Verdi: Macbeth

Macbeth, opera
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Ugo Miraglia, Mirto Picchi, Stefania Malagu, Leyla Gencer, Leonardo Ciriminna, Franco Ricciardi, Guido Malfatti, Ferruccio Mazzoli, Giuseppe Taddei, Giorgio Rossetti
Conducted by Vittorio Gui

Verdi: Macbeth,Giuseppe Verdi,Vittorio Gui,Ferruccio Mazzoli,Franco Ricciardi,Giorgio Rossetti,Giuseppe Taddei,Guido Malfatti,Leonardo Ciriminna,Leyla Gencer,Mirto Picchi,Stefania Malagu,Ugo Miraglia,Pantheon,Classical,Italian Romantic Opera,Opera

Average customer rating:

A memorable album by Robert Shaw
Great version
Superb
Brings back memories
Apologies to Puccini.

Verdi: Requiem & Operatic Choruses

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw
Fauré · Duruflé - Requiem / J. Blegen · J. Morris · Atlanta SO · Shaw
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Mozart: Requiem / McNair, Watkinson, Araiza, Lloyd; Marriner
Mozart - Requiem / Augér, Bartoli, Cole, Pape, Wiener Phil., Solti

ASIN: B000003CUH
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Requiem: 1. Requiem & Kyrie
Requiem: 2. Dies Irae
Requiem: 3. Offertory
Requiem: 4. Sanctus

Tracks:

Requiem: 5. Agnus Dei
Requiem: 6. Lux Aeterna
Requiem: 7. Libera Me - 1. Libera Me - 2. Dies Irae - 3. Requiem Aeternam - 4. Libera Me
Requiem: Spuntato Ecco
Requiem: Patria Oppressa!
Requiem: Fuoco Di Gioia
Requiem: Va Pensiero
Requiem: Gloria All'Egitto

Amazon.com

Robert Shaw learned from Arturo Toscanini, and in his stupendous 1987 recording for Telarc he managed to surpass the master on some points. He is unerring in his pacing and staging of climaxes, and draws phrasing and dynamics from the chorus that other conductors can only dream of. Points are made with exhilarating effect throughout the account: never has the bass drum in the Dies irae been as splendidly hammered as here, and the whooping brass in the Tuba mirum is breathtaking. The all-American solo quartet sounds a bit driven, especially the light-voiced Susan Dunn and Jerry Hadley, but their contribution is a strong one nonetheless. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A memorable album by Robert Shaw.......2007-04-16

I sometimes wonder why any top choral conductor would want to conduct, least of all record, a piece where the soloists invariably command center stage at the expense of the chorus.

Robert Shaw (1916 - 1999), of course, is practically a god in the choral world. And while he has done well as an orchestral conductor, his claim to fame to most will always be his work with choruses.

So here we have an operatic requiem written by one of history's greatest opera composers, conducted by one of history's greatest choral conductors. How does it turn out?

The Atlanta Symphony Chorus is very, very good. Their sumptuous sound becomes even more memorable thanks to the stunning reverberation of Atlanta Symphony Hall. Their Libera Me fugue was literally a wall of sound that seemed for a moment to encompass your entire world. The Dum Veneris passage following that was the best I'd ever heard: all four parts were distinct and incredibly powerful.

The four soloists, however, really stole the show for me. Susan Dunn and Diane Curry displayed a lot of passion in Recordare. They also created a wonderfully blended sound through their Agnus Dei duet, probably the best blend I'd ever heard so far.

Jerry Hadley is definitely one of my all-time favorite Verdi Requiem tenors. He reminded me of Richard Tucker in his commanding Kyrie entrance. His Ingemisco possessed a ringing power that left me breathless.

Paul Plishka was probably the "weakest" of the four. In Confutatis, it sounded like he was punching his voice. However, he sounded very good in the Offertorio.

And speaking of Offertorio, that was truly a soloist high point for me. The four singers literally turned into a mini-opera; it was quite dramatic hearing their voices trade back and forth.

The sound of the orchestra was truly a pleasure to hear. This music demands power and virtuosity, and the Atlantans provided both in spades. And drum lovers will be quite satisfied with the almost violent sound of the bass drum in Dies Irae.

The album also features five popular choruses from Verdi's operas. If, like me, you got carried away listening to the Requiem soloists, here's your chance to hear this remarkable chorus without any soloist distraction. The "Don Carlos" chorus (sung in Italian not French) was a rousing affair. "Patria oppressa" was appropriately subdued and melancholy. Fuoco di gioia proved the virtuosity of these choral masters. "Va pensiero" was smooth and rich. "Gloria all'Egitto" featured the chorus in all its mighty grandeur. The orchestra provides excellent accompaniment throughout. You will thoroughly enjoy listening to these choruses.

The recorded sound is absolutely fabulous. The four sections of the chorus are much more evenly miked than on most CDs. The great engineering makes the orchestra an audiophile's dream.

The liner notes contain texts and translations. However, a previous reviewer has found that the "Hostias" paragraph is missing the words "Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam."

The tracks use an index system which I suspect is not available on most DVD players, the result being that the Dies Irae is put on a single 36 minute track.

This CD was recorded in April 1987 in Atlanta Symphony Hall, Atlanta, GA. The Requiem duration is 84'23", so the tempos are about average for this piece.

Great version.......2007-02-26

There are version of Verdi's Requiems in that market. I consider this to be onre the best ones I have heard. What adds to this perfomance is the quality of the manufacturer's transfer.

Superb.......2005-10-20

I don't have anything to add to the excellent reviews, I just want to chime in with my vote. This was rated as the top recording of this piece when I bought it on recomendation of a tenor friend back in 1990 or so and it is probably the best sustained operatic performace I have found thus far. The power and the majesty of this piece needs to be heard to be believed. So... Buy it, make sure the neighbors are out, turn the lights out, it in your best listening spot, turn up the volume and press play.

Don't miss the final track on the second disk!

Brings back memories.......2001-05-04

How could I possibly top the splendid review by Dominic Grant below? And his later graceful apology for a mere typo? Well, I just cannot. But I'd like to share my own thoughts, anyway.

With all the flap over the recently released Gergiev recording of the Verdi Requiem on Philips, with its unfortunate choice of Andrea Bocelli - a pop singer masquerading as an operatic singer - as tenor soloist, it is once again - and always - a pleasure to turn to a truly definitive recorded performance, that of Robert Shaw. As points of reference whenever I turn to this performance, I always have in mind earlier recordings by Giulini and Solti, among others. (I include a truly visceral one by Karel Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic, featuring Galina Vishnevskaya with a "Libera me" to die for, and the type of Slavic excitement that Gergiev tries for but fails.)

Verdi's Requiem is, without doubt, the most operatic of such works as have become part of the liturgical canon. But it doesn't necessarily follow from this that the best recordings are the ones which utilize operatic superstars. Were that the case, Solti's recording, with Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti and Martti Talvela, would be unchallenged (particularly when one throws in the Vienna Philharmonic, as well as the typically excellent mid-60's sound that Decca was so good at). But, true to form, Solti just couldn't find the proper sensitivity and balance to make his performance the definitive one.

Shaw does what Solti could not do. In a work that requires efforts of equal quality by orchestra, soloists and chorus, there simply is no better chorus than a Shaw chorus. Shaw's four soloists, while perhaps not of the marquee value of the ones on the Solti recording, are outstanding. A previous customer reviewer certainly got it right when he said that Susan Dunn was a Verdi soprano to be reckoned with. And Diane Curry, Jerry Hadley and Paul Plishka are equally excellent. (Plishka, as I mention later, is one of my "memories.") Moreover, in a work which demands that the cataclysms of the Dies Irae and the tenderly supplicant closing pages of the Libera me be captured in proper proportions, none are better than Telarc at this challenge.

The personal friendship between Robert Shaw and the Cleveland-based Telarc team of Bob Woods and Jack Renner goes back to the days when Shaw was George Szell's assistant at the Cleveland Orchestra. Thus it was, when Woods and Renner introduced the "all-digital" Telarc label in the late 70's, that they turned to Shaw and his Atlantans as an enduring source for the recording of choral masterpieces. With the passing of Shaw some two years ago, it is now time that someone sum up his recorded legacy, which, under the aegis of Telarc, exceeds three dozen recordings. In my humble opinion, he will be remembered for a long, long time for three works that Telarc recorded with his forces: The Bach B Minor Mass, the Brahms German Requiem, and this Verdi Requiem.

