Thomas: Hamlet (Highlights)

Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Que nos chants montent jusqu'aux cieux...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Doute de la lumière...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Germaine Feraldy
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Salut au prince Hamlet!...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Joseph Peyron, Charles Cambon
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Spectre infernal!...Ombre chère
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
Conducted by H. Defosse
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Sa main depuis hier... Les serments ont des ailes
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Eide Norena
Conducted by Piero Coppola
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Ne pars pas, Ophelie...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
Conducted by H. Defosse
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts O vin, dissipe la tristesse...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Charles Cambon
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts J'ai pu frapper le misérable... Être ou ne pas être
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Vanni-Marcoux
Conducted by Piero Coppola
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Je t'implore, ô mon frère...
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Le voilà! Je veux lire enfin dans sa pensée... Allez dans un cloître, Ophélie
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Denise Scharley, Charles Cambon
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Hamlet, ma douleur est immense!
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Denise Scharley, Charles Cambon
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts A vos jeux, mes amis... Pâle et blonde, dort sous l'eau profonde
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Renee Doria
Conducted by Louis de Froment
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts La fatigue alourdit mes pass... Comme une pâle fleur
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
Conducted by H. Defosse
Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Ecoute! Quel est ce bruit de pas?... Ophélie!
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France
with Andre Philippe, Lucien Lovano, Joseph Peyron, Denise Scharley, Charles Cambon

Thomas: Hamlet (Highlights),Ambroise Thomas,H. Defosse,Louis de Froment,Piero Coppola,Orchestre Lyrique de Radio France,André Philippe,Charles Cambon,Denise Scharley,Eide Norena,Germaine Feraldy,Joseph Peyron,Lucien Lovano,Renee Doria,Vanni-Marcoux,Malibran [C.D.R.G.],Classical,Classical Music,French Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio,Opera/Operetta

Average customer rating:

SImply Untrue
an extra star for all the guest artists
An Homage to a Great Artist
superb vocals

The Very Best of Thomas Hampson
Marc Barrard , Thomas Hampson , Csaba Airizer , Georges Bizet , Charles Wakefield Cadman , Stephen Foster , Charles Gounod , Edvard Grieg , Charles Tomlinson Griffes , Imre (Emmerich) Kalman , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Franz Lehar , Gustav Mahler , Jules Massenet , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Gioachino Rossini , Franz Schubert , Robert Schumann , Johann II Strauss , Ambroise Thomas , Giuseppe Verdi , Richard Wagner , Carl Maria von Weber , Antonio de Almeida , Antonio Pappano , Eugene Kohn , and Fabio Luisi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Song of America
No Tenors Allowed: Famous Duets for Baritone and Bass
Arias - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert
Christmas with Thomas Hampson
Leading Man

ASIN: B0006VYEI2
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

La Ran La Lera...Largo Al Factotum
O Sainte Medaille...Avant De Quitter Ces Lieux
Ce Breuvage...Vision Fugitive
C'est Toi...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Placido Domingo
La Fatigue Alourdit Mes Pas...Comme Une Pale Fleur
Ecoute!...Dieu, Tu Semas Dans Nos Ames
C'est Mon Jour Supreme
Tout Est Desert...Son Regard
Ove Son Io?...Vada In Fiamme
Perfidi! All'Anglo Contro Me...Pieta, Rispetto Amore
Di Provenza Il Mar, Il Suol
E Sogno? O Realta?
Komm!
Der Garten Des Herzens
Lied Des Venezianischen Gondoliers
Le Lazzarone
L'Ultimo Ricordo

Tracks:

Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen
Wo Berg' Ich Mich?...So Weih' Ich Mich Den Rachgewalten
Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abendstern
Gruss Op.48 No.1
Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
Die Rose, Die Lilie
Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Ich Grolle Nicht
Gute Nacht
Die Post
Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder
Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
Von Der Schonheit
O Vaterland, Du Machst Bei Tag
Als Flotter Geist
Komm, Zigany
An Old Song Re-Sung
At Dawning (I Love You) Op.29 No.1 - Armen Guzelimian
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Beautiful Dreamer

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

SImply Untrue.......2006-08-16

The previous review is simply a gross falsification. I have been an obsessed opera fan for a long time, and Thomas Hampson is a truly special singer. He is not the possesor of the largest or most interesting voice, which he will tell you and indeed says so all the time. His commitment to text, his willingness to search out parts to fit his voice, and his dedication to art song make im invaluable to Americans as a ture Troubador. His light Baritone was ideally suited to Figaro and to Valentin and the art song he loves. He must stretch to sing Verdi, where his voice sounds dry and small but many singers have chanced Verdi at their peril, and his innate ablity to inhabit a song, here evidenced in Di Provenza overcomes fact that it is out of his fach. You misinformed opinion of Hampson is mean and strangly bitter. I love Opera, but I do not love every singer, which doesn't mean I debase their very artistic existance. I have seen Hampson live, and have loved him (in Thias) and somewhat disliked him (in Simon Boccanegra) As for him being pretentious, somwetimes I find him mannered, but always charming. SOmetimes Intellectualism can appear pretentious, but surely you wont hold an opera singer to the charge that he must be unintellectual. what a vitriolic review, please buy this Cd, it merits repeated listening to a true American SINGER,

an extra star for all the guest artists.......2006-05-08

The title of this album is an oxymoron. Or a sick joke. I can't decide. Sure he has made millions by luring the uninitiated listener into his web of deceit and conceit, but don't be fooled any longer. How fortunate Hampson has been to sing for and with great artists to shoulder his heavy load.

An Homage to a Great Artist.......2005-10-30

EMI is wisely creating a series of recordings to gather the moments of artists that showcase the very reasons they become so highly regarded. Usually these collections are produced late in careers or even posthumously, but in the case of THE VERY BEST OF THOMAS HAMPSON the artist is still one of the more active and premiere singers of our day. Yet while he doesn't still perform all of these inclusions, it is wonderful to have excerpts from various successful recordings to remind us of the artistry that Hampson represents.

