La Vita Mia [Import]

1. Vita Mia

2. St. Michel

3. Quando l'Estate Verra'

4. Cuore Di Pace

5. Anni '60

6. Verdi Cattedrali Della Memoria

7. Serenata

8. 1950

9. Canzoni

10. Rosa

11. Immenso

12. Rivederci E Grazie

Tracks:

First Booke Of Songes: I. Unquiet Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: II. Who Ever Thinks Or Hopes Of Love
First Booke Of Songes: III. My Thoughts Are Wing'd With Hopes
First Booke Of Songes: IV. If My Complaints Could Passions Move
First Booke Of Songes: V. Can She Excuse My Wrongs
First Booke Of Songes: VI. Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
First Booke Of Songes: VII. Dear, If You Change
First Booke Of Songes: VIII. Burst Fourth My Tears
First Booke Of Songes: IX. Go Crystal Tears
First Booke Of Songes: X. Think'st Thou Then By Thy Feigning
First Booke Of Songes: XI. Come Away, Come Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XII. Rest Awhile, You Cruel Cares
First Booke Of Songes: XIII. Sleep, Wayward Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: XIV. All Ye, Whom Love Or Fortune Hath Betray'd
First Booke Of Songes: XV. Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me
First Booke Of Songes: XVI. Would My Conceit
First Booke Of Songes: XVII. Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
First Booke Of Songes: XVIII. His Golden Locks
First Booke Of Songes: XIX. Awake, Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XX. Come, Heavy Sleep
First Booke Of Songes: XXI. Away With These Self-Loving Lads

Tracks:

Second Booke Of Songs: I. I Saw My Lady Weep
Second Booke Of Songs: II. Flow My Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: III. Sorrow, Stay
Second Booke Of Songs: IV. Die Not Before Thy Day
Second Booke Of Songs: V. Mourn, Mourn, Day Is With Darkness Fled
Second Booke Of Songs: VI. Time's Eldest Son
Second Booke Of Songs: VII. Then Sit Thee Down
Second Booke Of Songs: VIII. When Others Sing Venite
Second Booke Of Songs: IX. Praise Blindness Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: X. O Sweet Woods
Second Booke Of Songs: XI. If Floods Of Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: XII. Fine Knacks For Ladies
Second Booke Of Songs: XIII. Now Cease My Wand'ring Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: XIV. Come Ye Heavy States Of Night
Second Booke Of Songs: XV. White As Lilies Was Her Face
Second Booke Of Songs: XVI. Woeful Heart
Second Booke Of Songs: XVII. A Shepherd In A Shade
Second Booke Of Songs: XVIII. Faction That Ever Dwells
Second Booke Of Songs: XIX. Shall I Sue
Second Booke Of Songs: XX. Toss Not My Soul
Second Booke Of Songs: XXI. Clear Or Cloudy
Second Booke Of Songs: XXII. Humour Say What Mak'st Thou Here

Tracks:

Third Booke Of Songs 1603: I. Farewell, Too Fair
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: II. Time Stands Still
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: III. Behold A Wonder Here
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IV. Daphne Was Not So Chaste
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: V. Me, Me, And None But Me
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VI. When Phoebus First Did Daphne Love
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VII. Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VIII. Flow Not So Fast, Ye Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IX. What If I Never Speed?
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: X. Love Stood Amazed
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XI. Lend Your Ears To My Sorrow
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XII. By A Fountain Where I Lay
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIII. O What Hath Overwrought
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIV. Farewell, Unkind
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XV. Weep You No More, Sad Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVI. Fie On This Feigning!
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVII. I Must Complain
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVIII. It Was A Time When Silly Bees
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIX. The Lowest Trees Have Tops
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XX. What Poor Astronomers Are They
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XXI. Come When I Call

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: I. Disdain Me Still
A Pilgrimes Solace: II. Sweet Stay Awhile
A Pilgrimes Solace: III. To Ask For All Thy Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IV. Love, Those Beams That Breed
A Pilgrimes Solace: V. Shall I Strive Wih Words To Move?
A Pilgrimes Solace: VI. Were Every Thought An Eye
A Pilgrimes Solace: VII. Stay, Time, Awhile Thy Flying
A Pilgrimes Solace: VIII. Tell Me, True Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IX. Go Nightly Cares
A Pilgrimes Solace: X. From Silent Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XI. Lasso vita mia
A Pilgrimes Solace: XII. In This Trembling Shadow Cast
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIII. If That A Sinner's Sights
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIV. Thou Mighty God
A Pilgrimes Solace: XV. When David's Life
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVI. When The Poor Cripple

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: XVII. Where Sin Sore Wounding
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVIII. My Heart And Tongue Were Twins
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIX. Up Merry Mates
A Pilgrimes Solace: XX. Welcome Black Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XXI. Cease, Cease These False Sports
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Lachrimae Pavane
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can Shee
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: The Frogge
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Frog's Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavana And Galiarda
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana Lachrymae
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can She Excuse
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavion Solus cum sola
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Dowland's Almayne
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Piper's Paven And Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavan Lachrymae

Tracks:

Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: I. The Lamentation Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: II. Domine ne in furore
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: III. Miserere mei Deus
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: IV. The Humble Suit Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: V. The Humble Complaint Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VI. De profundis
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VII. Domine exaudi
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Gementes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Tristes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Coactae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Amantis
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Verae
Lachrimae: Mr. John Langton's Pavan
Lachrimae: Mr. Nicholas Gryffith His Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir John Souch His Galiard
Lachrimae: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens
Lachrimae: Mr. Giles Hobies Galiard
Lachrimae: The King Of Denmark's Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall
Lachrimae: Mr. Henry Noell His Galiard
Lachrimae: The Earl Of Essex Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Bucton His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. George Whitehead His Almand
Lachrimae: Captain Digorie Piper His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Thomas Collier His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mrs. Nichols Almand

Tracks:

Sacred Songs: Sorrow, Come!
Sacred Songs: I Shame At Mine Unworthiness
Sacred Songs: An Heart That's Broken And Contrite
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 38: Put Me Not To Rebuke O Lord
Psalms: Psalm 130: Lord To Thee I Make My Moan
Psalms: Psalm 104: My Soul Praise The Lord
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 134: Behold And Have Regard
A Prayer For The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
Instrumental Music: Solus cum sola pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Galliard
Instrumental Music: Pipers Pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Lady Rich Galliard
Instrumental Music: Earl Of Essex Galliard
Instrumental Music: If My Complaints
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae Doolande
Instrumental Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home
Instrumental Music: My Lord Chamberlaine His Galliard
Instrumental Music: Comagain
Instrumental Music: Pavan Lachrymae
Instrumental Music: Sorrow Stay

