Massenet: Le Roi de Lahore

Le roi de Lahore, opera in 5 acts (3 versions)
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with David Wilson-Johnson, John Tomlinson, James Morris, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Joan Sutherland, Sherrill Milnes, Huguette Tourangeau, Luis Lima
Conducted by Richard Bonynge

Massenet: Le Roi de Lahore,Sherrill Milnes,David Wilson-Johnson,Jules Massenet,Richard Bonynge,National Philharmonic Orchestra,Joan Sutherland,Huguette Tourangeau,James Morris,John Tomlinson,Luis Lima,Nicolai Ghiaurov,Polygram Records,Classical,Classical Music,French Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

Average customer rating:

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

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias

Average customer rating:

the way teens are to Britney or Madonna....
Villazon finds his niche...go French
Bad diction, engineering gimmicks besot otherwise noble effort
Bean sings?
A fine romantic interpreter

Rolando Villazon - Gounod · Massenet Arias
Rolando Villazon , Natalie Dessay , and Evelino Pido
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

ASIN: B0006IQM5I
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini... O Souverain
Enfin, Manon... En Fermant Les Yeux
Oui, Ce Qu'elle M'ordonne... Lorsque L'enfant Revient
L'amour! L'amour!... Ah! Leve-toi, Soleil
Source Dcieuse
Faiblesse De La Race Humaine!... Inspirez-moi, Race Divine
Voix Qui Me Remplissez D'une Ineffable Ivresse
Je Suis L'oiseau
Traduire... Pourquoi Me Riller
Anges Du Paradis
Salut, Tombeau
Salut, Demeure Chaste Et Pure
Je Suis Seul!... Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image
Je Vais La Voir!
Ah! Parais!

Amazon.com

Rolando Villazon's follow-up CD to his sensational debut recital of Italian arias is devoted to music by Gounod and Massenet: some as familiar as Faust's, Romeo's and Des Grieux's arias, some as rare as pieces from Gounod's Polyeucte and La Reine de Saba and Massenet's Roma and Le Mage. But almost more important than the interesting repertoire, familiar or otherwise, is Villazon's handling of the music. In Werther's passionate Act II outburst to God about suicide, which is almost never excerpted, Villazon manages, in four minutes, to create a complete character, with all his neuroses, mania, and desperation--and he caps it with a ringing high B natural which is as beautiful as it is heartfelt. He sings both of Des Grieux's arias with feeling and tenderness (aided in "Le reve" by Natalie Dessay!). An aria from La Reine de Saba turns out to bequite a showpiece, with a drop-dead high C at its close. As singing and as interpreting, this CD is a must-have. Villazon's dark-hued, expressive tone is always used in the service of the music, and following his career will be a joy for all lovers of great tenorizing. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

the way teens are to Britney or Madonna...........2007-01-04

Villazon brings out the teenybopper in me. I could wear the grooves out!~just as I did with my early heros at 12 and 13 years of age. Seriously, his sound, phrasing and timbre are transcendent and ethereal. May the music never end.

Villazon finds his niche...go French.......2006-02-25

Rather than beefing up his voice for the big (money-paying) Italian roles that are one size too large for him, Rolando Villazon naturally excels in these roles from Gounod and Massenet. The narrow French vowels add a needed edge and vibrancy to his voice, the placement of the music in the head tones brings out Villazon's best timbre, and he seems temperamentally suited to refined heros. In fact, it's remarkable to hear the transformaiton here when comparing him in the recent DG La Traviata, where his Alfredo was convincing but hard work. French opera is rhtorical and poetic rather than visceral and passionate. I think Villazon fits that mold, as nearly eery aria here domonstrates.

Bad diction, engineering gimmicks besot otherwise noble effort.......2006-02-02

A tenor very quickly on the rise, this is Villazon's second recital disc, one devoted to arias by Gounod and Massenet, all in sets of three, three for Massenet, and two for Gounod. While still showing great promise, some concerns that were mildly serious with the first disc are even more so, in the French repertoire, in part because diction comes up so short here.