The two disc set includes arias from operas: Rossini's 'Il barbière di Siviglia', von Weber's 'Euryanthe', Gounod's 'Faust', Massenet's 'Hérodiade', Bizet's 'Les Pêcheurs de perles' (in duet with Placido Domingo), Thomas' 'Hamlet', Verdi's 'Don Carlo', 'Il Travatore', 'Macbeth', 'La Traviata', and 'Falstaff', Korngold's 'Die Tote Stadt', and Wagner's 'Tannhäuser'.

But the rewards of a Hampson recording must include his impeccable career as a lieder stylist and on this recording are excerpts from Schumann's 'Dichterliebe', Schubert's 'Winterreise', Mahler's 'Rückert Lieder' and 'Das Lied von der Erde', as well as songs by Meyerbeer, Rossini, Grieg, Kalman, and Lehar. And very importantly there are examples of American songs that Hampson has always emphasized in his recitals. Works by Stephen Foster, and two extraordinary works with the brilliant accompanist Armen Guzelimian - 'An Old Song Re-sung' by Griffes and 'At Dawning' by Charles Wakefield Cadman - round out this fine survey.

Not usually a collector of such 'recombinations', for this listener this album is so very fine that it deserves the attention of all those who appreciate the artistry of Thomas Hampson - then and now. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

superb vocals.......2005-08-07

Mr.Hampson really gets the chance to showcase his wonderful baritone voice in this "Best of" collection which includes excellent selections from his various other CDs. I like the diversity of the selections featuring operatic arias,works from classical composers, and folk songs. For Thomas hampson fans, as well as fans of the baritone voice, this CD is for them.

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

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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:

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

Tracks:

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

Valuable compendium
Rareties available on CD at last!
Heavenly
WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
The Art of the Prima Donna
Serate Musicali
Bellini - Norma / Sutherland, Tourangeau, Bonynge
The Voice of the Century

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

The artistry and allure of a French nightingale
High note feast :)
Simply beautiful high notes
Mady Mesplé's wonderful album
A glorious bit of memorabilia from a sadly forgotten soprano

The Very Best of Mady Mesplé

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Airs D'opérettes
Very Best of
Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias
The Very Best of Kirsten Flagstad
The Very Best of Lucia Popp

ASIN: B0006VYELY
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Ah!...Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue?
Ah! Je Veux Vivre
Oui! Pour Ce Soir...Je Suis Titania La Blonde (Polonaise)
Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille
A Vos Jeux...Partagez-vous Mes Fleurs...Et Maintenant, Ecoutez Ma Chanson!
Una Voce Poco Fa
Ah! Non Credea Mirarti...Ah! Non Giunge
Di Piacer Mi Balza Il Cor
Gualtier Malde...Caro Nome
Il Dolce Suono...Ardon Gl'Incensi...Spargi D'Amaro Pianto

Tracks:

Quartet No.2 For Soprano, Violin, Viola, & Cello
In Furore Giustissimae Irae
I. La Dame D'Andre - Gabriel Tacchino
II. Dans L'Herbe - Gabriel Tacchino
III. Il Vole - Gabriel Tacchino
IV. Mon Cadavre Est Doux Comme Un Gant - Gabriel Tacchino
VI. Fleurs - Gabriel Tacchino
Les Chemins De L'Amour Op.106 (Anouilh) - Gabriel Tacchino
A Chloris (Viau) - Dalton Baldwin
Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes (Hugo) - Dalton Baldwin
L'Heure Exquise (Chanson Grises, Verlaine) - Dalton Baldwin
Le Chapelier (Chalupt)
Dapheneo (Godebska)
La Diva De L'Empire (Intermezzo Americain) (Bonnaud & Bles)
Ecoutez, C'est Le Chant Des Cigales
Au Bord Du Chemin Qui Passa A Ma Porte
La Bergere Colinette (Villanelle)
Tout Est Soleil, Tout Est Printemps

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

The artistry and allure of a French nightingale.......2007-06-03

This is one of the rare cases when the title of a CD matches completely its content. The Very Best of Mady Mesplé showcases the amazing talent and legacy of the beautiful lady that was the star coloratura soprano of the Paris Opera during the second part of the twentieth century. The first CD is dedicated to opera arias, and only a hearing of the first number, The Bell Song from Delibes' Lakmé, gives us a summary of what makes Mesplé so special. There is hardly a more musical or virtuosic version than the one presented here (from her complete recording of the opera). The legend is presented by the soprano with engaging interest and great attention to the words. The bell refrains are amazingly fast, with diminutive stacatti, a great trill and ravishing high notes. The final cadenza is very exciting, ending with a firm, beautiful high E that soars triumphally over the orchestra. All these qualities are present when she is singing Juliette, Philine, Ophélie and Olympia. Particularly on this last aria she conveys in her voice the illusion of hearing an automaton instead of human being and there is no ornamentation except on an interpolated high Eflat at the end. It is remarkable how Mesplé always is musical with her ornamentation. The Italian arias that end the first Cd are very pretty, even though they are not as successful, given the distinctive sound of the soprano, more in her element with the nuances of her native language than the legato singing that is proper to the belcanto style. However, the arias are still lovely, specially Una voce poco fa, where Mesplé showcases not only her high register but also the lower part of her voice by singing the first part of "Io sono docile" exactly the way it is written. CD number 2 takes the listener to a totally different aspect of Mady Mesplé's artistry with incursions into contemporary music, a Baroque cantata, French art song and French operetta. The Quartet no.2, for soprano, violin, viola and cello is a very demanding piece where the soprano becomes another instrument: dissonant and difficult intervals are required in all the registers of the voice. The soprano succeeds on this as well as the motet by Vivaldi, a totally different number of equal difficulty. A great part of the CD is then dedicated to songs by Poulenc, Hahn and Satie, where the singer perfectly conveys the mélodie style with her very distinctive sound, that can convey all degrees of emotion, from innocence to worldliness. Specially remarkable are Poulenc's Le chemin de l'amour, Hahn's Si mes vers avait des ailes and Satie' La diva de l'empire. The final part of the CD is dedicated to French operetta arias, a very important part of Mesplés discography. All the selections are a delight. It is worth noticing that she recorded the virtousic aria from Massé's Les noces de Jeanette in 1981, in the later part of her career and there is no difference in the sound and technique from Mesplé's debut recordings. The CD ends in a high note (literally and metaphorically) with a delightful waltz by Johann Strauss where she ends with a stunning Aflat over high C. In summary, this is a superb presentation of the career of Mady Mesplé, a singer who was not only one of the most stunning coloraturas of all time, but also a gifted and versatile artist.

