Gluck - Orphée et Eurydice (Berlioz version) / Podles, Farman, Callatay, Peire

Orfeo ed Euridice (Italian version), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 30
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
with Raphaelle Farman, Marie-Noelle de Callatay, Philippe Benoit, Ewa Podles, Brugense Collegium Instrumentale
Conducted by Patrick Peire

Gluck - Orphée et Eurydice (Berlioz version) / Podles, Farman, Callatay, Peire,Christoph Willibald Gluck,Patrick Peire,Ewa Podles,Raphaëlle Farman,Marie-Noëlle de Callatay,Forlane,Classical,Classical Music,German/Austrian Classical Period Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio,Opera/Operetta

Average customer rating:

Audio beauty and magnificence, Maria Callas
sublime
Good "Best Of"
The Very Best of Maria Callas
Classic Callas

The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century
The Most Famous Opera Arias
The Best of Italian Opera
The Most Famous Opera Duets
The #1 Opera Album

ASIN: B00005Y1YQ
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

Carmen: L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
La Wally: Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana
Samson Et Dalila: Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
Tosca: Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore
Andrea Chenier: La Mamma Morta
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Porgi Amor
Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Aida: Ritorna Vincitor!
Adriana Lecouvreur: Respiro Appena... Lo So L'Umile Ancella
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo
Norma: Casta Diva
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
Louise: Depuis Le Jour
La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi
La Gioconda: Suicidio
La Forza Del Destino: Pace, Pace Mio Dio!

Customer Reviews:

Audio beauty and magnificence, Maria Callas.......2007-03-31

There are moments on this recording that are virtually audio heaven.
Ms. Callas' voice goes beyond the normal concept of beauty.

sublime.......2007-02-14

she is an angel , a voice without parallel , a collection very interesting of arias from different masters.

Good "Best Of".......2007-02-09

Maira Callas was never a favorite of mine, but she is notable as a passionate, (but sometime shrill to my ears) performer. This collection is a good single record tribute to her operatic legacy.

The Very Best of Maria Callas.......2006-08-20

Second on my list for CDs that should be recommended for people who want to start on a long trail of Callas to the Carmen with Gedda and Prétre. This has perhaps the best excerpts of all time from Maria Callas. The 'Ritorna vincitor' and 'Una voce poco fa' are to be treasured. Any long-time Callas fan will find this CD of little to no interest, because anything they haven't heard before, there's a better, low-audio-quality version of somewhere. 4 stars for that reason.

Classic Callas.......2006-07-11

Countless assessments of Maria Callas' life and career, as well as re-issues of some of her definitive recorded performances have been fueled by the 25th anniversaary of her tragic and prophetic death alone in her Paris flat on September 16, 1977. One of those such discs, this 17 track retrospective compilation from the archives of EMI is among the best. Every character she portrays is bought to life by her incomparible ability both vocally and emotionally. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Collection of Songs
A Legend in all.....La Callas.
Excellent compilation of La Divina's arias
Some people have no business reviewing this
BELLA BELLA BELLA!

Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Maria Callas - La Divina
Maria Callas: The Legend
Puccini: Arias
The Most Famous Opera Duets

ASIN: B00000631B
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Norma: Casta Diva (Atto I): Norma
La Sonnambula: Compagne, teneri amici...Come per me sereno (Atto I): La Sonnambula
Il Barbieri Di Siviglia: Una Voce poco fa (Atto I): Il barbiere di Siviglia
Lucia di Lammermoor: Regnava nel silenzio...Quando, rapito in estasi (Atto I): Lucia di Siviglia
Rigoletto: Gualtier Mald...Caro Nome (Atto I): Rigoletto
La Traviata: E Strano!...Ah, Fors'e lui...Sempre libera (Atto I): La traviata
La Boheme: Si, Mi chiamo Mimi (Atto I): La boheme
La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci (Atto III) (Mimi's Farewell): La boheme
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel di Vedremo (Atto II): Madama Butterfly
TOSCA: Vissi D'arte (Atto II): tosca
Turandot: In questa reggia (Atto II): Turandot
La Wally: Ebben? ne andro lontana (Atto I): La Wally
Andrea Chenier: La mamma morta (Atto III): Andrea Chenier

Tracks:

Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice (Acte V)
Alceste: Divinites du Styx (Acte I)
Dinorah: Ombra leggiera (Atto II) (Shadow Song)
Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre (Acte I) (Waltz Song)
Faust: Les grand seigneurs...Ah! je ris (Acte III)
Lakme: Dov'e l'indiana bruna? (Atto II) (Bell Song)
Samson et Dalila: Printemps qui commence (Acte I)
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Acte II)
Les Pecheurs De Perles: Me voila seule...Comme autrefois (Acte II)
Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)(Acte I)
Carmen: Les tringles des sistre tintaient (Acte II)
Le Cid: De cet affreux combat...Pleurez mes yeux! (Acte III)
Manon: Je ne suis que faiblesse...Adieu, notre petite table (Acte II)
Louise: Depuis le jour (Acte III)

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Collection of Songs.......2006-07-15

I have listened samples of 5 Callas CDs before buying this one. This one has a very beautiful collection of songs on just 2 CDs. he sings with so much expression. Most the recordings are from the fifties and early sixties when her voice was very young and lovely. I'll try to get her on DVD so I can see her sing.

A Legend in all.....La Callas........2005-04-24

I would just like to refer to an article that was published by a German Newspaper in 1959, mentioned on the Callas Edition (CED:100342)
'...her voice is of unparalleled beauty, having an inimitable, completely own timbre of sopranos and altos...a performance of superior musical quality..a phenomenon amongst contemporary singers'
' ...One of the most spectacular Verdi arias, of Elizabeth from Don Carlo, and one, In Germany tottaly unknown, terrific scene from Bellini's opera Il Pirata were enough to enchant huge numers of television viewers, who can say at her next performance: 'we have seen La Callas''(Hamburg concert 1959)
'- from the contra-alt-f to the f - thats Callas' voice range, spanning over 37 half-tones. Callas herself has drawn the range of her voice. In her concert repertoire the contra-alt-f can be found in e.g. the aria from I Vespri Siciliani. In an aria from Rossini's opera Armida she reaches the 'F'. five half-tones above the high C. Normal voices couldnt possibly even whistle this high F. Though there are other singers, whose voices contain these three octaves - Erna Sack with her coloratura soprano, the lyrical singer Ema Berger and the dramatical singer Zinka Milanov from the New York Metropolitan Opera - simple fact is that the phenomenon Meneghini-Callas lies in her fabulous vocal versatility. She is a coloratura singer, drama-player and lyrist in one person - and an exceptionally talented ac-tress at that.'
Excuse from a journalist of the German Newspaper for the Diva :

Article Title : 'I am sorry!'

'I owe Maria Callas an apology. She is a unique vocal talent, a great artist. She is a primadonna. And she has her moods. Moods for which i ask her to forgive me. Because i misunderstood them - and many others too. That much i gathered from her latest television concert. Even in the flickering of the screen this woman's nervousness and enormous effort were visible.
La Callas is a fragile, rather shy person. Her moods are fear of failure. The moloch audience expects her to always go to any lenght, show the brilliance others just dont have. She is not allowed to get weak. Decent country singers are not decapitated for a false note. La Callas, on the other hand, is the identifying mark of the extraordinary. Even the slightest hint of a mistake would cost her her uniqueness, her stardom....a perverse triumph for all bathtube singers.
That explains her inhibitation to perform when she isnt well, her cancellations when she is not in the right mood. I understand them now. If she werent moody, she wouldnt be a primadonna, would not be La Callas.
Stars like her do not fit in our world of standards and programmed data. They pay dearly for their moods, have to put up fights and, undoubtedly, shed many a tear. So one more, my apologies, Maria Callas'
(Hans im Bild)
That's all folks!:D

Excellent compilation of La Divina's arias.......2005-03-21

This is one of the best compilations EMI has ever made for Maria Callas' arias. Each and every aria lets us listen to the best of her voice from each period of her career. An excellent collection!

