Oro

1. Yendo de la Cama Al Living

2. Inconsciente - Charly García, Mercedes Sosa

3. Superheroes - Charly García, Nito Mestre

4. Yo No Quiero Volverme Tan Loco - Charly García, Leon Gieco

5. Peluca Telefonica - Pedro Aznar, Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta

6. Como Me Gustaria Ser Negro - Charly García, ,

7. Dos Cero Uno [Transas]

8. Pubis Angelical

9. No Me Dejan Salir

10. Bancate Ese Defecto

11. No Bombardeen Buenos Aires

12. Ojos de Video Tape

13. Raros Peinados Nuevos

14. Promesas Sobre el Bidet

15. Demoliendo Hoteles

16. Rezo Por Vos [Demo Tape][#]

Oro,Charly Garcia,Polygram Records,Argentina,Latin,Rock,Rock en Español

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Average customer rating: Irish at it's best. Irish Magic Just got your Kleenex Wonderful! The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!

The Very Best of The Irish Tenors The Irish Tenors Manufacturer: Music Matters ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Moore | Moore, Thomas | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Irish Tenors | ( I ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Tenors | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ellis Island The Irish Tenors / McNamara, McDermott, Kearns, Tynan Home for Christmas Sacred We Three Kings ASIN: B000069JJ6 Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Reailway, Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose of Summer
13. She Moved Through the Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (combination of the 2 medleys

Product Description

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Railway - Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields Of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose Of Summer
13. She Moved Through The Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (Combination of the 2 medleys)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

In the short time since they grouped together a few years ago to form their sensationally successful trio, the Irish Tenors have already put out an impressive array of recordings and DVDs, including some bona fide gooseflesh-inducing live concert performances. So, if you still have the enviable pleasure of discovering these amazing vocalists--or want to turn a friend on to their musical charms--this compilation CD will do the trick nicely. It brings together such classics as "Danny Boy," "Toora Loora Looral," "Last Rose of Summer," and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (featuring John McDermott)--all rendered with the kind of passionate, heartfelt, and harmonious crooning that is their signature style, whether they're singing as an ensemble or as highlighted soloists. And even if you have the complete Irish Tenors, this anthology includes several numbers not found on their previously released CDs. Hard to think of a sweeter treat for a fan of singing too good to ever go out of fashion. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Irish at it's best........2007-05-07

This album is really the number two album from this trio. It is very good and well worth the investment. The five star album by The Irish Tenors would have to be Heritage. Both albums rate high in my book.

Irish Magic.......2006-08-21

This is my first CD of the Irish Tenors. And what a joy! I played it as soon as it arrived. I like the blend of their voices,the passion and enthusiasm they bring to this CD. What I find is a real treat is the words to all the songs are in the booklet.I love this CD.

Just got your Kleenex.......2005-12-25

I suggest a box of Kleenex for each person in the room when you play this CD or VHS recording. Mom won't let me play it anymore because she...well, you know what I mean.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-12

When it's cold and frightful here, I play The BOYZ!

So wonderful. So much fun.

Up here in backwash Maine, there ain't much, believe me. But these guys are great. Sincere, care about what they're doing, true artists.

Ah, to go to Ireland again. Well, not unless the price of natural gas recedes!

The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!.......2005-01-22

This recording is wonderful. Ronan's "last Rose of summer" is unique, the Percy French medley shows all three in great voice, Finbar's Maggie is wonderful and the laurels have to go to Anthony for his magnificent rendition of "She moved through the fair", wow!!!!

Well worth buying.

Isaac Chute

Average customer rating: Three Cheers for the Irish!!! Ellis Island song brings tears to my eyes How Are Things In Glocca Morra? How Are Things In Glocca Morra? The Best Historical CD Ever!

Ellis Island The Irish Tenors , Brendan Graham , Chauncey Olcott , Irish Traditional , Johnny Cash , John Francis Patterson , Dermot MacMurrough , C. Kirkham , Eric Bogle , Burton Lane , Thomas Osbourne Davis , Irving Berlin , and Frank McNamara Manufacturer: Music Matters ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Irish Tenors | ( I ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Tenors | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Celtic | Europe | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of The Irish Tenors The Irish Tenors / McNamara, McDermott, Kearns, Tynan Live in Belfast We Three Kings Home for Christmas ASIN: B000059TBG Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

1. Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
2. My Wild Irish Rose
3. Love Thee Dearest
4. Forty Shades of Green
5. Courtin' in the Kitchen
6. The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door
7. I'll Tell My Ma
8. Macushla
9. Slievenamon
10. The Green Fields of France
11. Trasna Na Dtonnta (Over The Waves)
12. Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile (Long Life to You on Your Homecoming)
13. An Poc Ar Buile (The Mad Goat)
14. The Rose of Tralee
15. The Old Bog Road
16. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
17. The Croppy Boy
18. A Nation Once Again
19. Let There Be Peace
20. Danny Boy
21. God Bless America

Product Description

1. Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears
2. My Wild Irish Rose
3. Love Thee Dearest
4. Forty Shades Of Green
5. The Courtin Medley
A. Courtin, In The Kitchen
B. The Stone Outside Dan Murphy s Door
C. I ll Tell My Ma
6. Macushla
7. Slievenamon
8. The Green Fields Of France
9. The Irish Medley
A. Transna Na Dtonnta (Over The Waves)
B. Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile (Long Life To You On Your Homecoming)
C. An Poc Ar Buile (The Mad Goat)
10. The Rose Of Tralee
11. The Old Bog Road
12. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
13. The Croppy Boy
14. A Nation Once Again
15. Let There Be Peace
16. Danny Boy
17. God Bless America

Format: CD

Amazon.com

The Irish Tenors' fourth album sees the trio of Anthony Kearns, Ronan Tynan, and Finbar Wright paying a sentimental musical tribute to Ellis Island, the hallowed landmark that met the majority of immigrants entering the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Needless to say, the Tenors' repertoire this time around is full of reflective ballads of love, loss, and homesickness, including the original "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears" that opens this disc. Throughout this studio recording, the Irish Tenors are in fine form and backed by a soft-hued orchestra that never interferes with their soaring vocals. Traditional tunes include "My Wild Irish Rose," "How Are Things in Glocca Mora," and, of course, "Danny Boy" (the last sung by all three tenors, with refreshingly simple solo piano accompaniment). Thankfully, the threesome didn't forget that the immigrants had fun, too, as evidenced by some lighthearted fare; "The Courtin' Medley" features the Tenors at their most upbeat and comical. Ellis Island is a moving aural portrait of the struggles and triumphs of the Irish émigrés and a must-have for fans of the threesome. Newcomers may enjoy the Tenors' debut disc even more, as the earlier live album is a slightly more upbeat and spirited affair. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Three Cheers for the Irish!!!.......2007-05-30

A glorious concert in a historic setting, with all involved in top notch form. Finbar finds a great old Johnny Cash number, Ronan sings a Glocka
Mora to end all, and Anthony Kearns sings murderously difficult versions
of Macushla and The Croppy Boy like an angel. And their Courtin' and Irish
Medleys, and their "Nation Once Again" trios are simply glorious glees.

With the benefit of a grand theme, this is perhaps the best, and best balanced, of all their programs.

Ellis Island song brings tears to my eyes.......2006-03-17

This magical album crosses oceans and centuries and puts me in touch with my Irish ancestry. The title song tells a story similar to my greatgrandmother's and even though I've heard it many times now, I still weep for her.

How Are Things In Glocca Morra?.......2004-04-16

Long a fan of Irish music, I have turned to a series of artists to satiate my appetite. Bing Crosby and John McCormick have been succeeded by the Irish Tenors.

This CD has a bit more of an Irish American theme as "Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears" and "God Bless America" illustrate. Interspersed among these tunes are traditional Irish tunes such as "Macushla" and "Croppy Boy", along with newer songs, such as "The Green Fields Of France" and "How are Things In Glocca Morra?"

The singing is excellent, the words understandable. I appreciate the inclusion the lyrics of the songs contained on the insert of the cover. These are songs you will want to learn, whose stories you will want to research. I have. Listen again and again!

How Are Things In Glocca Morra?.......2004-04-16

Long a fan of Irish music, I have turned to a series of artists to satiate my appetite. Bing Crosby and John McCormick have been succeeded by the Irish Tenors.

This CD has a bit more of an Irish American theme as "Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears" and "God Bless America" illustrate. Interspersed among these tunes are traditional Irish tunes such as "Macushla" and "Croppy Boy", along with newer songs, such as "The Green Fields Of France" and "How are Things In Glocca Morra?"

The singing is excellent, the words understandable. I appreciate the inclusion the lyrics of the songs contained on the insert of the cover. These are songs you will want to learn, whose stories you will want to research. I have. Listen again and again!

The Best Historical CD Ever!.......2003-11-21

I think this is best CD since Live in Belfast! it also has 2 songs not included on the video! it's a unique album of how the immigration to Ellis Island and New York turned out. It also has songs of the war such as The Green Fields Of France (The Best One) or, the croppy boy. I would recommend this to anyone!

