Verdi: Rigoletto / Carlo Rizzi

On this CD:

1. Rigoletto, opera
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Alexandru Agache, Barry Banks, Patricia Bardon, Jennifer Larmore, Richard Leech

Tracks:

Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
La rondine: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
La Boheme: Quando m'en vo
La Boheme: Mi chiamano Mimi
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di
Madama Butterfly: Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia
Turandot: Tu, che di gel sei cinta
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
Rigoletto: Caro nome
La Traviata: Lunge da lei...De miei bollenti spiriti...oh mio rimorso
Aida: Celeste Aida
L'Elisir d'Amore: Prendi, per me sei libero
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Don Pasquale: Quel guardo il cavaliere
Fedora: Amor ti vieta
Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

heywhattsamattayou.......2007-06-12

i'm a tellin you..... if you dont a like a this music....well you musta been born with the stone for a heart...heh

full of passion and love.......2007-03-31

This CD is full of passion and love. Whenever I listen to it, I get the butterfly feeling in my stomach...must have CD!!!! I strongly recommend!

Absolutely Beautiful!.......2002-03-02

Two words describe the music found on this CD: ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! The beauty of the vocals and music combine to allow one to transcend from the daily grind to a world of beauty. Bravo!

Where is Amore I?.......2001-02-16

This CD is a selection of arias from Italian operas. Most of the time when you get a compilation like this, you feel lucky if you like 2/3 of the selections. In this case, whoever did the selecting did a great job, there isn't a clinker in the lot. About half of the arias are by Puccini, the rest are by Verdi, Donizetti, and Giordano. Singers include Kiri Te Kanawa, Luciano Pavarotti, Richard Tucker, and Andrea Rost. There is enough variety to keep the whole CD interesting, yet the mood is consistent throughout. The sound is generally quite good, and while I am not generally a fan of live recordings, the audience response in the performance by Pavarotti really does add excitement to the presentation. Given the title of this CD, I assumed this was the second in a series, and I liked it so much I went looking for the original. Unfortunately, I can find no other CD on the Sony label titled Amore - too bad.

Average customer rating:

Great Voice
Florez shines in enticing variety, versatility of repertoire
Third album by Florez
Florez in another dazzling disc!
Muy bien cantado...Pero falta algo

Great Tenor Arias

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Juan Diego Florez ~ Rossini Arias
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Sentimiento Latino
Sentimiento Latino
Rossini - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia / Juan Diego Florez, Maria Bayo, Pietro Spagnoli, Ruggero Raimondi, Bruno Pratico, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Madrid Opera

ASIN: B0002K6ZWU
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

J'ai Perdu Mon Euridice
Pietoso Al Lungo PiantoAlfin M'arride Amore...Deh! Lasciate A Un'Alma Amante
La Speranza Piu Soave Gia Quest'Alma Lusingava
Eccomi Finalmente...Feste? Pompe? Omaggi? Onori?
Loin De Son Amie Vivre Sans Plaisirs
Languir Per Una Bella
La Donna E Mobile
Pria Che Spunti In Ciel L'aurora
Com'e Soave Quest'Ora Di Silenzio Al Mio Dolente Cor... Anch'io Provai Le Tenere Smanie D'un Puro Amore
Avete Torto!...Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito

Amazon.com

Here the remarkable young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez not only offers us what we've become accustomed to---gorgeous, graceful singing of very difficult bel canto gems (in this case, high-flying, virtuosic arias from Rossini's Semiramide and L'Italiana in Algeri. He also ventures into unknown waters. He sings an aria added by Donizetti for an Italian production of The Daughter of the Regiment ("La figlia" rather than the usual "La fille") which turns out to be just right for his voice, and he charms with his crisp diction and youthful approach. Paolino's aria from Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto is a substantial piece of bel canto writing, with some nice coloratura fireworks near the end which Florez sails through with ease, and Rinuccio's ditty from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi---perhaps the most heavily orchestrated piece he's sung and stylistically the opposite of anything else on the CD---is also tossed off with true élan. On the other hand, Florez has a lot to learn about the Gluckian style, judging from his Romantic approach to Orphée's aria, and his French could use some brushing up if he's going to sing anything from Halévy's La Juive, although the vocal hurdles that the composer put in the tenor's way do not seem to bother him at all. A surprising disappointment is "La donna e mobile," which is over-sung and charm free. But can any tenor around be expected to sing all of these (and a few others, too) perfectly? Florez remains a true delight, his sound beautiful, his production easy from top to bottom. Despite reservations, highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Great Voice.......2007-05-13

This young tenor is a worthy successor to Carreras, he will be a superb singer.

