Manon

1. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Announcement
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
2. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Prelude
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
3. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Is this the place?
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
4. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: That pretty girl
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
5. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Now then look me straight
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
6. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: So here I stay
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
7. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Who's this
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
8. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: No I will not believe
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
9. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act I: Paris calls us today
   Composed by Jules Massenet
   Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
   with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
   Conducted by Stanford Robinson
   
   
10. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: Introductioon...Manon
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
11. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: She's known as Manon
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
12. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: Excuse me madam
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
13. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: When you'd come
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
14. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: What is it now
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
15. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act II: Oh heaven so soon
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
16. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: Chorus
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
17. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: Your success my boy
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
18. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: in holy meditation...Ah begone
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
19. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: des Grieux
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
20. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: Manon! You
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
21. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act III: Is this not your hand?
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
22. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act IV: and who is this?
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
23. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act IV: Who knocks here?
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
24. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act V: Introduction...Manon
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    
25. Manon, comic opera in 5 acts Act V: So low...
    Composed by Jules Massenet
    Performed by BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus
    with Maggie Teyte, Roy Henderson, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker, Heddle Nash
    Conducted by Stanford Robinson
    
    

Manon,Jules Massenet,Stanford Robinson,BBC Theatre Orchestra & Chorus,Dennis Noble,Heddle Nash,Maggie Teyte,Norman Walker,Roy Henderson,Dutton Laboratories,Classical,French Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: The End of the Big Voice? Fla Gator Lady 20 Great Tenor Arias Plesantly surprised... Absolutely Agree About Corelli

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | 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 Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | 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 Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance The Most Famous Opera Duets The Most Famous Opera Arias The #1 Opera Album The Best of Italian Opera ASIN: B000007OTX Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

1. La Boheme: Che gelida manina
2. Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
3. Carmen Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
4. Luisa Miller: O! fede negar potessi .. Quando le sere al placido
5. La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
6. Martha: M'appari
7. Giordano: Amor ti vieta
8. L'Africaine: Mi batte il cuor .. O paradiso
9. La Favorita: Favorita del re . . . Spirto gentil
10. Werther: 'Pourquoi me reveiller'
11. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein'
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: O Dieu! De quelle ivresse
13. TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
14. Pagliacci: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
15. Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
16. Aida: Se quel guerrier .. Celeste Aida
17. TOSCA: Recondita armonia
18. L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
19. La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
20. Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

The End of the Big Voice?.......2007-04-16

This CD, which is truly fine overall, reminds me of Marilyn Horne's lament that we have probably seen the end of the big voice and it makes me sad. I agree with the reviewer who refers to "microphonies". And more justice could be done to Bjorling's voice with a better transfer. But at some point, music becomes a matter of taste and I prefers singers who have the instrument and the support and the training, whether formal or not, to just let fly and take a chance on making a mistake. Domingo can be wonderful and so can his musicianship but he tends to be so stiff. I have to wonder at the virulence and asperity with which some people go after Pavarotti. It's true that late in his career he made some questionable recordings but the answer to that is simple: don't buy them. At his best, he belongs for all time in the top echelon of tenors. I love this CD and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys great (big) voices.

Fla Gator Lady.......2007-01-12

Highly recommend this CD with these beloved arias of the greatest tenors in opera. I have owned this CD for a couple of years and purchased another for a friend who always requests that I play it ... perfect for listening in the car, dinner, bridge games, relaxation ... just so perfect. You won't be disappointed in this one.

20 Great Tenor Arias.......2007-01-09

A great disc,combination of the greatest tenors of the 20th century and some of the most beautiful music ever written in any century,a must addition to any opera lovers collection.

Plesantly surprised..........2006-01-14

I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.

First it is a great buy. A booklet with pictures of each tenor, a small bio, the year recorded and TRANSLATIONS of each aria are provided. This is really nice. It seems more & more that translations are being left out. Being a former opera singer, I may know most of the words, but sometimes it's just nice to read along (sometimes it's just nice to listen too).

Being on the Decca label, there is admittedly quite a few Pavarotti selections. Out of 20 selections, he has 6 of them. But I love Pavarotti, so this is no problem for me. These are all early recordings & his voice is magnificent! Being a singer, I still marvel at his ability to sing "All'armi!" on a high D and still say the 2nd syllable "mi" on such a note! WOW. There is also of course his very sweet, impassioned and lyrical turn as Rodolfo in "La Boheme" as well as the lesser known (although I still have it on casette) "La Favorita" which has a particularly high tessitura.

Also featured are a young Plácido Domingo singing a VERY nice "Flower song/ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Carmen. He usually sounds too pushed for me on the top notes (as one might expect from a Pavarotti fan, I like free top notes) but in this recording he is pretty darn fabulous. He also sings an aria from "Tales of Hoffman/Les Contes d'Hoffman" and I have always felt that he, like Neil Schicoff, were well suited to this role.

Lamentably there are only one selection each from Carreras, Correlli, Monaco, Aragall & Kollo. Especial kudos to the young recording they feature for Aragall. He had a very free and nice high tenor well suited to Verdi. Of course as his career went forward with the natural darkening of his voice and the "heavier" roles, he did start to develop a wobble. But this recording is before that. His top, his phrasing are all beautifully done in his featured aria from "La Traviata."
Mario del Monaco's "E lucevan le stelle" is hauntingly beautiful and has such a wonderful pianissimo in it that it makes you just want to gasp for beauty's sake. I now know every tenor I've heard sing this aria was trying to emulate what he did.

