On this CD:
1. Luisa Miller, opera Tu puniscimi, o Signore
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Peter Maag
2. Luisa Miller, opera Padre, ricevi l'estremo addio
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Peter Maag
3. Norma, opera Sgombra è la sacra selva
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Welsh National Opera Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Richard Bonynge
4. Norma, opera Deh! proteggimi, o Dio!
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Welsh National Opera Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Richard Bonynge
5. Norma, opera Eccola! va, mi lascia, ragion non odo
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Welsh National Opera Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Richard Bonynge
6. Norma, opera Va, crudele, al Dio spietato
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Welsh National Opera Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Richard Bonynge
7. Mefistofele, opera Notte cupa, truce
Composed by Arrigo Boito
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis
8. Mefistofele, opera O incantesimo! parla! parla!
Composed by Arrigo Boito
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Oliviero de Fabritiis
9. Turandot, opera Signore, ascolta!
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe
Conducted by Zubin Mehta
10. Turandot, opera Tu che di sei cinta
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe
Conducted by Zubin Mehta
11. Andrea Chénier, opera La mamma morta
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Giuseppe Morresi, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly
12. Andrea Chénier, opera Vicino a te
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Giuseppe Morresi, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly
13. Andrea Chénier, opera La nostra morte è il trionfo dell'amor!
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Montserrat Caballe, Giuseppe Morresi, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly
14. La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts E un anatema!
Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Agnes Baltsa, Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Bruno Bartoletti
15. La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts Il mio braccio t'affera!
Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Agnes Baltsa, Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Bruno Bartoletti
16. La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts Suicidio!
Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Agnes Baltsa, Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Bruno Bartoletti
17. La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts La barca s'avvicina
Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli
Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
with Agnes Baltsa, Montserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes, Luciano Pavarotti
Conducted by Bruno Bartoletti
The Great Voice of Montserrat Caballé, Music, Vincenzo Bellini, Arrigo Boito, Umberto Giordano, Amilcare Ponchielli, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Bruno Bartoletti, Oliviero de Fabritiis, Peter Maag, Riccardo Chailly, Richard Bonynge, Zubin Mehta, London Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Montserrat Caballé, Luciano Pavarotti, Agnes Baltsa, Giuseppe Morresi, Sherrill Milnes, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Italian Romantic Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio
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The Great Voice of Montserrat Caballé
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000026BVD Release Date: 2000-09-12 |
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Customer Reviews:
The decca tribute to Montserrat Caballe.......2001-08-05
Most of Caballeýs decca recordings were made later in her carreer (late 70s-80s). Even if the voice had lost some of its freshness and flexibility, she still managed to give great performances. Such examples are her Margherita in Mefistofele, her Maddalena in Andrea Chenier and her Gioconda. To me, Tebaldiýs vocal caliber, pathos and beauty are unsurpassed in her recordings of the same roles but Caballe gives these roles her own touch, so different but not less memorable. Her Adalgisa, a role rarely performed by a soprano, is among the finest on records. Having heard Horne, Cossotto and other sublime mezzos in this role, I realise now that itýs Caballeýs phrasing, gentle singing that I like the most. Let me not forget her lovely Luisa Miller. Her best moment on this set is her Liu. Recorded in 1972, displays Caballeýs famous pianissimo, amazing breath control at their finest. One believes that this woman needs no air at all! If only, we could hear such singing by the new operatic generation today!
Concluding, this may not be Caballeýs best collection (her best are available on amazon) but this one is certainly worth listening.
SEPULCHRAL SUBLIMNITY.......2001-05-31
Caballe's legendary breath control and floated pianissimi are more or less expected and we are justly rewarded in this present selection. In many of the set pieces, she astounds us with the above qualities and justly shows her mettle and that her fame and celebrity was not without reason.
I simply love the scene from Norma which is featured here. As Adalgisa this time round (she recorded the role of Norma earlier in her career for RCA), she agreed to the role as a mark of respect for and friendship with Sutherland. While many were sceptical of the results initially, due to the advanced stage of her career when she was recording it, the results are top-notch.
She spins her notes with a delicacy and intrigue unlike no other as she is soon joined by the bright clarion voice of Pavarotti as Pollione. Caballe is one of the few soprano Adalgisas recorded and she excels in the scene, matching and even stealing the show from Pavarotti.
In the arias from Turandot, Signore, ascolta and Tu che di gel sei cinta, she displays her breath control and pianissimi when she seemingly sings the arias in just a matter of a few breaths. The melody goes on and on and is hardly interrupted by intakes of breaths. She holds on to the dying last note Signore, ascolta for almost an eternity. The result may be less than perfect but is still remarkable.
In Andrea Chenier and La Gioconda, Caballe lets rip and shows us how powerful her voice can be. La mamma morta is touching and well sung, with an intensity that is unmatched. Perhaps she even betters Callas. In her voice, we can picture the fire that is burning in the narrative she is giving. Suicidio is no less captivating. From the start, she throws down the gauntlet with a benchmark reading that is both dramtically and musically correct.