Average customer rating: A primadonna showpiece of dubious style Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR Believe the Hype

Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Massenet: Manon Donizetti - Three Queens (Anna Bolena ~ Maria Stuarda ~ Roberto Devereux) ASIN: B00005Y84R Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

1. Sinf - Thomas Schippers
2. Act One: Signor, Un Sol Tuo Cenno - Chor
3. Act One: Del Vincitor Superbo... Guerrieri, A Noi S'affida - Franco Bonisolli/Marilyn Horne/Paolo Washingon/Chor
4. Act One: Tua Figlia M'e Promessa.. Destin Terribile - Marilyn Horne/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Chor
5. Act One: Di Morte Il Suon Mando... La Data Fe - Chor/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli/Marilyn Horne
6. Act One: Dal Ferro Del Forte - Chor
7. Act One: Duce Di Tanti Di Tanti Eroi - Justino Diaz
8. Act One: Trionfammo, Signor - Gianni Foiani/Justino Diaz/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Chor
9. Act One: Pamira Mi Sei Resa - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli/Milna Paoli/Gianni Foiani/Chor
10. Act Two: Cielo! Che Diverro? - Beverly Sills
11. Act Two: Sgombra Il Timor... Che Vedo? Ohime? - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills
12. Act Two: Vinci, Pamira... Imen Le Dona - Justino Diaz/Milna Paoli/Chor

Tracks:

1. Act Two: Divin Profeta - Chor
2. Act Two: Pamira... Questa Altar - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills/Marilyn Horne
3. Act Two: Sian Tolti A Lui Quel Ferri - Justino Diaz/Marilyn Horne/Beverly Sills/Gianni Foiani/Milna Paoli/Chor
4. Act Three: Avanziam... Questo E Il Luogo - Marilyn Horne/Piero Di Palma
5. Act Three: Signor, Che Tutto Puoi - Beverly Sills/Marilyn Horne
6. Act Three: Signor, Ben Credo... Sei Tu, Che Stendi, O Dio - Marilyn Horne
7. Act Three: O Mio Cleomene! - Marilyn Horne/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills
8. Act Three: Celeste Providenza - Marilyn Horne/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli
9. Act Three: Tutto Percorsi Il Marzial Recinto - Paolo Washington/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Marilyn Horne/Chor
10. Act Three: Nube Di Sangue Intrisa - Paolo Washington
11. Act Three: Questo Nome, Che Suona Vittoria - Paolo Washington/Thomas Schippers
12. Act Three: L'ora Fatal S'appressa... Giusto Ciel! In Tal Periglio - Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Women's Chor
13. Act Three: Ma Qual Mal Suona Funebre Accento? - Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Justino Diaz/Chor

Customer Reviews:

A primadonna showpiece of dubious style.......2007-02-26

I've been fascinated by this 1969 production since I read an interview of the great Renata Tebaldi who performed the opera early in her career and who basically dismissed the way Rossini's music was performed in this Scala production. She claimed that by the time he wrote it, Rossini wanted to move away from florid music. Initially I thought Tebaldi was excusing herself for not performing the florid music but a little bit of research proved me wrong.

The great reviewer L.E. Cantrel below touched on this and his instincts were right but it isn't only the excessive ornamentation that is out of place here. The role of Pamyra is in the same group as Matilde in Gulielmo Tell and obviously Anna in Maometto. As such, the tessitura very much lies in the middle of the voice requiring anything but a high coloratura. Secondly, Assedio did not originally have a contralto but a tenor role because Rossini knew that in France, where he first presented Siege, they did not like women in male roles. The music he wrote for his tenor, unlike the trouser Calbo in Maometto, was not very ornamented.

When Schippers decided to have a contralto as Neocle in Assedio (and none other than Marilyn Horne) he also had to bring back the music from Maometto otherwise Horne would be useless. With Sills regular upward transpositions, a borrowed aria from an early Rossini opera and interpolated high notes solved the problem of Pamyra's tessitura and pleased the crowd who after all didn't know much about this obscure work.

What came out was spectacular singing by both ladies who without a doubt sieged La Scala. Rossini's intentions were of course dismissed and this ends up sounding more like most of his very florid early works without the more sophisticated style that is still preserved in Gulielmo Tell. I'm not dismissing his early works but it is nice to see a different side of him which this recording however doesn't offer us. The sound is adequate and the supporting cast good with promising beginners. For Sills, Horne and all coloratura fans it's a must but for Rossini studies you should look further as it doesn't deserve the 4 stars I gave for the singing..:-)

Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded.......2006-07-10

I bought this after reading all the superlatives lavished on this recording, and yes, they are correct. But while it is all extremely exciting and virtuosic, it is also very beautiful. This opera contains some wonderfully melancholic music by rossini and sills magically spins the lines, creating a chilling atmosphere, much as she does with the opening scena of Lucia. It is also interesting to hear here live because she really was a daredevil and goes for all the notes and trills that one wishes many other sopranos would try for also. She is not always successful as can be heard at the end of the first ensemble where she goes for a high 'e' but sort of just squeels. Also, it's interesting to note the size of her voice in comparison to her colleagues. It can be heard quite well on its own, but when she sings with others, such as horne, one can really tell that Sills' voice is really lacking in size. Anyways, the sound is what you would expect from D'oro, though I thought it would be a little better because it was recorded in 1969. Alas, it should have been done in the studio!

Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound.......2006-01-07

Source: Live performance at La Scala in Milan, April 14, 1969.

Sound: Not very good, no better than fair--and that is a very generous assessment. Rest assured, anyone who buys this set must do it for the performance, not for the sound reproduction.

From the applause heard so close to the microphone pick-up, it is clear that this set was recorded from the audience. Since the orchestra and voices are in fairly good balance--or at least, not in as bad balance as found on many pirate recordings--and the cheering from the audience in the cheap seats is rather distant, my guess is that the pirate-recordist was sitting on the main floor, but away from the stage, well toward the back of the house. His or her recording equipment was far from state-of-the-art for 1969.

Cast: Pamira - Beverly Sills; Neocle - Marilyn Horne; Cleomene - Franco Bonisolli; Maometto II - Justino Diaz; Jero - Paulo Washington; Omar - Gianni Foiani; Ismene - Milna Paoli; Adrasto - Piero Di Palma. Conductor: Thomas Schippers with the Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan.

Text: This is one of those operas that offers--or rather suffers from--a multiplicity of texts. In Rossini's time, the best way for a worldly young composer (of which Rossini was a sterling example) to make pots of money was to write operas. Operas were commissioned by impresarios for performance during a specific season for a specific theater. After that, any scoundrel who could get his hands on the score or a reasonable facsimile thereof, could offer the piece as he saw fit--and Rossini (or Bellini or Donizetti) could whistle for his money. Only the presence of the composer on the spot to oversee an authentic performance was likely to guarantee that any money would find its way into his pockets.

In 1820, Rossini delivered this opera as "Maometto II." It came with a tragic conclusion. Two years later, he obtained another payday, but at a less sophisticated theater whose impresario demanded a happy ending. Rossini dutifully delivered one. Some years after that, Rossini hit the jackpot by receiving an invitation to present his opera in Paris, at the richest opera house in the world. The French, of course, fancied themselves as more cultivated than the over-emotional Italians. They certainly regarded Italianate vocal fireworks as more than a bit uncouth, so they demanded more sedate and dignified vocal lines as well as translation into their own language. Since the cause of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire had become fashionable, they also demanded a change in plot: the opera would no longer sing the tale of the overwhelming of Negroponte, an Italian military colony; now it would be about the fall of Corinth, a suitably Greek town. Rossini gave them everything they wanted with the renamed "Le siege de Corinthe," then happily counted his money.

The revised opera was a hit in Paris. Back in Italy, French success acted as good advertising for local performances, so enterprising gentlemen translated the new French libretto into Italian as "L'assedio di Corinto," and tossed in whichever snippets of Rossini's music came to hand, even as they absent-mindedly neglected to send any money in Rossini's way.

And it has now come to pass that Amazon offers "Maometto II"--in both the 1820 and the 1822 versions, "Le siege de Corinthe" and "L'assedio di Corinto," the last in versions that reflect both Rossini's Frenchified approach and the uncorseted, unabashedly Italianate form under consideration in this review.

Documentation: Typical anemic Opera d'Oro package. No libretto. A few hundred words on the background of the opera. A few hundred words summarizing the plot. Track list.

Performance: An Amazon reviewer writing back in 2003 had this to say: "This is absolutely the most spectacular coloratura singing ever done by Beverly Sills. It's her debut at La Scala and it was a triumph." I quite agree, both about the singing and the triumph. I further affirm that the singing of Marilyn Horne is equally impressive, and in no way overshadowed by Sills. On the basis of those two tremendous performances, I have no qualms about endorsing the five-star ratings assigned by eleven of the thirteen previous reviewers.

But ... I can't help remembering a story about Rossini that is so well-documented and so widely spread that it might even be true. In his old age, the grand old man lived in Paris, self-acknowledged center of all the universe. A young, up-and-coming singer of fabulous potential--she might have been Adelina Patti--was presented to him. She sang "Una voce poco fa" from "The Barber of Seville," putting into it every trill, high note and spectacular decoration of which she was capable, all in the hope of impressing the great composer. When she was finished, Rossini smiled, applauded politely and said, "That was a nice tune. Who wrote it?"

I have no close familiarity with this score. I am satisfied to take the assurance of earlier reviewers that Sills, like Patti before her, tossed in astonishing high notes, glistening coloratura passages, exquisite trills and probably a kitchen sink or two. It was perfectly proper that she do so, for opera is show biz written large, and a large part, perhaps most, of the audience comes to hear just that sort of stunt singing. They generously award their bravissimas for it, and they depart the opera house warmly content in the knowledge that they have received good value for the outrageous prices of their tickets. After they leave, only curmudgeons like me and Rossini are left to mutter, "That was nice. Who wrote it?"

The rest of the performance is all right. Justino Diaz was a good, reliable singer but not, I think, on anyone's A-list of great bass-baritones. Franco Bonisolli could sometimes be a fine, stirring tenor. Cleomene is not one of his signature roles. Schippers and the orchestra seem to be OK, but the recording quality does them no favors.