"O souverain" from Le Cid continues to show Villazon's command of line and squeezed but adequately forceful upper register, so that the volume boosts from the control room are really unnecessary. Diction here is already an issue, as many `u' vowels get dipthonged, especially when Villazon's sound is placed back for added weight and volume. `La reve' from Massenet's Manon is comfortably floated, with support from Natalie Dessay as Manon enhancing the intimacy of feeling to this number. Would Villazon been able to sing the short aria by Alain (who appears to the heroine at first to perhaps be little more than an apparition - shades of Frau ohne schatten perhaps? - in almost a chamber opera), from Massenet's Griselidis (track 8), at least as softly and lightly, as both the music and dramatic situation require, this could have also been very successful. He instead turns the ABA shape of this mere chanson inside out and makes a wreck of it.

The less often excerpted "Lorsque enfant" from Werther closes out the first Massenet set, as does "Pourquoi me reveiller" the second. Villazon's identification with the distraught main character of this opera is abundantly clear in both. He capitalizes well on the quixotic emotions and dreamy tendencies of the distraught main character especially well in the first selection, and he is also less intruded upon by the producers or sound engineers there as well.

It is quite curious how the control room follows the tenor up a crescendo on a line that closes out the first section of the excerpt here from Massenet's Roi de Lahore, featuring a hero (from Hindu myth) that bound to certain stipulations, has literally returned from the dead. Not quite as ostentatious as Massenet's near remake of Lohengrin, Esclarmonde (but with female protagonist instead), it is one of Massenet's most colorful scores. It has only been recorded complete once commercially, with Joan Sutherland, Luis Lima, and appearing only ten minutes apart, James Morris, and for the part of General unfortunately eliminated from this scene here, John Tomlinson, along with one other cut to Villazon's part. It would've been more valuable to have all this complete instead of one or two other arias. He captures the incipiently worried tone of Alim well, but his coloring up the vowel sounds makes it seem that he has come from a place as remote from French culture as where the opera takes place.

Most successful of the Gounod selections are two of the three rarities. The first is Source delicieuse from Polyeucte, based on the Corneille play. It opens very well with a minute of orchestral cortege. It perhaps has only been recorded once before and well, by Roberto Alagna ten years ago; Villazon conveys the heroism of the piece somewhat well, if not as securely as Alagna. Anges du paradis from Mireille (which Mirella Freni championed and recorded complete for EMI), is third, perhaps a study for Ah leve toi, soleil (Romeo), several years down the road. The second Gounod rarity on this disc is "Inspirez-moi, race divine," said to be a Caruso favorite, from Reine de Saba. Its text indicates King Solomon's prize hired builder, Adoniram, to be a very confident, if mildly haughty chap. Villazon's interpretation seems to portray a hero that constantly has to look behind his back, with all the incipiently yet controllably vibrato ridden throb and backphrasing Villazon engages in here. The high C at the end, however, is convincing. Such device as in the above, also accents and colors most phrasing in the tomb scene from Romeo et Juliette.

"Ah! leve toi soleil" opens the first Gounod set, and is sung with the right ardor, conventionally marked by tiny captured scoops, coming off phrases. Villazon's entrance and two later lines catch for having placed so far back in the throat, and intonation gets momentarily derailed. "Salut, demeure" from Gounod's Faust quickly becomes expressively leaden and monochrome.

Recitative and the beginning of the aria, "Ah! fuyez" from Manon begin well nuanced enough, and for the aria, truly softly as a change from so much else on this disc, but all-purpose bench pressing and volume boosts intrude before long. That leaves two truly atmospheric selections from two Massenet rarities, to close this recital - first, an aria from Roma, Massenet's swan song for the lyric theater and "Ah! parais" from Le Mage, opera with plot line similar to that of Verdi's Aida, following. The melody, introduced by the cellos at the outset for the latter, somewhat takes after "Pays merveilleux" from Meyerbeer's Africaine, but in more voluptuous color, such as in Thais, and Villazon and Pido both capitalize well on its opulence. Pido's work, on numerous other numbers on this disc, seems heavy, lumbering, cloying, or just simply out of his idiom, so to speak.