Oh! The memories! For several years, at a time when Shaw's Atlanta forces were as good as they were to get, in the early 80's, I was fortunate to live in the Atlanta area, and to attend many of his concerts. And, in the fall of 1965, when Paul Plishka had just won a "young artist" award that was to lead to his Metropolitan Opera career, I was fortunate to have been a member of an amateur chorus which performed this work with a semi-pro orchestra and four young soloists. The names of the other three soloists were long ago relegated to the dustbin of history. But the bass soloist at that 1965 performance was none other than Paul Plishka. He's still banging the boards at the Met. One durable dude!

Once again, kudos to Mr. Grant for his superb review, and for his reminding me that I had some "unfinished business" to attend to.

Bob Zeidler

Apologies to Puccini........2000-12-04

Further to my review of the 18th of June below,it's just been brought to my attention by a kind reader that I have inadvertently ascribed the composition of the famous aria,"Nessun Dorma" from Turandot to Verdi himself.First of all,my sincere apologies to Puccini (probably still revolving in his grave !),and my apologies to you for grossly offending your musical sensibilities as you pass this way.That will teach me to spend a little longer editing my reviews before submitting them !

Average customer rating:

A Marvelous Performance of Adeste Fideles
Bocelli never disappoints!
Worst C.D Ever...But still a great artist
the Perry Como of operatic tenors
Absolutely lovely!

Viaggio Italiano / Andrea Bocelli

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romanza
Cieli di Toscana
Sogno
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Andrea Bocelli - The Opera Album ~ Aria

ASIN: B0000041OA
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Turandot: Nessun dorma
L' Arlesiana: Lamento di Federico
Macbeth: Ah, la paterna mano
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
Elisir d'amore: Una furtiva Iagrima
Panis Angelicus
Ava Maria
O Sole Mio
Core n'grato
Santa Lucia luntana
I' te vurria vasa
Tu, 'ca nun chiagne!
Marinarello
Piscatore 'e Pusilleco
Message Bocelli
Adeste Fideles (bonus track)

Amazon.com essential recording

Opera is in fashion, and the woods are full of pop vocalists who think they have the chops to sing arias. The best contender so far is Andrea Bocelli, who at least has a real voice, if a small one, and sometimes manages a really exciting tenor sound. Unfortunately, he is inconsistent in his tone and production, and, despite the fact that he's singing in his native language, he often sounds as though he has only the barest idea of what the words mean. The Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev, plays stodgily. Anyone with a real interest in tenor arias would be much better advised to check out recordings by the young Luciano Pavarotti. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

A Marvelous Performance of Adeste Fideles.......2006-11-13

Andrea Bocelli sings magnificently on this CD. Never have I heard Adeste Fidelis sung with such energy, joy, and understanding.

Bocelli never disappoints!.......2006-07-07

I hate to admit it but it has only been fairly recent that I "discovered" Andrea Bocelli, when he appeared on Oprah Winfrey(or was it Dr. Phil?), and American Idol. His voice mezmorized and touched me so much that I HAD to find out more. Over the last few weeks I have purchased apx. 6 of his CD's, and I can honestly say I love them all, including this one. Bocelli does not disappoint, and it doesnt seem to matter if he is singing in french, english, spanish or italian...as the purity, honesty and richness of his voice goes above and beyond various cultures and ethnicities. From a technical level, there are other well-knows (past and present) who are equal to or above Bocelli. However, what makes Andrea stand alone is a certain something that is hard to place your finger on, or put in to words, but all who appreciate him SEE and FEEL this. Some say he sings like an angel, or if God had a voice, it would sound like Bocelli. My own hypothesis is that Bocelli sings with his heart because his eyes cannot see the words. As such, along with his beautiful vocals pours forth his very spirit. It is this very essense that makes him so unique, and has caused so many people from all around the world to love him.

Worst C.D Ever...But still a great artist.......2006-06-22

Reviewed By D. J.P Vergaleto

I just had to write this review. I recently purchesed 3 Bocelli C.Ds and was rewarded with 1 Very good , 1 not bad, n this one that STINKS...IF THE REVIEWERS WERE HONEST I COULD HAVE SAVED SOME MONEY.... I buy a lot from Amazon, ITs a great site, and 99 percent of the time when i read reviews they are on the money and help me out a great deal....With that said

Let me say that this cd entices you with all the big name italian songs, BUT DONT LET IT FOOL YOU..It sounds like it was made in 1 day. Who ever mixed the album has Bocellis voice so loud it sounds like he is SCREAMING ( I THINK HE IS) AND the
orchestra sounds like it is made of 3 pieces as you can only faintly hear it. There is not 1 song on this C.D ID recommend.

But dont worry , if you like Bocelli and dont know what to buy
let me tell you that I Enjoyed (Cieli Di Toscana) The first song Melodramma Rivals Bocellis Con Te Partiro Which is on his ROMANZA C.D AND HIGHLY Recomended, Also Sogno is Another very good C.D. So save yourself money and stay away from this one.
Also his Verdi CD IS VERY well made, not as strong a voice as Caruso , but once you hear Bocelli you wont care. Great Great voice that is very Hypnotic and when you hear him you wont care if he is as good as Caruso because he is Different , totally different and there both great Tenors. Peace

the Perry Como of operatic tenors.......2006-03-25

I found this to be a wonderful cd. This was my first sustained exposure to Mr. Bocelli's art (I first heard his wonderful singing on the Charlotte Church cd "Time To Say Goodbye" -- also strongly recommended) and, on the whole, I enjoyed his singing very much. I also love Perry Como so the comparison above is not meant to be disparaging in any way, but merely to indicate that he's perhaps better in slower tempo pieces where the line of the melody naturally accentuates the richness of his voice. But if anyone doubts his chops, the first selection on this cd should put those doubts to rest -- his rendition of Puccini's "Nessun dorma" is both powerful and dramatic and stands up (dare I say it?) even to Pavarotti's.

Absolutely lovely!.......2006-02-25

Even though it was Andre Bocelli's Romanza CD that introduced me to his wonderful voice, I have to admit that I enjoy his opera offerings more than his popular works. I still enjoy Romanza and his other pop CD's, but it is his opera selections that seem to show the full beauty of his voice.

I am not an opera expert by any means, so I don't get hung up on whether or not someone is techically perfect or not. If I like it, that's good enough for me!

My teenage sons and I were in a pizza place the other day and above the noise, I heard a beautiful song- a male singer- and was shushing the boys, trying to determine who it was. With great patience, my 17 year old son said, "Mom, that's Andre Bocelli. Can't you tell?"

Enough said.

Average customer rating:

OKAY, TAKE ME AWAY.
Great music...stunning recording quality
Incredible
Just Stunning!

Essential Verdi

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Essential Puccini
Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
The Most Famous Opera Duets
The #1 Opera Album

ASIN: B000056JSW
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Rigoletto: La donna e mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
Nabucco: Va pesiero - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
La forza del destino: Overture - Kirov Orchestra
La Traviata: Un di felice - Joan Sutherland
I Vespri Siciliani: Merce dilette amiche - Maria Chiara
La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Joan Sutherland
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira - Jose Carreras
Il Trovatore: Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Stride la vampa! - Stefania Toczyska
Aida: Ritorna vincitor! - Leontyne Price
Don Carlo: Dio che nell'alma infondere - Carlo Bergonzi
La Traviata: Prelude - Orchestra E Coro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Rigoletto: Caro nome - Joan Sutherland
Don Carlo: O don fatale - Olga Borodina
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi! Celeste Aida - Carlo Bergonzi
Emani: Ernani! Ernani involami - Joan Sutherland
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di tu se fedele - Jussi Bjorling
Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro ma prima in grazia - Margaret Price
Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido - Luciano Pavarotti
Aida: Gloria all'Egitto - Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies irae - Wiener Philharmoniker
La forza del destino: Pace pace mio Dio - Angela Gheorghiu
Rigoletto: Questa o quella - Carlo Bergonzi
Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell'amore - Luciano Pavarotti
Otello: Ave Maria - Renee Fleming
La Traviata: Parigi o cara - Frank Lopardo
Macbeth: Ah la paterna mano - Luciano Pavarotti
Il Trovatore: Squilli echeggi la tromba guerriera - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Don Carlo: O Carlo ascolta - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Requiem: Ingemisco - Luciano Pavarotti
Simon Baccanegra: Come in quest'ora bruna - Kiri Te Kanawa
Macbeth: Salve o Re! Si colmi il calice - Lucia Aliberti
Aida: O patria mia - Leontyne Price
I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere - Placido Domingo
Aida: Lo sguardo avea degli angeli - Montserrat Caballe
La forza del destino: Solenne in quest'ora - Nikolai Putilin
Macbeth: Patria opressa - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte - Katia Ricciarelli
I due Foscari: Dal piu remoto esilio - Odio solo ed odio atroce - Jose Carreras
Don Carlo: Spuntato ecco il di esultanza - Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano

Customer Reviews:

OKAY, TAKE ME AWAY........2006-01-20

I don't know opera.

