Bellini: I Puritani (Highlights)

1. I Puritani, opera O di Cromvel Guerrieri
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
2. I Puritani, opera A Te, O Cara
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
3. I Puritani, opera Son Vergin Vezzosa
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
4. I Puritani, opera Ah Vieni Al Tempio
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
5. I Puritani, opera Cinta Di Fiori
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
6. I Puritani, opera O Rendetemi la Speme. . . Qui la Voce Sua Soave
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
7. I Puritani, opera Vien, Diletto, è in Ciel la Luna!
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
8. I Puritani, opera Riccardo! Riccardo!. . . . Suoni la Tromba
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
9. I Puritani, opera Son Già Lontani!. . . Corre a Valle
   Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
   Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
   with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
   Conducted by Tullio Serafin
   
   
10. I Puritani, opera Fini . . . Me Lassa
    Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
    Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
    with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
    Conducted by Tullio Serafin
    
    
11. I Puritani, opera Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
    Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
    Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
    with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
    Conducted by Tullio Serafin
    
    
12. I Puritani, opera Credeasi, Misera!
    Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
    Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
    with Rolando Panerai, Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas
    Conducted by Tullio Serafin
    
    

Bellini: I Puritani (Highlights),Rolando Panerai,Vincenzo Bellini,Tullio Serafin,La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus,Maria Callas,Giuseppe di Stefano,Angel Records,Classical,Classical Composers,Classical Music,Italian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: My experience of this CD Beautiful! Well worth the money. Wonderful! Wonderful! Best investment to make A great pianist interpreting the most inspired composer ever !

Chopin: The Piano Works Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bourees | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Ecossaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Impromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Liszt: Piano Works Brahms: Works for Solo Piano Schubert: The Piano Sonatas Works for Solo Piano Mozart: The Piano Concertos ASIN: B0000041KB Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

1. 24 Preludes, Op.28: I - C Major
2. 24 Preludes, Op.28: II - A Minor
3. 24 Preludes, Op.28: III - G Major
4. 24 Preludes, Op.28: IV - E Minor
5. 24 Preludes, Op.28: V - D Major
6. 24 Preludes, Op.28: VI - B Minor
7. 24 Preludes, Op.28: VII - A Major
8. 24 Preludes, Op.28: VIII - F Sharp Minor
9. 24 Preludes, Op.28: IX - E Major
10. 24 Preludes, Op.28: X - C Sharp Minor
11. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XI - B Major
12. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XII - G Sharp Minor
13. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XIII - F Sharp Major
14. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XIV - E Flat Minor
15. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XV - D Flat Major 'Raindrop'
16. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XVI - B Flat Minor
17. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XVII - A Flat Major
18. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XVIII - F Minor
19. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XIX - E Flat Major
20. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XX - C Minor
21. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XXI - B Flat Major
22. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XXII - G Minor
23. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XXIII - F Major
24. 24 Preludes, Op.28: XXIV - D Minor
25. Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.45
26. Prelude In A Flat Major
27. Impromptu In A Flat Major, Op.29
28. Impromptu In F Sharp Major, Op.36
29. Impromptu In G Flat Major, Op.51
30. Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor, Op.66

Tracks:

1. Ballade No.1 In G Minor, Op.23
2. Ballade No.2 In F Major, Op.38
3. Ballade No.3 In A Flat Major, Op.47
4. Ballade No.4 In F Minor, Op.52
5. Scherzo No.1 In B Minor, Op.20
6. Scherzo No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31
7. Scherzo No.3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
8. Scherzo No.4 In E Minor, Op.54

Tracks:

1. 3 Nocturnes, Op.9: I - B Flat Minor
2. 3 Nocturnes, Op.9: II - E Flat Major
3. 3 Nocturnes, Op.9: III - B Major
4. 3 Nocturnes, Op.15: I - F Major
5. 3 Nocturnes, Op.15: II - F Sharp Major
6. 3 Nocturnes, Op.15: III - G Minor
7. 2 Nocturnes, Op.27: I - C Sharp Minor
8. 2 Nocturnes, Op.27: II - D Flat Major
9. 2 Nocturnes, Op.32: I - B Major
10. 2 Nocturnes, Op.32: II - A Flat Major
11. 2 Nocturnes, Op.37: I - G Minor
12. 2 Nocturnes, Op.37: II - G Major

Tracks:

1. 2 Nocturnes, Op.48: I - C Minor
2. 2 Nocturnes, Op.48: II - F Sharp Minor
3. 2 Nocturnes, Op.55: I - F Minor
4. 2 Nocturnes, Op.55: II - E Flat Major
5. 2 Nocturnes, Op.62: I - B Major
6. 2 Nocturnes, Op.62: II - E Major
7. Nocturne In E Minor, Op.72 No.1
8. Nocutrne In C Sharp Minor
9. Nocturne In C Minor

Tracks:

1. 12 Etudes, Op.10: I - C Major
2. 12 Etudes, Op.10: II - A Minor
3. 12 Etudes, Op.10: III - E Major
4. 12 Etudes, Op.10: IV - C Sharp Minor
5. 12 Etudes, Op.10: V - G Flat Major 'Black Key'
6. 12 Etudes, Op.10: VI - E Flat Minor
7. 12 Etudes, Op.10: VII - C Major
8. 12 Etudes, Op.10: VIII - F Major
9. 12 Etudes, Op.10: IX - F Minor
10. 12 Etudes, Op.10: X - A Flat Major
11. 12 Etudes, Op.10: XI - E Flat Major
12. 12 Etudes, Op.10: XII - C Minor 'Revolutionary'
13. 12 Etudes, Op.25: I - A Flat Major
14. 12 Etudes, Op.25: II - F Minor
15. 12 Etudes, Op.25: III - F Major
16. 12 Etudes, Op.25: IV - A Minor
17. 12 Etudes, Op.25: V - E Minor
18. 12 Etudes, Op.25: VI - G Sharp Minor
19. 12 Etudes, Op.25: VII - C Sharp Minor
20. 12 Etudes, Op.25: VIII - D Flat Major
21. 12 Etudes, Op.25: IX - G Flat Major
22. 12 Etudes, Op.25: X - B Minor
23. 12 Etudes, Op.25: XI - A Minor 'Winter Wind'
24. 12 Etudes, Op.25: XII - C Minor

Tracks:

1. 2 Polonaises, Op.26: I - C Sharp Minor
2. 2 Polonaises, Op.26: II - E Flat Minor
3. 2 Polonaises, Op.40: I - A Major
4. 2 Polonaises, Op.40: II - C Minor
5. Polonaise In F Sharp Minor, Op.44
6. Polonaise In A Flat Major, Op.53
7. Polonaise-fantaisie In A Flat Major, Op.61

Tracks:

1. 3 Polonaises, Op.71: I - D Minor
2. 3 Polonaises, Op.71: II - B Flat Major
3. 3 Polonaises, Op.71: III - F Minor
4. Polonaise In B Flat Minor
5. Polonaise In G Flat Major
6. Polonaise In G Minor
7. Polonaise In B Flat Major
8. Polonaise In A Flat Major
9. Polonaise In G Sharp Minor

Tracks:

