19th Century Italian Sacred Music

On this CD:

1. Tantum Ergo, for baritone & orchestra
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by I Solisti Aquilani
Conducted by Vittorio Antonellini

2. Piccolo Quia Vidisti, for tenor & orchestra
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by I Solisti Aquilani
Conducted by Vittorio Antonellini

3. Preludio on Pergolesi's Stabat Mater
Composed by De Camillo Nardis
Performed by Ettore Pellegrino

4. Preludio Religioso for string quartet
Composed by De Camillo Nardis
Performed by I Solisti Aquilani
Conducted by Vittorio Antonellini

5. Ave Maria, for tenor (voice) & piano
Composed by Francesco Masciangelo

6. Miserere, for vocal soloists, chorus & orchestra
Composed by Francesco Masciangelo
Performed by I Solisti Aquilani
Conducted by Vittorio Antonellini

Tracks:

The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba - Sir Neville Marriner
I. Allegro - Yehudi Menuhin
Toccata In D Minor BWV565 - Wayne Marshall
III. Rondo (Allegro Vivace) - Barry Tuckwell
I. Allegro Con Brio - Philharmonia Orchestra
1812 Overture - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony No.9 In D Minor Choral Op.125 - The Westminster Choir
I. Allegro Molto Moderato - Cecile Ousset
Alla Marcia - Halle Orchestra
Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity - Philharmonia Orchestra
I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso - Horacio Gutierrez
Symphonic Poem, Op.26 - Halle Orchestra
Gloria All'egitto - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Montagues And Capulets - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Radetzky March - Willi Boskovsky
Pomp And Circumstance March No.1 - Royal Choral Society
I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto - Mikhail Rudy
Symphony No.3 In C Minor Organ Op.78 - Mathias Eisenberg

Tracks:

Air On The G String - Sir Neville Marriner
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Canon In D - Sir Neville Marriner
II. Adagio - Sabine Meyer
Aria - Julia
Adagio In G Minor - Sir Neville Marriner
I. Adagio Sostenuto - Dame Moura Lympany
II. Andantino - James Galway
II. Andante - Yehudi Menuhin
II. Andante - Stephen Hough
II. Largo - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
II. Adagio - Yehudi Menuhin
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
II. Adagio - Julian Bream
The Lark Ascending - Migel Kennedy
IV. Adagietto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Variation 18 - Cecile Ousset

Tracks:

Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Nicolai Gedda
Song To The Moon - Lucia Popp
Dome Epais - Mady Mesple
La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Nicolai Gedda
Che Faro Senza Euridice - Agnes Balsta
Casta Diva - Maria Callas
Che Gelida Manina - Roberto Alagna
O Mio Babbino Caro - Angela Gheorghiu
Bailero: Chants D'Auvergne - Victoria De Los Angeles
Vogliatemi Bene - Carlo Bergonzi
Va, Pensiero - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Es Lebt' Eine Vilja - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Ombra Mai Fu - Richard Lewis
Ave Maria - Gerald Moore
Minuit, Chretiens - Roberto Alagna
Nessun Dorma - Jose Carreras

Tracks:

Overture - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude - Sir Neville Marriner
I. Allegro - Emil Gilels
Trumpet Voluntary - Maurice Andre
Judex - Halle Orchestra
Overture - Polish Chamber Orchestra
Sarabande - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Waltz Of The Flowers - Andre Previn
Troika - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Fantasia On Greensleeves - Sir John Barbirolli
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
Scene Act II, No.10 - Andre Previn
Cavatina - Manuel Barrueco
II. Romance (Larghetto) - Garrick Ohlsson
My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra
Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra
Walzer, Op.314 - Berliner Philharmoniker

Tracks:

Cavaleria Rusticana - Philharmonia Orchestra
II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) - Cecile Ousset
Morning - Sir Neville Marriner
Romance - Piers Lane
Adagio For Strings - Philadelphia Orchestra
The Story Of The Kalender Prince - Philadelphia Orchestra
Meditation - Anne-Sophie Mutter
Prince Igor - Beecham Choral Society
Adagio Of Spartacus And Phrygia - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Fantasy Overture - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
II. Allegretto - Philharmonia Orchestra
II. Largo Ma Non Tanto - Yehudi Menuhin
Schindler's List Theme - Tasmin Little
Dance Of The Reed Flutes - Andre Previn
V. Allegretto - The Philadelphia Orchestra

Tracks:

Zadok The Priest - Royal Choral Society
Zion Hort Die Wachter - Suddeutscher Madrigalchor
Miserere Mei, Deus - Stephen Cleobury
Sanctus - Chor der St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale
Panis Angelicus - Halle Choir
L'Enfance Du Christ - Choeurs Rene Duclos
Sanctus - Heinz Hoppe
In Paradisum - Peter Barley
Laudate Dominum - Edda Moser
Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
Ingemisco - Luciano Pavarotti
Ave Verum Corpus K618 - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth - Elizabeth Harwood
The Heavens Are Telling - John Shirley-Quirk
Pie Jesu - Victoria De Los Angeles
Lacrimosa - David Bell
Hallelujah Chorus - Ambrosian Singers

Customer Reviews:

Good compilation- of bits and pieces.......2007-07-02

I was excited to see such a great collection of classics, but I was really disappointed to listen and discover that many tracks are shortened dramatically. A fraction of Rhapsody in Blue- a ridiculously short fragment of Bethoveen Ninth Symphony- "Ode to Joy" a tiny part of the first movement of Rachmoninov's Piano Concerto no.3.

I'd rather have fewer tracks and the complete movements.

Good and inexpensive collection.......2007-03-17

EMI's Best Classics 100 provides six CDs with seven hours of selected classical music. The cover does a poor job of portraying who does the selecting and who performs the piece -- information inside however does detail the symphonies being recorded. Recordings from the Polish Chamber, Berlin Symphonies, Royal Philharmonic etc are mentioned. The recording quality is good and the price is low, representing a good purchase for a general collection.

San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites

Average customer rating:

Jeanette MacDonald Favorites
A MUST for any Jeanette fan!
Jeanette MacDonald Was Unique
An excellent demonstration of Jeanette MacDonald's artistry

San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

When I'm Calling You
Love's Old Songs
Ah Sweet Mystery of Life: Anthology (1931-1938)
San Francisco
Through the Years

ASIN: B000003F6P
Release Date: 1991-11-09

Tracks:

Ciribiribin
The Firefly: Giannina mia
The Firefly: The Donkey Serenade
Naughty Marietta: Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life
Naughty Marietta: Italian Street Song
New Moon: Lover Come Back To Me
New Moon: One Kiss
Smilin' Through: Land Of Hope And Glory
Rose Marie: Indian Love Call
San Francisco
The Holy City
Love Parade: March Of The Grenadiers
Monte Carlo: Beyond The Blue Horizon
The Fortune Teller: Romany Life
The Vagabond King: Only A Rose
Les filles de Cadiz
Ave Maria
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre dans ce reve
Faust: Il etait un roi de Thule
Faust: Air des bijoux
Louise: Depuis le jour

Customer Reviews:

Jeanette MacDonald Favorites.......2007-05-13

This CD is an incredible testimony and celebration of an American Master Singer.
A must have for all. An introduction to quality and good taste for a new generation of music lovers.

A MUST for any Jeanette fan!.......2006-04-25

This CD is a gem! The songs included on it are beautiful and show off MacDonald's incredible voice. The best part of this CD, however, is the sound quality. Unlike many of her other recordings, and those featuring her with frequent costar Nelson Eddy, the sound on this CD is pristine, and you can barely tell the recordings are 50+ years old!

Jeanette MacDonald Was Unique.......2001-03-12

It really doesn't matter whether or not she could sing; Jeanette MacDonald was unique. On these old recordings, her voice sounds thin and watery, and contemporary tastes do not respond so readily to the sentimentality and predictability of her movies. But she was a gracious lady and glittering presence on the silver screen. These film songs do suggest the excitement she generated when her movies first appeared. And how many truly major singers she inspired! Joan Sutherland recalled meeting MacDonald a few years before her death. Said Sutherland: "I still had stars in my eyes."

