Puccini Gold

Puccini Gold

2007, Decca, 2-cd set
Featuring Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballe, Carlo Bergonzi
Mirella Freni, Renee Fleming, Jose Carreras, Renata Tebaldi, Roberto Alagna, Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, Anna Netrebko, Rollando Villazon, Jonas Kauffman, Rolando Panerai, Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto de Candia, Sherril Milnes, Christa Ludwig, Kiri Te Kanawa, Andrea Bocelli, Giuseppe di Stefano, Robert Kerns.

This is a very well mixed compilation cd. It features two discs of famous singers doing famous Puccini pieces. Some of the recordings are from complete opera recordings, some are singles. The sound quality is very good, with very few of them less than lovely. The mix of tracks and different voices is well done and easy to listen to. The very last track is from the Three Tenors 1994 concert where they all sing Nessun Dorma together. Even if you aren't a big Three Tenors fan, it is a fitting end to this Puccini tribute. For any Puccini fan, this is an album well worth trying.

Handel: Renee Fleming

Handel: Renee Fleming
Decca

Handel is not one of my favorite composers. Sure, he did write some beautiful music, but a little tends to go a long way. However, this CD is a wonderful collection. Great as background music and her renditions of “Ombra Mai Fu” and “Let the Bright Seraphim” are brilliant. The quality of the recordings is excellent and her voal renditions are very nice. I have listened through the entire album many times and enjoyed every minute of it. It has definitely raised my opinion of Handel. All in all, very nicely done. “The Beautiful Voice” is really beautiful.

Joan Sutherland: Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits

Featuring Joan Sutherland
London/Decca

This is a fantastic compilation cd of Dame Joan. The best thing for an established fan or a new comer! She really shines throughout the entire disc and every song is a gem. The recording quality is super and very nicely remastered. As the finale they have included the Mad Scene from Dame Joan's very first recording of Lucia di Lammermoor. Personally, my favorite song (and one of my all-time favorite Joan Sutherland numbers) is Let the Bright Seraphim, which is absolutely stupendous! All in all, highly recommended! This was one of the very first opera cds that I purchased and is still my favorite!

Handel: Let the Bright Seraphim from Samson
Arditi: Il Bacio
Lehar: Vilja from The Merry Widow
Strauss: Nuns' Chorus from Casanova
Donizetti: Salut a la France! from La Fille du Regiment
Delibes: Bell Song from Lakme
Bellini: Casta Diva from Norma
Gounod: Jewel Song from Faust
Donizetti: Mad Scene from Lucia Di Lammermoor

Madame Butterfly

Madame Butterfly
featuring Ying Huang, Richard Troxell, and Ning Liang.
Sony; 2 discs

This is actually the soundtrack to the 1995 film. I have always liked certain numbers from Butterfly, but have never actually explored the opera other than listening to highlights. However, a friend sent a link to Un Bel Di from the film and I was awestruck at the beauty of Miss Huang's rendition of the famous aria. Wishing to hear a little more, I got a copy of the entire soundtrack thinking that I would at least try to find the love duet as well as Un Bel Di. I found it, and WOW! I was really thrilled. After listening to my few favorite parts, I kept rewinding tracks to just hear a little more. Pretty soon I had listened to practically the entire first disc! What comes before Un Bel Di is fantastic. Miss Huang as Cio-Cio San and Ning Liang as Suzuki work very well together and when the music climaxes right before the aria, it sends chills up and down your spine! Mr. Troxell's very high and clear tenor is different from the usual Pinkerton and he is very good in the role of the totally unlikable sailor. The love duet is simply fantastic!

A really phenomenal cast. Well suited to each other and beautifully sung. You can't beat the quality of the recording and the set comes with a full four-language libretto. I highly recommend this for any fan of Madame Butterfly or Puccini.

