Verdi: Simon Boccanegra/Otello

On this CD:

1. Simon Boccanegra, opera Dinne...alcun là non vedesti?...Figlia! tal nome palpito
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Rose Bampton
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

2. Simon Boccanegra, opera Plebe! Patrizii! Popolo... Piango su voi, sul placido
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Rose Bampton, Giovanni Martinelli, Leonard Warren, Robert Nicholson
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

3. Otello, opera Inaffia l'ugola! (Brindisi)
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Nicolas Massue, Herman Dreeben
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

4. Otello, opera Già nella notte densa
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Giovanni Martinelli, Helen Jepson
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

5. Otello, opera Vanne! La tua meta...Credo in un Dio crudel
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

6. Otello, opera Non pensateci più...Tu? Indietro'...Ora e per sempre addio...E qual certezza sognate
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

7. Otello, opera Era la notte...Oh! mostruosa colpa!
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

8. Otello, opera Ah!mille vite...Sì, pel ciel
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

9. Otello, opera Dio! mi potevi scagliar
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli, Nicolas Massue
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

10. Otello, opera Vieni; l'aula è deserta...Questo è una ragna
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Lawrence Tibbett, Giovanni Martinelli, Nicolas Massue
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

11. Otello, opera Canzona del salice
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Helen Jepson
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

12. Otello, opera Ave Maria
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Helen Jepson
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

13. Otello, opera Niun mi tema
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Giovanni Martinelli
Conducted by Wilfred Pelletier

Tracks:

Rigoletto: La donna e mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
Nabucco: Va pesiero - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
La forza del destino: Overture - Kirov Orchestra
La Traviata: Un di felice - Joan Sutherland
I Vespri Siciliani: Merce dilette amiche - Maria Chiara
La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Joan Sutherland
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira - Jose Carreras
Il Trovatore: Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Stride la vampa! - Stefania Toczyska
Aida: Ritorna vincitor! - Leontyne Price
Don Carlo: Dio che nell'alma infondere - Carlo Bergonzi
La Traviata: Prelude - Orchestra E Coro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Rigoletto: Caro nome - Joan Sutherland
Don Carlo: O don fatale - Olga Borodina
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi! Celeste Aida - Carlo Bergonzi
Emani: Ernani! Ernani involami - Joan Sutherland
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di tu se fedele - Jussi Bjorling
Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro ma prima in grazia - Margaret Price
Luisa Miller: Quando le sere al placido - Luciano Pavarotti
Aida: Gloria all'Egitto - Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

Requiem: Dies irae - Wiener Philharmoniker
La forza del destino: Pace pace mio Dio - Angela Gheorghiu
Rigoletto: Questa o quella - Carlo Bergonzi
Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell'amore - Luciano Pavarotti
Otello: Ave Maria - Renee Fleming
La Traviata: Parigi o cara - Frank Lopardo
Macbeth: Ah la paterna mano - Luciano Pavarotti
Il Trovatore: Squilli echeggi la tromba guerriera - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Don Carlo: O Carlo ascolta - Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Requiem: Ingemisco - Luciano Pavarotti
Simon Baccanegra: Come in quest'ora bruna - Kiri Te Kanawa
Macbeth: Salve o Re! Si colmi il calice - Lucia Aliberti
Aida: O patria mia - Leontyne Price
I lombardi: La mia letizia infondere - Placido Domingo
Aida: Lo sguardo avea degli angeli - Montserrat Caballe
La forza del destino: Solenne in quest'ora - Nikolai Putilin
Macbeth: Patria opressa - Chicago Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte - Katia Ricciarelli
I due Foscari: Dal piu remoto esilio - Odio solo ed odio atroce - Jose Carreras
Don Carlo: Spuntato ecco il di esultanza - Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano

Customer Reviews:

OKAY, TAKE ME AWAY........2006-01-20

I don't know opera.

Last summer we had an incredible 20th anniversary trip to Italy. As a side trip from Venice, we planned a night in Verona. Neither my wife or I had been to an opera.

Is this how its supposed to be...

...an incredible star filled night with a three quarter moon, the largest stage and outdoor theatrical production on the planet, all taking place in a roman colleseum (arena) built in 180 a.d., an incredible colorful set and production with a full symphony orchestra and voices that don't come easy. Aida.

Now I know what all the hpye is as you opera fans sure are lucky to have such a beautiful setting for all your productions.

Okay, we got spoiled. But I also found myself getting spoiled on the Italian composer Verdi.

For me, this set is not only a "take me back to Verona" trip, but a great introduction to Verdi's other works. With some of the biggest names in the opera world in starring roles, I listened to both discs twice the first night they arrived.

And, of course, we are planning a return trip to Verona in the very near future to see some more Verdi...perhaps Nabucco or Otello or Macbeth...I'll even settle for Aida again. It was such a magical experience and a superb introduction to opera and Verdi.

This set continues that magical moment for us and provides a great introduction to a master of the opera...Verdi.

Great music...stunning recording quality.......2002-11-01

This is a marvelous compendium of Verdi's opera works that even the serious opera fan wouldn't turn his nose up at. These are the top contemporary soloists singing with first tier orchestras. When I saw the Decca label, I expected reasonable quality, but this disk is stunningly well engineered. Most of the vocals match the best jazz cds for immediacy and intimacy, and the orchestras are equally well done.

Incredible.......2002-06-05

I don't say incredible about too many things, but Verdi was the zenith of Italian Opera and Solti and the Chicago Symphony and the Vienna Philharmonic are the quintessential ensembles for modern classical performance. Not to mention that most of the voices showcased have their own lines of CDs (Pavarotti, etc.) This CD is the best Verdi album available, and it has EVERYTHING. BUY THIS CD!

Just Stunning!.......2002-01-26

In my opinion this recording is stunning. I am not usually a fan of compilations in classical music, as they're usually watered down representations made under the presumption that the listener would find the full-blown version intimidating or boring. This one, however, is not only an exception in my view, but a recording that deserves a high place of honor in every serious listener's collection. The representation of artists, both vocal and orchestral, is breathtaking and impressive for the span of years. A great big thank you to the people at Decca responsible for putting this collection together, as it is obvious to this listener that a great deal of thought and care went into looking for the most beautiful version of every piece on here. I have purchased two copies, one for home and one for the office, and have gotten two friends similarly hooked. I am also feverishly searching for more pairings of Joan Sutherland and Carlo Bergonzi. In the meantime, I'm on to Essential Puccini!!