High note feast :).......2006-10-02

I love this set. Her voice is similar to that of Pons, but this is in clear stereo sound! And her highest notes don't sound like whistle tones! The Bell song won me over; Sutherland is still my favorite singer, but she did not have the acuti of Mesple. Very good listening here.It is all so effortless - that final note on CD 2 (A-flat above high c''') is astonishing!

Simply beautiful high notes.......2006-08-14

I feel ashamed of myself. Really. For all the years I have been listening to pons and sutherland and callas and the more recent dessay and jo, I never really paid attention to Mady Mesple. I really wished I had. Her voice is so pure and bell-like similar to Pons but with a much richer middle range and with the most impressive solid low range I have heard on a coloratura sopranos. It is a tragedy that she was over shadowed by the coloratura powerhouse which is Joan Sutherland. Her high notes are to die for and really it would hard to find anyone who can hit them like her. She may not have Pons agility but the lightness and tone of her high e flat can certainly go head to head with pon's and may possibly be a tiny step above pon's which up until this point didn't think was possible.

Mady Mesplé's wonderful album.......2005-08-30

I felt a sense of awe listening to Mady Mesplé's voice. Of the two CD set, I much prefered CD #1 as #2 was a bit too modern for me. #1 has many of my favorite soprano arias, and Mlle. Mesplé did them all justice.

A glorious bit of memorabilia from a sadly forgotten soprano.......2005-05-10

Mady Mesple is one of the best kept secrets of the music industry today. Of course, when you're singing around the same time as Joan Sutherland you're rather likely to be overshadowed. Still, Mesple offers a wealth of musical goods that even Sutherland never could have given. Not only is her coloratura technique virtually flawless, she (gasp)inflects every word she sings with great sensitivity to the text, never losing grasp of the character she is striving to portray. Of course, she does have a rather controvertial aspect to her voice that many listeners may object to, As a classic french coloratura, her vibrato is VERY fast, fluttering tremulously at all times but never getting in the way of her pitch. Still, her high notes are exceptional (the second CD ends with a glorious high A flat) and the fresh, girlish beauty of her tone is unsurpassed even today (my apologies to Natalie Dessay). Be sure not to miss her Bell Song, by FAR the best I have ever heard! Her voice has a crystaline quality that is PERFECT for that particular aria. Her Doll Song is rather weak, but her mad scene from Hamlet MORE than makes up for it (can we say eight seconds of beautiful high F harp?!!). The second CD offers Mady in a more matura phase of her life, singing sensuously in more traditional art songs before going on to challenging operetta arias. And you won't want to miss the violin, viola, cello, soprano quartet that opens the CD!!! Let's just say you're in for a surprise... this CD is a must-have!

Average customer rating:

I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets
A superb set, well worth the price!
all the overtures *NOT*
A wonderful collection of Berlioz

Berlioz: Complete Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Strauss: Orchestral Works
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B0000041MZ
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 1. Rries, Passions (Largo - Allegro agitato ed appassinonato assai)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 2. Un bal (Valse: Allegro non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 3. Sc aux champs (Adagio)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 4. Marche au supplice (Allegretto non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 5. Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat (Larghetto - Allegro- Ronde du Sabbat: Poco menu mosso)
Tristia, Op 18 (excerpts): 3. Marche fune pour la derni sc d'Hamlet (Allegretto moderato)
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Menuet des follets
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Marche hongroise

Tracks:

Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 1. Le peur (Goethe, Duboys)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 2. Choeur d'ombres (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 3. Chanson de brigands (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 4. Chant de bonheur (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 5. La harpe ienne - Souvenirs
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 6. Fantasie sur la Temp de Shakespeare (Berlioz)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 1. Marche fune (Moderato un poco lento)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 2. Oraison fune (Adagio non tanto - Andantino un poco lento e sostenuto)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 3. Apothe (Allegro non troppo e pomposo)

Tracks:

Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1a. Harold aux montagnes (Adagio)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1b. Harold aux montagnes (Allegro)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 2. Marche des prins (Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 3. Snade (Allegro assai - Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 4. Orgie de brigands (Allegro frenetico - Adagio - Allegro, Tempo I)
Les Troyens arthage: Prelude From: Les Troyens arthage: Part II, Act III
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 29: Chasse royale et orage - Pantomime
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 32: Marche pour l'entrde la reine; No. 33: Ballets
Les Troyens (Act IV): -A: Pas des Alm
Les Troyens (Act IV): -B: Danse des esclaves
Les Troyens (Act IV): - C: Pas d'esclaves nubiennes
Rrie et Caprice, Op.8

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Introduction
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Prologue: 'D'anciennes haines endormies'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 1: 'Premiers transports que nul n' oublie'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 2: 'Heureux enfants aux coers de flamme'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Rtatif et Scherzetto: 'Bientot de Romeo' - 'Mab! la messagere' - Bientot la mort est souveraine'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Romseul - Tristesse - Concert eet bal
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Grande f chez les Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, 'Ohe! Capulets! Bonsoir, bonsoir!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, Sc d'amour

