La Fanciulla del West (1991)

La Fanciulla del West
1991 La Scala performance
142 Minutes; Image Entertainment DVD

Featuring Placido Domingo, Mara Zampieri, and Juan Pons
The two stars turn in great performances. Mara Zampieri is wonderful as "Minnie", and Domingo is always great as the bandit "Ramirez". Well worth watching if you like this opera. The downfall to this is that the subtitles are stationary.

Concerto Italiano (1965)

Concerto Italiano: 1965 CBC Broadcast
Featuring Renata Tebaldi with Louis Quilico
53 minutes; Video Artists International DVD

Canadian broadcast of Tebaldi singing “O Mio Babbino Caro”, Venetian songs, and the scene from Act II of Tosca where she kills Scarpia (which is performed fully staged). Worth the viewing just to see Tebladi perform some great Puccini arias.

La Forza del Destino (1984)

La Forza del Destino
1984 Metropolitan Opera performance
featuring Leontyne Price and Giacomo Giacomini
180 Minutes; Deutsche Grammophon DVD

The incomparable Leontyne Price! What more is there to say? Every note she sings is well worth your time, beginning to end. The last act alone is worth watching, even if you aren’t interested in the whole opera. Her phenomenal rendition of "Pace, Pace, Mio Dio" is an absolute MUST! The remastered DVD is GREAT!

Fidelio

Fidelio (TelDec; 2 discs)
Featuring Waltraud Meier, Placido Domingo, Falk Struckmann, and Rene Pape
Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Daniel Barenboim
Teldec; 2 discs

A very good "Fidelio". Waltraud Meier is very good as "Leonora" and Placido Domingo is well matched as "Florestan". Strong supporting cast, excellent direction. Struckmann as "Pizarro" is not my favorite, but Pape makes a fantastic "Rocco". One of my favorite recordings of this opera. If you can’t get the DVD of Gabriela Benackova, then this recording is the one to get.

Mario Lanza: Opera Arias

Mario Lanza: Opera Arias & Duets
Also featuring Jean Fenn, Elaine Malbin, and Licia Albanese
RCA
The back of the case says it best, "A feast for Lanza and opera fans alike, this collection boasts ten traks new to CD, including four never issued before in any format. For a grand finale, Metropolitan Opera star Licia Albanese partners Lanza in an electrifying duet from Verdi’s Otello".





Track List:

1. Celeste Aida (Aida)
2. Amor ti vieta (Fedora)
3. Un di, all'azzurro spazio (Andrea Chenier)
4. O soave fanciulla (La Boheme) with Jean Fenn
5. Flower Aria: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Carmen)
6. O paradiso (L'Africaine)
7. Un tal gioco, credetemi (I Pagliacci)
8. Stolta paura l'amor (Madame Butterfly) with Elaine Malbin
9. La donne e mobile (Rigoletto)
10. Vesti la Giubba (I Pagliacci)
11. M'appari, tutt amor (Martha)
12. Nessun Dorma (Turandot)
13. Testa adorata (La Boheme)
14. Come un bel di di maggio (Andrea Chenier)
15. Lamento di Frederico (L"Arlesiana)
16. Dio ti giocondi (Otello) with Licia Albanese

Mad Scenes

Feautring Joan Sutherland
Decca
Includes the “Mad Scenes” from I Puritani, Dinorah, Hamlet, L’Etoile du Nord, and Lucia di Lammermoor. This is a MUST for any fan of Joan Sutherland. Each piece is a gem. The L’Etoile du Nord is fantastic, and rarely found, with Dame Joan singing a “trio” with a pair of flutes. Positively thrilling! This is one of my favorite Sutherland CDs.



Track List:

1. O rendetemi la speme (I Puritani)
2. Vien, diletto, e in ciel la luna (I Puritani)
3. Bellah! ma chevre cherie! (Dinorah)
4. Shadow Song: Dieu! Comme cette nuit (Dinorah)
5. A vos jeux, mes amis, permettez-moi (Hamlet)
6. L voila! Je crois l'entendre (Hamlet)
7. C'est bien lui . . . Lalala air cheri! (L'Etoile du Mord)
8. Eccola! . . . Il dolce suono (Lucia di Lammermoor)
9. Ohime! Sorge il tremendo fantasma (Lucia di Lammermoor)
10. S'avenga Enrico! (Lucia di Lammermoor)
11. Spargi d'amoro pianto (Lucia di Lammermoor)