This is a great CD because it does bring together on one CD some of the greatest singers of the 20th/21st century. Bergonzi, di Stefano, Björling, in addition to the previously mentioned artists is quite an impressive collection. I'm sure there's only one of each for Carreras, Aragall (I believe they are formerly EMI/Angel artists) and perhaps some of the others because they are "imported" from another label. There's so much Pavarotti on this CD because he IS a Decca artist.

A highly recommended CD, affordable, not the usually obscure and unpolished artists that are sometimes found on compilations. Plus acutal linear notes and translations. Nicely done, Decca!!!

Absolutely Agree About Corelli.......2005-05-27

Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did! As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!

Average customer rating: The beautiful gift of opera... Pretty darn good The Opera #1 Opera Album Excellent assortment Great Selections

The #1 Opera Album Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Léo Delibes , Georges Bizet , Umberto Giordano , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Wagner , Gioachino Rossini , Alfredo Catalani , Jacques Offenbach , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Richard Bonynge , Herbert von Karajan , Alberto Erede , Lamberto Gardelli , Giuseppe Patane , John Mauceri , Zubin Mehta , Charles Dutoit , Gyorgy Fischer , Riccardo Chailly , Istvan Kertesz , Leone Magiera , Evelino Pido , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Renée Fleming , Cecilia Bartoli , Luciano Pavarotti , Jussi Bjorling , and Renata Tebaldi Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD 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 Gounod | 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Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Duets The Most Famous Opera Arias The Best of Italian Opera Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever! ASIN: B000059RXO Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Act 1: Prld - LPO/Sir Georg Solti
2. La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne'lieti Calici - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
3. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
4. Lakme: Flower Duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
5. Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Jussi Bjorling
6. Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Tatiana Troyanos/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
7. Nabucco: Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hills
8. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
9. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
10. Lohengrin: Bridal Chor: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor/Walter Hagen-Groll
11. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Renata Tebaldi
12. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Leo Nucci
13. La Wally: Ebben?... Ne Andro Lontana - Angela Gheorghiu
14. Madama Butterfly: Humming Chor - Wiener Staatsopernchor/Norbert Balatsch
15. Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
16. Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/Chor De La Radio Suisse Romande, Pro Arte De Lausanne Et Du...
17. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
18. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
19. Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi... Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross/Gino Quilico

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wiener Phil/Solti
2. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
3. Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Luciano Pavarotti
4. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti/Roland Panerai
5. Il Trovatore: Anvil Chor: Vedi! Le Fosche - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
6. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - Jose Carreras
7. Don Giovanni: La Ci Darem La Mano - Lucia Popp/Tom Krause
8. Mattinata - Andrea Bocelli
9. Faust: Soldiers' Chor - Ambrosian Opr Chor/John McCarthy
10. L'elisir D'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Roberto Alagna
11. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - Montserrat Caballe
12. Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria: Finch'han Dal Vino - Bryn Terfel
13. Cosi Fan Tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - Renee Fleming/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Michele Pertusi
14. Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
15. Tosca: Vissi D'arte - Kiri Te Kanawa
16. Carmen: Toreador Song - Jose Van Dam/Tatiana Troyanos/Norma Burrowes/Jane Berbie/Thomas Allen/Pierre Thau/John Alldis...
17. Madama Butterfly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi Bene - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti
18. Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Nat PO/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
19. Rusalka: O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
20. La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - Angela Gheorghiu
21. Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis

Amazon.com

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen The Greatest Opera Show on Earth, The Yellow Guide: Classical Music, Best of the Millennium, and now there's The No. 1 Opera Album. But that's no surprise, since Universal has some of the finest interpreters in its catalogue to draw from. This two-CD set (at the price of one), for example, brings together the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and many more. Yet the other key to a successful compilation is canny anthologizing, and here again, you have a nice selection to give you a smattering of opera's heavyweights from the Italian, German, and French repertory (there's even a step outside the standard framework with an aria from Dvorák's lovely Rusalka). Ranging from 1959 to 1997, the choices from back catalogue will doubtless be the entry ticket for many into this grandest of the arts. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful gift of opera..........2007-07-17

This 2-CD set is absolutely wonderful! You can close your eyes and feel like you're actually at the opera, listening to those beautiful voices bringing tears to your eyes. Nessun Dorma still stirs up emotions in me, no matter how many times I hear it. Great examples of opera to give someone wanting to get interested in this style of music.

Pretty darn good.......2007-07-04

This CD set has a lot of familiar music on it, so if you're a newbie, you might want to try starting with this. There are some great pieces on the first CD. I usually don't even make it to the second.

The Opera #1 Opera Album.......2007-06-07

The music is wonderful. The production is terrible!! The sound fades in and out and is very scratchy in some places.

Excellent assortment.......2007-05-12

I'm not a big opera fan but I wanted to expose an assorted selection for my kids. This was perfect since it included several recognizable selections.

Great Selections.......2007-03-31

This Cd, has the very best of Opera
covering mainly from the classcal
to the to the romantic periods, a most
memorable selection here is Leo Nucci
in a lagendary performance of Rossini's
"Largo al Factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Seviglia"
also Andrea Bocelli in his performance of Leoncavallo's
memorable "Matinatta" here in an orchestrated version.
Indeed some of opera's most loved arias are in this recording
various conductors, orchestras, and soloists. All in their
very best. Indeed a five-star recording...