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Scherzo: La reine Mab ou la fdes songes
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Convoi fune de Juliette: 'Jetez des fleurs pour la vierge expiree!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Romau tombeau des Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Choeurs et Rtatif du P Laurence: 'Quo! Romeo de retour!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Air du P Laurence: 'Pauvres enfants que je pleure' - 'Mais notre sang rougit leur glaive'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Serment de rnciliation: 'Jurez donc'

Tracks:

Beatrice et Benedict
Benvenuto Cellini
Overtures: Le roi Lear, Op. 4
Les Francs - juges, Op. 3
Waverley, Op. 1
Le corsaire, Op. 21
Carnaval romain, Op. 9

Amazon.com

Berlioz was the first Romantic master of the orchestra. His music hasn't been surpassed in terms of sheer brilliance and accuracy of effect. This set includes all of the overtures, the Symphonie fantastique, Harold in Italy, the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens, orchestral music from The Damnation of Faust and Romeo and Juliet, and the completely insane Grande Symphonie funebre et triumphale. Davis achieved his reputation as a conductor as a Berlioz specialist, and he proves an expert advocate on behalf of this stimulating, bizarre, and totally original genius. The recording quality, so critical in such colorful music, is also very good. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets.......2004-02-22

First I ordered Hector Berlioz Complete Orchestral Works (Box Set) in a 6-CD set by Sir Colin Davis because orchestral is what I like best. That was in 2002. Now I have ordered The Berlioz Edition (Box Set)in a 24-CD Box Set by Sir Colin Davis because I like what I have heard of Berlioz by Davis. I will put this up for sale, and if it doesn't go I will consider putting The Berlioz Edition up for sale after I have heard it. As I said I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets and can't afford both.

A superb set, well worth the price!.......2002-08-16

For those of us who grew up in the 1950s and '60s, the music of Berlioz means Munch and Toscanini: Munch for his incendiary performances of "Symphonie Fantastique," "Romeo et Juliette," "Damnation of Faust," the Requiem and the overtures (among others), Toscanini primarily for his gorgeous reading of "Harold in Italy" but also for his versions of the Roman Carnival Overture and (for those who could find it) the "Romeo" with Gladys Swarthout. These readings had one thing going for them, which was a rhythmic impetus that made even the slow movements exciting. Unfortunately, for those of us who read scores, when we checked these versions against the music we found that Toscanini and Munch had fiddled a bit with tempi and bowing accents in an attempt to make the music more exciting. Is this so bad? Not necessarily, because these conductors had this music in their blood, they were presenting Berlioz as they had processed him over a lifetime of love, and so their fast tempi had little in common with the rattly, jangly readings often turned out by John Eliot Gardiner.

Sir Colin Davis was, and of this reading remains, the greatest Berlioz interpreter of the stereo/digital era. This is no mean feat when one realizes that he now has several competitors in the field, among them James Levine and Charles Dutoit, but in my view only the wonderful John Nelson (whose recordings of the Te Deum and "Nuits d'Ete" with Susan Graham are so wonderful) really comes close. And what makes Davis so great is that, like those legendary conductors of old, he really gets under the skin of Berlioz and makes him exciting while maintaining score tempi. Listen, for instance, to his "Symphonie Fantastique," still the benchmark modern recording after nearly 30 years. Davis also excels in his readings of the Overtures, music from "Les Troyens," and the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale which grabs the listener and pulls him/her into its vortex of sound.

In the other two symphonies, "Harold in Italy" and "Romeo et Juliette," I sense a lapse of sorts: the slow music is conducted not necessarily too slowly, but with a certain Romantic mushiness bordering on easy listening. This, for me, robs the "Romeo alone" and "Scene d'amour" of its passion, though of course it is wonderful to hear the score in modern stereo instead of Munch's cramped mono, and for me Toscanini's second movement of "Harold," with its peculiar yet engaging walking gait, shall never be surpassed--and, unlike Munch, Toscanini somewhat transcended his mono sound because of the wonderful clarity and transparency of his orchestra. Nevertheless, if I were forced to I would live with this Davis set over my Munch and Toscanini recordings because of their overall warmth and excellent sound.

Other highlights include excerpts from "Lelio" sung superbly by pre-leukemia Jose Carreras (listen to him ascend fearlessly to those high notes--he hasn't done that in nearly a quarter-century!), dramatically astute singing by Patricia Kerns and John Shirley-Quirk in "Romeo," and marvelous interpretations of the Overtures (oh, and you can forget "Rob Roy"...Berlioz decided after one performance that he would never publish it or even bother revising it, hence it is not here). I do question the omission of the Requiem and Te Deum (after all, they ARE "orchestral works"), but with so many riches at such a low price, who cares? Liner notes are sparse, and this is a slimline box which means paper sleeves and no jewel boxes, but so what? For this much Berlioz, so beautifully sung and conducted, the composer himself would gladly have plunked down ...

all the overtures *NOT*.......2001-05-04

This isn't a "complete" recording of Berlioz' orchestral music - what about the 'Rob Roy' overture? Granted it recycles some of Harold in Italy, but still...

A wonderful collection of Berlioz.......2000-08-15

This incredible six CD set features all of Hector Berlioz's purely orchestral music conducted by the great Sir Colin Davis, widely regarded as one of the greatest living Berlioz interpreters. In addition to favorites such as Symphonie fantastique, Harold en Italie and Romeo et Juliette, the set also includes the lesser known Lelio and several other works. The works were recorded between 1965 and 1980, and the sound is wonderful and rich. His interpretations are also lively and full of energy, especially in the overtures.