Tracks:

Lute Music: Preludium
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Can She Excuse
Lute Music: Dr. Case's Pavan
Lute Music: Melancholy Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Smith, His Almain
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: A Dream
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: The Queen's Galliard
Lute Music: Coranto
Lute Music: Resolution
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux Galliard
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: Mr. Dowland's MIdnight
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: Loth To Depart
Lute Music: The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard
Lute Music: The Earl Of Essex, His Galliard
Lute Music: Pavan
Lute Music: John Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Aloe
Lute Music: The Lady Clifton's Spirit
Lute Music: What If A Day
Lute Music: Mr. Giles Hobie's Galliard
Lute Music: Come Away (Song arrangement)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Lachrimae (Basic Version)
Lute Music: Galliard To Lachrimae
Lute Music: [Jig]
Lute Music: Galliard On 'Wasingham'
Lute Music: Complaint (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Mignarda (Galliard)
Lute Music: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Pavan)
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: A Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Piper's Pavan
Lute Music: Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Laiton's Almain
Lute Music: Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Lute Music: Tarleton's Jig
Lute Music: Walsingham (ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Sir Henry Guilforde, His Almain
Lute Music: Pavan (Related To 'Lachrimae')
Lute Music: Mr. Langton's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Clifton's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Hunsdon's Puffe (Almain)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Go From My Window (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Pavana Johan Douland
Lute Music: Mrs. Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan (Solus sine sola)
Lute Music: La mia Barbara
Lute Music: Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral (Pavan)
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Farewell Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)
Lute Music: Farewell (On The 'In Nomine' Theme)
Lute Music: The King of Denmark's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux's Jig
Lute Music: Mrs. Nichol's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lord Strang's March
Lute Music: Mrs. Winter's Jump
Lute Music: Can She Excuse (Galliard)
Lute Music: The Shoemaker's Wife, A Toy
Lute Music: Mrs. Norrish's Delight
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Thing (Almain)
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Nothing
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: Solus cum sola
Lute Music: The Lord Viscount Lisle, His Galliard
Lute Music: Orlando Sleepeth (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Robin (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Galliard (On A Galliard By Daniel Bacheler)
Lute Music: Forlorn Hope Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: The Lady Russell's Pavan
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Sir John Langton's Pavan
Lute Music: Earl Of Derby, His Galliard
Lute Music: A Coy Toy
Lute Music: Fortune My Foe
Lute Music: [Almain]
Lute Music: Mr. Knight's Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Souch His Galliard
Lute Music: Tarletone's Riserrectione
Lute Music: The Lady Rich, Her Galliard
Consort Music: Lachrimae Pavan
Consort Music: Can She Excuse Galliard
Consort Music: Captain Piper's Pavan And Galliard
Consort Music: The Frog Galliard
Consort Music: Round Battell Galliard
Consort Music: Fortune My Foe
Consort Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Consort Music: Katherine Darcie's Galliard
Consort Music: Tarleton's Jigge
Consort Music: Almain a 2
Consort Music: Mistress Nichols Almain a 2
Fullsack And Hildebrandt: Auserlesener Paduanen und Galliarden: Susanna Fair (Galliard)
Haussmann: Rest von polnischen und andern Tanzen: Mistress Nichols Alman a 5
Opusculum: Mr. John Langton Pavan And Galliard
Opusculum: La mia Barbara Pavan and Galliard
Opusculum: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae Pavan and Galliard

Tracks:

Consort Music: Mistress NIchols Almain
Consort Music: Volta a 4 ('Ioh. Douland')
Consort Music: Were Every Thought an Eye
Consort Music: Lady If You So Spite Me
Consort Music: Pavan a 4
A Musicall Banquet: I. My Heavy Sprite (Anthony Holborne)
A Musicall Banquet: II. Change Thy Mind Since She Doth Change (Richard Martin)
A Musicall Banquet: III. O Eyes, Leave Off Your Weeping (Robert Hales)
A Musicall Banquet: IV. Go, My Flock, Go Get You Hence (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: V. O Dear Life, When Shall It Be? (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: VI. To Plead My Faith (Daniel Bacheler)
A Musicall Banquet: VII. In A Grove Most Rich Of Shade (Guillaume Tessier)
A Musicall Banquet: VIII. Far From Triumphing Court
A Musicall Banquet: IX. Lady, If You So Spite Me
A Musicall Banquet: X. In Darkness Let Me Dwell
A Musicall Banquet: XI. Si le parler et le silence (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XII. Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIII. Vous que le Bonheur rappelle (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIV. Passava Amor su arco desarmado (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XV. Sta notte mi sognava (Anon. Italian)
A Musicall Banquet: XVI. Vuestros ojos tienen d'Amor (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XVII. Se di farmi morire (Domenico Maria Megli)
A Musicall Banquet: XVIII. Dovro dunque morire? (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XIX. Amarilli mia bella (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XX. O bella piu (Anon, Italian)

Customer Reviews:

The greatest songs ever?.......2007-07-26

I heard 'clear or cloudy', from this recording, on the radio recently and had to purchase it. It is strange but it is the sort of song that makes life prior to listening to it different from life after. I find it sad that so many people haven't heard it. There are also many other wonderful works in this collection. Given you get twelve well recorded CDs with top quality performances, this has to be one of the bargains of the age.

Please buy it.

A musical treasure-box.......2006-09-10

Both the music and this actual product are masterpieces. John Dowland's collected works here - covering 12 compact discs - exhibit the depth and power of this composer, a composer who many now regard as suffering from clinical depression. I doubt that the issue of the diagnosis of Dowland's depression can ever be settled, however, it is certainly obvious from his music, so completely on display here, that he was a man with very dark depths and corners in his mind. Dowland's various manifestations and "takes" on his own tune, "Flow my tears"/"Lachrimae" are here. This tune has haunted me ever since I first heard it when I was a child. It seems to sum up Dowland's feelings - at least Dowland seems to have thought so.