Average customer rating:

Supreme Verdi singing
TRUE BEAUTY
Verdi singing doesn't get better than this!
Eileen Farrell should be heard by every Verdi fan!!!
One of the greatest voices EVER

Eileen Farrell Sings Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi , Fausto Cleva , Eileen Farrell , Columbia Symphony Orchestra , and Sedgwick Clark
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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Sings Torch Songs

ASIN: B0000029PJ
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Come in quest' ora bruna - From Simon Boccanegra (Act I)
Ritorna vincitor! - From Aida (Act I)
Pur ti reveggo - From Aida (Act III)
Tacea la notte placida - From Il trovatore (Act I)
D'amor sull' ali rosee - From Il trovatore (Act IV)
lo vengo a domandar - From Don Carlo (Act I)
Ave Maria - From Otello (Act IV)
Pace, pace, mio Dio - From La forza del destino (Act IV)
Ma dall' arido stelo divulsa - From Un ballo in maschera (Act II)
Teco io sto - From Un ballo in maschera (Act II)

Customer Reviews:

Supreme Verdi singing.......2005-01-10

Eileen Farrell's voice is a magnificent instrument. With a rounded tone, beautiful overtones, sumptuous middle notes, secure low notes, and serviceable (re: adequate) high notes, enormous volume, and an unmistakable timbre, the voice is awe inspiring. To hear this soprano singing softly is a great experience. To hear her unleash the massive power of which her voice is capable is an even greater experience. The recording has superb stereo sound, but Farrell's voice is definitely not as loud here as it was live in a concert hall or in the opera house. Her three duets with Richard Tucker are supremely sung. Tucker is miked closer than Farrell so that she doesn't blow him away with her voice. Still, the Tucker voice is a very big instrument, with a wonderful tenor sound and ringing high notes. His pitch is well nigh perfect. On top of this, he emotes wonderfully. The duet from "Don Carlo", "Io vengo a domandar", is spine-chilling in its brilliance and artistry. The lyric singing displayed in the soft sections is heavenly, and the more impassioned parts are brought vividly to life by Tucker and Farrell. Verdi's orchestration in this duet is greatness itself. I wish Columbia had recorded Farrell in "Tu che le vanità" instead of the Willow Song. Still, the Willow Song allows Farrell to show off her magnificent pianissimo, so beautiful and well controlled for a voice of such great size. In "Pace, pace, mio Dio", Farrell sings wonderfully and with alert attention to both text and drama. Her final cries of "Maledizione!" must have been deafening in the recording studio. She displays impressive agility for a voice of such size in the cabaletta to "Tacea la notte in placida" and her piano singing in "D'amor sull'ali rosee" is a delight to hear. Her duet with Tucker from "Aïda" is great to hear. Her "Come in quest'ora bruna" is lightly sung, with wondeful delicacy and a superb, beautifully floated mezzo forte high note on the word "fior" near the aria's end.

This CD contains Verdi singing the likes of which have totally disappeared from today's opera stages. Get it while you can!

TRUE BEAUTY.......2004-12-20

EILEEN FARRELL IS SO UNDERRATED!! HER VOICE IS SO FULL AND ROUND. EVER SONG SHE DOES ON THIS CD WAS PERFECTION AND I DON'T USE THAT WORD LIGHTLY. IT'S TOO BAD SHE DIDN'T RECORD MORE BECAUSE HER VOICE IS SO STUNNING...BUT UNLIKE OTHER MAJOR OPERA STARS SHE SEEMED VERY LOW KEY, NOT DETERMINED TO BE KNOWN EVERY WHERE TO EVERYONE. SHE HAD THIS VOICE AND SHE SANG AND THAT WAS IT. I HOPE SOMEDAY THAT SHE IS SEEN FOR WHO SHE REALLY IS, ONE OF THE BEST LYRIC-DRAMATIC SINGERS! BRAVA!

Verdi singing doesn't get better than this!.......2003-04-10

Eileen Farrell. What can one say? Well, for starters, she is probably the best female Verdian that America has ever produced. I am sorry Price fans, but Farrell is better than Price. Yes, Price is more famous and deserves her fame very much, but that doesn't mean she was the greatest American spinto there ever was. Farrell beats Price in the areas of pianissimo, diction, and identifying with the characters she sings instead of prima donna showoff singing. And no, I am not a racist. Farrell's voice soars in Verdi's music. Her magnificent instrument is capable of anything Verdi throws at her. She has an excellent trill. Her pianissimos and diminuendos are world-class. She really digs deep for characterization. Her "Pace, pace, mio Dio" ranks with Tebaldi's version. Farrell's version of the Willow Song from "Otello" would definitely make Tebaldi jealous. Her "Ave Maria" definitely rivals Caballé's stunning 1964 version. Farrell almost sounds like Tebaldi when she sings in her upper register. Her "Ritorna vincitor!" is awesome in its scope. Angry and self-loathing in the first half, then gently innocent in the second. Amazing. Her "Come in quest'ora bruna" demonstrates her wonderful agility. She beats every soprano who has recorded "Tacea la notte placida" and "D'amor sull'ali rosee" with her own masterful renditions. Her pianissimos, trills, and stunning agility are showcased in these two arias. Among the three duets with Richard Tucker (an excellent tenor and partner for Farrell), the only one worthy of the two's talents is "Pur ti riveggo" from "Aïda". The two other arias, one from "Don Carlo" and the other from "Un Ballo in Maschera", are two of Verdi's most overrated. If you want to listen to justly praised and magnificent love duets, listen to the master of all Italian love duets, Giacomo Puccini. Verdi, as great as he is, cannot come close to Puccini in expressing love through operatic music.

This disc is very highly recommended. I pray that every up and coming spinto, American or otherwise, listens to Farrell's singing closely and learns from her. It is truly a disgrace to Verdi's name that Angela Gheorghiu's Verdi recital has been praised to the heavens by the blind music critics. No light lyric soprano should even consider recording an entire album of Verdi soprano arias, no matter how talented they are. When you hear this recital, you will be mad at Gheorghiu for even attempting to sing this music. This just may be the best Verdi recital ever recorded.

Eileen Farrell should be heard by every Verdi fan!!!.......2003-04-10

Just buy it! You'll be glad you did.

In her prime, Eileen Farrell had an enormous voice capable of thrilling, wall-shaking power. Her voice's tone is one of the most rounded of all recorded sopranos', even matching the rounded tone of Joan Sutherland's voice. The voice itself has an unmistakable timbre. Besides the magnificent voice, this lady can really sing!

One of the greatest voices EVER.......2002-07-09

Eileen Farrell was a fabulous singer and had one of the greatest voices ever. She was also one of those rare opera singers who was also comfortable and skillful with popular music. She was also an even rarer talent in that she valued her family life more than her career. Even so, she is one of the all time great sopranos.

Tracks:

Aida: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida
Don Carlo: Io I'ho Perduta!
Simon Boccanegra: O Inferno!...Sento Avvampar Nell'Anima
La Traviata: Lunge Da Lei...De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti
I Due Foscari: Notte, Perpetua Notte...Non Maledirmi, O Prode
Macbeth: O Figli, O Figli Miei!...Ah, La Paterna Mano
Un Ballo In Maschera: Forse La Soglia Attinse...Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti
Il Trovatore: Ah! Si, Ben Mio...Di Quella Pira
La Forza Del Destino: La Vita E Inferno...O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli
Otello: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar
Otello: Niun Mi Tema

Amazon.com

This recital shows off the extraordinary dual talents of José Cura as tenor and conductor, and, much as envy might compel one to say he should stick to one or the other, conscience demands otherwise. He does a superb job in both spheres--and, more than that, his intuitive and gripping sense of drama links them inextricably. The accompaniments are bound up with the vocal line in compelling and exciting ways: every slight expansion of a phrase, every passionate quickening of tempo, every moment of vocal calm or storm, is felt in the orchestra. His choice of tempi are not always conventional, either: "De' miei bollenti spiriti" from La traviata is speedier than you might have heard it before, for example, but it perfectly captures Alfredo's youthful ardor. Cura's feeling for the heart of a situation is backed up by a glorious voice, with a remarkably full baritonal range and a thrilling top--and he seems to have a rainbow palette of colors to lighten or darken the sound as necessary. One quibble is that he sings "Di quella pira" from Il trovatore a semitone low. But, overall, this is a wonderful recording of a wonderful voice. --Warwick Thompson

Customer Reviews:

Yay for Yu Qiang Dai.......2005-01-28

It was a big shock to hear Yu Qiang Dai's debut cd. He is, I think, the best lirico-spinto tenor nowadays. He has a lovely voice, which is very well produced. The center is wonderful, the lower notes are good, the high notes are shining and of fantastic quality... the singing through the passage is very well handled. He is an itelligent musical interpreter and singer, with an interesting and appealing line and sense of style. Very good dynamic changes. He offers some of the absolutely best renditions of some arias (nessun dorma and cielo e mar, for example) that I have heard in many years.