HISTORICAL NOTE: In 1453, Sultan Mehmet (Mohammed II or Maometto II) captured Constantinople to the enormous dismay of Christendom. When the torn corpse of Constantine XI was brought before him, having been found among the piled bodies of Constantinople's final defenders and identified by the golden eagles sewn upon his shoes, the great sultan gave the last of the Byzantine emperors an honorable burial. Mehmet then divided the churches of the City equally between the victorious Moslems and his new Christian subjects and, from the very throne of the Roman Caesars, returned the pastoral staff to Patriarch Gennadius.

Mehmet busied himself with restoring, improving and re-populating the former Constantinople, now Istanbul [from the ubiquitous road signs, "eis ton polis" (to the city)]. For years he disdained to take notice of the mini-"empires" established in Greece by the tag ends of old Byzantine dynasties. In 1469, however, he wearied of the endless civil wars among the Greek dynasts. Leading a small but sufficient fraction of his total forces, the Sultan simply rolled over their strongholds, one of which was Corinth. Those of the would-be emperors that he captured he pensioned off, then sent them into exile in Rumania. Those who managed to escape to Italy and elsewhere busied themselves for the remainder of their squalid lives by selling off claims to the imperial title to any western prince foolish enough to pay them.

The mighty conqueror, Mehmet, continued to scare the bejabbers out of the princes and prelates of Europe until, to their vast relief, he died in 1481.

UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR.......2005-06-29

Singing like this - I did not think it possible. This must be the best performace with Beverly Sills ever recorded and one of the best in the history of recording!

Believe the Hype.......2005-04-04

I'm not big on live recordings, but this is one of such historical significance that I figured I had to have it. And I was curious. Could Sills really be as marvelous as legend and the other Amazon reviews have said? Well, yes...and then some. OK, she hits one clinker somewhere on the first disc (nobody's perfect), but this is a truly goosebump-inducing performance. Now I get why Sills became the mega-star she did. And the supporting cast (Diaz & Horne in particular) are just as good. Electrifying from start to finish, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of 20th century operatic performance -- and those who just want to wallow in thrilling music and splendid singing.

Average customer rating: Oro is pure Gold, of course! Good music in ANY language! Oro - Golden in any language As Always, Top-Notch ABBA! ABBA ORO is music to the ears !!!

Oro: Grandes Exitos ABBA Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Sweden | Scandinavia | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Swedish Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Euro Dance | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Baladas En Espanol Super Trouper Mas Oro ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits Voulez-Vous ASIN: B000031XBQ Release Date: 1999-11-30

Tracks:

1. Fernando
2. Chiquitita
3. Gracias Por La Musica
4. La Reina Del Baile
5. Al Andar
6. Dame! Dame! Dame!
7. Estoy Sonando
8. Mamma Mia
9. Hasta Manana
10. Conociendome, Conociendote
11. Felicidad
12. Andante, Andante
13. Se Me Esta Escapando
14. No Hay A Quien Culpar
15. Ring Ring

Customer Reviews:

Oro is pure Gold, of course!.......2007-05-07

Just as any ABBA album, ORO is simply divine. It includes all their Spanish hits from Fernando and Chiquitita to Dame! Dame! Dame! (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme), Estoy soñando (I Have a Dream) and Al andar (Move On). All fifteen songs have great sound quality and are perfect to dance at party or simply to enjoy a nice evening with good music.
This is a MUST-HAVE for every ABBA Fan.

Como cualquiera de las grabaciones de ABBA, ORO es simplemente divino. El mismo incluye todos sus éxitos en español desde Fernando y Chiquitita hasta Dame! Dame! Dame!, Estoy soñando y Al andar. Las quince canciones tienen una gran calidad de sonido y son perfectas para bailar en una fiesta o simplemente disfrutar una velada con buena música.
Es un disco esencial para todos los fanáticos de ABBA.

Good music in ANY language!.......2007-05-03

I bought this cd for a couple of reasons. I am learning Spanish and knew I would enjoy the latin versions of these famous tunes; and, this weekend I'm going to see the hit musical "Mamma Mia" (saw it a few years back and LOVED it!!!) and I know this cd will get me revved up for the fun!

This cd contains several of my favorite ABBA songs---"Chiquitita", "Fernando", "La Reina del Baile" (Dancing Queen), "Estoy Sonando" (I Have a Dream) and "Mamma Mia" to name a few. In Spanish the songs retain all the charm and great pop sound of their English counterparts. You will not need to know Spanish (I know very little!) to enjoy the music. Good music will transend any language and it is certainly true of this set of chart topping 70s hits!

After hearing this cd, I am planning on buy "Mas Oro", another collection containing more latin music from ABBA. I definitely recommend this to ABBA fans!

Oro - Golden in any language.......2006-09-26

ABBA in the seventies was a musical juggernaut sweeping the top 40 of mostly all international markets. South/Latin America though was not one of these markets. So ABBA decided then to re-release their songs in Spanish. The result was a smashing success that created a loyal fan base.

While Fernando, Chiquitita, and Mamma Mia translated quite fine, their version of "Conociendome, Conociendote" or "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was a little tougher, but still sounds good. Hasta Manana and Andante, Andante are two very pleasant and personal songs that hit that nerve previous hits accomplished. Even to the untrained Spanish speaker, Agnetha and Frida still sound very well.

As Always, Top-Notch ABBA!.......2004-07-06

One of the joys of being into a group like ABBA is that every time you pick up one of their albums, you know that you'll be hearing a well polished piece of work. Not every single song may ring your bell, but it seems like there was always high quality work ethic put into each album.

This collection of ABBA's hits is one of their crowning glories that I think gets overlooked too often. The lyrics of hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Thank You For The Music" are translated beautifully into Spanish, retaining the original meaning of the song, and without awkward or incompetent rhymes.

One of my favorite tunes on this collection is "Dame! Dame! Dame! (Amor Esta Noche)," which we know as "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." Out of all the sultry & saucy ABBA tunes, I always thought this song drove home the love-hungry theme better than any other. This Spanish cover captures the same exact passionate feeling, nothing diluted here!

There was a follow up to this CD called "Mas Oro," which was not bad at all, but paled in comparison to this collection. If you are even just a casual ABBA fan, "Oro" is worth going out of your way to buy.

ABBA ORO is music to the ears !!!.......2004-04-08

This was the FIRST ABBA record I ever owned. Originally released in 1980, The LP originally titled GRACIAS POR LA MUSICA (Thank You For The Music) featured some of ABBA's big hits (and a couple of lesser known songs) sung entirely in espanol.

I must say (being a latino) that the girls sing wonderfully in spanish. The star vocalist on this album is Agnetha, since she sings most of the songs and her vocal work is superb. I prefer the spanish versions of CHIQUITITA, FERNANDO, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC(Gracias por la musica) & GIMME GIMMIE GIMMIE (Dame Dame Dame) over the original english versions. Main reason being is that the vocals and harmonies are far more clearer and pristine in the spanish versions. Agnetha's voice sounds spotless in CHIQUITITA, GRACIAS POR LAS MUSICA, AL ANDAR (Move On), and DAME DAME DAME. We get to hear the delicacy and texture of her gorgeous voice more here than on ABBA's other albums. And since the songs here are not as textured and overdubbed like their english counterparts, we get to hear the delightful harmonies in all of their ABBA-esque splendour. Just listen to the chorus in CHIQUITITA and AL ANDAR and you will see what I mean. The english versions sound bigger but the spanish versions are crisper, less intense production-wise but far superior in vocal sound and texture. Frida also shines in FERNANDO, ESTOY SONANDO (I Have a Dream) and CONOCIENDOME CONOCIENDOTE (Knowing Me Knowing You).

With all of that said, I must also frankly state that the english version of DANCING QUEEN (La Reina Del Baile) is slightly better. Vocally the girls sound great but the overall production is slightly inferior. We don't get that intense and embellished musical production. LA REINA DEL BAILE sounds a bit watered down, less absorbing. However it's still a great song in any language and the girls devine voices and the timeless melody makes this one of the CD's showstoppers.

Commercial wise, the LP GRACIAS POR LA MUSICA was a world-wide hit- especially in Latin America and the first single taken off the album CHIQUITITA reached # 1 in Argentina, Mexico and my native Chile among several other countries. The CD version retitled ABBA ORO contains 5 songs not included in the album originally- FELCIDAD (Happy New Year), ANDANTE ANDANTE, SE ME ESTA ESCAPANDO (Slipping Through My Fingers), NO HAY A QUIEN CULPAR (When all is said and done) and RING RING. I must warn anyone reading this review that it's the cd with the black covering of ABBA ORO that contains the bonus tracks not the gold plated one. I happened to stumble upon both of them at a store here in TORONTO and I was able to purchase the 15 track ABBA ORO in BLACK.

And lastly, you don't need to know a word of spanish to appreciate this cd. The melodies are timeless and the girls voices are astonishing. This needs to be right next to your ABBA GOLD cd. It's simply FANTASTICO! !

