Mi Soledad

1. Mi Soledad

2. Son Corazón

3. Aquí Te Espero

4. Me Voy a Navegar

5. Rosario de Mi Vida

6. Libre Como Gaviota

7. Todo Pasa

8. Tras de Ti

9. Junto a Mi Almohada

10. Esperaré

11. Soñando Estoy

12. Ahora Que Soy Libre

Mi Soledad,Manoella Torres,I.M. Records,Bolero,Latin,Latin Pop,Mexico

Average customer rating:

Resurrection of an Old LP Compilation
Vintage Renata

The Best of Tebaldi

Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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Grandi Voci: Renata Tebaldi
La Tebaldi
Very Best of
The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Tebaldi and Corelli: Great Opera Duets

ASIN: B0002L2XUC
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Resurrection of an Old LP Compilation .......2007-03-09

I bought this compilation on a London LP back in the seventies. I listened to it until I wore it out. They wisely began the disc with probably the best recording she ever made, that of Si, mi chiamano Mimi, from La Boheme. The singing on that cut is so ravishing and inspired. All the other cuts are almost as good, except for the one from La fanciulla del West; there she was past her prime, but it's a great aria. Instead, they should have included her recording of O Patria Mia from AIDA. Tebaldi had something that even the great Caballe has never completely matched, and this CD really does represent her best work.

Vintage Renata.......2005-01-03

This recital, one of the series of "original cover" [in this case the English, not the American cover] albums that DECCA has been re-issuing, is a compilation-recital drawn from Tebaldi's many complete-opera sets.

TRACKLISTING

1 Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì (Mimì)
La Bohème Puccini
2 Donde lieta uscì al tuo grido (Mimì)
La Bohème Puccini
3 Vissi d'arte (Tosca)
Tosca Puccini
4 Laggiù nel Soledad (Minnie)
La fanciulla del West Puccini
5 Un bel dì, vedremo (Cio-cio-san)
Madama Butterfly Puccini
6 "Con onor muore" (Cio-cio-san)
Madama Butterfly Puccini
7 Signore, ascolta! (Liù)
Turandot Puccini
8 Tu che di gel sei cinta (Liù)
Turandot Puccini
9 La mamma morta (Maddalena)
Andrea Chénier Giordano
10 Io son l'umile ancella (Adriana)
Adriana Lecouvreur Cilèa
11 Poveri fiori (Adriana)
Adriana Lecouvreur Cilèa
12 L'altra notte in fondo al mare (Margherita)
Mefistofele Boïto

Carlo Bergonzi tenor (tracks 1 & 6)
Cornell MacNeil baritone (track 4)
Mario del Monaco tenor (track 8)
Orchestra e coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia
Tullio Serafin (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 & 12)
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (track 3)
Franco Capuana (tracks 4, 10 & 11)
Alberto Erede (tracks 7 & 8)
Gianandrea Gavazzeni (track 9)

Her luminous, radiant voice was at her best here.

Now DECCA ought to re-issue Tebaldi's classic 1955 recital with Alberto Erede conducting, from which I particularly cherish the two items from Licinio Refice's CECILIA, an azione sacra from the 1930s that Tebaldi sings with a tenderness and glow that is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.

To know Renata is to love her, and so will you, if you hear this exquisite disc.

The several non-jet-setting conductors in this dic lead with un-flashy excellence and a gracious, Italianate regard for the needs of the singer: a lesson in STYLE.

Average customer rating:

Tebaldi has the bigger voice
What a voice!
Excellent, but Tebaldi was no Cher
20th century's greatest Italian soprano
The real thing

Grandi Voci: Renata Tebaldi

Manufacturer: Decca
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The Best of Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi: Aria & Scenes
The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Very Best of
Diva:Montserrat Caballe

ASIN: B00000422F
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Tracks:

Un Bel Di Vedremo (Madama Btterfly - Puccini)
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi (La Boh Me - Puccini)
Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta (Turandot - Puccini)
Vissi D'Arte (Tosca - Puccini)
Ritorna Vincitor! (Aida - Verdi)
Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella... Piangea Cantando... Ave Maria (Otello - Verdi)
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! (La Forza Del Destino - Verdi)
O Mio Babbino C Ro (Gianni Schicchi - Puccini)
Senza Mamma, O Bimbo (Suor Angelica - Puccini)
Laggi Nel Soledad (La Fanciulla Del West - Puccini)
In quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut - Puccini)
Ecco, Respiro Appena... Lo Son L'umile Ancella (Adriana Lecouvreur - Cilea)
La Mamma Morta (Andrea Ch Nier - Giordano)
L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare (Mefistofele - Boito)
Ebben?... Ne Andr Lontana (La Wally - Catalini)

Customer Reviews:

Tebaldi has the bigger voice.......2005-02-10

Yes, if you got Tebaldi in her vocal prime and Callas in her vocal prime to sing together on stage, the Italian would blow away the Greek with her enormous volume.