The First, Second, Third and Fourth Bookes of Songes, A Musicall Banquet, the keyboard transcriptions, all the lute music, consort music are here and virtually everything else written or supposedly written by John Dowland. Anthony Rooley and The Consort of Musicke perform this music with style and feeling throughout. This 12 CD set is something of a monument to the ensemble - I only wish they'd finished their collection of Monteverdi madrigals, which was equally good (La Venexiana are currently doing a magnificent job of recording all Monteverdi's books of madrigals for the GLOSSA label).

This is an expensive set, however, you will probably never need to buy another John Dowland CD again after buying and listening to this collection.

I bought this CD set on a mild Summer evening of 1998 and listened to it while sitting in my sun room - which a glorious orange sunset in progress, and a glass of wine. It brought back so many memories.

a beautiful journey into melancholy.......2001-06-15

I'm amazed at how many people tend to associate John Dowland's music with a tragic sense of drama. While no doubt this is art highly based on sadness, the "tragic" sense of it is more a legacy from the Romantic period. During the Renaissance, however, sadness was undestood as a very aesthetic way of approaching life. That is also the reason why Shakespeare's tragedies appear more sophisticated than his comedies.

Tracks:

Oltre La Tempesta
Siempre Adorarla
Odissea
Il Volo
Fantasma D'Amore
Dovunque Sarai
Solo Amore
Maria
Son Gli Occhi Tuoi
Je Crois Entendre Encore
Mia Per Sempre
Viaggio
Vita Mia
Au Fond Du Temple Saint
Beyond The Storm (Oltre La Tempesta)

Amazon.com

The Italian Salvatore Licitra and the Argentinian Marcelo Alvarez are, arguably the two most exciting, promising (they're in their 30s), big-voiced, bread-and-butter (or steak-and-potatoes) "Italian" tenors around. Yhey have proved themselves on the stages of the great opera houses of the world and on recordings. This CD is designed to present them to a wider audience--it is clearly meant to appeal to Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli fans. And, in fact, it succeeds. These guys have glorious voices: Licitra's is darker and somewhat heavier than Alvarez's, but the latter's shine is irresistible; one might compare them to Domingo and Pavarotti, respectively, to make that point. Neither has any problem throughout his entire range; each has big, secure top notes, and there's an innate musical intelligence at work at all times. Opera fans will relish the fantastic singing--listening to them trade high B naturals in the CD's third song, "Odissea," is thrilling--but will probably be disappointed by the music. It's soupily arranged, sentimental background drivel with catchy melodies (parts of "Salut demeure" from Gounod's Faust show up in something called "Son gli occhi tuoi," complete with a stellar high C from Alvarez), and even the gorgeous duet from Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles (one of two "classical" pieces on the CD, if one doesn't count an instrumental piece by Bach to which trite lyrics have been added) has been re-arranged to include a tinny chorus, when singing it as written would have been a magnificent treat. Their voices are bathed in a phony-pop glow which will please the Bocelli market while continuing to horrify purists. Yet it is impossible not to be bowled over by the singing--a few off-pitch-at-low-volume moments and a mess of a "Je crois entendre encore" aside. In short, two high-power, world-class operatic tenors in their prime, singing, for the most part, music in which the treacle level is obnoxiously--even dangerously--high. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Great CD and Voices........2005-10-18

I love tenors and Italian music. Groban, Safina, Bocelli, Frangolis. These two men are in their category, and one of them even sounds like Safina. Very pleasant to listen in the car and in my office. I can listen more than once a day. You have to listen more than once. Don't expect to fall in love from the first sound.

Some critisizm:
a)One of the tenors is using to much vibrato, since it's popera... otherwise it's sounds great.
b)Duetto needs to be a Tenor - Soprano. These two guys should make separate CDs with two ladies. Groban does it very well!

The young tenors........2005-09-12

The amazing part of this album is that two young tenors can make as much music as three tenors (Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti) have in the past. Salvatore Licitra and Marcelo Alvarez are the future - there is a balance in how they sing together, adding strength to rather than competing with one another.

UNEXPECTED.......2005-08-09

I bought this CD on suggestion from Amazon.com...I am thrilled with the music. The songs are emotional, beautiful, and well done. It was a great choice.

Pop Op.......2004-05-15

Their voices blend well and the opera duets are a little out of the ordinary. Unfotunately,they have been orchestrated with a Hollywood flair and sung with synthetic flamboyance. What a pity that it is only nice background music. I had hoped for excitement.

Fabulous!.......2004-02-24

I LOVED this CD. I'm a fan of tenors, but not a serious student of their voices, so I can't attest to the flawlessness of phrasing, etc. However, I found the music to be soulful and stirring, and Licitra and Alvarez's voices full and rich. I have given this CD to everyone I know - my parents, cousins, great aunts and friends, even my massage therapist, and everyone has enjoyed it. I listen to it often, pretending to sing along!

Average customer rating:

Not as good as Amore
a voice teacher and early music fan
Verdi
The triumph of mediocrity
no expert

Andrea Bocelli: Verdi
Zubin Mehta , Israel Philharmonic Orchestra , and Zubin Mehta
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B00004X16D
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: Di quella pira (Il Trovatore)
Il Trovatore: Ah si, ben mio (Il trovatore)
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile (Rigoletto)
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di'tu se fedele (Un ballo in maschera)
Un Ballo in Maschera: Ma se m'e forza perditi (Un ballo in maschera)
Rigoletto: Ella mi fu rapita (Rigoletto)
Rigoletto: Possente amor mi chiama (Rigoletto)
Aida: Celeste Aida (Aida)
La Traviata: De' miei bollenti spiriti (La traviata)
La Traviata: oh mio rimorso (La traviata)
I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere vorrei (I lombardi)
Ernani: Merce, diletti amici (Ernani)
Don Carlo: Io la vidi e il suo sorriso (Don Carlo)
Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido (Luisa Miller)
La forza del destino: La vita e inferno all'infelice (La forza del destino)

