Four German Baritones of the Past

On this CD:

1. Hans Heiling, opera, Op. 80 An jenem Tag
Composed by Heinrich August Marschner
Performed by Theodor Scheidl

2. L' Africaine, grand opera in 5 acts Dir, o Königin
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Performed by Theodor Scheidl

3. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96 Was dufftet doch der Flieder
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Theodor Scheidl

4. Parsifal, opera, WWV 111 Des Weihgefässes göttlicher Gehalt
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Theodor Scheidl

5. Iphigénie en Aulide, opera in 3 acts, Wq. 40 O Artemis
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Dr. Emil Schipper

6. Lohengrin, opera, WWV 75 O König, trugbetörte Fürsten
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Dr. Emil Schipper

7. Rigoletto, opera Gleich sind wir beide
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Dr. Emil Schipper

8. Faust, opera Höre mich jetzt an, Margarethe
Composed by Charles Gounod
Performed by Dr. Emil Schipper

9. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Will einst das Gräflein
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Michael Bohnen

10. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Dort vergiß leises Fleh'n
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Michael Bohnen

11. Das goldenen Kreuz, opera Bom, bom, bom, trarara
Composed by Ignaz Brull
Performed by Michael Bohnen

12. Das goldenen Kreuz, opera Wie anders war es
Composed by Ignaz Brull
Performed by Michael Bohnen

13. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, opera, WWV 96 Jerum! Jerum!
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Michael Bohnen, Emmy Bettendorf, Carl Martin Oehmann, Leo Schutzendorf

14. Mefistofele, opera Ich, der Geist, der stets verneinet
Composed by Arrigo Boito
Performed by Wilhelm Rode

15. L' Africaine, grand opera in 5 acts Hei, Adamastor
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Performed by Wilhelm Rode

16. Carmen, opéra-comique in 4 acts Euren Toast kann ich wohl erwidern
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Wilhelm Rode

17. Otello, opera Ich glaube an einen grausamen Gott
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Wilhelm Rode

18. Tosca, opera Drei Häscher mit einem Wagen
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Wilhelm Rode

Tracks:

Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Umberto Urbano
Il Trovatore: Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso - Umberto Urbano
Don Carlo: Per Me Giunto E Il Di Supremo - Umberto Urbano
Otello: Era La Notte - Umberto Urbano
L'ultima Canzone - Umberto Urbano
La Traviata: Di Provenza Il Mar - Celestino Sarobe
Otello: Credo In Un Dio Crudel - Celestino Sarobe
L' Africana: Figlia Di Regi - Celestino Sarobe
I Pagliacci: Si Puo? - Celestino Sarobe
Ernani: Ihr Holden Junglingstraume - Carlo Drago Hrzic
Hamlet: O Wein, Zerstreu' Uns're Sorgen - Carlo Drago Hrzic
Lakme: Lakme, Es Schweift Dein Blick - Carlo Drago Hrzic
Pique Dame: Als Du Zum Gatten Mich Erkoren - Carlo Drago Hrzic
Die Tote Stadt: Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen - Carlo Drago Hrzic
Rigoletto: Pari Siamo - Alexander Sved
Rigoletto: Cortigiani, Vil Razza Dannata - Alexander Sved
Der Troubadour: Sieh Meiner Hellan Tranen Flut - Alexander Sved
Ein Maskenball: Fur Dein Gluck - Alexander Sved
Ein Maskenball: Du Allein Hast Dies Herz Mir Entwendet - Alexander Sved

Customer Reviews:

Sorry guys, wrong CD..........2006-09-26

The previous reviews for this item were, somehow, meant for another item! This item is "Four German Sopranos", not tenors! Pay attention! :)