What a voice!.......2005-01-03

I heard Tebaldi many times at the Metropolitan, and no recording can truly give a full idea of the radiance of her voice at its best. It was an opulent, luscious sound, with a depth all its own. Her stage persona was charming and sympathetic, but ever-so-slightly aloof: she was a true diva in the original, untainted meaning of that Italian word: a "goddess" inhabiting her own special realm.

This selection is drawn, with few exceptions, from her glory days in the 1950s, and includes some-but by no means all-of her finest moments on disc. While no recording can quite recreate her special aura, it CAN reproduce her way with a phrase, the exquisite light-and-shade of her personal style. In this she was a fine musical interpreter, and a real Italian: no heavy-breathing psychotics from Renata! Her heart, like the timbre of her voice, was full of Italy's sun.

In the glorious tradition of Claudia Muzio, Tina Poli-Randaccio, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Maria Caniglia and Mafalda Favero.

Excellent, but Tebaldi was no Cher.......2004-12-20

Few singers have performed "Tusca" with the flourish and brilliance of Tebaldi, and her arias, filled with her rich, creamy, full-bodied voice are stunning even to this day. However, never have I seen anything from Tebaldi that even begins to compare with the eye-popping dance moves, bold vocal stylings, and see-through leotards of Cher. The works of Puccini are indeed fine; however I wager that fans of Tebaldi should--indeed MUST--indulge in classics like "Do You Believe In Life After Love" before considering their music collections complete.

20th century's greatest Italian soprano.......2004-08-10

Living in an era as we do where there are so few great Italian lyric/spinto sopranos,it is a joy to listen to this CD and to hear the "real thing." Tebaldi's voice is so rich and so luxurious that it may come as a surprise to a younger generation that has not heard an Italian soprano with such a large and velvety voice. It reminds me of the many saturday afternoons I would listen to Tebaldi on the Met radio broadcasts. Comparisons can be interesting...Callas's dramatic intensity, Sutherland's coloratura and high notes, the brilliance of Leontyne Price, etc. but Tebaldi truly was the greatest Italian soprano of the 20th century and owned the roles of Mimi, Liu, Minnie, and Tosca. There was a reason that Toscannini selected a young Tebaldi to re-open the opera house at La Scala in Milan after World War II..he knew that a voice like that came but once in a hundred years.

The real thing.......2004-06-25

Although I prefer the "La Tebaldi" 2-disc set on Decca because it has arias not included here, this colection is great. The aria from Adriana gets my vote as one of the most beautiful things ever recorded, by anyone. If you enjoy beautiful singing, you'll want this disc.

Average customer rating:

Commitment, passion and problems. . . .
Flawed, but nevertheless excellent
Disappointing Puccini recital
Mixed bag
Pitch problems and vocal disappointments

Puccini

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
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Angela Gheorghiu - Live from Covent Garden

ASIN: B0006G9HAC
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

Un Bel Di Vedremo
Tu, Tu, Piccolo Iddio
Addio, Mio Dolce Amor - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Nel Villaggio D'Edgar - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Chi Il Sogno Di Doretta
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi
Quando Me N'vo
Donde Lieta Usci
L'amore E Un'altra Cosa...Laggiu Nel Soledad
In Quelle Trine Morbide
Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata
Senza Mamma
O Mio Babbino Caro
Se Come Voi Piccina Io Fossi
Signore, Ascolta!
Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta
In Questa Reggia - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Tracks:

Vissi D'arte

Amazon.com

It would be difficult to fault the singing of Angela Gheorghiu on these discs (the second, bonus CD contains "Vissi d'arte" from her complete recording of Tosca). She goes through almost the entire Puccini catalog of heroines--Mimi and Musetta, Liu, Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Liu and Turandot, Lauretta, Suor Angelica, Minnie (from Fanciulla), as well as the gals from La Rondine, Edgar, and Le Villi, and her exquisite, fine-grained, unique sound--with its dusky lower register--is always interesting and beautifully inflected. Her attention to dynamics is admirable, verbally, she seems genuinely involved in each character. The voice can deliver as much power, as in the end of the first Edgar aria, as gentleness, in Suor Angelica's "Senza Mamma" as needed. But somehow she doesn't make any one of the characters entirely her own. This may be a bit picky, but maybe that's the case with recital albums. Let's face it--her voice is irresistible and her husband, Roberto Alagna, adds his bronzed tones to two of the selections. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Commitment, passion and problems. . . ........2007-01-28

Buy this CD and stay with it for a day or two. You'll eventually be won over, even if you belong to another
"camp".

OK: We all know there is a type of "opera queen" of all sexes and sexual orientations that thrive on bashing
certain singers while lauding others. This is not a war. I resisted Gheroghiu for years due to the hype and
marketing. I have not heard her live, so I don't know if she is out-faching herself by singing damn near
everything alla Callas.

What I DO hear is a rather "ugly" voice (again alla Callas) that is so distinctive as to be instantly recognizable. There is that middle European "keening", rapid vibrato quality that Vishnevskaya had.

What I hear above ALL however, is commitment and passion. There are pitch problems, AGAIN alla Callas, sharp
here, flat there, driven "ugly" sounds: all the hallmarks of the Kunstdiva, of which I think she might be the
reigning example in our time.

The Puccini style here is questionable: let's lay that off on the conductor.

Fleming, Gheorghiu, Netrebko, et al: committed, intelligent, driven women who make the world a better place
in which to live and listen.

Have your favorites, and lay off the others in print.

Flawed, but nevertheless excellent.......2006-02-04

My personal rating is 5 stars, but I'm just biased to everything Romanian, the public rating derives from the fact that people need an objective as possible review, and that lead me to the flaws:
Ms. Gheorghiu's voice is there as always, with it's dark, round timbre but, as I beleive a fellow reviewer has noted, they sound a bit alike. The usual passion she injects in this music is not entirely present, she somehow sounds uninspired.
Even so, the good outweighs the bad, and that's what makes this an excellent addition to your musical library; there's not a misplaced note anywhere, her gorgeous voice is a delight to the ears, and the musical selection is quite good and interesting, even if she's not up to the challenge of Turandot (at least not yet). For some reason that I don't share, a few people have found the conducting bad, but that's the aspect I pay less attention to, unless it's enormously obvious.
In short, this is a disc fans of Gheorghiu and good singing can't miss.

Disappointing Puccini recital.......2005-12-06

Angela Gheorgiou can sing Puccini like nobody's bussiness, but something is missing from this collection. It's good, with few rough spots (and admittedly, pitch issues) but I don't want "good" from Angela, I want GREAT! She can do better. She can sing these arias with more passion, better technique and I just don't understand what has happened to her. There is sameness to all these arias, and not much color or variation.
Vissi D'arte is very good, and In questa Regia is great, very different from how it is usually done, but Tu, Tu, Piccolo Iddio is not good at all and I don't like Quando Me N'vo either, I have heard much better performances of this classic, especially by Anna Netrebko, who is hot on Angela's heels as the next great diva. Watch your back, dear Angela!
Also, the programming on this album is strange, why is Vissi D'arte on a seperate disc...?
For anyone who loves this voice, it would still be a nice recital, but I am disappointed, I expected better.

Mixed bag.......2005-12-06

As a great lover of Puccini music, it's difficult to disappoint me when it comes to recordings. This collection of arias sung by Angela Gheorghiu covers every Puccini opera except Il Tabarro (from Il Trittico), so the broad selection is a treat. I've heard many conflicting opinions about her singing, but I consider Gheorghiu's soprano sound to be uniquely rich and beautiful. Moreover, she has made a strong contribution to recorded opera.

Anton Coppola's conducting is too slow for my taste most of the time. He seems to love every note Puccini wrote (which is understandable!), but his pacing undermines the drama in some of these selections. He also doesn't get much force out the orchestra when it is needed, such as in Turandot and the Madama Butterfly finale.

EMI's packaging is ridiculous. One aria, "Vissi D'arte" from Tosca, is on a separate disc, billed as a "bonus CD." It is from her earlier recording of the opera conducted by Antonio Pappano. The case is like a hardcover book, which looks nice, but does not fit in typical CD storage spaces.