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ariette: Je veux vivire dans ce reve...
Faust: L'air Des Bijoux: Ah! Je ris de mi voir si belle en ce miroir!
Mignon: Recht, Polonaise et Finale: Oui, pour ce soir, je suis reine des fees
L'Etoile du Nord: C'est bien l'air que chaque matin
Hamlet: Scen et air d'Ophelie: A vos jeux, mes amis
Louise: Depuis le jour ou je suis donnee
Mireille: La Valse: O legere hirondelle, messagere fidele
Les Hugenots: Acte II, Introduction et Air: O Beux Pays de la Touraine
Manon: Gavotte: Obeissons, quant leur voix appelle
Les pecheurs de perles: Cavatine de Leila: Mi voila a seule dans la nuit
Robinson Crusoe: Conduisez-moi verss celui que j'adore

Amazon.com

Sumi Jo is an exquisite singer, in some ways a throwback to the coloraturas of old, who could dash off high, pure sounds with ease, all the while exuding charm and grace. But unlike too many of those gone warblers, Jo also pays attention to the text--even if the texts for most of these arias tend to be pretty silly. In this new recital, she concentrates on the French repertoire, tossing these jewels at us and making us grab for more. Rarities include arias from Meyerbeer's L'Etoile du Nord, with its two- and then three-flute accompaniment (Sutherland recorded it as well) and an aria from Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe (also recorded by Dame Joan, and Yvonne Kenny--but still rare); favorites are Ophelie's Mad Scene, superbly sung and characterized, Juliette's Waltz Song, all fresh and sweet, and a nicely surprising piece of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. It's only in Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" that Jo seems out of her weight class, though the singing is still gorgeous. This is a sure bet for fans of this repertoire and a fine way to meet Sumi Jo if you haven't already. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

great album from Sumi Jo.......2006-10-20

I'm only a recent convert of the charming opera singer Sumi Jo. This is one of my favourite albums, showcasing arias of composers including Gounod, Offenbach, Bizet, and (most surprisingly) Meyerbeer.

The Meyerbeer arias are truly something. Sumi Jo should consider doing a whole album dedicated to his works, but until then, we can savour the "Les Huguenots" and "L'Etoile du Nord" arias.

Sumi Jo's voice has a fantastic, silvery quality, best-suited to the demanding arias on show here. Hers is a precision instrument that hits each and every note perfectly; never does she slide between notes or compromise the quality of the material. Perfection is a tough thing to live up to, but Sumi Jo is perfection.

I heartily recommend this album. [Erato/Warner Music 3984-23140-2]

a chanteuse on the loose.......2002-09-06

Sumi Jo is cleary at ease with the French repetoire and she has some magical moments on this cd, the Meyerbeer stuff especially. The quality of the voice is evident, and she has a certain timbre that seems particularly suited to this literature; light, but totally controlled singing reigns throughout.

Delightful.......2002-02-05

I purchased this CD as a student of coloratura literature (specifically because of "Je suis Titania") and it is my first Sumi Jo recording. While I personally find her voice a little too bright for my taste and, occasionally, she sounds slightly unstable on the top, I still wholeheartedly recommend it. Sumi Jo is an extremely clean coloratura and has a beautiful voice, even if it is something of an acquired tasts if you are used to a more lyric sound. It is no wonder she is considered one of the best coloraturas singing today. Besides praising Sumi Jo, I have to say that this is simply a wonderful collection of music; all of it is lovely! It is truly delightful to listen to.

Very Nice!.......2002-01-17

An excellent demonstration of a beautiful voice. Sumi Jo is at her best. This is a nice purchase for any lover of fine music.

customer review.......2001-08-07

I received this CD by accident as I am not very familiar with ordering from the Internet. I pondered whether or not to open it as when it is open it cannot be returned. I am really glad that I opened it. It is wonderful. I heard about this singer on NPRand it was said that a voice like hers only happens once a century or something like that. She is truly gifted and a wonderful Coloratura soprano. I suggest this CD for anyone like myself that is a high-note junkie.

Average customer rating:

Just the best of the best.

Maria Callas Live

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Maria Callas 100 Best Classics
Maria Callas: The Platinum Collection
Maria Callas - Passion / A Film by Gerard Caillat
Callas: La Divina [Limited Edition]
Lyric & Coloratura Arias by Maria Callas (EMI's Great Recordings of the Century)

ASIN: B000AMUU9E
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Casta Diva...Fino Al Rito...Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna
Oh, Rimembranza!...Ah Si, Fa Core
Perfido! Or Basti!
Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi!...Si, Fino All'ore Estreme
In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei
Deh! Non Volerli Vittime
Sorgete; E In Me Dover...Quando A Un Tratto - Various Artists
Ah! Lo Sento
Cedo Al Destin Orribile
Oh! S'io Potessi Dissipar Le Nubi...Col Sorriso D'innocenza..Oh, Sole! Ti Vela Di Tenebra Fonda

Tracks:

Care Compagne...Come Per Me Sereno...Sovra Il Sen
Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
D'Un Pensiero E D'un Accento...Non Piu Nozze - Various Artists
Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
Ah! Non Giunge
Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
Qui Di Sposa...Verranno A Te
Soffriva Nel Pianto...Tu Che Vedi Il Pianto Mio
Chi Mi Frena - Various Artists
Il Dolce Suono...Ardon Gli Incensi...Spargi D'amaro Pianto - Various Artists

Tracks:

Dei Tuo figli...O Fatal Vello D'or
Creonte A Me Solo
E Che? Io Son Medea!
Come, Innocente Giovane...Non V'ha Sguardo
Io Sentii Sulla Mia Mano - Various Artists
Ove Sono?...In Quegli Sguardi Impresso...Ah! Segnata E La Mia Sorte - Various Artists
Va, Infelice
Fin Dall'eta Piu Tenera...Salira D'Inghilterra Sul Trono
Piangete Voi?...Al Dolce Guidami...Qual Mesto Suon?...Coppia Iniqua - Various Artists

Tracks:

Di Mio Padre...Deh! Pelopea Stirpe!...O Tu, Che In Tua Pieta Crudel
Sommi Dei!...O Sventurata Ifigenia
Il Voto Pago Andra...Io Ti Veggio
Ah! L'esecrando Rito...Io T'imploro Anelante
Di Quai Soavi Lagrime
Omai Da Lunge...Perche Di Stolto Giubilo
Donna...Che! Possente Numi!...Quest'alma E Troppo Debole
Ah! Fuggi Da Morte
Ecco Il Segnal!
Ecco L'orrido Campo...Ma Dall'arido Stela Divulsa
Teco Io Sto...O Qual Soave Brivido
A Tal Colpo...Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia

Tracks:

Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici
E Strano! E Strano...Ah! Fors'e Lui...Sempre Libera
Non Sapete...Ah! Dite Alla Giovine
Dammi Tu Forza, O Cielo!
Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato
Ah, Violetta!...Se Una Pudica Vergine - Various Artists
Ritorna Vincitor!
Al Tuo Consiglio Io Cedo...Gloria All'egitto - Various Artists
Qui Radames Verra!...O Patria Mia
Ciel! Mio Padre!
O Terra, Addio

Tracks:

Nel Di Della Vittoria...Vieni! T'afferetta!...Or Tutti Sorgete
La Luce Langue
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Gente La Dentro!...Mario! Mario!...Non La Sospiri, La Nostra Casetta
Orsu, Tosca, Parlate - Various Artists
Vissi D'arte
Senti, L'ora E Vicina...Amaro Sol Per Te...Presto! Su, Mario! - Various Artists
Ecco L'altare...Ervate Possente
Come Sa Amare!...La Mamma Morta
Benedico Il Destino! - Various Artists

Tracks:

Ben Io T'invenni...Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno (Abigaille, Act II)
Dov'e L'indiana Bruna? (Bell Song) (Lakme, Act II)
Tutte Le Torture (Costanze, Act II)
Ahime! Che Notte Oscura...Ombra Leggera (Shadow Song) (Dinorah, Act II)
Depuis Le Jour (Louise, Act III)
D'amore Al Dolce Impero (Armida, Act II)
Bel Raggio Lusinghier (Smiramide, Act I)
Ma Chi E Questa Bella...Ai Vostri Giochi...Ed Ora A Voi (Ofelia, Act IV)
Vanne, Lasciami...D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Leonora, Act IV)
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! (Leonora, Act IV)
Dolce E Calmo (Liebestod) Isolde, Act III)

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa (Rosina, Act I)
Tu Che Vedi Il Mio Tormento (Tu Che Invoco) (Giulia, Act II)
Surta E La Notte...Ernani! Nernai, Involami (Elvira, Act I)
Tu Che Le Vanita (Elsabetta, Act IV)
Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (Mimi, Act I)
L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare (Margherita, Act III)
L'amour Est Un Oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguedille) (Carmen, Act I)
Nacqui All'affanno...Non Piu Mesta (Cenerentola, Act II)
Je Ne Suis Que Faiblesse...Adieu, Notre Petite Table (Manon, Act II)
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit...Des Cris Joyeux (Charlotte, Act III)
Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio (Butterfly, Act II)
O Mio Babbino Caro (Lauretta)

Customer Reviews:

Just the best of the best........2006-02-08

From all the compilations of Maria Callas EMI has issued this is BY FAR the best one.

Unlike her studio recitals, unequal and mostly recorded when her voice was starting to decay, this live records take you back to the glorious early fifties when the young Callas was changing the history of opera forever.

The first 6 CD's are scenes from stage performances and the last 2 from recitals.

Chronollogically, this compilation starts with the legendary (and controversial) 1951 Mexico-City "Aida" and ends with the 1964 Covent Garden "Tosca" (when Callas' voice was just the shade of itself but at the peak of her dramatic skills).
Listen to the electrifying poetry of the 1952 "La sonnambula", to the devorating flame of 1955 "La traviata" and "Lucia". Not to forget the 1952 "Norma", the 1957 "Ana Bolena" and some rarities like "Andrea Chénier", "Ifigenia in Tauride" and "Poliuto".
The only great absent of this collection is "Armida"...

As for the the 2 recital CD's, the first one contains arias from concerts between 1952 and 1958, when Callas was in full command of her voice. Nobody else was capable of singing arias from Nabucco and Lakmé on the same recital! And listen to the last aria: Wagner's Isolde's dead.

The second one, contains arias from 1959 to 1963. Here, Callas voice had diminished considerably and she was not anymore capable of the same technical miracles, but she still managed to give thrilling dramatical interpretations (listen to the dead scene of Madama Butterfly of the 1963 Paris recital!!!)

In 80% of this compilation you can hear the young Callas creating her own legend, giving herself completly on the stage.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful baritone
Magnificent tribute to a truly great artist!
Magnificent tribute to a truly great artist!
Excellent performances

Robert Merrill

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Robert Merrill: Arias from Otello, Un Ballo in Maschera, Il Trovatore
Four American Baritones of the Past
Ettore Bastianini in Recital
The "Pearl Fishers" Duet
Lebendige Vergangenheit: Leonard Warren

ASIN: B00000JWM3
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

Hamlet: O Vin Dissipe la Tristesse
Herodiade: Vision Fugitive
L'Africana: Adamastor, Re Dell'onde Profonde
Carmen: Votre Toast
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo al Factorum
La Traviata: Di Provenza il Mar
Zaza: Zaza, Piccola Zingara
Andrea Chenier: Nemico della Patria
Invictus
The Blind Ploughman
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes
In the Gloaming
The Three Musketeers: Ma Belle
Brooklyn Baseball Cantata
Juanita
Jonah and the Whale
Down to the Rivah
Shadrach

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful baritone.......2004-01-01

A very special singer. I second the other reviewers' comments, and add that I have been singing along, as best I can, all morning, to this wonderful CD. An exceptional Largo, by the way, even given the aria's warhorse status.

