Hola

1. Hora de Partir

2. No Soy un Juguete

3. Como Amigos

4. Hola

5. Aun Te Quiero

6. Frente a Frente

7. Historia Mas

8. Corazón

9. Travesura

10. Tu Cruel Traicion

Hola,Grupo Bryndis,Fonovisa Inc.,Latin,Latin Pop,Mexican

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Average customer rating: warning: no libretto Excellent in every way, yet another ignored Verdi Voice! Musical Sheet Lightning

Verdi: La Forza del Destino Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Il Trovatore Verdi: Macbeth Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia Verdi: Attila Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / Arroyo · Domingo · Cappuccilli · Cossotto · Grist · NPO · Muti ASIN: B000BO0GPO Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

1. Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra
2. Introduzione-Scena: 'Buona Notte, Mia Figlia' - John Tomlinson
3. Recitativo: 'Temea Restasse Qui Fino A Domani' - Jean Rigby
4. Romanza: 'Me Pellegrina Ed Orfana' - Rosalind Plowright
5. Scena: 'M'aiuti, Signoria' - Jean Rigby
6. Duetto: 'Ah, Per Sempre, O Mio Bell'angiol...Seguirti Fino Agl'ultimi' - Jose Carreras
7. Scena-Finale I: 'E Tardi...Vil Seduttor' - Various Artists
8. Coro-Ballabile: 'Hola, Hola, Hola! Ben Giungi, O Multattier' - Mark Curtis
9. Scena: 'La Cena E Pronta'/Recitativo: 'Viva La Guerra' - Various Artists
10. Canzone: 'Al Suon Del Tamburo' - Various Artists
11. Preghiera: 'Padre Eterno Signor...Pieta Di Noi' - Various Artists
12. Scena: 'Viva La Buona Compagnia'/Recitativo: 'Poich'imberbe E L'incognito' - Various Artists
13. Ballata: 'Son Pereda, Son Ricco D'onore' - Various Artists
14. Scena, Coro E Ripresa Della Danza: 'Sta Bene' - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Aria: 'Son Giunta! Grazie, O Dio!...Madre, Pietosa Vergine' - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
2. Scena: 'Chi Siete?' - Juan Pons
3. Scena E Duetto: 'Chi Mi Cerca?...Infelice, Delusa, Reietta' - Paata Burchuladze
4. Finale II: 'Il Santo Nome Di Dio Signore...La Vergine Degli Angeli' - Various Artists
5. Scena: 'Attenti Al Gioco' - Jose Carreras
6. 'La Vita E Inferno All'infelice' - Jose Carreras
7. Romanza: 'Oh, Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli' - Jose Carreras
8. Scena E Duettino: 'Al Tradimento...Amici In Vita, In Morte' - Jose Carreras
9. Scena: 'All'armi!'/Battaglia: 'Arde La Mischia!'/Scena: 'Piano...Qui Posi' - Various Artists
10. Duettino: 'Solenne In Quest'ora' - Renato Bruson
11. Scena: 'Morrir! Tremenda Cosa!' - Renato Bruson
12. Aria: 'Urna Fatale Del Mio Destino...Egli E Salvo! Oh Gioia Immensa' - Jose Carreras

Tracks:

1. Ronda: 'Compagni, Sostiamo' - Abrosian Opera Chorus
2. Scena E Duetto: 'Ne Gustare M'e Dato Un'ora Di Quiete...Oh Tradimento!' - Renato Bruson
3. Coro: 'Lorche Pifferi E Tamburi' - Abrosian Opera Chorus
4. Strofe: 'Venite All'indovina' - Agnes Baltsa
5. Scena: 'Que, Vivandiere, Un Sorso' - Agnes Baltsa
6. Arietta: 'A Buon Mercato'/Coro: 'Pane, Pan Per Carita' - Various Artists
7. 'Che Vergogna!' - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. Coro-Taratella: 'Nella Guerra, E La Follia' - Various Artists
9. Predica: 'Toh, Toh! Poffare Il Mondo'/(Recitativo): 'Lasciatelo Ch'ei Vada' - Juan Pons
10. Rataplan: 'Rataplan' - Various Artists
11. Coro Ed Aria Buffia: 'Fate La Carita...Che? Siete All'osteria?' - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
12. Scena E Duetto: 'Auf! Pazienza Non V'ha Che Basti...Del Mondo I Disinganni'/Scena: 'Giunge Qualcun..Aprite' - Paata Burchuladze
13. Scena E Duetto: 'Invano, Alvaro, Ti Celasti Al Mondo...Col Sangue Sol Cancellasi L'infamia' - Renato Bruson
14. Melodia: 'Pace, Pace, Mio Dio' - Jean Rigby
15. Scena E Terzetto Finale: 'Io Muoio...Confessione!...Non Imprecare, Umilitati' - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

warning: no libretto.......2007-02-22

This is a good recording, no doubt about it, but costumers should be aware of the fact that there is no libretto included, but only a detailed synopsis.

Excellent in every way, yet another ignored Verdi Voice!.......2007-01-06

Fortunately, we do not have too many recordings of Forza to choose from. It is hard to cast those roles, so dramatic and long winded and phrases requiring piano and fortissimo and Rosalind Plowright was up to the challenge, but you need more than a big voice to justify Forza, you need TEXTURE too - depth, width, and sheen! No wonder, the opera has vanished from the repertory.

According to what I've heard, she was a Verdi soprano par excellence! Her tendency to cut the top notes short, play with the rhythm at times, and bottle up the tone can't detract from that awesome exciting voice AND that excellent Verdi beat. HOWERVER, Rosalind Plowright seemed to assiduously avoid the typical Verdian soprano sound a la Milanov, Price, Dunn, and Arroyo etc but opted for a brighter sound every bit as huge and crisp as Crespin and as veiled as the Callas of the 1960's. All this makes for an avalanche of a voice that must have raised the roof. She is very very thrilling to hear and this explains why she was a Verdi soprano of choice in Europe during the Milllo and Dunn years. I assume her voice didn't please everyone because it was unwieldy at the top, again like Crespin and also the tone hardened at times; in fact, i must repeat, she sounds exactly like a combination of Callas and Crespin. But make no mistake, those great divas never wrapped their great voices around Verdian phrases like Plowright, especially in .."Son Giunto, grazie o Dio" for in this regard she joins that long line of Verdians going way back to Arangi-Lombardi, Ponselle, and Milanov -- this is Art and anyone who has studied Verdi can identify a Verdian of this caliber. You Verdians out there know what I mean.

Carerras is close to the microphone, and this forcing does not do well in Verdi. Nevertheless, there is an honesty with this man, a passion, an innate truth. I prefer him dead or alive to Domingo, but he is not at the technical level of Domingo or Aragall. Preziosilla is Ms. Baltsa, and how well she sings. I am a FAN of RENATO BRUSON so its not fair to sing his praises!

Giuseppe Sinopoli is intense and he achieves a noble Verdi sound appropriate for Forza, nice and warm sounding but rhythmic indeed. I do like his work in this Forza and I think his work as a Verdian has NOT been bettered, not even by Jimmy Levine who I also really like. However, Trovatore belonged to Zubin Mehta and Humberg (I think I spelled it right - he is on the Naxos Trovatore)

TOP MODERN VERDI -- THAT IS MY ASSESSMENT!

Musical Sheet Lightning.......2006-10-11

Although Verdi's basic style was established early in Nabucco (1842), he keeps getting better down through the 1860s with the spectacular La Forza del Destino and Don Carlo. In listening to his operas after 1870, I am too familiar with Aida and Otello to be deeply impressed with them; and I have never cared for Falstaff. The progress toward "true music drama" climaxing in Otello does not concern me although Boito's brilliant libretto makes that 1887 opera one of Verdi's best. The setting and plot of La Forza del Destino interest me more than any other Verdi opera. The accidental killing of a father, the brother's irrational but deadly vendetta and ,above all, the role played by Italian monasticism capture my imagination. Verdi's supercharged music is convincing at every point. What could be more electric than the brooding overture with its mournful clarinet melody? Leonora prays convincingly to the Virgin and then with a group of monks in Act II. I recall the role played by Italian monasticism in Ann Radcliffe's striking novel The Italian published in the 1790s, the same decade that Cherubini's Medee set the pattern of "grand opera," a basic element in Verdi despite all the talk about "music drama" without arias. Ewen observes, "With its pronounced dramatic content and enriched harmonic and orchestral writing, La Forza del Destino represents a gradual departure from the style of La Traviata toward that of Aida." I prefer to see this brilliant opera as a end in itself apart from any progressive scheme.