Last summer we had an incredible 20th anniversary trip to Italy. As a side trip from Venice, we planned a night in Verona. Neither my wife or I had been to an opera.

Is this how its supposed to be...

...an incredible star filled night with a three quarter moon, the largest stage and outdoor theatrical production on the planet, all taking place in a roman colleseum (arena) built in 180 a.d., an incredible colorful set and production with a full symphony orchestra and voices that don't come easy. Aida.

Now I know what all the hpye is as you opera fans sure are lucky to have such a beautiful setting for all your productions.

Okay, we got spoiled. But I also found myself getting spoiled on the Italian composer Verdi.

For me, this set is not only a "take me back to Verona" trip, but a great introduction to Verdi's other works. With some of the biggest names in the opera world in starring roles, I listened to both discs twice the first night they arrived.

And, of course, we are planning a return trip to Verona in the very near future to see some more Verdi...perhaps Nabucco or Otello or Macbeth...I'll even settle for Aida again. It was such a magical experience and a superb introduction to opera and Verdi.

This set continues that magical moment for us and provides a great introduction to a master of the opera...Verdi.

Great music...stunning recording quality.......2002-11-01

This is a marvelous compendium of Verdi's opera works that even the serious opera fan wouldn't turn his nose up at. These are the top contemporary soloists singing with first tier orchestras. When I saw the Decca label, I expected reasonable quality, but this disk is stunningly well engineered. Most of the vocals match the best jazz cds for immediacy and intimacy, and the orchestras are equally well done.

Incredible.......2002-06-05

I don't say incredible about too many things, but Verdi was the zenith of Italian Opera and Solti and the Chicago Symphony and the Vienna Philharmonic are the quintessential ensembles for modern classical performance. Not to mention that most of the voices showcased have their own lines of CDs (Pavarotti, etc.) This CD is the best Verdi album available, and it has EVERYTHING. BUY THIS CD!

Just Stunning!.......2002-01-26

In my opinion this recording is stunning. I am not usually a fan of compilations in classical music, as they're usually watered down representations made under the presumption that the listener would find the full-blown version intimidating or boring. This one, however, is not only an exception in my view, but a recording that deserves a high place of honor in every serious listener's collection. The representation of artists, both vocal and orchestral, is breathtaking and impressive for the span of years. A great big thank you to the people at Decca responsible for putting this collection together, as it is obvious to this listener that a great deal of thought and care went into looking for the most beautiful version of every piece on here. I have purchased two copies, one for home and one for the office, and have gotten two friends similarly hooked. I am also feverishly searching for more pairings of Joan Sutherland and Carlo Bergonzi. In the meantime, I'm on to Essential Puccini!!

Average customer rating:

Another supeb tenor.
The one.
A New Star voice
Quite Good
Promising debut by new lyric tenor

Italian Opera Arias

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
Rolando Villazon: Opera Recital
Opera Recital [Includes Bonus DVD]
Verdi: La Traviata
Gitano

ASIN: B00018TIOA
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Lamento: E La Solita Storia
Recitativo E Romanza: Inosservato...Angelo Casto E Bel
Aria: Quanto E Bella
Aria: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Recitativo Ed Aria: Tombe Degli Avi Miei...Fra Poco
Aria: Il L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
Aria: Io L'ho Perduta...Io La Vidi
Aria: O Figli...Ah! La Paterna Mano
Scena Ed Aria: Ella Mi Fu Rapita...Parmi Veder
Canzone: La Donna E Mobile
Scena, Aria E Cabaletta: Lunge De Iei...De' Miei Bollenti...O Mio Rimorso
Aria: Che Gelida Manina
Aria: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Aria: Anche Tu Beppe Giungi...O Amore
Aria: Vergini, Muse...Quando Al Soave Anelito

Amazon.com

This is a glorious debut recital by a tenor, from whom, if he sings the right roles and keeps way from jet-setting and too much singing, might just be the lyrico-spinto tenor we've been waiting for. He has the class of Carlo Bergonzi and a ringing tone which is somewhere between Domingo's big, dark sound and Pavarotti's brightness; he sings with a true mezza voce (not a falsetto); he always obeys the composer's markings and delineates character. He seems incapable of vulgarity, refusing to gulp or sob when a musically expressive gesture will do. The opening aria here--from L'Arlesiana--is so beautifully, touchingly sung that it's a heartbreaker; he doesn't take the usually opted-for high note near the end, but never fear: in the Traviata and Bohème excerpts, Villazon offers big, whopping high Cs. This CD is a knockout; let's hope it's only the beginning of an illustrious career, both recorded and live. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Another supeb tenor........2007-05-13

We can be thankful that the old guard of the opera stage has been replaced by a trio of youthful artists. Villazon along with Calleja and Florez makes a great addition to the world of opera.

The one........2006-06-24

He's the real deal. Domingo-like burnished voice, great actor. Not just hype, he's genuinely worthy of all the praise.

A New Star voice.......2005-09-25

Rollando Villazon can't fail to impress a listener. He is an enourmous breath of fresh air for people waiting for a new generation of Opera superstars to emerge. Those somewhat dissapointed by the somewhat ncomfortable edge to Salvator Licitra's voice, may take refuge in the freshness of Villazon.
I don't really want to ruin the magic of his singing, with caddy comparisons, but it is sufficient to say that he excellent. Many compare his to Domingo, to that I would say that Villazon has an ease to his top that Domingo never had, but perhaps lacks the focus and thickness of Domingo's lower registers.
Overall what hits you most about Villazons performance, is the induviduality of his interpretations and voice. The top of his voice has a ring and tone that sets his apart from the pack.
To my ear, he sounds at his best in the Mid Period verdi, where the cut of voice come through in the long high-lying passage, (expecially the cut from Traviata,
Enjoy this incredible singer

Quite Good.......2005-05-26

A very promising debut album with some excellent burnished tenor sound. To the reviewer who went on and on about Mr. Villazon only being in his 20's -- I hate to burst your bubble, but he was born in 1972, which makes him 33! And, by the way, the age of the singer is not a "huge" advantage; let us remember that some of our greatest singers didn't come into their element until their 40's (e.g., Flagstad, Milanov...)

Promising debut by new lyric tenor.......2005-05-05

Rolando Villazon immediately made himself a name we should all watch out for, after his appearance on a NY City Opera telecast of Boheme, as Rodolfo. Since then he has become a regular artist in leading lyric roles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, has sung two parts at the Met already, and obviously has much ahead for him. The voice itself has a number of virtues, evenness of tone across the different registers, and the ability to encompass long lines without taking unnecessary breaths and showing the control to taper many lines off softly. It has also taken on perhaps a prematurely dark quality, in contrast with what I remember of the La Boheme telecast.

This recital of Italian opera arias presents Villazon near the alpha of his career (one appearance as the Steersman on the Barenboim Flying Dutchman before, for Teldec) and the conductor at his omega - the just deceased Marcello Viotti, at the age of 52, who suddenly replaced Sinopoli in Berlin for the second of two performances of Verdi's Aida in 2001. Sinopoli had passed away at 54 the night of the first performance that weekend in Berlin.

On first impression, Federico's lament from Cilea's L'Arlesiana is taken too slowly, and yet from repeated listening to this disc, it is one of nearly half a dozen selections that contribute the most to making this an interesting recital. The lachrymose manner and delivery here, though, sets a little too much of an overall tone for the rest of the recital, including its several or so lighter numbers. Said to also be a Caruso favorite, the aria from Donizetti's Duca d'Alba is a real highlight as close to being Schubertian in feeling as some Verdi - as late into Verdi's work as Forza and Don Carlo. Villazon's singing here is as warmly ardent as you'll find anywhere on this disc, and his personal identification with the character of Don Carlo, several tracks later, is as complete as that of its best interpreters of the recent past, Placido Domingo especially.

The two Elisir d'amore selections are pleasant vocally, but too dark, especially the start to so many phrases of "Una furtiva." The remorse felt during the opening aria of the Tomb Scene from Lucia, after a slightly uncertain start, is entirely felt. Oronte's brief aria from Verdi's Lombardi is handled with an easy, pleasant swagger from both Villazon and Viotti, leading one to expect similar lightness in selections that soon follow, and which is not entirely forthcoming; the beginning of the recitative to "Parmi veder" from Rigoletto shows a palpable anxiety in this peculiar moment for the Duke in which he finds himself. Intonation falters momentarily at the end of this aria. "Ah! la paterna mano", after good recitative, gets pushed a little too forward, robbing the crest of several lines in it their full expressive potential. Contrast of expression between Alfredo's aria and cabaletta from Traviata is so minimal, almost to have been erased altogether; Viotti here, so deft and highly musical an accompanist he is for most of the rest of this disc, is similarly disengaged. Connecting music between aria and cabaletta and repeat of the latter both get awkwardly cut.