Word has it that Villazon, while not having a big voice, is dramatically exciting on stage and probably more immediately engaged with the content of what he is singing. How this picked up a major award from Gramophone, for the specific problems this disc has, and over two more qualified nominations (Ciofi/Di Donato Handel Duets and a Florez album) is mystifying. So much digression here is over the very specific demands that French opera makes on singers. There's much reason for hope for this tenor, but this disc, for two-thirds of it, does little to help fulfill it.

Bean sings?.......2006-01-05

A friend lent me Villazon's debut album as an introduction to the man. I loved it - but this is the one I have bought. If, like me, you have tired of the comparisons between Villazon and others (esp Domingo) fear not, this artist is an original. I must confess that on seeing the cover I wondered if Brit comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean / Black Adder - now there's a new comarison!) had strayed into the wrong studio, but a few tracks into either disc and you'll know you're listening to the real thing. True, he has baritonish notes in the lower register, and an easy reach for the upper notes but I honestly have not heard anyone quite like him before. His is a warm voice with an early maturity that should ensure he has a long career ahead of him. His diction is excellent, without the staccato enunciation or lack of French interpretation abilities that mar lesser singers' performances. Such vocal ease makes the sung word seem as natural as the spoken word is to us lesser mortals. That his song selection moves away from the 'usual suspects' of the tenor repertoire is to his great advantage; he knows what suits him and he brings each piece to new life. The overly familiar tracks of which there are thankfully few serve only to highlight through comparison to those we know Villazon's unique timbre and interpretation. This collection includes inspired music choices, incomparable renditions, marvellous orchestration and leaves the listener keenly anticipating his next release. The recording and production are impeccable (worth ***** in their category). It does not get much better than that. Atkinson may make you laugh (or not) - Villazon will make you smile and keep you feeling that way.

A fine romantic interpreter.......2005-12-20

If not quite a poet in the manner of, say, Edmond Clément, Rolando Villazón is a first rate romantic interpreter. His French is surprisingly good and he really understands how this school of writing needs to be lived and phrased, so that he doesn't summarily yell through all phrases like some "Italian" second-rater: he shades and molds the music in the elegant style of great French tenors of a bygone era: Clément, Franz, Dalmorès, Beyle, Vaguet, Scaremberg, D' Arkor, Thill...

Just like the damned record companies to give us a mere CD of Rolando Villazón's lovely art, whilst recording the above "Italian" second-rater in every complete French rôle under the sun!

Villazón's voice itself is more like a Spanish tenor's in timbre, none too pellucid, but a manly, resonant instrument of middle weight, which he never forces.

I don't know who Evelino Pido is, or how he got through school with that name, but he is a damned sight better than the much-touted Pappano (as in EMI's horrible latest Manon.) There are no metronomic run-throughs [RUIN-throughs!] on this disk.

If you adore Gounod and Massenet as I do, this CD will be very good news indeed to you.

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The Voice
WHAT A SURPRISE!
indispensable!

French Opera Arias - Denyce Graves
Georges Bizet , Gaetano Donizetti , Hector Berlioz , Edouard Lalo , Ambroise Thomas , Marc Soustrol , and Monte Carlo Philharmonic
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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American Anthem
Kaleidoscope
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ASIN: B000269S5A
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A La Voix
Printemps Qui Commence
O Ma Lyre Immortelle
D'Amour L'Ardente Flamme
Air Des Lettres
Air Des Larmes
Connais-Tu Le Pays
De Tous Cotes J'Apercois Dans La Plaine
Nour Eddin, Roi De Lahore
L'Ai-Je Bien Entendu... O Mon Fernand

Customer Reviews:

The Voice.......2007-03-29

I purchased this CD after seeing and hearing The San Diego Opera production of Samson and Delilah. Denyce Graves' voice stayed in my mind and I longed to hear it again. I was not disappointed when I received the French Opera Arias CD. I have listened to it many times and it never fails to take me back to the experience of hearing her on the stage. I recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates the voice of a great mezzo-soprano.