I appreciate most the interaction of keen drama with religion in a form preferable to the rather morbid religious-secular dualism of Wagner's Tannhauser. Although Verdi's monks may sing quietly, the religious element blends with the plot more convincingly than in Wagner's schematically opposed Pilgrim's Chorus and Venusberg music. Even more striking is the contrast between Verdi's opera and Tchaikovsky's frantic Eugen Onegin where the protagonist's stupid egotism results in a tragic duel. In Act IV of La Forza del Destino the noble lover Alvaro tries to convince the vengeful Carlo that "God alone can bring retribution." Although Carlo murders his sister and Alvaro is weak enough to curse his "destiny" (secular language for the overruling sovereignty of God), the last word goes to Padre Guadiano in "Non imprecare, umiliati." In addition to all these features the performance gives us Agnes Baltsa as an entertaining gypsy Preziosilla. Verdi measures out just the right amount of this change of pace rather than making us wallow in it as does Bizet's Carmen. In his great tragic opera, Verdi proves once for all that one of the best forms of opera is high-tension theater. His work forms a perfect complement to the operas of Meyerbeer.

Average customer rating: say it BEST love song!!!always the no.1 in my list Great Cd, Great Love Song, Wonderful ! VOT!!! :o) A great group with wonderful songs for hopeless romantics.

Voices of Theory Voices of Theory Manufacturer: Hola Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Nu Flavor Uncle Sam Love Crimes 4.0 Cheers 2 U ASIN: B000001DSM Release Date: 1998-04-21

Tracks:

1. Get Down
2. Inside
3. Somehow
4. Say It
5. Wherever You Go
6. If I Knew
7. It's Been Awhile
8. I'll Give My Love To You
9. Can We Go Back
10. How Can I Say Goodbye
11. Fly Away
12. Dimelo (Say It)

Customer Reviews:

say it.......2002-12-29

i love this song it is mine and my husbens song we got married to it last month i love your music and your group keep up all the hard work you r doing
beth little

BEST love song!!!always the no.1 in my list.......2002-01-06

When the first time me and my girlfriend heard it we were so touched,we rushed to record it straight from the radio trying to catch the DJ announce who are these awesome guys singing such prefect song?but I heard something like Voices Of BERRY????I searched it high and low and even took a train to Singapore just to get this CD,it's 6 hours long journey.I hopped up the moment I saw it in store,it's just 2 left.I quickly get one and paid for it
This song SAY IT means so much to me and my girlfriend,it's our song,so it's worth all the effort.
The moment I write this,my girlfriend is no longer by my side,she's been away.It brings tears to my eyes when I heard this song playing till I couldn't sleep the whole night.Believe me,this song can bring back so many memories,it's magic!A very romantic song ...

Great Cd, Great Love Song, Wonderful !.......2000-02-25

I'm listening to "Wherever you go" 10 times a day. I can't begin my day without it. I can't go to sleep without it. I love my baby. This song makes me love her even more. You MUST have this cd. Love is in the air. :) Love each other and listen to Voices of Theory !

VOT!!! :o).......1999-11-02

I think this CD is THE BEST R&B CD i have along with KC and Jo Jo. Say It, is my boyfriend and my song together. Whenever i hear it it sends chills throughout my body. It's a great romantic CD. I recommend it to everyone. :o)

A great group with wonderful songs for hopeless romantics........1999-07-01

I loved the CD. The first song that I heard from their debut CD was "Say It" and I loved the song so much that I bought the single. After a while, I heard their second song "Wherever You Go" and I also bought the single. From then on, I decided to get the album. I searched through various stores and finally found their CD after searching and searching. I just love their songs and it makes me feel good listening to them when I need some good music to listen to. I intend to have their songs played at my wedding which is in the far off future and because they are good songs to have played at any wedding.

Average customer rating: A must for all fans

Hola Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Manufacturer: Sony International ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Argentina | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music Rock en Español | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Live Albums | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Chau Vasos Vacios Rey Azucar ASIN: B000059RWG Release Date: 2007-03-02

Tracks:

1. Cadillacs
2. Demasiada Presion
3. El Aguijon
4. El Genio Del Dub
5. Calaveras Y Diablitos
6. Yo Quiero Morirme Aca
7. Carmela
8. Roble
9. El Crucero Del Amor
10. La Vida
11. La Marcha Del Golazo Solitario
12. Mal Bicho
13. El Satanico Dr. Cadillac
14. Yo No Me Sentaria En Tu Mesa

Customer Reviews:

A must for all fans.......2001-03-09

This is part 1 of their new double cd, that was recorded live from their concerts in Buenos Aires. Its very, very good. It captures the energy of the live concert and the enthusiasm of everyone at the concert, although I was a little disappointed that more songs from the Fabulosos Calavera album were not included. Other than a little letdown in the sound quality versus the studio albums, this album is still a must for cadillacs fans.

Average customer rating: Salsa 'Must Have' CD. jorge luis is the best Ahi talento de sobra... Este disco está genial...

Ayer Jorge Luis Manufacturer: Hola Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Puerto Rico | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music Salsa | Latin Music | Styles | Music Merengue | Latin Music | Styles | Music Salsa & Merengue | Compilations | Latin Music | Styles | Music Salsa & Merengue | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000009QV8 Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

1. No Me Digas Que No
2. Volvere
3. Largate
4. Llorando Estoy
5. No Te Aguantes Mas
6. Hoy Que Te Vas
7. No Vivo Mas
8. Ayer

Customer Reviews:

Salsa 'Must Have' CD........2002-12-28

I purchased this album after hearing only one track in a club. I have had my faith repaid with a superb CD - so good was it DLG was forced to immitate!! The style is DLG crossed with Jose Alberto - so you can see the standard is high. The tracks range from 'good' to 'outstanding' with tracks number 2 & 4.

This guy has the potential to push 'The Great Latin Salsa No.1' artist, Jose Alberto into 2nd place! My search has already begun for more of his material!

DBH Salsa England

jorge luis is the best.......2000-02-28

I knew Jorge Luis personally, before he released his album and hes a great friend as well as a wonderful singer. I am so proud of him and his music . I would recommend his CD "Ayer" to everyone. I wish you the best, Jorge. Jennie "Mt Sinai"

Ahi talento de sobra..........1999-08-08

Este muchacho tiene un talento tremendo, que Dios lo Bendiaga... Para la compañia H.O.L.A.-Good choice!

Una latina de la Florida

Este disco está genial..........1999-06-03

Jorge Luís es un cantante con mucha potencia que podría recorrer el mundo con su voz tan poderosa. La selección de canciones y el arreglo musical demuestra que el cantante Jorge Luís y la compañía de H.O.L.A. hacen buena combinación y podrían llegar a mucho con la nueva industria de la Salsa... ¡Vívelo!

Average customer rating: This song had a great impact on my life This CD has it all This song is a GREAT SONG!!! My girlfriend loves it!!! It really relates to life.

Say It Voices of Theory Manufacturer: Hola Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Voices of Theory ASIN: B000006C8A Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

1. Say It
2. Dimelo [Spanish Version]

Customer Reviews:

This song had a great impact on my life.......2004-02-11

I have realized how this song relates to life. The music and the lyrics combine so beautifully that it even brought tears to my eyes. Great music.

