Great Operatic Recordings 1: 1917-1928

On this CD:

1. Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 Là ci darem la mano
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Aurora Rettore, Riccardo Stracciari

2. Il barbière di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera Largo al factotum
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

3. La favorita, opera A tanto amor
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

4. Lucia di Lammermoor, opera Cruda funesta smania
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

5. Nabucco, opera (Nabucodonosor) Dio di Giuda
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

6. Ernani, opera Gran Dio!...O de' verd'anni miei
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

7. Rigoletto, opera No! vecchio t'inganni...Sì, vendetta
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari, Maria Barrientos

8. La Traviata, opera Di Provenza il mar, il suol
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

9. Il Trovatore, opera Il balen del suo sorriso
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

10. La forza del destino, opera Solenne in quest'ora
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Charles Hackett, Riccardo Stracciari

11. Otello, opera Credo in un Dio crudel
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

12. Pagliacci, opera Si più?
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

13. La Wally, opera Tamo ben io
Composed by Alfredo Catalani
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

14. Tosca, opera Già mi dicon venal
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

15. Andrea Chénier, opera Son sessant'anni
Composed by Umberto Giordano
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

Tracks:

Son Vergin Vezzosa - Paul Plishka
Eccomi... Oh! Quante Volte
Mira, O Norma
Santo Di Patria... Allor Che I Forti Corrono... Da Te Questo
Contro Un Cor Che Accende Amore - Nicolai Gedda
Che M'apporti? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Quel Sangue Versato Al Cielo S'innalza - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Vorrei Spiegarvi, Oh Dio, K.418
Amor, Op.68 No.5

Tracks:

Martern Aller Arten
E Strano! E Strano!
Ah, Fors'e Lui
Follie! Follie!
Sempre Libera
Ces Murs Silencieux - Pardonnez-moi, Dieu De Toute Puissance - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Toi! Vous! - Oui! Je Fus Cruelle Et Coupable! - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
N'est-ce Plus Ma Main? - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Robert, Toi Que J'aime
Tu Ne Chanteras Plus?
Chere Enfant Que J'appele
Meine, Lippen, Die Kusen So Heiss
Wien, Wien, Nur Du Allein
Always Through The Changing

Customer Reviews:

RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007.......2007-07-03

The great American diva's passing was announced today.

This wonderful CD set is a perfect compilation of her art as can be found anywhere. Her finest roles and performances are captured here, most of them derived from the Westminster/Audio Treasury recordings from her prime. Listening to them again demonstrates to me why she was so special, and such an inspiration to music lovers everywhere.

Brava Sills!.......2007-02-02

A very nice compilation of Sillsiana. The different cuts on this CD provide a nice illustration of her work. Let me briefly describe my response to a sampling of the works on this CD:

Bellini, I Puritani, "Son vergin vezzosa." Wonderful. Sutherland owns this--but so does Beverly Sills. Contemporary sopranos such as Netrebko and Gruberova have also sung this on their respective CDs, and while their product is nice, it simply does not compare. Sills is remarkably agile with her voice; the trills are well done; she cleanly hits high notes; the overall effect can only be described as wonderful.

Bellini, Norma, "Mira, o Norma". This is smoothly sung and very melodic. The technique that she exhibits does not overwhelm the music.

Rosini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, "Contro un cor che accende amore." Again, her agile voice is well deployed. The florid singing is well done.

Donizetti, Roberto Devereaux, "Che m'apporti." Her clean, light voice matches well with this aria. Smoothly sung. Her "Quel sangue versato al cielo s'innalza," which follows, is well done. High notes cleanly hit, a smooth line.

Verdi, La Traviata, "E strano. . . .Sempre libera." Again, what agility! In "Sempre libera," she reveals a rich voice and, again, wonderful agility. This is an animated version of one of Verdi's showcase pieces.

Lehar, Giudetta. "Meine Lippen." A lot of fun! This is smoothly sung.

In the final analysis, this is a nice potpourri of Beverly Sills' repertoire. Those not familiar with her work will find this a nice entree to her oeuvre; those familiar with her will find this a good compilation.

Sills fits my bill.......2006-03-13

This recording is another in an all too small CD collection of Sills recordings. I eagerly await more.

The Great American Soprano.......2005-10-01

This is a great collecition featuring arias from the Classical and Romantic periods. Fabulous!!!!!

My Favorite Woman.......2005-08-05

I would have to say that when I first heard Beverly Sills sing, I was entranced. I couldn't take my eyes off of her and I became angry at any rustling around me, because I was afraid I would miss one note. It was so addictive....that is what she is....addictive! A c.d. will never properly capture her style. She is an amazing leader in opera, taking it into a new frontier and I believe this c.d. showcases that.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Awesome
Excellent Music tracks from Movie
Complete?
Great Collection, Poor Packaging

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings
Howard Shore
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The Complete Recordings
Ringers - Lord of the Fans
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical and Extended Limited Edition)

ASIN: B000BNI90O
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Tracks:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Prologue: One Ring ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Shire
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Bag End (Featuring ...)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Very Old Friends
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Flaming Red Hair
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Farewell Dear Bilbo
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Keep It Secret, Keep ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Conspiracy Unmasked
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Three Is Company
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Passing of the Elves
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Saruman the White
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Shortcut to Mushrooms
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Strider
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Nazgul ...

Tracks:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Weathertop
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Caverns of Isengard
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Give Up the Halfling
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Orthanc
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Sword That Was ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Council of ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Great Eye
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gilraen's Memorial
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Pass of Caradhras
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Doors of Durin
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Moria
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gollum
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb

Tracks:

Khazad-Dum
Caras Galadhon (featuring Lament for Gandalf, performed by Elizabeth Fraser)
The Mirror of Galadriel
The Fighting Uruk-hai
Parth Galen
The Departure of Boromir
The Road Goes Ever On (part 1)
May It Be (composed and performed by Enya)
The Road Goes Ever On (part 2. featuring In Dreams, perfomed by Edward Ross)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Khazad-D
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Caras Galadhon ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Mirror of Galadriel
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Fighting Uruk-Hai
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Parth Galen
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Departure of Boromir
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/May It Be
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...