Average customer rating: Eugene Onegin Onegin Sings From Inside the Box Just short of perfection.... Very good in ALL respects A great "Onegin"

Eugene Onegin Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tchaikovsky - Eugen Onegin / T. Allen, Freni, von Otter, Shicoff, Burchuladze; Levine Rossini: The Barber Of Seville with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Alceo Galliera, Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Complete opera); Beverly Sills; Nicolai Gedda; James Levine; London Symphony Orchestra Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk ASIN: B00000JC9L Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

1. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Introduction
2. Eugene Onegin: Act. I - Slikhali l vi za roschei glas nochnoi - Tatyana, Olga, Larina, Filipyevna
3. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Bolat moyi skori nozhenki - Pesants, Larina
4. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Kak ya lyublyu... uzh kak po mostu, mostouchku - Tatyana, Olga
5. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Nu ti, moya vostrushka - Larina, Filipyevna, Tatyana, Pesants, Olga
6. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Medames! Ya na sebya vzyal smyelost - Lenski, Onegin, Larina, Tatyana, Olga
7. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Kak schastliv, kak schastliv ya! - Lenski, Olga, Onegin, Tatyana
8. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Ya lyublyu vas - Lenski
9. Eugene Onegin: Act I. A, vot i vi! - Larina, Filipyevna, Lenski, Onegin
10. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Nu, zaboltalas ya! - Filipyevna, Tatyana
11. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Puskai pogibnu ya, no pryezhde (Letter Scene) - Tatyana
12. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Akh, noch minula - Tatyana, Filipyevna
13. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Dyevitsi, krasavitsi - Chorus
14. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Zdyes on, zydes on, Yevgeni - Tatyana
15. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Vi myne pisali, ne otpiraites - Onegin
16. Eugene Onegin: Act I. Kogda by zhizn domashnim krugom - Onegin, tatyana

Tracks:

1. Eugene Onegin: Vot tak syurpriz! - Chorus, Captain, Onegin, Tatyana
2. Eugene Onegin: Uzhel ya zasluzhil ot vas nasmyeshku etu? - Lenski, Olga, Onegin, Chorus, Triquet
3. Eugene Onegin: A cette fete convie (Couplets) - Triquet
4. Eugene Onegin: Messieurs, mesdames, mesta zanyat izvolte - Captain
5. Eugene Onegin: Ti ne tantsuyesh, Lenski? - Onegin, Lenski, Chorus, Larina
6. Eugene Onegin: V vashem dome! V Vashem dome! - Lenski, Onegin, Tatyana, Chorus, Larina, Olga
7. Eugene Onegin: Nu, shto zhe? - Zaretzki, Onegin
8. Eugene Onegin: Kuda, kuda, kuda vi udalilis - Lenski
9. Eugene Onegin: A, vot oni! - Zaretski, Onegin, Lenski
10. Eugene Onegin: Vragi! Davno li drug ot druga - Lenski, Onegin
11. Eugene Onegin: Tepyer skhodites! - Zaretzki, Onegin
12. Eugene Onegin: Polonaise
13. Eugene Onegin: I zdyes mnye skuchno! - Onegin
14. Eugene Onegin: Danse ecosaisse
15. Eugene Onegin: Knyaginya gremina! Smotrite! - Chorus, Onegin, Tatyana, Gremin
16. Eugene Onegin: Lyubvi vsye vozrasti pokorni - Gremin
17. Eugene Onegin: Itak, poidyom... Uzhel ta samaya Tatyana - Gremin, Tatyana, Onegin
18. Eugene Onegin: O! Kak mnye tyazhelo! - Tatyana, Onegin
19. Eugene Onegin: Onegin! Ya togda molozhe - Tatyana, Onegin
20. Eugene Onegin: Akh! shchastye bilo tak vozmozhno - Tatyana, Onegin

Customer Reviews:

Eugene Onegin.......2007-05-25

I think this particular recording is poor : the singers, the sound quality, the selection of excerpts....

Amazon's service was fine !

Onegin Sings From Inside the Box.......2007-05-24

If you have any concerns for audio fidelity, pass by this offering. Like the other Opera D'Oro discs I have purchased, this one suffers from wretched sound quality. It appears to have been recorded from vinyl lp to disc. While this can be done with reasonably good results, it has not happened in this case. The vocals sound uniformly constrained. The higher frequencies appear to roll off abruptly, which yields a dull character, as if playing from inside a box. If your stereo system is poor, you might not notice, maybe...

Just short of perfection...........2006-10-02

The "just short" only refers to the studio instead of a live recording. I had been looking for something "new" to hear (I'm priviledged to do nothing but hear or see opera every waking moment). Because I hadn't heard or seen Eugene Onegin for at least a year, I went for that, and this recording. So I was curious to see what others thought of it, and was not suprised, only very satisfied to know that it's so well thought of. I think I bought this immediately it was released sometime in 2002; after all, just look at the cast

Very good in ALL respects.......2005-07-11

Those reviewers discussing the artistic merits of this great recording have pretty much said it all. As to the one reviewer taking serious issue with the sonic quality -- perhaps he got a bad copy or else Opera d'Oro has cleaned it up since then. My copy, just purchased, has extremely clean sound, a bit on the dry side, but overall satisfying. I totally agree that this is one of the gems in their catalogue.

A great "Onegin".......2004-07-05

Previous Amazon reviewers have commented on the history of this recording and its performers. I have nothing to add to that.

I shall say only this. When you hear the opening words of the very first duet you will be impressed. With each succeeding number, you will raise your opinion until you realize that this is one of those amazingly rare performances in which everything is right. This "Eugene Onegin" is the true measure of the opera, and a worthy companion to the Schipa "Don Pasquale," the Gigli "Andrea Chenier" and the Callas "Tosca."

Average customer rating: Horowitz and Toscanini Get Set for an Amazing Ride!

Vladimir Horowitz plays Tchaikovsky:Piano Concerto No. 1/Brahms:Piano Concerto No. 2 Manufacturer: Classica D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff/Concerto for Piano in Dm; Sonata for Piano No2/Vladimir Horowitz, Pianist Grieg: Piano Concerto; Schumann: Piano Concerto; Konzertstück Tchaikovsky: Concerto No.1/Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 3 Horowitz: Legendary RCA Recordings ASIN: B000059LWO Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

1. Pno Con No.1 in b, Op.23: Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso
2. Pno Con No.1 in b, Op.23: Andantino Semplice
3. Pno Con No.1 in b, Op.23: Allegro Con Fuoco
4. Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat, Op.83: Allegro Non Troppo
5. Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat, Op.83: Allegro Appassionato
6. Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat, Op.83: Andante
7. Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat, Op.83: Allegretto Grazioso

Customer Reviews:

Horowitz and Toscanini.......2005-12-31

For interpretation, I prefer the live concert performance that Vladimir Horowitz and Arturo Toscanini gave of the Tchaikovsky first piano concerto in 1943. That performance has also been digitally remastered by RCA Victor and it is very exciting, even including the applause at the end of both the first and third movements. That event took place in Carnegie Hall, as did the 1941 recording session included on this CD.

For many music lovers the 1941 recording, long available on 78-rpm discs and later on vinyl LPs, was the benchmark for interpretation of the Tchaikovsky concerto. It has been digitally remastered and remains an exciting, dramatic performance. Yes, there is some surface noise from the original sources (presumably 78-rpm disks since relatively few of RCA Victor's metal masters still remain from that era), but the performance more than makes up for any scratches or blemishes. This is one of the very Romantic interpretations of the concerto and it is an absolute treasure. It certainly shows how well Toscanini and Horowitz worked together.

The Brahms second piano concerto was recorded in 1940, also in Carnegie Hall, and this, too, is the epitome of Romantic performances. This is another extremely difficult work for the soloist and Horowitz was more than equal to the tasks. It is a wonderful recording of one of the longer piano concertos from the Romantic Era, a virtual symphony since it is in four movements rather than the usual three.

These are performances to enjoy over and over from two exceptional musicians, working with the top-notch orchestra that David Sarnoff assembled in 1937 for Toscanini.

Get Set for an Amazing Ride!.......2003-08-16

I'm not sure that these recordings are what you would call the
"definitive" performances of these two giants of the piano
repetoire, but they are certainly the most exciting and galvanic
performances of them you will find anywhere. Okay, so the
recordings date from 1941 and the sound is somewhat scratchy and
flat. So what? This is Horowitz at his absolute peak as a performer and Toscanini, while placing his orchestra completely
at the service of his soloist, makes sure Horowitz never engages
in the eccentricities, neuroses or exhibitionism that marred some of his subsequent concerto recordings.
There may be a few minor mistakes in the orchestra here and there
but I can't hear them. Horowitz is flawless and and daring to a
degree that only he could pull off. Certainly, you will never hear anyone take these two concertoes at a faster clip, and yet,
for all their formidable technical difficulties, not a single
note is missed or out of place. Every phrase is articulated with
incredible precision, nuance and feeling. You can actually start chuckling at how IMPOSSIBLY good it all is! The Brahms
Concerto is particularly astounding. The story goes that Horowitz heard a performance of this piece once in Berlin, fell in love with it, but thought he could do it better and taught it
to himself in six weeks! I believe it! His playing here is that
masterful and that sensitive!
This is the Horowitz of legend. Thank God these performances
were recorded! Compared to these HEROIC interpretations of these
two great concertoes, everybody else (and I mean that) simply
WIMPS out!
There are a lot of great recordings of these two pieces out there
by some truly great pianists, and they may have better sound, but
nothing matches this for its combination of technical brilliance,
daring and emotional commitment. There is a FIRE to these
recordings that simply has no equal.

Average customer rating: Mostly nice selections sung well Painful introduction to Salieri Bartoli- The Most Important Voice of Our Age Genius! Sheer genius! A revelation!