1. Waltz In E Flat Major, Op.18
2. 3 Waltzes, Op.34: I - A Flat Major
3. 3 Waltzes, Op.34: II - A Minor
4. 3 Waltzes, Op.34: III - F Major
5. Waltz In A Flat Major, Op.42
6. 3 Waltzes, Op.64: I - D Flat Major
7. 3 Waltzes, Op.64: II - C Sharp Minor
8. 3 Waltzes, Op.64: III - A Flat Major
9. 2 Waltzes, Op.69: I - A Flat Major
10. 2 Waltzes, Op.69: II - B Minor
11. 3 Waltzes, Op.70: I - G Flat Major
12. 3 Waltzes, Op.70: II - F Minor
13. 3 Waltzes, Op.70: III - D Flat Major
14. Waltz In E Minor (1830)
15. Waltz In E Major (1829)
16. Waltz In A Minor (?1843)
17. Waltz In A Flat Major (1827)
18. Waltz In E Flat Major ('Sostenuto', 1840)
19. Waltz In E Flat Major (1829 - 1830)

Tracks:

1. 4 Mazurkas, Op.6: I - F Sharp Minor
2. 4 Mazurkas, Op.6: II - C Sharp Minor
3. 4 Mazurkas, Op.6: III - E Major
4. 4 Mazurkas, Op.6: IV - E Flat Minor
5. 5 Mazurkas, Op.7: I - B Flat Major
6. 5 Mazurkas, Op.7: II - A Minor
7. 5 Mazurkas, Op.7: III - F Minor
8. 5 Mazurkas, Op.7: IV - A Flat Major
9. 5 Mazurkas, Op.7: V - C Major
10. 4 Mazurkas, Op.17: I - B Flat Major
11. 4 Mazurkas, Op.17: II - E Minor
12. 4 Mazurkas, Op.17: III - A Flat Major
13. 4 Mazurkas, Op.17: IV - A Minor
14. 4 Mazurkas, Op.24: I - G Minor
15. 4 Mazurkas, Op.24: II - C Major
16. 4 Mazurkas, Op.24: III - A Flat Major
17. 4 Mazurkas, Op.24: IV - B Flat Minor
18. 4 Mazurkas, Op.30: I - C Minor
19. 4 Mazurkas, Op.30: II - B Minor
20. 4 Mazurkas, Op.30: III - D Flat Major
21. 4 Mazurkas, Op.30: IV - C Sharp Minor
22. 4 Mazurkas, Op.33: I - G Sharp Minor
23. 4 Mazurkas, Op.33: II - D Major
24. 4 Mazurkas, Op.33: III - C Major
25. 4 Mazurkas, Op.33: IV - B Minor
26. 4 Mazurkas, Op.41: I - C Sharp Minor
27. 4 Mazurkas, Op.41: II - E Minor
28. 4 Mazurkas, Op.41: III - B Major
29. 4 Mazurkas, Op.41: IV - A Flat Major

Tracks:

1. 3 Mazurkas, Op.50: I - G Major
2. 3 Mazurkas, Op.50: II - A Flat Major
3. 3 Mazurkas, Op.50: III - C Sharp Minor
4. 3 Mazurkas, Op.56: I - B Major
5. 3 Mazurkas, Op.56: II - C Major
6. 3 Mazurkas, Op.56: III - C Minor
7. 3 Mazurkas, Op.59: I - A Minor
8. 3 Mazurkas, Op.59: II - A Flat Major
9. 3 Mazurkas, Op.59: III - F Sharp Minor
10. 3 Mazurkas, Op.63: I - B Major
11. 3 Mazurkas, Op.63: II - F Minor
12. 3 Mazurkas, Op.63: III - C Sharp Minor
13. 4 Mazurkas, Op.67: I - G Major
14. 4 Mazurkas, Op.67: II - G Minor
15. 4 Mazurkas, Op.67: III - C Major
16. 4 Mazurkas, Op.67: IV - A Minor
17. 4 Mazurkas, Op.68: I - C Major
18. 4 Mazurkas, Op.68: II - A Minor
19. 4 Mazurkas, Op.68: III - F Major
20. 4 Mazurkas, Op.68: IV - F Minor
21. Mazurka In A Minor ('a Emile Gaillard', 1840)
22. Mazurka In A Minor ('Notre temps', 1840)
23. Mazurka In B Flat Major (1826)
24. Mazurka In G Major (1826)
25. Mazurka In A Flat Major (1834)
26. Mazurka In C Major (1833)
27. Mazurka In B Flat Major (For Alexandra Wolowska, 1832)
28. Mazurka In D Major (1832)
29. Mazurka In D Major (?1820)
30. Mazurka In F Minor, Op.68 No. 4 - Vladimir Ashkenazy

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: I - Grave - Doppio movimento
2. Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: II - Scherzo
3. Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: III - Marche funebre
4. Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35: IV - Finale: Presto
5. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: I - Allegro maestoso
6. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: II - Scherzo: Molto vivace
7. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: III - Largo
8. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: IV - Finale: Presto, non tanto
9. Fantaisie In F Minor, Op. 49

Tracks:

1. Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: I - Allegro maestoso
2. Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: II - Minuetto - Trio
3. Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: III - Larghetto
4. Piano Sonata No.1 In C Minor, Op.4: IV - Finale: Presto
5. Variations sur un air national allemand - E Major (1826)
6. Rondo In C Minor, Op.1
7. 3 Ecossaises, Op.72 No.3: I - D Major; II - G Major; III - D Flat Major
8. Rondo 'a la Mazur' In F Major, Op.5
9. Marche funebre In C Minor, Op.72 No.2
10. Contredanse In G Flat Major (?1827) - Vladimir Ashkenazy
11. Rondo In C Major, Op.73 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
12. Variations In D Major For Piano Duet (1826) - Vladimir Ashkenazy

Tracks:

1. Variations In A Major ('Souvenir de Paganini', 1829)
2. Variations brillantes In B Flat Major, Op.12
3. Rondo In E Flat Major, Op.16
4. Bolero In A Minor, Op.19
5. Cantabile In B Flat Major
6. Variation In E Major
7. Largo In E Flat Major
8. Allegro de concert In A Major, Op.46
9. 3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): I - F Minor
10. 3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): II - A Flat Major
11. 3 Nouvelles Etudes (1837): III - D Flat Major
12. Tarentelle In A Flat Major, Op.43
13. Fugue In A Minor (1841 - 42)
14. Albumblatt in E Major (1843)
15. Op.74 No.2: Wiosna - Spring
16. 2 Bourrees (1846): I - G Minor; II - A Major
17. Galop Marquis
18. Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op.57
19. Barcarolle In F Sharp Major, Op.60

Customer Reviews:

My experience of this CD.......2007-04-04

My hats off to this CD collection! It was worth it!!! Chopin is a true genius for the piano, on this collection.

Beautiful!.......2006-08-18

This is a beautifully played collection of Chopin's work. It was a birthday gift,
and I listen to bits of it every day. I have yet to find a favorite
CD, as each is so lovely. It is well worth the price.

Well worth the money. Wonderful! Wonderful!.......2006-06-10

I am not a classical music expert but I am an expert when it comes to a great product. I have listened to the works of rubenstein and Horowitz, but nothing is comparable to this great collection of polands favorite son. The nocturnes are dreamy and romantic. The other pieces though not as mesmerizing have plenty of depth and feeling. This is a collection that you will listen to over and over again. Although this music is great anytime, it's especially meaningful during a light rainfall. Go ahead and make this investment. It's only $100.00. For the next 100 days save a dollar and you will have it paid for. I promise you won't be sorry. Excellent! Excellent!