Amazon.com

As fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy know, each film exists in two versions: the theatrical one and the extended one that appeared on DVD. This luxurious box set--which also comes with a detailed essay on the movie's musical themes--features the full extended score, so many cues not on the CDs of the individual movies are included. Granted, the majority of listeners will be perfectly happy with the shorter versions of the scores--it's a safe bet that most people can live without hearing, say, Ian McKellen's 35-second-long ditty "The Road Goes Ever On" at the beginning of "Bag End," or Viggo Mortensen's performance of his own composition, "The Song of Lúthien," within the track "The Nazgûl." But if you're a completist and/or a devotee of Howard Shore's pounding tympani and overwhelming choral compositions (featured particularly prominently on disc 3, a large chunk of which is devoted to a battle scene), then this set is a dream come true. Audiophiles should note that the fourth disc, a DVD, offers the score in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fire up those speakers so the whole shire can hear. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya's Oscar nominated "May It Be." For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-06-15

I picked up this set because I am both a LOTR fan, movies and books and I need music to help me work. There are some tracks that I skipped over, like the short little ditties in the bar, but many of the songs, such as the Elvish chants are easy to get lost in - its just too bad they don't last longer. The packaging really is well done, though the DVD disc was loose when I received it in the mail, but unharmed. I will have to wait until the price on the second set comes down a little more, but I can't wait for ROTK.

Awesome.......2007-06-12

This is by far the editon to get if you loved the lord of the rings soundtrack. It has every song on it from the extended edition. and the DVD-A version is very nice.

Excellent Music tracks from Movie.......2007-05-03

Brings the movie back as you listen to the full version of the track.

Complete?.......2007-04-07

This CD collection is wonderful; it has much of the material from the movie that was only included in the extended edition DVD, but it is far from complete. While it does have the complete version of "The Passing of the Elves" and two versions of "The Road Goes Ever On", many of the songs are highly incomplete and inferior to the originals. "Aniron," the theme for Aragorn and Arwen performed by Enya, is incomplete and the lyrics are hard to match to what is being sung. The sound quality for this song is even worse on the accompanying DVD, which is supposed to have all of the music in "superior sound". The song "Prophecy" is reduced to two barely-audible lines and "May It Be" is shortened and different than the original. $60 for this when there are more complete songs on the original soundtrack is ridiculous.

Great Collection, Poor Packaging.......2007-04-03

I realy can't add to what others have said about this set, the music is simply the best LOTR soundtrack collection out there! It is all here, and the contents of this set will make any LOTR fan happy and the music DVD is a great one disc addition if you want to hear the entire score in one sitting (to which I have done a number of times already).
My only complaint is the somewhat flimsy cardboard box that houses the contents of this musical treasure. Mine came damaged, and considering the price, I expected better packaging. This is a minor quabble on my part and NO, I havent returned it due to the fact that the music itself Is what I truly treasure, It just would have been nicer to have recieved it undamaged.

Music-5
Packaging-3

*for the record I had rated this Item 5 stars not the 3 stars that is showing at the top of my review*

Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy

Average customer rating:

Brahms Violin Sonatas
these are really good sonatas
Brahms
Finest Brahms
Perlman and Ashkenazy do it again

Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy
Itzhak Perlman , and Vladimir Ashkenazy
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]
Paganini: 24 Caprices
Mozart: The Violin Sonatas
Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikovsky / Karajan, Rostropovich,

ASIN: B00000I7VT
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Violin Sonata No.1 In G, Op.78: I: Vivace ma non troppo
Violin Sonata No.1 In G, Op.78: II: Adagio
Violin Sonata No.1 In G, Op.78: III: Allegro molto moderato
Violin Sonata No.2 In A, Op.100: I: Allegro amibile
Violin Sonata No.2 In A, Op.100: II: Andante tranquillo - Vivace
Violin Sonata No.2 In A, Op.100: II: Allegretto grazioso (quasi andante)
Violin Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Op.108: I: Allegro
Violin Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Op.108: II: Adagio
Violin Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Op.108: III: Un poco presto e con sentimento
Violin Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Op.108: IV: Presto agitato

Amazon.com essential recording

Itzhak Perlman is the greatest living exponent of the Romantic, sentimental style of violin playing. As in his reading of the Brahms concerto, he shows sovereign mastery in these accounts, which are characterized by intense emotion and heated expression (Perlman's warm vibrato and carefully placed portamentos quickly give him away), but are also gripping in the quiet, meditative pages. The first two sonatas' relationship to songs could easily be guessed from the way Perlman plays them in a single, seamless line, marked by soaring climaxes and tender, haunting pianissimos. The treatment sometimes does seem a bit premeditated, but it is so compelling as to sweep aside any criticism. In this 1983 recording (sonically superior to Perlman's later remake with pianist Daniel Barenboim, for Sony), the violin sounds slightly forward, though not unpleasantly so. Warm, supportive, lyrical playing from Vladmir Ashkenazy rounds out a marvelous offering. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Brahms Violin Sonatas.......2007-01-11

Good but not top flight. This is an old recording--sounds a little tired.

these are really good sonatas.......2005-10-10

These three sonatas are in my opinion some of the best compositions of Brahms. They are wonderfully tunefull and each sets a distinct mood (although all three are somewhat melancholic). The interaction of the violin and piano is just fantastic and Perlman and Ashkenazy pull it off well. Sound quality is great as well.

Brahms.......2005-10-07

I bought this for my college age daughter's music class and I am enjoying it as well. Violin music, of any sort, is enjoyable to listen to and this one is a wonderful addition to a music library.

Finest Brahms.......2002-05-22

I've always enjoyed Brahms' chamber works more than his symphonies. Somehow his intent comes off more clearly; the desperation and anger and melancholy of the music is more exposed, as if juggling an entire orchestra in the composition could dull the edges of these emotions. Of course the quality of any piece is tied with the quality of the performers (who invariably stamp then with their own personalities), and here we have a brilliant union: Perlman and Ashkenazy play flawlessly. Perlman's tonality is clear and sonorous, but never treacly; it still maintains the edge that these pieces require. From the sweet lilting melodies of the first sonata to simmering violence of the third, it is a commanding performance. The piano part in these works is equally demanding, and Ashkenazy is more than a match for Perlman's virtuosity.

If you're looking for the third sonata specifically, Vengerov and Barenboim turn in a more stirring (but somewhat looser) performance on the Teldec label. I actually prefer that version as it's more intense, more intimate. But if you're looking for a complete collection of these wonderful sonatas, you simply can't go wrong with Perlman and Ashkenazy.