Florez shines in enticing variety, versatility of repertoire.......2005-03-14

An altogether delightful disc. The arias on here that do not require heavy pryotechnics are delightful and reveal a very pleasant insouciance of tone and character that are very fitting, only very intermittently offset by a slight hardness of tone on top. The aria from Semiramide and cabaletta to the charming Cimarosa aria serve up the fireworks, so common on the first disc and perhaps the one that followed it, for those listeners who are attracted to this disc by having heard especially the first and highly brilliant all-Rossini outing. Rossini is also well represented here by a charming romanza and lively cabaletta from Italiana in Algeri.

Several rarities are included, unlike with the above, and he makes something very charming and inviting of the selection from Verdi's Un giorno di regno (Verdi's rarely performed comedic second opera). The alternate Italian aria from Fille du regiment is a welcome supplement to his having recorded the more famous aria for Tony on his second recital disc. The aria from Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia (an easy equal to Lucia in inspiration) is also a highlight, Florez's insouciance of manner here particularly telling, as it has fatal consequences for his character and all this character's buddies in this opera. Eleazar's aria, or one of them, from Halevy's La Juive reveals the possibility of a little greater reach into repertoire that approaches the dramatic for this tenor - but one senses as well that he will and can, should take his time getting there. The tribute to Firenze from Gianni Schicchi at or toward the end of this recital is compelling enough to convince the most hardened travel cynic buying this disc to call the airlines/hotels, inns to book for there right away. The "Che faro" from Orfeo (but sung in French) is an ideal vehicle from which Florez can deliver such a sublime and heartfelt lament, as heard here, albeit a bit too closely recorded.

Carlo Rizzi, not always dependable, gives fine accompaniments here. The engineering does place the voice just a bit too forward, however, yet ironically a voice that has developed full body and better evenness than when his first all-Rossini disc was recorded (yet still certainly too early to tackle the part of Eleazer on stage as of yet), erasing any concerns I may have had at that time. For some readers, any problem with the sound quality here might demote this outing to four stars, but taking the singing, the interesting repertoire chosen for this disc, and the fine, deft accompaniments from Rizzi and the Verdi orchestra from Milan (some alternate band to Muti's peerless one at La Scala? - the endless nature of so much politics in music), have me sticking with five, and with a mind about several other vocal recital discs that have been getting rated too highly on this website.

Ditto. Just received credible correction from Vince Chau of one piece of misinformation I submitted here. The aria that Florez sings from La Juive belongs to the second tenor part of Leopold, not that of Eleazar. While I am on the subject of corrections of my reviews, he also had said that I had incorrectly challenged Gheorghiu's Laggiu nel Soledad for having ended on a high C. Not having been so graphic as that in how I describe what happened there, I had led him to believe and perhaps a few others that I was saying there was no high C in the aria at all, so I have just taken pains to fully explain the situation on the new Gheorghiu Puccini recital by thereby editing my review of it. I would not trade Gina Cigna's ONLY high C TOWARD the end of Laggiu nel Soledad for all the gold in Fort Knox, or Nilsson's or Tebaldi's ...

Third album by Florez.......2005-01-01

This, the young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez' third album, includes more of the bel canto repertory with which he has risen to international fame. Hearing Lindoro's scene from L'Italiana in Algeri, to cite one example, will make the first-time listener realize why. The tenor's firm, even tone, agility in coloratura and secure high notes--all the way up to a solid high D in one selection--are still sources of wonder.

"Great Tenor Arias" also includes forays into other areas of the repertory, from operas which Florez has not yet sung and may never sing on stage. Indeed, one hopes that no one talks him into trying Verdi's Duke of Mantua any time soon--his rendition of "La Donna e Mobile" is solid, if a bit lacking in charm, but the entire role would surely overtax his vocal resources. Puccini's Rinuccio, from the evidence of Florez' take on the aria from Gianni Schicchi that concludes this somewhat short (less than an hour of music) CD, would be a more comfortable fit, but he is already too much of a marquee name to take on what is basically a supporting role.