WHAT A SURPRISE!.......2005-01-28

I'm not really into Ms. Graves, despite the fact I own most of her CDs. I thought before this is an attractive enough voice and good enough of a performer, but a bit bland interpretively (as was the case with her Christmas CD and her first RCA recital). Luckily, that's not the case with this new CD, very happy to report. There seems to be more heft and bloom to her voice and far more interpretive involvement. At times she reminds me of a young Grace Bumbry. Praise for including the little-known items from Roi d'Ys and Djamileh and O mon Fernand in French. I wish she had included the beautiful but brief recitative before 'O ma lyre immortele' (most mezzos include it on their recital albums). At 58 minutes it isn't as if we would go into overtime on the CD (and why not also include the King of Thule aria from Damnation, Amour viens from Samson and some other goodies while we're at it?). Nonetheless, it is recommended.

indispensable!.......2004-11-12

Buy it as soon as possible. This CD is a new edition of the "Heroines, french romantic opera arias" first solo recital of Denyce Graves on disc, now a CD very hard to find and extremely expensive. There have been several reviews and comments about this recordings for it is one of the greatest recitals on disc of the french mezzo repertoire. This is probably the best recorded work of Denyce Graves until today: the voice is fresh, round, seductive, beautiful: everything you want of a mezzosoprano voice, and now easy to find and in a very accessible price.

Average customer rating:

Favorite French Excerpts

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000A1HO1
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguidille) - Rosa Ponselle
Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient - Emmy Destinn
Votre Toast (Toreador Song) - Lawrence Tibbett
La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee (Flower Song) - Enrico Caruso
Je Dis Que Rien Me N'Epouvante - Claudia Muzio
Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur - Enrico Caruso
Depuis Le Jour - Grace Moore
Vainement, Ma Bien Aimee (Aubade) - Edmond Clement
Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue (Bell Song) - Lily Pons
O Casto Fior (O Chaste Fleur) - Riccardo Stacciari
Egli E Bel (Il Est Doux, Il Est Bon) - Claudia Muzio
Instant Charmant...En Fermant Les Yeux - Jussi Bjorling
Ah! Dispar Vision (Ah! Fuyez, Douce Image) - Tito Schipa
Je Viens Celebrer La Victoire - Louise Homer
Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix - Wanda Werminska
A Vos Jeux, Mes Amis (Mad Scene) - Nellie Melba
Mi Par D'Udir Ancora (Je Crois Entendre Encore) - John McCormack
Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Marcel Journet

Tracks:

Ah! Leve-Toi, Soleil - Jussi Bjorling
Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve (Juliet's Waltz Song) - Amelita Galli-Curci
Que Fais-Tu Blanche Tourtourelle? - Elisaveta Petrenko
Valse Infernale - Juste Nivette
O Paradiso (O Paradis) - Beniamino Gigli
Piff! Paff! - Paul Aumonier
Au Mont Ida - Jussi Bjorling
Legend Of Kleinzach - Richard Tauber
Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille (Doll's Song) - Lily Pons
Ah! Non Credevi Tu (Elle Ne Croyait Pas) - Giuseppe Di Stefano
Je Suis Titania - Lily Pons
Addio Mignon (Adieu, Mignon) - Ferruccio Tagliavini
Pourquoi Me Reveiller - Giovanni Martinelli
Ah! Tout Es Bien Fini...O Souverain - Enrico Caruso
O Sainte Medaille...Avant De Quitter Ces Lieux - Lawrence Tibbett
Le Veau D'Or - Pol Plancon
Salut! Demeure Chaste Et Pure - Jussi Bjorling
Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir (Jewel Song) - Nellie Melba
Vous Qui Faites L'Endormie - Feodor Chaliapin
All'Erta, All'Erta - Gina Cigna
Sous Les Pieds - Ezio Pinza

The Golden Age of Singing, Volume One 1900 - 1910

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The Golden Age of Singing, Volume One 1900 - 1910

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Golden Age of Singing: Vol. 3 1920-1930
Prima Voce Treasury of Opera, Vol. 1
The Prima Voce Treasury of Opera, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00004RJIY
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