Amazon.com Classical Music Reviews

With this CD devoted solely to operatic arias--by none less than Giuseppe Verdi, the greatest Italian opera composer of all time--pop crossover phenomenon Andrea Bocelli throws his hat into the operatic ring with the big boys. The hat occasionally fits, and occasionally it doesn't. The beauty of the voice is undeniable, as is the relative ease in all registers. But, regardless of what the engineers do, it is clearly a small voice. For "Celeste Aïda"--Radames's great aria from Aïda--Bocelli opens with fine, as-big-as-possible exclamation and sounds confident; the long diminuendo on the aria's final high B-flat is stunning (whether or not the engineers were twiddling with the knobs, we'll never know). The tenor is more at home with Alfredo's Act Two music from La Traviata; he sings with grace and charm, ending the rarely performed cabaletta (a brief and showy piece that usually follows an aria) with one of the longest, most solid high Cs ever recorded. Elsewhere, there are mixed results: "Di' tu se fedele" from Un ballo in maschera is so free of feeling that it seems digitally produced. A big, unnecessary high D at the close of the Duke's cabaletta "Possente amor" from Rigoletto is screamed, and Bocelli sounds at times as if he's about to collapse from exhaustion during a heavy aria from Ernani. But "Ah si, ben mio" from Il Trovatore is beautiful, as is the Luisa Miller aria; Don Carlo also seems to fit Bocelli well. Needless to say, the singer's fans will certainly want to have this--and it might encourage them to try other recordings of music by Verdi. Newcomers and the curious will find plenty to admire, too. The sound itself remains alluring, and Bocelli has taken steps also towards improving his technique. In short, some nice surprises for the opera lover, and many for the Bocelli fan. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as Amore.......2007-03-24

This CD came perfectly, I just prefer the Amore CD better.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-14

It is said that from the age of eleven years, Guiseppe Verdi (1813-1901) wanted to write operas. He left his post as organist to study music in Milan, a move made possbile by his patron,Barezzi, whose daughter he eventually married in 1836. Shortly thereafter he composed his first opera 'Oberto" which was so successful that his future seemed secure. However, the death of his wife and two babies some time later forced him into a state of depression. The impressario Mirelli gave him the book 'Nabucco' (Nebuchadnezzar) to read, and he immediately began to write music for it. Therewith he embarked on the career which eventually made him the "Grand Old Man" of Italian opera. In modern slang, he was a "natural".From "Oberto", written in his twenties, to "Falstaff", completed when he was eighty, his characteristic integrity and intensity persisted; as he wrote his 30 operas, his powers of expression broadened and deepened. By the time he wrote 'Aida', commissioned by the Khedive of Egypt, Verdi was 56. 'Aida' is often named as his greatest opera. The live elephants used in the production, the authentic costumes and musical instruments copied from ancient Egyptian tombs made an attractive picture, and his music made a "Celeste Aida" of the whole.
Lets face it; Bocelli is no Pavoratti, and perhaps it was not wise to choose some of the arias associated with tenors of his ilk, but Bocelli makes the best of his talents, which are considerable. And he has done a lot to create interest among young voice students,(male) and as a voice teacher I make use of his appearance and his youthfulness to engage their interest, and he does that!!!!I think his record sales tell the tale.

Verdi.......2007-01-03

Excellent Verdi selections. As usual, top tonal quality with excellent breath control. The best tenor to come along with such diversification as to sing just about anything presented to him. A superb choice for the connoisseur of italian operas.

The triumph of mediocrity.......2006-02-04

No, Bocelli is not an awful singer, he is an awful OPERA singer, and it shows here. His colorless, uneducated and bland voice make me wonder why people like him so much. As a baritone in training I'm able to say that my voice teacher's STUDENTS sing much better than this guy.
His tessitura is nowere near adequate for singing any of the arias from Rigoletto, "La donna è mobile" sounds much like a kid would sing it. "Celeste Aida" is one of the worst selections, and one of the most electronically enhanced, as it requires a precise voice placement (which Bocelli doesn't posses) since much of it lies very high in the register, and a heavier, rounder voice; if the role is not adequate for many REAL tenors, it is much less adequate for a pop singer. The "feeling" raving reviewers talk about is nothing more than a voice coming (incorrectly) from the throat, and the "beautiful" high D in "Possente amor" is a beautifully screamed falsetto, the same could be said about "Di quella pira"'s C; what's amazing about all this is the fact that electronic enhancement doesn't make his voice sound better. Some have ludicrously compared him to the likes of Vargas, Domingo, and Corelli, even saying he's better; this is nothing more than ignorance and bad taste.
Maybe his fans are tired of detractors bringing out the big names in their defense, so let's be honest: he's one of the WORST opera interpreters out there, I wish great singers like Mariusz Kwiecen, Matthew Polenzani, and René Pape received the publicity he gets, though it won't happen; at least some consolation lies in the fact that these people are true artists willingly and GLADLY offering their art to the people in order to make a living; I'm sure if Andrea didn't make so much $$$$ with his opera experiment, he would've dropped this travesty long ago.

no expert.......2005-12-17

I'm not a genuine, dyed-in -the-wool opera fan. The sound of the soprano voice makes me grit my teeth. Some of the great tenors are very pleasing, but mostly I'm just not especially enthusiastic or impressed. Actually, I think it's rather stupid for good singers to abuse their voices by bellowing. This was necessary before the invention of amplification, but not any more.
So, obviously, I'm not in the position to compare Bocelli's arias to those of the tenors considered the greats. I can hear that his voice lacks the robustness of the Pavarottis of this world. BUT - I like many of the famous arias, and to my ear, Bocelli's performances, electronically enhanced or not, are melodic and pleasant to the ear. As a result of listening to Bocelli, I've become familiar with some great music that I would otherwise be likely to ignore.
So I listen and enjoy and really don't care about all the criticism.

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Berlin Phil., Karajan [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Opera
Best All-Around Boheme
Tebaldi=95% perfect, Freni=110% perfect!!!
Incredible!
a great recording, but what about Beecham?

Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Berlin Phil., Karajan [Highlights]
Giacomo Puccini , Elizabeth Harwood , Nicolai Ghiaurov , and Rolando Panerai
Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini: Tosca (Highlights) / Freni, Pavarotti
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Verdi - La Traviata / Cotrubas, Domingo, Kleiber [highlights]
Bizet: Carmen (Highlights) / Solti, Troyanos, Domingo

ASIN: B0000041TR
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

La Boheme, Act 1: Non sono in vena
La Boheme, Act 1: Che gelida manima
La Boheme, Act 1: Si. Mi chiamano Mimi
La Boheme, Act 1: O soave fanciulla
La Boheme, Act ll: La commedia e stupenda.... Quando me'n vo'
La Boheme, Act lll: O mia vita!... Donde lieta usci
La Boheme, Act lll: Dunque e proprio finita
La Boheme, Act IV: In un coupe?... O mimi, tu piu non torni
La Boheme, Act IV: Vecchia zimarra
La Boheme, Act IV: Sono andati
La Boheme, Act IV: Che avvien?