An excellent demonstration of Jeanette MacDonald's artistry.......1998-12-18

The highlights of this Jeanette MacDonald CD include her excellent singing of Delibes' "Les Filles de Cadiz," the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," and the "Jewel Song" from "Faust." A much-underrated artist, MacDonald proves here that she can handle a wide range of music, from concert songs and opera arias to familiar tunes from her operetta films. Particularly fine are her renditions of "Only a Rose," and Herbert's "Romany Life" (in spite of an amateurish male chorus). Highly recommended not only as a tribute to filmdom's first lady of song, but also to listeners who enjoy both opera and musical comedy.

Average customer rating:

Nice Voice
a voice teacher and early music fan
Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme
Prayerful and beautiful
A spectalce of voice and vocalization

Sumi Jo - Prayers / James Conlon
Gioachino Rossini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Strauss , Giulio Caccini , Maurice Ravel , Gabriel Fauré , Anonymous , Franz Schubert , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Zbigniew Preisner , Leonard Bernstein , Johann Strauss II , Frederick Loewe , James Conlon , Sumi Jo , and Susan Graham
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sumi Jo sings Mozart
Sumi Jo - La Promessa / Vincenzo Scalera
Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
Sumi Jo - Only Love
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella

ASIN: B0000560N6
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Kaddisch
Laudate Dominum
Ave Maria
Amazing Grace
Breit' Uber Mein Haupt
L'assedio Di Corinto: L' Ora Fatal S'appressa... Guisto Ciel !
Pie Jesu
Der Vierjahrige Posten: Gott! hore Meine Stimme!
Sanctus
Maria Stuarda: Preghiera Di Maria
Lacrimosa
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Take Care Of This House - Sumi Jo/Phil Chor Koln/Susan Graham
Nun's Chor/Casanova: Laura's Song
Gigi: Say A Prayer For me Tonight
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Amazon.com

This program seems designed primarily to display soprano Sumi Jo's fabulous singing and famous stylistic eclecticism. However, it also exhibits an admirable religious inclusiveness, encompassing expressions of faith from the Latin liturgy to Negro spirituals; there is even a Richard Strauss song that is essentially a paean to love. An incongruous note is struck by a nun's song from an operetta by Benatzky that is a corny Viennese waltz and by a soundtracklike arrangement of a 16th-century Ave Maria. Ranging from Mozart to Broadway, this musical mix is held together by Sumi Jo's ravishingly beautiful, pure, warm voice and the way she can color and inflect it, and by her mastery of every style (though not every language; her German in particular is unintelligible). Her intonation is impeccable, her breath control incredible. Jo's top notes soar triumphantly, and she can sustain them indefinitely, with enough power left to make a crescendo at the end. Highlights include Ravel's "Kaddisch," which sends shivers down the spine; arias from operas by Rossini and Donizetti; and arias from sacred works by Gounod and Fauré. Of two spirituals, the second one is simpler and more convincing. The accompanying forces are excellent; James Conlon doubles as pianist when not conducting. Susan Graham also makes an appearance in the moving invocation "Take Care of This House" from Bernstein's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Nice Voice.......2007-05-06

Sumi Jo has a beautiful voice but her renditions of Motherless Child and Amazing Grace were not impressive at all. The vibrato was too uncontrollable. The Ave Maria was so,so. I did not hear the richeness others have declared in their assesments. Don't get me wrong, the instrument is quite beautiful but only in some selected selections.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-17

"Music and poetry emerge from man's desire to give thanks, to praise and to pray to his gods. One of the magical powers of the human voice is that it can fly, on the wings of songs (a la Mendelssohn) to heaven and appear to be in direct communication with God." Therefore, it is no surprise that prayer is omnipresent throughout the history of music. Sumi Jo has chosen an excellent representation of songs including most styles and periods which include : Baroque (Caccini)-Classical (Mozart)-Contemporary (Preisner)-Romantic Opera (Rossini,Donizetti)-German 'Singspiel'(Schubert)-Lieder (Richard Strauss)-French church music (Gounod ,Faure)-traditional music (spiritual)-Jewish melodies (Ravel)-Viennese operetta (Johann Strauss) and the American musical (Bernstein).