The Queen Of Spades: Forgive Me, Heavenly Being - Nikolay Figner
Marta: Chi Mi Dira (Porter Song) - Edouard de Reszke
La Sonnambula: Il Mulino, If Fonte... Vi Ravviso, O Luoghio Ameni - Pol Plancon
Otello: Niun Mi Tema - Francesco Tamagno
L'Elisir D'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Enrico Caruso
Aida: Fuggiam Gli Andori Inospiti (Nile Scene) - Celestina Boninsegna/Giovanni Valls
Otello: Era La Notte - Victor Maurel
Otello: Credo In Un Dio Crudel - Eugenio Giraldoni
Lohengrin: Einsam In Truben Tagen (Elsa's Dream) - Felia Litvinne
Don Pasquale: Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere... So Anch'io La Virtu Magica - Rosina Storchio
Ernani: O Sommo Carlo - Mattia Battistini/Emilia Corsi/Luigi Colazza/Aristodemo Sillich/La Scala Chor
Luisa Miller: Ah Fede Negar Potessi... Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Alessandro Bonci
Romeo Et Juliette: Je Veux Vivre Dans Ce Reve (Waltz Song) - Emma Eames
L'Elisir D'Amore: Chiedi All'aura Lusingheira - Maria Galvany/Aristodemo Giorgini
Die Zauberflote: O Isis Und Osiris - Wilhelm Hesch
A Life For The Tsar: They Guess The Truth - Vladimir Kastorsky
La Sonnambula: Ah, Non Credea Mirarti - Adelina Patti/Alfredo Barili
Le Roi De Lahore: Promesse De Mon Avenir - Maurice Renaud
Le Prophete: Sopra Berta L'amor Mio - Francesco Vignas
La Favorita: A Tanto Amor - Mario Ancona
Don Pasquale: Sogno Soave E Casto - Giuseppe Anselmi

Tracks:

La Gioconda: Cosi Mantieni Il Patto?... Ebbrezza! Delirio! - Eugenia Burzio/Giuseppe De Luca
Carmen: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera) - Emma Calve
Manon: Il Sogno (En Fermant Les Yeux) - Fernando De Lucia
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Heil'ge Quelle - Lilli Lehmann
Lucrezia Borgia: Di Pescatore Ignobile - Francesco Marconi
Rigoletto: Caro Nome - Nellie Melba
Simon Boccanegra: A Te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacerato Spirito - Francesco Navarrini
Hunyadi Laszlo: Ah Rebeges - Lillian Nordica
Hamlet: O Vin, Discaccia La Tristezza - Titta Ruffo
Madama Butterfly: Con Onor Muore - Emmy Destinn
Les Huguenots: A Ce Mot - Olimpia Boronat
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: La Calunnia E Un Venticello - Adamo Didur
Le Cid: O Souverain! O Juge! O Pere! - Vilhelm Herold
Les Huguenots: O Beau Pays De La Touraine - Antonina Nezhdanova
Rienzi: Grechter Gott! - Ernestine Schumann-Heink
Semiramide: Bel Raggio Lusinghier - Marcella Sembrich
Lucrezia Borgia: Il Segreto Per Esser Felice - Clara Butt
Gotterdammerung: Fliegt Heim Ihr Raben - Johanna Gadski
Falstaff: Quand' Ero Paggio - Antonio Scotti
Die Konigin Von Saba: Magische Tone - Leo Slezak
Mefistofele: Giunto Sul Passo Estremo - Dmitri Smirnov
May Night: Sleep, My Beauty - Leonid Sobinov
Simon The Cellarer - Sir Charles Santley

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The Harold Wayne Collection, Vol.11

Manufacturer: Symposium
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

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Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009JSI
Release Date: 1994-09-01

Michael Schade & Russell Braun - Soirée française / Richard Bradshaw

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Outstanding!
What sweet music!