Amazon.com essential recording

These excerpts were taken from the recording that has established itself as the standard by which all others should be measured. Herbert von Karajan's orchestra is no less than perfect, as much a virtuosic performer as the singers, evoking each moment's unique mood. Can there be any doubt that Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni were born to sing Puccini? Their sweet, creamy voices splendidly blend, creating a complete aural portrait of the bohemians' souls. Elizabeth Harwood is a wonderfully high-strung Musetta, with the vocal talent to support her many moods. After hearing these highlights, you won't be able to resist the whole set, which is the greatest recording ever of the world's most beloved opera. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Opera.......2007-07-07

I ordered this after I heard Paul Potts perform a song from this opera on "Britain's Got Talent". He won, by the way, performing it beautifully.

Best All-Around Boheme.......2007-04-11

Karajan's 1973 stereo version is the best all-around Boheme available. It stars his favorite soprano, Mirella Freni, and a young Luciano Pavarotti at his peak (unlike his post-climatic self these last decades). There is no faulting this version and an ideal way to explore Puccini and Italian opera generally.

Tebaldi=95% perfect, Freni=110% perfect!!!.......2003-10-12

I second what Des Greux said, although I own a set of highlights of Tebaldi (with Bergonzi) in Boheme and feel that it is very close to ideal. In my mind Freni will always be the perfect Mimi, with her perfect phrasing, vocal acting, and pure tones. What more the timbre of her voice optimally suggests a character of vulnerability. Tebaldi sings Mimi very well, but one can't help feeling her big, full voice to suggest health rather than tuberculosis. I enjoy both Freni and Tebaldi in the role of Mimi, but Freni is a step higher. As for Beecham/Bjorling/De Los Angeles. I'd say that version is 90% perfect. I like Los Angeles as Mimi, but she really doesn't hold a candle to Freni OR Tebaldi (or even Callas).

Incredible!.......2003-04-06

The reviewer that criticized Freni doesn't know anything about singing. Freni can sing circles around Tebaldi. This is the best Boheme available. However, get the complete recording. You won't want to miss anything!

a great recording, but what about Beecham?.......2001-09-18

there is little doubt that this is a great recording, but don't let the editorial review blind you to the fact that there is considerable dispute over whether this is the "greatest recording ever" of this opera. Beecham's classic 1950s recording with De Los Angeles and Bjorling is very much in contention. Beecham's vocal performances are superior, and even though it is in mono this does not detract from the sheer quality of the recording. I have both sets, and enjoy the differing qualities of each, Karajan's orchestra is better, but then again opera is all about voice....listen to both sets, it will give you more perspectives of this wonderful opera.

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Giuseppe di Stefano

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000A5BXQ
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Addio, Mignon
Ah! Non Credevi Tu
Io Son Solo...Ah! Dispar, Vision
E La Solita Storia (Lamento Di Federico)
Lunge Da Lei...De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti
Fra Poco A Me Ricovero
Tu Che A Dio Spiegasti L'Ali
Son Gia Lontani!...Corre A Valle
Intanto Amici Qua...Viva Il Vino Spumeggiante
Mamma, Quel Vino E Generoso
Recondita Armonia
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Dovunque Al Mondo
Addio, Fiorito Asil
Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba
La Vita E Inferno...O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli
Una Parola Sola...Or Son Sei Mesi
Ch'ella Mi Creda Libero
Avete Torto!...Firenze E Come Albero
Non Piangere, Liu
Nessun Dorma

Tracks:

Questa O Quella
Ella Mi Fu Rapita!...Parmi Veder Le Lagrime
La Donna E Mobile
Ah Si, Ben Mio
Di Quella Pira
Di' Tu Se Fedele
Teco Io Sto...Non Sai Tu Che Se L'Anima Mia...Oh, Qual Soave Brivido - Maria Callas
Forse La Soglia Attinse...Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti
Che Gelida Manina
In Un Coupe?...O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni - Rolando Panerai
Donna Non Vidi Mai
Oh, Saro La Piu Bella - Maria Callas
No! Pazzo Son! Guardate!
A La Barcillunisa
Cantu A Timuni
'O Sole Mio
Marechiare
Core 'Ngrato
Torna A Surriento

Rossini - The Barber of Seville / Roberta Peters · Leinsdorf

Average customer rating:

Perfection in Seville
Un 'Barbero' sorprendente
Strange to say, but probably one of the best Barbers
Pure Bliss!!! YOU MUST GET THIS!!
Hey! This is one of the BEST!

Rossini - The Barber of Seville / Roberta Peters · Leinsdorf
Gioachino Rossini , Erich Leinsdorf , Roberta Peters , Robert Merrill , Fernando Corena , Margaret Roggero , Carlo Tomanelli , and Giorgio Tozzi
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine
Verdi: Ernani (Complete) [Germany]
Bizet: Carmen / Price, Corelli, Merrill, Freni; Karajan
Mozart - Die Zauberflöte / Araiza, Te Kanawa, Studer, Ramey, Lind, van Dam, Bär, Marriner
Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro

ASIN: B000003G4F
Release Date: 1996-09-17

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Overture
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Piano, pianissimo (Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Ecco ridente il cielo (Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Ehi, Fiorello! - Mio signore! (Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Mille grazie, mio signore (Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Gente indiscreta! (Count, Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: La ran le lera; Largo al factotum (Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Ah, ah! che bella vita! (Count, Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Non e venuto ancora (Rosina, Count, Bartolo, Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Se il nome saper voi bramate (Rosina, Count, Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Oh, cielo! (Count, Figaro)
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: All'idea di quel metallo (Count, Figaro)

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene 1: Evviva il mio padrone - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Una voce poco fa (Rosina) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Si, si, la vincero! (Rosina, Figaro, Bartolo) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: La calunnia e un venticello (Basilio) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Ah, che ne dite? (Basilio, Bartolo, Figaro, Rosina) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Dunque io son... tu non m'inganni? (Rosina, Figaro) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Ora mi sento meglio (Rosina, Bartolo) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: A un dottor della mia sorte (Bartolo) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Brontola quanto vuoi (Rosina, Count) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Ehi, di casa... buona gente (Count, Bartolo, Rosina, Basilio) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Che cosa accadde, signori miei (Figaro, Bartolo, Count, Basilio) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Fermi tutti, nessun si mova (Bartolo, Figaro, Basilio, Count, Rosina) - Rossini
The Barber Of Seville: Act I: Scene: 2: Mi par d'esser con la testa (Rosina, Count, Basilio, Bartolo, Figaro) - Rossini