He still has to work his Italian (specially the consonants) and his French. But there were great historical tenors with bigger idiomatical problems.

Despite taking spinto repertoire, Yu never pushes, never tries to make the voice sound darker than it is, everything is always under control, and he takes the chance to give very stylish renditions (for example, of una furtiva lagrima), which is strange for tenors who "want to sing spinto".
The tenor is a fantastic discovery, one of the best ones around. Actually, all my criticism goes to EMI and the production of the CD: no choirs, no solists (for example, for the aria of Cavalleria, where the mother should sing her line), and the acoustic "atmosphere" has made some people to doubt if Yu's voice is really as big as it seems (people who saw his Cavaradossi at Covent Garden say that it is very big, actually).
Not a the best production job by the people of EMI, but five stars (ten if possible) for the singer. Simply wonderful.

Cura a Tenor is. A good one he is not........2002-06-28

Per the review from Mr. Gonzales, it is difficult to judge from listening to a recording that Cura is not a tenor, I believe he definitely is. He does not have the big bottom that a baritone should have. However there definitely are problems with his top. Cura suffers from an aversion to darkening his tone. He makes himself sound quite hooty sometimes. If he would just sing with correct italianate vowels he would'nt have such trouble with his high notes. I believe its that simple. He darkens his vowels, thus pulling down the lift he should have on his soft pallet. Its a beatiful voice in there, he just never received enough training. And I would venture to say that he is not continuing with his training (as the smartest opera singers do). But hey while his voice holds up under his bad technique hes pulling in the bucks. It would be nice if he would take sometime to repair his voice, I believe he would last much longer, and sound much much better. As mentioned previously this disk does demonstrate some vocal damage, it was inevitable with his over darkened tone.

Not a great effort.......2002-06-26

Simply put, Cura does not use his powerful voice to great effect. I've listened to his collection of Puccini arias where his strength finds better application. I even liked him in the TV production of La Boehme. But sadly, there appears to be no real interpretation in this recording, just sound. It's like listening to a horn player who can create a great sound from the instrument, but can't make music.

Disappointing after his Puccini CD.......2001-05-20

I was favorably impressed with Cura's debut recital of Puccini arias (recorded June 1997), and on the strength of that favorable impression I bought his Verismo arias CD (recorded July 1999) and his Verdi arias CD (recorded Feb. 2000). I found both disappointing; neither is up to the standard of the Puccini disc. What is alarming is that I believe there has been audible deterioration in his voice in the short period of only two and three years between recording the Puccini disc and recording the next two. He is singing heavy roles usually, and advisedly, taken on by tenors later in their careers (e.g., Samson, Otello), and I hope this promising tenor won't sing himself out prematurely.

In addition, the Verdi arias CD gives poor measure for a full-priced disc, only 11 arias at 54 minutes timing (both the Puccini and Verismo CD's are over 70 minutes).

Beautiful.......2001-02-20

I have seen several performances by Cura and he does Verdi beautifully. Viva Cura!

Average customer rating:

A great tribute for a truly great artist
Pleased to find this CD.

The Very Best of Tito Gobbi

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000A5BXS
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Si Puo?
Non Piu Andrai
Largo Al Factotum
All'idea Di Quel Metallo - Luigi Alva
Resta Immobile
Come Paride Vezzoso
La Donna E Originale... Venti Scudi
Cruda, Funesta Smania
La Pietade In Suo Favore
Buona Zaza
Zaza, Piccola Zingara
Come Due Tizzi Accesi
Ecco Il Monologo
La Donna Russa
Nemico Della Patria
Aprile O Bella
Tosca E Un Buon Falco!
Minnie, Dalla Mia Casa
Tre Sbirri, Una Carrozza

Tracks:

Di Provenza Il Mar
Pari Siamo
Povero Rigoletto...Cortigiani, Vil Razza Dannata
Ah, Prigioniero Io Sonno...Dio Di Giuda!
Perfidi!...Pieta, Rispetto, Amore
Alla Vita Che T'arride
Alzati!...Eri Tu
Urna Fatale Del Mio Destino
Era La Notte
Dinne...Figlia! A Tal Nome Palpito
Plebe! Patriz!
Questo Arcano...Dio, Che Nell'alma Infondere
Per Me Giunto E Il Di Supremo
O Carlo, Ascolta
Vanne!...Credo In Un Dio Crudel
Quand'ero Paggio
L'Onore! Ladri!

Customer Reviews:

A great tribute for a truly great artist.......2007-04-22

If you want to know about Tito Gobbi, this is the set for you. Truly the very best of this phenomenal baritone, one of those rara avis in opera (both a great singer and a great actor).
On both CDs, is Gobbi in his finest: from comedy (All'idea di quel metallo/Come Paride vezzoso) to tragedy (Nemico della Patria), from grand opera (Cruda, funesta smania) to verismo (Si puo?).
The first CD includes some selections of less known operas (such as Zazà, Fedora, I gioielli della Madonna or L'arlesiana) that adds value thanks to Gobbi's artistry.
But it is truly on the second CD where Gobbi shines as the powerful artist he was. Devoted entirely to Giuseppe Verdi's incredible rols for baritone, track after track Gobbi reveals himself as one of the milestones in opera; his deeply emotional approach of Di Provenza il mar (La Traviata) and A tal nome palpito (Simon Boccanegra) matches perfectly with the grandeur of Eri tu (Un ballo in maschera) or Dio che nell'alma infondere (Don Carlo), and chilling Pietà rispetto amore (Macbeth) and Iago's Credo (Otello).
Cherry over the cake: his portrait of Falstaff...

Do not miss this album. Not only a excellent tribute to Gobbi, but also one of the best double sets of The Very Best series of EMI.

Pleased to find this CD........2006-11-10

A wonderful collection of the roles sung by this superb and multi-talented
baritone of days long gone. In 65 years as an opera lover, I never heard a
better Figaro or a more bone-chilling Scarpia.