Voice of the Violin

Voice of the Violin
Joshua Bell
Featuring Anna Netrebko
Sony Classical

Joshua Bell's 2006 CD is an experience not to be missed. I just checked it out from our library and fell in love with it so much that I just had to go buy it. Every song on this disc has been adapted for violin from vocal pieces (hence the name "Voice of the Violin"). He plays several opera arias, including "Pourquoi me reveiller?"and Rusalka's "Song to the Moon". Every song is a gem and so worth listening to, however, the last two are the icing on the cake. Bizet's haunting "Je crois entendre encore" is simply wonderful. Joshua Bell has indeed made the violin sound like a voice, creating a wonderful effect for this beautiful number. For the final song, he is joined by famous opera soprano Anna Netrebko, for Richard Strauss' "Morgen!", a song originally written for voice and piano. They are simply wonderful together and the only trouble is that it is over too soon. Actually, that is the only trouble with the entire cd - it is over too soon. But the nice thing is that you can start it all over again from the beginning!

The disc has wonderful quality sound and features a nice booklet, which is worth reading as it has notes about each song. All in all, definitely worth listening to and this will be on the top of my shelf from now on! Whether you want to hear a few songs or go all the way through, this is a fantastic cd.

RACHMANINOFF: Vocalise
SCHUBERT: Ave Maria
MASSENET: Pourquoi me reveiller? from Werther
FAURE: Apres un reve
DVORAK: Song to the Moon from Rusalka
MOZART: Laudate Dominum
TCHAIKOVSKY: None but the Lonely Heart
DONIZETTI: Una furtiva lagrima from L'Elisir d'Amore
ORFF: In trutina from Carmina Burana
MENDELSSOHN: May Breezes from Songs Without Words
DEBUSSY: Beau soir
PONCE: Estrellita
DE FALLA: Nana from Seven Popular Spanish Songs
BIZET: Je crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers
R. STRAUSS: Morgen! - featuring ANNA NETREBKO -

With a Song in My Heart: A Tribute to Mario Lanza

With a Song in My Heart: A Tribute to Mario Lanza

Jose Carreras
Teldec

Very cool to hear a great modern tenor saluting his “role model”. All the famous Lanza songs,opera, popular, and folk. Not my favorite Carreras CD, but it is still fun to listen to if you are a fan of Lanza or Mr. Carreras.

Lucia di Lammermoor

Lucia di Lammermoor
Featuring Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, and Samuel Ramey
New Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos
Decca; 2 discs

Unusual interpretation by Caballe. The “Mad Scene” is very different from Joan Sutherland’s style, closer to Callas’ interpretation. Caballe’s famous pianissimo high notes are nowhere to be found and she is somewhat strained on the high-C’s. If you are a fan of Caballe or “Lucia”, this is worth listening to. Carreras is wonderful and his ending aria, which is sometimes an anti-climax, is superb.

Korngold: Orchestral Works

Korngold
Featuring Willy Mattes, Thomas Hampson, and Kiri Te Kanawa
EMI Classics; 2 discs

Beautiful, top quality recordings of some of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's orchestral works. Includes the Symphony in F Sharp, a violin concerto, "Much Ado About Nothing" Suite, a piano trip, and two arias from his opera "Die Tote Stadt". The instrumental pieces are beautiful and very different from his well-known swashbuckling film scores. However, the final track is so stupendous that the cd is worth getting for it alone. Famed opera baritone, Thomas Hampson, sings the gorgeous aria "Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen" from "Die Tote Stadt" so beautifly that the listener can't help but be enthralled.

Renee Fleming: By Request

By Request
Featuring Renee Fleming
Decca

A great introduction to “The Beautiful Voice”. Together with her album “Signature Scenes” you get to hear all her greatest songs. She does, however, omit the E flat in “Sempre Libera”, which is different. Her rendition of Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” and Dvorak’s “O Silver Moon” are the highlights.

La Boheme - The Dream Cast

La Boheme - The Dream Cast [Highlights]
Decca
Featuring Carlo Bergonzi, Andrea Bocelli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Renata Tebaldi, Renee Fleming, Mirella Freni, Jose Carreras, Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Gianni Maffeo, Luciano Pavarotti and Nicolai Ghiaurov.

All the famous arias from La Boheme, interesting mix of people. If you like the opera, it is worth listening to so that you can see how many different styles can sing the same music. Interesting, but lacks flow.