In a nutshell, this is an album to get for any lover of the soprano repertoire and especially for lovers of great singing and of Caballe.
CORRECTION!.......2000-12-13
Wide-ranging selection of great singing.......2000-12-13
The selections from "Luisa Miller" and "Turandot" show off the vocal lushness of the younger Caballe, and expose her wonderful attention to musical detail. The final moments of the "Luisa" trio are magnificent with Caballe floating a beautiful, silvery high note over the wonderful Pavarotti and Milnes. The selections from "Turandot", while oddly enough not my favorite (the vibrato is a little wobbly for my taste), are still musically sound.
What is the most interesting facet of this disk is that her mature voice is captured, a voice that became heavier with age, more dramatic (during this period she went on the record a disc of Wagner arias that included Isolde and Brunnhilde with Zubin Mehta with CBS Records). I would not have thought that assuming the role of Adalgisa would work, but it does. Her mature voice is luxurious and spot-on in terms of hitting notes. The same goes for the selections from "Andrea Chenier"; while the solo aria ("La mamma morta") is not her best recording, there is something quite stirring about it and is probably the best interpretation I have heard (though I have yet to hear Scotto's). The duet with Pavarotti is golden. The selections from "Mefistofele", though not always flattering to the voice, are still fascinating. Also we get to hear her hit a rare E-flat.
The best singing from this mature period comes in the selections from "La Giaconda", where the voice is at its best and clearest. (the minor exception is a little wobbliness in the "Suicidio!"). Otherwise the singing is radiant, sure-footed, and characterful, with a silvery edge to the instrument that is exciting. The scene with Pavarotti ("Il mio braccio") is stunning, with the power of Caballe's voice proving to be a marvel.
Other contributions are also quite good. All of the operas in the collection were recorded with Pavarotti (though he does not appear in the selections from "Turandot") and he is a mellifluous if a bit characterless addition to the line-up. His turn in Luisa Miller is particularly beautiful. Agnes Baltsa is simply terrific in the Giaconda/Laura duet from "La Giaconda". In all instances the conducting is expert.
Overall a great disc for fans of the great Spanish soprano and a great sampling of Italian opera from the bel canto to the late Romantic period. For musicianship, there are few better than Caballe and if nothing else, this set is a superb example of her committment to craft.
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Magnificat: A Musical Celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000
Manufacturer: Velas ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000051Y8G Release Date: 2000-11-28 |
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Amazon.com
As with the history of art, the Vatican has played an important role in fostering the creation of music; and in writing music for the Catholic Church's rituals, composers like Palestrina and Monteverdi became cornerstones in the development of Western music. So it's fitting that the Vatican has decided to celebrate the Great Jubilee 2000--its commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ--with a collection of music. Magnificat includes performances of very familiar pieces of sacred music (Franck's "Panis angelicus," Gounod's "Ave Maria," and Mozart's "Ave verum," one of the most sublime pieces ever written) as well as some newly commissioned works: the "Cantico del giubileo" of Ennio Morricone (commissioned for Magnificat) and Jean-Paul Lécot's official hymn for the Jubilee. There are a couple of appearances by José Carreras, while opera star Montserrat Caballé sings the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's Otello (a secular work to be sure, but a deeply touching expression of piety). Other performers include Renato Bruson, Pietro Ballo, the Choir and Orchestra of Saint Cecilia's in Rome, Marco Frisina, and more. The message binding all these selections is one of spirituality and peace for the world. This special edition of Magnificat includes a booklet with photos and Italian texts. --Sarah ChinCustomer Reviews:
Deliciously ethereal collection.......2006-12-28
Music for the Soul.......2002-07-29
Very spiritual.......2001-01-20
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Montserrat Caballe
Manufacturer: Great Opera Divas ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00000HYSW Release Date: 1999-03-16 |
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Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous compilation.......2003-09-13
All the Puccini selections come from Caballé's 1970 recital of Puccini arias. All of the Verdi selections come from Caballé's 1971 recital of Verdi arias. The other selections come from other recitals and from complete opera recordings.
Both arias from "La Bohème" are very well-sung. The inclusion of Imogene's Mad Scene from "Il Pirata" was a wise choice. It's too bad that the fiery cabaletta was left out. This version of Caballé's Mad Scene is more dramatic than the one included on her "Montserrat Caballé Sings Bellini and Donizetti" disc. It is a tad less tonally resplendent, but quite a bit more exciting.
The two soprano arias from "Aïda" are ravishingly sung. As good as the versions of these two arias are, the two versions of the arias in her complete recording of "Aïda" are even better. In this version of "O patria mia", Caballé's pianissimo high C is gorgeous, but in her "O patria mia" from her "Aïda" recording, the pianissimo high C is sublime and held for a surprisingly long time.
Cio-cio San's "Un bel dì" features breathtakingly beautiful singing from Caballé. Caballé seems like she was in a trance when she recorded that aria. The tempo for the aria is quite slow. Her powerful spinto voice has more than enough power to cut through Puccini's dense orchestration and loud climaxes. Butterfly's Death Scene displays Caballé's powerful high notes.