Best investment to make.......2006-05-21

In my opinion, this is the apex of classical music. You will not find a better CD for Chopin or any piano recordings. There may be plenty of comparable CDs, but nothing can claim to surpass this.

Although some pieces are not as good as those by other artists, Ashkenazy's interpretations of Chopin are the best I've ever heard. Add in his amazing technical performance and you've got some sublime music.

Listening to these pieces have immensely helped my own Chopin reportoire. I don't play to mimic Ashkenazy, but I use his insights and apply my own style over that and end up with something exponentially better than what I could produce on my own.

The price is something you have to seriously consider. A hundred bucks. Yeah, that's a lot of money, but that's 48 cents per song. And you'll listen to these songs dozens of times, at least, I guarantee. Plus it's a great deal... if you were to get all the Ashkenazy-Chopin CDs available on Amazon, overlapping pieces as little as possible, you'd pay $30 more and still not have everything.

This is an investment for life and will definitely remain one of my favorite CD sets for decades. Decades. A hundred bucks for decades of amazing music. This stuff is larger than today, larger than life.. music this good is something you can't afford to pass up because of temporary financial difficulties.

A great pianist interpreting the most inspired composer ever !.......2005-09-15

Lets imagine that Chopin himself has recorded his own compositions in a perfectly clear CD. I am sure that some classical music reviewers would say "This is not the way Chopin is meant to be played". These classical music "pundits" are very intolerant.

Interpretation and emotion feeling is also a matter of taste, so that the only one who can give a final answer is Franois (Frederic).

Ashkenazy is gifted with a phenomenal technique, a great pianist. So that this collection is for sure 5 stars. Enjoy it.

Ah, if you like to see piano technique in action, listen to Georgy Cziffra's interpretation of Etude op. 10 no. 4. (Search the album in my reviews.)

Average customer rating: Andrea Bocelli - Sogno Not bad! pleasure to lilsten Bocelli - Aria Why...?

Andrea Bocelli - The Opera Album ~ Aria Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Ponchielli | Ponchielli, Amilcare | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Bocelli, Andrea | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Giordano, Umberto | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cilea, Francesco | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Massenet, Jules | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Ponchielli, Amilcare | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Strauss, Richard | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | 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 Tenors | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bocelli, Andrea | A to B | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Romanza Andrea Bocelli - Sacred Arias / Myung-Whun Chung Cieli di Toscana Andrea Bocelli: Verdi Andrea Bocelli - Amore ASIN: B0000069CO Release Date: 1998-04-07

Tracks:

1. Rigoletto: Questa o quella
2. La Boheme: Che gelida manina
3. TOSCA: Recondita armonia
4. TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
5. Madama Butterfly: Addio, fiorito asil
6. Andrea Chenier: Come un bel di di maggio
7. I Puritani: A te, o cara
8. Der Rosenkavalier: Di rigori armato il seno
9. Fedora: Amor ti vieta
10. La Fanciulla del West: Ch'ella mi creda
11. La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
12. Adriana Lecouvreur: La dolcissima effigie
13. La Boheme: Musetta! - Testa adorata
14. Lucia di Lammermoor: Tombe degli avi miei - Fra poco a me ricovero
15. Werther: Pourquoi me reveiller
16. Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
17. La Fille Du Regiment: Pour mon ame

Amazon.com

Andre Bocelli is no opera singer, but he shows far more potential in this album than does another pop-vocalist tenor-wannabe, Michael Bolton. For one thing, he can shake off the crooner mannerisms and really sing when performing music that calls for it. At his best, he has a rich, dark timbre and an easy, unforced top. At other times, however, the tone turns dry and thin and the high notes are constricted, the inconsistency suggesting a lack of technique. Never does one get the impression that he could be heard over a medium-sized orchestra without amplification. This isn't bad singing per se, but there is much better out there, readily available on disc. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Album Description

Exclusive Australian Gold pressing released to coincide with his first public appearance in Australia. He'll be performing at the opening ceremonies and then onto to tour the land down under. His back catalogue will be released & re-packaged in slipcases with his signature on them as well as all of them pressed on gold plated CD's. This pressing includes 17 tracks, all sung in his native Italian Tongue. 1998 release. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

Andrea Bocelli - Sogno.......2007-06-27

I am 45 years old. The reason why this is something I am mentioning, is to let all of you reading my review know what age group I am in. It might be important to the age you are in knowing what I have to say. I have four Andrea Bocelli CD's and they are all wonderful. I love each of them. My mom turned me on to him, and, since I love Josh Groban, I decided to listen to Andrea Bocelli and see what all her fuss over him was about. I'm glad I did. I am half Italian and half Spanish. I don't know either language, but when I listen to both Andrea and Josh, I don't have to. They make the music tell a story, and instantly, you understand something about the words from just the sound of their voices. If you love Josh Groban, then Andrea Bocelli is someone you should give a listen to. His voice is soothing, powerful, and romantic. I am looking forward to getting more of his CD's. Great Stuff!!!

Not bad!.......2007-04-09

What I have heard about Andrea Bocelli is bimodal--some think that he is not up to the operatic repertoire and is way overrated; others see him as a fine singer, from a nontraditional background and career path. What I hear on this CD is fine singing, with some limitations. He was once a law school student; he played in piano bars. He took lessons from the great Franco Corelli. Some examples of his work illustrate his skills:

"Questa O quella" is a nice romp. His smooth voice moves through this aria nicely. His voice is not a big one. On the other hand, his musicianship seems fine (thank goodness none of the sobbing and catches that some tenors adopt).

In Puccini's "Che gelida manina" (from "La Boheme"), he again sings smoothly. He has a nice sound to his voice. The high note is a bit thin, but certainly not as bad as some critics would have it. A serviceable version, in short.

Then, the twin arias from "Tosca"--"Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle." Both are well sung. His version of "Recondita armonia" compares well with other versions. He certainly has no reason to hang his head. When he amps up the volume, his voice is not quite as rich as many other tenors, bit it is still fine. Top notes, as observed before, are a bit thin, but--again--hardly reason for lamentation. This is nicely sung. My notes for "E lucevan le stelle" simply say "Ibid." That is, one could write a very similar set of comments.

The last piece is from a different tradition--a selection from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Tome degli avi miei." Smoothly sung. A bit thin on higher notes. Overall, though, a nice job.

As I listen to his work, I think that Bocelli does a good job in the standard tenor repertoire. Is he a great tenor? No. Is he a good tenor? Yes.

pleasure to lilsten.......2007-01-19

This album is a pleasure. The selections are spirited and well executed. I was very satisfied with this purchse and would recommend it to any one who enjoys opera.

Bocelli - Aria.......2006-11-05

Introduced me to arias that were not known to me, and I find to be
quite beautiful. As usual, Bocelli does not fail.

Why...?.......2006-03-13

Why is there all this continuing controversy after so many years about whether or not Andrea Bocelli is - or is not - Operatically sound? All I know (and that's not saying much for me in this genre), is that after having listened to Amazon.com's sampling of the music on this Audio CD a few moments ago, I wept. Andrea Bocelli always makes me weep - because of his profound spiritual depth. And I don't care what anyone thinks on that issue. All I do know is this. The man sings from his soul...and nothing could surpass that - ever.