If this CD as a whole leaves a slightly unsatisfying impression, it is because the experiments by Florez remain just that--vocal explorations rather than performances undertaken out of deep dramatic or musical conviction. In addition, some of the more obscure music, Cimarosa and early Verdi in particular, is not of the highest quality, and here Florez' comparative inability to characterize vocally becomes a liability. All in all, despite the outstanding singing, a newcomer to this tenor's art would probably be better served by starting with one of his two earlier albums, the first of Rossini, the second Bellini/Donizetti.

Florez in another dazzling disc!.......2004-11-25

Juan Diego Florez is definitely on a spin and that well-deserved
journey is the product of fine training, excellent coaching, and a keen sense of pacing in a career that tends to push the gifted ones too quickly. Though Florez' crowning gifts are in the bel canto repertoire, with this recording he just starts there and pushes into the range of more lyrical arias, and to these ears he succeeds in demonstrating how special is this beautiful voice.

Even the decision about lineup of arias on this fine recording is intelligent: Florez moves from Gluck, Cimarosa and Rossini into Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini with great ease. Here is a tenor who can belt out the high notes to please the balcony but who is equally sensitive to the diminuendos and barely audible phrases that mark the true artist.

Dashingly handsome, and physically as well as vocally a fine actor on stage, this CD simply further demonstrates that Juan Diego Florez is one of the brightest tenors before us today. It is interesting to see how many Latin American tenors are suddenly becoming so important - Villazon, Calleja, Alvarez, Florez, etc. Refreshing! GRady Harp, November 2004.

Muy bien cantado...Pero falta algo.......2004-11-07

JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ es sin duda alguna el mejor tenor de la actualidad en su repertorio (Rossini y ciertos roles belcantistas) y sus trabajos discograficos siempre consiguen los mas fervientes aplausos. Yo mismo, ya elogie en su dia aqui sus dos registros anteriores en solitario con este mismo sello.
Pero ahora, en este tercer trabajo, la magia no se produce de igual manera que las veces anteriores: la voz sigue estando ahi, bellisima y con un alarde de agudos bastante importante...Pero el repertorio no es el mas adecuado a la vocalidad de Florez, por lo que le ofrece escasas posibilidades de lucimiento. Un repertorio como este, en la voz de un tenor desconocido que comienza pudo haber sido interesante, pero en la voz de un tenor ya consagrado como es Florez, deja una sensacion de vacio bastante grave. Habra que esperar al cuarto (ya se anuncian "Canciones latinoamericanas" en lo que puede ser un interesante cambio de registrio) para ver si se vuelve a producir la magia.
CARLO RIZZI y la orquesta rinden a un buen nivel, mucho mayor que la orquesta y el director del disco anterior de Florez.

Marcelo Álvarez - Bel Canto / Y. Huang, WNO, Rizzi

Average customer rating:

Bravo, Bravo, Bravissimo!
Early Marcelo Alvarez Revisited
A great voice used well.
What is it with the numbers?
A VERY POWERFUL VOICE; A NEW STAR IS ON THE RISE

Marcelo Álvarez - Bel Canto / Y. Huang, WNO, Rizzi
Gaetano Donizetti , Vincenzo Bellini , Welsh National Opera Orchestra & Chorus , Carlo Rizzi , Marcelo Álvarez , and Ying Huang
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Tenor's Passion
Salvatore Licitra - The Debut
Marcelo Álvarez - French Arias
Duetto
Marcelo Alvarez Sings Gardel

ASIN: B00000D9Y1
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Rigoletto: Questa O Quella
Rigoletto: Ella mi fu rapita!...Parmi veder le lagrime...Possente amor me chiama
Rigoletto: La danna e mobile
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Il Duca d'Alba: Inosservato penetrava...Angelo casto e bel
I Puritani: Opening Scene From Act III
Lucia di Lammermoor: Tombe degli avi miei...Fra poco a me ricovero
Linda di Chamounix: Linda! si retiro...Se tanto in ira agli unomini
La Traviata: Lunge da lei... De' miei bollenti spiriti...o mio rimorso
La Favorita: Favorita de Re!...Spirto gentil

Amazon.com

Though he came to professional singing comparatively late and began to attract the attention of the operatic world only fairly recently, Argentinian tenor Marcelo Alvarez already seems launched on a successful career. On this debut recording of Italian arias, he displays a light, sweet voice; a ringing, easy top; a basically lyrical temperament; and honestly felt, natural expressiveness--only the three familiar arias from Verdi's Rigoletto are a bit fussy and exaggerated. Though the mixed program does not give him much opportunity for sustained characterization, he does match the color and intensity of his voice to the situation. Among the highlights are a beautiful extended scene from Bellini's I puritani with soprano Ying Huang; arias from Donizetti's Linda di Chamonix and La favorita, the latter culminating in a splendid high C; and a lively cabaletta from Verdi's La traviata. The orchestra tends to be too discreet. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Bravo, Bravo, Bravissimo!.......2005-04-18