Holly Mathews doesn't know how to appreciate art. Kathleen Battle and Renee Fleming themselves have admitted to the supremacy of Callas' singing over theirs, even if their voices seem more beautiful than La Divina. Why else would Callas be a legend and they wouldn't? They are equally good in their own right, but none of them would surpass the accuracy of La Divina's singing and phrasing. Holly Mathews' left side of the brain must be made of clay or foam, dead material that couldn't absorb any beauty.

Some people have no business reviewing this.......2005-01-25

My goodness, what is a non-musical person like Holly Mathews doing in this board? Do you know what other album she has reviewed? Hayley Westenra! And she's not even an opera singer! She obviously doesn't know her business! Disgraceful review! Ignore it! It obviously was not based on good judgement. I'm sure she is a pop fan who just likes tender music. Oh, her insulting language! What an ignorant Maria basher!

Anyway, this is an excellent compilation of SOME of Maria Callas' greatest arias. Although I do wish some arias like Pace Pace Mio Dio were included here, I do think it is a very good compilation all in all. Although she has many detractors, they still have to admit that Callas is the sheer embodiment of singing and drama. She was an actress...a panther on the stage. Listen to her La Mamma Morta and her Suicidio...those brought chills to my spine when I listened to them. Maria is the only singer in the history of opera besides the great Caruso-tenor Franco Corelli who touched me, moved me even. This is probably the reason why I love Maria Callas' music so much. If you want to hear Medea's anger and Norma's anguish and Butterfly's hopeful blindness, listen to Maria Callas. If you just want a golden voice, then go to Renata Tebaldi or Joan Sutherland. And don't even compare her with Charlotte Church or Hayley Westenra! The distaste of some people!

BELLA BELLA BELLA!.......2004-11-23

THIS WAS THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT FEATURING ANY OPERATIC SOPRANO. I WAS 15 AND WAS GIVEN MY VERY FIRST CLASSICAL PIECE "CARO MIO BEN" WHICH WAS NOT AN OPERA ARIA BUT DUE TOTHIS SONG I WAS SUDDENLY IN LOVE WITH OPERA. I HAD HEAR OF HER A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST BUT MY IDEA OF A GOOD SOPRANO AT THE TIME WAS SARAH BIRGHTMAN (YES I KNOW I KNOW!!!BUT I WAS YOUNG!)BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE HOW WRONG I WAS!! THIS CALLAS RECORDING HAD THE MOST PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME WHICH LED TO MY OBSESSION WITH MY OWN OPERATIC ASPIRATIONS. IT WAS STRANGE AS SHE DID NOT SOUND LIKE A FAT WOMAN SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF IN FULL BODY ARMOR. YES YES...I AND MANY MANY SAD AMERICANS HAVE THOUGH OF THIS WHEN GIVEN THE WORD OPERA. (NOW NOW, WE ALL FELT LIKE THAT AT SOME POINT) I NEVER REALIZED THAT THERE COULD BE SUCH PASSION. HER NORMA WAS IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN IT'S SIMPLICITY AND UNDERLINING STRENGTH. HER TAKE ON "COME OER ME SERENO" AND "UNA VOCE POCO FA" WERE SWEET AND APPROPRIATELY INNOCENT. HER BEL CANTO ROLES WHICH INCLUDED HER FANTASTIC LUCIA (ALTHOUGH LATER I WOULD PREFER SUTHERLAND) AND GILDA JUST THRILLED ME. I HAD NO IDEA SOMEONE COULD ACTUALLY SING THOSE PIECES! OF COURSE UP UNTIL THIS POINT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OPERA COULD SOUND LIKE THAT!! (SILLY ME!) I WAS SURPRISED TO REALIZED I KNEW THE ARIAS SHE SUNG FROM LA BOHEME, LA TRAVIATA, AND MADAME BUTTERFLY. THEY DIDN'T MAKE A HUGE IMPRESSION BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE FIREWORKS I WAS LOOKING FOR BUT I STILL FOUND THEM TO BE BEAUTIFUL. AFTER ALL OF THIS I LANDED ON CALLAS' TAKE OF TOSCA'S "VISSI D'ARTE". IT WAS AND HAS BEEN THE ONLY TIME I'VE BEEN SO MOVED BY A PERFORMER THAT I CRIED. IT WAS SO PURE BUT THE PAIN WAS SO EVIDENT THAT IT JUST CHILLED ME. I MUST HAVE LISTENED TO IT THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND STILL HAVE YET TO HEAR A MORE STIRRING RENDITION. DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING FIRST CD I MUST ADMIT I KIND OF IGNORED THE SECOND HALF. EVENTUALLY I DID GET TO IT AND FOUND WHAT I FELT WAS THE GREATEST SONG EVER WRITTEN. MY WHOLE BEING LIVED FOR LAKME'S BELL SONG. AFTER LISTENING TO HER I WAS CONVINCED THIS WOMAN WAS MAGICAL BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW SHE OR ANY HUMAN COULD SING LIKE THAT! HER SECOND DISC WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT WENT FROM WHITE HOT COLORATURA TO MEZZO? AAHHH BUT YES SHE WENT THERE. INTO THE INTENSITY OF SAMSON ET DELILA. I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL!!! OF COURSE I KNOW PREFER MARILYN HORNE TO CALLAS ON THOSE SONGS....BUT IT SHOWED ME THAT NOT EVERY SONG HAS TO BE HIGH TO BE BEAUTIFUL. I LOVED AND STILL DUE LOVE THIS COLLECTION....IN FACT I HAVE BOUGHT IT THREE TIMES AS MINE DETERIORATED QUICKLY 'CAS I PLAYED THEM SO MUCH! AND I'VE GIVEN THIS COLLECTION TO COUNTLESS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THIS IS THE BEST COLLECTION OF CALLAS' WORK AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE AND ANYONE! VIVA LA DIVA!

Gluck - Orphée & Eurydice (Berlioz version) / von Otter, Barbara Hendricks, Fournier, Gardiner

Average customer rating:

One of the top 10 opera recordings ever made
Gardiner's Excellent "Orphée & Eurydice"

Gluck - Orphée & Eurydice (Berlioz version) / von Otter, Barbara Hendricks, Fournier, Gardiner
Christoph Willibald Gluck , John Eliot Gardiner , Anne Sofie von Otter , Barbara Hendricks , and Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon Brigitte Fournier
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld / Burgess, Watson, etc (Highlights)
Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice
Monteverdi - L'Orfeo / Rolfe Johnson, Dawson, von Otter, Argenta, M. Nichols, Tomlinson, Chance, Baird; Gardiner
Haydn - L'anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice / Bartoli · Heilmann · D'Arcangelo · AAM · Hogwood
Gluck: Paride ed Elena

ASIN: B00002DETH
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

Ov - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner
Act I, Scene 1. Choeur: Ah! Dans Ce Bois Tranquille - Monteverdi Chor
Act I, Scene 1. Recit: Vos Plaintes, Vos Regrets - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 1: Pantomime - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner
Act I, Scene 1. Choeur: Ah! Dans Ce Bois Lugubre Et Sombre - Monteverdi Chor
Act I, Scene 1. Recit: Eloignez-Vous - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 1: Ritournelle - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner
Act I, Scene 2. Recit: Eurydice, Eurydice! Ombre Chere - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 2. Air: Objet De Mon Amour - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner
Act I, Scene 2. Recit: Eurydice, Eurydice, De Ce Doux Nom - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 2. Air: Accable De Regrets - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act I, Scene 2. Recit: Divinites De L'Acheron - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 3. Recit: L'Amour Vient Au Secours - Brigitte Fournier
Act I, Scene 3. Air: Si Les Doux Accords De Ma Lyre - Brigitte Fournier
Act I, Scene 3. Recit: Dieux! Je La Reverrais! - Anne Sophie Von Otter/Brigitte Fournier
Act I, Scene 3. Air: Soumis Au Silence - Brigitte Fournier
Act I, Scene 4. Recit: Qu'entend-je? Qu'a-t-il Dit? - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act I, Scene 4. Air: Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act II: Danse Des Furies - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act II: Choeur Des Furies: Quel Est L'audacieux? - Monteverdi Chor
Act II: Danse Des Furies - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act II: Choeur Des Furies (Reprise) - Monteverdi Chor
Act II: Air Avec Choeur: Laissez-vous Toucher Par Mes Pleurs - Monteverdi Chor
Act II: Air: La Tendresse Qui Me Presse - Anne Sophie Von Otter/Monteverdi Chor
Act II: Danse Des Furies - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O