Cecilia Bartoli - The Salieri Album Antonio Salieri , Adam Fishcer , and Cecilia Bartoli Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Salieri | Salieri, Antonio | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Bartoli, Cecilia | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works Featuring Bartoli | Bartoli, Cecilia | A to B | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs ASIN: B0000A01J6 Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

1. Questo guajo mancava...Son qual lacera tartana (La secchia rapita)
2. Che dunque!...Or ei con Ernestina...Ah sia gia (La Scuola dei gelosi)
3. Vi sono sposa e amante (La Fiera di Venezia)
4. Voi Lusingate invano lo smarito cor mio...Misera abbandonata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
5. E void a buon marito...Non vo gla che vi suonino (La Cifra)
6. Alfin son sola...Sola e mesta (La Cifra)
7. Dopo pranzo addormentata (Il Ricco d'un glorno)
8. No, non cacillera...Suelle mi temple (La secchia rapita)
9. Lungi da me sen vada quella veste fatal...Dunque anche il cielo...Contro un'alma sventurata (Palmira, Regina di Persia)
10. Se lo dovessi vendere (La Finta scema)
11. Eccomi piu che mai...Amor pletoso Amore (Il Ricco d'un Glorno)
12. La ra la (La Grotta di Trofonio)
13. E non degg'io seguirla!...Forse chi sa...Vieni a me sull'ali d'oro (Armida)

Amazon.com

Antonio Salieri is, unfortunately, best known as Mozart's great Viennese rival. Some of his work has appeared on recordings, and he was clearly an interesting composer of well-crafted, entertaining music. But now that a singer with the stature and prodigious gifts of Cecilia Bartoli has undertaken an entire CD of his opera arias, he may just become a quasi-household name. Here he proves himself a composer who wrote for virtuosos; Bartoli is nothing if not a vituoso. And, indeed, this CD opens with an impressive bang: An aria from La secchia rapita features a wild vocal line complete with wild coloratura, huge leaps, a range from low G to high D flat (Bartoli flirts more and more with the soprano range while using her chest register even more forcefully!), and vast dynamic changes accompanied by a full orchestra augmented with grand, martial trumpets. Other arias--one from Palmira, Regina di Persia, for example--are more introspective and are spun out with a graceful, seamless legato and seemingly endless pianissimo. Everything one loves about Bartoli is here: the intensity, absolute fluidity in execution, breath control, glorious trill, the ability to whisper or holler, and an identification with the character she's portraying which makes the situation credible and involving for the listener. At the same time, we can't overlook a tendency to overstatement and exaggeration and a breathiness to some of the delivery which can be an annoying mannerism. But where else can one get such excitement and commitment coupled with an irresistible charm in a singer so clearly at her peak? Most/all of the arias and operas here are virtually unknown; this CD whets our appetites for more Salieri. The accompaniments are as superbly thought-out and played as one would hope for--the wacky pizzicato strings and solo wind and brass lines in an aria from La Cifra, for instance, will delight. Bartoli fans and fans of great singing should not wait another moment before ordering this. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mostly nice selections sung well.......2007-03-07

This CD features many delightful selections of Salieri's music, expertly performed by Ms. Bartoli and by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Anyone who likes Bartoli, and most people (non-experts) who like Mozart, would enjoy this album. The slower pieces, such as "Ah sia gia" and "Lungi da te" are especially beautiful.

That said, some of the selections seem to drag on (Salieri's fault). After a while listening, one just gets the feeling that "Vi sono sposa e amante" should have ended already, and the same goes for "Sulle mie tempie."

Painful introduction to Salieri.......2006-10-27

Ms. Bartoli is one of the great mezzos of our recent era, and her voice used to delight me, especially in the repertoire of Rossini, Mozart, & Handel sung by other great mezzos like Teresa Berganza.
Unfortunately, the voice that used to move so smoothly and accurately through florid passages is entirely absent here, and I have no explanation or understanding for the fervent praise bestowed upon this CD by others.
It is, in short, a travesty.
Bartoli emits the most painful and harsh pecking sounds......listening to just ONE of the tracks all the way through is a test of willpower and endurance! Granted, as someone else pointed out, these Salieri pieces are not an ideal choice for Bartoli, which explains some of the discomfort, but there is no way to excuse the vocalization that permeates the entire disc.
Sadly, this is a recording that should never have been released, and is a mockery of what the bel canto voice used to be.

Bartoli- The Most Important Voice of Our Age.......2006-02-27

Cecilia Bartoli is not only noteworthy for her unique voice, but for her contributions to musical study. She seems to be effectively and singlehandedly changing the face of how we approach music history with her recordings. This is why this recording is important.

She has been recording rare arias from operas which have dropped out of common repetoire for centuries. She has unearthed forgotten operas of great musical innovators such as Glueck and Vivaldi, and now Salieri. And due to what she achieves here, I will happily put "Salieri Album" in a rank next to my most prized Mozart records.

It seems as though Mozart dominates today's ouvre as the sole Classical Period composer of opera, but it was composers like Vincente Martin y Soler and Antonio Salieri who dominated the scene. Salieri was also just as innovative as Mozart. Works such as the overture to "Cesare in Farmacusa" harbor proto-Beethovenian storms, while his opera "Axur," in it's ahead-of-its-time construction, look foreward to the music-dramas of Wagner. These days, we look mainly at Mozart and his Donna Anna or Queen of the Night as THE voices of the Classical Period, but when you consider the bigger picture, Salieri's heroines, especially those the Cecilia Bartoli electrifyingly portrays on this record, equate or exceed what we might hear from Mozart in technical demand and overall beauty (Take for example the first track on this record).

With Cecilia Bartoli, opera is never boring. Some might thing she overacts, but is opera not essentially a fusion of music and drama? In this respect, Signora Bartoli is the perfect voice to define our generation, a generation which is looking to expand its musical horizons by exploring operas of more obscure composers. It is a relief that she knows how to bring her roles to LIFE. This is why her mission to revive these works has been so succesful. She has people interested.

As for the composer himself, Salieri was without a doubt, the most influential on the upcoming Romantic Period, even more so than Mozart. Notable names who had their musical education nurtured under Salieri's wing include Schubert, Weber, Beethoven, Mozart's son Franz Xaver, and even Liszt. It really is unfortunate that Pushkin and Peter Shaffer have pinned against Mozart, a composer who Salieri admired and had good relations with, according to letters.

The recording quality is excellent, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment compliments Bartoli's voice perfectly. Adam Fisher, furthermore, has a difficult task since much of this recording is world-premiere material. However, he presents the material as vividly as though they have never left the repetoire.

Buy this recording. I believe Signora Bartoli has set out on something great, and "Salieri Album" will have a ripple effect in the music world. I love this release.

Genius! Sheer genius!.......2005-12-19

Cecilia Bartoli is known for recording unfamiliar music. Here she recorded arias by Mozart's great rival Salieri and how beautifully she does it. She finds the right colours for every single piece, combined with her brilliant technique you get a feast of tasteful singing that will take your breath away! Buy it!

A revelation!.......2005-04-05

I came rather late to this CD. Am I the only one who saw "Amadeus" and came out wanting to hear more of the music of Salieri?

Ms Bartoli brings a her wonderful skills to the recording of some feriously difficult arias and proves up to the task. I know that some people have commented on flaws in her singing or the recording but the the joy of the album is the journey of discovery....each track is an adventure and a revelation.

A revelation of two great musical talents in top form ..Bartoli and Salieri.

Salieri's music is technically sophisticated and he wrote some truly glorious music for the female voice.

I can only recommend this to any lover of music.

Average customer rating: sound quality Simply put........ASTOUNDING!....OUTSTANDING!....An AWESOME RING! Finally A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME "RING" Still one of the Best Ring Sets!

Wagner: The Ring Wagner , Krauss , Vinay , Windgassen , Fischer-Dieskau , and Varnay Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wagner: Siegfried Wagner: Die Walküre Wagner: Das Rheingold Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung ASIN: B000E5KQL4 Release Date: 2006-02-14

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Gerhard Stolze
2. Weia! Waga! Woge, Du Welle! - Gerhard Stolze
3. Lugt, Schwestern! Die Weckerin Lacht In Den Grund - Gerhard Stolze
4. Der Welt Erbe Gewann' Ich Zu Eigen Durch Dich? - Gerhard Stolze
5. Wotan! Gemah! Erwache! - Gerhard Stolze
6. Sanft Schloss Schlaf Dein Aug' - Gerhard Stolze
7. Endlich Loge! - Gerhard Stolze
8. Immer Ist Undank Loges Lohn! - Gerhard Stolze
9. Dir's Zu Melden Gelobt' Ich Den Madchen - Gerhard Stolze
10. Uber Stock Un Stein Zu Tal - Gerhard Stolze
11. Woatan, Gemahl, Unsel'ger Mann! - Gerhard Stolze
12. Hehe! Hehe! Hieher! Hieher! Hieher! Tuckischer Zwerg! - Gerhard Stolze

Tracks:

1. Nibelheim Hier! - Gerhard Stolze
2. Wer Halfe Mir? - Gerhard Stolze
3. Was Wollt Ihr Hier? - Gerhard Stolze
4. Auf Wonnigen Hohn - Gerhard Stolze
5. Ohe! Ohe! Schreckliche Schlange - Gerhard Stolze
6. Da, Vetter, Sitze Du Fest! - Gerhard Stolze
7. Gezahlt Hab, Ich: Nun Lasst Mich Ziehn! - Gerhard Stolze
8. Bin Ich Nun Frei? - Gerhard Stolze
9. Fasolt Un Fafner Nahen Von Fern - Gerhard Stolze
10. Freia, Die Schone, Schau' Ich Nicht Mehr - Gerhard Stolze
11. Weiche, Wotan, Wiche! - Gerhard Stolze
12. Halt, Du Geiriger! - Gerhard Stolze
13. Schwules Gedunst Schwebt In Der Luft - Gerhard Stolze
14. Abendlich Strahlt Der Sonne Auge - Gerhard Stolze
15. Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold! - Gerhard Stolze