This CD has it all.......1998-08-31

This cd has a little rap but its mostly R&B. If u like any R&B u will love this cd. i hope this group get more recomondationm and becomes very popular they deserve ut

This song is a GREAT SONG!!!.......1998-07-25

This group is a very good group I hope they make alot more songs like this. I want to get the CD as soon as it comes out...END

My girlfriend loves it!!!.......1998-07-23

I heard the song once and it almost made me cry. Dont ask me how THIS song made me cry but i did. My girlfriend said that this was her favorite song and that it reminded her of me so i guess that is how i almost cried. Well, i must go talk to her now so ill see y'all sometime!!

later!!

-ryan

It really relates to life........1998-07-23

I recommened this CD for all types of music lovers.

Average customer rating: righteous rhymes and strong beats A Real Dud One of the most talented Female rappers Horrible

All Woman Hurricane G Manufacturer: Hola Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Latin Rap | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: No Pressure Close to You Rebel Soul Necessary Roughness Last Chance, No Breaks ASIN: B000001DSO Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. All The Way Live
3. Underground Locdown
4. Roc U
5. Somebody Else
6. El Barrio (Spanish)
7. Mama
8. Wuteva
9. Boriqua Mami
10. Coast To Coast
11. G, Toya & Nini
12. No Love
13. Neva Give Up
14. De Corazon
15. Outro
16. Bonus Track 1
17. Bonus Track 2

Customer Reviews:

righteous rhymes and strong beats.......2005-02-02

Hurricane G's clarity, vision, and talent is striking. Admittedly, if you're looking for gimmicky or easy listening hip hop, you'll be disappointed. However, if you,re looking for righteous rhymes informed by feminist and pro-black politics and supported by an underground groove, this is the album for you.

A Real Dud.......2002-08-27

I disagree with Talib. Although I am not Latina, I speak/understand Spanish. While her Spanish verses flow better than her English ones, she leaves much to be desired. Her rhymes are choppy and some do not make a lot of sense and it becomes blatantly obvious that she only used a particular word or phrase because it was the only thing that she could think of. Her voice sounds like a cross between Rosie Perez and Left Eye hut unlike Lisa Lopes, though G means well, she comes up very short. At many points during the album I feel almost embarassed for her because of her lack of vocal ability and the elementary level of writing skills. Nice try, but you came up short.

One of the most talented Female rappers.......2001-10-29

Whoever wrote the previous review probably wasnt of hispanic descent, therefore couldnt understand hurricane gloria's lyrics, and doesnt appreciate the underground hip-hop flow.
Gloria has excellent bi-lingual lyrics, bangin' beats that would please the ear of any true hip hop fan.
She has collaborated with puff daddy on the song "enemy number one" which she did in spanish and english. Another collaboration she did was with the cocoa brovaz album, the song is called spanish harlem, and she comes with the RAWEST verses ive heard from a hispanic rapper, even more a lady.

Cop this CD, you will not regret it.

Horrible.......2000-05-19

Absolutely the worst rapper I have ever heard! How she has an album or is on anyone else's album is a mystery to me. She has a terrible flow, wack lyrics and an annoying voice. I wish I could give this album 0 stars.

Average customer rating: one of the best singers that i have ever heard more like 2 and a half stars To Tara A Review of Veronica This girl can really sing.

Rise Veronica Manufacturer: Hola Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ciara: The Evolution ASIN: B000005HPI Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

1. Mi Casa Latina
2. Rise
3. Soundcheck
4. No One But You
5. Esperanza
6. Someone To Hold
7. Bochinchando
8. Baby I'm The One
9. Spanish Diamond
10. 60 Wayz
11. Inspired Me
12. In A Dream
13. Hypnotized Prelude
14. Hypnotized
15. Release Me
16. I'm In Love
17. Me Hace Feliz
18. Some 1 2 Hold
19. Interview

Customer Reviews:

one of the best singers that i have ever heard.......2007-07-19

i just love #4 no one but you i just play it over and over again i can't beleave that she just disaperd from the music world just like that

more like 2 and a half stars.......2005-02-25

veronica quite honestly is just an ok singer.in other words she only sounds good on upbeat latin/R&B.she really doesn't have vocal range.in some songs she sounds horribly out of tune like on track #4. No One But You -feat Craig Mack just awful!.all in all this album is just average,not bad but not outstanding either.rise is probably the best track on here closely followed by some 1 2 hold.
i do however wish her well on finding a stable record label as she has gotten screwed around by mercury records when she released v...for veronica (wich i havent had the pleasure of hearing cause its hard to find).

To Tara.......2002-04-23

Tara, I noticed you said that you couldn't find the original Veronica CD. If you read this, click on my name and send me and e-mail and maybe I could help you.

A Review of Veronica.......2000-11-28

Once again, Veronica has made a great album. I bought the first album in 1996 out of pure curiosity. I had read about her in a few magazines and I though she might be good. Let me tell you, the 2nd album is twice as good as the first. I know she had some problems with Mercury Records, so she switched over to HOLA. The 2nd company seemed more organized but I still can't believe for the second time in a row they failed to publicize her album. Although the publicity was pretty poor, this is truly a great album.

I actually wrote Veronica a fan letter in early 1998 and was surprised when a few months later I got a response! I think Veronica does a good job of representing where she comes from (Soundview-Castle Hill, the Bronx) and representing the Latino community. Not as a putdown but I agree 100% with the reviewer who compared Veronica to the likes of Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez is good but comparing Jennifer to Veronica is like comparing the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears to Mary J. Blige. She clearly is the more vocally talented of the two. Jennifer is an atress and Veronica, a singer. It's really a shame things did not turn out as planned for her.

I was surprised and kind of angered when I read here that Mercury was actually even considering marketing Veronica as a light skinned Black. Not only would that be a lie and denying her heritage, but seriously...she is a light skinned Puerto Rican, who would they be fooling? I was sort of disgusted by that idea. It seems as though they definitely did not have her best interests in mind.

So, to wrap things up, judging by her great vocal talents, unique style, and the fact that she cares about her fans enough to respond to a fan letter, I'd say she's not only talented but also genuine.

This girl can really sing........2000-03-08

I have both Veronica's cd's "V...as in Veronica" and "Rise" and let me tell you she can really sing! This cd is so awsome! I love all the traX! I really hope she comes out with another album after she finishes playing Selena on Broadway. This cd has hits like: "no one but you" "rise" "release me" "60 wayz" "some1 to hold" and many others, get this, its tight!

Average customer rating: A Classic Set Callas is okay- Price the ONLY VERDI SOPRANO???? An excellent "Forza" but not the best all round performance Brilliant Forza and a stupid reviewer Brilliant - But I also love Tebaldi

Verdi: La Forza Del Destino (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Puccini: Manon Lescaut (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Donizetti: Anna Bolena (complete opera live 1957) with Maria Callas, Gianni Raimondi, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Verdi: Il Trovatore (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Verdi: Aida (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan ASIN: B000002RY5 Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

1. La forza del destino: Sinfonia
2. La forza del destino: Act One: Buona notte, mia figlia (Leonora)
3. La forza del destino: Act One: Temea restasse qui fino a domani! (Leonora)
4. La forza del destino: Act One: Me pellgrina ed orfana (Leonora)
5. La forza del destino: Act One: M'aiuti, signorina, piu presto andrem (Leonora)
6. La forza del destino: Act One: Ah, per sempre, o mio bell'angiol (Alvaro, Leonora)
7. La forza del destino: Act One: Vil seduttor! Infame figlia! (Leonora, Alvaro)
8. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Hola, hola, hola! Ben giungi, o mulattier
9. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: La cena e pronta (Carlo)
10. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Che vedo! Mio fratello! (Leonora, Carlo)
11. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Viva la guerra! (All)
12. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Al suon del tamburo (All)
13. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Padre Eterno Signor (Leonora, Carlo)
14. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Viva la buona compagnia! (Carlo, Preziosilla)
15. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Poich'e imberbe l'incognito (Carlo)
16. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Son Pereda, son ricco d'onore (Carlo)
17. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene One: Sta bene (Preziosilla, Carlo)
18. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Sono giunta! Grazie, o Dio! (Leonora)
19. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Madre, pietosa Vergine (Leonora)
20. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Chi siete? (Melitone, Leonora)
21. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Chi mi cerca? (Guardiano, Leonora, Melitone)
22. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Infelice, delusa, rejetta (Leonora, Guardiano)
23. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: Il santo nome di Dio Signore sia benedetto (Guardiano)
24. La forza del destino: Act Two: Scene Two: La Vergine degli Angeli (Guardino, Leonora, All)