Tracks:

Act II, Scene 1: Ballet Des Ombres Heureuses - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act II, Scene 1: Ballet - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act II, Scene 1. Air Avec Choeur: Cet Asile Aimable Et Tranquille - Barbara Hendricks/Monteverdi Chor
Act II, Scene 2. Air: Quel Nouveau Ciel Pour Ces Lieux - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act II, Scene 3. Choeur: Viens Dans Ce Sejour Paisible - Monteverdi Chor
Act II, Scene 3: Ballet - Orch De L'Opr De Lyon/John Eliot Gardiner O
Act II, Scene 3. Recit Avec Choeur: O Vous, Ombres Que J'implore - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act II, Scene 4. Choeur: Pres Du Tendre Objet - Monteverdi Chor
Act III, Scene 1. Recit; Viens, Viens, Suis-moi - Barbara Hendricks/Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 1. Duo: Viens, Suis Un Epoux Qui T'adore - Barbara Hendricks/Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 1. Recit: Mais D'ou Vient Qu'il Persiste A Garder Le Silence - Barbara Hendricks
Act III, Scene 1. Air: Fortune Ennemie, Quelle Barbarie - Barbara Hendricks
Act III, Scene 1. Recit: Quelle Epreuve Cruelle - Barbara Hendricks/Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 1. Air: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 1. Recit: Ah! Puisse Ma Douleur - Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 2. Recit: Arrete, Orphee! - Brigitte Fournier/Anne Sophie Von Otter
Act III, Scene 3. Trio: Tendre Amour! - Brigitte Fournier/Anne Sophie Von Otter/Barbara Hendricks
Act III, Scene 3. Choeur Final - Hymne De L'amour: Le Dieu De Paphos - Monteverdi Chor

Customer Reviews:

One of the top 10 opera recordings ever made.......2005-03-26

I am amazed that there is only one (albeit the rating is the same as mine) review for this recording. It is absolutely perfect both vocally and instrumentally. There is not a weak place anywhere. In her Act I aria, von Otter is astonishing and the blending of the voices in the Act II duets is superb. The energy is breathtaking and Gardiner's pace and direction is precise. A wholly satisfying work to listen to again and again

Gardiner's Excellent "Orphée & Eurydice".......2003-01-21

I'm a fifteen-year-old who's recently become an opera buff. Even though I generally prefer the likes of Puccini, Mozart, Bizet, and Offenbach to baroque opera, I've been listening to Gluck's "Orfeo/Orphée" a lot in the past year. Finding out that the movie "Moulin Rouge!" is loosely based on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth got me interested in it, and I've heard almost every major recording of it now. Thid one is one of the best. Anne Sofie von Otter's Orpheus is meltingly beautiful and passionately acted, her only flaw being that she sounds a little too feminine sometimes. Barbara Hendricks is a little breathy somethimes, but for the most part, her Eurydice is beautifully sung and appropriately intense. Brigitte Fournier is one of my favorite Amors. So many sopranos disappoint me in that role because they don't sound youthful enough, but that's not a problem with Fournier at all. The chorus is very good, and I love the energy of Gardiner's conducting. In short, this recording surpasses many of the others out there, and I'm very happy to have heard it.

Average customer rating:

a terrific compilation for beginners
"Classical heartbreakers" broke my heart
A Fantastic Compilation

Classical Heartbreakers

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Voice of the Violin

ASIN: B0000B09Z9
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 - Andre Previn
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - Sir Simon Rattle
O Mio Babbino Caro - London Symphony Orchestra
Viola Da Bamba Sonata In G Minor - Ton Koopman
Beim Schlafengehen - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Schindler's List Theme - Tasmin Little
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
Symphony No. 5 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Philharmonia Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata - Dame Moura Lympany
Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor - Yehudi Menuhin
E Lucevan Le Stelle - Georges Pretre
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor - Maria Tipo
Adagio For Strings - Philadelphia Orchestra
Cello Concerto - English Chamber Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F - English Chamber Orchestra
Va Pensiero - Bernard Haitink

Tracks:

Adagio In G Minor - Sir Neville Marriner
The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise - Michael Nyman
Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra
Goldberg Variations - Maria Tipo
Barcarolle - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Piano Concerto No. 2 - Sir Simon Rattle
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Vissi D'art - Maria Callas
Cavatina - Manuel Barrueco & Steve Morse
String Quintet In C - Laszlo Varga
J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice - John Eliot Gardiner
Etude In E 'Tristesse' - John Ogdon
Addio Del Passato - London Symphony Orchestra
Double Violin Concerto - Bath Festival Orchestra
Queen Symphony - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Garrick Ohlsson
In Paradisum - English Chamber Orchestra
My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra
Rhapsody In Blue - Andre Previn

Customer Reviews:

a terrific compilation for beginners.......2006-02-07

I agree with P. Grupe-for classical music lovers, it is a let down to listen to cut tracks of well-performed classical greats, like Chopin's 1st piano concerto in this collection. Nonetheless, this is a terrific compilation for people beginning to get interested in classical music. This compilation is an eclectic mix of the familiar (Beethoven's moonlight sonata, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini variation no. 18, Myer's Cavatina, Barber's "Adagio for Strings, etc.), the contemporary (Michael Nyman's The Promise, Horner's My Heart Will Go On), and the truly moving (Bach's Double Violin Concerto, Bruch's Violin Concerto, Schubert's String Quintet in C)-relatively obscure pieces usually left out in less inspired and mediocre classical music compilations. It is gratifying to see that opera music has not been left out. Get this cd if only for the Maria Callas tracks, Lucia Popp's performance of Strauss' Beim Schlafengehen, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's Addio del passato.

"Classical heartbreakers" broke my heart.......2004-06-27

I am an avid listener of classical music, and I purchased this CD expecting to get some of the best classical music ever composed. I guess I expected a bit much though. Although the recording is filled with high quality performances of fantastic pieces, I was disappointed to find that only about half of the pieces are contained in their entirety on this 2-disc set. Songs such as Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata were not recorded in full for this album, which caught me off guard and bothered me quite a bit.

Anybody who is unfamiliar with classical music will appreciate this album. Since it features some of the most moving classical pieces ever written, it is sure to entrance listeners. And by not placing entire 10-minute pieces on the CDs, it will not run on and bore those unaccustomed to the length of most classical music. However, if you are already well-versed in classical music and can listen to entire symphonies with ease, I would advise against buying this album. I now feel a desire to go out again and find the full versions of some of these pieces, since I feel I was cheated by only getting introductions or short movements on most of the album. Guess I should have paid a little more attention to what I was buying.

A Fantastic Compilation.......2004-05-01

Most of the musical pieces in this compilation are from versions as they appear in various movies. This is Classical music from classic movies such as: Somewhere in Time, Schindler's List, English Patient, The Piano, Platoon, et al. But make no mistake; the music is what's really worth mentioning here.

The title says it all. It claims to have "the most moving Classical music of all time," and they certainly have a case, as it is chock full of the kind of emotional pieces that can easily bring you to tears. This double CD compilation with 37 passionately beautiful pieces is a steal at $16.99.

