Masetto is quite good, adorably jealous. Jon Macurdy has a terrifying voice as the Commandatore. This is the perfect Don Giovanni. What are you waiting for ? See the movie and get this soundtrack.

If only............2004-05-07

This recording is exciting no doubt but it has a serious flaw- the sound. All of Mozart's orchestral brillance reduced to mush with the exaggerrated acoustics. An engineering disaster not helped by Maazels excessive use of string. Having said that wow- the singing catches fire. This version is comes close to comparing with the legendary Guilini recording with Schwartkoft and Sutherland. Kiri te Kanawa is phenomenal!!!. Very rarely does she sound so convincing dramatically but she is heavenly in this recording. Ah che di mai, Inquali eccesi, Masker's trio, Ah Fuggi.. are all sung excellently with a full throated creamy tone as golden as the morning sun and as smooth as silk. Not a note out of place or scooped. Schwartkopf occassional shows her troubles with Mozart- esp in Inquali eccesi but otherwise she is commanding. Her's is the more compelling potrait but te Kanawa outshines her in all other aspects of the role- youthful brilliance coupled with a voice that is truly unforgettable.

In the 1970's te Kanawa as a lyric soprano had no equal esp in Mozart. Freni, Riciarelli, Tomowa Sintow, Cotrubas, Popp comes nowhere near and four of her Mozart recordings then deserves to be ranked as some of the most sensational recordings ever committed to disc ( along with her Grammy award Four Lasts Songs ). Of her many Mozartian potraits; Fiordiligi and Pamina with Lombard and her Figaro with Boehm, this Elvira has to be the most breathtaking and quintessential of all. Her incredible voice, the manner of her delivery and the warmth of her superlative singing is magical.

Edda Moser is a wondefully dramatic Anna, not always focused and she sounds positively insecure in her entrance. Sutherland is incomparable. I find her 'Or sai' tellingly dramatic. Berganza is lovely and she manages the high tessitura well.

The men lack something of the spark in comparison. Van Dam is a most aristocratic Leporello. Terfel is more believable. Raimondi is commanding- his is the most sexually appealling of all recordings. Maazel has wonderful moments but tends to rush much of Mozart's orchestral colour.

Like Amadeus, Terrific! A Must have!.......2001-08-03

If you have seen the 1984 Milos Forman Best Picture Amadeus, you would have seen the Commandatore Scene from Don Giovanni. This soundtrack is to the 1979 film version of the opera, with the great conductor Lorin Maazel at the baton, Kiri Te Kenawa, Edda Moser, Berganza and Van Dam putting in their talents. This is a great performance, and if you loved the film, this is a must have. Dark, comic, it is Mozart's finest Italian opera. Popular for its beautiful melodies, such as "La Ci Darem La Mano" "Viva La Libertad " the Don's lusty champagne aria "Finch hal Del Vino" and of course the climatic encounter with the Commandatore, Don Giovanni remains one of the world's greatest operas. Before you listen to all the other recordings, try this one out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Of course, Maazel fans might appreciate it better, as well as fans of Te Kenawa and Moser.

Not the best by a long shot.......2001-05-09

Frankly, this is very overated recording, as is the so-called legendary Gulini. Best in my view are a) Josef Krips (Decca) and Mitropoulos (Sony Classics). The latter is live, which this opera can take and in fact it adds to the frisson and excitement particularly in the final act. And the singers. Nobody has yet bettered Grummer, or Della Casa as Donna Anna or Donna Elivira. Hear them and you won't be able to listen to others doing this opera. The sound for a 1956 recording is excellent as is the Krips one which was recorded around 1959. In both recordings Siepi is the Don and his voice is a marvellous mixture of suave, erotic and downright sinister. In short he encompases the whole role. Do yourself a favour and get BOTH these recordings.

The Pavarotti Edition (includes bonus disc with previously unreleased 1964 debut Decca recording session)

Average customer rating:

Beyond all description...
An Absolute Must-Have for Any Pavarotti Fan
Wonderful!!!!

The Pavarotti Edition (includes bonus disc with previously unreleased 1964 debut Decca recording session)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00005O841
Release Date: 2001-11-13

Album Description

Disc 1: Donizetti Arias from L'elisir d'amore, Maria Stuarda, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Fille du Regiment, Linda di Chamounix, La Favorita, and Don Paquale

Disc 2: Bellini/Donizetti/Verdi Includes arias from I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Norma, La Sonnambula (1976 Duet Recording), I Beatrice di Tenda, I Puritani, Don Sebastien, Il Duca d'Alba, I Lombardi, I due Foscari, Ernani, and Attila

Disc 3: Verdi 1 Includes arias from Macbeth, Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, and Les Vepres Siciliennes

Disc 4: Verdi 2 Includes arias from Un Ballo in Maschera, La Forza del Destino, Don Carlos, Aida, Otello, and Requiem

Disc 5: Puccini Includes arias from La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot

Disc 6: Puccini and Verismo Includes arias from Cavalleria Rusticana, Manon Lescaut, Pagliacci, Andrea Chenier, and Tosca

Disc 7: Arias 1 Includes arias from La Griselda, Atalanta, Orfeo ed Euridice, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte, Guillaume Tell, and more. Includes Unreleased Material.