Pitch problems and vocal disappointments.......2005-09-27

I really liked Gheorghiu the first time that I heard her. I thought that she was probably the best soprano out there in the spotlight. After hearing this CD, however, I have really changed my mind. First of all, she sings flat in alot in this CD. Secondly, her technique is showing some flaws now in that she can not always pronounce the words correctly. So she makes some strange sounds. For example, "Tu, tu, tu" which should be pronounced with a pure 'oo' sound is pronounced 'tuh'. I also feel that her voice is a bit frantic in alot of parts with her middle range and chest voice being weak and uncoordinated. How unfortunate! She needs to get it together or she is going down the toilet.

Average customer rating:

glorious singing of puccini's greatest 'hits'
Opera !

Essential Puccini

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini: Great Opera Arias

ASIN: B000026ESE
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

Turandot: Nessun Dorma
Tosca: Vissi D'Arte
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Madama Butterfly: Vogliare Mi Bene (Love Duet)
La Fanciulla Del West: Minnie, Dalla Mia Casa
Madama Butterfly: Scuoti Quella Fronda (Flower Duet)
Gianni Schicchi: Firenze E Come
Suor Angelica: Senza Mamma
Manon Lescaut: Tra Voi, Belle
Turandot: In Questa Reggia
La Boheme: O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
La Rondine: Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus
Tosca: Recondita Armonia
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
Tosca: Tre Sbirri (Te Deum)
La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla

Tracks:

La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi
Madama Butterfly: Dovunque Al Mondo
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo (One Fine Day)
La Fanciulla Del West: Ch 'Ella Mi Creda Libero
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz
Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo
Turandot: Non Piangere Liu
Turandot: Tu, Che Di Gel Sei Cinta
La Fanciulla Del West: Non Mi Defendero
La Fanciulla Del West: Laggiu Nel Soledad
Manon Lescaut: Oh, Saro La Piu Bella!
Manon Lescaut: In Quelle Trine Morbide
Manon Lescaut: Ah! Non V'Avvicinate!
Manon Lescaut: Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata
Madama Butterfly: Addio, Fiorito Asil
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
La Boheme: Dunque E Proprio Finita!

Customer Reviews:

glorious singing of puccini's greatest 'hits'.......2004-12-13

This compilation is a great introduction to puccini's music, It has all of puccini's most popular numbers and
the singers are some of the greatest opera stars of the
20th century. Just look at the names: Pavarotti, te kanawa Freni,caballe, Tebaldi,Corelli, Sutherland ,bergonzi,ludwig...
Leona mitchel isn't as famous as the rest but she sings her two arias beautifully.
Pavarotti's "nessun dorma" is the best!
highly recommended for opera lovers.

Opera !.......2002-12-12

Great cd the songs, music are beautiful and not to talk about the voices, is what I expected to be. It should be in all opera lovers collection

Average customer rating:

Excellent introduction to Tebaldi's art
Wonderfull
Classic Renata

Classic Puccini Recordings
Puccini , and Tebaldi
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine
Verdi: La Forza del Destino
The Complete Recordings, 1902-1920 (Box Set)
Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera

ASIN: B00006IU8W
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Album Details

Italian Soprano Renata Tebaldi was One of the Most Important Post-war Sopranos to Tackle a Wide Range of Puccini Roles, and During the 1950s She Recorded Several Complete Opera Recordings. Some of the Operas were Recorded Twice — in Mono and Then in Stereo. Amongst Those which Tebaldi Committed to Disc in the Recording Studio on Two Occasions Must Be Included La Bohème and Madama Butterfly. It is the Earlier, Mono Recordings of These Two Operas which Are Included Here and They Reveal a Fresh-voiced Tebaldi in Recordings Which, Despite the Stereo Remakes, have Stood the Test of Time.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to Tebaldi's art.......2005-09-29

This set covers the entire productive years of Tebaldi's recording career. Turandot, Butterfly and Boheme are from her earlier career while Tosca is from her later career. Since this Tosca recording is now out of print and is somewhat hard to find, this recording itself almost worth the cost of the set. In Turandot, you will find Tebaldi at her fresher voice, lovely and melting. Eventhough I would still rate Callas' first recorded Tosca as my first choice, this Tosca comes very close. Enjoy.