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Ma vedi il mio destino! (Bartolo)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Pace e gioia sia con voi (Count, Bartolo)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Insomma, mio signore (Bartolo, Count, Rosina)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: 'Contro un cor che accende amore...' (Rosina, Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Bella voce! (Count, Rosina, Bartolo)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: 'Quando mi sei vicina...' (Count, Bartolo)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Bravo,signor barbiere,ma bravo! (Figaro, Bartolo, Rosina, Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Don Basilio! Cosa veggo! (Rosina, Count, Figaro, Bartolo, Basilio)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Buona sera, mio signore (Count, Figaro, Basilio, Rosina, Figaro, Bartolo)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Orsu, signor don Bartolo (Figaro, Bartolo, Count, Rosina)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Ah! Disgraziato me! ma come? (Bartolo,
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Il vechiotto cerca moglie
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Dunque voi don Alonso non conoscete affatto? (Bartolo, Basilio, Rosina)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Temporale - Storm
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Alfine eccoci qua (Figaro, Count, Rosina)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Ah! qual colpo inaspettato! (Rosina, Figaro, Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Ah,disgraziati noi! come si fa? (Figaro, Count, Rosina, Basilio)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Il conte! ah che mai sento! (Bartolo, Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Cessa di piu resistere (Count)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Insomma, io ho tutti i torti! (Bartolo, Figaro, Basilio, Rosina)
The Barber Of Seville: Act II: Di si felice innesto (Figaro, Bartolo, Basilio, Rosina, Count)

Customer Reviews:

Perfection in Seville.......2007-05-14

I think the mezzo vs high coloratura soprano as Rosina is irrelevant when considering the merits of this recording. This is almost a complete reading of the score which benefits from the casting of most of the original cast of a production that was still relatively new in 1958 when the recording was made.

All the soloists have the bel canto style nailed down. The Figaro of this recording is Robert Merrill and his voice is caught in all of it's prime time state. Simply gorgeous golden tone here that is richly masculine with an easy upper register. The rest of the cast, the conducting and playing of the Met Opera orchestra and chorus are perfection.

Although there is some minor master tape related problems, and they are really minor, RCA's Living Stereo process is remarkable. This edition's sonics are an incredible improvement over RCA's original CD release.

Un 'Barbero' sorprendente.......2004-10-31

Este 'Barbero de Sevilla' (grabado en 1956 por el sello RCA) depara muchas sorpresas agradables. Se trata de una version completisima (se incluyen todos los recitativos y ademas el aria de Almaviva 'Cessa di piu resistere', que suele suprimirse y que aparece aqui por primera vez en la historia en grabacion de esta opera).
El reparto se acerca bastantea la realidad rossiniana de los canones de hoy en dia (lo que debe sorprender, porque en 1956 eran bien diferentes) Como Almaviva tenemos al tenor CESARE VALLETTI, que combina una bella voz con un dominio de la coloratura bastante correcto para la epoca. La Rosina de ROBERTA PETERS (en version soprano ligera) derrocha una cantidad de agudos y sobreagudos con una seguridad y limpieza absolutamente pasmosa: la voz puede gustar o no, pero su dominio del agudo y del registro agudo no se le puede negar.
ROBERT MERRILL es un Figaro diferente, que quiza pueda chocar un poco, porque es el que mas alejado esta de la realidad rossiniana de hoy en dia. FERNANDO CORENA es un Don Bartolo que quiza peca de excesos de comico y GIRGIO TOZZI es un Don Basilio imponente. La lista de secundarios cumple perfectamente con sus cometidos y ERICH LEINSDORF realiza una lectura que, aunque hoy en dia puede resultar poco rossiniana, no deja de ser interesante ante unos cuerpos estables del Metropolitan de Neuva York que, como siempre, responden con calidad.
En definitiva, sin ser un Barbero de primera opcion, es una buena forma de ver cuanto ha evolucionado la historia del canto y de la conduccion rossiniana, disfrutando y sorprendiendose. Una version que, aunque a priori pueda prometer poco, ofrece bastante. Recomendable.

Strange to say, but probably one of the best Barbers.......2004-10-27

It's funny how some "classic" recordings might be classic but they arent necessarily good introductions to an opera. For example, the Maria Callas/Tito Gobbi/Luigi Alva Barber of Seville is often thought to be the classic recording of Rossini's comic gem. While I agree that recording is unique, it's also extremely cut, and it goes for a drier, more "subtle" humor.
OTOH, the Leinsdorf recording, with a cast of Cesare Valletti, Roberta Peters, Robert Merrill, and Fernando Corena is well-sung, relatively complete, well-recorded, and most of all has a freewheeling sense of fun that I think perfectly captures the charm of this opera.
Roberta Peters was a high, light soprano. Her voice can sound a bit glassy and colorless, but her Rosina is lively, virtuostic, and properly spunky. The only caveat is that like some sopranos she transposes "Una voce poco fa' up to F, while the aria IMO is much more charming in its original key of E. Cesare Valleti's Almaviva is more caressing than dazzling (unlike Juan Diego Florez), but unlike many Almavivas he actually sings the whole part. He does not cut his final aria "Cessa di piu resistere."
Overall, I'd say none of the individual singers on this recording are necessarily the best, but together this is a great ensemble recording, and I highly recommend it as an introduction to the opera. To opera, in fact.

Pure Bliss!!! YOU MUST GET THIS!!.......2003-07-29

Okay, if you are just browsing amazon and this set caught your eye let me just say STOP!! GO NO FURTHER!! THIS IS THE BEST!!
THIS IS PERFECTION!! THIS BORDERS ON DIVINE!! There is simply no point in looking for that all important "most enjoyable piece of opera in the world" BECAUSE THIS IS IT! Its this simple folks, if you like opera, if you like beautiful voices, if you like perfect timing, pitch and recording quality you must get this. This is the DEFINITIVE Barber of Seville. I will let the previous reviews here tell you about the story and the performers. My review is here for just one reason - to let people that are on the fence wondering if they should really get this -YES YOU SHOULD! You absolutely will not be dissappointed - I stake my brothers life on it. :)
End of rant.