Viva Montagnana!!.......2004-05-17

Four tenors, Four styles. So much has been said about Gigli, that I can`t really add anything new, other than that I find his singing, the more I hear it, mannered and selfconcious. His famous silvery mezza-voce to me sounds disconnected almost child-like. BUT! If he were to sing today, the world would proclaim him "the umpteenth Tenor!!" Lauri Volpi: Focussed, explosive, virile and almost always thrilling. Now the Montagnana-boys: Martinelli, "The big Bugle" as he was known in New York, is an acquired taste. He has a vibrato very typical of that time, fast and a little tight, and can sound a little bleaty. But listen again, and you`ll be rewarded. He can really spin a line, make the text tell and hits you right in the gut with his timbre. As further listening, I`d recommend the live Otello from the Met with Tibbett and Rethberg. Wonderful!! Now, to the most neglected of all great singers of all time. The most thrilling, visceral, even-voiced. He can carry the lightest pianissimo in any range and make it spin and spin and... He can sing so loudly he`ll pin you to your seat. The voice has presence and ring, what the italians call "squillo" that you can reach out and touch. The voice is focussed like a laser, yet never sounds tight. Even in full flight there`s always some in reserve. Pertile, of course. This is not a dozen-instrument. You`ll never mistake him (or any of the others, for that matter) with any other singer. From the first note I ever heard from him, I have been spellbound. Everything I ever wished I could do and be, he does with consumate ease. You owe it to yourself to hear his "quando le sere al placido" from Luisa Miller. He sings lines that never end, goes from piano to forte in the same phrase without altering the timbre or colour.... I could go on for days, but I think you get the message: Buy this, or any other CD with Pertile and prepare to fall for a singer who would sweep the decks anywhere in the world today. It`s your loss if you don`t!

ONE GOLD, TWO SILVERS AND ONE BRONZE.......2001-05-16

Here we have four Italian tenors of the golden age, who captured world attention in that glorious past for their vocal and interpretative capacity. Other names that come to mind are Caruso, Zenatello, Grassi, Anselmi, Schipa, Paoli, De Muro, Merli and Bonci.

The four tenors on this superb CD have a lot in common. Born within seven years apart, between 1885 and 1892, they (except Pertile) sang at the Met, the temple of operatic singing. All of them displayed mezza voce and heroic top notes on the stage.

This CD has collected and handed to posterity their prowess, when the tenors were in their late thirties and at their prime. Interestingly, one may draw vocal attributes from their performances and make comparisons.

Martinelli displayed a heroic and massive, Pertile, a sage but hard-driven, Gigli, an elegiac or turgid and Lauri-Volpi a robust, limpid and easily extended voice. The gold medal goes to Lauri-Volpi, the silver to Martinelli and Gigli, the bronze to Pertile.

I liked Martinelli in "Come un bel di di maggio"(Chenier) full of pathos, Pertile "Vesti la giubba" (Pagliacci) for great artistry, Gigli "Dai campi, dai prati" (Mefistofele) for inspired mysticism and Lauri-Volpi "Bianca al par di neve"(Les Huguenots) for unique mezza voce.

Tracks:

Hans Heiling: An Jenem Tag - Theodor Scheidl
Die Afrikanerin: Dir, O Konigin - Theodor Scheidl
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: Was Duftet Doch Der Flieder - Theodor Scheidl
Parsifal: Des Weihgefasses Gottlicher Gehalt - Theodor Scheidl
Iphigenie In Aulis: O Artemis - Emil Schipper
Lohengrin: O Konig, Trugbetorte Fursten - Emil Schipper
Rigoletto: Gleich Sind Wir Beide - Emil Schipper
Faust: Hore Mich Jetzt An, Margarethe - Emil Schipper
Figaros Hochzeit: Will Einst Das Graflein - Michael Bohnen
Figaros Hochzeit: Dort Vergiss Leises Fleh'n - Michael Bohnen
Das Goldene Kreuz: Bom Bom Bom, Trarara - Michael Bohnen
Das Goldene Kreuz: Wie Anders War Es - Michael Bohnen
Die Meistersinger Von Nurmberg: Jerum! Jerum! - Michael Bohnen/Emmy Bettendorf/Carl Martin Oehmann/Leo Schutzendorf
Mefistofeles: Ich, Der Geist, Der Stets Verneinet - Wilhelm Rode
Die Afrikanerin: Hei, Adamastor - Wilhelm Rode
Carmen: Euren Toast Kann Ich Wohl Erwidern - Wilhelm Rode
Othello: Ich Glaube An Einen Grausamen Gott - Wilhelm Rode
Tosca: Drei Hascher Mit Einen Wagen - Wilhelm Rode