Average customer rating: If you love beautiful voices... If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD excellent gift Greatest Tenor of This Century! Ah... Franco :}

The Very Best of Franco Corelli Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Ponchielli | Ponchielli, Amilcare | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Corelli, Franco | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ponchielli, Amilcare | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Corelli, Franco | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano Carlo Bergonzi - The Sublime Voice ~ 40 Tracks from the Legendary Tenor The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda Franco Corelli: Corelli in Concert ASIN: B00008V5VV Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

1. A Te, O Cara
2. Meco All' Altar Di Venere... Me Protegge, Me Difende
3. Ah Si, Ben mio...De Quella Pira
4. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
5. Pur Ti Riveggo, Mia Dolce Aida
6. Intanto Amici... Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
7. Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
8. Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
9. No, Pagliaccio Non Son
10. Colpito Qui M'avete...Un Di All'azzuro Spazio
11. Credo A Una Possanza Arcana
12. Legray!... Andrea Chenier!...Si, Fui Soldato
13. Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
14. Vicino A Te

Tracks:

1. Donna Non Vidi Mai
2. Recondita Armonia
3. E Lucevan Le Stelle
4. Non Piangere, Liu... Ah! Per L'ultima Volta!
5. Nessun Dorma
6. Favorita Del Re!... Spirto Gentil
7. Cielo E Mar
8. L'anima Ho Stanca
9. Non Lunge Della Torre... Bianca Al Par Di Neve Alpina
10. Ange Adorable
11. L'amour, L'amour.. Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil!
12. O Nuit Divine!
13. C'est La! Salut! Tombeau!
14. Fronde Tenere... Ombra Mai Fu
15. Ave Maria
16. Domine Deus
17. Core 'Ngrato
18. Torna A Surriento

Customer Reviews:

If you love beautiful voices..........2007-04-30

and passionate singing, you won't be disappointed. While Corelli certainly had his flaws, they are minor in the larger picture of this unique, magnificent force of nature. Then get this set for your friend who thinks Andrea Bocelli is a great tenor.

If you want to know Corelli's art, this is the right CD.......2007-03-10

Franco Corelli had one of the powerful tenor voices of the twentieth century. Think Mario del Monaco with more beauty and grace; think Richard Tucker with a smoother voice. He had annoying touches in his singing, such as those "catches" here and there. But, with Tucker, he is, in my estimation, one of the two most powerful and attention riveting tenors in the past century. Other tenors were more artistic, provided better characterization (think Domingo, Gigli, Pavarotti, Gedda, Caruso, and some others).

But Corelli was a wonder of nature! Some samples: "Ah si, ben mio. . .Di quella pira." If there were an aria made for Corelli, this would be it. His big, rich, powerful voice fits this cut nicely. Not much subtlety here. In "Di quella pira," he hits the high notes in a stentorian manner. There are those mannerisms, but they are so easily forgiven, taking into account that rich, lustrous voice.

"Celeste Aida" is another representative cut. This is a powerful version. Also, note how he goes from forte to piano at the end of this aria. A powerful effect indeed.

Then, there are the twin arias from "Tosca." In "Recondita armonia," his rich voice is well manifest. He exhibits a smooth line in his singing. This is a powerful version of this well known aria. "E lucevan le stele" displays again that rich voice. At one point, he goes from forte to piano in a mesmerizing manner (Who'd have thought it?). His final "la vita" grabs one's attention.

Finally, "Nessun dorma." Well, smoothly, and powerfully sung. The final "vincero" is powerfully rendered, leaving goose bumps on the spine.

This is the very best of Franco Corelli. Those who want to get a sense of the vocal prowess of one of the most powerful tenors of the 20th century should attend to this double CD set.

excellent gift.......2007-02-09

I gave it to my father and he says Its an amazing cd.

Greatest Tenor of This Century!.......2007-02-03

Franco Corelli is the greatest tenor of this century. Although there are many fine tenors including Carlo Bergonzi - no tenor comes close to singing with the pure heart and animal magnetism of Franco Corelli. Surprisingly, he was also quite comfortable with bel canto, listen to the incredible "A te o'cara". I've heard "Nessun Dorma" sung by many excellent tenors and hands down, none can touch the sublime beauty of Corelli's version. This 2cd set of his greatest arias is a wonderful gift for any opera fan. "Recondita Armonia" is my personal favorite. His thrilling vocal beauty and intensity of performance is truly unforgettable.

Ah... Franco :}.......2007-01-10

Such a pleasing voice. I can't believe the clarity and perfection. He was well before my time and others have become more 'popular' since then, but for some reason his voice seems better than the more current singers. I do not know much about opera so I will have to rely only on my own ears. I happily recommend this double album. I like to have it playing on the 5 CD changer with other opera cds, mixing through them...it is a perfect saturday morning accompaniment. enjoy.

Average customer rating: I am in love with Anna simple stunning Ok but not a bel canto singer Having It All Talented singer, but should she choose her reportoire better?

Sempre Libera Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Claudio Abbado , Sascha Reckert , Sara Mingardo , Mahler Chamber Orchestra , and Saimir Pirgu Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias Russian Album Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata [Includes DVD] Anna Netrebko - The Woman, The Voice Verdi - La Traviata ASIN: B000295TXC Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. E strano! - "Ah, fors'ui"
2. Sempre libera
3. Ah! Se una volta sola
4. Ah, non credea mirarti
5. Ah! non giunge uman pensiero
6. O rendetemi le speme...Qui la voce
7. Ah! tu sorridi
8. Vien, diletto, n ciel la luna
9. O giusto cielo! (Act 2)
10. OihmSorge il tremendo
11. Ardon gli incensi... (Act 2)
12. Spargi d'amaro pianto (Act 2)
13. Era pimo?
14. Piangea cantando nell'erma landa...
15. Ave Maria, piena di grazia
16. O mio babbino caro

Amazon.com

Anna Netrebko's second CD is even more impressive than her first. She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she's working at it and presents here a very satisfying---even thrilling---program. She doesn't quite have the stature or insights for Verdi's Violetta yet, but aside from some smudged coloratura in low-lying passages she sings the first act scene quite well (capped with a well-placed, big E-flat). She's close to ideal in the Sonnambula and Puritani excerpts, where her girlishness is entirely right, her coloratura dazzling, and her ability to sound tearful really impressive. The Lucia Mad Scene (also notable here for its use of the glass harmonica for which it was composed in place of the usual flute) is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be. And although she's not vocally suited to Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria, she does manage to darken her voice to fit the character and presents a very moving portrait. The CD ends with an utterly charming "O mio babbino caro." Artistry and everything else aside, her voice is just beautiful. Claudio Abbado's leadership is ideal. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

I am in love with Anna.......2007-05-15

Did you see her in the Met's big screen broadcast of I Puritani? Then you know what I mean. Here is a just stunningly, impossibly gorgeous woman with a voice of liquid fire and gold who can sing with passion and precision while she's bending over and crawling around on the floor! If she weren't real I would guess she was the invention of the overinflamed imagination of a heterosexual opera queen (if such a being exists).