That leaves four verismo tracks for the remainder of this disc. Most distinctively sung is "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca, but frequently quite close to sounding a copy of Domingo's interpretation. The honeyed placement for the top of the staff, once the voice takes on the melodic line, could hardly remind you of anyone else. "Che gelida manina" is also given a fine performance here, but begins to lose all consonants on a couple of words right before the ascent to the high C in the aria. After hearing Dino Borgioli and Cesare Valletti as Fritz, each more of a benchmark than Pavarotti, it is hard to identify the villager Fritz, from how disinteresed Villazon sounds. A slight cut is taken between two portions of recitative before Fritz's Act III aria. "Quando al soave anelito" from Mascagni's Nerone, obviously a rarity, is one for which I can only find a Domingo recital before. Here, the singing is fine, but the youthful sense of wonderment for Nero, in his vision of Venus, as wordly-wise a fellow he is, gets understated. Accompaniments to these four arias are mostly as fine as the others, but all come to abrupt endings, the endings of Boheme and Amico Fritz which lose all their shimmer here.

Much criticism here, but there is also much hope felt from listening to this disc, for a bright future for Mr. Villazon still. He is only seldom a conscientious and musical performer, but as opposed to what the liner notes might say, part of being musical in singing such selections or opera in general, is being specific for each character being portrayed here. Villazon should also take note that his singing is most interesting and also most easy to distinguish from his widely celebrated mentor, when he sings lightly. First impressions are strong - I first anticipated awarding this disc five stars - but unfortunately it just barely deserves four. Sound quality, if a bit heavily miked for climaxes and a bit recessed for the orchestra, especially at closings to arias, is warm and full.

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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

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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.

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A minor Shakespearean and gigantic Verdian triumph
Fantastic recording of an early Verdi masterpiece
The Definative Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Hands Down The Best: Not Even Callas Surpasses
The Perfect Macbeth: The Best Studio Recording

Verdi: Macbeth

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Verdi - Simon Boccanegra / Freni, Cappuccilli, Carreras, Ghiaurov, van Dam, Foiani, Teatro alla Scala, Abbado
Verdi - Nabucco / Cappuccilli, Domingo, Dimitrova, Nesterenko, Valentini-Terrani, Deutschen Oper Berlin, Sinopoli
Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Malas, Sinclair, ROH Covent Garden, Bonynge
Verdi - Falstaff / Gobbi · Schwarzkopf · Moffo · Karajan
Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000001GS3
Release Date: 1997-01-28

Tracks:

Macbeth: Preludio
Macbeth: Act I: Introduzione e Coro di streghe - 'Che faceste? dite su!'
Macbeth: Act I: Scena e Duetto - 'Giorno no vidi mai' - 'due vaticini compiuti or sono' (Macbeth, Banco, Coro di streghe, Messaggeri)
Macbeth: Act I: Coro di streghe - Stretta dell'introduzione - 'S'allontanarono!'
Macbeth: Act I: Scena e Cavatina - 'Nel di della vittoria' - 'Vieni! t'affretta! ... Or tutti sorgete' (Lady Macbeth, Servo)
Macbeth: Act I: Scena e Marcia - 'Oh, donna mia!' (Macbeth, Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act I: Gran Scena e Duetto - 'Sappia la sposa mia' - 'Fatal mia donna!' (Macbeth, Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act I: Scena e Sestetto - Finale I - 'Di destarlo per tempo il re m'impose' - 'Schiudi, inferno, la bocca' (Macduff, Banco, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Dama, Malcolm, Coro)
Macbeth: Act II: Scena ed Aria - 'Perche mi sfuggi'
Macbeth: Act II: Scena ed Aria - 'La luce langue' (Lady Macbeth, Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act II: Coro di sicari - 'Chi oso mandarvi a noi?'
Macbeth: Act II: Gran Scena - 'Studia il passo...Come dal ciel precipita' (Banco)
Macbeth: Act II, Finale II: 'Salve, o Re!'
Macbeth: Act II, Finale II: 'Si colmi il calice'
Macbeth: Act II, Finale II: 'Va', spirto d'abisso!' (Coro, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Dama, Macduff, Sicario)

Tracks:

Macbeth: Act III: Coro d'introduzione - Incantesimo - ' Tre volte miagola
Macbeth: Act III: Ballo - Allegro vivicissimo - Un poco ritenuto - Allegro - Andante - Allegro - Valzer. Allegro vivacissimo - Poco piu mosso -
Macbeth: Act III: Gran Scena delle apparizioni - 'Finche appelli'
Macbeth: Act III: Gran Scena delle apparizioni - 'Fuggi, regal fantasima' (Macbeth, Coro di streghe, 3 Appparizioni)
Macbeth: Act III: Coro di streghe e Ballabile - 'Ondine e Silfidi'
Macbeth: Act III: Scena e Duetto - Finale III - 'Ove son io?' - 'Ora di morte' (Macbeth, Araldo, Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act IV: Coro di profughi scozzesi - 'Patria oppressa!'
Macbeth: Act IV: Scena ed Aria - 'O figli, o figli miei!...Ah, la paterna mano' (Macduff)
Macbeth: Act IV: Scena ed Aria - 'Dove siam? che bosco e quello?' (Malcolm, Macduff, Coro)
Macbeth: Act IV: Gran Scena del sonnambulismo - 'Vegliammo invan due notti'
Macbeth: Act IV: Gran Scena del sonambulismo - 'Una macchia e qui tuttora' (Medico, Dama, Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act IV: Scene ed Aria - 'Perfidi! All'anglo contro me v'unite!'
Macbeth: Act IV: Scene ed Aria - 'Pieta, rispetto, amore' (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act IV: Scena e battaglia - 'Ella e morta!' (Coro, Macbeth, Dama, Macduff)
Macbeth: Act IV: Morte di Macbeth - 'Mal per me che m'affadai' (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act IV: Inno di vittoria - Finale - 'Vittoria!' (Coro, Malcolm, Macduff)

Customer Reviews:

A minor Shakespearean and gigantic Verdian triumph.......2007-07-12

Verdi's two greatest Shakespearean operas, Otello and Falstaff, are generally ranked atop Macbeth. However, few of Verdi's works are as rich and succulent in melodic line as this dark tale of the ill-fated Scottish king driven to destruction by his own tormented conscience. Additionally, this recording is the finest available today, with four of the optimum singers and one of the most inimitable Verdian conductors, assembled with the greatest of all Italian orchestras. Claudio Abbado leads the Coro and Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala with bombast; the Prelude is jarring and unsettling, beautiful in its own misty, eerie way. The brief overture immediately sets a cold, desolate scene upon which the morose drama takes place.

Piero Cappucilli gives one of his greatest performances, not only musically (though he is sublime) but also dramatically. He captures the character of the guilt-stricken Macbeth, accentuating his timidity and moral complexity, which was the root of his downfall and insanity. His greatest moment is during "Sappia la sposa mi ache, pronta appena" ... "Sulla metà del mondo," in which his every utterance is spellbinding. This is, despite its placement in one of his earliest operas, one of Verdi's most complex and captivating monologues, which drifts from evil hallucinations to an earth-shattering cry for Duncan's murder. Shirley Verrett is the epitome of the deceptive, self-righteous Lady Macbeth, the greatest villainess of all literature. She hisses through "Vieni! t'affreta! accendere!", her great Act I aria and one of the finest Verdi ever composed for the mezzo-soprano voice; she attacks "Or tutti sorgete" like a demonic "Sempre libera." Her rendition of "La luce langue" is foggy and dense; her performance of the drinking song "Si colmi il calice" is jovial and balmy. During the Act III scene "Una macchia è qui tuttora," the greatest and most infamous scene of Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, Verrett is genuinely deranged as the horrid woman infected by her own greed, aggrandizement, and malice.

The other roles are fairly minor, which makes the star quality invested in them even more impressive. Nicolai Ghiaurov is a glum, brooding Banquo. His Act II aria "Come dal ciel precipita" is hauntingly pitiable and doomful. His Act I trio with Cappuccilli and the chorus of messengers ("Due vaticini compiuti or sono") is steeped richly in a marvelous Verdian charm. Plácido Domingo is sublime as Macduff, lord of Fife, who carries out the Weird Sisters' prophecy. His lone Act IV aria ("Ah, la paterna mano") is presented with excellent ingenuity and valor through its mournful atmosphere.