Angela Gheorghiu & Roberto Alagna - Verdi per due

Average customer rating:

Verdian voices that love each other
Sensitive, compelling performances
A well presented and very listenable album

Angela Gheorghiu & Roberto Alagna - Verdi per due
Giuseppe Verdi , Berliner Philharmoniker , Claudio Abbado , Angela Gheorghiu , Roberto Alagna , London Voices , and Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000DFNW
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

E Dessa! ... Un Detto, Un Sol ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Ma Lassu Ci Vedremo - Angela Gheorghiu
Oh Belle, A Questa Misera ... - London Voices
All'Armi! ... Che Ascolto! - London Voices
Cielo Di Stelle Orbato ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Vieni A Mirar La Cerula - Angela Gheorghiu
Gia Nella Notte Densa - Angela Gheorghiu
Pensando A Me! ... E Dolce Raggio Celeste Dono - Angela Gheorghiu
Giovanna, Ho Dei Rimorsi ... - Angela Gheorghiu
E Il Sol Dell'Anima ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Che M'Ami, Deh, Ripetimi - Angela Gheorghiu
Addio! Speranza Ed Anima - Angela Gheorghiu
La Fatal Pietra Sovra Me Si Chiuse ... Immenso Ftha ... - London Voices
O Terra, Addio - London Voices
Qual Mare, Qual Terra Da Me T'Ha Diviso ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Qui Nel Bosco? Solinga? Smarrita? ... - Angela Gheorghiu
Lassu Risplendere Piu Lieta E Bella - Angela Gheorghiu
Miserere ... Quel Suon, Quelle Preci - London Voices
Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici - London Voices

Amazon.com

Today's most glamorous husband-and-wife opera team offer a recital in which energy and enthusiasm more than compensate for lack of polish. Seldom do artists on a studio recording throw themselves into each "scene" as if they were onstage actually performing an opera, as these two do here. Abbado and the Berlin are second to none when it comes to accompanying Verdi, and when needed, extra soloists and chorus are included to complete the production. Although a number of Verdi's most famous moments are included, lesser-known music (e.g., I Lombardi and I Masnadieri) proves equally challenging and dramatic. Fine sound, from the Jesus Christus-Kirche in Dahlem (Berlin). --Paul Turok

Customer Reviews:

Verdian voices that love each other.......2003-12-09

Although French tenor Roberto Alagna and Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu are each formidable artists in their own right, when they sing together they create something truly extraordinary. Much of this is no doubt due to the couple's real-life marriage, although even many operatic married (or otherwise romantically involved) couples rarely give the sense that their voices and artistries are 'married' the way these two do. Their voices are just astonishing - his warm earth and sun darkening into bronze, hers melting sweetness and starlight. Even more important is their musical sensitivity and complete immersion into the drama. All these qualities make Alagna and Gheorghiu ideal Verdi interpreters even if their voices are smaller and more lyric than what many would think of as right for the composer. To put the icing on the cake, the singers have Claudio Abbado's magisterial support in the pit, full of authority, imagination, finesse and sensitivity.

The disc begins with the final Carlo-Elisabetta duet from 'Don Carlo'. This is my favorite opera and I believe that the 'ma lassu ci vedremo' section which concludes this selection is one of Verdi's greatest inspirations. Needless to say, I am extraordinarily picky about the way it is performed, and it is glorious - full of sublimated passion and pain, tenderness and resignation. The title role (in French) is already one of Alagna's greatest stage and recording triumphs, and Gheorghiu is so musically and dramatically intense that you would never believe she learned the duet at Abbado's suggestion 3 days before the recording!

Best of all, however, is the great love duet from 'Otello'. Never before have I heard this music sung so beautifully or with such tenderness and nuance, the lyric voices really making the romance between Otello and Desdemona believable. Admittedly this is probably the most lyric section of the score, and whether Alagna is up to the some of Otello's big outbursts, even in a small theater, is debatable, though Gheorghiu is an ideal Desdemona. Still, Alagna's astonishing pianissimo swell on 'Vien, venere splende' is alone worth the price of the entire disc. No less fine is the ravishing high note with which Gheorghiu ends the scene from 'Simon Boccanegra', where the singers easily go from tender serenade to dramatic urgency to seductive radiance.

The Tomb Scene from 'Aida' is also very effective, although it is true that Gheorghiu's is a more lyric voice than I would like for Aida, her excellent recording of 'O patria mia' on her 'Verdi Heroines' album notwithstanding. Alagna is about as light as I would go for Radames, but as it is really a spinto and not a true dramatic role, he copes very well, darkening his tone. Both artists, as usual, are totally alert to the drama, and this makes up for them possibly having the 'wrong' voices. I only wish this pair of lyric singers could have sung the final B flat in 'si schiude il ciel' pianissimo, as did Zinka Milanov and Jussi Bjorling - I believe Gheorghiu obliges and Alagna doesn't.

Another real treat is the rarities - how many 'love duet' albums include scenes from 'I Lombardi', 'I Vespri Siciliani' or 'I Masnadieri'? Again, all so marvelously sung - especially the rousing cabaletti - that we are convinced these are by no means the 'lesser' works that many critics claim, although it is a pity that the 'Vespri' selection isn't in the original French.

Turning back to more familiar music, having heard Alagna sing the Duke in 'Rigoletto' first at the Met under the flaccid Carlo Rizzi and then on the Sony recording under the hard-driving, pedantic Riccardo Muti, I was delighted to hear how fresh-voiced, dashing and impetuous he sounds in 'E sol dell'anima' here. Clearly all he needs is the right conductor! Gheorghiu's voice is a bit more mature than most people would think of for Gilda, but fully conveys her longing for her lover and her growing sexual awareness. The 'Miserere' from 'Il Trovatore' is also splendid, although not quite as intense as the version on their complete recording. A spirited and ravishing rendition of the famous drinking song from ýLa Traviataý brings the disc to a delighful close.

Besides the luxurious support of the Berlin Philharmonic (as Gheorghiu put it in an interview, 'the Rolls Royce of orchestras'), London Voices makes a splendid choral contribution in their four selections. There is also excellent work from contralto Sara Mingardo, better known in baroque repertory, as Giovanna and Amneris, as well as from the singers who take on Ceprano and Borsa in the 'Rigoletto' excerpt.

The documentation has full texts and translations plus excellent notes written by British voice maven John Steane, who points out the considerable musical and dramatic variety that exists among love duets, even ones written by the same composer. Unfortunately, there is no biographical information at all of any of the artists, let alone typical CD gush (so much for 'the overhyped Alagnas'!). The pictures in the booklet's interior are wonderful, with the couple relaxing in a Berlin park, but the cover's attempt to be 'romantic' is hokey - they look like airbrushed mannequins.

As with most of their other operatic recordings, Alagna's and Gheorghiu's work here is a must listen to anyone who cares about this music or the human voice. You will rarely hear this music served so well by contemporary artists. It turns out this disc is essential for a less pleasant reason as well - I have just read the horrible news that EMI has decided not to continue making studio opera recordings, making it extremely unlikely that we will ever hear Alagna and Gheorghiu together in this repertory on disc again. What a tragedy not only for the singers but also for Verdi, and all the more reason to cherish the beauty we have here.