Average customer rating: RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007 Brava Sills! Sills fits my bill The Great American Soprano My Favorite Woman

The Great Recordings 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 General | Lehár, Franz | ( 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 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 Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | 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 All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | 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 Sills, Beverly | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | 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 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Rossini, Gioacchino | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Beverly Sills Art of Beverly Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Beverly Sills: Made in America ASIN: B0001Y4JG6 Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. Son Vergin Vezzosa - Paul Plishka
2. Eccomi... Oh! Quante Volte
3. Mira, O Norma
4. Santo Di Patria... Allor Che I Forti Corrono... Da Te Questo
5. Contro Un Cor Che Accende Amore - Nicolai Gedda
6. Che M'apporti? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
7. Quel Sangue Versato Al Cielo S'innalza - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. Vorrei Spiegarvi, Oh Dio, K.418
9. Amor, Op.68 No.5

Tracks:

1. Martern Aller Arten
2. E Strano! E Strano!
3. Ah, Fors'e Lui
4. Follie! Follie!
5. Sempre Libera
6. Ces Murs Silencieux - Pardonnez-moi, Dieu De Toute Puissance - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
7. Toi! Vous! - Oui! Je Fus Cruelle Et Coupable! - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. N'est-ce Plus Ma Main? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
9. Robert, Toi Que J'aime
10. Tu Ne Chanteras Plus?
11. Chere Enfant Que J'appele
12. Meine, Lippen, Die Kusen So Heiss
13. Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
14. Always Through The Changing

Customer Reviews:

RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007.......2007-07-03

The great American diva's passing was announced today.

This wonderful CD set is a perfect compilation of her art as can be found anywhere. Her finest roles and performances are captured here, most of them derived from the Westminster/Audio Treasury recordings from her prime. Listening to them again demonstrates to me why she was so special, and such an inspiration to music lovers everywhere.

Brava Sills!.......2007-02-02

A very nice compilation of Sillsiana. The different cuts on this CD provide a nice illustration of her work. Let me briefly describe my response to a sampling of the works on this CD:

Bellini, I Puritani, "Son vergin vezzosa." Wonderful. Sutherland owns this--but so does Beverly Sills. Contemporary sopranos such as Netrebko and Gruberova have also sung this on their respective CDs, and while their product is nice, it simply does not compare. Sills is remarkably agile with her voice; the trills are well done; she cleanly hits high notes; the overall effect can only be described as wonderful.

Bellini, Norma, "Mira, o Norma". This is smoothly sung and very melodic. The technique that she exhibits does not overwhelm the music.

Rosini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, "Contro un cor che accende amore." Again, her agile voice is well deployed. The florid singing is well done.

Donizetti, Roberto Devereaux, "Che m'apporti." Her clean, light voice matches well with this aria. Smoothly sung. Her "Quel sangue versato al cielo s'innalza," which follows, is well done. High notes cleanly hit, a smooth line.

Verdi, La Traviata, "E strano. . . .Sempre libera." Again, what agility! In "Sempre libera," she reveals a rich voice and, again, wonderful agility. This is an animated version of one of Verdi's showcase pieces.

Lehar, Giudetta. "Meine Lippen." A lot of fun! This is smoothly sung.

In the final analysis, this is a nice potpourri of Beverly Sills' repertoire. Those not familiar with her work will find this a nice entree to her oeuvre; those familiar with her will find this a good compilation.

Sills fits my bill.......2006-03-13

This recording is another in an all too small CD collection of Sills recordings. I eagerly await more.

The Great American Soprano.......2005-10-01

This is a great collecition featuring arias from the Classical and Romantic periods. Fabulous!!!!!

My Favorite Woman.......2005-08-05

I would have to say that when I first heard Beverly Sills sing, I was entranced. I couldn't take my eyes off of her and I became angry at any rustling around me, because I was afraid I would miss one note. It was so addictive....that is what she is....addictive! A c.d. will never properly capture her style. She is an amazing leader in opera, taking it into a new frontier and I believe this c.d. showcases that.

Average customer rating: Beautiful music sung by a great soprano WHAT CAN I SAY? Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007) two beautiful discs! Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills"

Art of Beverly Beverly Sills Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Beverly Sills The Great Recordings Beverly Sills: Made in America Beverly Sills Beverly Sills & Friends ASIN: B000075A7K Release Date: 2002-11-12

Tracks:

1. Mignon: Oui, Pour Ce Soir Je Suis Reine Des Fees...Je Suis Titania La Blonde
2. Manon: Allons! Il Le Faut-Adieu, Notre Petite Table
3. Manon: Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins-Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle
4. Louise: Depuis Le Jour
5. Linda Di Chamounix: Ah! Tardai Troppo...O Luce Di Quest'Anima
6. Lucia Di Lammermoor: Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
7. I Puritani: Fini...Me Lassa!
8. I Puritani: Vieni, Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
9. Roberto Devereux: L'amor Suo Mi Fe' Beata
10. Maria Stuarda: O Nube
11. Anna Bolena: Cielo A' Miei Lunghi Spasimi-Coppia Iniqua

Tracks:

1. Les Contes D'Hoffman: Les Oiseau Dans La Charmille
2. Les Contes D'Hoffman: Elle A Fui, La Tourterelle
3. Zaide: Ruhe Sanft, Mein Holdes Leben
4. Der Opernball: Im Chambre Separee
5. Die Lustige Witwe: Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
6. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Gold Is A Fine Thing
7. Die Tote Stadt: Cluck, Das Mir Verblieb
8. Daphen: Was Blendet So...Ich Komme...Ich Komme
9. Sechs Lieder Op.19 No.2: Breit' uber Mein haupt Dein Schwarzes Haar

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music sung by a great soprano.......2007-08-01

During the era of high-fidelity recording music lovers have been fortunate to have had available many fine recordings by several outstanding sopranos. But, in my opinion, Beverly Sills was the greatest soprano of them all. This 2-CD set contains a large collection of her most popular arias, all sung with the unique combination of vocal beauty, flawless technique, and healtfelt artistry which made Beverly Sills singing so special and beloved. If you are a fan of this great artist -- or simply like beautiful music beautifully sung -- please treat yourself to this wonderful 2-CD set now. I can't imagine any music lover being without it -- its that outstanding. Incidentally, it's also bargain priced.

WHAT CAN I SAY?.......2007-07-05

FOR THOSE WHO WANT A SAMPLER, IT IS THE BEST. YET, IT LEAVES YOU PINING FOR THE ITEMS SILLS NEVER RECORDED IN THEIR ENTIRETY. MORE STRAUSS, MORE OF EVERYTHING. A DEFINITIVE VOICE. HER LUCIA IS UNSURPASSED.

Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007).......2007-07-03

I have always loved the flowing, plaintive music of bel canto, and no other singer perhaps captured the synthesis of fioritura and expression so perfectly as Beverly Sills. Callas may have been a supreme dramatist, but Beverly Sills had a better command of the fioritura that skyrocketed her career during the 60s and 70s. It is indeed sad that America has lost one of its national treasures yesterday when Beverly Sills passed away in Manhattan. She truly was one of the greatest. Just listen to her singing any one of Donizetti's three queens and you will know what I mean. She is exemplary not only in Donizetti though. Her Manon is still the best, her Violetta in par with Callas, her Louise the most idiomatic ever recorded, her Fille du Regiment a joy, Linda di Chamounix ecstatic, and Gilda a lesson in the art of light Verdi. She was a supreme painter of characters. Has there ever been a more brilliant Zerbinetta? And how many singers have been able to truly convey the youth of Elvira in Puritani? In Rossini, she was also unparalleled in L'Assedio di Corinto, the role that she made her La Scala debut in. Beverly Sills was one of a great many singers who belonged to a great golden age of singing, and I am thankful that I was born into the right time to hear her glorious work. This CD is a wonderful compilation of the brand of singing that she brought into the lives of many an opera fan for years and years to come.

I met this singer last fall in New York. A few months later, I saw her again hosting the opera quiz at the Met. Little did I know that about five months later, she would forever rest in the peace that she deserved for so long. Rest in peace Beverly. And brava...brava for the many years of wonderful singing that you gave us.

two beautiful discs!.......2007-02-18

Beverly Sills not only survived being a child prodigy - a rare enough thing among singing musicians - she triumphed in a big way. Her fertile and beautiful art is wonderfully represented on this double disc set from Deutsche Grammophon. I sense today a resurgence of appreciation for her art, and to call it well deserved is saying the least. The singing's jam packed with pure musicianship, attention to nuance, fidelity to composer and character - in a word, everything requisite to making the operatic art thrive, qualities in short enough supply today among many opera stars, and it makes this package even more attractive. Sills not only understood bel canto art, she accomplished it memorably. Highlights include 'Ah! Tardai troppo...' (Linda di Chamounix), &an unearthly 'Regnava nel silenzio...' (Lucia), which I might prefer to Sutherland's for its committment and munificence. The gone too soon Thomas Schippers conducts a great performance - how that man could possess whatever orchestra and score he worked with. Two arias from I Puritani - especially 'Vieni, vieni fra queste braccia' with the singing of the genius Nicolai Gedda as Arturo, and an opening to Anna Bolena's aria 'Cielo, a' miei lunghi spasimi' that wipes clean every memory of other versions. All that on disc 1! I had forgotten Sills' beautiful pianissimos, singing so musicianly and free of ego - her interpretation is always only her adherence to score and composer, and greater praise cant be given a classical singer. Disc 2 offers a definitive version of Korngold's 'Gluck, das mir verblieb' (Die Tote Stadt) among a number of fine versions out there. The slowest version available and I feel I'm hearing it for the first time, and with a true Viennese (Rudel) conducting! You can put this track alone on repeat and live out the day in freedom! If you dont know Sills' art, or dont remember it well and truly, this set is a fine place to begin what will become transfixion with a musical art that proves itself urgent and inextinguishable! Highest recommendation.

Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills".......2007-01-27

Beverly Sills is one of the most well reputed coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. This CD illustrates why she has attained such renown. First, it shows the range of her singing. While much of her work focused on Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, she sang about fifty roles in her career, before retiring in her late 40s. This 2 CD set provides a sense of the range of her work.

The first CD focuses on her operatic singing. The CD begins with a selection from Thomas' "Mignon," culminating in "Je suis Titania la blonde." Her voice is light and clear. She displays great agility. In the middle of this piece, she shows a decent but not great trill; she closes the "cut" with a series of terrific trills. Her ornamentation is nicely done.

Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" was another of Sills' characters. "Ah! Tardai troppo. . .O luce di quest'anima" features more clean vocalization. The florid singing is nicely done, with well sung high notes and additional sound trills. A very agile voice on display! From Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Sills sings "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quando rapito in estasi." Her voice is smooth. In the aria, she produces a set of trill after trill, each one well done, but in their totality almost overdone (I love trills, but there were almost too many!). "Quando rapito in estasi" is well sung, with much well done florid singing, with appoggiaturas, trills, and other ornamentation.

The remainder of the CD features selections from Bellini's "I Puritani," and Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux," "Maria Stuarda," and "Anna Bolena." I can say pretty much the same about these pieces as already stated before. Excellent technique, wonderful ornamentation.

The second CD begins with the redoubtable piece, sung by "Olympia," from Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann." Well done, with good vocal effects, catching the mechanical aspects of the music. Other pieces on this side come from Mozart, Heuberger, Moore, Korngold, and so on.

One piece worth mentioning, because it captures her approach to a lighter work, from Lehar's "The Merry Widow." She sings the song for what it is, and does not overwhelm it with her voice. Compare with what Richard Tucker did to the enjoyable but rather light song, "What Now My Love?", when he essayed singing pop tunes. Enjoyable for the thrill of his voice; pretty grisly in terms of his overwhelming the music itself. That does not happen here; there is a certain pathos in Sills' singing, as warranted by the song. It suggests the range of her singing.

All in all, a good sampling of "The Art of Beverly Sills." Hearing her voice again after many years reinforces my preexisting view that she ranks as one of the best coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. There are terrific contemporary singers who sing the same repertoire and do it well. But Beverly Sills certainly compares very well with them. If interested in an introduction to Sillsiana, this is a good place to start.

Average customer rating: Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh" Fantastic! HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"! Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality

The Ultimate Puccini Collection Giacomo Puccini , Herbert von Karajan , Riccardo Chailly , Stephen Barlow , Tullio Serafin , Lorin Maazel , Sir Edward Downes , Giuseppe Patane , Zubin Mehta , Alberto Erede , John Mauceri , Plácido Domingo , José Carreras , Kiri Te Kanawa , John Alldis Choir , Luciano Pavarotti , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Bologna Community Theater Orchestra , Ettore Bastianini , Carlo Bergonzi , Renato Cesari , Fernando Corena , Cesare Siepi , Renata Tebaldi , Gianna D'Angelo , Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra , Franco Corelli , Alfredo Mariotti , Regine Crespin , Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden , London Symphony Orchestra , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra , Rome Opera House Orchestra , Pilar Lorengar , Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble , Mirella Freni , Rolando Panerai , Jussi Bjorling , Leontyne Price , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | 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 Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Crespin, Regine | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Freni, Mirella | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Gheorghiu, Angela | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Nilsson, Birgit | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Te Kanawa, Kiri | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Essential Verdi Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... Puccini Without Words Puccini: Great Opera Arias The #1 Opera Album ASIN: B000007OU1 Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

1. Turnadot: Nessun Dorma!
2. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
3. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
4. La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song
5. Tosca: Recondita Armonia
6. Madame Butterfly: Un Bel Di
7. TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
8. La rondine: Il Sogno Di Doretta
9. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
10. La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mini
11. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Love Duet, Act I
12. Ch'ella mi creda libero
13. TOSCA: Ah, Quegli Occhi...Qual'occhio Al Mondo - Love Duet, Act I
14. TOSCA: Vissi D'Arte
15. Madame Butterfly: Vogliatemi Bene - Love Duet, Act I
16. La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci
17. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
18. Turandot: In Questa Reggia

Amazon.com essential recording

Ordinarily, it pays to be wary of collections such as these, which often promise a lot but deliver a mishmash of disconnected excerpts. This disc, however, is something of an exception: you really do get just about all of Puccini's best arias, which is possible, because he didn't write so many operas that choosing the best moments becomes a matter of the producer's personal taste. Also, Puccini's operas are so popular that every major label has excellent complete recordings of all of them, so in making this compilation it was possible to cast from strength: all the singers here are fine. In fact, the only proviso that needs to be made before you rush out and add this disc to your collection is that it's wrong to assume that all of Puccini's best tunes lie in his arias. The opening 10 minutes of any one of his operas will tell you that's not true. So by all means enjoy this disc--then start sampling the operas complete. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh".......2005-11-08

"Quando m'en vo" is not omitted from this CD; it is just called "Musetta's waltz song." It is the same aria.

Fantastic!.......2003-10-14

This is one of the first opera CDs I ever got. It's wonderful for just about any body;from the newbies like me or the opera fanatics. I especially like 'In Questa Reggia'. Buy it now!!

HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.......2003-09-04

The Ultimate Puccini Collection features some of Puccini's most arias and will appeal to even the most ardent operaphobes.

A great listening experience featuring some of the greatest opera performers of all time.

"Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!.......2002-06-13

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality.......2002-02-18

I love opera! I love Puccini! Not only is the vocalism important to me, but the quality of the recording as well. I enjoy my hi-tech sound system. I like to feel as if I am sitting in the front row of the first balcony when I listen to opera. This CD is excellent! The vocalists were well chosen. The technical performances are eloquent and emotional, as Puccini should be. However, the quality of the recording is not very good. No matter how you adjust your sound system, the recording is a bit tinny and as a result, the emotional high points of the arias are not as vibrant as they could be if the recording were of better quality. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Puccini and who is not as finicky as I!