Tracks:

1. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene One: Attenti al gioco, attenti, attenti al gioco
2. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene One: La vita e inferno all'infelice
3. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene One: O tu che in seno agli angeli (Alvaro)
4. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene One: Al tradimento! (Carlo, Alvaro)
5. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene One: All'armi!
6. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Two: Arde la mischia!: Piano...qui posi...approntisi il mio letto (Alvaro, Carlo)
7. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Two: Solenne in quest'ora (Alvaro, Carlo)
8. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Two: Morir! Tremenda cosa!
9. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Two: Urna fetale del mio destino (Carlo)
10. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Two: E s'altra prova rinvenir potessi? (Carlo)
11. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Compagni, sostiamo
12. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Ne gustar m'e dato un'ora di quiete (Alvaro, Carlo)
13. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Lorche pifferi e tamburi par che assordino la terra (Preziosilla)
14. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Qua, vivandiere, un sorso
15. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: A buon mercato chi vuol comprare?
16. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Pane, pan per carita!
17. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Nella guerra e la follia (Preziosilla)
18. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Toh! Toh! Poffare il mondo! Che tempone! (Melitone, Preziosilla)
19. La forza del destino: Act Three: Scene Three: Rataplan, rataplan, della gloria (Preziosilla)

Tracks:

1. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Fate la carita, e un'ora che aspettiamo! (Melitone, Guardiano)
2. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Giunge qualcuno, aprite (Guardiano, Melitone)
3. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Invano Alvaro ti celasti al mondo
4. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Le minaccie, i fieri accenti (Alvaro, Carlo)
5. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene Two: Pace, pace mio Dio! (Leonora)
6. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene Two: Io muoio! Confessione! (Carlo, Alvaro, Leonora)
7. La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene Two: Non imprecare, umiliati a Lui ch'e guisto e santo (Guardiano, Leonora, Alvaro)

Amazon.com

If it were not for Maria Callas, we would all think that La Forza del Destino is essentially a prime exercise and showcase for great soprano voices, with a few goodies thrown in for the rest of the cast and the chorus. In this recording, Callas's voice is not technically great, though it is usually good.She makes most of her points by other means: close attention to the value of words, subtle nuances of tone and phrasing, an uncompromising determination to confront the emotions in the text and convey them honestly and strongly, even when they reach a terrifying intensity. We have here, under the absurdities of plot, a compelling psychological portrait of a woman driven beyond her limits--a woman whose brother wants to kill her lover, who has killed her father. The supporting cast is skilled and Serafin shapes a powerful interpretation. -- Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Set.......2006-11-09

Despite the few cuts and the mono recording this is still one of the most desirable sets of "La Forza del Destino". The main reason is of course Maria Callas's traversal of the role of Leonora. She was still in pretty good voice at this stage in her career and, though there are moments more comfortably vocalised by some of her rivals ("la vergine degli angeli" for instance), she is the complete Verdi heroine. No other soprano sets before us so well a character torn between conflicting feelings in the first act - on the one hand, love and filial duty, and on the other, love for Don Alvaro. Her very first utterances have a thrill unmatched on other recordings. Later, in the second scene of Act II, she is absolutely superb. Whenever she is before the microphone, we are aware of the greatness of the score as music drama. Here she is helped immeasurably by Serafin's command of the dramatic impulse of the music, and the magisterial, kindly and protective Padre Guardiano of Nicola Rossi-Lemeni. Others may have sung the role with better technique and more beautiful tone, but few, if any, are more interesting in the role. Of the other principals, Richard Tucker is almost their equal. With a voice so splendid and so suitable for the role, it seems a pity that he occasionally feels the need to make up for the fact that he is not Italian, by breaking the line of his singing with unmusical aspirate and sobs. In all other respects he is ideal. Carlo Tagliabue is a little past his best (he was 56 at the time of the recording), but he sings with authority, if without great immagination. Elena Nicolai is, if not the best or most accurate of Peziosillas, at least a spirited and involved performer. Both Plinio Clabassi as Il Marchese di Calatrava and Renato Capecchi as Melitone give strong accounts of their roles.
I have never quite been able to understand why in some of EMI's Callas recordings from this time the mono sound is pretty open and in others quite constricted. This, like the De Sabata "Tosca" is really pretty good. I hardly missed stero at all. And Serafin is superb. He is still, to my mind, a severely underrated conductor. Seen as a singer's conductor, he is somehow thought of as being a little anonymous, but for me, he allows the music and the drama to unfold in a completely natural way, without drawing too much attention to himself, as so many modern conductors tend to do. His "Otello", after all, is considered one of the best conducted versions in the catalogue.
As the previous reviewer noted, this is probably the most expensive way of acquiring this set, but it does come with full notes, libretto and translation. If they are not important to you, you may wish to wait until it is issued at super bargain price, as it inevitably will be, by Naxos, Regis and EMI themselves.

Callas is okay- Price the ONLY VERDI SOPRANO????.......2006-09-06

Callas, not my favorite, could sing Verdi well so could Leontyne Price. Any statements suggesting that these were the only Verdi sopranos - Opera Lover's refusal to acknowledge anyone but Price suggests either very limited listening experience- what about Ponselle, or Milanov or poor hearing.
In this role Tebaldi is as good as I ever heard although she did not sing as much Verdi as the above mentioned divas. CAVEAT!!!! Unfortunately, I did not hear Ponselle either live or in the whole opera or all bets might be off with Tebaldi. Ponselle was a unique vocal and dramatic presence.

An excellent "Forza" but not the best all round performance.......2006-08-24

I'm saddened by the intemperate nature of some of the preceding reviews of this recording, so let's try to keep it objective and fair. First, no-one inflects the text and caresses those glorious melodies as affectingly as Callas although Price in 1964 and Tebaldi in the (pretty raw!) live Mitropoulos recording run her close. The infamous "flap" in Callas' voice is only occasionally in evidence and she more than compensates with heart-wrenching portamenti and thrilling excursions into her lower register. Tucker is very, very good, if occasionally guilty of his besetting fault of being too lachrimose, but the top rings out magnificently. The rest of the cast, with the exception of Capecchi's firm, characterful Melitone, is not up to their standard, though Nicolai is wholly acceptable in the essentially irritating role of Preziosilla, with her silly tub-thumping music. Tagliabue is clearly past his best but does not disgrace himself, despite some rather nasal, laboured sounds. My one real bugbear is Rossi-Lemeni; I have never understood why he was so esteemed. The voice is woolly, unsteady, lacking centre and without the true bass gravitas the role of Padre Guardiano requires - although he certainly sounds old! Serafin's conducting is typically well-judged, in turn both pacy and intense as this gloomily beautiful music demands and you soon forget that the recording is mono, the sound being so clear, clean and brilliant. My favourite "Forza" is still the 1964 Schippers for the all-round excellence of the cast, though the 1947 Marinuzzi (available cheaply on Naxos) is worth having as it's a real period recording with a pulsating sense of live theatre about it (and you can hear Tancredi Pasero sing the role of Padre Guardiano as it should be sung). The above-mentioned live Mitropoulos contains the single most exciting piece of tenor singing I have ever heard in Del Monaco's "O tu che in seno" - the audience go wild and start mooing their appreciation like demented cattle - so you have quite a choice, the Schippers being the safest.