Turandot

Turandot
Featuring Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, and Montserrat Caballe.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta
Decca; 2 discs

The ultimate "Turandot" out there! Wonderful performances from all the cast. Joan Sutherland is wonderful as the icy princess, easily delivering the challenging vocals. Pavarotti makes a wonderful "Calaf" and who else can sing Nessun Dorma like that? Montserrat Caballe gives a beautiful rendition of Liu’s Signore, Ascolte, pianissimo high-notes floating through the air. Just skip through the tedious Act 2 (nobody could make that entertaining). The end is wonderful with Pavarotti and Sutherland in top form.

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)

Lucia di Lammermoor

Lucia di Lammermoor (Decca London; 3 discs)
Featuring Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and Nicolai Ghiaurov
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Conducted by Richard Bonynge
Probably the BEST recording of Lucia out there. This was Joan Sutherland’s second recording of "Lucia", done in 1971, so she is comfortable with the role and vocally brilliant. The rest of the cast is great but Sutherland is "La Stupenda". I would recommend this for any fan of Sutherland, or the opera itself. One of the best recordings of one of the masterpieces in opera.

The Very Best of Maria Callas

The Very Best of Maria Callas (EMI)
Are you curious about La Divina? This is a great compilation of her famous hits, from a variety of operas. Everything from "Carmen" to "Norma", this is a great way to start. "Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix", "Depuis le jour", and "Suicidio!" are the stand-outs. This makes great background opera listening.




Track List
1. Habanera: L'Amour est un Oiseau Rebelle (Carmen)
2. O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi)
3. Ebben, Ne Andro Lontana (La Wally)
4. Mon Coeur S'Ouvre a ta Voix (Samson et Dalila)
5. Vissi D'Arte (Tosca)
6. La Mamma Morta (Andrea Chenier)
7. Porgi Amor (Le Nozze di Figaro)
8. J'Ai Perdu Mon Eurydice (Orphee et Eurydice)
9. Ritorna Vincitor (Aida)
10. Ecco . . . Lo Son L'Umile Ancella (Adriana Lecouvreur)
11. Un Bel Di (Madame Butterfly)
12. Casta Diva (Norma)
13. Signore Ascolta (Turandot)
14. Depuis Le Jour (Louise)
15. Mi Chiamano Mimi (La Boheme)
16. Suicidio! (La Gioconda)
17. Pace, Pace Mio Dio (La Forza Del Destino)

The Ultimate Opera Divas Album

The Ultimate Opera Divas Album (Decca)
Featuring Cecilia Bartoli, Marilyn Horne, Angela Gheorghiu, Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballe, Zinka Milznov, Mirella Freni, Joan Sutherland, Leontyne Price, Renee Fleming, Tatiana Troyanos, Kiri Te Kanawa, Frederica Von Stade, Sumi Jo, Kathleen Battle, Kirsten Flagstad, and Birgit Nilsson.

A fantastic album featuring many of the greatest sopranos singing some of the greatest songs. A perfect introduction to these ladies’ different styles and the different types of opera, from Puccini to Wagner. This CD is what hooked me on Joan Sutherland and opened a whole new door in the operatic world.



Track List:
1. Non piu mesta (La Cenerentola) Cecilia Bartoli
2. Cruda sorte! (L'italiana in Algeri) Marilyn Horne
3. Sempre Libera (La Traviata) Angela Gheorghiu
4. Ebben? Ne andro lontana (La Wally) Renata Tebaldi
5. La Mamma Morte (Andrea Chenier) Montserrat Caballe
6. Suicidio! (La Gioconda) Zinka Milanov
7. Un Bel Di (Madame Butterfly) Mirella Freni
8. Casta Diva (Norma) Joan Sutherland
9. Vissi D'arte (Tosca) Leontyne Price
10. Ave Maria (Otello) Renee Fleming
11. Habanera (Carmen) Tatiana Troyanos
12. Dove Sono (Le Nozze di Figaro) Kiri Te Kanawa
13. Voi Che Sapate (Le Nozze di Figaro) Frederica Von Stade
14. Queen of the Night's Revenge Aria (Die Zauberflote) Sumi Jo
15. Durch Zartlichkeit und Schmeicheln (The Abduction from the Serglio) Kathleen Battle
16. Du Bist der Lenz (Die Walkure) Kirsten Flagstad
17. Mild und leise "Liebstod" (Tristan und Isolde) Birgit Nilsson