Verdi invested most of his efforts with this opera into the various choruses, which are supported ably by the La Scala orchestra. (The sawing basses and cellos during the witches' chorus "S'allontanarono!" is singularly chilling.) The finale of Act I ("Schiudi, inferno, la bocca ed inghiotti") is a deafening chorus of fury and vengeance which melts into a heart-wrenching ensemble of sorrow and supplication ("O gran Dio, che ne' cuori penètri"). "Sparve il sol...la notte stenda il vel," the satanic Act II chorus of the murders; "Tu, rospo venefico," the immortal cauldron scene with the witches concocting their brew; "Ondine e Silfidi dall'ali candied," through which the witches conjure aerial spirits and mythological creatures; and the jubilant Act IV finale "Macbeth, Macbeth, ov'è?" are all tiny masterpieces which precede many of Verdi's more famous (and infamous) ensembles and choruses.

Overall, this 1976 recording of Macbeth is a thorough luxury, and is even more enjoyable when coupled with Abbado's 1977 recording of Simon Boccanegra, which also included Piero Cappuccilli and Nicolai Ghiaurov.

Fantastic recording of an early Verdi masterpiece.......2006-02-07

I became familiar with Shirley Verret through this recording. The team of principals are excellent and Maestro Abbado is fantastic with the orchestra. This recording shows the unique and amazing artistry of Ms Verrett in one of her signature roles. She remains unsurpassed in this account. Brava!

The Definative Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.......2005-10-22

This is probably Deutsche Grammophone's greatest release. From a 70's LP, this remastered recording stars Piero Cappucilli and Shirley Verrett as Shakespeare's most wicked couple- Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At a bargain price, this is a real treasure. It is on the top lists of the greatest opera recordings ever made. Shirley Verrett is still hailed as the ultimate Lady Macbeth. Upon performing the role in La Scala for the first time, she was showered in jewels and carried over the shoulders of ecstatic fans to her limousine. As a bonus, this recording features Placido Domingo in the minor role of Macduff and Nicolai Ghiurov as the ghost of Banquo. Claudio Abbado, an Italian conductor, understands the complexity of the score but does not sacrifice melodic richness and the mix of sprightliness and ominious grandeur found within the score.

Piero and Shirley are on fire as Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth! Their scenes are full of fire and dramatic heft, their voices soar above the orchestra's fortissimi and they each provide a kind of dark, tragic granduer to their roles. Very few singers match their level of expertise. Perhaps only Leonard Warren and Leonie Rysanek in an earlier Metropolitan Opera performance equalled them in success. Cappucilli has a dark, edgy voice and even reminds me of Samuel Ramey, whom to my knowledge has not sung Macbeth but would sound a lot like Cappucilli. Furthermore, Cappucilli died recently and this is a tribute to his great artistry. Miss Verrett is awesome, and her renditions of "Vieni T'afretta," "La Luce Langue" and the Sleeping Walking Scene are among the best, ranking with Maria Callas, Leonie Rysanek, Birgit Nilsson, Elena Soliotis and Carol Vaness. Verrett claims she was initially afraid to get into such a dark frame of mind for the role but her voice is perfectly suited for this character, despite her origins as a mezzo. It is her Lady Macbeth that most people recall with fondness, eventhough Grace Bumbry, too, sang the role in Salzburg early in her career in 1964. However, I favor Verrett's Lady Macbeth over Bumbry's. Without a doubt this is a terrific Macbeth and you won't regret buying it. It is truly the definative version while others pale in comparison.

Hands Down The Best: Not Even Callas Surpasses.......2005-07-10

Everyone has a favorite Lady Macbeth or Macbeth recording. But for me this one is a Macbeth that even Callas might have envied. Callas is a good singer, no doubt, any opera cognoscente will tell you that and her Lady Macbeth was sensational, but for me dramatic soprano Shirley Verrett captured the spirit of the character vocally and dramatically in her performance. She was already treading new ground like her peers Leontyne Price and Grace Bumbry by singing soprano roles normally associated with white singers. Verrett was in good voice at the time of this recording and she is blessed to be surrounded by a powerful cast- Piero Cappucilli as Macbeth, Claudio Abbado conducting. Placido Domingo sings MacDuff in a minor role but one that suits him well. Abbado found the authentic original score, complete with longer extended music and scenas and makes this recording the most satisfying of them all and certainly the closest to Verdi's vision. Verdi would have himself applauded Shirley Verrett as the ultimate Lady Macbeth. The sound is crisp and powerful, the singers are doing a heck of a job and opera lovers cannot miss out on this one. It's a recording highly recommended by most audiophiles and it's on the top lists of many opera recording scholars. Formerly a mezzo soprano, Verrett took on the heavier roles of Aida, Tosca and Norma with bravura and dramatic flair, never missing in anything. She is a singer who always focused on the drama first, decorative singing later. She didn't want to sing the role initially, so she says in her autobiography "I Never Walked Alone"- the role is too dark, after all its Lady Macbeth who spurs her husband Macbeth to commit murder to become king. Shes a devil of a woman who is later overcome by guilt and goes mad. Verrett is awesome in the Sleepwalking Scene. She is not melodramatic, she is not crazy, she is sleepwalking in a detached, bizarre manner that fits the mood and character. Callas and Leonie Rysanek, who once replaced an ill Callas as Lady Macbeth, merely make the role dramatic but Verrett goes a little further. She adds a deeper integrity to the role. By all means, get this recording and let it be a Macbeth to treasure.

Others to look for: Maria Callas, Leonye Rysanek, Elena Soliotis.

The Perfect Macbeth: The Best Studio Recording.......2003-12-30

Opera's brand-name composer Giuseppe Verdi was fond of Shakespeare's plays. He knew that the Shakespeare tragedies would make great operas so his librettist set the libretto directly from the Shakespeare dramas. Verdi's other Shakespearean operas include Othello and the comedy Falstaff. Macbeth, his first Shakespeare opera, is a dramatic showscase, musically and vocally. The lead roles call for a lot of fire in the voice and in the acting. This 70's recording is superb and the best studio recording available. Many would argue that the best recording is that of Herbert Karajan conductiong with Leonie Rysanek in the role of Lady Macbeth. That version is melodramatic, intense and really quite extraordinaty. However, this version is nothing to bash. It's second best at most. The orchestration is magnificent- controlled but intense when called for. The singers are also controlled, trying not to overdo the drama. Contributing to the success of this recording are the talents of baritone Piero Cappuccilli, one of the greats and tenor Placido Domingo. Interpreting Lady Macbeth is dramatic soprano Shirley Verret. Verrett is a fine singing -actress with an incredible chest voice- Shirley Verrett, an African American soprano often compared to Grace Bumbry, starterd her career as a mezzo soprano and then made the transition into the drama-diva, heavier repertoire, including Bellini's Norma. Verrett is a bold and fresh new approach at Lady Macbeth. In the scenes in which Lady Macbeth is furious and vengeful and spewing ambitious schemes of glory she sounds very convingcing- i.e. the Letter Scene. The Mad Scene, also known as the Sleepwalking Scene, she is restrained and avoids the hysteria and melodramatic singing often delivered by sopranos, like Maria Callas and Leonie Rysanek before her. Verrett is still sensational.

The opera, true to the Shakespeare play, follows the fall of Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth who urges her husband to kill the King of Scotland. Set in a Gothic and dreary landscape, the opera contains chilling scenes- the murder of the king, the evil threesome of witches who predict Macbeth's fate, the ghost of Banquo and the demise of Macbeth. The opera, Shakespeare's darkest, is a warning and cautionary tale not to be so ambitious as to be corrupted by power.

Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Average customer rating:

Verdi: Macbeth

The Goddess

An Observation of Gino Penno's Macduff!