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Hans Hotter
2. Wes Herd Dies Auch Sei, Hier Muss Ich Rasten - Hans Hotter
3. Einen Unseligen Labtest Du - Hans Hotter
4. Mud Am Herd Fand Ich Den Mann - Hans Hotter
5. Friedmund Darf Ich Nicht Heissen - Hans Hotter
6. Die So Leidig Los Dir Beschied - Hans Hotter
7. Ich Weiss Ein Wildes Geschlecht - Hans Hotter
8. Ein Schwert Verhiess Mir Der Vater - Hans Hotter
9. Schlafst Du, Gast? - Hans Hotter
10. Winderstume Wichen Dem Wonnemond - Hans Hotter
11. Du Bist Der Lenz, Nach Dem Ich Verlangte - Hans Hotter
12. O Susseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib! - Hans Hotter
13. Siegmund Heiss Ich Und Siegmund Bin Ich! - Hans Hotter

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Nun Zaume Dein Ross, Reisige Maid! - Hans Hotter
2. Ho-Jo-To-Ho! Ho-Jo-To-Ho! - Hans Hotter
3. Der Alte Sturm, Die Alte Muh! - Hans Hotter
4. So Ist Est Denn Aus Mit Den Ewigen Gottern - Hans Hotter
5. Heiaha! Heiaha! Hojotoho! - Hans Hotter
6. Schlimm, Furcht Ich, Schloss Der Streit - Hans Hotter
7. Als Junger Liebe Lust mir Verblich - Hans Hotter
8. Ein Andres Ist's: Achte Es Wohl - Hans Hotter
9. So Nimmst Du Von Siegmund Den Sieg? - Hans Hotter
10. So Nimm Meinen Segen, Niblungen-Sohn! - Hans Hotter
11. So Sah Ich Siegvater Nie...Raste Nun Hier: Gonne Dir Ruh! - Hans Hotter

Tracks:

1. Hinweg! Hinweg! Flieh Die Entweihte! - Hans Hotter
2. Siegmund! Sieh Auf Mich - Hans Hotter
3. Erdenluft Muss Sie Noch Atmen - Hans Hotter
4. Weh! Weh! Susseste Weib - Hans Hotter
5. Zwei Leben Lachen Der Hier - Hans Hotter
6. Zauberfest Bezahmt Ein Schlaf - Hans Hotter
7. Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Hans Hotter
8. The Ride Of The Valkyries - Hojotoho! Hojotoho! - Hans Hotter
9. Schutz Mich Und Helft In Hochster Not! - Hans Hotter
10. Nicht Sehre Dich Sorge Um Mich - Hans Hotter
11. Steh, Brunnhild'!... Wo Die Verbrecherin? - Hans Hotter

Tracks:

1. Heir Bin Ich, Vater: Gebiete Die Strafe! - Hans Hotter
2. War Es So Schmahlich, Was Ich Verbrach - Hans Hotter
3. Deinen Leichten Sinn Lass Dich Denn Leiten - Hans Hotter
4. Du Zeugtest Ein Edles Geschlecht - Hans Hotter
5. Leb Wohl, Du Kuhnes, Herrliches Kind! - Hans Hotter
6. Der Augen, Leuchtendes Paar - Hans Hotter
7. Loge, Hor! Lausche Hieher! - Hans Hotter
8. Magic Fire Music - Hans Hotter

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Rita Streich
2. Zwangvolle Plage! Muh Ohne Zweck! - Rita Streich
3. Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau Ein! Hau Ein! - Rita Streich
4. Nun Tobst Du Wider Wie Toll - Rita Streich
5. Vieles Lehrtest Du, Mime - Rita Streich
6. Ans Leben Gehst Du Mir Schier! - Rita Streich
7. Und Diese Stucke Sollst Du Mir Schmieden - Rita Streich
8. Heil, Dir Weiser Schmied! - Rita Streich
9. Auf Wolkigen Hoh'n Wohnen Die Gotter - Rita Streich
10. Verfluchtest Licht! - Rita Streich
11. Was Ist's Mit Dem Furchten? - Rita Streich

Tracks:

1. Ist's Eine Kunst, Was Kenn, Ich Sie Nicht? - Rita Streich
2. Notung! Notung! Neidliches Schwert! - Rita Streich
3. Hoho! Hoho! Schmiede, Mein Hammer, Ein Hartes Schwert! - Rita Streich
4. Den Der Bruder Schuf, Den Schimmernden Reif - Rita Streich
5. Prelude - Rita Streich
6. In Wald Und Und Nacht Vor Neidhohl Halt, Ich Wacht - Rita Streich
7. Durch Vertrages Treuerunen Band Er Dich Bosen Mir Nicht - Rita Streich
8. Wir Sind Zur Stelle! Bleib Hier Stehn! - Rita Streich
9. Dass Der Mein Vater Nicht Ist - Rita Streich

Tracks:

1. Hei, Ich Versuch's Sing' Ihm Nach - Rita Streich
2. Haha! Da Hatte Mein Lied Mir Was Liebes Erblasen! - Rita Streich
3. Ist Mir Doch Fast, Als Sprachen Die Voglein Zu Mir - Rita Streich
4. Wohin Schleichst Du Eilig Un Schlau - Rita Streich
5. Was Ihr Mir Nutzt, Weiss Ich Nicht - Rita Streich
6. Neides Zoll Zahlt Notung - Rita Streich
7. Nun Sing! Ich Lausche Dem Gesang - Rita Streich
8. Prelude - Rita Streich
9. Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach! - Rita Streich
10. Stark Ruft Das Lied - Rita Streich
11. Dir Unweisen Ruf, Ich Ins Ohr - Rita Streich
12. Dort Seh' Ich Siegfried Nahn - Rita Streich

Tracks:

1. Mein Voglein Schwebte Mir Fort! - Rita Streich
2. Bleibst Du Mir Stumm, Storrischer Wicht? - Rita Streich
3. Zieh Hin! Ich Kann Nicht Halten! - Rita Streich
4. Selige Ode Auf Sonniger Hoh'! - Rita Streich
5. Heil Dir, Sonne! Heil Dir, Licht! - Rita Streich
6. So Starb Nicht Meine Mutter? - Rita Streich
7. Ewig War Ich, Ewig Bin Icht - Rita Streich

Tracks:

1. Introduction - Josef Greindl
2. Welch Licht Leuchtet Dort? - Josef Greindl
3. Zu Neuen Taten, Teurer Helde - Josef Greindl
4. Lass, Ich, Liebste, Dich Heir - Josef Greindl
5. Siegfried's Rhine Journey - Josef Greindl
6. Nun Hor, Hagen, Sage Mir, Held - Josef Greindl
7. Hoiho! Wohin, Du Heitrer Held? - Josef Greindl
8. Heil Siegfried, Teurer Held! - Josef Greindl
9. Willkommen, Gast In Gibichs Haus - Josef Greindl
10. Gutrune...Sind's Gute Runen - Josef Greindl

Tracks:

1. Bluhenden Lebens Labendes Blut - Josef Greindl
2. as Nahmst Du Am Eide Nicht Teil? - Josef Greindl
3. Hier Sitz' Ich Zur Wacht, Wahre Den Hof - Josef Greindl
4. Altgewohntes Gerausch - Josef Greindl
5. Hore Mit Sinn, Was Ich Dir Sage! - Josef Greindl
6. Welch Banger Traume Maren - Josef Greindl
7. Blitzend Gewolk - Josef Greindl
8. Brunnhild'! Ein Frier Kam - Josef Greindl
9. Prelude - Josef Greindl
10. Schlafst Du, Hagen, Mein Sohn? - Josef Greindl

Tracks:

1. Hoiho, Hagen! Muder Mann! - Josef Greindl
2. Hoiho! Ihr Gibischmannen, Machet Euch Auf! Heil Dir, Gunther! - Josef Greindl
3. Brunnhild', Die Hehrste Frau - Josef Greindl
4. Brunnhild', Huhne Frau - Josef Greindl
5. Heil'ge Gotter, Himmlische Lenker! - Josef Greindl
6. Helle Wehr! Heilige Waffe! - Josef Greindl
7. Gunther, Wehr Deinem Weibe - Josef Greindl
8. Welches Unholds List Liegt Hier Verhohlen? - Josef Greindl
9. Schlafst Du, Hagen, Mein Sohn? - Josef Greindl
10. Schlafst Du, Hagen, Mein Sohn? - Josef Greindl

Tracks:

1. So Schon! - Gerhard Stolze
2. Mein Schwert Zerschwang Einen SPeer - Gerhard Stolze
3. Hoiho! - Gerhard Stolze
4. Brunnhilde, Heilige Braut! - Gerhard Stolze
5. Funeral Music - Gerhard Stolze
6. Was Das Sein Horn? - Gerhard Stolze
7. Starke Scheite Schichtet Mir Dort - Gerhard Stolze

Album Description

Unavailable for several years, this classic complete Ring recording now returns triumphantly to the catalogs at budget price! Ring groupies and enthusiasts, who are a very active and vocal subset of opera lovers, argue vigorously over which are the best complete recordings of all time. Most will agree that this is one of the finest ever, and many rate it the best of all! Wagner performances recorded in Wagner's own theater in Bayreuth, Germany always have a special appeal due to the unique acoustics, which Wagner took into account when composing. His music dramas just seem to sound better there than anywhere else. This recording caused a commotion when it came out in 1953 due to its palpable excitement in comparison to the relative sedateness of previous recorded performances. Clemens Krauss was one of the great Wagner conductors (and a personal friend of Richard Strauss), but what really sets this recording apart is the cast. Overall, it is arguably the greatest cast assembled for Der Ring at Bayreuth in the last 60 years. Although the great bass-baritone Hans Hotter sang Wotan in the Solti Ring years later, here his voice is in far better condition. Wolfgang Windgassen as Siegfried is also much more youthful. Astrid Varnay was one of the outstanding Brünnhildes of all time, and the other singers are equally fine. Even small parts are taken by major singers of the era, such as the famed coloratura Rita Streich as the Forest Bird. The sonics on this set, although monophonic and not up to modern standards, are quite acceptable and have been digitally remastered. A magnificent set including plot synopsis and track listings, absolutely essential to the serious opera lover, especially the Wagner fan and Ring aficionado! Live performance, Bayreuth Festspielhaus, 1953.