If you've ever recorded your favorite songs on to tape, or burned them on to a CD, you'll see that this compilation is exactly what EMI Records has done. It is like a greatest hits, volume 1, of poignant Classical music. Almost all of the musical pieces are classic favorites, though there are a few contemporary ones also.

I found the music on this CD powerful and moving as advertised, and I think that Classical music fans should truly enjoy it. It is well worth the price it's being sold for, and I highly recommend it.

Since there is some missing information as to who the composers and artists are, here they are:

Disk 1

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: I. Allegro Non Troppo E Mol; Andre Previn; Horacio Gutierrez; The London Symphony Orchestra

Mascagni - Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana) {Raging Bull}; Riccardo Muti; The Philharmonia Orchestra

Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini - Variation #18 {Somewhere in Time}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) {A Room with a View};
Montserrat Caballe; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras

Bach - Viola da Gamba Sonata in G Minor BWV1029 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Truly, Madly, Deeply}; Jordi Savall; Ton Koopman

Richard Strauss - Beim Schlafengehen (Vier Letzte Lieder) {The Hours}; Klaus Tennstedt; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Lucia Popp

Williams - Schindler's List (Theme) {Schlinder's List}; Iain Sutherland; New World Philharmonic; Tasmin Little

Debussy - Clair de Lune {Frankie and Johnnie}; Dame Moura Lympany

Mahler - Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor: IV. Adagietto (Conclusion) {Death in Venice}; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli

Catalani - Ebben? Ne Andrò Lontana (La Wally) {Diva}; Maria Callas; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Tullio Serafin

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27/2 - I. Adagio S; Dame Moura Lympany

Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor - II. Adagio (Opening) Sir Yehudi Menuhin; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Walter Susskind

Puccini - E Lucevan le Stelle (Tosca) {The Man Who Cried}; Carlo Bergonzi; Georges Pretre; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Chopin - Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth {The Pianist}; Maria Tipo

Barber - Adagio for Strings {Platoon} Eugene Ormandy; Philadelphia Orchestra

Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 - I. Adagio - Moderato (Opening) {Hilary and Jackie}; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Norman Del Mar; Robert Cohen

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Op.102 - II. Andante Dmitri Alexeev; English Chamber Orchestra; Jerzy Maksymiuk

Verdi - Va, Pensiero (Chorus of Hebrew Slaves) (Nabucco) {The Godfather, Pt. 3}; Bernard Haitink; Covent Garden Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Disk 2

Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor (Realised Giazotto) [Extract] {Gallipoli}; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Sir Neville Marriner

Nyman - Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise {The Piano}; Unknown artist

Quarantotto & Sartori - Time to Say Goodbye; David Abel

J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations - Aria {The English Patient}; Maria Tipo

Offenbach - Barcarolle (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) {Life Is Beautiful}; Choeurs Rene Ducios; Clu; Elisabeth Schwartskopf; Jeannine Collard; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor - II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) {Brief Encounter}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Elgar - Nimrod ("Enigma" Variations) {Elizabeth}; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Adrian Boult

Puccini - Vissi d'Arte (Tosca); Georges Pretre; Maria Callas; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Myers - Cavatina {The Deer Hunter}; Manuel Barrueco; Steve Morse

Schubert - String Quintet in C D956 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Carrington}; Hungarian Quartet; Laszlo Varga

Gluck - J'Ai Perdu Mon Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice); Anne Sofie Von Otter; John Eliot Gardiner; Orchestre De L'Opera De Lyon

Chopin - Étude in E "Tristesse" Op.10/3; John Ogden

Verdi - Attendo, Attendo...Addio del Passato (La Traviata); Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; Myung-Whun Chung; The London Symphony Orchestra

Bach - Double Violin Concerto in D Minor BWV 1043 - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto {Children of a Lesser God}; Bath Festial Orchestra; Christian Ferras; Sir Yehudi Menuhin

Kashif - Queen Symphony - III. Adagio {Who Wants to Live Forever - Save Me}; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Tolga Kashif

Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor - II. Romance (Larghetto) (Opening) {The Truman Show}; Garrick Ohlsson; Jerzy Maksymiuk; Polish National Symphony Orchestra

Faure - In Paradisum (Requiem) {The Thin Red Line}; Cambridge Choir of Kings Choir; English Chamber Orchestra; Stephen Cleobury

Horner - My Heart Will Go On {Titanic}; David Abel

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Conclusion) {Manhattan}; Andre Previn; The London Symphony Orchestra

La Divina 2
Average customer rating:

Operatic icon. Performer against which others are measured.

La Divina set the stage

The queen of opera

Essential!

The entire La Divina series is AMAZING!

La Divina 2

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 Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Thomas | Thomas, Ambroise | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | 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
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Bellini, Vincenzo | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Charpentier, Gustave | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Donizetti, Gaetano | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Gluck, Christoph W. | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Cilea, Francesco | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Saint-Saens, Camille | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Thomas, Ambroise | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Maria Callas - La Divina

Maria Callas: La Divina 3

Maria Callas: The Legend

The Very Best Of Maria Callas

The Passion of Callas

ASIN: B000002RTT
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Alceste: Divinites du Styx Acte 1
Carmen: Les tringles des sistres tintaient Acte ll
Ernani: Surta e la notte......Ernani! Ernani, involami Atto l
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide Atto ll
Aida: Ritorna vincitor Atto l
Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice Acte lV
I vespri siciliana: Bolero: Merce, dilette amiche Atto V
Louise: Depuis le jour Acte lll
La Boheme: Donde lieta usci Atto lll
Mignon: Ah, pour ce soir...Je suis Titania Acte ll
La Traviata: Teneste la promessa...Addio, del passato Atto lll
Don Carlo: O don fatale Atto lll
Samson et Dalila: Printemps qui commence Acte l
La Sonnambula: Compagne, teneri amici...Come per me sereno Atto l
Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco: respiro appena...Io son 'lumile ancella Atto l
Lucia di Lammermoor: Spargi d'amaro pianto Atto lll

Customer Reviews:

Operatic icon. Performer against which others are measured........2007-05-26

Maria Callas may be the only female operatic 'superstar' working in my lifetime. In the 1950s and early 1960's, she had all the star power and paparrazi draw of Jackie and Marilyn, far outstripping the fame to the world at large of her primary rival, Renita Tibaldi. I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur at evaluating operatic sopranos; however I've listened to several of the modern crop, and while the newbies probably do a better job of keeping on key, none of them can match the drama emoted by Ms. Callas on any given aria. All three releases are especially good buys, as they all run to over 72 minutes; however the recording quality does show its early (pre-multitrack, pre-digital) recording technology. Each is as good as the next regarding content, but 2 and 3 are a bit better in sound quality.

La Divina set the stage.......2007-01-05

Maria Callas, as I understand it (I'm not a music expert), helped create a new interest in the bel canto tradition of Donizetti and Bellini at mid-twentieth century. This album represents those composers, plus many others as well.

Callas' range in choice of operatic material is great indeed. Selections on this CD run from Gluck to Donizetti to Bizet and Puccini. Her voice, uneven on occasion, does not define her importance. As noted, she helped spark a renewed interest in bel canto works. The irony is that she did not have great coloratura skills. In the selection from Lucia di Lammermoor, a trill is scarcely heard. Think a few years later, to Joan Sutherland, later still to Beverly Sills, and more recently to sopranos such as Angela Gheorghiu. They all have much better technique, trill well, and exhibit much more agile coloratura singing. But Callas was an important predecessor.

More important than technique is the passion that many heard in her voice and her presence on stage. This is a good introduction to the range of Callas' repertoire and a reminder of this fiery singer from decades ago.

The queen of opera.......2004-05-16

Absolutely beautiful! Divine is the only word to do her justice! Viva La Divina, BRAVISSIMA!