Brilliant Forza and a stupid reviewer.......2004-11-22

What does such drivel give you? Do you have to bash a devoted artist in order to have a life? What a shame this is! This Sills-sycophant accuses Callas' fans of bashing while HE is the one who posts profane, unmusical and tasteless nonsense. I've worked with singers and conductors for over 50 years and am appalled by such awful manners and stupidity. This is a great La Forza del Destino. Even IF one were not to "get" Callas, how [...] he rate the work of a Tullio Serafin who experienced Verdi himself in such a horrenduous way? Go, listen to your Sills and leave the reviewing to those who have taste and musical knowledge!

Brilliant - But I also love Tebaldi.......2004-10-18

The Callas-Forza is brilliant. Wonderful. But Callas was neither a mezzo (Well, with an F in her throat?) nor was her voice ugly IMHO but had a very unique beauty to it, very bittersweet, not all whipped cream like Tebaldi or today Fleming. But hey, I love many flavours. That's why I can heartily recommend both sopranos' Leonoras here.

Average customer rating: Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot Hoffman contines to elude the recording world Excellent but not definitive O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Alagna, van Dam, Dessay, Vaduva, Jo, Lascarro, Dubosc, Ragon, Sénéchal, Bacquier, Lamprecht, Nagano Jacques Offenbach , Roberto Alagna , Natalie Dessay , Kent Nagano , Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon , Leontina Vaduva , Sumi Jo , José van Dam , Catherine Dubosc , Gilles Ragon , Gabriel Bacquier , Doris Lamprecht , and Juanita Lascarro Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Alagna, Roberto | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor; Natalie Dessay, Roberto Alagna Russian Album ASIN: B000005E4D Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Prelude - Kent Nagano
2. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 1, Scene 1: Glou! Glou! - Kent Nagano
3. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets de la muse: La verite, dit-on, sortait d'un puits - Kent Nagano
4. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Elle est sur la scene, un peuple l'acclame - La Muse - Kent Nagano
5. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 2: Le conseiller Lindorf, morbleu! - Lindorf, Andres - Kent Nagano
6. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 3: Vayons? Pour Hoffmann! - Kent Nagano
7. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Dans les roles d'amoureux - Kent Nagano
8. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Deux heures devant moi - Scene 4: Vite, vite, qu'on se remue! - Lindorf, Luther - Kent Nagano
9. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: Choeur des Etudiants - Drig, drig - Kent Nagano
10. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vrai Dieu! Mes amis - Kent Nagano
11. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Eh! Luther! Ma grosse tonne - Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
12. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Bonjour, amis! - Kent Nagano
13. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets and Andante: Va pour Kleinzach! - Kent Nagano
14. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Peuh! Cette biere est detestable! - Kent Nagano
15. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Duo: Et par ou votre Diablerie - Kent Nagano
16. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Simple echange de politesse - Kent Nagano
17. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je vous dis, moi - Kent Nagano
18. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ma maitresse? - Kent Nagano
19. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Final: Messieurs, on va lever le rideau! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
20. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 2: Entracte - Kent Nagano
21. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 1: La! Dors en paix - Spalanzani - Scene 2: Ah! Bonjour! Enchacte! - Spalanzani, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Fais allumer partout! - Spalanzani, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
22. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 4: Allons! Courage et confiance! - Kent Nagano
23. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Pardieu! J'etais bien sur - Kent Nagano
24. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Une poupee aux yeux d'email - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Kent Nagano
25. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: C'est moi, Coppelius! - Kent Nagano
26. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je me nomme Coppelius - Kent Nagano
27. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: J'ai deux jeux, de beaux yeux - Kent Nagano
28. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Serviteur - Kent Nagano
29. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Ange du ciel, est-ce bien toi? - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Coppelius - Kent Nagano
30. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Hein! Vous! - Hoffmann, Coppelius, Spalanzani - Kent Nagano
31. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 7: Choeur des Invites: Non aucun hote vraiment - Kent Nagano
32. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vous serez satisfaits, messieurs - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
33. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 8: Mesdames et Messieurs - Kent Nagano
34. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Mesdames et Meisseurs, fiere de vos bravos - Kent Nagano
35. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Air: Les oiseaux dans la charmille - Kent Nagano
36. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Mon ami! Quel accent! - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse, Olympia, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
37. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 9: Ils se sont eloignes! Enfin! - Kent Nagano
38. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Vivre deux! - Kent Nagano
39. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Tu me fuis? - Hoffmann, Olympia - Scene 10: Eh! morbleu! modere ton zele! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
40. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 11: Voleur! Brigand! Quelle deroute! - Coppelius - Kent Nagano
41. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 12: En place les danseurs - Kent Nagano
42. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Voila! Assez, assez, ma fille - Kent Nagano
43. Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Quoi? L'homme aux lunettes, la! - Spalanzani, Cochenille, Hoffmann, Olympia, Nicklausse, Coppelius - Kent Nagano

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act 3: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Elle a fui, la tourterelle - Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Malheureuse enfant! - Crespel, Antonia - Scene 3: Desespoir! Tout a l'heure, encore! - Crespel - Scene 4: Frantz! n'ouvre a personne! - Crespel, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre - Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Frantz, c'est ici! - Hoffmann, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Enfin je vais savoir pourquoi - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: Vois sous l'archet fremissant - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: C'est une chanson d'amour - Hoffmann, Antonia, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 8: Ah! Je le savais bien - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! J'ai le bonheur dans l'ame - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Pourtant, o ma fiancee - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Viens la comme autrefois - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Qu'as-tu donc? - Antonia, Hoffmann - Scene 9: Rien! J'ai cru qu'Hoffmann etait ici! - Hoffmann, Crespel, Frantz, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 10: Pour conjurer la danger - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Allons, parle! et sois bref! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: J'ai la certains flacons - Miracle, Crespel, Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 11: Ne plus chanter - Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 12: Tu ne chanteras plus? - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Quelle est cette voix? - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ta mere, oses-tu l'interroger? - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Non! Assez! - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ja cede au transport qui m'enivre! - Miracle, Antonia, La Voix - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 13: Mon enfant, ma fille! - Crespel, Antonia, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach

Tracks:

1. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act IV: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
2. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Messieurs, silence! - Jacques Offenbach
3. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Recit et Chant bachique: Et moi, ce n'est pas la - Jacques Offenbach
4. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Amis, l'amour tendre et reveur - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
5. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Je vois qu'on est en fete! - Schlemil, Giulietta, Pitchinaccio, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Au premier reve je t'enleve - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach
6. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 4: Tourne, tourne, miroir - Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
7. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Cher ange! - Dapertutto, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
8. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Melodrame: Vivat! J'ai tout gagne! - Giulietta, Schlemil, Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
9. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Giulietta, palsembleu! - Jacques Offenbach
10. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Air de Giulietta: Vous ne jouez pas? - Jacques Offenbach
11. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Que dit-elle? - Jacques Offenbach
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Giulietta, je vous jure! - Jacques Offenbach
13. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Oui, fut-ce au prix de ma vie - Jacques Offenbach
14. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Sextuor and Choeur: Helas! Je vais encore la suivre - Jacques Offenbach
15. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Morbleu! - Jacques Offenbach
16. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Il a ma cle - Jacques Offenbach
17. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Ton ami dit vrai! - Jacques Offenbach
18. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: O Dieu, de quelle ivresse - Jacques Offenbach
19. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Jusque-la, cependant - Jacques Offenbach
20. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Si ta presence m'est ravie - Jacques Offenbach
21. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Tu m'as defiee - Giulietta, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio - Jacques Offenbach
22. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Alerte, Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
23. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voyez! Il n'a plus le moindre reflet! - Jacques Offenbach
24. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Je n'aime pas qu'on me defie! - Jacques Offenbach
25. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ainsi, tu mentais! - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
26. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act V: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
27. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Choeur: Folie! Oublie tes douleurs - Jacques Offenbach
28. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voila quelle fut l'histoire - Jacques Offenbach
29. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Choeur des Esprits et des Etudiants: Glou! Glou! - Hoffmann, Luther, Lindorf, Nathanael, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
30. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Stella, Stella! - Jacques Offenbach
31. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Couplet: Pour le coeur de Phrygne - Jacques Offenbach
32. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Denouement: Hola! Quelqu'un de fort pour emporter Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
33. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ingrat! Et moi? - Jacques Offenbach
34. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Adieu! Je t'abandonne - Andres, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Stella, La Muse, Lindorf - Jacques Offenbach