MARIA ONCE AGAIN

Bone-chilling and Evil

Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera live 1952) with Maria Callas, Enzo Mascherini, Victor de Sabata, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Giuseppe Verdi , Victor De Sabata , Maria Callas , Enzo Mascherini , Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala , Italo Tajo , Gino Penno , Andrea Maffei , Dario Caselli , and Attilio Barbesi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

Bellini: I Puritani

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (complete operas) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe Modesti, Leonard Bernstein, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B00000630X
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Macbeth: Preludio
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Che faceste? Dite su!
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Giorno non vidi mai (Macbeth - Banco)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Pro Macbetto! Il tuo signore
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - Due vaticini compiuti or sono (Macbeth - Banco)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene One - S'allontanarono!
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Nel di della vittoria io le incontrai
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Vien! t'affretta! (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Al cader della sera il re qui giunge (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Or tutti sorgete, ministri infernali (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Oh, donna mia! (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Sappia la sposa mia (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Regna il sonno su tutti
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Fatal mia donna! un murmure
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Allor questa voce m'intesi nel petto
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Il pugnal la riportate (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Di destarlo per tempo il re m'impose
Macbeth: Act One: Scene Two - Schiudi, inferno (Macduff - Banco - Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene One - Perche mi sfuggi (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene One - La luce langue (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Chi v'impose unirvi a noi?
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Studia il passo, o mio figlio!
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Two - Come dal ciel precipita (Banco)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Salve, o re! (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Si colmi il calice (Lady Macbeth - Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Tu di sangue hai brutto il volto (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Che ti scosta, o re mio sposo (Lady Macbeth - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Si colmi il calice
Macbeth: Act Two: Scene Three - Sangue a me quell'ombra chiede (Lady Macbeth - Macduff - Macbeth)

Tracks:

Macbeth: Act Three - Tre volte miagola la gatta in fregola
Macbeth: Act Three - Ballo
Macbeth: Act Three - Finche appelli (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Three - Fuggi, regal fantasima (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Three - Ondine e silfidi dall'ali candide
Macbeth: Act Three - Ove son io? (Macbeth - Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Patria oppressa!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - O figli miei!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Ah, la paterna mano (Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene One - Dove siam? che bosco e quello? (Macduff)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Two - Vegliammo invan due notti
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Two - Una macchia e qui tuttora (Lady Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Perfidi! All'Anglo contro me v'unite!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Pieta, rispetto, amore (Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Three - Ella e morta!
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Four - All'armi! all'armi! (Macduff - Macbeth)
Macbeth: Act Four: Scene Four - Vittoria! (Macduff)

Customer Reviews:

Verdi: Macbeth.......2007-03-11

While not on the level on the level of the sound quality of a recent digital recording, it is good, and its historic value makes up for the sound quality. I am glad I bought it.

The Goddess.......2006-01-17

I have to say that Callas, for me, despite all her versatility, has a voice that reminds me of these kinds of roles- Lady Macbeth, Abigaila or Tosca. "Hard and shouting roles". This recording proves me right, because rarely her voice sounds so adequately casted. She is absolutely brilliant. Baritone Macbeth is very expressive vocally as well, and the tenor is of a very interesting dramatic voice color. The quality of sound can be disapointing for those who are looking for an opportunity to enjoy the grand energy of "Macbeth", but that is not the prime purpose of this recording. Value it as a fantastic opportunity to expirience atmosphere in which a real diva and real opera lovers spent a wonderful and memorable night.

An Observation of Gino Penno's Macduff!.......2005-09-16

A great historical Macduff, Penno is available on two recordings in this role; very rare for this role and even more rare that his career lasted less then 8 years. I never "got" the role of Macduff, even though many famous tenors have spoken of its importance, they never have seemed to imbue this character with the excruciating pain and bereavement he endures. That was before I heard Gino Penno.

Penno's sound had been a mystery to me because it seemed too vacuous and throaty. I did not like it then, but I found out that he had one of the largest voices, if not the THE largest voice on the stage at that time, not just among tenors but all voices. Gruadually, I understood the unique timbre and grew to respect his tendency to hold back his voice and protect his musicality, which is quite careful and delicate.

In this performance, he brings Macduff to a Shakespearean level. His "innigkeit" is a surpassing experience. His plea "O figli, miei" is a sympathetic outpouring of pure pity and affection. He says it the way a real man and father would do. It is touching, of course, as it should be.

Penno is easy to ignore, especially when the Callasian volcano is erupting about him, but listen intently with a libretto in one hand and a hankerchief in the other ... to dry your tears.

MARIA ONCE AGAIN.......2005-08-26

I fell under Maria Callas' "spell" very early in my teens which coincided with the conclusion of her performing career. It was a time long before she was the legend that she is today. In fact, at that time (late 50's early 60's) for a person to even state in public that they liked (or in my case adored) Maria Callas put that person at risk of receiving a lot of ridicule which could very easily turn to scorn. At the time, she was either loved or hated. I'm afraid that during my teen years I, alas, seemed to find more hate than love for her. Therefore, being the nerdy kid that I was I retreated into my own private world which consisted mainly of my record player and the recordings of Maria Callas. I eventually succeeded in procuring all of her commercial recordings-which were my prized possessions. However, I avoided (mainly due to their poor sound quality) the (what was known at that time as) "pirated" recordings.
Now that I, again, have reached a time in my life that I am, sort of, retreating into my own private world, I find myself turning, once again, to Maria Callas and to her singing for some solace. This time, my emphasis is (and will be) her "live" recordings--what used to be called the "pirated" recordings. After all, the technology restoring these live recordings has advanced unbelievably far. This recording of Maria's complete Lady Macbeth is a prime example. It is stupendous to hear Maria tackle the entire opera and to hear it in reasonably good sound. This performance catches her at her vocal peak! There is nothing Verdi throws at her that she can't do. In addition, even at the young age that she was during these La Scala performances, she was a very mature artist and was dramatically awesome-no wonder she became a legend. At this time she was vocally able to do anything. WOW, what a performance!!
Do yourself a favor by purchasing this recording to hear WHY Maria Callas is the operatic legend that she is today

Bone-chilling and Evil.......2005-01-26

When Arturo Toscanini was making plans to conduct a performance of Verdi's Macbeth at La Scala, he had one singer in mind--Maria Meneghini Callas. For more than a hundred years, this Verdi opera was much neglected by hundreds of great artist because of the composer's demands for the voice--choked, evil, not even singing. Of course, with the passing of time, a great artist with the genius of bel canto singing, the ability to color each and every phrase accurately, and with the most powerful stage and dramatic presence, came along the scene. Such a soprano was Maria Callas. Of course, because of her disputes with the damned Antonio Ghirangelli, the head of La Scala at the time, the Toscanini Macbeth never took place. How fortunate we truly are, however, to have Callas sing the role in La Scala a few years later with the great Victor de Sabata conducting. Here, we hear a totally different Callas, an antiheroine bent on achieving her goals without care for moral justice. No other soprano or mezzo for that matter could have captured the Lady Macbeth that Callas poured out on La Scala for the audiences that she mesmerized with her ability to portray such a despicable character. What a brilliant artist she truly was! Her letter scene is undoubtedly the benchmark for any other letter scene read by successive ladies after her career. Her La Luce Langue is simply amazing. Her sleepwalking scene caused only her to gain more legions of fans. Her colleagues weren't too bad either. Enzo Mascherini was evil yet cowardly as Macbeth. Truly a great performance that night. Do not miss out on this recording.

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Intro!
A Great Introduction To The World's Greatest Tenor

Great Caruso

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
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The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli

ASIN: B000001HK8
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Vesti La Giubba
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Chiudo Gli Occhi (Dream Song)
Cielo E Mar!
M'Appari Tutt' Amor
Solenne In Quest'Ora
Che Gelida Manina
O Soave Fanciulla (Love Duet )
Del Tempoi Al Limitar
Celeste Aida
Se M'Ami Ancor...Al Nostri Monti Ritorneremo
Recondita Armonia
La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee
Mamma! Quel Vino E Generoso!
Oh! Mostruosa Colpa!...Si, Pel Ciel
Libiamo Ne'Leiti Calici
O Figli...Ah, La Paterna Mano
Mia Piccirella
Pimpinella
For You Alone
Trusting Eyes
Luna D'Estate
'O Sole Mio

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Intro!.......2004-05-04

You just gotta buy this one! It's fabulous! Made me a fan!!!

A Great Introduction To The World's Greatest Tenor.......2003-05-31

The transfers of the original accoutic 78's are very good and the selection gives you a great slice of the arias and songs that made him the benchmark for all tenors that have followed. This is a great introduction to his art and will make you want to get one of the complete sets.