Essential!.......2004-04-04

All three La Divina Albums are essential indeed! I bought them all and enjoy them! A very beautiful, dramatic voice!

The entire La Divina series is AMAZING!.......2004-02-26

I bought all three La Divina Releases and they're all splendid. Brilliant, for Callas and beyond!

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection
Extremely competent but not a permanent addition
An album that is very dear to my heart
Bland & Sleepy
Another American Singer That Shines

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Susan Graham , Harry Bicket , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été
Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn)
Susan Graham at Carnegie Hall
Artist Portrait: Susan Graham
Poèmes de l'Amour

ASIN: B000056BEZ
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Paride Ed Elena: Oh, Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio
La Clemenza Di Tito: Parto, Ma Tu, Ben Mio
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Je N'espere Plus... O Toi Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours
Iphigenie En Tauride: O Malheureuse Iphigenie!
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Ect Affreux Devoir... Je T'implore Et Je Tremble
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
La Clemenza Di Tito: Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo
Orphee Et Eurydice: Qu'entends-je? Qu'a-t-il Dit?... Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame
Idomeneo: Non Ho Colpa
Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Lucio Silla: Dunque Sperar Poss'io... Il Tenero Momento

Amazon.com

The "tender moment" of this collection's title comes from a stunning scene in an opera Mozart wrote as a teenager, Lucio Silla. It refers to the heightening of sensitivity and expectation that love, above all else, instills. But the Mozart example (with which the album ends) might also be taken as a metonym for the way in which the most powerful emotions, including love in all its guises, from ardor to lament, can intensify the moment. It's a process that opera itself tries to replicate through the wonderful alchemy of music, text, and character. In her second recording for Erato (following the extraordinary Ned Rorem anthology), American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham focuses on the "tender moment" as depicted by Mozart and Gluck. These two masters of opera aren't often paired, though each in his highly distinct, individual way insisted on elevating the genre beyond the level of frivolous entertainment and display that the century they shared found so tempting. Graham's program of six scenes from each suggests some striking moments of common ground in terms of the larger classical aesthetic, though the success of the whole enterprise is mixed. Certainly, Graham makes a case for the radiant beauty of Mozart's opera seria writing (her own operatic debut was in Lucio Silla), which still tends to be undervalued--as though it were simply a case of the composer being enchained by excessive genre "conventions." There's a magical balance between form and content, substance and decoration in "Parto" from La Clemenza di Tito (notable enough for Antony Pay's melting basset clarinet obbligato), and in the lengthiest selection (the last one, from Lucio Silla), though Graham here exposes the instability of her lowest register.

But to whatever extent Mozart and Gluck might intersect in sensibility, the latter conjures a remarkably different universe when he depicts love's loss and abandon. Somehow the scenes from Iphigénie and, especially, Orphée et Eurydice (in its French version here) don't register as stylistically different enough and they lack that strange, altogether Gluckian combination of objective purity with emotional extremity. And as Mozart's adolescent Cherubino, the kind of intensity that Graham conveys so convincingly on stage comes across a tad too contrived. On disc alone, not all of the selections can capture the spell Graham typically casts in live performance through her combination of singing, "emotional intelligence," and stage presence. Still, it's an intelligent program, and Graham has proved to be a winning exponent of period performance style (as in 2000's superb Alicina). The match here with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a happy one. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection.......2007-01-10

This is one of the best vocal CDs released in the last several years. If you don't know Susan Graham's gift, this CD is the best introduction. I'd also recommend it if you're not especially an opera fan, but are interested in a very listenable introduction to top-notch singing. I've listened to this over and over, and have not filed the CD away for months.

The balance of material between Gluck and Mozart works surprisingly well. Graham eschews the showy and flashy, yet sings with extraordinary power and passion. The accompaniment is excellent, never getting in the way. The recording is almost perfect.

In short, a pleasurable CD that will improve the quality of your life.

Extremely competent but not a permanent addition.......2004-12-16

Very well-focalized, and an evenly produced sound (granted, there is no special color, nor low register) --- but the problem is the anonymous quality of the interpretations. If you want to truly understand Iphigenie's predicament in her aria 'O malheureuse Iphigenie', seek Janet Baker. Not a generalized torment beautifully sounded -- but a moment of tormented grandeur.

An album that is very dear to my heart.......2002-07-22

First my Dad dies unexpectedly and the September 11th attack happens two weeks later. A very unhappy and distressing time in my life. I spent much of this time alone at my parent's home sitting in their big garden on Sunday afternoons listening to this CD and drinking some wine. It helped me make sense of the world around me and my own world at the time - beauty and truth continue to exist even after the worst happenings. "Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!" perfectly reflected my feelings at the time.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is fabulous, expressive and colourful - you'd never want to hear this music on modern instruments again after hearing them! Susan Graham's voice is expressive and has much pathos - without ever becoming melodramatic.
The repertoire is well selected and there is a very tasteful blend of known and less well known arias. I hope that Ms Graham makes another CD with the OAE again soon! I could stand another disc like this one!

This disc is also the perfect disc to buy with the Cecilia Bartoli Gluck disc. Ms Bartoli tackles Gluck's earlier opera seria arias - while Ms Graham mainly delves into the later reform opera arias - as well as some Mozart. I cherish both discs.

Please consider this CD for your collection.

Bland & Sleepy.......2002-01-02

I enjoy Susan Graham in performance and on CD (her Ned Rorem CD is excellent). This time I was disappointed by the bland and nearly featureless impression this left me with. It is pablum start to finish to my ears. And too...her weak lower register is exposed unflatteringly in this repertoire.

For a study in opposites, try Ewa Podles in the same repertoire and buckle yourself in for the ride.

Another American Singer That Shines.......2001-12-23

Susan Graham has wondeful mezzo voice and she has choosen a repertoire that suits it to a tee. Her creamy and pure tone illuminate the Gluck and Mozart arias in a such beautiful way. If you enjoy this you may want to try her recording of the Berlioz les Nuits d'ete, another group of songs that suit her voice so well. Ms. Graham represents along with Renee Fleming and Ruth Ann Swenson the best of the new American opera singers.

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Average customer rating:

True genius
Well, very cool collection
Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings
Wow
Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky...

The First Recordings of Ginette Neveu; The Complete Recordings of Josef Hassid

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | 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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Ginette Neveu Plays Brahms
The Art of Violin
Ginette Neveu
The Art of Ivry Gitlis
Complete Recordings/1912 Recordings

ASIN: B000003XHT
Release Date: 1993-10-27

Tracks:

Grave in c - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.3 (Uno Poco Triste) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.2 (Appassionata) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Nocturne No.20 in c#, Op. Posth. - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Orfeo Ed Euridice: 'Melodie' - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Sicilienne - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Vars On A Theme Of Corelli - Ginette Neveu/Gustaf Beck
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Melodie (Souvenir D'Un Lieu Cher), Op.42 No.3 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Thais, Act 2: 'Meditation' - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Humoreske, Op.101 No.7 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Playera, Op.23 No.1 (Danzas Espanolas No.5) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Zapateado, Op.23 No.2 (Danzas Espanolas No.6) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Caprice Viennois, Op.2 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Ivor Newton

Customer Reviews:

True genius.......2006-04-18

The number of stars won't say anything about Hassid's playing. His heritage consists of these few tracks but those 8 pieces stand as a reference and the Beauty that speaks through his violin, is the size of Universe.
Words are powerless to describe what makes Hassid's voice so speaking, so organic, so effortless and so true. The violin speaks with such simplicity that it touches deeply. At this point, virtuosity does not describe Hassid's art. There is not an inflection of the bow that is meaningless or just a filler. Everything is meaningful, natural and intelligent. "La Capricieuse" under Hassid's fingers becomes as important as a major concerto. These pieces are a must hear for anyone who really wants to understand the essence of what music is all about. Measuring anyone else with the Hassid yardstick offers you the best chance to spot true musicians...
Five thousand stars to you, Josef!