Amazon.com

Of all the revisionist Hoffmanns, this one is the best, using the latest (and one trusts) last version of Michael Kaye's edition, based on sketches recently discovered for the unfinished opera. Most of the changes are in the Giulietta act; it now tracks better dramatically, and unlike some restoration attempts, its length is sensible. In the title role, Roberto Alagna is full of imaginative touches of characterization, singing the famous Kleinzach song with an intentional vocal roughness in a worthy effort to convey the Hoffmann's debauched state. As the mechanical doll Olympia, Natalie Dessay proves she's not only a phenomenal singer but a great comedienne. Kent Nagano deploys his Lyon Opera forces with great stylistic authority. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved.......2006-05-09

This is a recording with significant highs and lows. But in overall it is an excellent account of this wonderfully tuneful and beloved opera.
First, about the edition. The Kaye edition restores a lot of music including recitatives written by Offenbach and a number of musical numbers. It also goes for the Guiraud recitatives which some versions totally omit and replace by the dialogues which Offenbach likely might have intended. Compared to, say, the historical Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge version, this version is significantly longer and more substantial, musically speaking. With more than 30 minutes of music compared to the Bonynge edition, it is understandable why the Kaye version needs up to 3 CDs to bear the substantial amount of music.
While fans of Contes d'Hoffmann would likely be grateful at the ressurrection of so much musical material, I personally find this version sometimes just too painfully long. The Guiraud recitatives sometimes simply are bland and cause the opera to just drag along. Yes, Guiraud obviously has a lot of skills and bright ideas in these recitatives, mostly shown by the quoting of music by Offenbach in these recitatives to give the opera a better sense of unison. But compared to the simpler recitatives that Offenbach himself wrote, the Guiraud sometimes just seems aloof. Unless you really have a lot of time, you might want to stick to the more important musical numbers. Also, the new ending, with Hoffmann facing the Muse in the apotheose is a wonderful ensemble, with sounds from the church organ that gives the scene its necessary "holy" feel.
Now to the singers. Alagna has a masculine voice and is dramatically very effective. He also has a perfect French diction-crisp, idiomatic and a real joy to listen to. His instrument naturally is not very beautiful; and I personally find his Hoffmann a bit beefy and hysterical; but his good understanding of the role still helps him come across as a better Hoffmann. The best Hoffmann is in my opinion either Domingo or Schicoff.
The ladies are provided with quite a luxury cast. Natalie Dessay's Olympia is perhaps second only to Sutherland and Sills. To everyone who honors La Stupenda's E flats, listen: Dessay presents the role of the mechanical doll with FOUR Gs, yes 4 full-voiced, stunning, jaw-dropping Gs!!! Musically speaking, Dessay is not as comedic as Sutherland; her tone is a little thin and nasal but her coloratura and lovely portrayal of the role is simply untterly convincing.
Vaduva's Antonia is excellent: excellent diction, girly tone and very successfully portrays the youngsinger's vulnerability and sensibility. She however lacks power in the trio and that C sharp falls flat. Her "Elle a fui la tourterelle" is however wonderfully touching and moving. The best Antonia, in my opinion, is Victoria de Los Angeles. To one of the reviewers here, Vaduva is not a Slavic singer. She is a French singer of Romanian origin. A totally Latin singer!
Sumi Jo portrays a very convincing Giulietta with very believable spinto qualities, which she provides effectively with chaning in tone. The rediscovered coloratura, with a couple of E flats and spellbinding runs, well, brings the wonderful Korean coloratura soprano to her prime best. Her French is surprisingly idiomatic.
Lascarro's got a small role as Stella. I personally don't like her tone; but she is good enough in the beautiful apotheose ensemble.
Jose Van Dam's quartet villain almost matches Bacquier's famous portrayal. His voice is not as dark or evil-sounding as Bacquier's but still gives a top-notch interpretation. His doctor Miracle might have been the best on record if he took some of those melodramatic laughs in the Trio. His reluctance, combined with Vaduva's small voice, creates a flat Trio. This being said, the French bass's quartet of villains stills ranks among the undisputed best. My favorite villain quartet, Gabriel Bacquier has a cameo role here as Crespel, which he does a great job.
Gilles Ragon's a good tenor and his stuttering in the portrayal of Cochenille is very convincing. I however find him a bit too serious and heavy for these tenore buffo roles. The same can be said for Senechal's Spalanzani. Compared to Charon's Spalanzani on the Bonynge recording, he is very unfunny. The "brigand! Bandit!" quarrel after the destruction of the doll is bland and lifeless.
Catherine's Dubosc has a lovely voice and does great job as Nicklausse. There is nothing to criticize about her singing qualities. My only objection is that the casting of this trouser role for a soprano harms the overall balance of the opera: 5 soprano roles and 1 mezzo role (the voice of the mother): this is not a good balance. The Barcarolle duet, in particular, suffers from both a misbalance and a ridiculous fast tempo.
Kent Nagano's conducting does not have the solid tempos of Bonynge and sometimes overwhelms the singers: most notably in that C sharp of the Trio. But he has really interesting ideas and provides invaluable support.
With the exception of a bland Spalanzani, some strange tempos and the unusual length of the edition, this is a very good Hoffmann. Together with the Bonynge version, this is another very good all-around recording. The set is a tad expensive, but given the substantial amount of music and a very informative booklet, this is a recording to really consider. It will provide a lot of listening pleasures. You will not be disappointed.

The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot.......2003-10-30

I have heard six recordings of "Hoffmann," an opera that is particularly dear to me for sentimental reasons. None of them are perfect, all have flaws, but on balance this is the best of the lot.

Now that musicologists have finished playing with the Mahler 10th Symphony (which ended rather well) and the Beethoven 10th (which ended rather badly), they have been taking a whack at "Hoffmann," rushing to revise music the composer never sanctioned and adding music found in buckets and boxes long after his death. My personal feeling was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it: you're not Offenbach, and to speak for him requires a tremendous amount of chutzpah. And a lot of the revisions, to my ear, simply do not work well, such as turning Giulietta into a coloratura soprano, spinning out an aria that ends much like Olympia's doll song as on this recording.

I'm also not fond of switching the Antonia and Giulietta acts from their traditional positions for both dramatic and musical reasons. To begin with, having the "tales" end with Antonia gives Hoffmann's character a certain sense of redemption that simply isn't there the other way. Also, the Giulietta act is musically the weakest: as primiarily an operetta composer, Offenbach simply had a hard time creating music for this act which is darker and more tensely dramatic than anything else in the work. The superp trio that climaxes the Antonia act, on the other hand, is one of the most brilliant and transcendent things he wrote.

That being said, there is much to admire in this set. Kent Nagano conducts briskly, which is his wont, thereby tying together the music in a cohesive and satisfying way where others (particularly Cluytens and Cambreling) sound slow and rambling. On the other hand, his chorus of the spirits, though light and brisk, just misses the rapt, enchanting sound achieved by Bonynge; and though it was probably Offenbach's intent to have only a few strings play the violin motif in the Antonia trio, they sound too thin, not sweeping or driven enough, for the dramatic situation. Nagano also conducts the famed "Barcarolle" at a shade-too-fast tempo, thus robbing the music of its mysterious charm (even Arthur Fiedler made a better recording of the instrumental version). These moments point to a lack of "theatricality" in Nagano's conducting style that Bonynge, Rudel and even Beecham managed to capture.

Alagna is not as suavely beautiful or haunting in the role as Robert Rounseville or Stuart Burrows were. This is something of an abrupt, nervous reading, though if one knows something about E.T.A. Hoffmann and his tales it is perfectly in keeping with his character. (I have yet, however, to see ANY tenor perform the role made up to LOOK like Hoffmann, a scrawny little man with a square jaw, popping eyes and a shock of unruly, frizzy hair. I guess no tenor really wants to look like that!)