"L'altra notte in fondo al mare" shows Caballé in alert dramatic form. This aria probably contains the best trills that Caballé ever committed to disc. Now, Caballé never had a genuine trill. Her trill was almost always a weak fluttering between two pitches. But in this version of "L'altra notte in fondo al mare", you can actually hear the two distinct pitches of each trill. Notice Caballé's extraordinary breath control while singing the florid parts of the aria.
The version of "Vissi d'arte" included here is, in my opinion, the third best that Caballé recorded. Her best recording of the aria is her 1964 recording with Gian Franco Masini, which can be found on the compilation "Montserrat Caballé: The Ultimate Collection". That version boasts two spectacular, distinct diminuendos on the high B-flat at the end of the aria and showcases the ethereal beauty of Caballé's voice at its absolute freshest. The high B-flat itself is a secure note, but not overwhelmingly powerful. This version of "Vissi d'arte" boasts slightly less gorgeous tone and two diminuendos on the high B-flat that may as well be one, because the two are not distinct. Caballé's third version of the aria is from her complete "Tosca" recording with Colin Davis. That version is quite fine, the two diminuendos being quite good, and the high B-flat being the most powerful high B-flat that Caballé recorded for "Vissi d'arte".
The two arias from "La Forza del Destino" are very well-sung. "Pace, pace, mio Dio" is given a gorgeous rendition and boasts a spectacular pianissimo high B-flat. The ending high note is a bit caustic though.
"O mio babbino caro" is amazingly beautiful, with ravishing pianissimos, but the tempo is a bit slow.
"In questa reggia" is one of the few bad selections on this compilation. To tell you the truth, it is the worst selection here. Caballé struggles with the high tessitura of the aria and her phrasing is totally wrong for the aria. Her tone becomes thin and weak due to the high tessitura and her high C's shake disconcertingly. The unison high C with the equally miscast José Carreras at the aria's end is very bad, almost painful to hear.
The Montsalvatge song, a lullaby in reality, is a bit sleepily sung, with not too-well-enunciated Spanish, Caballé's native language. Her diction suffers due to her singing the song very softly.
Mathilde's first aria from "Guillaume Tell" is included with its recitative. Caballé's version is from her complete studio recording of the opera. This is the best recording of "Sombre fôret", in French or Italian, on records. It is exquisite singing with beautiful phrasing, beautiful tone, wonderful pianissimos, and very good French.
The Valentine/Raoul duet from "Les Huguenots" is OK. The tenor singing Raoul is Caballé's husband, Bernabé Martí. Both husband and wife are taxed by the duet's high note demands.
The Strauss lieder, as sung by Caballé, is really not that good. My advice is to skip them.
The selections from "Giovanna d'Arco" are well-sung with some amazing pianissimos.
Caballé sings the Mad Scene from "I Puritani" well, but the cabaletta is not included. Elvira, with its high tessitura and difficult coloratura demands, is really not a role for Caballé.
The magical aria from "Le Villi" is wonderfully sung. Caballé lavishes her rich, creamy voice on it. The final pianissimo is an absolute beauty.
The last selection is Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking Scene, complete with a doctor and a lady servant. This selection is voiced with full-throated singing. Caballé is at her most melodramatic here. I think it works for this aria, even though a little more subtlety is probably more appropriate. The diminuendo on "Macbetto" near the aria's end is ravishing and the pianissimo high D-flat on the word "Andiam", held for a surprisingly short time, is amazing.
Get this compilation while it is still available.
Caballe the greatest singer in recorded history!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2003-08-24
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Magnificat: A Musical Celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000
Manufacturer: Velas ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000051Y8H Release Date: 2000-11-28 |
Tracks:
Amazon.com
As with the history of art, the Vatican has played an important role in fostering the creation of music; and in writing music for the Catholic Church's rituals, composers like Palestrina and Monteverdi became cornerstones in the development of Western music. So it's fitting that the Vatican has decided to celebrate the Great Jubilee 2000--its commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ--with a collection of music. Magnificat includes performances of very familiar pieces of sacred music (Franck's "Panis angelicus," Gounod's "Ave Maria," and Mozart's "Ave verum," one of the most sublime pieces ever written) as well as some newly commissioned works: the "Cantico del giubileo" of Ennio Morricone (commissioned for Magnificat) and Jean-Paul Lécot's official hymn for the Jubilee. There are a couple of appearances by José Carreras, while opera star Montserrat Caballé sings the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's Otello (a secular work to be sure, but a deeply touching expression of piety). Other performers include Renato Bruson, Pietro Ballo, the Choir and Orchestra of Saint Cecilia's in Rome, Marco Frisina, and more. The message binding all these selections is one of spirituality and peace for the world. A special edition of Magnificat, including a booklet with photos and Italian texts, is also available. --Sarah ChinMusic Track:
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