Well, very cool collection.......2006-03-10

Amazing that Ginette Neveu is mentioned only casually in all of the reviews below. She DID beat David Oistrakh, the "king of violinists" at the Wieniawski violin competition. Her playing is of the top caliber.

In any case, this disk is interesting as both a historical artifact and as a wonderful recording. It is a good sampling of Hassid's lush playing, but doesn't begin to cover Nevau's carrer. You can get her recordings elsewhere.

Another brilliant violinist who died young, Michael Rabin.

Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings.......2005-11-20

I have grown up listening to many, many violinists, but was never exposed to Josef Hassid until a few months ago, after watching the "Great Violinists of the 20th Century," a documentary. Hassid was mentioned briefly in the section of the film devoted to child prodigies--a short clip of Achron's Hebrew Melody (which is on this cd) played in the background as a black and white photograph of Hassid slowly faded out. The Melody was so haunting, tragic, and passionate it convinced me to look into this young violinist who died from a brain operation in an asylum.
I was not disappointed. Hassid's only recordings here are beautiful beyond words, and nearly perfect--the Humoresque is enough to bring tears to your eyes, while the Kreisler pieces are played with empathy and a suave sort of urgency; the Tchaikovsky piece is gorgeous--Hassid sings with the violin like no one I have ever heard. The dynamics and rubato of his interpretations are so natural and emotional it is almost hard to believe he was 16 years old when this recording was made. Personally, Josef Hassid is my favorite violinist of all time, and this includes Perlman, Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh and anyone else. I base this opinion on these 8 or so tracks.
Neveu, another tragedy, is good as well, although her playing is not of as high a quality as Hassid's. Some of the repetoire presented is, however, very interesting (for instance, the Chopin transcription). But this cd is more a beautiful and tragic testiment to a brilliantly gifted young man, whose name, if things had been different, we might have recognized as easily as Heifetz or Perlman.

Wow.......2004-11-07

Hassid plays like an angel- what a awful shame he didn't live longer. These recordings made when he was a teenager reveal an extraordinary artist. His tone is out of this world, and he plays with such pure style and sincerity. Neveu's playing is also excellent. Buy this CD.

Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky..........2002-01-29

Spectacular playing, only second to the vastly under-rated Tossy Spivakovsky, especially playing Sibelius' Violin Concerto.

Average customer rating:

Great Voice
Florez shines in enticing variety, versatility of repertoire
Third album by Florez
Florez in another dazzling disc!
Muy bien cantado...Pero falta algo

Great Tenor Arias

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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
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Juan Diego Florez ~ Rossini Arias
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Sentimiento Latino
Sentimiento Latino
Rossini - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia / Juan Diego Florez, Maria Bayo, Pietro Spagnoli, Ruggero Raimondi, Bruno Pratico, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Madrid Opera

ASIN: B0002K6ZWU
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

J'ai Perdu Mon Euridice
Pietoso Al Lungo PiantoAlfin M'arride Amore...Deh! Lasciate A Un'Alma Amante
La Speranza Piu Soave Gia Quest'Alma Lusingava
Eccomi Finalmente...Feste? Pompe? Omaggi? Onori?
Loin De Son Amie Vivre Sans Plaisirs
Languir Per Una Bella
La Donna E Mobile
Pria Che Spunti In Ciel L'aurora
Com'e Soave Quest'Ora Di Silenzio Al Mio Dolente Cor... Anch'io Provai Le Tenere Smanie D'un Puro Amore
Avete Torto!...Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito

Amazon.com

Here the remarkable young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez not only offers us what we've become accustomed to---gorgeous, graceful singing of very difficult bel canto gems (in this case, high-flying, virtuosic arias from Rossini's Semiramide and L'Italiana in Algeri. He also ventures into unknown waters. He sings an aria added by Donizetti for an Italian production of The Daughter of the Regiment ("La figlia" rather than the usual "La fille") which turns out to be just right for his voice, and he charms with his crisp diction and youthful approach. Paolino's aria from Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto is a substantial piece of bel canto writing, with some nice coloratura fireworks near the end which Florez sails through with ease, and Rinuccio's ditty from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi---perhaps the most heavily orchestrated piece he's sung and stylistically the opposite of anything else on the CD---is also tossed off with true élan. On the other hand, Florez has a lot to learn about the Gluckian style, judging from his Romantic approach to Orphée's aria, and his French could use some brushing up if he's going to sing anything from Halévy's La Juive, although the vocal hurdles that the composer put in the tenor's way do not seem to bother him at all. A surprising disappointment is "La donna e mobile," which is over-sung and charm free. But can any tenor around be expected to sing all of these (and a few others, too) perfectly? Florez remains a true delight, his sound beautiful, his production easy from top to bottom. Despite reservations, highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Great Voice.......2007-05-13

This young tenor is a worthy successor to Carreras, he will be a superb singer.

Florez shines in enticing variety, versatility of repertoire.......2005-03-14

An altogether delightful disc. The arias on here that do not require heavy pryotechnics are delightful and reveal a very pleasant insouciance of tone and character that are very fitting, only very intermittently offset by a slight hardness of tone on top. The aria from Semiramide and cabaletta to the charming Cimarosa aria serve up the fireworks, so common on the first disc and perhaps the one that followed it, for those listeners who are attracted to this disc by having heard especially the first and highly brilliant all-Rossini outing. Rossini is also well represented here by a charming romanza and lively cabaletta from Italiana in Algeri.

Several rarities are included, unlike with the above, and he makes something very charming and inviting of the selection from Verdi's Un giorno di regno (Verdi's rarely performed comedic second opera). The alternate Italian aria from Fille du regiment is a welcome supplement to his having recorded the more famous aria for Tony on his second recital disc. The aria from Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia (an easy equal to Lucia in inspiration) is also a highlight, Florez's insouciance of manner here particularly telling, as it has fatal consequences for his character and all this character's buddies in this opera. Eleazar's aria, or one of them, from Halevy's La Juive reveals the possibility of a little greater reach into repertoire that approaches the dramatic for this tenor - but one senses as well that he will and can, should take his time getting there. The tribute to Firenze from Gianni Schicchi at or toward the end of this recital is compelling enough to convince the most hardened travel cynic buying this disc to call the airlines/hotels, inns to book for there right away. The "Che faro" from Orfeo (but sung in French) is an ideal vehicle from which Florez can deliver such a sublime and heartfelt lament, as heard here, albeit a bit too closely recorded.

Carlo Rizzi, not always dependable, gives fine accompaniments here. The engineering does place the voice just a bit too forward, however, yet ironically a voice that has developed full body and better evenness than when his first all-Rossini disc was recorded (yet still certainly too early to tackle the part of Eleazer on stage as of yet), erasing any concerns I may have had at that time. For some readers, any problem with the sound quality here might demote this outing to four stars, but taking the singing, the interesting repertoire chosen for this disc, and the fine, deft accompaniments from Rizzi and the Verdi orchestra from Milan (some alternate band to Muti's peerless one at La Scala? - the endless nature of so much politics in music), have me sticking with five, and with a mind about several other vocal recital discs that have been getting rated too highly on this website.

Ditto. Just received credible correction from Vince Chau of one piece of misinformation I submitted here. The aria that Florez sings from La Juive belongs to the second tenor part of Leopold, not that of Eleazar. While I am on the subject of corrections of my reviews, he also had said that I had incorrectly challenged Gheorghiu's Laggiu nel Soledad for having ended on a high C. Not having been so graphic as that in how I describe what happened there, I had led him to believe and perhaps a few others that I was saying there was no high C in the aria at all, so I have just taken pains to fully explain the situation on the new Gheorghiu Puccini recital by thereby editing my review of it. I would not trade Gina Cigna's ONLY high C TOWARD the end of Laggiu nel Soledad for all the gold in Fort Knox, or Nilsson's or Tebaldi's ...