This is unquestionably the finest performance Dessay has ever recorded: her voice is brilliant, in focus, on pitch and wonderfully secure. Only Bond in the Beecham performance and Sutherland come close, though I personally feel that Sutherland was funnier in the role. She had a real flair for comedy, whereas she did not possess enough personal warmth for Antonia or Giulietta.

The Sutherland recording also had the best "villains" in Gabriel Bacquier in his prime, but to my ears Van Dam is an excellent second. (Treigle, in the Sills set, was good but not great, his somewhat gruff voice rather overwhelimg the roles with too much histrionics.)

Vaduva has a pretty tone but your typical "Slavic wobble," more noticeable in the early and late parts of her act. For some reason, the voice is better focused in the middle sections, but she does not efface memories of de los Angeles who was the best Antonia ever.

Jo is surprisingly good as Giulietta: though her voice is even smaller than Dessay's, it had a fuller lyric sound in the mid-range which captured well on records. (I have beel told that her "live" career is just about over on stage as the voice is too small to carry in most modern theaters.) I liked Margherita Grandi in the old Beecham film, but a chesty, spinto Giulietta is apparently persona non grata in the new Michael Kaye edition of the work.

Dubosc is a good Nicklausse, though I preferred Tourangeau and the singer (I forget her name) from the Beecham film. Bacquier, with far less voice, is still predictably good as Crespel; the timeless Senechal is a classic Spalanzani; Ragon is an excellent Cochenille, not so memorable as Franz. (I miss Andrea Velis, the old Met comp, who was brilliant in these roles but was never recorded in them.) The other small roles range from excellent (Tezier as Schlemil) to poor (Juanita Lascarre as Stella).

An ideal modern "Hoffmann" would have Elisabeth Vidal as Olympia, Hong as Antonia, Fleming as Giulietta, Alvarez as Hoffmann, Rene Pape as the three villains, and someone like Pappano or Plasson conducting.....but we can dream all we want. The era of complete opera recordings, according to many inside sources, is over as we know it--even the Bobby & Angela act is being shelved--so we must pick from what we have, and this is simply the finest over all "Hoffmann" on record, with Bonynge's being a good second choice, though I do not like Domingo's hard-voiced, beefy Hoffmann.

Hoffman contines to elude the recording world.......2001-10-03

This is a very good Hoffman, with the new edition of the score and a lot more music than in earlier editions. There is MUCH here to be admired and enjoyed as there is in the classic Domingo/Sutherland recording.

I prefer Domingo's more passionate Hoffman to Alagna's workmanlike effort, which is still quite fine.

On the other hand, having different female vocalists, as this recording does is preferable to my ear than having the same throughout as the Domingo/Sutherland recording does. The three female leads here range from good (Dessay) to excellent (Jo). Having heard Sumi Jo sing Olympia on record and in person, I find it hard to enjoy Dessay's quite as much. Jo is here as Antonia however.

No single recording of Hoffman is clearly preferable and listening to each is recommended. In the meanwhile, there is still an opening here for a more fully satisying Hoffman.

Excellent but not definitive.......2001-04-20

This recording has given me many hours of listening pleasure. Pretty much every artist featured in it gives an excellent performance, and the greatness of Offenbach's opera is conveyed more fully than can be done by other performances that contain less of what he composed for "Hoffmann" before his untimely death. However, the recording has several specific faults that result in my giving it only 4 stars, even though it is among my favorite operatic recordings.

First, the good points. Listening to this recording one definitely thinks of the opera's characters rather than the artists portraying them.... I find Alagna's voice quite beautiful on this recording and feel that he portrays the character of Hoffmann with spectacular success....

Van Dam is one of the recording's great assets as the villains. The three main heroines are each memorable(.).......(Jo's) interpretation of Giulietta's long-lost coloratura aria is spectacular and features a spine-chilling moment in her climactic cadenza ...she sings a rising series of notes almost identical to one sung by Dessay as Olympia in Act II, emphasizing the connection of the heroines. ...Lascarro does a very good job in the small role of Stella (....Dubosc is excellent as the Muse and Nicklausse, giving a truly memorable performance of nearly the entire role. Unfortunately, Nicklausse's Antonia-act aria, arguably the artistic and emotional heart of the entire opera ...,seems somehow disappointing on this recording. Dubosc's voice does not cut through the orchestra as it should when she sings in her lower register, and as a result the aria fails to have the cathartic impact on me that it has when I have heard it in Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. .... Ragon gives an excellent, highly memorable performance in the four "grotesque" roles.

Now I may turn to the disappointing features of this recording. ....(T)his recording contains no extra-musical sound effects whatsoever. To a certain extent this is a valid approach to recording an opera. The problem is that "Hoffmann" contains an unusually high number of passages which were composed with the extra-musical sounds that would be heard from the stage in mind and which lack some of their intended impact without sound effects. The effectiveness of the students' drinking song is reduced when we don't hear them banging their glasses together and on the tables, and without the winding-up sound the pauses in Olympia's song when she runs down make less sense. We also should hear Coppelius smashing Olympia, Hoffmann and Schlemil moving around heavily as they duel, the death-gasp of another character who dies in the new ending of the Giulietta act (I won't spoil the unfamiliar twists of plot here), and various other sound effects which would add to the drama of the story. Moreover, Van Dam's villains never laugh except when their laughter is notated in the score, even though the libretto specifies some additional evil laughs, notably the one as Dr. Miracle disappears and Antonia falls dying at the end of the trio for Miracle, Antonia and the voice of Antonia's mother.

One of the main problems with the recording is that Van Dam, Ragon and Dubosc are the only performers to play multiple roles. Not only are the heroines played by four different sopranos, but none of the artists who play Luther and the students reappear in other roles in the acts devoted to Hoffmann's three stories. All of this goes against what are presumed to be Offenbach's wishes for his opera, despite the fact that this is a recording of Kaye's critical edition (in its "grand opera" version). Moreover, this recording was, unfortunately, made before Offenbach's own finished finale for the Giulietta act, written very shortly before his death, became available for inclusion in Kaye's edition. ....

Finally, it seems bizarre that the aria "Scintille, diamant," which has been one of the most popular numbers in the opera for a long time, is not included on this recording. ....

Despite these flaws, this recording is recommended. It is extremely enjoyable and represents the totality of Offenbach's intentions for "Hoffmann" more fully than any other recording currently available. One hopes that a new recording of Kaye's edition, with the definitive ending for the Giulietta act and with a single soprano playing all four heroines, will be made in the not-too-distant future.

O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?.......1999-11-21

Comme un concert divin ta voix m'a pénétré!....

This recording is undoubtedly one of the two benchmark recordings of this opera, the other one being the classic Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge set. It is the most complete set with the "newly-discovered" Giuletta ending, and even includes the terrific but apocryphal sextet that is missing in the Bonynge recording. Alagna is the true star here, reflecting the spirit of Hoffmann throughout the opera, and singing in a very ideomatic French (unlike Domingo). The four heroines are marvellous, even though I prefer a single soprano singing all the four roles. Van Dam is great as the four villians, but he could have been more sinister in the trio in the Antonia act. Nagano is fine, but has some problems with the tempi at times.

Average customer rating: English is an asset and a drawback You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally! I love Carmen!