Michael Schade & Russell Braun - Soirée française / Richard Bradshaw
Jules Massenet , Ambroise Thomas , Daniel-Francois-Esprit Auber , Edouard Lalo , Gaetano Donizetti , Charles Gounod , Ferdinando Paer , Etienne-Nicolas Méhul , Gioachino Rossini , Richard Bradshaw , Michael Schade , Russell Braun , Canadian Opera Company Orchestra , and Peter Cook
Manufacturer: Cbc
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

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French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Michael Schade & Russell Braun - Serata Italiana / Richard Bradshaw

ASIN: B000003WUJ
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Les Pecheurs de perles, Acte I: C'est toi!... Au fond du temple saint
Le Roi de Lahore, Acte IV: Aux troupes du Sultan... Promesse de mon avenir
Cleopatre, Acte II: A-t-il dit vrai?... Solitaire sur ma terrasse
Le Roi d'Ys, Acte III: Puisqu' on ne peut flechir... Vainement ma bien-aimee
Manon, Acte II: En fermant les yeux
Sapho, Acte I: Ai-je devine?... Puis-je oublier, o ma Glycere
Le Songe d'une nuit d'ete, Acte II: Ou suis-je?
Hamlet, Acte II: O vin, dissipe la tristesse
La Favorite, Acte II: Leonor viens... Leonor, mon amour brave
La Muette di Portici, Acte I: Mais j apercois Pietro... Mieux vant mourir
Le Maitre de chapelle, Acte I: Ah! quel bonheur de pressentir... Pour imiter son seducteur
Le Legende de Joseph en Egypte, Acte I: Vainement Pharaon... Champs paternels
Moise et Pharaon, Acte II: Moment fatal

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2007-01-23

In an era when broadcast recitals are an increading rarity, listening to an album like this is a very special treat. Listening to Schade and Braun provides an exquisite evening's entertainment, what genuinely used to be called a "soiree" in the good old days. I can't say enough for this album; both their phrasing and their enthusiasm are infectious and highly enjoyable. A real treat!!

What sweet music!.......2000-08-28

This compilation of french classics is artistically priceless. Michael Schade and Russell Braun deliver charm and beauty mixed with subtle sadness on certain pieces, that only true musical genius can convey effectively. Michael Schade's crystal clear voice is pure, sweet and high, a gift that few possess and even fewer utilize. I would listen to Michael Schade over Pavarotti any day of the week! Russell Braun delivers an equally endearing baritone voice that conveys dramatic phrases as well as more expressive passages.

It is this type of quality music that makes me fiercely proud to be Canadian. I only wish that more Canadians would see the value of this art and push their elected representatives to keep it alive and make it thrive. To read more on this topic, read the article Richard Bradshaw has written on the Canadian Opera Company Web Page.

Customer Reviews:

What a great piece of work.......2004-08-01

This is one of the best opera recordings, period! I think Sita has got to be the most vocally demanding role in French opera, hands down. I don't know if there's another soprano who would have pleased me more -- maybe Sills (or Caballé if she had the high notes). Another thing, this opera needs a dramatic sound and dramatic acting in general. Sutherland is absolutely superb in this aspect. She really understood Sita. I just love this opera. I can't stop listening to it. Thank you, Massenet! And the guy that plays the Roi de Lahore is a superb dramatic tenor. I'm surprised he isn't more famous than he is.

Again, such a great piece. This is why Massenet is my favorite French composer (second would be Offenbach -- got love Hoffmann)

Sutherland's "other" Massenet role.......2003-08-10

This rare Massenet opera will undoubtedly never be recorded again. This was one of those roles that was the whim of Sutherland's husband, one that she resisted, but sang and recorded. In her memoirs, A Prima Donna's Progress, she confesses to have had some degree of trouble with the singing line. In terms of singing, it doesn't compare to her better known and critically praised Esclarmonde. The opera itself is not nearly as grand as Esclarmonde, either. However, for true Sutherland fans, it is a rarity worth owning, if you ever find it. The second act is particularly lovely. She sings a lovely duet with Tourangeau, that sounds vaguely similar to the flower duet from Lakme. Then, Tourangeau sings a very seductive aria, one that Denyce Graves would be perfect for, if not for the fact that she doesn't sing in the upper register very well. Tourangeau sings those top notes, and mesmerizes with her chesty tone.

Sutherland's "other" Massenet role.......2003-08-10