Disc 8: Arias 2 Includes arias from Martha, Mefistofele, La Giocanda, Adriana Lecouvreur, Rosenkavalier, Fedora, Werther, Faust, Carmen, and more

Disc 9: Italian Songs Includes: In questa tomba oscura, Me voglio fa'na casa, Non t'amo piu, Pace non trovo, and more

Disc 10: Neapolitan and Italian Popular Songs Includes: O sloe mio, Torna a Surriento, Core 'ngrato, Funiculi Funicula, Non ti scordar di me, Mamma and more

Bonus CD: The 1964 EP (previously unreleased) "Che Gelida Manina," "E lucevan le stelle," "Questo o quella," "La Donna e mobile," and "Parmi veder" with Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Edward Downes conducting

Customer Reviews:

Beyond all description..........2006-09-19

As a boy, I heard so many hyperbolic references to the legendary Enrico Caruso that I chose to purchase a remastered copy of his "Greatest Hits" when I first began to acquire recordings as a young man. Soon after, I discovered Pavarotti and my life was changed by his music. Caruso ended up in the Goodwill Store. I am convinced that in 500 years, should the earth cool again and the Muslim hoards abate, the civilized world will still tell tales of the greatest tenor. I have often found myself grumpy when searching for recordings of Pavarotti because of the inconsistent fidelity of the recordings. That search for the definitive Pavarotti recordings, regarding both content and fidelity, has ended with the release of this extraordinary collection. Worth it's weight in gold, the Puccinni Volume (#5) alone is enough to send someone like me into hyperspace. I am astounded by the beauty and power of these performances. I will always remember the day, not long ago, when a NPR commentator glibly mentioned between the weather and the night's playlist the terrible words, "Luciano Pavarotti has announced that he is retiring from Opera." I felt as if something indescribably beautiful was fading from the world. Of course, beauty in all of its earthly forms is fleeting at best, but these discs contain a reflection of it that will surely bolster any soul.

An Absolute Must-Have for Any Pavarotti Fan.......2004-01-09

...and that certainly goes without saying. My one tiny little problem with it is that his recordings of "Santa Lucia" and "Caruso" are not on this incredible box-set. Even though I have those recordings on other CDs, I still think those are very important pieces to include on this set (assuming that this set of Pavi hits would be the only compilation that that any fan of this phenomenal tenor would have). He is probably my biggest idol, and he deserves to have been one of the biggest opera stars in history.

Wonderful!!!!.......2002-11-07

This Pavarotti set; The Pavarotti Edition; is a wonderful collection of Arias and songs that cover Luciano's great career. Pavarotti is THE Voice of the 20th Century and this set does him justice. It includes 10 CDs with over 750 minutes of music; Includes Music from All of His roles; has a beautiful 76 page full color booklet; Has a wonderful write up; and includes a bonus CD of Pavarotti's fist album, a 45, from 1964, which has never been released on CD before this set. Every Song is hear, This SET is a must have for every Pavarotti Fan.

Marilyn Horne: Teatro Regio di Parma Concert

Average customer rating:

Bel Canto, indeed

Marilyn Horne: Teatro Regio di Parma Concert

Manufacturer: Bongiovanni
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | 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

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000044AZ
Release Date: 1998-11-01

Tracks:

Meraspe: 'Superbo Di Me Stesso'
Rodelinda: 'Dove Sei'
Rodelinda: 'Vivi Tiranno'
L'Assedio Di Corinto: 'Non Temer D'Un Basso Affetto'
The Nightingale
He's Gone Away
Oh Dear! What Can The Matter Be!
The Turtledove
Il Torvatore: 'Stride La Vampa'
La Sonnambula: 'Ah! Non Credea Mirarti'
Lucrezia Borgia: 'Brindisi'
Tancredi: 'Di Tanti Palpiti'
Mignon: 'Connais Tu Le Pays'
Semele
Carmen: 'Habanera'
Gli Ugonotti: 'Nobles Seigneurs'
I Dream Of Jeannie

Customer Reviews:

Bel Canto, indeed.......2001-02-02

I became interested in this album after hearing a recording of Ms. Horne singing "Superbo di me stesso" on another album - her rendition here makes me tired just hearing it! This album is a live recording with piano only, but I found it to be a nice mix of music and of generally high quality. Her rendition of "He's Gone Away" is quite moving. Any fan of Ms. Horne's would be advised to purchase this recording.

Rock Music:

Rock Music