Sensitive, compelling performances.......2003-06-09

Mr. and Mrs. Alagna sound wonderful in this collection of Verdi duets. The case can be made that Alagna is a lyric tenor, and shouldn't be singing the dramatic roles like Otello and Radames, however, he brings a pleasant, warm tenor that when needed, rises in plangency to the demands of the moment. In the future, he may indeed expand to become a dramatic tenor. In any case, his singing is in no way lacking. Angela Gheorghiu has already reached the status of compelling Verdian soprano, in my mind. She sings with drama, force, and elan.
The duets from I Lombardi and I Masnadieri are particularly nice, as they are not often heard. Bravos all around to Abbado and the Berliner as well.
This is a thoroughly enjoyabled disc.

A well presented and very listenable album.......1999-10-25

Since I first listened to Alagna and Gheoghiu I have always felt that Gheorghiu is the superior artist of the two. This album is presented with gusto and enthusiasm. Both are putting their souls into the music, although Alagna can be a bit brash at times, not unlike Del Monaco a few years ago. In Rigoletto it sounds more like intended rape than seduction! The duet from Otello is beautifully done - it could well be one of their future complete recordings. Overall a well recorded album with favourites as well as lesser known selections. Well worth the buy for admirers of the singers.

Verdi: Complete Preludes, Overtures and Ballet Music

Average customer rating:

Verdi: Complete Preludes, Overtures and Ballet Music

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000BLI35W
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Tracks:

Overture To Oberto, conte Di San Bonifacio
Overture To Un Giorno Di Regno
Overture To Nabucco
Prelude to Ernani
Prelude To I Due Foscari
Overture To Giovanna D'arco
Overture To Alzira
Prelude To Attila
Prelude To Macbeth
Ballo I
Ballo II
Ballo III
Prelude to I Masnadieri
Prelude To Il Corsaro
Overture To La Battaglia Di Legnano

Tracks:

Prelude To Jerusalem
1. Pas De Quatre
2. Pas De Deux
3. Pas Solo
4. Pas D'ensemble
Overture To Luisa Miller
Overture To Stiffelio
Prelude To Rigoletto
1. Pas De Bohemiens
2. Seviliana
3. La bohemienne
4. Galop

Tracks:

Prelude To La Traviata, Act I
Prelude To La Traviata, Act III
Overture To Les Vepres Siciliennes
I. L'Hiver
II. Le Printemps
III. L'Ete
IV. L'Automne
Prelude To Simon Boccanegra
Prelude To Un Ballo In Maschera

Tracks:

Prelude To La Forza Del Destino
Prelude To Don Carlo, Act II
I. Andante/Tempo Di Valzer/Allegro Vivo
II. Finale. Prestissimo
Overture To La Forza Del Destino
Prelude To Aida
I. Danza Sacra Delle Sacerdotesse, Act I
II. Danza Di Piccoli Schiavi Mori, Act II
Ballet Music From Aida, Act II
Overture To Aida
Ballet Music From Otello, Act III

Average customer rating:

Rare but well-polished Verdi gems.

Les Introuvables Du Chant Verdien

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Les Introuvables du Chant Français
The Verdi Recordings
Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson

ASIN: B000051W4C
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Ernani: Act I: Surta E La Notte... Ernani! Ernani, Involami - Frieda Hempel
Ernani: Act I: Che Mai Vegg'io!... Infelice!... Infin Che Un Brando Vindice - Boris Christoff
Ernani: Act II: Vieni Meco... - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Cors/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
Ernani: Act III: O De' Verd'anni Miei - Giuseppe Kaschmann/Salvatore Cottone
Ernani: Act III: Gran Dio!... O De' Verd'anni Miei - Benvenuto Franci
Ernani: Act III: O Sommo Carlo - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Corsi/Luigi Colazza/Aristodemo Silich/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
Il Trovatore: Act I: Tacea La Notte Placida - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
Il Trovatore: Act I: Deserto Sulla Terra - Francesco Tamagno
Il Trovatore: Act II: Stride La Vampa! - Fedora Barbiera
Il Trovatore: Act II: Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi - Margarete Klose
Il Trovatore: Act II: Perigliarti Ancor (Sung In German) - Margarete Matzenauer/Heinrich Knote
Il Trovatore: Act II: Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso - Giuseppe Pacini
Il Trovatore: Act III: Ah! Si Ben Mio, Coll'essere - Charles Dalmores
Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira (Sung In French) - Cesar Vezzani
Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira - Jussi Bjorling
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Timor Di Me?... D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - Emmy Destinn
Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Sung In German) - Frida Leider
Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - EVA TURNER
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Udiste?... Mira, D'acerbe Lagrime... Vivra! - Carlo Galeffi/Giannina Arragi-Lombardi
Il Trovatore: Act IV: Si M'ami Ancor... Ai Nostri Monti - Beniamino Gigli/Cloe Elmo

Tracks:

Macbeth: Act II: La Luce Langue (Sung In German) - Martha Modl
Macbeth: Act IV: O Figli, O Figli Mie!... Ah La Paterna Mano - Enrico Caruso
Macbeth: Act IV: Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora - Margherita Grandi/Vera Terry/Ernest Frank
Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Alfred Piccaver
Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Dino Borgioli
Rigoletto: Act I: Pari Siamo! - Tito Gobbi
Rigoletto: Act I: Gia Tre Lune... Veglia, O Donna (Sung In German) - Claire Dux/Joseph Schwartz
Rigoletto: Act I: E Il Sol Dell'anima (Sung In French) - Miguel Villabella/Elde Norena
Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In Russian) - Lydia Lipowska
Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In German) - Maria Ivogun
Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigiani, Vil Razza Damnata (Sung In German) - Joseph Schwarz
Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigianni, Vil Razza Damnata - Pasquale Amato
Rigoletto: Act II: Ciel! Dammi Corraggio! Tutte Le Feste - Olimpia Boronat
Rigoletto: Act II: Tutte Le Feste... Piangi Fanciulla - Lotte Schone/Herbert Janssen
Rigoletto: Act II: No, Vecchio, T'inganni... Si Vendetta - Maria Galvany
Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Enrico Caruso
Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Tino Folgar
Rigoletto: Act III: Bella Figlia Dell'amore - Beniamino Gigli/Louise Homer/Amelita Galli-Curci/Giuseppe De Luca
Rigoletto: Act III: O Mia Gilda... Lassu In Ciel - Tito Ruffo/Graziella Pareto

Tracks:

Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A Te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacerto Spirito - Francesco Navarini
Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacertato Spirito - Alexander Kipnis
La Traviata: Act I: Un Di, Felice - Bjorn Talen/Lola Artot De Padila
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors' e Lui (Sung In Russian) - Antonina Neshdanova/Umberto Mazetti
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui - Maria kousnezoff
La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui... Follie!... Sempre Libera - Luisa Tetrazzini
La Traviata: Act II: De' Miel Bollenti Spiriti - Fernando De Lucia
La Traviata: Act II: Lunge Da Lei... De' Miei Bollentti Spiriti - Giuseppe Di Stefano
La Traviata: Act II: Dite Alla Giovine - Nellie Melba/John Brownlee/Harold Craxton
La Traviata: Act II: Madamigella Valery?... Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Dite Alla Giovine - Rolando Panerai/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
La Traviata: Act II: Che Fai? Nulla Scrivevi? (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge/Maria Cebotari
La Traviata: Act II: Mio Figlio... Di Provenza - Mattia Battistini
La Traviata: Act II: Alfredo, Alfredo... - Lilli Lehmann
La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio, Del Passato - Claudio Muzio
La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio De Passato - Margherita Carosio