Perlman and Ashkenazy do it again.......2001-07-24

The combination of these two great artists continually results in some of the finest music making ever. The two seem to almost share a mind while performing so perfectly in tune with each other they come across. I don't think Brahms has ever sounded so beautiful and alive as this recording manages to sound.

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter

Average customer rating:

There can't be any better!
Wonderful smooth rendition
Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter
Beethoven? Brahms? Karajan? Oistrakh? Richter? Rostropovich? Szell? On One CD? Talk About Star Power!
Glorious

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter
David Oistrakh , Mstislav Rostropovich , Sviatoslav Richter , Herbert von Karajan , and George Szell
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy
Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikovsky / Karajan, Rostropovich,
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]

ASIN: B00000I7VO
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: I Allegro
Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: II Largo
Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: III Rondo alla polacca
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: I Allegro
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: II Andante
Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: III Vivace non troppo

Amazon.com

Among the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, these two have always been stepchildren. One reason is their extreme difficulty; both composers were pianists, so Beethoven wrote an idiomatic part only for the piano. Brahms's friend Joseph Joachim offered advice for the violin concerto, but not for the Double Concerto, which was written as a peace offering after a falling-out. The Beethoven Triple Concerto demands utmost virtuosity, as well as intimate teamwork among the soloists, and that is exactly what these three supreme masters of their instruments bring to it. Free--indeed unaware--of technical problems, they give it a joyful, sparkling lightness. The piano ripples, the cello sings gorgeously, the violin soars ecstatically, the tone is intoxicatingly beautiful. The Finale is wistful, charming, lyrical, gently humorous; the ending is a big joke, with the cello and piano rumbling in the bass, while the violin whistles forlornly in the dark until they all join together. The Brahms is grand, majestic, dreamy, radiant, triumphant; the slow movement warm as dark velvet, the Finale genial and relaxed. Though the orchestra never covers the soloists, it explodes in the tutti passages, especially in the Beethoven, so you might keep a finger on the volume control. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

There can't be any better!.......2007-05-17

It is not for the names only.
I think it is a performance as Beethoven probably had in mind.

Wonderful smooth rendition.......2007-04-26

There is something magical about this recording. It is difficult to describe the smooth full sound that this recording presents. I own other recordings of the Brahms and the Beethoven and at first thought it a little extravagent to own another but I am very pleased I bought it.

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter.......2007-01-18

I knew this recording and I received what I was expecting. Delivery and condition was great. Thanks.

Beethoven? Brahms? Karajan? Oistrakh? Richter? Rostropovich? Szell? On One CD? Talk About Star Power!.......2006-09-09

All those big names wouldn't mean a thing if the performances themselves were throw aways or showed little commitment, but that's hardly the case, this is probably the finest recordings of both works. Karajan and Richter for one had some rocky interpretative relations in their recording of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto on DG. That was not a great record, where both musical giants pull and push to try and get their way. So yes, in some ways this Beethoven Triple Concerto presents even more challenges because there are four minds, four egos pitted together in one piece of music and that's not counting the greatest ego, Beethoven himself! Luckily everyone melds beautifully together, the three Russian masters are at their best, with Rostropovich a stand out and shining brightly. Meanwhile Karajan, the Austrian master conductor gives them his usual, grand, lush orchestral backdrop via the Berlin Philharmonic. This is warm-hearted, generous music-making between four fearsomely talented musicians.

The Brahms Double Concerto is just as fine, now we have the two string instrumentalists side by side. Oistrakh and Rostropovich communicate wonderfully together in this major Brahms piece. Szell backs them up every step of the way with his precise yet passionate conducting of the Cleveland Orchestra. The EMI recording sounds very good too in both works and the price is quite nice. An outstanding bargain.

Glorious.......2006-01-30

The unbroken tradition of Russian string playing is well-represented on this disc. The Double Concerto is especially wonderful, even rapturous. The two players are beautifully meshed, and Szell and the Cleveland sound warm and emotive, which they sometimes did not, on records and "live". The sessions they recorded for EMI (including a wonderful Dvorak Eighth, far surpassing their recoridng for Masterworks), captured something that often was not well projected.

The remastering captures this warmth, with more brightness than my LP copy of the Brahms ever had, at least after the initial playings.

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Symphony no 9 / Furtwangler, Schwarzkopf

Average customer rating:

Forget the coughing this emotional reading is RAW!!!!
A Moving Performance of Beethoven's 9th
A word of caution for newcomers
Very passionate
The 9th to Own!!

Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Symphony no 9 / Furtwangler, Schwarzkopf

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Great Recordings Of The Century - Brahms: Violin Sonatas nos 1 - 3 / Perlman, Ashkenazy

ASIN: B00000GCA7
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125 'Choral': Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125 'Choral': Molto vivace
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125 'Choral': Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante moderato - Adagio
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125 'Choral': Presto - Allegro ma non troppo - Allegro Assai - Allegro assai vivace - alla marcia - Andante maestoso - Allegro - Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato - Allegro ma non tanto - Poco adagio - Prestissimo

Amazon.com essential recording

No single performance will ever tell us everything we need to know about a masterpiece like the Beethoven Ninth, but this one comes close. The inspired intensity of everyone involved--at the postwar reopening of the Bayreuth Festival in 1951--comes across very vividly in this new transfer. Just hear the way Furtwángler evokes the atmosphere of chaos coalescing into order at the opening of the first movement and you can tell a superior musical and spiritual consciousness is at work. Except for the poor first horn, whose bloopers are the main detriment, the orchestra, soloists, and chorus (recorded clearly but at a heavenly distance) all hold up their parts extremely well. The solo singers are particularly convincing. This is a very special recording, recognized as a classic when it was first issued and still indispensable. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Forget the coughing this emotional reading is RAW!!!!.......2007-06-05

That's right...you will be treated to a few momentos of respiratory ailments in the crowd, and if you can look past the sometimes flat and muddled mono mix of the recording, and I highly recommend that you do, then this recording will knock you off of your feet. I am a child of modern acoustic flair, being quite fond of the capabilities of SACD recordings, and at first the mono mix left me a bit cold. But within a matter of minutes that all faded into utter inconsequence as I became possessed by this transcendent reading of the ninth. There are a few flubs here and there and a few points during the third movement momentarily dispell the magic. BUT and I stress that explicitly...I have yet to hear a ninth with as much raw power and energy as this one. I've listened to some passages from more modern, polished versions of this symphony and despite their vastly superior sonics they completely pale in comparison to the visceral impact of this reading. You would be missing out on something quite special if you were to pass this one up in favor of better sonics. Trust me the mono makes no difference whatsoever...this reading is absolutely inspired.

A Moving Performance of Beethoven's 9th.......2007-03-10

This is an historically significant performance. The re-opening of the Bayreuther Festspiele in '51 was an occasion of great joy for music lovers in Germany, for whom the Festspiele was (and still is) a beloved annual event. My own grandmother was a regular attendee of that era, so having this recording is personally very meaningful to me. Certainly there is not a more appropriate piece of music for celebrations on a grand scale than Beethoven's 9th symphony. And that's exactly what this very exuberant performance is: it's a grand celebration. It is not without flaws though, notably the problem with the first horn mentioned by another reviewer. And of course, it's no SACD studio recording, it's mono and it's live, so there is noise. But this really doesn't matter: it's a tremendously moving performance that vividly captures the joy of the occasion. And also it's Furtwängler conducting, who many consider the foremost interpreter of Beethoven's symphonies in the modern era. So this CD is really a must-have for lovers of Beethoven's symphonies. This one along with the Furtwängler Performs Beethoven cycle put out by Magic & Arts.

A word of caution for newcomers.......2007-01-29

PLEASE NOTE: I am reviewing this recording as an *audiophile* and as someone immersed in *historically informed performance*. If either or both of these things puts you in a decidedly different aesthetic camp from mine, then *disregard* the rating I have given it. I do not mean to offend those who love this recording.

I will not argue with those who think this is "magnificent" or "passionate," but I think it is misleading, and even a disservice to people browsing for a recording of this symphony, to call this "essential" and "indispensable" (Amazon) or "the 9th to own" (below). It is a remarkable recording, but I think it would be a shame if someone knew this symphony only or primarily from this recording.

As everyone mentions, this was an historic occasion: the reopening of the Bayreuth Festival, and for some a symbol of Germany's cultural rebirth after the war. It was the last time Furtwängler was at Bayreuth. If one contemplates these things while listening to this recording, it is indeed easy to be swept up by it. I respectfully suggest that knowledge of its context has prompted some to attribute to it a sort of mystical greatness that it really does not possess.

EMI has done what seems like a very respectable job remastering this recording, and it probably sounds as good as it ever will. The peculiar acoustic properties of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus and orchestra pit also give it an interesting character. But this is a live, mono recording from 1951. What makes it special is the sensation of "listening back in time." The recorded sound itself, jumbled and indistinct, cannot even be compared to what can be achieved with modern recording techniques.

As for the performance, Furtwängler may be considered by many to be without peer for his insight into this music, but this is simply not my Beethoven; nor, I believe, is it Beethoven's Beethoven. Furtwängler's "insight" borders on unlistenable in the third movement: 19'32". For me, this kills the performance all on its own. Parts of it actually sound as though they are being played in "slow motion," and sometimes it seems that Furtwängler has slipped into his own private meditation and forgotten he is leading a performance. The cringe-inducing brass section, however heartfelt their efforts, does not help matters.

Collectors and those with an historical interest in the political, social and artistic events surrounding this recording will want to own it, but I think this would be a poor choice for one's first or only recording, legendary though it is.

I highly recommend John Eliot Gardiner's version on Archiv for an articulate, driven, and, in its own way, every bit as passionate alternative to lumbering late Romantic interpretations.

Very passionate.......2007-01-29

This recording is famous beacuse of its sense of event. Musically speaking, it is out of control and very passionate. But it will sweep you away with fiery intensity. Do be aware of the horn bloopers. If you are looking for a standard Symphony No. 9, this is probably not the recording for you. I would personally recommend Fricsay and the Berlin Philharmonic as the best over all recording.

The 9th to Own!!.......2006-07-12

I would not hesitate in any way to recomend this incredible interpretation of Beethoven's final work to any listener or any musician. Aside from the wonderful job in remastering we have one of the more interesting accounts of this work ever done.

The opening movement has a very great sense of hushed intensity in the strings...and once the first thematic bits of material are introduced the whole performance never lets up. Sadly, there are some very bad horn moments throughout but what is here is all Furtwangler who outshines Szell...Karajan, and Klemperer put together...sadly too few people realize how fine Bohm was and if you need a Stereo version go to the last reading Bohm did of the 9th on DG.

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso

Average customer rating:

Excellent recording
Highly Recommended!
Amazing
A gentleman musical agreement!
Extreme virtuosity

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso
Johann Sebastian Bach , François Couperin , Gabriel Fauré , Isaac Albeniz , Anonymous , Francisco Tarrega (y Eixea) , Silvius Leopold Weiss , Claude Debussy , Maurice Ravel , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gordon Young , Georg Philipp Telemann , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Manuel de Falla , Manuel Ponce , Enrique Granados , Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco , Andrew York , Fernando Sor , Gaspar Sanz , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Christopher Parkening
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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Christopher Parkening plays Bach
Simple Gifts: Christopher Parkening
In the Spanish Style / Christopher Parkening
The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method - Volume 2: Guitar Technique
Christopher Parkening - A Tribute to Segovia

ASIN: B000002RTR
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Fugue From Violin Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 - J S Bach
Estudio brillante
Etude No. 1 In E Minor
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Leyenda
Romance
Rumores de la Caleta
Capricho Arabe
Cantata 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 1
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 6
Cantata 140: Sleepers Awake
Prelude, Fugue, And Allegro: Allegro
Cantata 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Les Barricades mysterieuses
Preambulo & Allegro vivo: Preambulo And Allegro vivo
Passacaglia
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Gymnopedie No. 1
Empress Of The Pagodas
Afro-Cuban Lullaby

Tracks:

Fourth Lute Suite: Praludium
Fairest Lord Jesus
Praise Ye The Lord, K. 339
Simple Gifts
Hymn Of Christian Joy
Cantata 29: We Thank Thee, Lord
Cantata 156: Arioso
Cantata 99: What God Hath Done
Canon
Dolly Suite: Berceuse
La Vida breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
Terezinha De Jesus
Prelude (In The Baroque Style)
Goyescas: Intermezzo
Prelude & Fugue No. 4 In E: Fugue
Evening Dance
Variations On A Theme Of Mozart
Canarlos
La Maja de Goya
El Noi de la Mare
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio - J. Rodrigo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording.......2007-05-12

If you are a fan of classical guitar than this is a must own set. I enjoy every moment.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-12-23

I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves music--period! Christopher Parkening is unquestionably one of the greatest classical guitarists of all-time. He embodies personal excellence like no other and is a brilliant artist. This CD is a must-have for any classical enthusiast. My favorite pieces include: Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," "Romance," Bach's "Prelude No. 6," and Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez." There are other versions of these pieces as well, but I always prefer Parkening's renditions, as they are oh so extraordinary--especially the recording of Aranjuez!! Other guitarists never seem to capture the essence of Rodrigo's musical masterpiece (e.g., Göran Söllescher in "Mad About Guitars"). But Parkening did! And the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a perfect accompaniment.

This CD is definitely worth buying. Included is a CD booklet, which illustrates the history of Parkening's illustrious career, interesting tidbits about all 25 recorded pieces, and several photos of his early life to his "breathtaking performance" at Rodrigo's 90th birthday celebration at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 1992.

Amazing.......2006-05-08

I am not going to go into great detail. I am working on a degree in classical guitar and I can say this is something to strive for. His musical interpretation of the peices represented here are some of the best I've heard. His tone,color, and phrasing is incredible.

A gentleman musical agreement! .......2006-03-16

In guitar ` s playing there have been many renowned performers, gifted of exuberant technique. But curiously the Apollonian playing is not by itself strictly enough. The guitar is the instrument which is closer to heart as any other one. It demands from you passion and sentiment. There have been three well known guitarists, one of them from England and the other one from Spain and the third one from Japan whose sensibility was totally absent in their performances.

But fortunately for us, there have been notable interpreters that have been maintained a desired balance and contrast between brain and heart, achieving great distinction and total acknowledgement around the world. I would name seven primordial names along the instrument `s story. First of all: the mythic soloist Andres Segovia, Regino Sainz de la Maza, John Williams, Alirio Diaz, Manuel Berrueco, Siegfried Behrend and Christopher Parkening, among the most representative ones of a great list.

Christopher Parkening `s career has made a brilliant colorist, an impeccable and sensitive interpreter of this well reduced repertoire. His profound artistic conviction and convincing phrasing has been a perpetual motive of constant invitations and presentations around the world.

Extreme virtuosity.......2005-09-25

CP has become my chief inspiration to improve as a classical guitarist. His performances here are, without exception, phenomenal. He makes the most difficult pieces sound effortless. I prefer CP over John Williams because, while Williams is also unquestionably a master, he sounds a bit robotic to me at times. CP, on the other hand, never sacrifices musicality to precision. He sublimely maintains both.

Average customer rating:

Trailer Park Musical a good hear.
A Tornado of Fun!
One Of My Favorite New Musicals In Years
The show (and Recording) ROCKS
Wasn't That Funny

The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Manufacturer: Ghostlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
The Wedding Singer (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
See What I Wanna See (2005 Original Off-Broadway Cast)
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000CNE13M
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Tracks:

This Side Of The Tracks
One Step Closer
The Buck Stops Here
It Doesn't Take A Genius
Owner Of My Heart
The Great American TV Show
Flushed Down The Pipes
Storm's A-Brewin
Road Kill
But He's Mine/It's Never Easy
That's Why I Love My Man
Panic
Finale
This Side Of The Tracks (Remix)

Customer Reviews:

Trailer Park Musical a good hear........2007-05-15

This musical is a good laugh and can bring up the spirits of any musical theatre buff. The voices are excellent and they showcase a great characterization of the personages represented in the show. It is a CD that entices the listener to go ahead and get tickets to the show and go see it. Also a personal acquaintance of mine Leslie Kritzer does a phenomenal job on the CD.

A Tornado of Fun!.......2007-04-10

This seems to be my year for finding recordings of lesser known musicals that are just awesome. It started with buying Zombie Prom, and continues with The Great American Trailer Park Musical!

But this show is just all-out fun! The tunes are catchy (I got one of them running through my head, right now) and the lyrics are quite clever. The three main ladies become the Greek chorus, telling us about life in their trailer park, Armadillo Acres, located in Starke, Florida. The show then focuses on one agoraphobic housewife who hasn't left her trailer in 20 years, and her husband who has had enough and starts fooling around with a stripper who is on the run from her boyfriend. Sound crazy? It is! And a whole lotta fun!

Yes, there are some explicit lyrics, but nothing excessive. So do yourself a favor and give this album a listen. You might just want to move into your own "manufactured home" before you know it.

One Of My Favorite New Musicals In Years.......2007-01-31

When I tell people about this show, I tell them it is far better than it had to be... With a title like that, the audience draw is already built in, but with great songs and a very clever story (without ever being offensive or degrading) this musical is a fun hit. And while it is not the old-school "Okalhoma" style musical, there are a lot of musical niceties about the show - layered melody lines, tight harmonies and clever clever phrases and lyrics. I fully recommend it.

The show (and Recording) ROCKS.......2006-09-26

The whole point of theatre, even in a tongue-in-cheek satire like this one, is to have some sense of truth. The "Great American Trailer Park Musical" completely hits the target dead-on. With it's ridiculous pop culture references, use of white trash musical pastiche (honky tonk country, corporate rock, wedding disco, and the like), and general use of bad taste in a visual (and audio) aesthetic, the show is one loaded joke that never tires. And the over the top performances, all grounded in this evident truth, provide an evening of Laugh after Laugh - more so than similar pieces like "Urinetown" and "Altar Boys".
Sure the language, for those who have expressed concern in above reviews, can be strong at times. But never is the language used in a matter of fact fashion. For those who have ever even remotely hung around a trailer park (as it quite Clearly states in the TITLE) or even around those who inhabit a Sociologists Jackpot of research, You know that crude humor and strong language are staple of the norm.
"Oklahoma" and "Cats" this show is not. However, "Great American Trailer Park Musical" is a definite piece to listen and pay attention to. With the general climate of new musicals to be either repackaged musicals from movies (Wedding Singer, Hairspray, Footloose, etc) or jukebox musicals (Mamma Mia, All Shook Up, Hot Feet, etc) - there is a new genre that is emerging, the "in-joke" musical. Trailer Park, Altar Boys, Spelling Bee, and title of show are examples of this. These are shows that blur satire and exaggeration with real life all the while dealing in a specific subject matter.
"Trailer Park" is a hip, new and exciting piece of music theatre, even if not groundbreaking. For those who like to play it safe may I suggest the "20 Great Broadway ShowStoppers" CD - all songs are from 1932 to 1949. You will be sure no profane language will infect you there.

Wasn't That Funny.......2006-07-29

I gave this a good listen, but did not find it all that funny ... or memorable.

Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

Average customer rating:

Mesmerizing and Exquisite
Fischer-Dieskau and Schubert: what do you expect?
Comment on Editorial Review
Schubert - Die Schone Mullerin - Fischer-Dieskau/Moore
A truly great performance

Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin / Fischer-Dieskau, Moore
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , and Gerald Moore
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schubert: Die Winterreise / Fischer-Dieskau
Schubert: Schwanengesang; 4 Lieder
Winterreise
Schubert: Goethe-Lieder / Fischer-Dieskau, Demus, Moore
Great Recordings Of The Century - Janet Baker Sings Mahler / Barbirolli, et al

ASIN: B00000I7WB
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Dichter, Als Prolog
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Das Wandern
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Wohin?
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Halt!
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Danksagung An Den Bach
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Am Feierabend
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Neugierige
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Ungeduld
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Morgengruss
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Des Mullers Blumen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Tranenregen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Mein!
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Pause
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Mit Dem Grunen Lautenbande
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Jager
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Eifersucht Und Stolz
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Die Liebe Farbe
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Die Bose Farbe
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Trockne Blumen
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Der Muller Und Der Bach
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Des Baches Wiegenlied
Die Schone Mullerin (The Maid of the Mill): Epilog

Amazon.com essential recording

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has become an all-pervasive and increasingly mannered recording presence in the last few decades of his life. As a result, it takes an earlier, fresher recording such as this to remind you what a great singer he was. This 1961 outing with Schubert's second-greatest song cycle (the first being Winterreise) is consistently lively, straightforward, passionate, and sincere, almost completely devoid of the show-off trickery that mars many of his later efforts. Best of all, the voice has a supple richness that allows him to sound boyish at the start of this song cycle about a heartbroken youth, though he also has a vocal weight to go to the depths of tragedy as the protagonist experiences escalating devastation. Gerald Moore accompanies with his customary discreet intelligence. This recording has achieved classic status for good reason. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Mesmerizing and Exquisite.......2007-03-30

I can't think of words other than those in my title to describe this recording. It's so lovely beyond words, truly. The singing and the accompaniment both perfection. The listener feels transported to the place and time, long past now, wherein the action of the story takes place. I suppose being able to understand the German may be necessary to get the full effect, but even if not, the liner notes are good. I'd say this is definitely a must-have CD for music lovers.

Fischer-Dieskau and Schubert: what do you expect?.......2004-07-05

The best, of course. And this recording is wonderful, as usual. I'm sort of getting bored writing reviews praising Fischer-Dieskau to the skies, but quite simply, any music lover needs to have this recording in his collection.

It's one of the great song-cycles, and it's Fischer-Dieskau at his best. And there's the typical Fischer-Dieskau attitude: to go with the flow of the song and the cycle.

DSM may not be as fulfilling or as incredibly moving as Die Winterreise, but it does have its Höhepunkts: the coming of the hunter, where Fischer-Dieskau, almost predictably, sounds noticeably irritated; in 'die böse Farbe', in which he sounds as weepy as we expect the miller to be; in 'Trockne Blumen', where he sounds as heartbroken as we expect the miller to sound.

As for DSM taken by itself, I have this to say to newcomers to Schubert: listen to this before you listen to Die Winterreise or Schwanengesang. It's more down to earth, more accessible. And this is by far the best baritone recording of DSM you can get out there.

Comment on Editorial Review.......2003-11-28

My view of this recording is summarised by the rating I give it.
I'm wrting to comment on the Editorial Review, which claims Fischer-Dieskau gave "mannered" accounts of the music he performed. This view is totally subjective... Some people feel that way, some people totally disagree... The performances surely have character, but don't take it for granted that this character gets in the way of the music. For me, it surely does *not*.

Schubert - Die Schone Mullerin - Fischer-Dieskau/Moore.......2002-02-11

Quite simply the perfect combination of singer and accompanist;
The greatest male singer of the 20th Century allied to the champion accompanist, recorded when Fischer-Dieskau was at his peak. I have it in every medium from plastic through cassetes and video to CD and it never disappoints. The cycle is the ultimate in contrasts, and more than any other, the separate songs stand on their own as well as part of a group. The spirit and integrity come through, even to the listener, like myself, whose knowledge of German extends little beyond "Danke Schone" and "Wunderbar", which are probably the only two phrases I need to espress my opinion of, and gratitude to, Fischer-Dieskau for the pleasure he has given down the years, always with unfailing taste.

A truly great performance.......2001-07-20

I had the pleasure of hearing Fischer-Dieskau live back in the 60s. This recording captures him at his peak. His interpretation of Schubert's masterpiece is brilliant. His enunciation is wonderful. You can really follow the lines of poetry as he sings. I caught myself unawares singing along with the CD (to the consternation of my wife). Even if you don't know German, you can easily find your place in the translation of the text. His musical technique is perfect. It's hard to praise this recording enough.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) EMI's Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin

Average customer rating:

An Achievement for Donizetti and Callas!
Lucia di Lammermoor - One of Callas' finest hours

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) EMI's Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bellini: Norma (complete opera) EMI's Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera live 1955) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Maria Giulini, Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Verdi: Il Trovatore (complete opera) EMI Great Recordings of the Century with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Wagner - Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg / Kollo · Donath · Adam · G. Evans · Schreier · Hesse· Riderbusch · Karajan
Verdi - Falstaff / Gobbi · Schwarzkopf · Moffo · Karajan

ASIN: B0001O3YB2
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Preludio
Percorrete Le Spiagge Vicine
Tu Sei Turbato!...E N'ho Ben Donde
Cruda, Funesta Smania
Il Tuo Dubbio E Omai Certezza
La Pietade In Suo Favore
Maestoso
Ancor Non Giunse?
Regnava Nel Silenzio
Quando Rapito In Estasi
Egil S'avanza
Sulla Tomba Che Rinserra
Qui Di Sposa Eterna Fede
Ah, Talor Del Tuo Pensiero
Verranno A Te Sull'aure

Tracks:

Moderato.../Lucia Fra Poco A Te Verra
Appressati, Lucia
Il Pallor Funesto, Orrendo...A Ragion Mi Fe' Spietato
Nobil Sposo...Cessa, Cessa!
Soffriva Nel Pianto
Che Fia?...Suonar Di Giubilo
Se Tradirmi Tu Potrai
Per Te D'immenso Giubilo...Per Poco Or La Vedrem
Dov'e Lucia?...Qui Giungere Or La Vedrem
Ecco Il Tuo Sposo
Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento
T'allontana, Sciagurato...Rispettate In Me Di Dio
Sconsigliato! In Queste Porte Chi Ti Guida?
Esci, Fuggi, Il Che M'accende
D'immenso Giubilo
Ah!...Deh, Cessate Quel Contento!...Dalle Stanze Ove Lucia
Oh! Qual Funesto Avvenimento!
Oh Giusto Cielo!...Il Dolce Suono
Ohime! Sorge Il Tremendo
Ardon Gli Incensi; Splendon Le Sacre Faci
Spargi D'amaro Pianto
Maestoso.../Tombe Degli Avi Miei
Fra Poco A Me Ricovero
Oh, Meschina! Oh, Fato Orrendo!
Dove Corri, Sventurato?
Tu Che A Dio Spiegasti L'ali
Che Facesti?

Customer Reviews:

An Achievement for Donizetti and Callas!.......2005-01-09

From the conductors to the principal singers to the chorus, this recording of Lucia is without a doubt the must-have of all Lucias both for the reason of musicality, good taste, good music, and great singers. Donizetti himself could never have seen a better cast arranged for his tragic opera! To have an enormous voice (and please understand that this enormous voice is capable of handling coloratura passages just like any light coloratura could) sing Lucia is a phenomenon, and to have the likes of a great tragic artist such as Maria Callas singing a part which has been the playground of most coloratura lights is simply mind-blowing! Her keen sense of drama is evident in this Lucia, as she performs the madscene with a certain kind of drama never seen in any performance of Lucia before and after her career. Not even the fabled Dame Joan performances could match up with the beauty and the drama of this Lucia di Lammermoor. Lacking a good sense of drama and tragedy, Dame Joan only comes close the the accuracy of the score with her embellishments. Callas had so much more to offer to the role. The madness, the tragedy, all of it is so heartfelt in her singing. Of course, Lucia isn't simply a soprano's opera. Let us not forget the tenor who plays the part of Edgardo, who, if it were not for the high demand of a great many jealous sopranos in the past, would have shone as the star in this opera. Giuseppe di Stefano, a tenor with a great voice with an equally great dramatic capability, brought the part a human side which could not be heart from Pavarotti's belching. And Tito Gobbi, who else could have matched such a great baritone? No one!!! He was the ultimatum of the dramatic villain. Of course, we must not forget the efforts of the great Tullio Serafin, the most talented of all the known bel canto conductors during the age of recording technology. I recomment this recording to anyone who wants to hear a TRUE Lucia sung with a passion.

Lucia di Lammermoor - One of Callas' finest hours.......2004-05-17

Lucia di Lammermoor is a complex role that has been portrayed by a varity of voice-types. Canaries like Pons, Carosio, Dessay, Jo and others, dramatic sopranos d'agilita like Callas and young Sutherland and today L'ubica Vargicova, lyric coloraturas like Sills, Scotto and Kohutkova and even spintos like Caballe and Rost who sang it come scritto, lower and without the ornamentations later added. All of these have their merits, it is my opinion though that a dramatic soprano d'agilita can do it justice incredibly. I find the role to be too demanding for canaries because it demands a rich middle and dark colours also. Passionate lyric coloraturas like Sills sound fabulous as Lucia as well because of their feminity, innocence and sweetness. Maria Callas, who was singing Tosca, Gioconda, Lady Macbeth and Norma at the time added Lucia to her repertoire in 1952, singing it in Mexico City after having sung a part of the madscene in a concert ealier. (A recording exists) The enthralled audience adored her so much and wouldn't stop hailing their divine one until the entire madscene had to be repeated, a feat no other Lucia achieved before or after. What kind of a Lucia is Callas? Well, a very unique one as one might expect of La Divina. Listening to "Regnava nel silenzio" you'll hear not only maiden-like beauty but an alarming, fearful colour of angst and beginning madness. It's only hinted, not overdone. But knowing Lucia's fate it's very moving. The coloratura in the cabaletta "Quanto rapito in estasi" presents us with another voice. Where Callas had sounded dark, melancholic and deep in the aria here she was glowing, shining and glittering but never chirping. Her top-registers was as steady as her rich middle then and the high note ending the cabaletta is lush, steady and beautiful. In the love-duet with honey-voiced di Stefano as Edgardo the angst returns, mixed with her pure and passionate love for Edgardo. The unisono of these two stunning voices has not been equalled since, it was a legendary partnership. In the duet with her brother Enrico Lucia's voice has grown darker, more afraid and closer to the madness soon to follow, climaxed in the tormented outcry "La tomba, la tomba m'aspetta!" (The tomb, the tomb is awaiting me!). The stretta of the duet, Enrico's harshness and Lucia's breakdown as she begs God to let her die culminates in a fabulous note in alto.
The wedding-scene has a feel of doom I haven't heard again before or after. Callas' voice is almost white with pain and fear and when Edgardo comes she breaks down, knowing now that her brother has betrayed her. Being spurned by a grief-stricken Edgardo we hear (!) Lucia breaking into a million pieces --> Going mad. The madscene itself, with the glorious "play" (Who calls it that?) with the flute is so hauntingly beautiful and touching. Mistaking the flute for her lover's voice Lucia, who has just murdered her husband, deliriously sings of the joy awaiting her and Edgardo. One cannot help but weep for her, this pure, loving soul that was crushed by ambition and hatred of others. The fireworks, high notes, cadenzas and coloratura of the cabaletta climaxes in a huge, glorious E-flat. A fabulous recording of bel canto, not only beautiful or pretty but haunting and moving.
Di Stefano sings a passionate, ultimate Edgardo and Panerei sounds idiomatic, dramatic and properly enraged as Enrico. Serafin shows all other maestri how bel canto MUST BE conducted. True there are some cuts but nothing that I personally miss a lot. In short: It's the best studio-recording of Lucia ever.

Great Recordings Of The Century - Dinu Lipatti

Average customer rating:

Dinu Lipatti
Supremely sensitive musicianship
Not disappointed!
A pianistic genius silenced too soon.
The One to Keep

Great Recordings Of The Century - Dinu Lipatti
Dinu Lipatti
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Chopin: Waltzes Nos. 1-14
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ASIN: B00000IOBF
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Tracks:

Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Prelude
Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Allemande
Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Courante
Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Sarabande
Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Menuets I&II
Partita No.1 In B-flat, BWV 825: Gigue
Chorale Prelude, BWV 599: Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland - Bach
Chorale Prelude, BWV 639: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ - Bach
Cantata, BWV 147: Choral: 'Jesu bleibet meine Freude' - Bach
Sonata No.2 In E-Flat For Flute & Harpsichord, BWV 1031: II. Sicilliano - Bach
Sonata in E (Kk.380) - Scarlatti
Sonata in D Minor (Kk.9) 'Pastorale' - Scarlatti
Sonata No.8 in A Minor (K.310): I. Allegro Maestoso
Sonata No.8 in A Minor (K.310): II. Andante cantabile con espressione
Sonata No.8 in A Minor (K.310): III. Presto
Impromptu in G Flat (D.899) No.3 - Schubert
Impromptu in E Flat (D.899) No.2 - Schubert

Amazon.com

It's easy to hear why these timeless recordings have virtually never been out of the catalog since Dinu Lipatti's untimely death in 1950 at age 33. Each movement of the Bach B-flat Partita is painstakingly detailed without sounding the least bit studied, unfolding with logic, eloquence, and a cogent sense of dance. The two Bach-Busoni chorale preludes are sculpted in long, singing lines. Then there's the effortless textural juggling Lipatti achieves to moving, spiritual effect in the Bach-Kempff Siciliano and renowned Bach-Hess "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." By all accounts, Lipatti labored many hours perfecting the trills and various ornaments in the two Scarlatti sonatas, and it shows. The pianist's intense, impassioned Mozart A Minor Sonata reveals endless felicities of phrasing and touch with each relistening. Lastly, the two Schubert Impromptus, recorded at Lipatti's last recital, shimmer with concentrated, poetic refinement and serene joy that belie the fact that the pianist was mortally ill. Let's hope these cornerstone performances will be available for another 50 years at least. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Dinu Lipatti.......2007-03-27

Superb artistry. In Lipatti's playing, you will hear much in familiar music that you had not heard before.

Supremely sensitive musicianship.......2006-12-02

Dinu Lipatti's interpretation of these Bach partitas carries such poetry and fluid grace - never showy or rushed - that these stand among some of the finest recordings out there. He really brings out the ebb and flow of the music so that it seems to breathe with the life he gives them. The other Bach pieces, including the Cantata, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, are equally captivating as is his interpretation of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 8.

Included also on the CD are two Scarlatti pieces, played with real aristocratic poise and dignity and two of Schubert's Impromptus (899) from a live performance. The third Impromptu is absolutely magical.

Dinu Lipatti was a rare and special talent whose small recording output was cut tragically short in 1950 when he was only in his early 30s. These recordings are from the 40s and as such are of a certain sound quality (you can hear the needle go round the record with the Scarlatti) - but the sheer elegance of his playing breaks through any kind of mono barrier. As an aside, his interpretation of Chopin's Walzes comes extremely highly recommended and is widely considered as among the very best available.

This is piano playing at its very finest.

Not disappointed!.......2006-07-22

I bought this CD of Dinu Lipatti playing Chopin's Waltzes largely based on the customer reviews on Amazon. Wow! I am not disappointed. Lupatti's technical skill is awesome but there is a delightful and enchanting quality about this recording that goes far beyond the technical perfection. I've heard many renditions of Chopin's Waltzes, but this far surpasses them all. Absolute delight!

A pianistic genius silenced too soon........2006-02-12

Dinu Lipatti was one of several tragic musical geniuses from the post-World War II period who died far too young. (Others included the pianist William Kapell, the contralto Kathleen Ferrier and the violinist Ginette Neveu.) Lipatti died at about the same age as Mozart and Schubert, and his recordings of those composers on this disc demonstrate that his loss was almost as great a catastrophe for the art of music as theirs. Lipatti's pianism "flowed like oil," to borrow one of Mozart's favorite phrases; it was always elegant but never mannered, always reasonable but never dull, intensely spiritual but never in a grandstanding way. I remember reading an interview with Seiji Ozawa in which he said that Lipatti's recording of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" was the only disc he would recommend to anyone who wanted to get acquainted with classical music; it was so beautiful and so warmly human, Ozawa said, that anyone who heard it would be hooked forever. Ozawa was absolutely right, and that recording is on this disc. Buy it.

The One to Keep.......2005-05-03

You can only imagine how GREAT would it be if only had Dinu Lipatti lived another thirty-something years!! He could be the greatest Pianist of all time.

Amazingly technical skills aside, his way of reaching the very essence and spirit of Bach, Mozart and Schubert as recorded on this album is yet to be surpassed. His tragic early death left a huge void behind yet to be filled by another ‘God’s chosen instrument’, and world still hasn’t found one. Today, with many new recordings and re-issues of old recordings keep coming out, you can get excellent renditions of those pieces of music from other musicians. But, Dinu Lipatti’s approach of these composers is simply sublime, far beyond your usual experiences of piano-playing… Karajan’s expression of Dinu Lipatti’s playing was, "no longer the sound of the piano, but music in its purest form." Musical world has seen many great musicians, Dinu Lipatti was one of the rare ones. He’s got a touch of sublimity.

If you like the inspirational music magnificently represented by an inspiring soul, this is the one to get and to go along with you. In fact, Lipatti had left only a few commercial recordings and they are all great, (with vary quality of sound recordings, though.)

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