Carmen (Sung in English) Bizet , Bardon , Gavin , Plazas , Magee , and Parry Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mozart: The Magic Flute The Barber of Seville / B. Ford, D. Jones, A. Opie; G. Bellini [in English] Verdi: La Traviata Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro Mozart - Don Giovanni / Garry Magee · Cullagh · Banks · Plazas · Shore · Tierny · PO · David Parry ASIN: B00007JGRN Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. In The Plaza
3. Just Look At That Delicious Morsel
4. Here Come Our New Soldier Boys
5. Jose! There Was A Girl Here Looking For You Just Now
6. Off With You Old Soldier Boys
7. Corporal! Sir!
8. We Have Heard The Bell Summon Us To Meet Here
9. Ah, Just Look!
10. But Why Hasn't She Come, Our Carmencita?
11. Love's A Bird Wild As Any Rebel
12. Carmen! We Will Follow You High And Low!
13. The Cheek Of It!
14. Give Me News Of My Mother!
15. Your Dear Mother And I Were Leaving Church This Morning
16. I See My Mother's Face!
17. Wait A Moment - I'm Going To Read The Letter
18. Come And Help
19. So, Corporal: Tell Me What Happened
20. Well, Carmencita: What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?
21. Where Are You Taking Me?
22. There's An Old Bar In The City
23. Careful - It's Lieutenant!
24. Entr'acte
25. From Far Away Mysterious Sounds
26. Bravo, Bravo! More! Keep Dancing!
27. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
28. Who's That? It's Escamillo, The Bullfighter From Granada
29. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
30. You're Most Kind
31. We'll Come With You, Senor Torero
32. Toreador, Be Ready!
33. At Last! We Got Rid Of Them As Quickly As We Could
34. There's A Little Job That We're Starting!
35. Being In Love Is Not A Reason

Tracks:

1. To Bid You Welcome To Our Bar
2. La La La La La La La La...
3. Back To Camp!... Go At Once!
4. That Flow'r You Threw To Me I Treasured
5. No, It's Not Love At All!
6. Hello! Carmen!
7. Lieutenant Fair, It's True
8. The Sky Above The Open Road
9. Entr'acte
10. Keep Going, Dear Old Friend, Kep Going!
11. Right! Let's Stop For A While
12. Shuffle! Cut Them!
13. In Vain You Would Avoid The Bitter Things They're Saying
14. You're Back!
15. As For That Man, It Should Be Easy!
16. Is This The Place?
17. I Say That There's Nothing To Fear
18. It's Him! I'm Sure It's Him Over There!
19. Escamillo Is My Name, And I Come From Granada
20. She Had A Lover Here
21. Hola! Hola! Jose!
22. You Should Take Care, Carmen
23. Alas! Jose, Your Mother Is Ill
24. Entr'acte
25. A Few Cuartos! A Few Cuartos!
26. Here They Come! Here They Come!
27. If You Love Me, Carmen
28. It's You! It's Me!
29. Viva! Viva! What A Corrida!

Customer Reviews:

English is an asset and a drawback.......2004-07-20

The best thing about this recording of Carmen is the libretto. Conductor David Parry penned this facile and dramatic English translation. He avoids the pitfalls of literal translation to achieve an idiomatic flow that matches the rhythm of the original lyrics. I use this as a reference libretto for any of the French Carmens.

Unfortunately, the performance suffers from being sung in English. The singers declaim their parts with such proper British diction that Carmen comes across as a school marm. The spoken dialog is delivered beat for deliberate beat and is dripping with reverb. It makes the plaza, tavern and mountain pass all sound like a sewer pipe.

This is a good first Carmen for someone trying to understand the work. The libretto itself is a good investment for further listening. For an enjoyable performance with an emphasis on character and action, I recommend Regina Resnik on the London Double Decker set.

You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English.......2004-02-09

What a perfect introduction to opera. This newly released recording will surely get you hooked into opera. Carmen, a French opera by Georges Bizet, is the most recognizable and most popular in the opera world. It's famous melodies- the overture, the Habanera, The Toreador Song have all been featured in everything from cellular phone ring tones to Superbowl Commercial (last year's Superbowl with The "Opera In English" label has been making Italian operas into English for a number of years now. Also on the market are Verdi's La Traviata in English (with soprano Valerie Masterson as Violetta) Handel's Julius Caesar with Janet Baker and even Wagner's epic Ring Of The Nibeling sung in English. This is a terrific recording and I highly recommend it if you want to get into opera. Listen to this version first and then try the real, original French version Bizet had written. Patricia Bardon is sensational, sexy and dramatic as Carmen.

The real strength of this version is the dynamic drama. With the advantage of being sung in English, we get better insight on characters' emotions and motives, and we understand the drama a lot better. Carmen is all about great drama. Bizet drew the plot from the French writer Prosper Merimee's dark short story. Carmen is the ultimate femme fatale- a devil-may-care, sexy Gypsy living in Spain, seduces the conservatively raised soldier Don Jose, stealing him away from his fiancee, the passive Micaela, living a life of underground smuggling and rowdy taverns. "Habanera" and "The Gypsy Song and Dance" are very expressive of Carmen's extraordinarily liberal lifestyle. Don Jose, however, has fallen deeply in love- as he shows us in his song/aria "The Flower Song". But Carmen soon becomes tired of his constancy. Don Jose wants a committed, monogamous relationship with Carmen. But Carmen will not submit to love, since she is first and foremost a carnal creature. Eventually, she falls for the handsome Toreador Escamillo. Don Jose, consumed by jealousy, stabs Carmen at a bullfight after Carmen declares her love for Escamillo and rejects Don Jose's love. Don Jose's crazed, obscessive personality shines through in the English version as well. This tragedy has been done in English before so don't think this is the first time. Back in the 50's, there was a film, starring black actors "Carmen Jones" which was treated the same way as this opera- more like an English Broadway musical and with the dubbed singing voice of Marilyn Horne as Carmen. All in all, this recording is excellent.

A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally!.......2003-09-17

This recording really sells "Carmen" as a drama. Although I have two other recordings of this opera and have seen it performed several times, it never quite worked for me dramatically. But thanks to the fine performances, conducting, and translation here, I've become a "Carmen" convert. Producing a good English-language performance of a foreign opera, especially a warhorse like "Carmen," is much more difficult than it might appear. You need performers who not only can sing the parts (of course) but also can sing *English* and make it halfway intelligible and make it sound like English and make it dramatically convincing to English-speakers. The singers on this recording do an excellent job all around. Don't be put off if you don't recognize their names -- they are up to the task musically and (especially) in their acting. Admittedly, as with *all* English-language recordings, some passages are very hard to understand without reading along, but most of the time the words are clear and effective. I would recommend this recording to any opera beginner or opera lover, even those who normally turn up their noses at performances in translation.

I love Carmen!.......2003-08-15

I do. I can think of no other opera with more melodic inventiveness, and few others with so sure a dramatic pulse. Carmen is popular and it thrills me to say that it is also a very good opera - not always true of popular things.

And what of this recording? Carmen sits well in English, so it is good to hear in translation, although some of the detais in the text jar. Escamillo refers to Jose as "my dear", which sounds rather peculiar, and the guide's line to Micaela: "it's not exactly inviting, is it?" sounds distinctly Middle England rather than Rural Spain. Some of the performers, not least Carmen herself, make the words work, although there are long tracts, especially with the chorus, where the language is distinctly indistinct.

The soloists are, by and large, strong. Patricia Bardon's deep, Handel-friendly voice adapts well to Carmen and she colours the music with phenomenal detail, sounding sexy and provocative from the start with an edge of pride and anger that emerges as the show goes on. She is out of her depth above the stave, though, and some extra top notes in the second act don't show her off to her best advantage. I have previously said that Julian Gavin is poorly served by recordings, though here he sounds much more even and gives a thrilling and musical performance (but his wooden spoken lines let him down). Mary Plazas is a lovely Micaela, rich-voiced and sincere (and word-perfect), but Garry Magee sounds miscast as Escamillo, lacking the ballast at the bottom of the voice to do justice to this tricky role.

The supporting cast is good (Mary Hegarty seems to do nothing but Frasquita these days!) but the really treasurable thing is the conducting. Stepping out of Italian Ottocento, David Parry turns his hand to this French Comedie with an appropriate lightness of touch. His pacing and handling of the set pieces is exemplary and the enrtractes go with a real swing.

A pleasure, then, for the Carmen naive or a novelty for the Carmen-acquainted. I nearly wrote Carmen-weary - but I don't think it's possible.

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