Customer Reviews:

sound quality.......2007-07-12

Can someone advise whether the sound quality for Rhinegold is significantly less good than for the remainder of this recording of the Ring? I am puzzled by a kind of tiny "feedback" distortion which seems only present on the two Rhinegold discs in this otherwise very impressive recording.

Simply put........ASTOUNDING!....OUTSTANDING!....An AWESOME RING!.......2007-06-25

Wow! It doesn't get much better than this!

I had heard lots about this recording over the years, but hadn't ever had the opportunity to hear it, or even excerpts from it.

I recently had a choice of a gratis item from a major bookseller, and I chose this recording. Upon its arrival, I opened it immediately and put "Rheingold" on my machine, and must say that I was "stunned" by it. As well, with the following entrants that make up the series.

This is such a delight, I hardly know where to start. But, first, I guess I should express my delight at the packaging. Upon opening the box, there, under the booklet, were the cd's, all picture discs, one image per opera, in individual soft plastic sleeves! Wonderful! The booklet itself, while not sporting librettos of the operas, does contain a wonderful article about Krauss' ring by Robert Levine, a page for each opera, sporting the matching cd artwork, and a complete cast list, followed by track keys, and a synopsis. It also includes a few photos, and some biographical information on John Martinez, the artist who painted the cd art illustrations. The Booklet is, itself, printed on a quality weight and grade of paper, and the pages have been varnished, which helps with keeping it looking sharp and new, and with its longevity. An only comment I would make is, I wish there was a fabric spine on the outer box, to protect and reinforce the binding at the opening, as the pasteboard will eventually break along the fold from opening and closing the set.

First, I have to tell you that I was simply blown away by the sound on these recordings! I have tried searching everywhere to find out if this remastering is ADD, or AAD, and I cannot seem to raise this information. I will keep searching and update this review later. The sound quality on these discs is so clean, clear, and crisp it is hard to believe they were recorded in 1953 Bayreuth. The next "great observation" is the cast list, and listening to the artists themselves in their individual roles. What a GRAND ACHIEVEMENT to have assembled this cast for the 1953 Ring at Bayreuth....OH, to only have been there!

This is truly one of the finest recorded achievements I have heard. It is so amazing to me that recently we have had so many great recordings surface from the past, especially Wagner from Bayreuth. The recent releases from Testament have been breathtaking, also. Hotter, Vinay, Windgassen, Varnay, Resnik, Neidlinger, Uhde, and Kuen, combined together, certainly put this Ring in a class by itself. We NOW have TWO sets of The RING that belong in everyone's collection. This, and the recent release on Testament conducted by Keilberth in 55 at Bayreuth. Hotter is certainly the blackest and most masterly Wotan ever, bar none. And, Varnay's Brunnhilde is simply awe inspiring! Neidlinger's Alberich is truly evil, Resnik and Vinay are both just knockouts as Seglinde and Siegmund, what a pairing! Uhde is exceptional as the blackest Guntherthat I believe I have ever heard. Last, Paul Kuen is an awesome, sly, little Mime...one of the very best! Holding this all together is Clemens Krauss at the head of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus. These "old guys" certainly had the insight, heart, and feeling to create truly "close to the bone" Wagner. Today, with modern productions, ideas, interpretations, etc., this really does not happen any more. How very thankful we should be to have these marvelous old recordings, especially this one! Do pick up a copy of this before it is out of print, again, and Enjoy it! ~operabruin

Finally.......2006-11-29

I have had this performance for 15-20 years, in dreadful sound (Foyer, Gala) At long last somebody had given the performance the quality transfer it needed and deserved. The sound is superior, the packaging is superior, and, it goes without saying, the performance is superior. It hasn't got a libretto, but they assume (correctly) that any collector who has gotten this far already has a pile of libretti.

I would not, however, recommend this version as somebody's first ring. That must be Solti's, because he set the standard, which stands to this day. Then, if you're hooked, you can start with the historic performances such as this one, the Kna '56, the Furt '53 and '50. You will also want to consider some of the more modern ones such as Boehm's, and Levine's DVD (much better than his CD version). Von Karajan is to be avoided. I have not heard the Kleiberth '55 yet, although I suppose I am going to have to get it when they get finished issuing it.

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME "RING".......2006-11-22

How to describe this RING without going over-the-top?

CONDUCTING: Krauss had the lyricism of Bruno Walter, the fire of Toscanini, the clarity and linear tension of Reiner, the pacing of Muck, and the depth and transitional instinct of Furtwangler- plus a few qualities of his own. And within 9 months of this RING, he would be dead. (He was engaged to conduct the '53 Bayreuth RING & PARSIFAL- only because Knappertsbusch got into a spat with the Wagner grandsons and stayed away, that year.) That is to say, we are very fortunate to have him in the RING.

Now, there IS the '55 Keilberth/Bayreuth RING (taped in stereo by Decca, with most of Krauss's cast), which is being released, piecemeal, at over-the-top prices. Granted, Keilberth was unjustly underrated (or, to quote a certain Politician, "misunderestimated"). But Krauss was even greater.

SINGING: On the Krauss RING, we hear several of Solti's singers, in younger and fresher voice (Wolfgang Windgassen's Siegfried, Hans Hotter's Wotan and Gustav Neidlinger's Alberich, to name only three). Not to mention Astrid Varnay's Brunnhilde- one of the greatest performances of anything by anyone. She had an intensity and a grandeur all her own- even if her "instrument" may not have been as steely as Nilsson's or as "warm" as Flagstad's.

THE ORCHESTRA: The first post-war Bayreuth Festival was in 1951. And for the next five years (or so), the orchestral playing at Bayreuth was, overall, better than it would ever be again. Within a decade it got rather slack, for at least three reasons:
1) Increased costs led to less rehearsal time.
2) In 1961, the Berlin Wall went up and, on-again off-again, Cold War tensions escalated. This meant that during the political "cold snaps," the best (and reasonably-priced) players from Prague, Leipzig & Dresden (who had earlier been lured to Bayreuth by hard Western currency) encountered greater restrictions in crossing the Iron Curtain.

3) The better players of the West were lured away from Bayreuth by better-paying, more comfortable "gigs" with the other big Festivals- which expanded enough to time-overlap with the Bayreuth calendar.

If you think this is an exaggeration, compare the '53 RING orchestra with the '67 Bohm; and while you're at it, compare the playing on Knappertsbusch's 1951 PARSIFAL with his '62. (The '66 Bohm/Bayreuth TRISTAN is something of an exception.)

"PROBLEMS": With any live Wagner (even under "Bayreuth conditions"), you must factor-in a degree of human fallability and fatigue. So, in the course of this RING you may encounter some not-so-razor-sharp ensemble and momentary intonation "issues." Still, you will be amazed at how clean and in-tune the playing is, throughout. Yes, in the SIEGFRIED sword-forging scene, Windgassen misses a verse and rhythmically goes all over the place before "righting" himself . (But "live" , this passage is almost always a mess.) Yes, at one point, the whole trumpet section forgets to play the "sword-motiv." And yes, in the few lines of her entrance, the Guntrune leaves something to be desired; still, by the time of her little scene just before the Immolation (a passage that was often "cut" in later years- even at Bayreuth) she acquits herself honorably.

These are all fleeting problems, gone in a flash, and no more of an obstruction to the overall "vision" than the occasional pigment blemishes on the restored Sistine Ceiling.

SOUND QUALITY: For 1953 radio broadcast tapes, the sound is first-rate. Bayreuth's acoustic is faithfully captured, and (barring a few stage entrances & exits) the voices are always well-placed. In fact, it's hard to believe that microphones weren't obtrusively suspended within audience sight-lines (which the Wagner grandsons would never permit). Whatever the sonic limitations of the original tapes, the ear adjusts very quickly, and it becomes easy to lose yourself in the performance (i.e., "good enough 4 me").

"AFFORDABILITY CRISIS": Let's assume that, traveling alone, you're up for a 2007 jaunt to Bayreuth for a complete RING. Per ticket/per performance, you're looking at perhaps $3000 (a RING totalling at THAT, times 4- even with a discount for the one-act RHEINGOLD). Plus air-fare, hotels & meals...So, you've parted with the requisite $15,000 (and even THAT may be slumming it, with the US dollar's pitiful performance against the Euro), and you are really and truly THERE...What will you hear? I have never been to Bayreuth, but recent Bayreuth broadcasts are not encouraging. Safe to say, for quality of singing, conducting and playing, you wouldn't get within a wide sea-mile of the Krauss RING...Which you can now have for the price of a reasonably nice dinner for two (drinks & dessert included)- AND minus the silly-a** staging with which latter-day RINGS are often afflicted (Vahalla = Brooklyn subway toilet or stock-exchange or both: yada-yada-yada).

At this price, HOW COULD YOU LOSE?