Wonderfull.......2005-08-19

Fantastic recordings at a very good price. Tebaldi and Del Monaco rule. You should definetely own this set.

Classic Renata.......2005-03-16

To say that these 12 disks contain some of the finest singing ever committed to disk is no exaggeration, but a simple statement of fact. Historical fact. In the 100 years (more or less) that Puccini operas have been around, only a few sopranos in each generation have been the equal of Renata Tebaldi. One cannot objectively say that anyone has surpassed her. Some opera lovers find her peerless in many of these performances. Personal tastes in singers vary, but no one ever sang these roles better. Few anywhere nearly so well. There is not a single note on any of these recordings that is not heartfelt to the core of her being. Like Maria Callas and Franco Corelli, she was luminous, gargantuan in her talent that personified an age. This is one of the great compilations.

Average customer rating:

" O Paradiso!!"...LEONTYNE PRICE is a Paragon of PUCCINI in this Collection.

Puccini Heroines

Manufacturer: RCA
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ASIN: B0001TSWMS
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Customer Reviews:

" O Paradiso!!"...LEONTYNE PRICE is a Paragon of PUCCINI in this Collection........2006-11-24

Diva assoluta American soprano LEONTYNE PRICE has enjoyed a long association and identification with the veristic and intensely passionate music of Verdi's heir, GIACOMO PUCCINI. In the recording studio Ms. Price was a supreme interpreter, able to limn his softest phrases with limpid tone (rivalled only by Caballe), ride over the heaviest of his orchestrations with a vocal amplitude given to few others (Callas,Tebaldi, Nilsson,& Freni), and not simply soar with ease to the uppermost regions of his music but sustain it also - singular to her alone!! Onstage Ms. Price performed Puccini's heroines successfully if infrequently (Minnie in FANICULLA ultimately proving to be uncongenial for her), with treasured outings as Liu (TURANDOT), Floria (TOSCA), Giorgetta (IL TABARRO), Manon (MANON LESCAUT), and Cio-Cio San (MADAMA BUTTERFLY), the Puccini role she sang onstage the most. In this recital, the great soprano sings arias not only from those operas but also includes music from LA RONDINE, EDGAR, LE VILLI, LA BOHEME, and GIANNI SCHICCI (IL TRITTICO), and a MADAMA BUTTERFLY duet with tenor Placido Domingo. WIthout question this is heavenly singing. Leontyne Price"s voice in 1972 (the year of this recording) had matured and thus displayed a darker, richer tonal panapoly. The results yielded a stronger middle, velvety in texture, and imbued with a throbbing, sensual warmth. Her lower voice, now breathier and at times, opaque nonetheless retained its unique timbre, and, as throughout her career, is deployed with dramatic relevance and impact. The soprano's upper voice -one of the true glories of Opera to this day- retains some of the liquid vibrato of her earlier career, but is largely replaced by a creamy, rounder, voluminous sound that has more thrust in dramatic moments, and yet can spin ethereal pianos, and still float soft high-lying phrases with the utmost in ease. The soprano's voice retains its appealing femininity, but is more womanly and knowing than before. Those attributes, wedded to her innate artistry produce one of the finest Puccini recitals on record today.