Hey! This is one of the BEST!.......2002-07-18

I've owned this on vinyl for decades, and it seldom comes any better. Most of you know that, being familiar with Roberta Peters in her prime, along with Valletti, Merrill, Corena, and Tozzi. This is one of the most balanced casts ever assembled. I happen to like both approaches to Rosina- high in the stratosphere vocalizing and the more down-to-earth approach of Teresa Berganza. In Cesare Valletti, we have one of the finest Almavivas since the days of Fernando de Lucia. Valletti gets right into the meat of this character, with Nicolai Gedda being the only modern Almaviva to rival Valletti's voice. (I can't wait to hear Florez sing this!) What can one say about Robert Merrill? If he didn't love singing Figaro, he's done a fine job of fooling me. I do not agree with all of his interpretation, but this is one of the finest baritones having fun with a role that deserves it. (He has formidable competition here: Stracciari is incredible as Figaro. He had one of the most glorious high baritone voices you could ever want to hear and he's darned funny as Figaro to boot. Then there's Sherrill Milnes, who had a voice to rival Stracciari's formidable instrument and the same sense of fun.)

Then there are the not so minor roles of Bartolo and Basilio. Corena had a powerful, rich voice used here with a sense of character that's almost impossible to surpass. Has anyone ever had a better voice for Bartolo? Not in my memory! Giorgio Tozzi's Basilio is one of the glories of this performance; a rich, colorful voice with great beauty of tone... all at the service of one of opera's funniest `villains'. Leinsdorf does a fine job capturing the ambience of Barbiere, so I find it hard to go wrong with this recording...

So now it's time for a little rant and rave... One of the reviewers chided Corena and Tozzi for going over the top, speaking of them like dogs who were caught digging holes in the neighbors' gardens. (What must he think of Capecchi? I shudder to think of it!) The Barber of Seville is not a dusty old museum piece, it's a comedy about very human people going about their businesses with wacky results. This opera somewhat resembles a train wreck in the making, with boxcars full to the brim with maniac clowns. I love it when the singers get into the meat of their characters. Combining it with glorious voices and breathtaking singing only adds to the joy. Corena's performance of Doctor Bartolo IS over the top- which is what is needed- Bartolo is a very over-the-top man. Three cheers to Fernando Corena!

Verdi: La Forza del Destino
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

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Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera

Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / Arroyo · Domingo · Cappuccilli · Cossotto · Grist · NPO · Muti

ASIN: B000BO0GPO
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Mozart: Così fan tutte / Mackerras [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Needs better singers

Mozart: Così fan tutte / Mackerras [Highlights]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Edinburgh Festival Chorus , Scottish Chamber Orchestra , Sir Charles Mackerras , Felicity Lott , Marie McLaughlin , Nuccia Focile , Jerry Hadley , Gilles Cachemaille , and Alessandro Corbelli
Manufacturer: Telarc
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Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies

ASIN: B000003D12
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Ouvertura
Terzetto 'La Mia Dorabella Capace Non E'
Duetto: 'Ah, Guarda, Sorella'
Aria: 'Vorrei Dir'
Quintetto: 'Sento, Oddio Che Questo Piede'
Coro: 'Bella Vita Militar!'
Quintetto (Con Coro) 'Di Scrivermi Ogni Giorno'
Terzettino: 'Soave Sia Il Vento'
Aria: 'Smanie Implacabili'
Aria: 'In Uomini, In Soldati'
Aria: 'Come Scoglio Immoto Resta'
Aria: 'Non Siate Ritrosi'
Terzetto: 'E Voi Ridete'
Aria: 'Un'aura Amorosa'
Aria: 'Una Donna A Quindici Anni'
Quartetto: 'La Mano A Me Date'
Duetto: 'Il Core Vi Dono, Bell'idolo Mio
Aria: 'Ah, Lo Veggio: Quell'anima Bella'
Rondo: 'Per Pieta, Ben Mio, Perdona'
Aria: 'Donne Mie, La Fate A Tanti'
Cavatina: 'Tradito, Schernito'
Aria: 'E Amore Un Ladroncello'
Duetto: 'Fra Gli Amplessi'
Aria: 'Tutti Accusan Le Donne'

Customer Reviews:

Needs better singers.......2000-10-15

I like the smart cover painting and the lively direction of Mackerras. However, the cast is nothing to brag about. Come Scoglio doesn't sound good, and the rest of the arias are only okay. The chorus, however, is magnificent. Overall, an okay recording and a generous highlights disc, but there are better choices out there.

Verdi: La Forza Del Destino (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

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

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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
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
Ponchielli: La Gioconda (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Fiorenza Cossotto, Antonino Votto, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000002RY5
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Fate la carita, e un'ora che aspettiamo! (Melitone, Guardiano)
La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Giunge qualcuno, aprite (Guardiano, Melitone)
La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Invano Alvaro ti celasti al mondo
La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene One: Le minaccie, i fieri accenti (Alvaro, Carlo)
La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene Two: Pace, pace mio Dio! (Leonora)
La forza del destino: Act Four: Scene Two: Io muoio! Confessione! (Carlo, Alvaro, Leonora)
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:

Heppner -"Beauty and the Beef"
He is DEFINATELY NOT Del Monaco or Corelli
Ben Heppner is One of the Best Tenors of All time!
Finally, a real dramatic tenor voice.
Heppner just may be the perfect tenor.

Ben Heppner - Great Tenor Arias
Ruggero Leoncavallo , Giuseppe Verdi , Giacomo Puccini , Georges Bizet , Jules Massenet , Umberto Giordano , Munich Radio Orchestra , Bavarian Radio Chorus , Roberto Abbado , Michael Glaser , and Ben Heppner
Manufacturer: RCA
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Ideale: Songs of Paolo Tosti
Ben Heppner - German Romantic Opera
My Secret Heart - Songs of Parlour, Stage and Screen
Heppner Sings Wagner
Ben Heppner - Airs Francais / LSO, Myung-Whun Chung

ASIN: B000003FO4
Release Date: 1995-08-15

Tracks:

La Boheme: Musetta! O gioia della mia dimora!....Testa adorata
La forza del destino: Oh! fede negar potessi... Quando le sere al placido
La forza del destino: La vita e inferno all'infelice... Oh, tu che in seno agl'angeli
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi!... Celeste Aida
Il Trovatore: Ah si, ben mio
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai simili a questa!
Turandot: Nessun dorma
La Fanciulla del West: Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
L'Africaine: Pays merveilleux... O Paradis
Herodiade: Ne pouvant reprimer... Adieu donc, vains objets
Le Cid: Ah! tout est bien fini... O souverain, o juge, o pere
Andrea Chenier: Come un bel di di maggio
Andrea Chenier: Colpito qui m'avete ov'io geloso... Un di all'azzurro spazio