Sumi Jo, born in Korea,is a much sought after coloratura soprano, having triumphed on stage, and in recitals all over the world. Not being fond of coloraturas, I make an exception for her voice, because of its depth along with the very high register. She shows a great deal of sensitivity to all of her varied selections on this disc, and each delivery is a 'gem' unto itself.

I must personally comment on those works that I particularly enjoy. Hearing her sing Mozart's 'Laudate Dominum' was a real treat; it doesn't matter how often one hears that lovely piece, just like all of his music, it 'wears' well. The 'Pie Jesu' was absolutely stunning as Sumi Jo sang it, and it is a pleasure for me to hear the selection from "GIGI" by Lerner & Loewe; not being a great broadway fan, I have always liked that specific musical. I think because it was well-done when I saw it years and years ago.

This disc is abolutely totally enjoyable. There is something for all musical tastes, and the conductor/pianist James Conlon does a great job pulling it together!!!!!

Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme.......2006-04-09

One word: Lacrimosa. It haunts you and will stay with you long after you hear it. I actually forced several if my coworkers to listen to it many of which are not opera fans and even they could not argue the beauty of it. One of my coworkers was actual on the verge of tears by the end of the song.

The rest of the album is enchanting as well as breath taking. I am a harsh critic when it comes to singers so I do not give those compliments very often, nor am I easily moved by singers but Sumi Jo has certainly done that with this album.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear her take of "Ave Maria" by Schubert which, while recorded many times over, would complimented her voice perfectly due to it's simplicity. "Sing low sweet chariot" would have been another great one to hear but as far as spirtuals are concerned I was very happy with her acepella version of "Amazing Grace." I was never a huge fan of "Amazing Grace" since it's been done a thousand times over but she brought such seetness and emotion to it. Of course I am kind of biased becuase I offically hate the "belting" version of this song and that's how it's usually done. It's nice to hear a simple, straight forward version.

My last comment is that it's nice to hear Sumi Jo sing less operatic pieces considering most opera singers are rarely bold enough to sing anything other than classical pieces, excluding Renee Fleming of recent.

Prayerful and beautiful.......2005-11-14

It is a refreshing change to have a collection of arias on a CD with a title that actually bears some relevance to the contents. This is indeed a prayerful collection. That means, of course, that you have to be in the appropriately contemplative mood in order to appreciate it.

Another nice change is that the orchestral accompaniment enhances the singing rather than just tagging along as an afterthought, which often seems to be the case. It is fitting that James Conlon gets equal billing here. This is splendid singing to splendid music.

Sumi Jo is comfortable in any language and in a broad range of styles. I was uncertain how she would tackle songs like Amazing Grace and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. I need not have worried. In the latter she reveals a soulfulness that fits the lyrics perfectly.

The only track not worthy of this collection is Bernstein's Take Care of This House. I suppose, as it is a prayer, it was an obvious song to include, and Jo sings it very well, but it is just a very poor song. That still leaves 14 excellent tracks that, if you are a lover of good singing, you will want in your collection.

A spectalce of voice and vocalization.......2004-12-29

I bought this used from an Amazon.com dealer and it came with a cutout on the left side of the CD box. Can this specacular CD possibly have gone out of print by Christmas 2004? If so we have lost one of the benchmark recordings of this splendid artist.

Never is there a weak moment in this incredibly beautiful collection of classical bleeding chunks and spirituals. I don't think you'll confuse Sumi for your favorite spiritual singer in "Amazing Grace" and "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" but she is magnificent singing the complete and incomplete tunes elsewhere on the CD by famous classical composers including Mozart, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Schubert and Donizetti, to name some of them.

She is in wonderful voice and fresh-faced for the Loewe-Lerner "Say a prayer for me tonight" and does an equally nice job with Susan Graham accompanying Leonard Bernstein's "Take care of this house" from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue". I'm not much for this kind of music -- I bought this exclusively for her rendition of Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" -- but it adds a dimension to the concert that brings it into the realm of popular Broadway tunes.

This is a wonderful concert of familiar and not so familiar songs from a singer whose voice is eloquent, beautiful and rich, with significant range and span from PPP to FFF. Sumi Jo controls her voice well throughout the concert, giving everyone something to think about regardelss of musical preference. This might have been improved if she'd included a Beatles tune -- maybe "Elenor Rigby" or "Yesterday" -- accompanied by the orchestra and James Conlon's direction. But it stands with any similar collection by any singer as it is.

Average customer rating:

UNA VOZ PRIVILEGIADA CAIDA DEL CIELO
a voice with potential really beautiful I love your voice
disappointed
Please look to the excellent mezzos for the best music money can buy.
Sarah Brightman's mini-me!!!!!

La Diva
Katherine Jenkins
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Premiere
Living a Dream (Eng)
Second Nature
Living a Dream
Serenade

ASIN: B0007RTB88
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

Time To Say Goodbye
Caruso
Va Pensiero
House Of No Regret
O Sole Mio
En Aranjez Con Tu Amor
Seguidilla
Song To The Moon
Calon Lan
Hymn To The Fallen
Laudate Dominum
You'll Never Walk Alone

Customer Reviews:

UNA VOZ PRIVILEGIADA CAIDA DEL CIELO.......2007-06-23

Si los dioses tuvieran el deseo de cantar sin duda utilizarian una voz como la de Katherine; que disco tan maravilloso y exquisito; uno de los mejores discos clasicos que he escuchado, piezas tan grandiosas como TIME TO SAY GOODBYE (mi favorita del disco), desde excelentes valses como VA PENSIERO (soberbia) y SEGUEDILLA (me transpota a la epoca de los elfos), preciosas baladas como la trascendental EN ARANJUEZ CON TU AMOR (la mas preciosa del disco), la melancolica CARUSO y la tradicional y encantadora O SOLE MIO (la cual Elvis Presley grabara con el nombre IT'S NOW OR NEVER en los 60's, pero la version de Katherine es una muy digna competidora); impresionantemente solemne es HYMN TO THE FALLEN (dedicada a los soldados que dieron su vida en la segunda guerra mundial), brillantes himnos sacros como LAUDATE DOMINUM, muy bonitas melodias suaves en ingles como HOUSE OF NO REGRETS, SONG TO THE MOON (recuerda mucho a Enya) y CALON LAN (puro clasisismo barroco) y para cerrar con broche de oro la popularisima YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE (de la cual Ray conniff hizo una magnifica version en los 60's) que en la voz de Kathy es sencillamente gloriosa; una maravillosa e impactante orquestacion, destacando los conocimientos que la diva tiene del italiano, español e Inglés; un disco IDEAL para todo amante de la musica clasica y una forma excelente en que se pueden iniciar los principiantes de este género.

a voice with potential really beautiful I love your voice.......2007-05-19

I brought your ablums and I listen to them all over again, I love your voice so beautiful charming,and alot of people havent heard of you and dont like you, your a beautiful girl katherine jenkins, and I am sure you are best friends with charlotte church,the rock singer,I hope if you hear about church going back to opera, you might go back with her to do an ablumn,but you have got much more class because I know she went into a alot of bad stuff,but it would be good to meet you, because your voice is just abolsetly beautful,i wish that you could see the pope because he is a wonderful man, thankyou.

disappointed.......2007-02-24

I paid for this item but never received it! A month and a half later I'm still waiting! Can anyone help?

Please look to the excellent mezzos for the best music money can buy........2006-05-31

Over the past ten years, I have been asked to listen to albums of what the public has been misled to believe is classical vocal music (such as this one) because those who have purchased the albums have thought I would appreciate them as I am a singer. This album and the others by this singer are not opera, nor are they classical. This singer is pop. I have held my tongue and waited for this trend of popera to pass, but it isn't and I'm vexed at the comparison of singers such as Ms. Jenkins to legitimate voices.

If you are looking for some truly exceptional music by singers who have actually been on stage in an opera outside of grad school, try Stephanie Blythe, Vivica Genaux, Susan Graham, Jennifer Larmore, Ewa Podles and more I'm certainly forgetting. This CD is misleading many people about what opera really is. Ms. Jenkins would never sing the role of Carmen on stage, and should not be recording it.

Sarah Brightman's mini-me!!!!!.......2005-11-09

What a bad record!
If she chooses to record Sarah Brightman's repertoire over and over again, she should get herself some comparable pipes.
Her embarrassing performance of "Nessun Dorma" on the Live8 DVD are proof of a major lack of talent.

If you want the original rather than the copy cat, buy any Sarah Brightman album.

Average customer rating:

excellence

La Diva

Manufacturer: UCJ
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Living a Dream
Premiere
Living a Dream (Eng)
Second Nature
Serenade

ASIN: B0009OJA8U
Release Date: 2005-06-20

Tracks:

Time to Say Goodbye/Con Te Partiro
Caruso
Nabucco/Va Pensiero
Chi Mai/House of No Regrets
O Sole Mio
En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
Carmen/Seguidilla
Rusalka/Song to the Moon
Vide Cor Meum (As Used in the Film "Hannibal")
Calon Lan
Saving Private Ryan/Hymn to the Fallen
Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
Vesperae Solennes, K 339/Laudate Dominum
O Holy Night
You'll Never Walk Alone

Customer Reviews:

excellence.......2007-01-10

this c.d. is a superb listen, I am happy to recomend it to those lovers of classical music

E Adams

Average customer rating:

A good collection
A Musician of Great Dignity and Style
Passed the "Opera in English" test with flying colors.

Great Operatic Arias

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

A Treasury of English Song
Songs My Father Taught Me
More Songs My Father Taught Me
On the Idle Hill of Summer: Song Cycles & Songs by Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, Quilter, Peel
Great Baritone Arias

ASIN: B0006SGF1Y
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

'Even Bravest Heart My Swell'
'I Am The Barber Everyone Wants, I Am!
'Must I Be Made To Suffer'
'Look Down, Oh Gentle Evening Star'
'You Have My Love And My Devotion
'Oh Wine, Deliver Me From Sadness' - Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
'Marriage Is Sacred' - I Was Right To Be So Suspicious'
'Turning My Gaze Upon This Proud Assembly'
'O Nadir, Best Of Friends'
Billy In The Darbies
'Though I'm Somewhat Out Of Practice' - Janice Watson
'Hello, Here's A Soldier Bold' - Janice Watson
'I Wonder What He'll Think Of Me!'
'In Visions, Illusions'

Customer Reviews:

A good collection.......2007-05-14

Unlike the huge names, collections by Allen are not many - plenty of his opera performances are recorded, but there are only a few collections. My voice teacher recommended I listen to him to understand better how to deliver power without weight, something we've been working on. Yes, it's all in English, but that's fine, and the quality of Allen's instrument comes through very well.

A Musician of Great Dignity and Style.......2005-07-27

Sir Thomas Allen is one of the enduring baritones who has been able to move throughout the operatic repertoire and the recital stage with intelligence, informed characterization, and immaculate musicianship. To have a recording of some of the roles he has inhabited at this point in his career is a gift (this CD was recorded in 2003). To have the added challenge of retaining the stature of the roles while sung in English translations at the request of Chandos is a credit to his abilities and communicative powers.

English is a difficult language to make musical, though saying that abruptly is countered by the fact that some of the most beautiful operas in history are by Benjamin Britten, a composer who truly understood his native tongue and kept it as fluid as the soaring melodies he wrote, as Thomas Allen proves here in 'Billy in the Darbies' from Britten's 'Billy Budd'. It is the other major arias from Korngold to Wagner to Tchaikovsky to Rossini, Bizet, Mozart, Gounod, Verdi, Thomas, Strauss, and Lehar that Allen proves that English translations do not detract at all from the performances!

For those purists who prefer opera sung in the original language (and for those who don't even need supertitles in the opera house!), then this recording may provide a temporary barrier to respecting Allen's singing. But once caught up in the ease with which he moves from style to style and comedy to drama, it is hard not to relinquish old preferences and not be wholly impressed with the beauty of the voice and the warmth and dignity of this fine musician. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, July 05

Passed the "Opera in English" test with flying colors........2005-07-04

For me, the test here was Figaro's Cavatina, from Rossini's Barber of Seville - sung in English, as is this entire compilation of 14 operatic favorites, sung by baritone Sir Thomas Allen. Could he pull it off? Could Chandos pull it off? The answer is an unequivocal, unqualified yes! The secret in singing classics in English, that were written and scored in another language, is in three things: pacing, vocal agility and appreciation for "fit", and what greater test for tongue and timing than Figaro? When you listen to this one song, you will understand why Chandos and its benefactor, Sir Peter Moores have such a passion for their Opera in English series. Sir Allen's voice is a matured unmistakably settled baritone voice that contains a lifetime's worth of understanding of the music and words he imparts through his magnificent delivery. For example, when he sings, Tchaikovsky's "You have my love and devotion" from The Queen of Spades, he delivers a smooth and deeply emotional rendition that lacks nothing in translation. Wagner's "Turning my gaze upon this proud assembly", from Tannhäuser is another example of how fine, full orchestration behind a seasoned voice that waxes eloquent with every phrase, can create a mood of relaxed familiarity with word and music, that may be lacking when sung in another tongue. Great Operatic Arias, serves up a smorgasbord of tunes that are familiar, made more so by the care and attention given to creating a place for the Opera in English series in every home library. The mood here is romantic, relaxed and with few exceptions consistent throughout. If you haven't heard Opera in English, this might be a good way to start, given the fact that the listener gets to sample how different composers might sound in other than German, Italian or French. You might be surprised to discover that when done with care, as is obviously the case here, the sound is about as good as it gets. As an added bonus, the booklet that comes with the CD is full of pictures, libretto in English, and biography that gives us a good insight into history of the singer and his identifying rolls.

Adagio I: A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

Average customer rating:

Excellent digital recording

Adagio I: A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Adagio II - A Special 2 1/2 Hour Collection Of Orchestral Classics

ASIN: B0000007ZS
Release Date: 1992-11-03

Tracks:

Piano Concerto In G Major: Adagio
Xerxes: Largo
Suite No.3 In D Major: Air
Adagio In G Minor
Le Erinnyes: Invocation
Elegy Op .58
Peer Gynt: Solveigs Lied
Notturno Op.70, No.1
Symphony No. 9 In E Minor: Largo
Concierto De Aranjuez: Adagio
Romance No. 2 In G Major Op. 50

Tracks:

Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
La Vierge: Dernier Sommeil Da La Vierge
Letzter Fruhling Op. 34, No. 2
Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: Adagietto
Adagio For Strings
Sospiri Op. 70
Poeme Op. 25

Product Description

Classical music is hot. In fact, it is probably the biggest story of the l990s in the recording industry. Classical crossover hits like Nigel Kennedy's recording of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons', Henryk Gorecki's 'Symphony no. 3', the Gregorian Chant album by the monks of Silo, and Michael Nyman's score for the Jane Campion film 'The Piano' - to name just a few - have broken out of classical music's traditional bounds and hit the pop charts. Suddenly, a classical recording that sells 10,000 units is no longer pushing the envelope; today's top classical releases are reaching sales heights formerly reserved for pop icons like Madonna and the Rolling Stones. This stunning turnaround in classical music's marketing power did not come out of nowhere, though. Celestial Harmonies helped set the stage for it with its Adagio (Complete Edition) (19908-2) series. Since 1981, long before the current interest in classical music began, Celestial Harmonies' compilations have been used worldwide for relaxation, meditation and even music therapy. And in a stunning reversal of music industry rules, absolutely no advertising or promotion was needed to achieve substantial sales figures. And while the rest of the classical world scurries around looking for the next big hit, Celestial Harmonies has released an updated digital version of an already proven winner: The Adagio series, a total of seven double-CDs. With sales of over 300,000 units in the past decade, the reason for the series' success is no mystery. As modern life has become increasingly complex and stressful, listeners have turned to music as a source of relief - especially the timeless, contemplative sounds of classical music. It seems that as the pace of our lives gets progressively faster, the music that many listeners are seeking is increasingly slow. The Adagio series, presents over seventeen hours of the world's finest slow music, making it the largest such collection anywhere. Adagio I includes the famous 'Air' from