These arias from La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Linda di Chamounix, I Puritani and Rigoletto have been recorded often (Too often) but among recent recordings I like Marcelo Alvarez's recordings of them the most. He has a most velvety and gorgeous timbre, wonderful high notes and he phrases sensitively, he uses vocal colours to shade and illuminate every phrase making him a great successor of lyric tenors like Giuseppe di Stefano and José Carreras. Of course he is individual but just as amazing as these guys! Bravo Monsieur Alvarez!

Early Marcelo Alvarez Revisited.......2004-12-22

Now and then it is a pleasant excursion to return to early recordings made by singers who are reaching a heady level of importance just to see how voices mature. In the case of Marcelo Alvarez, who is enjoying great success with his recordings (Massenet's 'Manon' with Renee Fleming, and his own solo CD 'The Tenor's Passion' for example), listening to this remarkable disc of bel canto arias is of particular interest.

This recording features the younger (1998), lighter voice in the appropriately lighter repertoire and the intelligence coupled with sheer beauty of sound is here. Though his voice has darkened and is much more full now, these bel canto arias are still splendid. The technique is sound, the line is pure, and the bloom at the top promises that he would become the lyric tenor he has become in 2004.

Marcelo Alvarez started here with the right works at the right time in his career. They are here to savour - sort of a hint of what he has become - a treasureable, exciting and intelligent singer. Grady Harp, December 2004

A great voice used well........2002-08-28

Mr. Alvarez has a wonderful vocal instrument, and his technique is marvellous. He is true bel canto. Nothing is ever forced or lacking in beauty. Fine diction and flawless Italian pronunction. Even when the voice rises in intensity, the sound remains lustrous and golden. The liner notes indicate that he is a wise steward of his voice as well, choosing his repetoire carefully and planning ahead as to when he will attempt certain things. I look forward to hearing him sing Cavaridossi in a few years. In the meantime, you will not be disappointed by this collection. It is simply great singing.

What is it with the numbers?.......2002-01-23

I refuse to call this guy the 4th tenor because there are lots of good tenors, always have been. But I do think Marcelo Alvarez is in line to inherit the mantle. Here he puts his agile voice through all the paces. It is a sweet voice, with power-like a velvet glove over a hammer! Never does it sound harsh or forced. I also like that he used "longer cuts" from scenes including duets and ensembles instead of the usual "Greatest Hits" (altho i like those too) But for me the most attractive and appealing element is the absolute joyful quality of his voice, like he is singing for the sheer pleasure of it. Thank you, Marcello, the pleasure is all mine!

A VERY POWERFUL VOICE; A NEW STAR IS ON THE RISE.......2000-09-27

This review is a great departure from the norm of my regular book reviews here, but I will give it a go and share my thoughts.

I am not an opera lover, but I do share the enjoyment of the music. I have purchased, in the past the 3 tenors. I have no idea what the music is about or what they are saying in the music, but there is something about it I can not describe; most people say its the passion in their voices. I purchase this CD on a whim and I was very surprise at the crispness of the voice and the range Marcelo has. I listened to this CD for 3 hours on a business trip that I was drivng too. I will tell you, I am not a lover of this art, but maybe soon; and I would truly not recommend something I do not like. So trust me on this, for the lovers of the art, get this one, and for those who are not opera lovers listen to Alvarez for the first time. I plan to get Marcelo Alvarez sings Gardel next. I expect this star to rise in stardom.

Now that enough. Check out my book reviews next.

See Ya !

Customer Reviews:

Even better on Hybrid SACD - Florez in another dazzling disc!, .......2006-12-04

Juan Diego Florez is definitely on a spin and that well-deserved journey is the product of fine training, excellent coaching, and a keen sense of pacing in a career that tends to push the gifted ones too quickly. Though Florez' crowning gifts are in the bel canto repertoire, with this recording he just starts there and pushes into the range of more lyrical arias, and to these ears he succeeds in demonstrating how special is this beautiful voice.