Amazon.com

Not since the days of Lauritz Melchior have we had a true heldentenor, a singer who can take on the big Wagnerian parts and the other roles that require a voice of real weight and heft. The Canadian tenor Ben Heppner is the closest we come these days, but he is both less and more than that--less because he has so far not attempted the bigger Wagnerian roles, more because (unlike most such tenors, and as demonstrated on this disc) he has successfully mastered the idiom of French and Italian operas. He has a big voice, flexible and even, capable of a good legato line when needed (e.g., in nicely sung performances of "Ah si, ben mio" from Verdi's Il Trovatore and "O Paradis" from Meyerbeer's L'Africaine). But while his brilliant sound and dramatic intensity make him often thrilling to hear, there is also a sense of effort and a lack of charm in his singing that can put a listener off, and RCA has done him no favors with their rather distant miking. Still, he is an exciting singer, and this is a recommended disc. --Alex Morin

Customer Reviews:

Heppner -"Beauty and the Beef".......2006-11-02

Comparing tenors is always risky-no matter what, someone's feelings get hurt.Ben Heppner is, as others have suggested, the leading heldontenor of the day.What seems to separate him from others, with whom he has been compared-Corelli,del Monaco,Melchior, is the obvious fact that Heppner has a stunning lyrical quality to his sound.Many of the Mellochi, dropped larynx technique singers, are simply incapable of producing a "sweet" sound.Size isn't everything.Volume and a sweet sound are qualities that when combined add so much more musical, and hence listening value.Heppner can sing everything, because his lyrical sound is listenable.When will they get it right...a triple forte presentation all the time isn't all there is to singing opera. With Heppner we have a sense of line, modulation and all the musical aspects that make performances enjoyable. As well, Heppner is a fine musician. I dislike over done portamento. Heppner sings and delivers as the composer intended-at least as far as one can tell.I loved Corelli's sound but his magnificence was diminished by a chronic failure to follow the score.And I don't think Del Monaco ever sang anything pianissimo.I am sorry fans, but that isn't good singing.With Heppner we have an artist who delivers music with great musicality. What a concept!This CD offers example after example of how it can and should be done.
This CD has all the goods to illustrate the point.Big sound plus sweet sound equals success.Great tenor arias from a great tenor!

He is DEFINATELY NOT Del Monaco or Corelli.......2005-04-27

For all of the people out there reading the reviews on here make sure you take them with a grain of salt. Most peoples ear for voice is terrible. If you had heard Del Monaco or Corelli live you would know what complete and utter bullcrap these reviews are. Although Ben Heppner's voice may be considered large by todays standards it is small compared to Corelli and ESPECIALLY Del Monaco. In this age of state of the art recording equipment everyone sounds like they have a big voice. Mr. Heppner also lacks the core and squillo that Del Monaco and Corelli (and countless others) had. The ring in their voices is where all of the harmonics happen. It is these kinds of comparisons that have allowed the opera to decline to the level that it is today. Intstead of saying, "Why are'nt people singing like DelMonaco and Tebaldi and Nilsson anymore?" we have people trying to bring lesser voices up to their level. Very sad.

Ben Heppner is One of the Best Tenors of All time!.......2000-01-28

The only reason that Ben Heppner would not be able to fill the shoes of Corelli, or del Monaco is because Ben wears a bigger size. Heppner not only has the large full ranged voice, mentioned by the previous reviewer, but he also has impecable artistry. Unlike del Monaco he knows what dynamics are. Unlike Corelli he can get to his top register without scooping, and unlike Corelli he knows how to count, and doesn't write the music as he sings it. Don't get me wrong Corelli, and Del Monaco are two of my favorite tenors, but they are by no means better than Heppner

Finally, a real dramatic tenor voice........1999-09-29

Since the days of Del Monaco and Corelli, there have not been many dramatic tenors worthy of note. The few dramatic tenors I have seen live in recent years, namely the Russians, Atlantov and Bogachev, and the Americans, Margison and O'Neill, have indeed had big voices but not particularly attractive ones. They have also lacked the musicianship and style of singers like Del Monaco and Corelli, not to mention their top registers! Now comes a tenor like Heppner who, although he cannot fill the shoes of Corelli and Del Monaco, as indeed who can, is nevertheless worthy to walk in their footsteps. Heppner has an immense, bronze colored tenor voice. It is not darkly shaded like Corelli's or perhaps as stentorian as Del Monaco's. But Heppner displays a rich, even timbre throughout his singing, from bottom to top. In many of the arias on this CD, Heppner effectively employs dynamic shading for someone with as big a voice as his. But, above all, Heppner offers us a clinic in fine, subtle legato phrasing. His musicianship is impeccable. Heppner has enough voice and breadth to be patient with these arias, shaping the phrases in long, flowing lines without tiring or compromising his tone. Although sometimes Heppner thins out at the top, I suspect that's more of a problem with the engineering than the voice. One small criticism to be made, however, is that perhaps Heppner's performance is too controlled, lacking the spontaneity and thrill characteristic of performances by greats such as Corelli and Del Monaco. Nevertheless, we should consider outselves lucky to have this wonderful heroic tenor on the stage today.

Heppner just may be the perfect tenor........1999-09-28

How on earth did I miss this one?! Recorded in 1995, I just stumbled across it the other day. What a voice! Here is that true rarity: a genuine Heldentenor with a sweet, flexible, well-placed voice; and he is definitely NOT a tenor-baritone. I've heard "Nessum Dorma" a thousand times, sung by a hundred tenors, but never like like this--your hair will stand on end! Who said a so-called dramatic tenor can't hit a decent high-C? Heppner not only hits it--dead center--he demolishes it. And the "Un di all'azzurro spazio" is a "textbok" in vocal agility. I know of no other tenor today (or yesterday) who can so perfectly handle the two distinct "styles" of the aria, at times lyrical, and others dramatic. This aria was meant to be difficult and, although many can sing it with fair success, only Heppner grabs it, shakes it for all it's worth, and conquers it. How nice to have a North American (albeit from British Columbia) do us so proud,

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