The BOHEME arias (Mimi) are delivered with a direct simplicity that is less characterful than some, but refreshingly uncloying either. Ms. Price builds to a glowing climax in both pieces, and we feel the bloom of love-discovered, then the anguish of love- defeated potently. She sings "Musetta's Waltz" without the overt "sexiness" and/or archness that usually makes this aria so mundane, but instead treats it as the outpourings of a genuinely confident, assured woman who knows her charms and is happy to vocally display them. The EDGAR aria is understandably rarely performed, with its wide-ranging tessitura and odd melodious flight. Here, Ms. Price sings passionately, with full-throated, ringing tone that gleams on top, but less fluidity in the lower regions. The RONDINE aria included in this collection is not the justly-famed Price specialty "Chi bel sogno", but a lilting waltz, sung wistfully with delicious spin and tonal beauty by the soprano. TOSCA's "Vissi D'arte", another Price gem from an opera she recorded twice (the aria numerous times throughout her career) is sung with a weightier, more dramatic approach than before, yet still replete with the trademark diminuendo Price fans wait for. The tessitura for MANON LESCAUT's music is considerably lower than most of his other output. Ms. Price performs the first aria with ease (she often sang it as an encore in recitals), more generalized than elsewhere in this recital, but lushly sung. However, "Sola perduta abbandonata" displays the diva's artistry as well as vocal prowess. She uses her full range to capture the desolation, terror, and despair of the hapless Manon, resulting in an intensely stirring portrayal that is indelible for this listener. The LE VILLI selection, also rarely performed, is from Puccini's first opera and is not particularly distinctive music. The soprano's approach is primarily vocal, and lushly sung. MADAMA BUTTERFLY's arias became classics in Ms. Price's career - her complete recording of this opera remains one of her finest studio operatic performances. "Un bel di vedremo" is sung here as a powerful declaration of faith, with plush vocalism aligned to the the heartbreaking narrative of the geisha. Ms. Price is joined by her most frequent tenor partner of the 70's, the great Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, for a stellar performance of the Act I duet "Bimba, bimba, non piangere" which finds both artists blending together in customary fashion. The tenor captures the youthful ardor of Pinkerton, and sings with intensity, anchored by the darkly rich, burnished sound that made him famous the world-over. Ms. Price's singing is riper here, missing the vulnerability and naivete of her earlier wondrous incantation. However, her voice is ever attenuated to the words, and her vocalism is plush throughout it. Leontyne Price deservedly had the honor of opening the MET season in 1962 - the first "Negro" artist to do so - and sang the role of Minnie, THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST. The role of Minnie has been referred to as "the Italian Brunhilde" with its reliance on a sturdy middle voice, and usually the property of dramatic sopranos (Kirsten and Steber excepted) - which Ms. Price was not. Nonetheless, the reviews after her opening were ecstatic garnering her the appellation "the Stradivarius of Singers" from the New York Times. However, the diva had been singing non-stop for the past (3) three years on the greatest stages of the world - Vienna/La Scala/Covent Garden/ Verona/San Francisco/Chicago and her glorious MET debut with (8) eight roles in that first season!! She also endured a potential Musician's strike which threatened the opening, and sang Beethoven's difficult "Abscheulicher" (FIDELIO) in between FANICULLA performances. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the diva lost her voice during the dramatic Act II "Card scene", and bravely declaimed her lines until the Act's end. Quite obviously, after some needed rest, Ms. Price regained her spectacular voice, and as demonstrated here, her ability to sing Minnie's fiendish music - capped by a stunning High C to punctuate it. GIANNI SCHICCI is perhaps best known for the aria "O mio babbino caro", a fixture for sopranos of every voice type in concerts. Like "Musetta's Waltz", this music seem to inspire banality and superficiality from most singers. Ms. Price sings the aria with glowing simplicity, tonally glorious with shimmery pianissimi in the upper voice to rival anyone in memory. To end this recital, RCA inserted (like the Butterfly duet) a previously recorded excerpt from another Price recording - PRIMA DONNA Volume 4. Ms. Price sings the role of the icy Princess Turandot in Puccini's last opera TURANDOT here with great success. One of opera's most demanding soprano arias - "In questa reggia" -usually stentorian in nature, is sung more lyrically by Ms, Price, whose overall treatment is more straightforward than most. Nevertheless, she's ultimately successful, capturing the extreme contempt that the implacable Turandot holds for men, and is able to proclaim her challenge with requisite power at the aria's climax, besting her Calaf (tenor Daniele Barioni) in their long-held high C at the aria's finale. Maestro Edward Downes conducts sensitively for Ms. Price throughout (he was one of her better conductors in her studio recital series), and the New Philharmonia Orchestra follows his guidance expertly.

This compilation, digitally re-mastered, with crisper, cleaner sonics, should be in the collection of any opera-lover, especially those who cherish the music of PUCCINI, and neophytes unfamiliar with his output and/or the splendor of LEONTYNE PRICE!! Get this one now.