If you love getting great voice, buy this.

simple stunning.......2007-05-10

having just found this young womans CD in our local speciality store I was transformed from the mundaine life to the peak of ecstasy with her wonderful voice and the intense colours created by her own intensity.Here is a woman who can fill the heart with words that are pure gold and like velvet on the mind ,a truly wonderful voice and a stunning person to go with it .Here at last is a worthy successor to Dame Joan and others who gave opera to the world ,now we have in Anna Netrebko someone to give the passion and drama of opera to a new audience with the fire and fun of the pleasure this style of music can give.It is great to at last have an opera singer of this caliber who is unafraid to be herself and to let her own warmth and passion come through LONG May she continue to be the standard for others to attain.May she never change her love of singing and life

Ok but not a bel canto singer.......2007-03-21

Anna Netrebko's I Puritani selections are way below the art and skill of Callas, Sills, Sutherland, Caballe, and Gencer. She has no passion, no trills, no high notes that are deep and rich. Her best is in the Russian repertoire and possibley some undemanding Mozart.

Her broadcast from the Met Live of the I Puritani was alright, but scooping, avoidance of repetitions, running through passages like a locomotive, and an ending that would have brought the wrath of most opera houses in the world..scooping again, and a tight awful sounding high note. The same tentativenes is also here on this CD.She should know this. Her beauty and acting and allure are what interest the masses, not the voice, which is forgiven everything.

Too bad; she could be a lovely Tatyana some day.Also too, the Traviata is not that great; Anna Moffo , Renee Fleming, M. Caballe, and of course Maria Callas..Listen to these and hear the difference.

Having It All.......2007-01-22

This is a remarkable CD by the current "it" soprano. Anna Netrebko has it all. She is a wonderful singer, and a beautiful woman. Any star on the rise, particularly one with this much physical beauty and commercial promise, will always fall victim to criticisms that are more or less trivial. Believe me, I get it. When I first saw Anna, I wanted to be judgemental. After all, maybe she was just another pretty face being pushed by a record company. Then I heard her "Sempre libera" and became a fan.

There are criticisms of her trill, or her lack of a trill. Renee Fleming doesn't have a trill, and she has been the acclaimed queen for some time. Because of Anna's trill issues, she's criticized as lacking something that a coloratura should have. Well, she's not a coloratura. A good bel canto singer does not have to be a coloratura. There are criticisms of Anna's repertoire choices. You know why she picked this interesting melange for this CD? Because these are difficult scenes and arias, and she can do them. The only aria I didn't think "fit" is the "O mio babbino caro". She does it well, I just can't figure out what it's doing on this CD.

The "La Traviata" scene that starts the CD is absolutely magnificent. She is a wonderful Violetta, and sings this demanding scene with panache. She does the high E-flat at the end. Of course, she was coached by Scotto on this aria. Nice coaching if you can get it. No less remarkable are her scenes from "La sonnambula" and "I puritani". Her "Qui la voce" was beautiful. To listen to that gorgeous singing, and only focus on whether or not she has a trill is to miss the point of the music. I can definitely see why the Met is giving her the "Puritani" this season. Her scenes from "Lucia di Lammermoor" were technically perfect, and her mad scene very well done. The "Otello" scenes were amazing, particularly the floated pianos and pianissimos in the "Ave Maria". Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra are wonderful collaborators.

Ignore the criticisms and buy this CD! You'll be glad that you did. Highly recommended.

Talented singer, but should she choose her reportoire better?.......2007-01-10

Anna Netrebko has an attractive voice and a pleasing personality in this recording. But her performance also raises some questions.

First, she has a Callas-like habit (not a great compliment) when she ups her volume on higher notes of producing a rather unpleasant sound. In "Sempre libera," from "La Traviata," this is manifest. I compare this with the silky smooth lyric voice of Anna Moffo, from the 1960s and 1970s, who essayed this same piece in a manner much more attractive to the ear. Second, I could not hear a single trill on this CD (although maybe I missed something). In the colorature/bel canto repertoire, this is not a trifle. A trill is a standard part of a coloratura soprano's armamentorium. In that, again, she is like Callas, who scarcely issued forth a trill. "Spargi d'amaro pianto" is one of the classic cabalettas for coloratura sopranos. Sung without trills, it is not very satisfying. Some who have recorded the pyrotechnics of the "Mad Scene" have only displayed adequate trills (e.g., Anna Moffo or Angela Gheorghiu). Others, of course, have deployed wondrous effects, such as Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills. Just so, the cabalettas in "La Sonnambula" and "I Puritani."

Certainly, Netrebko also exhibits considerable strengths. Other ornamentation is fine; she has an agile voice; she can hit all the notes, including the high ones. Her vocal sound is most attractive (outside the one example noted earlier of a certain harshness). Her singing in the pieces from "Otello" and "Gianni Schicchi" are very well done.

So, all in all, a nice CD, but one that does not seem to feature Anna Netrebko at her best.

Average customer rating: AN OPERA OPUS THAT'S A MUST! The Best Superb Modestly Priced Favorite Arias Collection!!! Wonderful introduction to opera

A - Z of Opera (includes 762 page booklet) Puccini , Thomas Harper , Ingrid Kertesi , Scholars Baroque Ensemble , and Hungarian State Opera Orchestra Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by 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Tracks:

1. L'Orfeo: Sinf/Ecco Pur Ch'a Voi - Cappella Musicale Di S. Petronio Di Bologna/Sergio Vartolo
2. Dido And Aeneas: When I Am Laid In Earth - Kym Amps
3. Rinaldo: Lascia Ch'io Pianga - Ingrid Kertesi
4. Serse: Ombra Mai Fu (Largo) - Ingrid Kertesi
5. Orfeo Ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Slovak State PO/Johannes Wildner
6. Alceste: Ombre Larve - Theresa Ringhoz/Drottningholm Theatre Chor
7. Don Giovanni: Madamina! (Catalogue Aria) - Andrea Martin
8. Cosi Fan Tutte: Soave Sia Il Vento (Terzetto) - Joanna Borowska/Rohangiz Yachmi/Peter Mikulas
9. The Marriage Of Figaro: Non Piu Andrai - Natale De Carolis
10. Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache (Aria Of The Queen Of The Night) - Helen Kwon/Hungarian Festival Chor
11. Fidelio: Abscheulicher! - Inga Nielsen/Hungarian Radio Chor
12. Der Freischutz: Huntsmen's Chor - Slovak Phil Chor
13. The Barber Of Seville: Largo Al Factotum - Roberto Servile
14. L'Elisir D'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Vincenzo La Scola
15. I Puritani: Qui La Voce Sua Soave - Luba Orgonasova
16. La Traviata: Un Di Felice (Love Duet) - Monika Krause/Yordy Ramiro
17. Nabucco: Va Pensiero (Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves) - Slovak Phil Chor (Bratislava)
18. Aida: Grand March - Nat SO Of Ireland/Rico Saccani
19. Falstaff: E Sogno? O Realita - Roberto Servile

Tracks:

1. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Yordy Ramiro/Slovak Phil Chor
2. Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Uwe Mund
3. Tannhauser: Begluckt Darf Nun Dich (Pilgrims' Chor) - Slovak Phil Chor
4. La Wally: Ebben, Ne Andro Lontana - Miriam Gauci
5. Rusalka: O, Silver Moon (Song To The Moon) - Jana Valaskova
6. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Luba Orgonasova
7. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Jonathan Welch
8. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo - Miriam Gauci
9. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Giorgio Lamberti
10. Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Thomas Harper/Slovak Phil Chor
11. Lakme: Dome Epais (Flower Duet) - Adriana Kohutkova/Denisa Slepkovska
12. Thais: Meditation - Janos Selmeczi
13. Carmen: L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera) - Graciela Alperyn/Slovak Phil Chor/Bratislava Children's Chor
14. The Pearl Fishers: Au Fond Du Temple Saint (Duet) - Janez Lotric/Igor Morozov
15. Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Nicola Matinucci/Slovak Phil Chor
16. Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Alexander Rahbari
17. Andrea Chenier: Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio - Thomas Harper
18. King Roger: Roxana's Aria - Barbara Zagorzanka
19. Die Tote Stadt: Gluck, Das Mir Verblieb (Marietta's Lied) - Katarina Dalayman/Thomas Sunnegardh/Tomtberga School Children's Chor/Royal Swedish Opr Chor

Album Description

A-Z of Opera is a 762-page, illustrated book, accompanied by two-and-a-half hours of opera's most glorious and moving moments on two CDs, and reflects the ever-growing Naxos catalog of recordings ranging from Monteverdi to the contemporary. A-Z of Opera provides a wide range of information on operas and their composers, from Handel's Rinaldo to Mozart's Die Zauberflote, and beyond. It features plot synopses, background details and cast lists for hundreds of operas including well-known standards as well as opera rarities. In addition, there is a wealth of information about all the great composers and a glossary of key musical and operatic terms.

Customer Reviews:

AN OPERA OPUS THAT'S A MUST!.......2003-01-19

Oh, such letter-perfect perfection! This marvel features a two-hour-plus showcase of well-known arias from "Cosi Fan Tuti," "Aida," "Carmen," "Madame Butterfly" and "The Barber of Seville." It also comes with a book --- 762 pages of remarkable facts, figures and illustrations.Encore!

The Best.......2002-06-09

This is, by far, the best introduction to opera on the market. It also contains some gem performances for anyone who already has a serious opera collection. Several tracks on this collection of mostly Eastern European singers rival those of their Western counterparts. This is a collection for EVERYONE - from the opera novice to the person who has long collected all the major Western stars. At this price, it's the best opera bargain in the world. GET IT NOW!!! Thank you, Naxos! I hope that some of these Eastern European singers at last get the attention they deserve.

Superb Modestly Priced Favorite Arias Collection!!!.......2001-02-12

I received this as my 20th birthday gift from my bestfriend and I was amazed at the quality and the content of this CD. Some of the arias which I am immensely fond of are included, i.e. "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen." And who would have guessed that the soprano on track 10 performing Queen of the Night's Aria from Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" was none other than Hellen Kwon? Amazing!

I really love this gift from my bestfriend for it was thoughtful and well, what can I say that this makes an excellant gift for opera neophytes (though I am not an opera neophyte).

The highlight of this CD is track 13, Rossini's "Largo al Factotum" from "The Barber of Seville." When I first heard this, I was contemplating to myself as to where have I heard this before. Then it hit me: Michigan J. Frog's signature tune! (In case people are wondering who on earth is Michigan J. Frog is, he is the Warner Brother's frog; the frog can be seen on WB network channel). I love this track! Buy this for yourself if not this makes a perfect gift for your opera neophyte friend(s)! This track brings joy and smiles on my face everytime I hear this piece!

Wonderful introduction to opera.......2000-12-16

More than just a promotional sampler, the Naxos (8.555037-38) contains not only 2 CDs crammed with 39 excerpts from that company's seemingly bottomless catalogue, but also a 762 page book. The text offers plot summaries of almost every important opera and many of far lesser renown (Delius' "The Magic Fountain," Mascagni's "Iris," for example), a brief biography of the composers, a glossary, and finally a discography. The recorded examples are in chronological order from Monteverdi to Korngold. The entries in the book, however, are in alphabetical order--so be careful to look for "Zauberflote," not "Magic Flute," and so on.

Of course, Big Names do not appear on many Naxos opera sets; but this set is an introduction to that vast area of culture and is meant to be an educational (and of course a promotional ) device. Nevertheless, many of the selections on the CDs are beautifully sung, a very few lack characterization (the arias from"Don Giovanni" and "Nozze di Figaro" for two). But at this incredibly low budget price, who can complain?

As soon as I saw what this set had to offer, I immediately ordered a copy as a seasonal gift for a friend who wants to "get into" opera. I could think of no better gift.

There is a sister set titled (8.555319-20) that uses the same format. There are 2 CDs with 36 selections from Gregorian Chant to Glass. The 562-page book gives us the major facts about "the Great Composers and Their Greatest Works, " a glossary, and a 45-page list of classical music heard in films. The discography is included in the composers section. Again, the value of this set as an educational tool is enormous and well worth the extremely low price Naxos is asking.

Average customer rating: La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it! Sutherland is Amazing A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted Canary in the silver mine Bel Canto from an angelic voice

The Art of the Prima Donna Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sutherland, Dame Joan | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland - The Greatest Hits The Art of Joan Sutherland Very Best of Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961 ASIN: B00004XQ8G Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

1. Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
2. Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
3. Norma: Sediziose voci ... Casta diva ... Ah! bello a me ritorna
4. I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
5. Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
6. I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme ... Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
7. La Sonnambula: Care compagne ... Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
8. Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir

Tracks:

1. Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre
2. Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella ... Piangea cantando
3. Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
4. La Traviata: E' strano ... Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera
5. Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
6. Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indue
7. Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
8. Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde ... Caro nome

Amazon.com

In February 1959, an unknown (well, comparatively) Australian singer appeared at Covent Garden in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor and took the world by storm. The following year, Joan Sutherland went into the studio to record this reissued tribute to prima donnas of previous generations, illustrating along the way the bel canto tradition of which she was to become a leading exponent. The 16 excerpts on this digitally remastered double CD include several roles she had already sung or was on the verge of singing, from Gilda in Rigoletto, which she had sung at Covent Garden before her Lucia debut, to Norma. What a performance! The voice is fresh, remarkable in its beauty, and she makes it all sound so effortless, tossing off Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim" or the Jewel aria from Gounod's Faust as if they're the easiest things in the world. This sparkling selection of glorious singing demonstrates just why Sutherland was to remain at the top of her profession for the next 30 years and join those to whom she here pays tribute as one of the great singers of all time. --Richard Fawkes

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!.......2007-01-05

I originally bought "The Art of the Prima Donna" in 1963, when I was just a kid, after seeing Dame Joan's debut in "Norma" with the Vancouver Opera in October of that year, and I was completely bowled over by both her live performances and her recording. She made me an opera fan for life. I've worn out and replaced that miraculous recording since then, and now have a third version on CD.

I completely disagree with those who believe that Sutherland lost the gleam on her voice after 1961. It's true that she suffered for several years with intermittently poor diction and rhythmic lapses, but these were due to terrible medical problems and the results of serious operations that were required to restore her health. Later she recovered most of her vocal lustre and all of her enthusiasm for performing, and her diction steadily improved. Her fabulous technique remained intact until her retirement in 1990.