Still one of the Best Ring Sets!.......2006-06-01

Here we have one of the best "Ring Cycle" recordings to come along in a long time! This set can easily compete with the Solti, Karajan, or the Bohm sets. While it is only Monorual sound
which is not a bad thing, The sound on this latest version is quite acceptible, You also have as fine a cast of Wagnerians as could be asked for. The only drawback is no libretto. A small quibble, but then when you are paying over half the price for a set like this compared with the price of a Solti, or Karajan set, a little thing like no libretto can be overlooked. And maybe by having sets like this one and the Naxos one being released perhaps the big companies will fianlly decide to re-issue theirs at mid-price or at budget price. If you want a really good "Ring" recording as a first one or as an additonal set this is clearly a first choice. The only other complaint I have with this recording is the perfomance of Natalie Hinsch-Grondahl, her Gutrune is not one of the best performances, she tries just a little to hard I think. There are many good performances to balance hers though. Astrid Varnay gives us a Brunhilde that is a benchmark performance. Rita Strich as the Woodbird is luxury casting indeed! As I said before a "Ring" to
compete with the big ones. Allegro is starting to put an online Libretto for the "Ring" on it's web site. They for some reason have started with "Gotterdammerung"

Average customer rating: Superb blend of Western and Middle Eastern Early Music MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM Exotic, exciting and fun! Exotic jams I WANT MORE!

On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dufay | Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Black Madonna Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Music Of The Crusades Music of the Troubadours From Byzantium to Andalusia: Medieval Music and Poetry ASIN: B00000144X Release Date: 1996-03-26

Tracks:

1. Dinaresade
2. Edi be thu, Heven-Queene
3. Nevestinko oro
4. Beata progenies
5. Mari stanko
6. Sei willekommen Herre Christ
7. Bog se rodi va Betleme
8. Koleda na Bozic
9. Kod Betlehema
10. Koleda na Bozic
11. Angelus ad virginem
12. D
13. Quinte Estampie real
14. Urbs Beata Ierusalem
15. Mevl

Customer Reviews:

Superb blend of Western and Middle Eastern Early Music.......2007-08-04

This album captures the influences of all the places that a pilgrim from Europe might encounter on the way to the Holy Land (Israel). The first track (Dinaresade) opens with a very lively and catchy Syrian traditional tune. While this track has a very Arabic feel to it, the next song employs bagpipes in a traditional 14th century English tune.

The third track provides another lively woodwind tune with a Hellenistic mood. "Mari stanko" (traditional Bulgarian), the 5th track, is particularily interesting with long, slow female melodies that are interspersed with very rapid dance-like interludes. "Sei willekommen Herre Christ" provides a peaceful breather for the next track.

The next several tracks are short traditional Croation songs, ranging from chanting, chant-response, to renaissance-style dance music. The traditional Sufi track (Mevlana) makes a fitting close to the disc.

All in all, the middle-eastern influence is more prominent than the western-European influence (which may be why I like it so much). If you like early music, especially with the mystic sounds that Mediterranean music provides, then pick this disc up. (You can't beat the price either!)

MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM.......2007-06-11

I love this cd--all the tracks are great, especially "On the way to Bethlehem"!

Exotic, exciting and fun!.......2002-11-29

If Ensemble Unicorn is great, Unicorn combined with the Middle-Eastern-inspired Ensemble Oni Wytars is even better! Actually, the two groups seem to share many of the same members, along with Ensemble Accentus (which focuses on Spanish and Sephardic music), but with different directors for each: Michael Posch for Unicorn, Marcos Ambrosini for Oni Wytars, and Thomas Wimmer for Accentus. This CD brings the musicians together to offer a stimulating combination of western and eastern-influenced music that might have been heard or played by medieval Pilgrims making the journey eastward. The European tunes focus on the Christmas season, while the Balkan and Near Eastern selections are traditional, handed down orally through the centuries and interpreted here with a zeal that should be as appealing to belly dancers as to early music enthusiasts (and I know many people who fall into both categories!). Instruments used include chalumeau, cheremia, cornemuse bechonnet, darbukka, davul, def, gayda, gittern, kaval, nyckelharpa, sackpipa, tamburello, tombak, vihuela d'arco, and a number of others that you actually might have heard of before--bagpipe, rebec, recorder, rebec, shawm, ud and the like. Ellen Santaniello also contributes vocals. I was surprised and delighted when I played this CD for the first time, and I continue to be each time I hear it again. If you like this recording, be sure to check out the other collaboration between Ensemble Unicorn and Ensemble Oni Wytars, "Music of the Troubadours", also from Naxos.

Exotic jams.......2001-02-27

Yes, fortunately, this record does not contain anything you'd recognise as depressing Xmas kitsch.

Instead, the record wishes to envisage a journey of mediæval pilgrims, beginning in Western Europe, and moving through the Balkans towards the Holy Land. As such, the disk contains a mixture of Western European, Balkan, and Islamic melodies.

The strength of Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars is their ability to use early music as the basis for extended jam sessions. This recording is framed by two such jams, each more than twelve minutes in length, the opening -Dinaresade- and the closing -Mevlana-. Based on Middle Eastern themes, these are excellent performances, rich in atmosphere. Fans of contemporary groups who make use of similar material, from Loreena McKennitt to Dead can Dance, may find this record interesting, and well worth the Naxos price.

FWIW, Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars also collaborate on the -Black Madonna- recording, another Naxos release I can highly recommend.

I WANT MORE!.......1999-06-08

Great melodies, better instrumentation....INCREDIBLE MUSIC!!! I find western-europe music by ensemble Unicorn great, but the oriental part by Oni Wytars is simply amazing, both the balkanic and oriental songs. My only regret is that I loved the ensemble too much to bear the fact that no other record by them is anywhere to be found...

Average customer rating: Transcendent... Excruciatingly Beautiful Superb recordings by Oistrakh

Glazunov, Khachaturian, Kabalevsky: Violin Concertos Aram Khachaturian , Dmitry Kabalevsky , A. Gauk , and Kiril Kondrashin Manufacturer: Classica D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Kabalevsky | Kabalevsky, Dmitri | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Khachaturian | Khachaturian, Aram | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oistrakh, David | ( O ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Devil's Trill: Showpieces for violin & piano Ysaÿe: Solo Violin Sonatas Meeting in Moscow - Glazunov/Kabalevsky: Violin Concertos Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99 Dvorak: Violin Concerto; Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole ASIN: B000062XA5 Release Date: 2002-03-05

Tracks:

1. Allegro Con Fermezza
2. Andante Sostenuto
3. Allegro Vivace
4. Moderato
5. Andante
6. Allegro
7. Allegro Molto E Con Brio
8. Andantino Cantabile
9. Vivace Giocoso

Customer Reviews:

Transcendent..........2006-03-29

An astounding performance of some exceptional music; this is one of those older recordings in which the somewhat limited fidelity is transcended completely and wonderfully by the music itself. Wow! ;-)

Excruciatingly Beautiful.......2004-04-28

I have a special affection for the excruciatingly beautiful Khachaturian Violin Concerto, and this is my choice for the best recording. Here is the spectacle of brilliant young David Oistrakh in 1940 during the depths of World War II, standing on stage in Moscow with a single violin engaging in mortal battle with the USSR State Orchestra -- a sublimely beautiful battle that cries out the overwhelming change and struggles of the 20th century. Oistrakh caught up in the maelstrom of history, and emerging. On the surface the score has an ethnic "oriental" Armenian romanticism, timeless, beautiful and moving, yet at it's core it is modern, gritty, frantic, gigantic, and this conflict reinforces the feeling of the collision between the past and future ages. Or of the lone individual caught in the forces of history, fate and society enlarged beyond human scale. As for the performance, Oistrakh is able to bend the tones, dig for the raw textures and build the tension to wring intense passion that literally flies off the recording. In the Allegro, at times the strange harmonies and rhythms flood forth so rapidly they are almost too fast to hear. The force of Oistrakh's playing makes me wonder if he will break his violin. In the dark Andante his soul overflows with sadness and regret. The word virtuoso barely begins to describe the dexterity and soul of this amazing performance. What art! The orchestra under conductor Alexander Gauk captures a certain older native tonal quality of Russian music that seems to belong to some eastern tone system, slightly different than our ears are used to. Khachaturian asked Oistrakh to premier the piece, and I believe this is the first recording of it. It is interesting to compare this version with Oistrakh's 1960s recording with the composer conducting, also very beautiful, but in the extreme moments a more careful performance, and so less passionate.

Superb recordings by Oistrakh.......2002-07-15

Soviet recordings in the 1940's cannot possibly compare to the engineering of today, so allowances must be made for the sound quality in these archived performances. That being said, there is little to diminish superb performances by Oistrakh. Only two recordings compare with this Khachaturian - Kogan's phenomenal contribution and Oistrakh's second recording with the composer conducting. Like the Kabalevsky, it is thrilling in pace and the evocation of its folksy soundscape. The Glazunov is beautifully played, offering a lyrical, poised alternative to Heifetz's dazzling panache, though the latter remains this reviewer's favorite.

Salsa Music:

1. Pa'La Raza Nortena
2. Rolonononas Pa' la Raza
3. Romance a la Mexicana
4. Salvaje Y Tierno
5. Serenata Nortena
6. Serie Sem Limite [Import]
7. Sonideros 2003
8. Super Bachatazos '95
9. Tamborazo Limpio
10. Te la Banaste

Salsa Music

salsa music

Salsa Music

Assembler

Demus: Works for Cello & Piano

Full House [Import]

Simple Things

Freelancer [Soundtrack]

Eu Sou O Samba [Enhanced] [Import]

Dick's Picks, Vol. 11: Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ, 9/27/72 [Live]

From the Milkbar [Explicit Lyrics]

Give Him Cornbread, Live! [Live]

Ezio Pinza-The Early Legendary Recordings (1923-1923)

Great Tunes of George Ger [Import]

Earfood

Don't Test Me

Buck 'em Down

Blade II