Third album by Florez.......2005-01-01

This, the young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez' third album, includes more of the bel canto repertory with which he has risen to international fame. Hearing Lindoro's scene from L'Italiana in Algeri, to cite one example, will make the first-time listener realize why. The tenor's firm, even tone, agility in coloratura and secure high notes--all the way up to a solid high D in one selection--are still sources of wonder.

"Great Tenor Arias" also includes forays into other areas of the repertory, from operas which Florez has not yet sung and may never sing on stage. Indeed, one hopes that no one talks him into trying Verdi's Duke of Mantua any time soon--his rendition of "La Donna e Mobile" is solid, if a bit lacking in charm, but the entire role would surely overtax his vocal resources. Puccini's Rinuccio, from the evidence of Florez' take on the aria from Gianni Schicchi that concludes this somewhat short (less than an hour of music) CD, would be a more comfortable fit, but he is already too much of a marquee name to take on what is basically a supporting role.

If this CD as a whole leaves a slightly unsatisfying impression, it is because the experiments by Florez remain just that--vocal explorations rather than performances undertaken out of deep dramatic or musical conviction. In addition, some of the more obscure music, Cimarosa and early Verdi in particular, is not of the highest quality, and here Florez' comparative inability to characterize vocally becomes a liability. All in all, despite the outstanding singing, a newcomer to this tenor's art would probably be better served by starting with one of his two earlier albums, the first of Rossini, the second Bellini/Donizetti.

Florez in another dazzling disc!.......2004-11-25

Juan Diego Florez is definitely on a spin and that well-deserved
journey is the product of fine training, excellent coaching, and a keen sense of pacing in a career that tends to push the gifted ones too quickly. Though Florez' crowning gifts are in the bel canto repertoire, with this recording he just starts there and pushes into the range of more lyrical arias, and to these ears he succeeds in demonstrating how special is this beautiful voice.

Even the decision about lineup of arias on this fine recording is intelligent: Florez moves from Gluck, Cimarosa and Rossini into Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini with great ease. Here is a tenor who can belt out the high notes to please the balcony but who is equally sensitive to the diminuendos and barely audible phrases that mark the true artist.

Dashingly handsome, and physically as well as vocally a fine actor on stage, this CD simply further demonstrates that Juan Diego Florez is one of the brightest tenors before us today. It is interesting to see how many Latin American tenors are suddenly becoming so important - Villazon, Calleja, Alvarez, Florez, etc. Refreshing! GRady Harp, November 2004.

Muy bien cantado...Pero falta algo.......2004-11-07

JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ es sin duda alguna el mejor tenor de la actualidad en su repertorio (Rossini y ciertos roles belcantistas) y sus trabajos discograficos siempre consiguen los mas fervientes aplausos. Yo mismo, ya elogie en su dia aqui sus dos registros anteriores en solitario con este mismo sello.
Pero ahora, en este tercer trabajo, la magia no se produce de igual manera que las veces anteriores: la voz sigue estando ahi, bellisima y con un alarde de agudos bastante importante...Pero el repertorio no es el mas adecuado a la vocalidad de Florez, por lo que le ofrece escasas posibilidades de lucimiento. Un repertorio como este, en la voz de un tenor desconocido que comienza pudo haber sido interesante, pero en la voz de un tenor ya consagrado como es Florez, deja una sensacion de vacio bastante grave. Habra que esperar al cuarto (ya se anuncian "Canciones latinoamericanas" en lo que puede ser un interesante cambio de registrio) para ver si se vuelve a producir la magia.
CARLO RIZZI y la orquesta rinden a un buen nivel, mucho mayor que la orquesta y el director del disco anterior de Florez.

The Ultimate Aria Collection ~ A Passion for Opera

Average customer rating:

OPERA HEAVEN
Incredibly Beautiful . . .
Ultimate Aria
Ultimate indeed

The Ultimate Aria Collection ~ A Passion for Opera
Georges Bizet , Giuseppe Verdi , Giacomo Puccini , Gaetano Donizetti , Ruggero Leoncavallo , Gioachino Rossini , Gustave Charpentier , Leo Delibes , Vincenzo Bellini , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Pietro Mascagni , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Francesco Cilea , Edouard Lalo , Camille Saint-Saens , Arrigo Boito , George Frideric Handel , Alfredo Catalani , Amilcare Ponchielli , Charles Gounod , Jules Massenet , Ambroise Thomas , Fritz Wunderlich , Rome Opera Theater Orchestra & Chorus , Maria Callas , Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala , Wiener Philharmoniker , Orchestre de Paris , Carlo Maria Giulini , Tullio Serafin , Sir Charles Mackerras , Francesco Molinari-Pradelli , Riccardo Muti , and Leone Magiera
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Most Famous Opera Arias
The Most Famous Opera Duets
Aria II: A Passion for Opera
Aria: A Passion for Opera
Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments

ASIN: B000009OQL
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

Carmen: Quand je vous aimerai? ...L'amour (Habanera)
I Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti la giubba
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Nabucco: Va pensiero (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Rigoletto: La dona e mobile
The Barber Of Seville: Largo al factotum
Louise: Depuis le jour
Lakme: Flower Duet
Turandot: Nessun dorma
Norma: Casta diva
Gianni Schicchi: A vete torto!
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
La rondine: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira

Tracks:

L'Elisir d'Amore: Quanto e bella, quanto e cara!
Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
La Boheme: Si, mi chimano Mimi
La Traviata: Di Provenza il mar
L'amico Fritz: O amore, o bella luce del core
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco, respiro appena...lo son l'umile ancella
Le Roi d'Ys: Puisqu'on ne peut... Vainement, ma bien-aimee
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a'ta voix
Mefistofele: Dai campi, dai prati
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide
Serse: Ombra mai fu
Turandot: Signore, ascolta
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
La Wally: Ebben? ne ando lontana
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar

Tracks:

Aida: Se quel guerriero io fossi...Celeste Aida
Romeo Et Juliet: L'amour, l'amour...Ah, leve-toi soleil
Mefistofele: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
Werther: Toute mon ame est la...Pourqui me reveiller
Barber Of Seville: Una voce poco fa
Cosi Fan Tutti: Un aura amorosa
Le Villi: Se como voi piccina
Un Balle en Maschera: `Se come voi piccina`
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jette
La forza del destino: Pace, pace mio Dio
Adriana Lecouvreur: L'anima ho stanca
La Gioconda: Suicidio
Don Giovanni: Dalla sua pace
La Traviata: De' miei bolenti spiriti
La nozzi di Figaro: Porgi amor
Turandot: Non piangere, Liu
Mignon: Elle ne croyait pas dans sa candeur naive

Amazon.com

Put together in evident haste, this collection is nevertheless a surefire, appetite-whetting starter kit both for the budding operaphile and for the simply intimidated. The samplings include some of the greatest voices from EMI's vaults: here you'll find the polar opposites Callas and Caballe, the golden wonder of Wunderlich and early Carreras, and a host of other singers who've made their stamp on this century. Emphasis is on the soprano and tenor range, while the lower voices are given short shrift, and the selections cleave predictably to standard Italian and French repertory (with an occasional surprise, such as an aria from Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys). Still, the nearly three and a half hours of music represented will make a ready convert of anyone who hasn't experienced the specially heightened, time-stopping expressivity--beyond the power of mere song--that is the aria's function and will likely spark a desire to explore the larger operatic context in several cases. And though the lack of a booklet with texts or at least bios of the artists is frustrating, this is a good place to begin for an overview of the mesmeric power extraordinary voices can wield. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

OPERA HEAVEN.......2002-12-13

Probely this is a good buy for someone who is gest getting into the world of OPERA.Still a very good purchaes with fimiluar songs.

Incredibly Beautiful . . ........2001-10-27

If you love opera - this collection of some of the lovliest arias ever sung by artists from Caballe to Freni, from Delibes to Puccini - will inspire you. It is a wonderful gift for friends or for yourself.