No singers sound as fresh at 50 as they do at 30. Just listen to how Callas sounded in her later years, when her voice had almost completely deteriorated, and her career was far shorter than Sutherland's. The fact is that Sutherland sang in public for forty years, without amplification and often in barnlike theatres, and yet she still sounded formidable when she retired. Just listen to her performance of the final aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" on YouTube. I heard her debut in that role, again in Vancouver, shortly before that Covent Garden performance, and can attest that she was still in fabulous voice at the age of 53 and her coloratura remained spectacular.

What "The Art of the Prima Donna" gives us is the memory of an unparalleled vocal phenomenon in her glorious youth, before her physical disabilities briefly interrupted her career. No singer since has created a recording that exhibits anything like the range, vocal beauty and versatility that Sutherland displayed on this historic recording--not Callas, nor Caballe, nor Sills, nor any of their recent imitators. The title of this recording was not an exaggeration. This is singing that truly revived "The Age of Bel Canto," to quote the title of another Sutherland recording. "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Sutherland's earlier recordings, if you can get them, constitute an invaluable legacy from an artist who truly restored the golden age of singing.

Sutherland is Amazing.......2006-06-29

The first thing I ever heard by Sutherland was the Bel Raggio and I was floored. The voice sounded huge but I wondered if it was a technicians trick. I heard her on stage many times. Recordings do NO JUSTICE to the hugeness of the voice. Her diction was weak and her line sometimes droopy but the warm, huge, fexible voice was amazing. I don't think she or anyone else was the Voice or Singer of the century- no voice or singer could sing every role in the repetoire. Sutherland could no more sing Brunnhilde than Flagstad could sing Lucia.

In her repertoire, JS was one of the greatest voices with an incredible technique and style that ever made recordings. This is a great CD - but some others which were issued on vinyl but to my knowledge not on CD help round out the Sutherland greatnes, viz., Command Performance, The Age of Bel Canto and the French Opera Album. She did a 2 disc set called "A Festival of Baroque Operas- There is an aria called "Barbaro, Barbaro" which is mind boggling for the speed and clarity of its coloratura. Even in 1977 at 51 yrs old her video performance of Lucrezia Borgia is amazing - it is one of the greatest performances she ever did- exciting, tender and again with that huge voice and flexibility. The last scene is amazing.

Flawless-NO Unique-WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!

A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted.......2005-10-08

There is not much to add to the encomiums of previous reviews. This is one of the most astounding vocal recitals, if not THE most astounding, ever recorded. It caught one of history's greatest singers in her absolute prime, before the well-known defects - mushy diction, cloudy tone, sliding into notes, enervated rhythmic sense - began to compromise her singing. (Well, ok, the diction here is not crystal clear, but mostly quite acceptable and MUCH better than it later became.)

One wonders if any other soprano in history ever sang so fast, so high and so loud while always preserving such a full, golden, round sound. Sutherland was a genuine vocal phenomenon, and even those who don't generally care for her singing surely must find their jaws on the floor repeatedly during this recital. Every selection has something treasurable. My personal favorites: "A soldier tir'd," "Bel raggio lusinghier," "Qui la voce," "Come per me sereno," the "Hamlet" Mad Scene, the Bell Song, and "O beau pays."

The remastering is superb, enabling us to hear Sutherland's voice in all its pristine glory. The engineers have even managed to mitigate the rumble of Underground trains (the Picadilly Line?) that were a perpetual problem in Kingsway Hall, although I was glad to hear that the loud yell in the distance one hears during the "Croce e delizia" section of "Ah, fors'e lui" is still there; by now it is an old friend, and I would miss it.

Canary in the silver mine .......2005-09-20

This is a good compilation, and Sutherland was captured at the right time, before she went completely mushy dictionwise and lost her vocal sheen. The remastered sound is very good, too, spectacular for a recording from the 1960s.
However, after digesting this CD for several weeks, I still have a mixed response to all these Stupendous vocalistics.
The beginning is the main sour note- Arne is tired, with often imprecise, behind the beat coloratura, quite unlike the rest of Sutherland's output, and Let the Bright Seraphim is unbelievably leaden- the orchestra in particular sounds awful, and clunky. I can't comment on ornamentation here because I didn't detect any. This is a poor man's Seraphim, only impressive if you never heard any other versions, and Sutherland's voice is wasted in this piece.
This CD really picks up with Casta Diva, a dazzling showcase for Sutherland's voice. I was very impressed with Sutherland's performance as Norma in this recording- what happened to her in later years, when her "acting" was limited to, as she herself described it, wearing a "generally pained expression" and singing without much color or feeling?
Pieces from I Puritani are great, then we get excellent Rossini, wonderful Jewel Song, and then sparkling Juliet and very effective, beautiful and dramatically involved Desdemona.
And then- another fly in the ointment, Marten Aller Arten. This is one of my favourite arias and I can be very unforgiving when it comes to its performance, plus I like Konstanze to be really angry and wired, which is sort of opposite of what Joan does. This is a pretty, chirpy Marten, and she works hard on her German- way too hard actually, she seems to be slowing down trying to pronounce it, and still "Ich verlache" and "mich" turn into "Ich ve-ayee" and "meeeh", plus she does not sound as secure on top as I would expect, with a metallic high C. She picks up at the very end, putting some feeling into the sound, then topples again... This is a hit and miss one.
Fortunately the rest of the CD is filled with sparklers more in Sutherland's vein. Violetta is really great, with a fantastic high E, Ophelia is nice, Lakme is vocally one of the best I have ever heard, the dull Meyerbeer aria is made interesting and shimmery- that fabulous trill is finally put to work after many tracks of underuse- and then it all ends with a most charming Gilda.
It's not the greatest vocal performance ever put on vinyl/plastic/megabites, but overall, a good, historical set to add to your collection of opera recitals and soprano specials.

Bel Canto from an angelic voice.......2005-04-19

There are only a few soprano-recitals that are absolutely essential and must be in every opera collector's collection. The art of the primadonna, does it qualify? Oh yes indeed and here's why. Joan Sutherland had one of the most brilliant and beautiful voices in recorded history, combine that with an excellent technique, high notes that sparkle like stars and coloratura of angelic quality and you get what Joan Sutherland was in 1961. To describe only a few favourites:

2. Samson, oratorio, HWV 57 Let the bright Seraphim
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Joan Sutherland

A sparkling and intense interpretation of this well known yet hardly ever magnificently performed piece. Lucid, beautiful and technically impeccable.

3. Norma, opera Sediziose voci... Casta diva... Ah! bello
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Joan Sutherland

Surely her best studio-recording of this killer-aria. She is one of the few Normas who masters the recitativo without cracking or sounding strained, yet full of authority and intelligent drama. The Casta Diva itself is fluent, the make-or-break coloratura wonderfully executed. As for the cabaletta, not since young Callas in 1949 have I heard this piece sung so beautifully! Amazing high notes crown a cabaletta that broke more than one famous Norma before.

6. I Puritani, opera O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

A Bellinian madscene at its finest. Once again only Callas in 1949 can be compared to this wonder of a recording. Callas too found darker colours and more intensity. (Dolore e passione as described in the score) Sutherland may lack these but she sings it with her own sense for drama which is uniquely sublime.