Average customer rating: 5-stars!! Sills owned this role! SILLS and a Perfect MANON..... For Sills fans, mainly. A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often Beverly Sills Signature Role

Massenet: Manon Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Sills, Beverly | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Massenet, Jules | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato The Ballad of Baby Doe The Great Recordings Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel ASIN: B0001Y4JGG Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

This recording has been unavailable for too long. Recorded in 1970, a solid year-or-so before Beverly Sills' voice began to show the damage caused by singing Elisabetta I in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, this is the finest all-around recording of Manon on the market. Sills, in addition to being fresh-voiced, is so thoroughly in the part that we can chart Manon's downfall step by step; her girlish singing is as right on as her sassy, showy coloratura in the thirds act, and her St Sulpice scene is truly seductive. She's the perfect Manon. And Nicolai Gedda's Des Grieux, sung, as is Sills' Manon and the rest of the cast, in impeccable French, is passionate, madly in love, and ultimately tragic. Gabriel Bacquier's Count is imperious and authoritative and Gerard Souzay's Lescaut is smooth. Julius Rudel's leadership sparkles when it should and his sense of French suavity is unfailing. The score is given more than complete - as an appendix, there's an aria for Manon that Massenet added later. This is a desert island disc. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

5-stars!! Sills owned this role!.......2007-07-18

Until I heard Sills sing Manon in the 1970's I have to admit that it was not one of my favorite operas. This recording certainly does her justice, capturing the complexities of this role. It is an outstanding recording! (as an aside, if you have not seen it, go to youtube's recording of her farewell recital, where, as in all of her recitals, she closes with a Portugese folk song taught to her by her famous teacher Estelle Liebling. If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes, nothing will!).

SILLS and a Perfect MANON............2007-07-07

Enough has been written about Beverly Sills and the role of Manon that you already know that she OWNED the role for a long time.

This recording was originally issued on EMI, and I find it unusual that it should have disappeared from that label and it now appears on DG. Although it is strange, we need not worry about that; the main thing here is that the recording is again available to us.

You only really need two copies of Manon...the Victoria De Los Angeles one under Pierre Monteaux, and this one with Sills, Gedda, Bacquier, and Souzay under Julius Rudel. All participants here are simply wonderful, and all in very good voice as it happens! Usually we get a weak link, but somehow, the god's smiled on this effort, and everything came together wonderfully.

This is one of Gedda's efforts that I heartily commend! Simply a great des Griux! Souzay's Lescaut is really a wonderfully smooth, and mellow, performance that you need to hear. Gabriel Bacquier, AS ALWAYS turns in a magnificently commanding performance as Count des Griux. This of course brings us to the role of Manon. Simply stunning would be a great way to say it! Sills is just so real-life-bubbly girlish, and so lovely, that we are swept up in the swirl of mad love, right up to tragedy that comes to her, and the heart-wrenchingly sad finale.

This recording belongs in everyone's collection, right beside the Victoria De Los Angeles one! Enjoy! ~operabruin

For Sills fans, mainly........2006-01-16

As good an ensemble as could be assembled in the more recent past, well conducted by the seasoned Rudel, this 1970 performance stands or falls by one's perception of the two principals.

Nicolaï Gedda (né Ustinov,) b. 1925, half-Swedish, half-Russian, was a fine musician with a highly developped vocal technique. His manner was rather cold, however, and at 45 his lyric voice had lost some of its original bloom. I find his des Grieux rather grim and emphatic, lacking in romantic élan. I much prefer the poetic Henri Legay in the definitive Monteux recording (TESTAMENT.)

Beverly Sills (née Silvermann,) b. 1929, American, studied with Estelle Liebling, a pupil of the legendary Mathilde Marchesi, teacher of Melba, Eames, Kurtz, Alda and many an other French stylist.

Sills new exactly how to sing this music and had the perfect voice and technique for it. Many years of repertory singing in the provinces, often in inappropriately heavy parts (Tosca!) however, had made Sills' voice thin and unsteady by the time she made this recording at age 41. Her interpretation is intense, heartfelt and full of telling dramatic detail, but often heavy-handed and unpleasant on the ear. She is also rather short on the elegance and chimeric charm that characterises the best interpreters of this part (Vallin, Heldy, Féraldy, de los Ángeles.)

The airplane hangar ambience of the recording studio (talk about overresonant!) does not help, either.

Incidentally, the rôle of Lescaut is sung (well) by Gerard SOUZAY.

Gabriel Bacquier sings comte des Grieux--very well indeed.

A Great Recording of an Opera That Should Be Performed More Often.......2005-10-08

Massanet's MANON is a work that is no stranger to the stage in New York City where it has had a glorious history at both the Met and the New York City Opera though this is not the case around the world. Its frequent New York performances may make it Massanet's most staged opera. For those familiar with the work, it is a favorite. It has all the elements that make French opera great, but it is not a work that has familiar excerpts. As a matter of fact, Massanet's bets known melodies are from lesser known works, such as the "Meditation" from THAIS and Porquoi me Revelier" from WERTHER. Yet when MANON is broadcast from the Met or if one takes out a recording, it's easy to understand why this work has been a favorite of so many for over a century and begs the question `Why isn't this work performed more often?'

