Sempre Libera

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Anna Netrebko's second CD is even more impressive than her first. She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she's working at it and presents here a very satisfying---even thrilling---program. She doesn't quite have the stature or insights for Verdi's Violetta yet, but aside from some smudged coloratura in low-lying passages she sings the first act scene quite well (capped with a well-placed, big E-flat). She's close to ideal in the Sonnambula and Puritani excerpts, where her girlishness is entirely right, her coloratura dazzling, and her ability to sound tearful really impressive. The Lucia Mad Scene (also notable here for its use of the glass harmonica for which it was composed in place of the usual flute) is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be. And although she's not vocally suited to Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria, she does manage to darken her voice to fit the character and presents a very moving portrait. The CD ends with an utterly charming "O mio babbino caro." Artistry and everything else aside, her voice is just beautiful. Claudio Abbado's leadership is ideal. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa - Sherrill Milnes
Dunque Io Son - Sherrill Milnes
Contro Un Cor - Sherrill Milnes
Ah, Qual Colpo Inaspetatto! - Sherrill Milnes
E Il Sol Dell'anima... Addio! Speranza Ed Anima - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Gualtier Malde... Caro Nome - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tutte Le Feste Al Tempio... Compiuto Pur Quanto... Si, Vendetta - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
V'ho Ingannato... Lassu In Cielo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere... So Anch'io La Virtu Magica - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Pronta Io Son... Vado, Corro - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Via, Caro Sposino - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tornami A Dir Che M'ami - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
La Morale In Tutto Questo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Vilia - Beverly Sills
Ah! Je Suis Seule... Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
Cielo! Che Diverro?... Si, ferite... Dal Soggiorno... Ah! Che Spiegar - Beverly Sills
Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - John Alldis Choir
Un Di Felice, Eterea - John Alldis Choir
E Strano... Ah, Fors'e Lui... Follie! Follie!... Sempre Libera - John Alldis Choir
Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Ah! Dite Alla Giovine - John Alldis Choir
Che Fai? - John Alldis Choir
Addio Del Passato - John Alldis Choir
Parigi, O Cara - John Alldis Choir

Amazon.com

Beverly Sills hardly needs an introduction. She sang on the radio as a child and on the operatic stage as a teenager; her meteoric international career was launched by appearances in several virtually unknown bel canto operas at the New York City Opera. This compilation of arias and ensembles from some of her signature roles, recorded in the 1970s, with splendid partners like Nicolai Gedda, Alfredo Kraus, and Sherrill Milnes, displays her unique vocal and dramatic artistry at its peak. Her voice, effortlessly produced over an enormous range, is bright, pure, infinitely variable in color, inflection and intensity. Her intonation is impeccable even in huge leaps, and her breath is endless. The coloratura roulades are like strings of perfect, luminous pearls, clearly articulated in seamless legato. But this stunning technique (whose only flaw is a sometimes wide, wobbly vibrato) is never used for show; every note has life and expression, serving the music and the dramatic situation. Indeed, her characters are flesh-and-blood human beings, whose thoughts, emotions and interactions, from inwardness to ecstasy, from lamentation to overflowing joy, she projects with riveting concentration. Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville is a charming, mischievous minx who succumbs to delighted tenderness; Pamira's great scene from his Siege of Corinth shows clearly why her Metropolitan Opera debut in that role was a sensation. In Verdi's Rigoletto, Gilda's hopeful innocence turns into hopeless despair: she dies, palpably, on a floating, celestial pianissimo. In his La traviata, Violetta's initial cool, hesitant restraint gradually melts as she opens herself (and her voice) to Alfredo's ardor and the bliss of love. The vocal balance in their final duet is uncanny; its tremulous tenderness in the shadow of death breaks the heart, as does her duet with Germont. Massenet's Thais is sensuous; Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Lehár's The Merry Widow provide comic relief. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Here's what the fuss was all about!.......2007-07-17

It would have been even better if they had included at least one Cleopatra aria and something from Baby Doe, but it doesn't really matter, because this collection will allow younger listeners especially to hear what the fuss was all about! There are moments listening to Sills, especially from Traviata or Manon, that are so beautifully sung and so genuine that they are heartbreaking. I feel so fortunate to have heard her Queen of the Night, Manon, Violetta, and Baby Doe. She was so generous as a performer and as a humanitarian, and she really brought opera into the American mainstream.

Beverly Sills - The Best.......2007-04-01

What a voice. No coloratura can compare, and she makes it seem so easy.

Beverly Sills' highs are breathtaking!.......2006-09-18

Adio del Passato is incredible! Beverly's high, floating coloratura is no less than ethereal which takes you to another world. Her voice has given me so much joy that it is hard to say one recording is better than another because I love her Mozart album equally with her Bellini/Donizetti. It is so wonderful to have these recordings captured on CD! Enjoy!