Ultimate Aria.......2001-08-03

In my small operetic mind, this set of Cd's has completely captured me for the Opera. I was a young and upcoming musician in my youth. I'v been around the block "as it were" with the Classics. This collection is indeed, the benchmark upon which all others would hope to aspire.

Congradulations EMI for an incredible vision of the greatest opeatic moments recorded.

Gosh what's next?

Ralph Hassman

Ultimate indeed.......2000-08-02

If you don't like the idea of buying whole operas, or if you're a newcomer to opera - this is an extremely good collection / introduction, worth every single cent. The collection features many of the worlds greatest singers, giving their interpretations of some of the world's greatest arias. The compilation itself is very tasteful and covers a wide range from Handel to early 20th century composers. You won't miss any important stuff from the history of opera, except maybe Wagner and the most modern operas - I'll come back to that fact later. The compilers have actually put some lesser known, although no less beautiful, arias here, that oftenly are neglected on ordinary opera-collections, why the name `ultimate collection' is more than correct in that aspect.

EMI have a enormous archive to pick their recordings from, and that of course makes it easy to find first rate interpretations of all the arias included in this collection, and I do think that almost all of the arias are wonderfully sung here. It may be possible to find better performances of single numbers here and there, but I've not yet heard a more complete, wellmatched, and so thrillingly sung collection.

Well then, is there nothing wrong with this compilation? You might find it a little odd that there are so many soloarias and so few duets, terzettos a.s.o, especially since the drama in operas oftenly is greater in numbers with more than one singer. You might also wish that some of the recordings had been a little more modern (most of these recordings were made during the 50's, 60's & 70's) giving place to younger performers that still are singing on the stages, but those are minor objections when the over all quality is so high.

Tracks:

Norma: Act I, Casta Diva
La Wally: Act I: Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana
Gianni Schicch: O Mio Babbino Caro
Andrean Chenier: Act III: La Momma Morta
Tosca: Act II: Vissi D'arte
Madame Butterfly: Act II: Un Bel Di Vedremo
La Boheme: Act I: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi
La Boheme: Act III: Donde Lieta Usci
La Traviata: Act I: Ah, Fors' E Lui
La Traviata: Act III: Addio, Del Passato
Orphee Et Eurydice: Act IV: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Samson Et Delila: Act II: Mon Couer S'ouvre A Ta Voix
Carmen: Act I: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera)
Carmen: Act I: Pres Des Remparts De Seville
Carmen: Act II: Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient (Chanson Boheme)
Il Barbier Di Siviglia: Act I: Une Voce Poco Fa
Lucia Di Lammermoor: Act III: Spargi D'amaro Pianto

Amazon.com

What's the reason for all the fuss about soprano Maria Callas, whose life story is like a study in Greek tragedy? Her great gift was not purity of tone or emission, reliability, or sheer loveliness; it was, rather, her ability to change her vocal color and style to suit not only particular periods of opera but to get under the skin of the individual characters she portrayed: Bellini's priestess Norma performing a sacred rite; Puccini's sweetly hopeful Mimí from La Bohème and his innocent Butterfly; Verdi's courtesan Violetta; Bizet's sultry, adult Carmen; Donizetti's raving Lucia, and many others--and you'll believe them all. Much--though not all--of the program is identical to the 1993 anthology La Divina, though there has been some remastering since then. It's a perfect way to sample the art of Callas and begin to understand why, decades after her death, she remains one of the opera world's most revered performers. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Re: The review from the preceding oddly named reviewer.......2006-05-09

He--or she, as the case may be--understands.

Get some Callas complete sets, otherwise an excellent introduction.......2006-05-04

This was my first experience to the voice of Maria Callas. Before listening to this disc, I had already read all kinds of articles and reviews hyping Callas as "the singer of the 20th century", "the goddess", "la divina"...and so on.
Right at the beginning of the first track, "Casta Diva" from Norma, I was totally knocked over. I had imagined the most famous voice of the century as an angelic, gorgeous voice. What ugly sounds I heard! Even the coloratura and phrasing did not sound even. I continued running through the whole disc and at each track could not stand for more than a minute, struck with her weird sounding instrument. The only moment that I really liked on that first listen was that glorious E flat that closes the CD, which was so powerful that I listened to it again and again.
Then, by chance, I got to borrow the recording of Tosca with that impeccable Callas-di Stefano-Gobbi-Sabata cast. It was a weekend, and I decided to give it a listen, libretto in hand.
I was totally out of words. I did not like Callas's voice at all at the beginning, but slowly warmed up to it. Her portrayal of the anguish of Tosca at the 2nd act was so terrifyingly true and alive that I was totally speechless and literally immobilized. By that knock-out aria, Vissi d'Arte, I had already conceived the voice of Maria Callas as a beautiful voice. The ending of the opera, with that wonderful acting from Callas, literally had me immobilized for 15 minutes after the final chord.
After Tosca, one by one came Callas's Violetta, Norma, Lady Macbeth, Gioconda, Lucia di Lammermoor...It is impossible for me now to tell exactly when did I start to love that "ugly" voice. I slowly understood why Callas's recordings and portrayals had that frightening ability to convince and seduce: Callas does not sacrifice the ongoing drama for a beautiful but senseless sound. She sacrifices that beauty of sound of a Tebaldi or Milanov in order to REALLY get into the character and become the character she portrays. The best way to listen to Callas is not to listen to the highlights, but to every single moment of her interpretations. She is one of the rare voices that can bring so much excitement to those recitatives and make them as worth hearing as the florid arias.
Callas's voice is so distinct and "tasty" that after her I quite can not content myself with any other voice. It is really exciting how she literally grabs you with her art and brings you to her knees. If you want to really get to know Maria Callas, get some of her complete sets of her famous roles like Tosca, Norma, Violetta and get to know why she is such a legend.

6 Stars!.......2005-04-05

Is Callas' voice per se exceptionally beautiful, bearing in mind that once upon a time the standard was gracefulness and pleasentness to the ears? Before Callas, we have Tebaldi and Schwarkopf...

Nevertheless with Callas, we surely have a most incredible voice of the century. Incredible in the sense that she could cover literally a range of 2.5 octaves with ease (not even Caballe could do that), and she could change her timbers anytime and at any register. Coupled with a profound understanding of the characters that she sings, this makes her suitable for almost all opera parts. That explains why her singing could be so moving, so powerful and so full of drama.

But Callas with really beautiful recorded sound is not easy to come by, leave alone those recorded when she was in her prime. This is exactly such an album. Furthermore, most of the arias here are from famous operas, quite a few from what people would name the "top ten" operas. Last but not the least, Alfred Brendel, one of the topmost pianists, used to listen to Callas a lot partly to see her phrasings! Highly recommended for all opera, in fact all music lovers.

Callas is Opera's Meryl Streep.......2004-08-07

This CD is a great catalogue of Callas' tremendous talent as a singer and actress.

The thing about Maria Callas is that she brings good entertainment to the stage; an aspect that has, unfortunately, often been neglected in productions. While most of us have never had the opportunity to see her perform live, and technology at the peak of her career couldn't do justice to her voice, we can still feel the essence of each character she meant to portray. Her artistic dexterity is supreme, allowing for her ability to faithfully interpret the composers' intent.

For example, through Maria you can feel extremely sympathetic to Violetta's melancholy, or Tosca's desperation. She is adorable as Mimi and graciously reverent as Bellini's Norma. She paints these different characters in your mind with the many varied colors of her voice and a thorough understanding of the whole science of music. You will be affected with each aria, and you'll fall in love with her. If you are a Callas fan, this CD should be in your collection, and if you don't know Callas yet, this is a great first CD to learn about her and maybe even a good deal about Opera. Buy it!

WOW!.......2004-07-14

Callas is the best! The greatest soprano ever. This compilation is absolutely gorgeous!

Meditation Music: