Herbert von Karajan (Testament)

On this CD:

1. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf talks about the recording in a recent interview
Composed by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf


2. Mass for soloists, chorus, & orchestra in D major ("Missa Solemnis"), Op. 123
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Nicolai Gedda, Christa Ludwig, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicola [singer] Zaccaria
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

3. Symphony No. 38 in D major ("Prague"), K. 504
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Nicolai Gedda, Christa Ludwig, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicola [singer] Zaccaria
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

4. Karajan rehearses Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
Composed by Herbert von Karajan
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Nicolai Gedda, Christa Ludwig, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicola [singer] Zaccaria
Conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
This 1960 recording hails from EMI's golden age under producer Walter Legge. He held all the key cards--soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, tenor Nicolai Gedda, and conductor Herbert von Karajan, all in their prime--and put them together with his London-based orchestra and the Vienna-based choir. Oddly, though, this recording never received its full due, perhaps because the original LP sound quality was rather substandard. This CD remastering is a minor miracle. It's now just as vivid and immediate as one could want from an early stereo recording, and the performance has all the power and inspiration of the young lion with none of the affectations of the more mature Karajan. There's also a good performance of Mozart's Symphony no. 38 ("Prague") plus an interview with Schwarzkopf, in which she confesses to having had vocal fatigue because she was also performing Falstaff at the time. --David Patrick Stearns

Herbert von Karajan (Testament), Music, Nicola Zaccaria [singer], Ludwig van Beethoven, Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Herbert von Karajan, Christa Ludwig, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nicolai Gedda, Choral, Classical, Classical Music, Classical Period Symphony, Mass, Symphonic
Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The End of the Big Voice?
  • Fla Gator Lady
  • 20 Great Tenor Arias
  • Plesantly surprised...
  • Absolutely Agree About Corelli
Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007OTX
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. La Boheme: Che gelida manina
  2. Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
  3. Carmen Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
  4. Luisa Miller: O! fede negar potessi .. Quando le sere al placido
  5. La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
  6. Martha: M'appari
  7. Giordano: Amor ti vieta
  8. L'Africaine: Mi batte il cuor .. O paradiso
  9. La Favorita: Favorita del re . . . Spirto gentil
  10. Werther: 'Pourquoi me reveiller'
  11. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein'
  12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: O Dieu! De quelle ivresse
  13. TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
  14. Pagliacci: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
  15. Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
  16. Aida: Se quel guerrier .. Celeste Aida
  17. TOSCA: Recondita armonia
  18. L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
  19. La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
  20. Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The End of the Big Voice?.......2007-04-16

This CD, which is truly fine overall, reminds me of Marilyn Horne's lament that we have probably seen the end of the big voice and it makes me sad. I agree with the reviewer who refers to "microphonies". And more justice could be done to Bjorling's voice with a better transfer. But at some point, music becomes a matter of taste and I prefers singers who have the instrument and the support and the training, whether formal or not, to just let fly and take a chance on making a mistake. Domingo can be wonderful and so can his musicianship but he tends to be so stiff. I have to wonder at the virulence and asperity with which some people go after Pavarotti. It's true that late in his career he made some questionable recordings but the answer to that is simple: don't buy them. At his best, he belongs for all time in the top echelon of tenors. I love this CD and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys great (big) voices.

5 out of 5 stars Fla Gator Lady.......2007-01-12

Highly recommend this CD with these beloved arias of the greatest tenors in opera. I have owned this CD for a couple of years and purchased another for a friend who always requests that I play it ... perfect for listening in the car, dinner, bridge games, relaxation ... just so perfect. You won't be disappointed in this one.

5 out of 5 stars 20 Great Tenor Arias.......2007-01-09

A great disc,combination of the greatest tenors of the 20th century and some of the most beautiful music ever written in any century,a must addition to any opera lovers collection.

5 out of 5 stars Plesantly surprised..........2006-01-14

I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.

First it is a great buy. A booklet with pictures of each tenor, a small bio, the year recorded and TRANSLATIONS of each aria are provided. This is really nice. It seems more & more that translations are being left out. Being a former opera singer, I may know most of the words, but sometimes it's just nice to read along (sometimes it's just nice to listen too).

Being on the Decca label, there is admittedly quite a few Pavarotti selections. Out of 20 selections, he has 6 of them. But I love Pavarotti, so this is no problem for me. These are all early recordings & his voice is magnificent! Being a singer, I still marvel at his ability to sing "All'armi!" on a high D and still say the 2nd syllable "mi" on such a note! WOW. There is also of course his very sweet, impassioned and lyrical turn as Rodolfo in "La Boheme" as well as the lesser known (although I still have it on casette) "La Favorita" which has a particularly high tessitura.

Also featured are a young Plácido Domingo singing a VERY nice "Flower song/ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Carmen. He usually sounds too pushed for me on the top notes (as one might expect from a Pavarotti fan, I like free top notes) but in this recording he is pretty darn fabulous. He also sings an aria from "Tales of Hoffman/Les Contes d'Hoffman" and I have always felt that he, like Neil Schicoff, were well suited to this role.

Lamentably there are only one selection each from Carreras, Correlli, Monaco, Aragall & Kollo. Especial kudos to the young recording they feature for Aragall. He had a very free and nice high tenor well suited to Verdi. Of course as his career went forward with the natural darkening of his voice and the "heavier" roles, he did start to develop a wobble. But this recording is before that. His top, his phrasing are all beautifully done in his featured aria from "La Traviata."
Mario del Monaco's "E lucevan le stelle" is hauntingly beautiful and has such a wonderful pianissimo in it that it makes you just want to gasp for beauty's sake. I now know every tenor I've heard sing this aria was trying to emulate what he did.

This is a great CD because it does bring together on one CD some of the greatest singers of the 20th/21st century. Bergonzi, di Stefano, Björling, in addition to the previously mentioned artists is quite an impressive collection. I'm sure there's only one of each for Carreras, Aragall (I believe they are formerly EMI/Angel artists) and perhaps some of the others because they are "imported" from another label. There's so much Pavarotti on this CD because he IS a Decca artist.

A highly recommended CD, affordable, not the usually obscure and unpolished artists that are sometimes found on compilations. Plus acutal linear notes and translations. Nicely done, Decca!!!

4 out of 5 stars Absolutely Agree About Corelli.......2005-05-27

Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did! As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!
The #1 Opera Album
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Pretty darn good
  • The Opera #1 Opera Album
  • Excellent assortment
  • Great Selections
  • Terrific !
The #1 Opera Album
Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Léo Delibes , Georges Bizet , Umberto Giordano , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Wagner , Gioachino Rossini , Alfredo Catalani , Jacques Offenbach , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Richard Bonynge , Herbert von Karajan , Alberto Erede , Lamberto Gardelli , Giuseppe Patane , John Mauceri , Zubin Mehta , Charles Dutoit , Gyorgy Fischer , Riccardo Chailly , Istvan Kertesz , Leone Magiera , Evelino Pido , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Renée Fleming , Cecilia Bartoli , Luciano Pavarotti , Jussi Bjorling , and Renata Tebaldi
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000059RXO
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

  1. Carmen: Act 1: Prld - LPO/Sir Georg Solti
  2. La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne'lieti Calici - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
  3. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
  4. Lakme: Flower Duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
  5. Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Jussi Bjorling
  6. Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Tatiana Troyanos/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
  7. Nabucco: Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hills
  8. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
  9. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
  10. Lohengrin: Bridal Chor: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor/Walter Hagen-Groll
  11. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Renata Tebaldi
  12. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Leo Nucci
  13. La Wally: Ebben?... Ne Andro Lontana - Angela Gheorghiu
  14. Madama Butterfly: Humming Chor - Wiener Staatsopernchor/Norbert Balatsch
  15. Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
  16. Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/Chor De La Radio Suisse Romande, Pro Arte De Lausanne Et Du...
  17. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
  18. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
  19. Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi... Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross/Gino Quilico

Tracks:

  1. Die Walkure: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wiener Phil/Solti
  2. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
  3. Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Luciano Pavarotti
  4. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti/Roland Panerai
  5. Il Trovatore: Anvil Chor: Vedi! Le Fosche - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
  6. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - Jose Carreras
  7. Don Giovanni: La Ci Darem La Mano - Lucia Popp/Tom Krause
  8. Mattinata - Andrea Bocelli
  9. Faust: Soldiers' Chor - Ambrosian Opr Chor/John McCarthy
  10. L'elisir D'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Roberto Alagna
  11. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - Montserrat Caballe
  12. Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria: Finch'han Dal Vino - Bryn Terfel
  13. Cosi Fan Tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - Renee Fleming/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Michele Pertusi
  14. Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
  15. Tosca: Vissi D'arte - Kiri Te Kanawa
  16. Carmen: Toreador Song - Jose Van Dam/Tatiana Troyanos/Norma Burrowes/Jane Berbie/Thomas Allen/Pierre Thau/John Alldis...
  17. Madama Butterfly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi Bene - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti
  18. Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Nat PO/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
  19. Rusalka: O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
  20. La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - Angela Gheorghiu
  21. Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis

Amazon.com

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen The Greatest Opera Show on Earth, The Yellow Guide: Classical Music, Best of the Millennium, and now there's The No. 1 Opera Album. But that's no surprise, since Universal has some of the finest interpreters in its catalogue to draw from. This two-CD set (at the price of one), for example, brings together the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and many more. Yet the other key to a successful compilation is canny anthologizing, and here again, you have a nice selection to give you a smattering of opera's heavyweights from the Italian, German, and French repertory (there's even a step outside the standard framework with an aria from Dvorák's lovely Rusalka). Ranging from 1959 to 1997, the choices from back catalogue will doubtless be the entry ticket for many into this grandest of the arts. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Pretty darn good.......2007-07-04

This CD set has a lot of familiar music on it, so if you're a newbie, you might want to try starting with this. There are some great pieces on the first CD. I usually don't even make it to the second.

2 out of 5 stars The Opera #1 Opera Album.......2007-06-07

The music is wonderful. The production is terrible!! The sound fades in and out and is very scratchy in some places.

4 out of 5 stars Excellent assortment.......2007-05-12

I'm not a big opera fan but I wanted to expose an assorted selection for my kids. This was perfect since it included several recognizable selections.

5 out of 5 stars Great Selections.......2007-03-31

This Cd, has the very best of Opera
covering mainly from the classcal
to the to the romantic periods, a most
memorable selection here is Leo Nucci
in a lagendary performance of Rossini's
"Largo al Factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Seviglia"
also Andrea Bocelli in his performance of Leoncavallo's
memorable "Matinatta" here in an orchestrated version.
Indeed some of opera's most loved arias are in this recording
various conductors, orchestras, and soloists. All in their
very best. Indeed a five-star recording...

5 out of 5 stars Terrific !.......2007-01-10

A diverse album to give you a sprinkle of the various types of 'opera'. Every note is pure and lovely, I listen to it all the time ! Highly recommended for anyone just getting into opera. :}
The Most Famous Opera Duets
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Most Famous???
  • Only one song knew well
  • The Most Famous Opera Duets
  • Good selection of opera highlights
  • The closest thing
The Most Famous Opera Duets

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini, GiacomoPuccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Price, LeontynePrice, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. The Most Famous Opera Arias
  2. The Best of Italian Opera
  3. The #1 Opera Album
  4. Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments
  5. Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

ASIN: B000002SCA
Release Date: 1994-04-12

Tracks:

  1. Les Peurs des perles Act 1 - Au fond du temple saint
  2. Madama Butterfly Act 1- Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino
  3. Le Nozze di Figaro Act III - Sull'aria - Le Nozze di Figaro
  4. La Traviata Act I - Un di, felice, eterea
  5. Lucia Di Lammermoor Act I - Ah! Verranna a te sull'aure
  6. Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe
  7. Carmen Act I - Parle-moi de m
  8. Die ZauberflAct I - Bei Mern, welche Liebe F
  9. Lakmct I - Viens, Mallika
  10. Rigoletto Act I - il sol dell'anima
  11. Der Rosenkavalier Act II - Mir ist die Ehre wilderfahren
  12. Don Giovanni Act I - Li darem la mano
  13. La Boh Act IV - O Mimi, tu pi torni
  14. Il Trovatore Act IV - Miserere...Quel suon, quelle preci

Amazon.com

This is a misnomer--not all of these duets are all that famous--but it's a fine compilation nonetheless. You'll hear selections from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers (Nicolai Gedda and Ernest Blanc at their most elegant French), Madama Butterfly (Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Scotto--an impassioned pair), Lucia di Lammermoor (a classy Alfredo Kraus and Edita Gruberova), the lovely Lakme duet, The Presentation of the Silver Rose from Der Rosenkavalier (with the earnest Christa Ludwig and the other-worldly Teresa Stich-Randall), and a fine Trovatore "Miserere" (with Leontyne Price and Franco Bonisolli singing up a storm). There are many others, too--a veritable cornucopia of couplings--and a treat for the opera lover. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Most Famous???.......2007-05-14

The title of this cd is misleading and I found myself wondering whose list did they use. That is not to say that there aren't some real treasures included here. The duet from Lakme is lovely in every way, Mady Mesple in particular, very beautful and very french, and far superior to Sutherlands hooty approach. Scotto and Bergonzi are superb, the Tristan and Isolde of Vickers and Dernesch truly other worldly, and the presentation of the rose duet with the young Ludwig and the astonishing Teresa Stich- Randell had me playing it over and over and I still can't believe it, but the most famous??? This cd is definitly worth buying, and I hated giving it only 3 stars but if you're talking most famous you could fill a couple of cd's with Puccini, not to mention Verdi, Mozart, etc. before Bizet's Les Pecheurs des perles, beautiful as it is, made the most famous list.

3 out of 5 stars Only one song knew well.......2007-05-14

I should have done more research. The last song is the only one I could easily recognize. Live and learn.

5 out of 5 stars The Most Famous Opera Duets.......2007-01-05

This seller truly makes a purchaser confident in the product as well the time in which is promised.

Thanks again!!!!!

5 out of 5 stars Good selection of opera highlights.......2006-11-04

Super performances by famous opera artists of the 20th century, most of them no longer performing and some of them deceased. I enjoy having their voices available at home.

5 out of 5 stars The closest thing.......2006-08-06

This is a marvelous CD, especially the Pearl Fisher's duet with Gedda and Blanc. I would rank that performance second all time, just below the
forever unforgettable Bjoerling/Merrill version. Worth the price just for that selection, and all the rest is top rate as well.
Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Gorgeous music, bad quality cd.
  • Great music, low quality reproduction
  • A nice introduction
  • Mozart is the reference point for good classical music.
  • Mozart's music
Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
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  5. Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set)

ASIN: B00005A8JZ
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

  1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K525: Allegro - Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
  2. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K467: Andante - Radu Lupu
  3. Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
  4. Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K581: Largetto - Peter Schmidl
  5. Ave verum Corpus, K618 - James Vivian
  6. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C major: Laudate Dominum - Emma Kirkby
  7. Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major: Andantino - Lisa Beznosiuk
  8. Le nozze di Figaro: Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
  9. Cosi fan tutte: Trio: Soava sia il vento - Renee Fleming
  10. Symphony No.39 in E-flat Major, K495: Andante con moto - Chicago Symphony
  11. Horn Concerto: Rondo - Barry Tuckwell
  12. Don Giovanni: Serenade Deh, vieni alla finestra - Bryn Terfel
  13. Contredanse In C Major, K609 No.1 'Non piu andrai' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  14. German Dance, K605 No.3 'Sleigh Ride' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  15. Piano Concerto No.23 In A Major, K488: Adagio - Vladimir Ashkenazy
  16. A Musical Joke, K522: Presto - Vienna Mozart Ensemble

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No.40 In G Minor, K550: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic
  2. Piano Sonata No.16 In C Major: Allegro - Andras Schiff
  3. The Magic Flute: Queen Of The Night: Der Holle Rache - Sumi Jo
  4. Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622: Adagio - Franklin Cohen
  5. Don Giovanni: La ci darem la mano - Cecilia Bartoli
  6. Serenade in Bb Major, K361: Adagio - London Wind Soloists
  7. Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja - Hermann Prey
  8. Le nozze di Figaro: Dove sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
  9. Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K216: Adagio - Joshua Bell
  10. Requiem, K626: Lacrimosa - Vienna Philharmonic
  11. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento: Dulcissimum convivium - Margaret Marshall
  12. Piano Sonata No.11 In A Major, K331: Rondo alla turca - Andras Schiff
  13. Don Giovanni: Champagne aria: Fin ch'chan dal vino - Bryn Terfel
  14. Divertimento No.17 in D Major, K334: Minuet & trio - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  15. Exsultate, jubilat, K165: Alleluja - Leontyne Price
  16. Symphony No.41 In C Major, K551 'Jupiter': Finale: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Gorgeous music, bad quality cd........2007-04-13

The music is Mozart's and is fantastic. The last piece on the first disc
stutters halfway through, and seizes up my system. I don't have time to return items to Amazon. On the positive side, most of the time Amazon provides quality products and service. I gave 3 stars because I love the music.

3 out of 5 stars Great music, low quality reproduction.......2007-01-30

this is a great collection of his work... the only problem i have found so far is that my copy has irritating "clicks" over the recording.

5 out of 5 stars A nice introduction.......2006-02-22

This is a good well rounded collection to dip you into the classical world of Mozart.

5 out of 5 stars Mozart is the reference point for good classical music........2005-10-20

A good collection of his best work and I find it helps me focus when I'm writing or contempating life.

"We exposed these animals [rats] in utero and then sixty days after birth to different types of auditory stimulation and then we ran them in a spatial maze. And sure enough, the animals that were exposed to the Mozart completed the maze faster and with fewer errors. And now what we're doing is we're removing their brains so we can slice them and see neuro-anatomically precisely what has changed as a function of this exposure. So it may be that this intense exposure to the music is a type of enrichment that has similar effects on the spatial areas of the hippocampus of the brain." --Dr. Frances Rauscher

Dr. Frances Rausher sums up what I feel happening when I expose myself to this incredible composer (Mozart).

I have yet to grow tired of any of the tracks yet, but I will invest in more of his work soon.

4 out of 5 stars Mozart's music.......2005-10-17

This is a review of Mozart's music, not the cd. Mozart is praised to the skies by all and sundry, including most musicians, including my father, who no doubt has his reasons. But my feeling about Mozart has always been that there is nothing in Mozart's music that is other than music. There is no logical impressionism, there are no events that seem to be transpiring as in, for example, Beethoven. Mozart is just music. Mozart is to music as pure mathematics is to science. It hints of nothing else and has no application. I find some of his music irritatingly trivial, for example, Eine Kleine Nachtmuzic. This is mechanical music that one can imagine being piped in by a totalitarian government that insists everyone be cheerful. If Disneyland was an eighteenth century totalitarian state, Mozart would be its Muzak. The populace would be awakened, like Chinese train passengers, at 6AM by the strains of some allegro. They would arise and busy themselves with their ablutions in a state of thoughtless cheer, never for one moment leaving the surface of things. That being said, the second movement of Mozart's clarinette concerto is the music that one will hear on going into heaven.
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Those who ignore repeats should be taken outside and shot
  • One of the best cycles out there - if not the best!
  • Excellent set of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies
  • SACD set is better
  • one of the best beethoven cycles
Beethoven: 9 Symphonies
Ludwig van Beethoven , Herbert Von Karajan , Gundula Janowitz , Waldemar Kmentt , Hilde Rossel-Majdan , and Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35-41
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  4. Brahms: The Complete Symphonies / Karajan, Berlin PO
  5. Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000001GBQ
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No.1 in C major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio - L.V. Beethoven
  2. Symphony No.1 in C major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantabile con moto - L.V. Beethoven
  3. Symphony No.1 in C major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  4. Symphony No.1 in C major, Op. 21: 4. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op.55 Eroica: 1. Allegro con brio - L.V. Beethoven
  6. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op.55 Eroica: 2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai - L.V. Beethoven
  7. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op.55 Eroica: 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  8. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op.55 Eroica: 4. Finale. Allegro molto - L.V. Beethoven

Tracks:

  1. Symphonie No. 2 D-dur Op.36: I. Adagio Molto - Allegro Con Brio - L.V. Beethoven
  2. Symphonie No. 2 D-dur Op.36: Larghetto - L.V. Beethoven
  3. Symphonie No. 2 D-dur Op.36: Menuet & Trio: Allegro Molto E Vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  4. Symphonie No. 2 D-dur Op.36: Adagio - Allegro Molto E Vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  5. Symphonie No. 4 B-dur Op. 60: I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace - L.V. Beethoven
  6. Symphonie No. 4 B-dur Op. 60: Adagio - L.V. Beethoven
  7. Symphonie No. 4 B-dur Op. 60: Allegro Vivace: Un Poco Meno Allegro - L.V. Beethoven
  8. Symphonie No. 4 B-dur Op. 60: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - L.V. Beethoven

Tracks:

  1. Symphonie No. 5: 1. Allegro Con Brio - L.V. Beethoven
  2. Symphonie No. 5: 2. Andante Con Moto - L.V. Beethoven
  3. Symphonie No. 5: 3. Allegro - L.V. Beethoven
  4. Symphonie No. 5: 4. Allegro - L.V. Beethoven
  5. Symphonie No. 6: 1. Erwachen Heiterer Empfindungen Bei Der Ankunft Auf Dem Lande (Allegro Ma Non Troppo) - L.V. Beethoven
  6. Symphonie No. 6: 2. Szene Am Bach (Andante Molto Mosso) - L.V. Beethoven
  7. Symphonie No. 6: 3. Lustiges Zusammensein Der Landleute (Allegro) - L.V. Beethoven
  8. Symphonie No. 6: 4. Gewitter - Sturm (Allegro) - L.V. Beethoven
  9. Symphonie No. 6: 5. Hirtengesang, Frohe Und Dankbare Gef Hle Nach Dem Sturm (Allegretto) - L.V. Beethoven

Tracks:

  1. Symphony 7: 1 Poco Sostenuto - Vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  2. Symphony 7: 2 Allegretto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  3. Symphony 7: 3 Presto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  4. Symphony 7: 4 Allegro Con Brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  5. Symphony 8: 1 Allegro Vivace I Con Brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  6. Symphony 8: 2 Allegretto Scherzando - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  7. Symphony 8: 3 Tempo Di Menuetto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  8. Symphony 8: 4 Allegro Vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No. 9: Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  2. Symphony No. 9: Molto vivace - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  3. Symphony No. 9: Adagio molto e cantabile - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  4. Symphony No. 9: Presto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  5. Symphony No. 9: Presto. - - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Amazon.com essential recording

By general consensus, Herbert von Karajan's first (1963) Beethoven cycle for Deutsche Grammophon is the best of the four (!) that he recorded. The Berlin Philharmonic was in top form, and they had not yet made an artistic fetish out of the bland smoothness that typified the conductor's later recordings of this music (and just about everything else). Karajan's squeaky clean, emotionally cool Beethoven will always be something of an acquired taste, but this set makes the best possible case for it. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Those who ignore repeats should be taken outside and shot.......2007-06-07

Karajan shows no respect for the balance of Beethoven's score. Overall, there is little here to laud or hate......a bonus second star for spectacular execution by the Berlin Phil, without actually playing any music. Glossy, zero rubato, zero sforzati, continuous mezzo forte.

In 20 years, music notation software with masterful samples will sound exactly like this: the most perfect and beautiful sounds a computer can generate. These performances are soulless.

Give me Bernstein/VPO or Solti/Chicago any day over this rubbish.

5 out of 5 stars One of the best cycles out there - if not the best!.......2007-05-05

The 9 Symphonies play a great role in my life because of their sheer beauty and touching deepness. So I have obtained a lot of recordings of these pieces through the years, some of them on CD, some on casette, some on LP. And there are the concerts, of course. As a natural consequence, I have listened to a lot of different interpretations of these masterpieces. All interpretations (well not all but a great majority) have their moments but when I listen to Maestro Karajan's recordings of these, I always discover something that wasn't there the last time I heard. Karajan has always been critiqued for being too mechanical, too much in control but he always introduced something new to the music through his interpretation... The artistical point of the 1963 Karajan cycle has already been talked about a lot, I've got nothing more to say about it, I can only repeat that this cycle is perpahs the best cycle you will ever find. It is one of those works which become to be the yardstick for the later recordings to be compared with.

I was most pleasantly surprised to discover that the sound quality is phenomenal for a 1963 recording, it is better than more recent ADD records. The sound engineering is also very good, it is like having the full orchestra play for you in youor living room. The deep notes of the double basses go right through you while the violins tease your ears in a most pleasent way. So, the sound quality is just great.

I also would like to talk about the CD design, which is something very important for me. I know it is strange but I like to own CDs that have good design. Of course the included material is a lot more important but... Anyway, there are two CD cases with the first one including the first 6 symphonies on 3 CDs, and the other presenting the remaining three on 2 CDs, with the last CD contains the 9th. CDs have mirror surface with the classic DG logo and the contents are listed on the CD itself as well as the booklet. The booklet offers a good read on the 9 symphonies and the cycle presented with the set.

I hope you will enjoy the set as much as I do...

5 out of 5 stars Excellent set of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies.......2007-04-12

I have only one complaint: the first part of both the 5th and 6th
symphonies feel a bit rushed in my view, the tempo seems just a
little fast. Other than that, this is an excellent set of
Beethoven's 9 symphonies, well worth it.

3 out of 5 stars SACD set is better.......2007-03-30

Beethoven's 5th by Karajan was my first classical record purchase.
Thousands of analogue and digital discs later, I again purchased the same 5th and eight others on this CD set.

Karajan lived through the eternal dilemma of the all artists who came after the great predecessors.
At his last Saltsburg Festival, after conducted "Don Giovanni"He said to his wife,

"Furtwangler would have said it wasn't all that great."
She consoled the Maestro,
"It was! It was!"
Karajan had a life long struggle with legacy of Furtwangler and was not too sure if he won.

Well, his style and interpretations are definitely non-Furtwangler, or to more precisely put non-German.
It seems to me that Karajan tried to avoid playing Beethoven's music in conjunction with German culture and spirituality.

Whether his attempt was successful one or not, has been a topic of many music critics and connoisseurs.

Personally, I have a mixed feeling toward this cycle.
I like No.1, 2 and 7 very much. However, there are some flaws; for instance in the fourth movements of 5th and 9th,
cello, bass, tympani and all lower notes suddenly disappear. All you hear is the first violin all the way to coda with painfully
bright tone.(This is more obvious if you own high resolution Audiophile stereo system)

Wonder if this deletion of bass is a part of Karajan's interpretations or a fault of old analog recorder, which is incapable of
recording loud passages?

In each symphonies, the first violin is always exaggerated over other instruments. I think that is the reason why some people
call these recordings "light" Beethoven.

If you must listen to Karajan's Beethoven Symphonies, I would recommend SACD reissue, which is more expensive and bass is
still thin but tonal quality is somewhat more acceptable.

And if you want to listen to the best Beethoven cycle, do yourself a favor:
Obtain the 9 symphonies by Furtwangler.

This set is not my first choice.

4 out of 5 stars one of the best beethoven cycles.......2007-02-22

generally this set is one of the best beethoven cycles, audio is good considering that this recording was done in the 60's. though the string section of the orchestra was quite dominant, the wind instruments were sonically weak maybe due to placements of microphones during recording( compare with carlos kleiber beethoven symphonies). Last movement of symphony no. 9 seems to be lacking of the high frequecy content of the sound. it seems that there was a cutting of the full audio frequency. maybe they were trying to suppress the noise but the fidelity of the audio was sacreificed. overall this cycle is a must for a beethoven fan.
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh"
  • Fantastic!
  • HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND
  • "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!
  • Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Giacomo Puccini , Herbert von Karajan , Riccardo Chailly , Stephen Barlow , Tullio Serafin , Lorin Maazel , Sir Edward Downes , Giuseppe Patane , Zubin Mehta , Alberto Erede , John Mauceri , Plácido Domingo , José Carreras , Kiri Te Kanawa , John Alldis Choir , Luciano Pavarotti , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Bologna Community Theater Orchestra , Ettore Bastianini , Carlo Bergonzi , Renato Cesari , Fernando Corena , Cesare Siepi , Renata Tebaldi , Gianna D'Angelo , Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra , Franco Corelli , Alfredo Mariotti , Regine Crespin , Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden , London Symphony Orchestra , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra , Rome Opera House Orchestra , Pilar Lorengar , Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble , Mirella Freni , Rolando Panerai , Jussi Bjorling , Leontyne Price , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Essential Verdi
  2. Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...
  3. Puccini Without Words
  4. Puccini: Great Opera Arias
  5. The #1 Opera Album

ASIN: B000007OU1
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. Turnadot: Nessun Dorma!
  2. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
  3. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
  4. La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song
  5. Tosca: Recondita Armonia
  6. Madame Butterfly: Un Bel Di
  7. TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
  8. La rondine: Il Sogno Di Doretta
  9. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
  10. La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mini
  11. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Love Duet, Act I
  12. Ch'ella mi creda libero
  13. TOSCA: Ah, Quegli Occhi...Qual'occhio Al Mondo - Love Duet, Act I
  14. TOSCA: Vissi D'Arte
  15. Madame Butterfly: Vogliatemi Bene - Love Duet, Act I
  16. La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci
  17. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
  18. Turandot: In Questa Reggia

Amazon.com essential recording

Ordinarily, it pays to be wary of collections such as these, which often promise a lot but deliver a mishmash of disconnected excerpts. This disc, however, is something of an exception: you really do get just about all of Puccini's best arias, which is possible, because he didn't write so many operas that choosing the best moments becomes a matter of the producer's personal taste. Also, Puccini's operas are so popular that every major label has excellent complete recordings of all of them, so in making this compilation it was possible to cast from strength: all the singers here are fine. In fact, the only proviso that needs to be made before you rush out and add this disc to your collection is that it's wrong to assume that all of Puccini's best tunes lie in his arias. The opening 10 minutes of any one of his operas will tell you that's not true. So by all means enjoy this disc--then start sampling the operas complete. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh".......2005-11-08

"Quando m'en vo" is not omitted from this CD; it is just called "Musetta's waltz song." It is the same aria.

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic!.......2003-10-14

This is one of the first opera CDs I ever got. It's wonderful for just about any body;from the newbies like me or the opera fanatics. I especially like 'In Questa Reggia'. Buy it now!!

5 out of 5 stars HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.......2003-09-04

The Ultimate Puccini Collection features some of Puccini's most arias and will appeal to even the most ardent operaphobes.

A great listening experience featuring some of the greatest opera performers of all time.

3 out of 5 stars "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!.......2002-06-13

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality.......2002-02-18

I love opera! I love Puccini! Not only is the vocalism important to me, but the quality of the recording as well. I enjoy my hi-tech sound system. I like to feel as if I am sitting in the front row of the first balcony when I listen to opera. This CD is excellent! The vocalists were well chosen. The technical performances are eloquent and emotional, as Puccini should be. However, the quality of the recording is not very good. No matter how you adjust your sound system, the recording is a bit tinny and as a result, the emotional high points of the arias are not as vibrant as they could be if the recording were of better quality. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Puccini and who is not as finicky as I!
The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Audio beauty and magnificence, Maria Callas
  • sublime
  • Good "Best Of"
  • The Very Best of Maria Callas
  • Classic Callas
The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century
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  5. The Most Famous Opera Duets

ASIN: B00005Y1YQ
Release Date: 2002-02-12

Tracks:

  1. Carmen: L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle
  2. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
  3. La Wally: Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana
  4. Samson Et Dalila: Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
  5. Tosca: Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore
  6. Andrea Chenier: La Mamma Morta
  7. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Porgi Amor
  8. Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
  9. Aida: Ritorna Vincitor!
  10. Adriana Lecouvreur: Respiro Appena... Lo So L'Umile Ancella
  11. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo
  12. Norma: Casta Diva
  13. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
  14. Louise: Depuis Le Jour
  15. La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi
  16. La Gioconda: Suicidio
  17. La Forza Del Destino: Pace, Pace Mio Dio!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Audio beauty and magnificence, Maria Callas.......2007-03-31

There are moments on this recording that are virtually audio heaven.
Ms. Callas' voice goes beyond the normal concept of beauty.

5 out of 5 stars sublime.......2007-02-14

she is an angel , a voice without parallel , a collection very interesting of arias from different masters.

4 out of 5 stars Good "Best Of".......2007-02-09

Maira Callas was never a favorite of mine, but she is notable as a passionate, (but sometime shrill to my ears) performer. This collection is a good single record tribute to her operatic legacy.

4 out of 5 stars The Very Best of Maria Callas.......2006-08-20

Second on my list for CDs that should be recommended for people who want to start on a long trail of Callas to the Carmen with Gedda and Prétre. This has perhaps the best excerpts of all time from Maria Callas. The 'Ritorna vincitor' and 'Una voce poco fa' are to be treasured. Any long-time Callas fan will find this CD of little to no interest, because anything they haven't heard before, there's a better, low-audio-quality version of somewhere. 4 stars for that reason.

4 out of 5 stars Classic Callas.......2006-07-11

Countless assessments of Maria Callas' life and career, as well as re-issues of some of her definitive recorded performances have been fueled by the 25th anniversaary of her tragic and prophetic death alone in her Paris flat on September 16, 1977. One of those such discs, this 17 track retrospective compilation from the archives of EMI is among the best. Every character she portrays is bought to life by her incomparible ability both vocally and emotionally. Enjoy!
Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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

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  3. Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No1, Op107; Violin Concerto No1 (revised), Op99
  4. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77
  5. Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]

ASIN: B00000I7VO
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

  1. Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: I Allegro
  2. Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: II Largo
  3. Triple Concerto For Violin, Cello & Piano In C, Op. 56: III Rondo alla polacca
  4. Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: I Allegro
  5. Double Concerto For Violin & Cello In A Minor, Op. 102: II Andante
  6. 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:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Stick with the Plot
  • Callas, an over-rated soprano
  • It's a SHOCK!
  • Perhaps The Best Recorded "Madama Butterfly"
  • Perfection
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002RXX
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

  1. E Soffitto...E Pareti...
  2. Questa E La Cameriera
  3. Dovunque Al Mondo
  4. Quale Smania Vi Prende!
  5. Quanto Cielo!...Ancora Un Passo Or Via
  6. Gran Ventura
  7. L'Imperial Commissario
  8. Vieni, Amor Mio!
  9. Ieri Son Salita Tutta Sola
  10. Ed Eccoci In Famiglia
  11. Vieni La Sera
  12. Bimba Dagli Occhi Pieni Di Malia
  13. Vogliatemi Bene, Un Bene Piccolino
  14. E Izaghi Ed Izanami
  15. Un Bel Di Vedremo
  16. C'e. Entrate
  17. Non Lo Sapete Insomma

Tracks:

  1. A Voi Pero Giurerei Fede Costante
  2. Ora A Noi
  3. E Questo? E Questo?
  4. Che Tua Madre Dovra
  5. Io Scendo Al Piano
  6. Vespa! Rospo Maledetto!
  7. Una Nave Da Guerra
  8. Scuoti Quella Fronda Di Ciliegio
  9. Or Vienmi Ad Adornar
  10. Cora A Bocca Chiusa
  11. Oh Eh! Oh Eh! Oh Eh!
  12. Gia Il Sole!
  13. Povera Butterfly!
  14. Io So Che Alle Sue Pene
  15. Addio, Fiorito Asil
  16. Glielo Dirai?
  17. Che Vuol Da Me?
  18. Come Una Mosca Prigioniera
  19. Con Onor Muore

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Stick with the Plot.......2007-02-09


Puccini.

Up there with Mozart when it comes to tearing the heart out of your soul.

Maria Callas - what a sexy women - no wonder that rich Greek fella courted her. She is a diamond, a truly wonderful opera singer. No, she is better than that. Maria Callas interprets the music into an emotional fury that extends passion and mundanity to their horizons.

Why buy Playboy when you can get the real deal right here. Smouldering femininity with knobs on. Simply the best.

3 out of 5 stars Callas, an over-rated soprano.......2006-12-22

Nicolai Gedda as B.F Pinkerton is brilliant, a true showman in the role and a brilliant tenor full-stop. Callas on the other was not good at Cio-Cio San, in fact she was terrible.
It truly shows the difference between the two lead roles vocal technique and capability, in 'Vogliatemi bene', Gedda was brilliant note perfect and tone perfect, Callas was terrible she shrieked most of her way through the duet and sang a shrill top C at the end which compared with Gedda's masterful top C was a piece of dirt.
If you disagree listen the the track over and over again, see how shrill and whiney Callas's top C really is.

All over brilliant performance by Gedda, Callas was unworthy of such a great Pinkerton.

5 out of 5 stars It's a SHOCK!.......2005-12-21

It's a SHOCK how Callas interpreted "Madama Butterfly" It's close to perfect. Must listen for opera lovers!

5 out of 5 stars Perhaps The Best Recorded "Madama Butterfly".......2005-09-07

There are many "Butterfly" recordings out there that are excellent in their own right but this recording deserves a category of excellence all it's own. What almost looks like mis-casting on paper, Callas does an astonishing job with the title role, which she recorded months before singing a series in Chicago and never to touch the role again. This is really one of those recordings that should be considered an historical event in the history of recorded opera. The collaboration of all the principles with von Karajan shows a unique unity that hasn't been duplicated very often.

But there's Callas' Cio Cio San that is really the reason to consider this recording. Even her silences, such as when she notices Kate in the garden in the final scenes, speaks volumes. There's this incredible thread that she creates from her entrance to her death that is like nothing I've ever heard before in this role. Also her choice of tone is remarkable and characteristic of this most chameleon of artists. She transforms herself from child to woman during the love duet and really does not sing at full tilt until the heart rendering final scene. This is an amazing studio portrayal and like I said, absolutely historical.

5 out of 5 stars Perfection.......2005-08-09

I purchased Madama Butterfly and Macbeth online a couple of years ago. I listened to Macbeth first and was astonished. Then I decided to listen to Butterfly. When I heard Butterfly's entrance (Ancora un passo or via) I wasn't sure if the woman singing was Callas. As she went on singing, I was shocked. I couldn't believe my ears that this was the same woman I just heard a few minutes back singing evil Lady Macbeth. It was like listening to another singer. The transformation of the voice was a work of art itself. Listen to the way she says MORTO. The other highlights of this masterwork are the love duet, her mastery singing of un bel di, and her bone chilling con onor moure.
This recording is an excellent example of her artistry. Maria Callas' ability to change the tone of her voice for the different roles she performed onstage and recordings was great achievement. This is one of the many reasons why I love her so much. She has helped me through some tough times in the past. Whenever I was in need of inspiration, Callas came to the rescue. Maria Callas is my idol and I am grateful and honored to be part of the Maria Callas experience.
Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)
  • Luciano Pavorotti
  • Luciano is the best!
Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007V5WB4
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

  1. La donna obile
  2. Una furtiva lagrima
  3. "Libiamo ne'lieti calici (Brindisi)
  4. Donna non vidi mai
  5. Che gelida manina
  6. O soave fanciulla
  7. Mi batte il cor...O Paradiso!
  8. M'appari
  9. Quando le sere al placido chiaror d'un ciel stellato
  10. Se quel guerrier io fossi!..Celeste Aida
  11. Forse la soglia attinse
  12. Recitar! - "Vesti la giubba"
  13. Come un bel di maggio
  14. Ah mes amis - Pour mon
  15. Di quella pira
  16. Nessun dorma!

Tracks:

  1. Torna a Surriento
  2. Santa Lucia luntana
  3. La Danza
  4. L'ultima canzone
  5. Non t'amo pi
  6. Mattinata
  7. 'O sole mio
  8. 'A vucchella
  9. Core 'ngrato
  10. Nel blu, dipinto di blu
  11. Vivere
  12. Il Canto
  13. Caruso
  14. Buongiorno a te
  15. Ti adoro
  16. E lucevan le stelle
  17. Questa o quella (Ballata)
  18. Parmi veder le lagrime

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour).......2007-06-27

Wonderful Pavarotti sings the best of the best. His voice never ceases to amaze me. Listening pleasure at it's finest.

5 out of 5 stars Luciano Pavorotti.......2007-02-17

All the songs are wonderful, can never become tired of listening to his songs. Excellent.

5 out of 5 stars Luciano is the best!.......2007-01-20

I can't speak more highly of this collection of Pavrotti's songs. I keep this two CD pack in my car so I can enjoy it on my way to and from work. Even after I have arrived, I find myself sitting in my car waiting for a song to end. Walking out on a song seems sacriligious. While I grew up listening to Caruso and Lanza, there is no question that Pavrotti is the Master! Although, I do have to admit Pavrotti has the greater advantage of modern recording technology to better present his talent than Caruso and Lanza had. However, Lanza definitely didn't have the power that Pavrotti has. With Caruso, we will never know... I highly recommend this collection of Pavrotti's, if you are a Pavrotti fan. If you aren't, buy it anyway and become one:)


















Music Track:

  1. Hilding Rosenberg: String Quartets Nos. 1, 6 & 12 [Import]
  2. In Memory of a Once New World: A Concert of New Music by Jamie Allen
  3. Jean Sébastien Bach: orgue - jeunesse et maturité: l'Art de la Fugue
  4. Krauss Conducts Strauss
  5. Lifestyles for Baby: Nurturing
  6. Lindblad: Death of the Moon
  7. Madness, Love and Mysticism
  8. Mission: San Francisco Xavier
  9. Mitropoulos Conducts Tchaikovski and Liszt
  10. Mozart: Jupiter-Symphonie; Divertimenti KV 137 & 138; Serenata Notturna

Music Track

music track

Recommended Music:

Louie Louie [Import]

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez, Fantasia para un Gentilhombre, Pequena Sevillana, En Los Trigales, Sonata a la Espanola

Sainte Colombe: Concertos for 2 Bass Viols

Music: Lost in Emotion [CD-single] [Import]

Some Day Soon [Import]

Sweet Child [Import] [Limited Edition]

Raffi's Box of Sunshine [Box set]

RCA Victor Basic 100 Series: No. 58 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4

High Lonesome Cowboy

Simple Gifts

Solid Gold Hits [Explicit Lyrics]

Tangos del Sur: Eduardo Rovira [Enhanced]

Song of the Holy Man [CD-single] [Import]

The Wanamaker Legacy

Cantoma