Like great French opera, MANON is a work that is a bit larger than life, requires exquisite orchestral playing, and of course great singing. This set, originally released by Westminster in the 1970's and re-released by Duetsche Grammophon has it all. The vocal abilities of the three leading performers: Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda and Gabriel Bacquier as Manon, des Grieux, and Lescaut respectively are each in top vocal form. Sills herself states that Manon was a role she loved and one that she believed her voice was well suited for, and there can be no disputation when listening to this set. As a conductor, Julius Rudel is at his best. He has great control over the New Philharmonia Orchestra, creating lush sounds that make the recording spectacular and an added, but essential plus would be the outstanding choral performances by the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the great performances of the smaller roles.

Just about every reviewer, from Amazon reviewers to the critics who write for OPERA NEWS have heralded the new availability of this recording. Listen to it, and you will understand why and echo the many praises of this set.

Enjoy!

Beverly Sills Signature Role.......2004-12-17

Beverly Sills once said that if she was to be remembered for anything, it should be for "Manon". This is the role that catapulted her to opera superstardom. And she made this recording in 1970, when her voice still had all its youthful freshness and vigor, and shows just why Beverly Sills had such a great reputation. It has been said that Massenet wrote for his soprano, and nowhere is that more true than in the title role of this opera. And Sills does the role complete justice, vocally demonstrating in her singing the downfall of Manon from young innocent girl to demimondaine to despair and death. Her rendition of the great aria "Adieu, notre petite table", is incredibly moving. And the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Nicolai Gedda is supremely stylish as Des Grieux, Gabriel Bacquier strong and forthright as his father, and one gets to hear the late Gerard Souzay, famous primarily as a concert artist, singing a rare opera role as Lescaut, Manon's cousin. Julius Rudel conducts cleanly, making the most of Massenet's lush orchestrations. This recording belongs on the shelf of every opera lover.

Average customer rating: Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour) Luciano Pavorotti Luciano is the best!

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour) Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | 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 All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works Featuring Luciano Pavarotti | Pavarotti, Luciano | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | 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 Bixio, Cesare Andrea | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cardillo, Salvatore | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Capua, Eduardo di | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Curtis, Ernesto de | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of the Three Tenors Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti Pavarotti: Greatest Hits Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs The Best of Luciano Pavarotti: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection ASIN: B0007V5WB4 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. La donna obile
2. Una furtiva lagrima
3. "Libiamo ne'lieti calici (Brindisi)
4. Donna non vidi mai
5. Che gelida manina
6. O soave fanciulla
7. Mi batte il cor...O Paradiso!
8. M'appari
9. Quando le sere al placido chiaror d'un ciel stellato
10. Se quel guerrier io fossi!..Celeste Aida
11. Forse la soglia attinse
12. Recitar! - "Vesti la giubba"
13. Come un bel di maggio
14. Ah mes amis - Pour mon
15. Di quella pira
16. Nessun dorma!

Tracks:

1. Torna a Surriento
2. Santa Lucia luntana
3. La Danza
4. L'ultima canzone
5. Non t'amo pi
6. Mattinata
7. 'O sole mio
8. 'A vucchella
9. Core 'ngrato
10. Nel blu, dipinto di blu
11. Vivere
12. Il Canto
13. Caruso
14. Buongiorno a te
15. Ti adoro
16. E lucevan le stelle
17. Questa o quella (Ballata)
18. Parmi veder le lagrime

Customer Reviews:

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour).......2007-06-27

Wonderful Pavarotti sings the best of the best. His voice never ceases to amaze me. Listening pleasure at it's finest.

Luciano Pavorotti.......2007-02-17

All the songs are wonderful, can never become tired of listening to his songs. Excellent.

Luciano is the best!.......2007-01-20

I can't speak more highly of this collection of Pavrotti's songs. I keep this two CD pack in my car so I can enjoy it on my way to and from work. Even after I have arrived, I find myself sitting in my car waiting for a song to end. Walking out on a song seems sacriligious. While I grew up listening to Caruso and Lanza, there is no question that Pavrotti is the Master! Although, I do have to admit Pavrotti has the greater advantage of modern recording technology to better present his talent than Caruso and Lanza had. However, Lanza definitely didn't have the power that Pavrotti has. With Caruso, we will never know... I highly recommend this collection of Pavrotti's, if you are a Pavrotti fan. If you aren't, buy it anyway and become one:)

Average customer rating: Bright Star Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias First DGG album--very promising Remarkable! Beautiful voice, beautiful girl

Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias Anna Netrebko , Elina Garanca , Gianandrea Noseda , Wiener Philharmoniker , and Hector Berlioz Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by 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 Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( 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 Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Sempre Libera Russian Album Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata [Includes DVD] Anna Netrebko - The Woman, The Voice Verdi - La Traviata ASIN: B00008MLSH Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

1. Idomeneo: Recitativo ed Aria "Quando avran fine omai" - Mozart
2. Don Giovanni: Recitativo accompagnato e Rondo "Crudele!" - Mozart
3. Benvenuto Cellini: Cavatine "Entre l'amour et le devoir" - Berlioz
4. La Sonnambula: Recitativo e Cavatina "Care compagne, et voi, ternei amici" - Bellini
5. Manon: Air du Cours-la-Reine "Suis-je gentille ainsi?" - Massenet
6. Lucia di Lammermoor: Scena e Cavatina "Ancor non giunse!" - Donizet
7. Faust: Ricitatif "Les grands seigneurs ont seuls des airs..." - Gounod
8. Rusalka: "Mesicku na nebli hlubokem" - Dvorak
9. La Boheme: "Quando me'n vo' (Musette's Waltz)" - Puccini