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Sensual, Spellbounding, and sheerly Sexy!!!
Haunting, bewitching: a real must have
Una voz opulenta

The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style
Denyce Graves
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Anthem
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ASIN: B000071WDT
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

Yo Soy Maria
Soledad
Los pajaros perdidos
Haabia-Tupi
Plancha
Al alba, el bosque
Cancao do poeta do seculo XVIII
Los dias perdidos
Habanera de Lorraine
Estrella e lua nova
Plomada
Milonga sin palabras
Romanza de Denyce
Te vas de mi

Amazon.com

While it's tempting to call acclaimed diva Denyce Graves's exploration of Latin classical influences a crossover project, that label's pop lightweight connotations don't do justice to the powerful, often uncompromising performances contained herein. Indeed, Graves leans heavily on her collaborators (who include contemporary composers-arrangers-pianists Chucho Valdes, Eliane Elias, and Jose Maria Vitier, as well as arranger-pianist Pablo Ziegler) for both material and stylistic inspiration, creating a collection that's more concerned with true musical synthesis than it is with commercial exploitation. Even the works of Latin classical standard-bearers like Argentina's Carlos Guastavino, Brazil's Villa-Lobos, and Tango master Astor Piazzolla are cast in stark, contemporary arrangements that underscore both Graves's dramatic mezzo voice and the dusky, rhythmically charged dynamics of her quartet of confederates. Cuban great Valdes composed "Romanza de Denyce" especially for the project, further blurring the collection's boundaries between jazz, classical, and pop. If the listener is only familiar with the better-known Latin classical repertoire, this collection may open up some inviting new horizons. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Sensual, Spellbounding, and sheerly Sexy!!!.......2006-07-10

Denyce's warm and sensual Mezzo voice is truly spectacular when she sings the right rep. This latin album is literally right up her lane. She brings a dark color to the pieces that accentuates the text and the instrumentation. The singing is remarkably beautiful and the musicians play with an entrancing groove that makes you feel warm all over. I recommend just listening to this album while sitting outside in a park on a warm and sunny day. I believe that you will see the world completely differently. Way to go Denyce!!!

Haunting, bewitching: a real must have.......2003-11-27

This record is exquisite in all its elements: the Voice of Graves -voice with a capital V!-, the selections, the arrangements! For me it would take hours to try to decipher its mystery of seduction. A real must for those who love poetry, music and the marriage of both. A real must for lovers of Latin American music. A real must for the senses.
The first time I listened to the cd, it gave a jolt.
A lot has been said about Graves. She's a wonderful mezzo, with that rich black timbre in her low notes and her lovely lyric high ones. And never mind the language, she knows how to create magic around her.
However, although she's supposed to be the main attraction here, to me the composers steal the show from her.
I've been listening to good music, from opera to streetside, for decades now. And I had never heard anything like Plancha or Plomada, by Guastavino. They're simply astounding.
The Cubans come out very well. Their songs are simply irressistible. They own the gift of melody and harmony. Soledad is unforgettable.
But what haunts me the most is Milonga sin palabras. What a piece of art!

Una voz opulenta.......2003-01-31

Denyce Graves es una mezzo de voz carnosa, sensual, evocadora. En este disco de canciones en español y en portugués, la cantante hace lujo de una voz opulenta, muy femenina y de gran pasión. Las canciones están muy bien escogidas y los arreglos son de muy buen gusto. Desde mi perspectiva, la mezzo está más cómoda con el material en español, que resulta ser dominante en el disco, y la dicción es muy clara, lo que es admirable en una cantante de origen e idioma tan separados de la cultura latina. Sin embargo, aunque la dicción es muy clara, la principal falla de esta grabación es también el idioma mismo. Denyce Graves de pronto inicia con un español más que deseable y luego, de pronto, se atropella, dejándo una sensación de insatisfacción en el oyente; pensemos en "Los pájaros perdidos" (uno de los puntos más fuertes del disco) que empieza con una claridad y belleza admirables, que luego, en la parte central de la canción, se pierden cuando la cantante da algunos tropiezos con las palabras. Lo mismo ocurre con la primera pista de "Maria de Buenos Aires": en algunos pasajes la voz es muy clara, pero conforme adquiere fuerza y velocidad, se evidencia el trabajo no resuelto del idioma... pero a esto cabría agregar, a manera de disculpa, que lo mismo ocurre con las cantantes hispanas de ópera...

El disco muestra material conocido y añade algunas canciones prácticamente inéditas (donde se incluye una compuesta para la cantante), y en términos generales, Denyce Graves sale muy bien librada.

Francamente yo recomiendo mucho este disco, más que por otra cosa, por el lujo de escuchar una voz tan opulenta y seductora haciéndose cargo de estas canciones.

Angel de Mi Soledad
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Angel de Mi Soledad
Martin Chavez con la Maldad
Manufacturer: Karen
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000065K9
Release Date: 1998-04-07