Average customer rating:

Verdi is rolling in his grave
Nice sound, but an all time great?
Oh dear oh dear...
You're kidding, right?
The New Pavarotti

Salvatore Licitra - The Debut
Giuseppe Verdi , and Carlo Rizzi
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Love
Duetto
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The Tenor's Passion

ASIN: B000068TL8
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

Puccini: Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
Puccini: Turandot: Nessun dorma
Puccini: La Fanciulla Del West: Ch'ella mi creda
Puccini: Tosca: Recondita armonia
Puccini: Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Puccini: Madama Butterfly: Addio fiorito asil
Verdi: Aida: Celeste Aida
Verdi: La Forza Del Destino: La vita e inferno...Oh tu che in seno
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra: Sento avvampar nell'anima
Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera: Baccarole: Di tu se fedele
Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera: Forse la soglia attinse
Verdi: Macbeth: Ah! La paterna mano
Verdi: Il Trovatore: Manrico? Che?...Di quella pira

Amazon.com

Tenor Salvatore Licitra recently made headlines when he stepped in at the last moment for the, sad to say, probably finished Luciano Pavarotti at the Metropolitan Opera's final Toscas of the season. In fact, there's little Licitra could have done wrong under the circumstances, but he was a great success, and judging from his recent Trovatore and this recital CD, he will be most welcome. The good-sized, somewhat dark-hued voice is appealing--and truly Italian--with an innate caressing quality and sense of line, even from top to bottom (he takes the very low option in the Ballo Barcarolle, which most tenors take up an octave), and nice and free on top. He has no trouble sustaining the high tessitura (or big sound and broad phrases) of Alvaro's aria from Forza; he sounds sincerely regretful as the caddish Pinkerton, and might even be the Dick Johnson (in Fanciulla) we've been looking for. This is an impressive debut recital, recommended for those who have been waiting for Italian opera to fall back into the hands of an Italian tenor. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Verdi is rolling in his grave.......2007-02-24

Untrained, flat singing. Crap! Anyone who thinks this man can sing better than Luciano Pavarotti needs hearing aids and needs to go back and listen to tenors starting with Caruso and all the great tenors who came after him
As a voice teacher, conductor and tenor I can tell you that he CAN NOT SING!!!!

Nice sound, but an all time great?.......2007-01-09

I am hardly an expert, but I have mixed reactions to this CD. First, I think that Licitra's voice has a nice smooth sound to it. But it is also overmatched by some of the music.

I always love hearing tenors take a shot at Verdi's "Di quella pira" from "Il Trovatore." Once, in a moment of madness, I taped 10-15 tenors, back to back, singing this. What a range of singers! Caruso, Tucker, Corelli, and so on, and so on. Some great, some not so great, some poor. But you can really divide up the singers by listening to one after the other (ad nauseam). Truthfully, Licitra can't handle this work, compared with the greatest of those luminaries. His light voice is overwhelmed at the end by the orchestra and chorus. While his technique seems okay, he just doesn't have the voice to make this memorable. A Franco Corelli or Richard Tucker or Mario del Monaco just soars over the orchestra and chorus.

I thought he did much better in "Nessun Dorma" and the two Tosca arias, "E Lucevan le stella" and "Recondita armonia," and others. To me, his voice seemed to fit those more compellingly.

Again, keep in mind that I am not an expert, but his "Celeste Aida" featured (is this the right term?) scooping as he went from "celeste" to "Aida." I have a clear memory of listening to Richard Tucker singing this (I can't get my hands on the tape right now) where he went from one note to the other without a scoop. Same with "forma divina," if I understand aright.

All in all, "Debut" is a nice work, a promising start to a career, but we all ought to hold off on any comparisons with the greats until Licitra has a chance to grow and earn such accolades.

Oh dear oh dear..........2006-10-29

It gives me no pleasure at all to say that anyone with half an ear for good singing can tell within a few seconds that this is a voice going nowhere -as the last few years since this debut recital album have proved. This makes the previous rave reviews even more inexplicable; where do these people keep their ears? Licitra's technique is fundamentally faulty: he has a slow wobble even in the lower reaches of the voice and as he goes up the tone becomes cloudy and throaty - real problems around the so-called "passaggio" where a tenor can easily crack into the falsetto. The overall effect is of an ugly, unharmonious, effortful sound made by an improperly registered voice. He needs to start from scratch and listen to some better voices -as there are virtually no teachers who can help. That's how Del Monaco and Corelli got it right. Robert Levine is usually a very reliable critic - but his mind cannot have been focused on the job in hand if he truly believed what he wrote in the official Amazon review; NJ Keith, on the other hand, is spot on.

You're kidding, right?.......2006-08-22

I'm sorry, but those of you swooning over Licitra simply cannot have heard recordings from the true greats. If your idea of the pinnacle of operatic tenors begins and ends with Bocelli, may I introduce you to the likes of Franco Corelli, Mario Del Monaco, Jussi Bjoerling, Luciano Pavarotti (though not my favorite, still heads and shoulders above what's out there now), and Giuseppe DiStefano. These men were at the top of their profession when their profession was filled with talent, unlike today where any hack with more than one useful octave and a decent tone are considered "star material". It's a very sad commentary to the level of talent today that this man is considered a star.

The New Pavarotti.......2005-10-13

It's fair to say that today's reigning tenor is Salvatore Licitra from Sicily. He won instant, overnight fame when he subbed for Luciano Pavarotti, who, to the dismay of fans who regard him as a god, is way past his prime and can't sing or record full length operas anymore in the thrilling freshness of his youth. As Pavarotti's star faded, Licitra's ascended. He has already sung the great tenor roles in various American opera houses and his debut as the Met as Cavaradossi in Tosca was a relevation. This is debut album and already he has gone above and beyond. It is pretty amazing for a first album. He sings jucity tenor roles that have been the staple arias for Pavoratti, Domingo and Carreras. This is however not the first time his voice has been recorded. There is a full-length studio recording of Verdi's Trovatore in which he sins opposite Dolora Zajick. That Verdi is phenomenal and all fans of Licitra should own it.

Licitra opens the album with a stunning "E Lucevan La Stelle" from Tosca, still the opera he is most famous for interepreting. His Cavaradossi is a welcome change from past interpretors, though Licitra is more along the lines of Pavarotti's lyric bravura and razzle-dazzle than the more cerebral portrayals of Corelli, Domingo or Carrerras. Other impressive arias on here include "Di Quella Pira" from Trovatore, another successful Verdi venture of his. He has the right tone for Manrico's bravura and even passion. I foresee that this tenor's career will be composed of Verdi, Puccini, (perhaps Wagner if he trains hard for it) and certainly he has the voice for Mozart and French repertoire (possibly Hoffman is in his future or Romeo or Des Grieux if he hasnt already sung Des Grieux). His Calaf from Turandot is outstanding. He is more like Franco Corelli in some respects but his biggest influence is Pavarotti, no doubt about it. It's possible he will parallel the career of Roberto Alagna but any comparisons would be unfair since both singers bring in something different to the table. Let's hope the press doesn't pull the wool over our eyes and have Licitra and Alagna portrayed as rivals. If youre a fan of Licitra, this recording is a must have. I highly recommend it. It's gorgeous and he has a sexy, strong presence on stage. His eyes are the handsomest blue I have ever seen. He is the new Pavoratti and better too.

Average customer rating:

The main attractions are the stupendous Warren and Rysanek
ALL TIME BEST
A Legendary Album Of Verdi's Macbeth
Terribly disappointing
Superb!!

Giuseppe Verdi: Macbeth
Emilia Cundari , Osie Hawkins , Jerome Hines , Calvin Marsh , William Olvis , and Carlotta Ordassy
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verdi: Ernani (Complete) [Germany]
Giuseppe Verdi: Luisa Miller
Giuseppe Verdi: La Forza del Destino
Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine
Beethoven: Fidelio (Ger)

ASIN: B000003ENG
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Prelude
Act I, Scene 1: Che Faceste? Dite Su!
Act I, Scene 1: Giorno Non Vidi Mai Si Fiero E Bello!
Act I, Scene 1: Due Vaticini Compiuti Or Sono
Act I, Scene 1: S'allontanarono!
Act I, Scene 2: Nel Di Della Vittoria Io Le Incontrai...
Act I, Scene 2: Vieni! T'affretta! Accendere
Act I, Scene 2: Oh Donna Mia!
Act I, Scene 2: Sappia La Sposa Mia
Act I, Scene 2: Fatal Mia Donna!
Act I, Scene 2: Di Destarlo Per Tempo Il Re M'impose
Act I, Scene 2: Schiudi, Inferno, Inghiotti
Act II, Scene 1: Perche Mi Sfuggi
Act II, Scene 1: La Luce Langue
Act II, Scene 2: Chi V'impose Unirvi A Noi?
Act II, Scene 2: Studia Il Passo; Come Dal Ciel Precipita
Act II, Scene 3: Salve, O Re!
Act II, Scene 3: Si Colmi Il Calice

Tracks:

Act II, Scene 3: Voi Siete Demente!
Act II, Scene 3: Spirto D'abisso!
Act III: Tre Volte Miagola La Gatta
Act III: Che Fate Vio, Misteriose Donne?
Act III: Fuggi, Regal Fantasima
Act III: Ove Son Io?
Act III: Ora Di Morte E Di Vendetta
Act IV, Scene 1: Patria Oppressa!
Act IV, Scene 1: O Figli; Ah, La Paterna Mano
Act IV, Scene 1: Dove Siam? Che Bosco E Quello?
Act IV, Scene 2: Vegliammo Invan Due Notti
Act IV, Scene 2: Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Act IV, Scene 3: Perfidi! All' Anglo Contro Me
Act IV, Scene 3: Pieta, Rispetto, Amore
Act IV, Scene 3: Ella E Morta!
Act IV, Scene 3: Mal Per Me Che M'affidai
Act IV, Scene 3: Vittoria! Vittoria!