Amazon.com

Here, a year after her sensational Metropolitan debut as Prokofiev's Natasha from War and Peace, comes the debut solo recital album of 30-something soprano Anna Netrebko. She hails from southern Russia, and her emergence from the life of a conservatory student has a touch of the Cinderella tale—the bit, that is, about being discovered by Gergiev mopping floors for the Kirov as a part-time job and making her way into the Kirov's ranks. Later she became a favorite at San Francisco Opera, trying on for size a swath of comic and dramatic roles. Opera Arias parades Netrebko's way through a spectrum of vocal styles and characters. This mesmerizing lyric soprano engages--at times thrillingly grips--the listener with an imagination far greater than the disc's title (couldn't someone have dreamt up a less ridiculously bland handle?), but most significantly leaves an impression that the enterprise here isn't merely about singing. Netrebko's Ilia and Donna Anna are flesh-and-blood characters in real situations, as Mozart wanted them to be. The results are a bit more uneven with her bel canto heroines, where the required balance between Netrebko's emotional identification, so obviously a forte, and the musical phrasing thereof is a delicate one. Her shading of Lucia's mood swings, vocal and emotional, isn't consistently compelling. On the other hand, Netrebko uncovers gemlike facets not just in Gounod's "Jewel Song" but particularly in her stunning, passionately realized and beautifully phrased Manon (even if her trills disappoint). A shame that samples of her Russian repertory are missing here, though Netrebko's "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Rusalka concentrates and sets a mood with enviable mastery. Netrebko's musical intelligence and theatrical savvy seem destined to ensure her a magnificent career, so it's no surprise that many fans are already clamoring for more than the tease of an aria collection. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Bright Star.......2007-07-13

If you like opera, if you like the lyric soprano, if the vocal range of the colortura causes goose bumps to rise, Anna Netrebko is a must. Roberta Peters, Beverly Sills, Anna Moffo, Joan Southerland, Maria Callas, she takes a back seat to none of them,she sits he front seat with the best of them and guess what? She is beautiful too.

Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias.......2007-03-29

Her voice takes my breath away, I fell in love with her.
I highly reccomend it.

First DGG album--very promising.......2007-02-01

Anna Netrebko has rapidly become a first tier star in opera. This album, her first at DGG, illustrates why some rate her so highly; it also illustrates some of the questions that some have raised about her. All in all, though, a very nice CD.

A few selections illustrate:

Mozart, Idomeneo, "Quando avran fine omai." She displays a rich and clean voice. There is a very attractive quality to her voice manifest in this work.

Mozart, Don Giovanni, "Crudele? Ah no, mio bene!...Non mi dir." This is Donna Anna's poignant aria, given her circumstances. Netrebko displays rich tones. This is a well sung cut. "Non mi dir" shows off some agility in her voice.

Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor. "Ancor non giunse!. . .Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quando rapito in estasi" Something of a disappointment. Coloratura is not her forte (and see her "Sempre Libera" CD for further confirmation). She clearly shows off a rich and lush voice. I think that she displays some characterization here that is compelling. She hits high notes cleanly. But her ornamentation is indifferent, and she appears unable to trill. I know, some say that that is irrelevant. But compare Beverly Sills' version of this work, with almost too many trills extraordinarily well sung and her florid technique, and this version simply pales.

Bellini, La Sonnambula. "Care compagna. . .Come per me sereno." Again, Netrebko displays a rich voice. She displays an agile voice and the ability to hit the high notes. Her rendition of "come per sereno" is spirited.

Gounod, Faust. "The Jewel Song." Very smooth singing; animated singing. But the technique does not measure up to Anna Moffo's version--let alone Joan Sutherland's.

Puccini, La Boheme. "Musetta's Waltz." Yikes! What a version. Brava Netrebko. Her darker voice is very well suited to this. The characterization of Musetta seems on the mark. A wonderful cut.

All in all, this shows the promise of Netrebko. It also indicates where her strengths are and where she does not do so well (coloratura work). However, this is a very nice introduction to her work and her art.

Remarkable!.......2006-11-02

Perhaps her voice is not as candid as some other sopranos, but her rendition of the score and interpretative expression make her and exquisite hearing pleasure. This recording shows a more matured artist capable of capturing the role dynamics and emotions.

Yes, her voice is not as lyric as you might expect, and some roles may sound a little big heavy (sometimes maybe bordering verismo), but definitively at stated before hearing her is a gloriuos pleasure, almost as good as looking at her.

Beautiful voice, beautiful girl.......2005-11-22

When I heard Anna Netrebko singing Quando Men Vo I was stunned by a voice of stunning purity, great power and sheer beauty. The best Musetta I've heard! Her Song to the moon is stunning and I love her Bel Canto! Anna Netrebko has a very bright future ahead of her. Her Mozart is top class!

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: Excellent older music A Golden Voice! Heaven The Ultimate Tenor Anthology The biggest hype I've ever seen or heard

Artists Of The Century - Jussi Bjorling, The Ultimate Collection Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( 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 Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music