Customer Reviews:

Excellent digital recording.......2003-03-18

I realize that classical music is something were there is a range of conesuirship, and I represent perhaps the lowest tier of appreciators. In my wholly uniformed opinion, "Adagio I" is an excellent classic music collection, containing well-executed pieces ranging from a few instruments to full orchestral ensembles, representing a variety of composers. The digital recording is remarkable, and an unexpectedly full sound comes from the CD. The 2 1/2 length is nice, split onto two disks.

Tracks:

Symphony No. 2: Andante sostenuto 'A London Symphony'
Paulina's Theme & Paulina's Secret (Death And The Maiden)
La Traviata: Prelude To Act 1
Symphony No. 9 'New World': Largo
The Well - Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude In C - Sharp Minor
Carnival Of The Animals: Aquarium
Gymnopedie I
Trivium: Camerata Tallinn
The Children of Lir: 'Listen To The Cleric's Bell'
Suantrai
The Well - Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude In C Major
Romance For Violin And Orchestra: The Lark Ascending
Lyric Pieces: Arietta, Op. 12, No. 1
Suite No. 6 In D Major For Cello: Allemande
Sacred Choral Works: Concerto No. 32, Andante Moderato
String Quintet In C Major, D 956: Adagio
Sanata In C Major, K, 454: Andante
Piano Concerto No.2, Op. 102: Andante
Appalachian Spring: Andante

Amazon.com

This disc must be intended for insomniacs; it has that three-in-the-morning feel. The single movements featured are for the most part well performed. And some are decidedly off the beaten track, like Wojciech Kilar's Death and the Maiden (no relation to Schubert's) from the soundtrack to the movie, Paulina's Secret. And we also get English horn player Thomas Stacy doing the solo from the slow movement of Dvorák's New World Symphony with the New York Philharmonic. Also, there is violinist Tasmin Little and the BBC Symphony in a beautiful, dewy performance of The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams. -- Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

Haunting, Atmospheric, and Beautiful.......2006-06-15

Every time I find myself awake past midnight, I listen to this CD. It does indeed have that "three-in-the-morning feel". I'm not a classical music buff but every piece on Night Tracks is well-chosen and played beautifully. No matter I stressed out I may feel, this CD never fails to relax me and fill me with peace and tranquility --- I can't recommend it highly enough. The album cover is striking and moody.

Not your ordinary tonal bubble bath ..........2005-10-01

I love this recording for its thought-provoking selections. I wouldn't suggest reading while you listen, you'll get too distracted. Maybe a long soak in the bath and a nice glass of wine. It's great for thinking things over. If I have a criticism, it's the odd themes from Dvorak, Copland, Vaughn Williams and Verdi. Playing just a taste of a theme from something doesn't satisfy. But the Bach, Kilar, Espere and the rest are wonderful.

The Best overall stress reducing music cd ever!.......2005-01-17

This is by far one of my favorite cd's to listen to at the end of a long day. Especially in the winter months curled up by a fire and a good book.

Only problem is..........2005-01-04

I always fall asleep by the third song. It is so relaxing and wonderful in assortment.

Wonderful and Relaxing........2003-01-17

Truly one of the best collections of relaxing classical music. A must have for couples when the kids are gone, or just some quiet time alone. Soothing to the mind, body and soul.

Average customer rating:

A gateway drug, nothing more, nothing less.
Decent Selection, But...
A must-have classical music set!

Best Classics 100

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music