10. Otello, opera Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangea cantando
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

An interesting and excellent choice. There are pictures of Joan Sutherland as Desdemona and what a pity that no complete recording of her performances survived. I find her Desdemona to be far more convincing than Tebaldi because she sounds more fragile and elegant, plus she has that silvery tone of innocence that I don't hear in Tebaldi's golden, sensual voice. Excellent in the floating lines, beautiful and tender in the cantabile.

16. Rigoletto, opera Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

This can be compared to Maria Callas' live-performance of this piece and, being in excellent sound, might be preferred. (Callas was excellent in the studio as well, yet in 1955 she was less daring and defying) Stunningly intense in the cantabile and brilliant in the coloratura-passages. Far better than her famous performance with Pavarotti where she had lost the youthful, silvery sound that made her earlier Gilda so loveable.

I do not adore her as much in French opera and La Traviata or anything German but that doesn't mean that her singing was anything but amazing, just a personal preference. In short: Buy it and discover why Joan Sutherland is indeed La Stupenda!

Average customer rating: Classic coloratura singing by Dame Joan Great Sutherland Recordings Joan Sutherland in her Prime!! Amazing!!! La Stupenda! Exquisite combination of lyricism and coloratura

Joan Sutherland - The Greatest Hits Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Piccinni, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sutherland, Dame Joan | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Delibes, Leo | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Gounod, Charles | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Handel, George Frideric | H to L | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Offenbach, Jacques | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | 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 Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland The Very Best of Beverly Sills The Very Best Of Maria Callas The Art of the Prima Donna Just for the Record: The Golden Voice ASIN: B000006P4S Release Date: 1998-05-12

Tracks:

1. Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
2. La buona figliuola: Furia di donna
3. Norma: Casta diva
4. I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
5. La Fille Du Regiment: Pour ce contrat fatal...Ah! salut a France
6. Lakme: Ah!...Ola jeune Indoue (Bell Song)
7. Rigoletto: Gualtier Mald.Caro nome
8. Faust: Dieu! que de bijoux!...Ah! je ris de me voir si belle (Jewel Song)
9. La Traviata: E' strano!...Ah, fors'ui...Sempre libera
10. Les Contes d'Hoffman: Les oiseaux dan la charmille (Doll Song)
11. Lucia di Lammermoor: Il dolce suono mi colpi di sua voce!...Ardon gl'incensi (Mad Scene)

Customer Reviews:

Classic coloratura singing by Dame Joan.......2007-01-21

Joan Sutherland was one of the wonders of coloratura technique in the 1950s and 1960s. Some say that the 1960s represent the peak of her accomplishments. The cuts on this CD represent that period, so this is Dame Joan at her best. Music ranges from Handel to Bellini to Delibes to Donizetti to Verdi, with Gounod, Piccinni, and Offenbach thrown in for good measure. She was not great on characterization (no Tebaldi, Callas, or Moffo here), but, oh, that voice! Some illustrative examples follow. . . .

She began as a dramatic soprano, so that there is a lot of punch behind her coloratura technique. It is amazing that she exhibits such agility, given that background. "Let the Bright Seraphim" from Handel spotlights that agility, as well as one of the best trills of the past 60 years. While some CDs that feature coloratura singing may end up with excessive ornamentation, ornamentation at some level is di rigueur. And a trill is a key part of the coloratura soprano's armamentarium. Also present on this cut is a command of high notes, precisely hit.

Bellini's opera, "I Puritani," includes a "polonaise," entitled "Son vergin vezzosa" that shows off Sutherland's gifts to good effect. Coloratura techniques, again, are evident. The repeat features increased ornamentation and a clean hit on the final high note. The "Bell Song" from Delibes' "Lakme" is included on this CD. Some stunning trills are featured; again, she hits the notes well, including the high ones. This ends with a nice trill and high notes well done.

Verdi's opera, "Rigoletto," features wonderful music, including ""Gaultier Malde. . .Caro nome," where an innocent is messed around with by a genuine cad. But the music is wondrous, one of Verdi's best tunes. Sutherland hits trill after trill. Well conceived and executed effects. From "La Traviata," also by Verdi, a nice rendering of "Sempre libera." Again, characterization is not her forte; for Violetta, go to others like Renata Scotto and Anna Moffo for that. Once more, trills that are glorious are manifest. An agile voice and well done high notes.

The "Mad Scene" from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor"? Here is one of the iconic recordings. This was one of Sutherland's genuine "greatest hits." Again, forget characterization and acting; that was never her strength. Listen to the voice and the singing. "Spargi d'amaro pianto," the culminating segment of the "Mad Scene," is absolutely stunning. Trills, runs, high notes cleanly hit, other ornamentation (e.g., appoggiaturas) are exemplary.

I have not listened to Sutherland's work in some time and I had begun to wonder if I had romanticized her skills as I was listening to more contemporary coloratura sopranos singing the same repertoire. However, listening to this CD reassures me that I am not simply some old-timer going into the past. While there is talent today (including the voices of Netrebko, Fleming, Dessay, and others), Dame Joan Sutherland is one of "the real deals" among coloratura sopranos.

Great Sutherland Recordings.......2006-08-02

For starters, I am not not a die-hard Sutherland fan,
for various reasons not to be discussed here. However,
it's impossible to deny her status as one of the
quintessentially impeccable soprano voices of
recorded history. Many of her recordings are
prototypes of how certain arias "should sound."
Above all, I love her clarion-like vocal presentation.
Her virtuoso trills and technical ability are
hall of fame-worthy.

This CD displays much of her famed vocal
ability. Although, a couple of the tracks
seemed personally out of place for me, several
other tracks are wonderful showpieces of her talent.

"Ou va la jeune hindoue" from Lakme is text book perfect. She lifts the roof about 10 meters on the final E; over a full orchestra! (Outstanding work.) "Il dolce suono" from Lucia di Lammermoor is incredible. Her control of pitch and dynamics are almost frightening. She displays power and vocal grace in equal parts. Her "Casta Diva" is well done, but I can't help but compare it to that of Maria Callas. Sutherland is the soprano
archetype in term of technique, however,
her emotional delivery is not always on the par
with other great sopranos. Nonetheless, the "Casta Diva"
track is still superb and pleasant to the ears.

This is an excellent collection of recordings. I believe that both new and veteran fans of Joan Sutherland will be pleased.

Highly recommendable.

Joan Sutherland in her Prime!! Amazing!!!.......2006-07-21

Joan Sutherland is truly the voice of the twentieth century. Up until hearing this album, I had only heard recordings of her from the 80's, and frankly, I wasnt impressed. I have since learned that she was is her prime in the 60's and early 70's.

Her sound during her vocal prime is so bright and amazing. Her high notes are truly umatched by any other singer, and she has such expresssion. Although her diction is somewhat lacking, she makes up for it in vocal splendor. WOW!

She goes from heavy, bright Verdian arias like Sempre Libera to a light, high aria like the Doll Song. She is truly an amazing vocalist with unparalled vocal versatiltiy.

He sound from the 80's was very covered and her high notes sometiems seemed almost strained. If not strained, they were very small and dainty. While she was in her prime, her high notes were big and bawdy, and thats how us opera folks like it!

If you are looking for a reasonable priced compilation of Ms. Sutherlands finest work, then look no more. This is the one for you. It has excellent recordings of Verdian Soprano arias, Coloratura arias, and lots of Bel Canto vocal fireworks