Magnificent tribute to a truly great artist!.......2000-05-04

This album is an absolute prize. Merrill, to me, was the finest of the American Baritone crop, possessing a rich timbre that is unmatched by todays standards. This CD finds Merrill offering some of his best and most famous renditions, some of which have been regrettably out of print for decades. That being said, this issue is an extremely welcome one indeed. One standout is the rare "Zazà, piccola zingara" from the seldom performed opera Zaza, by Pagliacci composer Ruggiero Leoncavallo. This aria, in this reviewer's opinion, uses that rich sonorous Merrill sound to its best advantage. Merrill once stated in a Met broadcast interview that this one recording (Zaza) was his all time favorite and the best recording of his voice. Other standout arias are, of course, "Largo al Factotum", "O vin dissipe la tristesse" from Hamlet, and the ethereal sounding "Vision Fugitive" from Herodiade. The non-operatice fare that stands out are "The Blind Ploughman" (what a truly heartfelt this performance is), "Drink to Me only with Thine Eyes", and the three spirituals. The recording quality is good overall and acceptable in places. Merrill was truly a great Baritone and this recording is a must for anybody's collection.

Magnificent tribute to a truly great artist!.......2000-05-04

Excellent performances.......1999-12-13

Robert Merrill has for too long been written off as a bad actor with a good voice. What he really was was a bad actor with an EXCEPTIONALLY good voice, and these arias and songs prove it. And not only do these selections show off his wonderful, rich baritone, they also include some great songs and arias which aren't usually recorded. In particular, the "Invictus" of Bruno Huhn, the Toreador Song from Carmen, and the three spirituals are all either unknown or under-recorded, and all receive their due on this album. And, of course, Merrill's signature aria, "Largo al factotum," is wonderful. The only problem I have is with the sound quality of the album, but even that isn't as bad as it could be, and becomes less noticeable after listening to a couple tracks.

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Average customer rating:

Like a walk in the clouds!
It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge
Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more
Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard
Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | 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

Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000042EK
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voce ... Casta diva...Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce sua soave... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne... Come perme sereno... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux... Ah! je res

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

One customer calls this CD "simply the greatest recording of a coloratura soprano's art ever"--a kind of superlative and a level of enthusiasm that critics try to avoid. But looking through a century of recorded sound, not a single recording is a clearly better coloratura example. Joan Sutherland's voice is young, fresh, agile, superbly controlled, and rich in tone. To ask for more expressive power would be missing the point; that is not what this music is about. It is perfectly chosen to display the best qualities of Sutherland's voice at its peak. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Like a walk in the clouds!.......2004-07-13

What can one say about one of the greatest soprano recitals ever. Despite all her later achievements, this early recital is Sutherland's most significant contribution to operatic discography.

This recital is full of her huge but always sweet high notes. This is after all, what made them so special. When I listen to these high notes it's as if a bird is taking me on a trip to the sky. Her coloratura abilities are jaw dropping to say the least. You have no idea what a trill or staccato means if you haven't heard Joan singing! Everything here is stunning but my favourites are her Bell Song, Care compagne and The soldier Tir'd.

I've never been Sutherland's greatest fan due to her mushy enunciation, which fortunately is restricted to the minimum here but this early recital never stays far from my cd player! Indeed the art of a primadonna, Sutherland's art!

It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge.......2003-07-30

The recital by one Australian diva recorded in 1960 by a young and unknown soprano that has taken the world by storm. She not only became the most celebrated coloratura soprano the world had ever known, she became the most loved.
16 arias...the test of every coloratura skills known to mankind. Does she past, or fall short? You be the judge. I say she sings the most incredible recital ever recorded in the history of the grammophone. A gigantic claim. A claim that is substantuated by her singing.

Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more.......2003-07-30

Sutherland's first and finest moments in her reign as one of opera's most beloved sopranos. I need not say more. Her name and reputation speaks for itself. She is La Stupenda.

Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard.......2003-07-28

The best selling recital by a coloratura soprano ever released. That includes Callas. Now it's time to upgrade to this remaster of the most astonishing singing on record.
The old cd "Art of the Prima Donna" is of course, the last world for stupendous singing. But this is a remaster version of it. The flaws with the non remaster cd in nothing comparing to the sonic of this gem.
You will hear Sutherland as never heard before. IN full voice, an her dynamic range is finally capture on CD. Before when the soprano hits a D or E, the sound is not capture properly by Decca's engineer, her high notes are just too big and vibrant.. Here, you get to hear the real Sutherland, the engineers at decca allows you to hear La Stupenda as she really it. You hear the full Sutherland range, form low G to the F above high C. I have to recommend this. It is the last world in bel canto.

Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda.......2003-07-27

I adore this recital done by La Stupenda in 1960. It is a true feat of Bravura for Dame Joan Sutherland, and I am thrilled to death to have it on cd. I already have this on cassette
and lp, but this is my first Cd with Sutherland because I'm a starving artist. But it is superb, far more
luminous than the lp or the cassette. The sound is so life-like! Finally, a medium that allows the
Sutherland voice to be heard as it should be. Every aria is a tour de force of the highest caliber.

The most remarkable thing is the huge top. It is both enormous and has a brilliant vibrato. Funny
thing that as Sutherland ages, the high notes got smaller and smaller. But not here, this is Sutherland
at her best. I think if Birgit Nilsson had an E flat, that's what it would sound like, Wagnerian in size.
Almost every aria has an high E flat or E. Besides the high notes is the most true to form of a trill that
exist. An actual trill, not a tremolo like other divas.

I believe that when Donizetti and Bellini wrote for Pasta, Grisi, and Malibran, this is the kind of
soprano he had in mind when he wrote these near impossible arias. A true diva from the golden age.
Of course, the difference between these divas of the past and Sutherland is the enormous size of
Sutherland's instrument. Plus the fact that all those divas of Bellini's time transpose these arias down
one full step or more.

Sutherland doesn't do that. Even though she has a right to do so because the tones today are now
almost a full tone higher than they were in the 17th century, so a high C then is only a B flat today.
So an E flat today is much higher than an E flat in Donizetti's time. So all of Sutherland's E flats are
actually high Fs! Imagine that.

If there is a single cd I can have on a desert island, this would be it. This is, without a doubt, the
most taxing program that any prima donna has attempted in a single recital, every arias is a tour de
force, stretching the limits of the human voice in all but Sutherland. In fact, this seems easy for her -
it's effortless. I challedge anyone to find a coloratura today, or anyday, who can match up to La
Stupenda.