Even the decision about lineup of arias on this fine recording is intelligent: Florez moves from Gluck, Cimarosa and Rossini into Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini with great ease. Here is a tenor who can belt out the high notes to please the balcony but who is equally sensitive to the diminuendos and barely audible phrases that mark the true artist.

Dashingly handsome, and physically as well as vocally a fine actor on stage, this CD simply further demonstrates that Juan Diego Florez is one of the brightest tenors before us today. It is interesting to see how many Latin American tenors are suddenly becoming so important - Villazon, Calleja, Alvarez, Florez, etc. Refreshing! Grady Harp, December 06

Verdi - Rigoletto / Agache, Vaduva, Leech, Larmore, Bardon, Rizzi [Highlights]

Average customer rating:

Verdi - Rigoletto / Agache, Vaduva, Leech, Larmore, Bardon, Rizzi [Highlights]
Richard Leech , Giuseppe Verdi , Carlo Rizzi , Welsh National Opera Chorus & Orchestra , Leontina Vaduva , Alexandru Agache , Patricia Bardon , Jennifer Larmore , Barry Banks , Alastair Miles , and Fabrizio Visentin
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
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

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Larmore, Jennifer | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000SPP
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

Preludio - Orch Of Welsh National Opr/Carlo Rizzi
'Della Mia Bella Incognita' - Richard Leech/Barry Banks
'Questa O Quella' - Richard Leech
'Gran Nuova!' - Peter Sidhom/Barry Banks/Richard Leech/Alexandru Agache/Peter Sidhom/Geoffrey Moses...
'Ch'Io Gli Parli' - Alastair Miles/Richard Leech/Alexandru Agache/Barry Banks/Peter Sidhom/Geoffrey Moses...
'Pari Siamo!' - Alexandru Agache
'Figlia!' - 'Mio Padre!' - Alexandru Agache/Leontina Vaduva
'Giovanna, Ho Dei Rimorsi!' - Leontina Vaduva/Patricia Bardon/Richard Leech
'Gualtier Malde... Caro Nome' - Leontina Vaduva/Barry Banks/Geoffrey Moses/Chor Of Welsh National Opr/Gareth Jones
'Zitti, Zitti' - Barry Banks/Peter Sidhom/Geoffrey Moses/Chor Of Welsh National Opr/Gareth Jones...
'Ella Mi Fu Rapita!' - Richard Leech
'Parmi Veder Le Lagrime' - Richard Leech
'Possente Amor' - Richard Leech
'Povero Rigoletto!' - Peter Sidhom/Alexandru Agache/Barry Banks/Geoffrey Banks/Chor Of Welsh National Opr...
'Cortigiani, Vil Razza' - Alexandru Agache
'Tutte Le Feste Al Tempio' - Leontina Vaduva/Alexandru Agache
'Schiudete... Ire Al Carcere' - Fabrizio Visentin/Alastair Miles/Alexandru Agache
'Si, Vendetta' - Alexandru Agache/Leontina Vaduva
'La Donna E Mobile' - Richard Leech
'Un Di, Se Ben Rammentomi' - Richard Leech/Leontina Vaduva/Jennifer Larmore/Alexandru Agache
'Bella Figlia Dell'Amore' - Richard Leech/Leontina Vaduva/Jennifer Larmore/Alexandru Agache
'V'Ho Ingannato' - Leontina Vaduva/Alexandru Agache

Average customer rating:

Excellent collection
One CD too many. Decent value, though
Where else can you get Caruso and Pavorotti on the same CD?

The Greatest Tenors of the Century

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000HY3T
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

L'Africaine: O paradiso!
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Morgenlich leuchtend
Madama Butterfly: Madchen, in deinen Augen liegt ein Zauber
Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti la giubba
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Les Contes d'Hoffman: Il etait une fois a la cour d'Eisenach
Tosca: Recondita armonia
Der fliegende Hollander: Mein Herz voll Treue bis zum Sterben
Rigoletto: Ella mi fu rapita... Parmi veder le lagrime
Die Zauberflote: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar
Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail: Wenn der Freude Tranen flessen
Don Giovanni: Dalla sua pace
Die Walkure: Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater

Tracks:

L'elisir d'amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi! ... Celeste Aida
Il barbiere di Siviglia: Ecco ridente in cielo
Die lustige Witwe: O Vaterland ... Da geh' ich ins Maxim
Paloma querida
West Side Story: Maria
Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
Lohengrin: In fernem Land, unnahbar euren Schritten
Yevgeni Onegin: Nu, shto zhe? ... Kuda, kuda, kuda, vy udalilis
La forza del destino: La vita e inferno... O tu, che in seno
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti

Customer Reviews:

Excellent collection.......2003-02-15

This is an excellent collection of great tenors past to present.
While some are still missing (Jussi Bjorling, for instance), it provides a spectacular array of singers from Caruso (earliest) to Alagna (latest). The arias are selected to showcase each tenor's strength: Ernst Haefliger sings "Dalla sua Page" and Jose Carreras sings "Maria", Carlo Bergonzi -- "Parmi veder le lagrime." There's much to enjoy here, and DG's presentation is, as always, superb.

One CD too many. Decent value, though.......1999-12-20

This collection is worth buying for CD 1 alone (and for the low price, of course). Peter Anders was new to me but is marvellous in the Prize Song from Meistersinger. Amazon has got it all wrong on track 6, which features none other than the incomparable Alfredo Kraus singing the Kleinzach aria from Hoffman like few other tenors - at the age of 67 (!). You won't believe what you hear.

The rest of the first CD is equally good stuff, mixing all kinds of tenor voices from the lightest (Schreier, Wunderlich) to the heaviest (Corelli, Del Monaco, Vickers).

CD 2, however, is a sad story. "The 3 tenors" get two tracks each to deliver their usual bland performances, and the rest of the tracks are mostly rather odd choices, even when sung by otherwise fine tenors like Kollo and Araiza. Perhaps Jerry Hadley does the finest performance in "Che gelida manina". I don't care much for Alagna or Schicoff.

Regarding the selection, perhaps the record should be called "Some Tenors of the Century". If DG had given "the 3" one track each and left out Luigi Alva and Araiza, we could have had Melchior, Björling, Gigli and Gedda, to name but a few.

Anyway, there you have it: put CD 1 into your player, press "REPEAT" and just leave it there.

Where else can you get Caruso and Pavorotti on the same CD?.......1999-09-24

I didn't buy this online, but needless to say it is one of the best Tenor CD's I own. I am still in the process of trying to locate a recording of "M'appari tutt' amor" by von Flotow from the Opera Martha. If anyone knows where I could get this, that would be great! This is a great buy for two CD's.

The Best 11 of '99: Classical Greatness in the Making

Average customer rating:

The Best 11 of '99 [Classical Greatness]

The Best 11 of '99: Classical Greatness in the Making

Manufacturer: Narm Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

The Best 11 of '99 [Classical Greatness].......2004-11-10

Track Listing:

1. Handel: Concerto Grosso, No. 5, Op 6 (Excerpt) - Academy of Ancient Music / Andrew Manze (Conductor)
2. Schubert: An Die Musik - Ian Bostridge
3. Bach: Italien Concerto (Excerpt) - Fazil Say
4. Handel: Ombra Mai Fu - David Daniels
5. Danz: Canarios - Chatham Baroque
6. Cardillo/Cordiferro-Fields: Core'ngrato - Ramon Vargas
7. Tchaikovsky: Hopak - Minnesota Orchestra / Elji Oue (Conductor)
8. Verdi: Le Donna e Mobile - Marcello Alvarez
9. Schickele: Fast and Driving - The Lark Quartet
10. Rachmaninov: Vocalise - Brian Asawa / Academy of St. Martin In The Fields / Sir Neville Marriner (Conductor)
11. Stravinsky: Disparition du Palace et des Sortileges Animation des Chevaliers Petrifies / Allegresse Generale - Kirov Orchestra / Valery Gergiev (Conductor)

Average customer rating:

The Ultimate Overtures

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Overture - Orch National de France/Lorin Mazel
Overture: The Bat/ La chauve-souris - Royal Concergebouw Orch/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Overture: Le Carnaval Romain - Orch Philharmonique de Strasbourg/Alain Lombard
Overture - London Symphony Orch/Carlo Rizzi
Overture: The Magic flute - Ensemble Orch de Paris/Armin Jordan
Overture - BBC Symphony Orch/Andrew Davis
Overture: Die Zarenbraut - Bolshoi Symphomy Orch/Alexander Lazerev
Overture - Orch Of Welsh National Opr/Carlo Rizzi
Festival Overture 1812 Op. 49 - National Symphony Orch/Msttislav Rostropovitch

Average customer rating:

A good complilation of great Tenors
What A Miss (and a mess...)