Tracks:

Nabucco: Act I: Sperate, O Figli - Nazzareno De Angelis
Nabucco: Act II: Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno - Ines De Frate
Nabucco: Act III: Ah! Prigioniero Io Sono... Dio Di Giuda - Carlo Galeffi
La Forza Del Destino: Act I: Ma Pellegrina Ed Orfana - Gina Cigna
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Celestina Boninsegna
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Son Giunta!... Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Dusolina Giannini
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Chi Puo Legger Nel Futoro (Sung In German) - Ivan Andresen/Meta Seinemeyer
La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Alzatevi... La Vergine Degli Angeli - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Chor Of The Metropolitan Opr
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli - Francesco Merli
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Solene In Quest'ora - Enrico Caruso/Antonio Scotti
La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Morir!... Urna Fatale... E Salvo (Sung In German) - Heinrich Schlusnus
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Invano, Alvaro - Gino Bechi/Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Salomea Kruszelnicka
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Zinka Milanov
La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Non Imprecare - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Giovanni Martinelli

Tracks:

Don Carlo: Act I: E Lui... Dio, Che Nell'alma - Giuseppe De Luca/Giovanni Martinelli
Don Carlo: Act II: Nell Giardin Del Bello (Sung In German) - Margarete Arndt-Ober
Don Carlo: Act II: Restate - Boris Christoff/Tito Gobbi
Don Carlo: Act IV: Ou Suis-je!... Je Dormirai Dans Mon Manteau Royal (Sung In French) - Pol Plancon
Don Carlo: Act III: Ella Giammai M'amo!... Dormiro Sol - Boris Christoff
Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Frida Leider
Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Clara Butt
Don Carlo: Act III: I. Convien Qui Dirci Addio... Per Me Giunto/II. O Carlo Ascolta... Lo Morro - Tito Gobbi
Don Carlo: Act IV: Tu Che Le Vanita - Hertha Stolzenberg
I Vespri Siciliani: Act II: O Tu Palermo - Boris Christoff
I Vespri Siciliani: Act III: In Braccia Alle Dovizie - Riccardo Stracciari
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Giorno Di Pianto (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Arrigo! Ah Parli A Un Core - Ester Mazzoleni
I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Merce, Dilette Amiche - Rosa Raisa

Tracks:

I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Je Veux Encore Entendre - Leonce Escalais
I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Grace, Mon Dieu!... O Jour Fatal - Paul Payan
I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act III: Or Non Piu... Qual Volutta Trascorrere - Elisabeth Rethberg/Beniamino Gigli/Ezio Pinza
Aida: Act I: Celeste Aida (Sung In French) - Paul Franz
Aida: Act I: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!... Celeste Aida (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
Aida: Act I: I Sacri Nomi (Sung In French) - Felia Litvinne
Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Giannina Russ
Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Florence Austral
Aida: Act III: O Patria Mia (Sung In German) - Emmy Destinn
Aida: Act III: Qui Radames Verra... O Patria Mia (Sung In Russian) - Natalia Yushina
Aida: Act III: Pur Ti Riveggo - Giovanni Martinelli/Rosa Ponselle
Aida: Act III: Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti (Sung In German) - Elsa Bland/Leo Slezak
Aida: Act III: Lo L'amo Sempre... Gia I Sacerdoti (Sung In German) - Sabine Kalter/Richard Tauber
Aida: Act III: Ohime!... Morir Mi Sento - Ebe Stignani/Chor Del Teatro Dell'Opr Di Roma
Aida: Act III: Morir Si Pura E Bella (Sung In German) - Leo Slezak/Sofie Sedlmair
Aida: Act III: O Terra, Addio - Johanna Gadski/Enrico Caruso

Tracks:

I Due Foscari: Act I: O Vecchio Cor - Riccardo Stracciari
I Due Foscari: Act I: Questa Dunque - Pasquale Amato
Otello: Act I: Esultate - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Otello: Act I: Esultate - John O'Sullivan
Otello: Act I: Qua, Ragazzi... Inaffia L'ugola! - Apollo Granforte/Nello Palai/Piero Girardi/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano
Otello: Act I: Gia Nella Notte - Tino Pattiera/Meta Seinemeyer
Otello: Act II: Credo In Un Dio Crudel - Cesare Formichi
Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio (Sung In French) - Jose Luccioni
Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio - Mario Del Monaco
Otello: Act II: Era La Notte - Eugenio Giraldoni
Otello: Act II: E Qual Certezza... Era La Notte - Lawrence Tibbett
Otello: Act II: Si Pel Ciel - Giovanni Zenatello/Paquale Amato
Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar (Sung In German) - Lauritz Melchior
Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Renato Zanelli
Otello: Act IV: Piangea Cantando (Sung In German) - Lotte Lehmann
Otello: Act IV: Mia Madre Aveva Una Pavera Ancella - Yvonne Gall
Otello: Act IV: Ave Maria (Sung In German) - Tiana Lemnitz
Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Francesco Tamagno/Salvatore Cottone
Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Giuseppe Borgatti

Tracks:

Luisa Miller: Act I: Ah! Tutto M'arride... Il Mio Sangue - Tancredi Pasero
Luisa Miller: Act II: Oh! Fede Negar Potessi... Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Giuseppe Anselmi
Luisa Miller: Act II: Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Aureliano Pertile
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: Zitti... L'incanto... Re Dell'abisso - Irene Minghini-Cattaneo
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: E' Scherzo Od E Follia - Aureliano Pertile/Ines Maria Ferraris/Luis Bertana/Antonio Righetti/Cesare Baromeo
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Eugenai Burzio
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Hina Spani
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia (Sung In German) - Melanie Kurt
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia - Elisabeth Rethberg
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Eri Tu - Giuseppe De Luca
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Saper Vorreste - Selma Kurz
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Forse La Soglia Attinse... Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti - Antonio Cortis
Falstaff: Act I: L'onore! - Mariano Stabile
Falstaff: Act II: Alfin, T'ho Colto... Quand'ero Paggio - Antonio Magini-Coletti/Elisa Petri
Falstaff: Act II: Quand'ero Paggio - Victor Maurel
Falstaff: Act III: Ehi! Taverniere - Mariano Stabile
Falstaff: Act III: Da Labbro Il Canto - Tito Schipa
Falstaff: Act III: Sul Fil D'un Soffio Etesio - Toti Dal Monte/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scal, Milano

Amazon.com

This collection, whose French title might be translated "Verdi Vocal Rarities," is a unique contribution to the Verdi centennial year. Its 136 selections on eight compact discs offer an in-depth survey of singers who recorded notable Verdi performances during the era of 78-rpm recording. Coincidentally, this period covers, within a few years, the half- century after the composer's death, in 1901. Some of the singers in the earliest cuts--tenor Francesco Tamagno and bass Victor Maurel, for example--had known Verdi and sung for him. Many of the singers will be familiar to connoisseurs of Verdi discography--Enrico Caruso, Boris Christoff, Fedora Barbieri, Ezio Pinza, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Tito Gobbi, Beniamino Gigli, and Jussi Bjoerling, to name a few. Others, such as Frieda Hempel, Emmy Destinn, Martha Modl, Joseph Schwarz, Gino Cigna, and Mattia Battistini, are names you come across in books about opera, but you have heard their voices only if you spend a lot of time with historic recordings. And a lot of performances, including some of the best, are likely to be the work of singers encountered for the first time.