Customer Reviews:

The main attractions are the stupendous Warren and Rysanek.......2007-02-08

Note: Please ignore an undue number of negative votes for this review. They come from a few mindless stalkers.

You can throw a rock at random and hit a five-star review for practically anything at Amazon, especially when it comes to operas, but in this case the superlatives are deserved on two fronts. First and foremost is the young Leonie Rysanek, a great vocal actress who throws herself into the role of Lady Macbeth that every rival is swept off the stage except Callas. But Rysanek had a far more beautiful voice than Callas, and her two big arias are examples of vocal splendor.

The ohter star is the legendary Leonard Warren, but newcomers should be warned that by 1959 Warren's magnificent dark baritone had acquired some wobble under pressure and was slightly frayed around the edges. Even so, he is passionate, ruthless, and dramatically convincing in one of his signature roles.

Why, then, a reduction to four stars for the set as a whole? First, the sound. RCA didn't always manage stereo well, and here they often start an aria out completely in the left speaker and end it entirely in the right. Duets plunk one singer in each channel. You might not be as annoyed as I was, but in any event there's shrillness and microphone shatter to contend with, too, and a chorus placed at the very back of the stage.

The ohter, bigger negative is the brisk, uninflected conducting of the always rigid, sometimes disastrous Erich Leinsdorf. Here he's not terrible, thank goodnesss, but he's no asset, and the finicky Met orchestra plays routinely for him. Again, some opera lovers care only aobutt the voice and won't be as bothered as I was, but I'm sure Verdi cared deeply about the overall conception, not just one aria at a time. This is a one-aria-at-a-time performance graced by two stupendous voices.

ALL TIME BEST.......2005-02-03

This recording, in my opinion, is the overall ALL TIME BEST recording of this opera. I think this is an under rated Verdi opera. The music is very dramatic and listenable. It follows the story quite well also. The musical direction is perfect especially for the age of the recording. The direction is clear and energetic. Now, for singing. There are no words to describe Leonard Warren. I have not heard this recording since I was a teenager. I finally found the CD and listened to it the other day. Leonard Warren still sends chills. His large dramatic voice lends itself well to Macbeth. He gives power to the role where most other baritones just gives weakness. His voice is glorious. No other can match his incredible voice. As a far as Leonie Rysanek, I absolutely love this singer. I saw her in her "declining" years at the Met years ago in Electra and her voice was very youthful and beautiful. She is the finest Lady Macbeth ever. Her voice is even, her high notes are not pushed and over produced. She uses her beautiful voice well and I don't find myself cringing like I do with so many of today's voices. This truely is an era where singers took time to really learn to sing and you can hear it in this recording. Leonie is dramatic without sacrificing her voice. She uses many different colors, again without sacrificing her voice to do so. In addition, Lady Macbeth is a soprano role and should be sung by a soprano and not a mezzo no matter how high a mezzo can screatch up to the high notes. Jerome Hines is dark, musical, strong, and, well, perfect. You just couldn't get any better than that. If you are looking for a recording that is completely perfect, this is it. Yes, it has the slightly older sound that is quickly forgotten within seconds. They did a very good job in transferring this to CD. This is the second recording I have of this opera. The first is with Birgit Nilsson, another incredible recording with Nilsson and the orchestra as the stars. The Macbeth is okay and from there it goes down hill. But it is worth the price just for Nilsson. However, this recording of Warren and Reysanek is the best. I will never get tired of listening to these great artists. I wish we had them today.

A Legendary Album Of Verdi's Macbeth.......2004-11-27

Although it isn't perfect as some critics would have it, I find this recording sensational. The Metropolitan Opera conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, treats Verdi's Macbeth as an early grand opera of his, which it truly is. Macbeth is a sensational, dramatic and dark play and as an opera it is equally as electrifying. Verdi's first big success is credited as Nabucco but Macbeth is well-made, having many dramatic moments that should bring down the house. Leonard Warren was a famous baritone who was instantly a Met legend because he died on the stage of the Met of a heart attack after singing the lines "Morir tremenda cosi " "What a horrible thing is death" in the opera La Forze Del Destino by Verdi. Warren IS Macbeth, ambitious, driven, cruel, heartless. Everyone seems to think that he is the true reason you should get this recording. No other interpretor matches his performance.

As for Leonie Rysanek. She is incredible ! True she overacts, she is melodramatic and she sounds totally crazy, but I think this is how she should be performed. Critics have always admired Shirley Verrett's performance as Lady Macbeth, which they feel is more accurate on a human level. But I find that Rysanek is a fine Lady Macbeth. After all, the character is dark and crazy. At the beginning of the drama, she is ambitious, bloodthirsty and even more cruel than her husband. She drives her husband to murder and to seize power. She is the dark part of Macbeth's own nature. Such a strong woman suddenly turning crazy in the Mad Scene is incoherent. Therefore the singing and acting should come off as crazy ! It makes sense to me. No one sings like that then Leonie Rysanek who can sing in the classical diva style but with so much bite and fury. I find that she is doing a perfect job. This is an old recording with fine sound quality, with a great cast. Carlo Bergonzi sings the tenor role of Macduff, a tame performance but good nonetheless. He is meant to sound "noble" and "good" next to the dark Macbeth of Leonard Warren. This is why the role of Macbeth is a bass or baritone role. The tenors are rarely the villain. The great exception is Verdi's own creation in the Duke in Rigoletto. This opera is terrific and highly recommended. Don't just ignore it. Listen to the Macbeth that you will most like among the many recordings. But this one is one that ought to be on your exploration route.

Terribly disappointing.......2004-09-30

Let me be frank. I obtained this recording because of the other positive reviews here, and because I hold Leonard Warren in very high esteem as an artist. He is fantastic here as Macbeth. Leonie Rysanek, a soprano who normally didn't record well, is in excellent voice here. But a performance never really "happens," and I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of conductor Erich Leinsdorf, an experienced theater conductor who apparently had no feeling for Verdi. Leinsdorf's recordings of Puccini and Wagner operas are quite fine, but this one is DOA: stiff, lifeless, square as a cube, man.

Which is a shame because, as I say, Warren is incomparably the best Macbeth on records. Rysanek sings with power and musicality, but, you never really "feel" Lady Macbeth in her. The late Jerome Hines is an excellent Banquo, but Banquo's role is very small. Carlo Bergonzi sings the music of Macduff. That's all he does - sing notes. Very nicely, but he could as well be singing "Arrivaderci Roma" or "The Hut-Sut Song" for all the difference it makes, not an aria about his anguish in losing the family he loved. The Witches sound studied and bored. All in all, a very disappointing failure.

The finest performance of this much-maligned opera is still the 1952 Callas conducted by the great Victor de Sabata. You can see my comments at that listing.

Superb!!.......2003-09-26

This is a superb recording!! All the principal singers are in peak form. You will find it hard to surpass Leonard Warren as Macbeth. His voice is deep and powerful. His characterization appropriate. Rysanek is highly dramatic as Lady Macbeth. And she sings her high D flat full-throated. No screechy singing - just a full, glorious shimmering voice at a high D flat!! Jerome Hines is marvellous as Banquo. His voice is deep and powerful too, sounds a bit like Warren's voice. Conducting is excellent and sound is great. In wonderful stereo and no tape hiss. Very highly recommended.

Meditation Music:

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Walking with Thee [CD-single]

Carioca: Songs Of Vincent Youmans, Vol. 2

Debussy, Mozart and Prokofiev

Music: Fabulous: Guide Your Rocket [CD-single]

Dance

Gatecrasher Discotech

Au Coeur Des Andes [Import]

Carnival

Corrosion [Import]

Ca Ira (W/DVD) (Dig) (SPKG) [Hybrid SACD]

Bluing/Tune Up [Import]

Bienvenido Cortijo Y Rivera [Import]

De Nuevo...Mexico

Romantic Trombone Concertos

The Essential Billie Holiday Carnegie Hall Concert