Great Tenors of the Century

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00002DEPF
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Tracks:

Turandot (Act III): 'Nessun dorma!'
Fidelio (Act II): 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen'
Les Contes d' Hoffmann (Act I): 'Va pour Kleinzack!'
Tosca (Act III): 'E lucevan le stelle'
Rigoletto (Act III): 'La donna e mobile'
La Traviata (Act II): 'Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti'
Siegfried (Act I): 'Notung! Notung!'
Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Act I0): 'Heir soll ich diech denn sehen'
La Boheme (Act I): 'Che gelida manina'
Idomeneo (Act II): 'Non temer, amato bene'
Pagliacci (Act I): 'Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba'
L'Africana (Act IV): 'Mi batte il cor ... O Paradiso'
Adriana Lecouvreur (Act II): 'L'anima ho stanca'
Andrea Chenier (Act IV): 'Come un bel di di maggio'
Fedora (Act II): 'Amor ti vieta'
Lohengrin (Act I): 'Nun sei bedankt, mein lieber Schwan!'
Martha (Der Markt zu Richmond) (Act III): 'Ach! So fromm, ach! So traut'
Die Meistersinger (Act I): 'Am stillen Herd in Winterszeit'
Due Zauberflote (Act I): 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon'
Rigoletto (Act I): 'Questa o quella'

Customer Reviews:

A good complilation of great Tenors.......2004-11-13

It urged me to write this review due to the nagging of the first reviewer. That gentleman is complainating that his favorite Tenors of this century were left out and criticized heavily the "GREAT CARUSO; that Caruso's selection should not be included due to poor recording. I think he not only insulted Caruso but the entire Opera Afficionados. He should at least realized that Caruso died in 1921 before the advent of the High Fedility recording. Shame on him. Why don't he just take out his favorite Tenor CD's and make a mix selection of the Tenors of his choice. He perhaps feel that this CD is made especially for him. I recommend this CD to everyone who loves Opera. This is a symbol of the Golden Era of the Opera. 5 Star for everyone including Alagna who was unfairly belittle by the first reviewer.

What A Miss (and a mess...).......2003-03-11

The basic idea behind this Teldec release was apparently to present a little treat by several different "Great Tenors of the Century". The idea was good, but the application was...odd to say the least. First of all, some exclusions are frankly shameful: that one could compile a disc of great tenors without Lauritz Melchior and Jon Vickers is simply appalling. I don't want to join the Alagna-bashing crowd, but please, try telling me he deserved a place on this disc considering who else they left out...

Now if this was the only problem, I could probably live with it: but it's not. Not only did great names get left out, but many others who did deserve to be included were with a piece that did not really suite the occasion. Siegfried Jerusalem for example is represented with his Forging Scene from Barenboim's Bayreuth Ring. Wagner does not lend itself well to excerpts and these have not been called "bleeding chunks" for no reason: but what you get here is more of an open neck-wound. The "cut" is achieved by very un-subtly turning down the volume after 2 minutes.

But the most shameful insult of all is to Wolfgang Windgassen. Why the greatest post-war Siegfried is represented with a tiny scene from Lohengrin beats me: Josef Greindl actually does more singing on the track than Windgassen! Now, Teldec may try to defend itself by insisting that they had to compile the disc with material they had access to. Very well, but that will not help here: they own the rights to Knappertsbusch's 1951 Parsifal with Windgassen in the title role (a complete recording which is available on several labels). An inclusion from that recording would already have been a better choice.

Finally, the Caruso excerpt (Questa o quella, from Rigoletto) should have been left out. Not because Caruso did not deserve to be included here, but because this specific excerpt is so awful as far as sound is concerned that it's simply impossible to enjoy it. And yes, by horrible, I mean *horrible*, and I'm usually very tolerant with sound (I can listen to live performances from the 30's or 40's without getting too annoyed). This one is just taking up space that could have been used to better effect.

That being said, you do get a few jewels here and there, like Seiffert's "In des Lebens Frühlingstagen". The Carreras, Pavarotti and Domingo selections are excellent as well, but they are also available elsewhere.

All things considered, I can't really recommend this unless you really must have every such complilation ever released. If you want a compilation of great tenors, I suggest you get Decca's "The #1 Tenor Album" instead. It's a double-disc, so you get twice as much material, and the selections are more adequate.

Verdi - Rigoletto
Average customer rating:
Verdi - Rigoletto

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000QDF5AQ