Most of the big moments from Verdi's operas are included--grouped by opera, not by chronological order of recording. There are a few strange omissions; for example, the "Miserere" scene from Il trovatore. But other selections, such as "Ah fors' e lui" and "La donna e mobile," are given in two or three performances--sometimes in French, German, or Russian as well as Italian. Some of the performances are classics; many are mind-boggling.

Some favorite Verdi singers--Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, among them--are absent because they began recording after the collection's cutoff date. Other problems are mostly related to the dates of the original recordings. The sound is all pre-high-fidelity and sometimes quite primitive, though some remarkable work has been done to optimize the earliest items. The annotations are minimal--mostly the date, venue, and performers in each cut, with pictures of the biggest stars. This decision was probably made to keep the price low, and those who already know most of the arias and ensembles will likely find the tradeoff acceptable. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Rare but well-polished Verdi gems........2001-10-21

Classical music enthusiasts will have become aware that EMI have been marketing several boxed sets with a French title containing the word "introuvables". The word suggests that when you open the box you'll find items that are so rare as to be almost unobtainable. It suggests also that their rarity is not due only to age or production limitations, it is also due to the incomparability of their quality.

Few would quibble about the quality of what is to be found in this splendid collection of Verdi "introuvables". You will hear how Emmy Destinn portrayed Aida yearning for her homeland in 1908, and how Elisabeth Schwarzkopf portrayed Violetta intereacting with her lover's father in 1953. You will hear several items duplicated. Francesco Navarini, recorded in 1907 with a piano, makes a stunning Fiesco in the "Simon Boccanegra" prologue, as is not up-staged by the more familiar Alexander Kipnis version which follows.

You might regret that your favourite Verdi record is not here. You'll have opportunities to make comparisons, however. I could never believe that anyone could equal Giuseppe de Luca'a 1930 "O sommo Carlo" from "Ernani, but here I have a chance to hear for the first time how the famous baritone Mattia Battistini did it in 1906.

Keith Hardwick compiled and transferred this collection originally in the late 1980s. He has augmented and transferred that issue onto 8 CDs, and provided the annotations. Full recording details are provided, there are many singer photographs but no singer biographies.

The recording dates range from 1903 to 1953. Sadly, almost all the singers - Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf being a notable exception - are all dead by now. Those of us who have opportunities to hear and collect their work, however, can be grateful that the older we get the better it sounds. Indeed, I have never heard any of the items included here in better transfers. Elsewhere I have given this issue a five star rating. Subsequent hearings have made me aware of a technical matter which may bother some listeners. This set has been transferred from the long playing records on which it was originally issued. Their pristine sound quality has been preserved but also some of the ghostly "swish" that accompanied each revolution.

Verdi: Rigoletto
Average customer rating:

A performance that can truly be called classic

A Star for Verdi

Desert Island recording with a caveat

Unexpected surprise

I thought i had heard the best......and then........

Verdi: Rigoletto

Manufacturer: Preiser Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Warren, Leonard | ( W ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000056T7V
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Customer Reviews:

A performance that can truly be called classic.......2005-12-09

Why are some record companies--RCA comes particularly to mind--so determined not to sell their products?

As has been pointed out by previous reviewers, this set and the fine set issued by Naxos here in Canada and in the UK are both based on vinyl pressings. As it so happens, this was my very first opera recording. I borrowed it in a wonderfully funky and battered carrying case from the San Francisco Public Library nearly fifty years ago. Let me assure you, the sound provided by Naxos and, I am sure, this set is infinitely better than that of the Lps that held me enthralled all those years back.

This is another recording from the post-WWII operatic golden age in New York. Erna Berger was a new arrival from the wreckage of Europe. She may have been just past her vocal peak, but she had wowed the audiences at the Metropolitan Opera by daring to sing Verdi as written. Memories of Jan Peerce are fading. He was always reliable, workmanlike and worth listening to. Sometimes, though, when he was on, he was extraordinary. He is on in this recording. There have been tenors with better sounding voices, undoubtedly, but no one has ever characterized the Duke so acutely. Peerce's Duke is a full-fledged, red-blooded, casually treacherous Sforza in full command of himself and his city. And he is out on a tear, never doubt it. Then there is Leonard Warren. He simply owned the part of Rigoletto. Maybe, just maybe, Tito Gobbi at his best was in the same league with Warren, but nobody else.

Consider this, too, the performance is more than the three top singers. There are impressive touches throughout. Rigoletto's first dark-of-night meeting with the assassin is unmatched on disk. (I am reminded that the murderous Sparafucil speaks of owning a "spada". In the libretto issued by RCA with its original 45 rpm and Lp versions, the dumb-as-a-sack-of-hammers translator rendered his words as "I am a man with a spade," instead of "I am a man with a sword." Hm, perhaps that's why RCA doesn't re-issue this "Rigoletto." They're still embarrassed.)

Five stars!

A Star for Verdi.......2005-08-02

There are some excellent voices on this recording of Rigoletto. Jan Peerce was one of my favorite singers (and also of Arturo Toscanini) with his clarion voice and dashing stage presentation. Leonard Warren was another artist who could always give pleasure with his mellow baritone. This CD gives an extra bonus in the form of recordings from La Forza del Destino, La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra and Otello. I was not taken so much by Erna Berger. She failed to give the impression of a naive young girl. I see that I have not said a whole lot about this particular recording.

Desert Island recording with a caveat.......2004-05-31

I first bought this recording as a set of 45's as a kid in the 1950's. It's been with me ever since and will always be one of my favorite recordings of this opera. With that in mind, I was very excited to see it was finally issued on CD. Having heard BMG was licensing recordings they weren't planning on issuing themselved to other labels, I assumed this set would be from the original master tapes, which at the time was a big deal as it represented RCA's first venture in recording a complete opera on tape (in 1950). Being familiar with the 45 set, the lp set and a commercially availble 1/2 track mono reel of the excerpts, I was disappointed to hear the Preiser set (as well as the Naxos set) as they sadly, are from lp transfers. The original recordings were done on tape, at 30 ips and the sound is amazing. The sound on the present set of CD's is pinched and distorted in spots with a heavy amount of compression, as was the case with the original vinyl release. Even though these CD's are clean and well transferred, they do not represent the true quality of the original sessions. I would recommend this set as a stop-gap because, in the final analysis, it's the performance that counts. However, knowing a much better recording of this exists makes it frustrating and one can only hope the people at RCA/BMG consider an "offical" release of this treasure soon.

Unexpected surprise.......2004-01-01

How strange that this wonderfully surprising recording of Rigoletto is barely acknowledged, or at least mentionned a little, compared to the Sutherland-Pavarotti-Milnes and the Callas-DiStefano-Gobbi versions of this amazing opera (both must haves by the way).