Tracks:

Lakme - Acte II: Air des clochettes : (Ou va la jeune indoue)
Le Rol malgre lul - Acte II: Chanson tzigane : 'Il est un vieux chant de Boheme'
L'eole des maris: Air du Feu : 'Arriere ! Je rechauffe les bons'
Le Pardan de Ploermel: Air : 'Ombre legere'
L'Ecole des maris - Acte II: 'O ciel, pardonne encore... De tout temps la gent masculine'
Hamlet - Acte IV: Scene de la folie : 'A vos jeux mes amis'
Medee: Premier Tableau - Air : 'Chers Corinthiens' - Creuse
Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Acte II: Chanson : 'Les oiseaux dans la charmille' - Olympia
Les Mamelles de Tlreslas - Acte I: Scene : 'Non, Monsieur mon mari' Therese
Mirillle - Acte I: Valse-ariette : 'O, legere hirondelle' - Mireille
Les Caprices de Marlanne - Acte I: Air : 'O, amour, mysterieux armour' - Marianne

Customer Reviews:

Delightful..........2006-06-08

The repertoire on this CD is amazing; it's not easy to find a CD with some of this arias, that are rarely found in recordings (like "O legere hirondelle"). Also, her singing is fantastic: her voice is light and clear, pure high notes and amazing runs. She's a great coloratura! And I believe that this is a great CD to have.

You want a French Coloratura? Buy Lily Pons instead.......2005-12-26

Natalie Dessay, while a true coloratura and nothing else but a coloratura, has incredible high notes (but not as incredible as Mady Mesple or Pons, those will stop your heart cold, they are so amazing) but lacks in middle range and her interpertation is rather non exsistent. I heard that is is a gifted actress but none of it reads in her recordings. Her tone is often grating and usually seems slightly forced. I prefer before my time singers such as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Medy Mesple (if you have not heard her, buy a cd NOW!) and of course, Lily Pons whose high notes are so effortless and breathtaking they don't even seem human. Natalie Dessay, sadly, does not impress me at all and frankly I don't understand why everyone is so enraptured with her. She's fine and yes, talented, but I'm just not feeling her singing. It just doesn't work for me. Wish she'd stop singing all the french, I get it, you're french but putting out like three french albums in a relatively short timeframe is kind of overkill.

Dessay Sparkles in Familiar and Rare French Opera Arias.......2004-05-15

Natalie Dessay is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive coloratura sopranos of this century. And there is no better way to experience her voice and artistry than to hear her singing in her native tongue. This CD presents Dessay in a refreshing presentation of arias from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, combining both well known music with some more modern rarities. The recital begins by presenting the soprano in music that fits her like a glove, "Où va la jeune indoue", the Bell Song from Delibes 'Lakmé'. It is a joy to hear Dessay creating a dreamy atmosphere, with full attention to the words and fearless in her attack of stacatti and high notes. She even sings the final high E in a crescendo. This Cd is high note feast, up to a sustained high A flat in "Ombre légère" from Meyerbeer's 'Le Pardon de Ploermel'. However, the stratopheric high notes are only part of the assets of Dessay. She is also willing to concentrate on character, something specially evident in the pieces from more modern operas. In "Arrière! Je réchaufe les bons" from Ravel's 'L'enfant et les sortilèges' her use of portamento makes this Fire commanding and menacing. Another delight is the feminist aria "No Monsieur mon mari" from 'Les Mammelles de Tirésias'by Poulenc she is a dynamo of energy and humor. Her Olympia and Ophélie are in the tradition of the great French coloratura sopranos like Pons, Robin and Mesplé. The CD ends beautifully with a sweet and poetic rendition of "O, amour, mystérieux amour", an unknown jewel from 'Les Caprices de Marianne' by Sauguet. This aria ends the recital in a high note both literally and metaphorically, with Dessay in a spectacular cadenza with pin point stacattos and a stunning high E than begins softly then goes louder until it goes again to pianissimo. The Orchestre Philarmonique de Monte-Carlo conducted by Patrick Fournillier complement Dessay's artistry beautifully. There are no weak point on this recital: these are sixty five minutes of pure joy.

Highly Enjoyable.......2003-06-04

To compare Dessay to Mado Robin or Erna Sack or Mady Mesple is simply ludicrous. She is in a different class. She can charachterise better than all of the above, she reaches all the notes with more ease, and she simply has the agility which none of those artists really have. Mesple was good for other things, but she wouldn't sing this repertoire, so please, spare us the gumph. Dessay is a fabulous artist, a light colloratura that travels with ease in the stratospheric heigths of the arias she performs. While there is not much on this disc of heartbreaking depth, it is very well sung. Occasionally the voice strikes one as a bit piercing, but generally there is more warmth than Sumi Jo, and less unsteadiness than Gruberova. I will not enter into a "spot-the-highest notes" contest, but enough to say the high(est) notes are all there. Light but highly enjoyable fare

I can't say enough!.......2001-08-11

Natalie Dessay is the coloratura of our generation! Her voice is extremely impressive. Every album she releases has the vocal fireworks that any music lover wants from their sopranos. This album features some of the world's most beautiful French music. Her "Doll Song" is so fun and full of laughter and of course the high notes. The other highlights for me are Meyerbeer's "Ombre legere" and the "Bell Song" from Lakme. No other coloratura performing today can measure up to the power and strength that Natalie has with those gorgeous notes. She may not warm your heart when down in her mid-range but when she climbs up you can't help but open your mouth and say, now that's a note! Pay close attention to the super high G at the end of "Ombre legere". Wow!

Meditation Music:

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Surprise

Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) / Harnoncourt

Wesendonk Lieder

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World of Music Sampler

We Will Become Like Birds

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XXX [Import]

Wild

Woman on the Mountain

World Keeps Turning [Explicit Lyrics]

Palacio De Pulgas

The Uncollected June Christy, Vol. 2: 1957