It struck me as far better than the two other recordings mentionned above by its emotion and sensitivity. The voices are wonderful and the singers extremely well cast, but added to that is a sort of intimacy to the recording. It feels like compared to the two others the singing and music are not being thrown at us to try and draw us in. With Cellini it's more comparable to a moving story being told in a whisper, like a heartfelt confession.

Very moving, focused on expressing emotions which makes it an exceptionnal Rigoletto!

I thought i had heard the best......and then...............2003-11-02

I had thought i had heard the best when i had heard the young Pavarotti, Sutherland and the great Sherrill Milnes record this opera. Was i wrong! Warren is passionate and powerful, Peerce is in strong voice, passionate, a wonderful sound to listen to, and the soprano has a wonderful sound, Erna Berger. Gilda is a role that i never really connect with, as all she really does is stand there and make pretty sounds and be all pure and virginal. However, with Erna Berger making those sounds, it is a pleasure to listen to her! She really does sound like the character, and the whole recording is just a wonder to listen to!

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Richard Tucker Sings Verdi--and Illustrates His Power
superb memento

Richard Tucker Sings Verdi

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029PI
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Celeste Aida - From Aida (Act I)
Ma se m'e forza perderti - Ballo (Act III)
La mia letizia infondere - From I Lombardi
Non maledirmi, o prode - From I Due Foscari
Vieni a mirar - From Simon Boccanegra (Act I)
Sento avvampar nell'anima - From Simon Boccanegra (Act II)
Ah si, ben mio - From Il Trovatore (Act III)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra: Quando le sere al placido - From Luisa Miller (Act II)
Parmi veder le lagrime - From Rigoletto (Act II)
Giornio di pianto - From I Vespri Siciliani (Act III)
O tu che in seno agli angeli - From La forza del destino (Act III)
Di quella pira - From Il trovatore (Act III)
Gia nella notte densa - From Otello (Act I)

Customer Reviews:

Richard Tucker Sings Verdi--and Illustrates His Power.......2007-02-27

One reviewer mentioned that Richard Tucker is a "much underrated and often overlooked tenor. . . ." Indeed, I find it mystifying that so little of his recorded legacy appears to be available on CD today. This is a singer who, as I recall, said in an interview with a major publication in the later 1960s (Time?) something like: "Yes, it is a great responsibility being the world's greatest tenor." In his time, he was one of the world's most renowned tenors. He had certain mannerisms, such as a "cry" in his voice that could be distracting. But there was steel in his voice; he had one of the mightiest sounds among tenors in the 20th century.

Some reflections on a sampling of the cuts on this welcome CD. . . .

"Celeste Aida" from Verdi's opera is classic Tucker. Big voice, little subtlety. The booklet accompanying the CD notes that Tucker sang with "the assurance of a battle-hardened warrior" as opposed to the more common "romantic" version of this aria. He eschewed the piano at the end of this work, but it is a powerful version.

"Ah si, ben mio" (from Verdi's "Il Trovatore") is an interesting version. His "shakes" in this work are actually closer to trills than others such as Mario del Monaco (not a pretty sound!) or even Luciano Pavarotti. There are those Tuckerian mannerisms, such as the little "cry" in his voice here or there. But one either accepts those mannerisms or not, and I see the other strengths of his singing as more than making up for these.

"Di quella pira" is a real classical "hit" in opera. Tucker's power works well with this work. His voice easily rises above the orchestra backing him. While he interpolates the final top C to high B, the effect is still striking. Indeed, I find his version of this classic among the better manifestations.

Other works in his repertoire are included here as well, such as works from Rigoletto, La Forza del Destino, I Vespri Siciliani, and Simon Boccanegra.

I surely hope that more of Tucker's works will see the light of day. He was one of the top tenors of his era, and we would all be better off were more of his body of work available.

superb memento.......2003-04-17

This recording offers a superb memento of Richard Tucker -
a much underrated and often overlooked tenor - true he was
not the subtlest of singer but he had fine musicianship and
a rock-solid voice and his singing was always heartfelt. In
this Verdi recital he is partnered in a few duos with another
great american singer - Eileen Farrell.

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PER IL MARMOREO CIEL

Verdi Discoveries

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AKNZK
Release Date: 2003-09-09

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Customer Reviews:

PER IL MARMOREO CIEL.......2003-10-04

For me this has been a discovery and a half. In the days before Otello Shaw claimed to find in Verdi more power than Verdi himself knew how to use. Without possessing a fraction of Shaw's acumen, I have always been fascinated by the way Verdi's idiom developed from the raw inspiration of the early operas to the sophistication and sometimes the downright strangeness of the final masterpieces without a distinct step-change such as Wagner's idiom went through after Lohengrin.

This utterly fascinating disc fills in a few of the blanks in my knowledge of him. These are numerous indeed, but the disc is going to do the same to some extent even for Verdi experts, for the simple reason that some of the items it contains are being performed for the first time. All the music here is instrumental. There is an early 5-minute `sinfonia', an adagio for trumpet and orchestra, a set of variations for oboe and orchestra that is probably only orchestrated by Verdi from a composition by one Mori (although the actual theme for the variations seems to have been Verdi's), and another set of variations with a solo bassoon where the attribution to Verdi is uncertain. What is really going to boost the sales of this record is yet another set of orchestral variations, this time with solo piano, the soloist being no less than Thibaudet. Apparently Verdi's original aspiration was to a career as a pianist. He was turned down, it also appears, on account of some unorthodox hand-position, but encouraged to pursue composition instead. Rightly or wrongly, we had a narrow escape there - but what on earth would they have thought of Horowitz's way of doing it, I can only wonder. The variations are full of anyone's brilliance, not a distinctive instrumental style as in Mendelssohn or Chopin, but I sense the enthusiasm Thibaudet surely felt when confronted with this unexpected opportunity, and near the end there are some faux-pizzicato effects from him, the sort of touch of originality that I love.

The rest is various preludes from the operas that have not made it to the standard repertory. He obviously felt that he could do more with the Force of Destiny overture than here and consequently did it. Otherwise his instinct is typically to go for the dramatic jugular and cut out the purely instrumental sections beloved of his own beloved Italian tradition. It is certainly a rather strange experience to hear the familiar opening measures of Aida followed up by what is not familiar at all. The thing that above all else makes this disc compulsive and compulsory for me is the (rightly) sidelined prelude to Otello. There is a dark side to most of us, and the creator of Rigoletto shows us a bit of his - but nothing, nothing like this. This prelude brings together some elements in the work that are diluted over its length and put into a unique context of mixed musical influences. The prelude brings into sharp juxtaposition the very things that have, all my life, made Otello unlike anything for me in all music. The post-Wagnerian but utterly un-Wagnerian harmonies that resolve partly or not at all, the brutal yet calculated orchestration that looms out at us and retreats awaiting its own moment, the sheer inhuman feel from this most human and sympathetic of composers, the brainpower unleashed from behind the pretence of naivety - he splits it all up in the work as a whole and thank goodness. It starts with Iago's credo and ends with that detached, ethereal and un-erotic kiss and this prelude brings it all together. No, no, no. I'll keep it much as I would a glimpse of a dear friend who is utterly blameless and I would not have expected to have had insights like these - creative insights at that.

The playing-time of the disc extends slightly beyond 80 minutes.

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