THE 2005 OPERA CD OF THE YEAR.......2006-08-19

THIS CD WAS THE BEST OPERA CD ISSUED LAST YEAR, AND HAS CAUGHT THE WORLD'S EAR IN NO TIME. I WAS BUSY WRITING IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, WHILE THE STATEOWNED FM RADIOSTATION, DEDICATED TO CULTURE, WAS SOFTLY PLAYING OPERA ARIAS IN THE BACKGROUND. SUDDENLY I HEARD THE MOST FANTASTIC RENDERING OF "SEMPRE LIBERA" FROM "LA TRAVIATA". I GOT UP, SAT BY THE RADIO AND WAITED TO KNOW WHO WAS SINGING... THEN GOT BACK TO THE COMPUTER TO ORDER THIS CD FROM AMAZON! INCREDIBLE: ONLY 17 BUCKS FOR THIS, WHILE QUITE A BIT OF TRASH IS SOLD FOR 30.40 AND MORE...
A LADY FRIEND ONCE TOLD ME SHE COULD NOT LISTEN TO THE DUET IN "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" WITH MIRELLA FRENI AND LUCIANO PAVAROTTI (RECORDED IN 1974, BY VON KARAJAN) WITHOUT CRYING. WELL, YOU CANNOT LISTEN TO SILLS IN "LA TRAVIATA" DRY-EYED, NO MATTER WHO THE TENOR IS. SHE PROJECTS THE SAME DRAMATIC FEELING OF "LA DIVINA" CALLAS WITHOUT THOSE SHRIEKED HIGHNOTES; SHE OFFERS THE SAME COLORATURA VOCAL GYMNASTICS AS "LA STUPENDA" SUTHERLAND BUT WITH WARMTH... WHEN BEVERLY SANG, AS IN EVERYTHING ELSE SHE DID, SHE ALWAYS GAVE HER UTMOST. SHE WAS "LA GENEROSA" TO BE SURE.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE READING WHAT OTHERS THINK.
ORDER THIS CD NOW AND MARVEL AT HOW THIS GREAT AMERICAN LADY, IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS, ALSO COULD SING!

EMI Does It Again: Beverly Sills - A Tribute.......2005-07-22

EMI's "Very Best Of" series are perfect introductions to operatic singers of the 20th century. Once you hear these artist tribute albums (much like The Singers series) you will get hooked on the singer and seek out their full-length studio recordings. Beverly Sills was the first truly famous American opera star. One may argue that she was not, that she was merely a continued tradition of American divas such as Mary Garden and Lily Pons and which still continues today with Renee Fleming, Elizabeth Futral and Susan Graham. Beverly was raised in New York City, which is still her home, and which is the home of the New York City Opera and the Met, opera houses which rocketed her to fame. Her first success (not featured in this recording...UH WHY ?) was Cleopatra of Handel's Julius Caesar, a performance she sang opposite the illustrious baritone Norman Treigle. Those performances were legendary because coincidentally at the same time the Met was opening its new theatre and season with what became a disastrous Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra starring Leontyne Price in an overblown, big-budget, epic fiasco. The great roles that followed the 1965 Cleopatra were Manon, Queen Elizabeth I in Roberto Deveraux, Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena in the Donizetti Tudor Queen operas, Pamira in The Siege of Corinth (which were Sill's La Scala and belated Met debut. None of the Queens are featured in this recording, though its supposedly the Very Best Of. An aria from Rossini's Siege of Corinth is featured here however. What we are treated to however are fine lyric roles- Beverly Sills shone brightly and acted convincingly as Gilda in Rigoletto (the final scene is featured here) as Violetta in La Traviata, Thais, The Merry Widow (the beautiful Vilja is featured here)and the ingenue role of Norina in Don Pasquale is also showcased here. To each of these roles, Beverly Sills delivered an authenticity and dramatic interpretation, not ot mention beautiful, sweet tone. I love her pianissimos, her high notes, her chest register. It was the voice of Beverly Sills who first hooked me into opera. For a recording that should showcase her best work, Manon is not featured nor any of her prized French heroines- Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment and the heroines in Tales of Hoffman. Also not in here is the role that was her first success- the Broadway opera Ballad of Baby Doe. Even as such, the arias here are gorgeous. The Barber of Seville is in here and as Rosina she is playful and charming. Sills was a modern singer, with a voice that was beautiful but willing to sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic content. When Sills was once asked what she thought of the supposed rivalry with Joan Sutherland (which was never real and only gossip from partisan fans) Beverly said something to this effect -Joan and I are apples and oranges in our take on opera, we are Picasso and Monet. She would do anything for the effect of beauty and tone, I'd sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic text. Even as such, I see no ugliness to any of the roles here. All of them are beautiful to hear, full of rich floating celestial tones. It would have been nice to hear the roles that did call for Sills to step up the tense drama - Norma, will her recording ever be reissued by EMI ? Also, few people know that Beverly Sills sung role most would consider dangerous for her voice (though she sang them long before her career even took off)- Aida and Carmen!!

Average customer rating:

RIP, BEVERLY SILLS 1929-2007
Brava Sills!
Sills fits my bill
The Great American Soprano
My Favorite Woman

The Great Recordings

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best of Beverly Sills
Art of Beverly
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)
Beverly Sills: Made in America
Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato

ASIN: B0001Y4JG6
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

The great American diva's passing was announced today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

Not all the arias were her best
DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST
Fair Enough
Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD
Beautiful indeed!

Renee Fleming: By Request
Vincenzo Bellini , Alfredo Catalani , Antonin Dvorak , George Gershwin , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Jules Massenet , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Giacomo Puccini , Sergey Rachmaninov , Richard Rodgers , Richard Strauss , Giuseppe Verdi , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Georg Solti , James Levine , Jeffrey Tate , Patrick Summers , Sir Charles Mackerras , Lee Ritenour , Chamber Orchestra of Europe , and Renee Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Renée Fleming
Sacred Songs
HOMAGE: The Age of the Diva
Haunted Heart

ASIN: B0000C3ICO
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

O Mio Babbino Caro
Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontana
Porgi, Amor
Come Scoglio
Casta Diva
E Strano...Ah Fors E Lui...Sempre Libera
Un Bel Di Vedremo
Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins...Gavotte
Mesicku Na Nebi Hlubokem (O Silver Moon)
Vocalise
Cacilie
Marietta's Lied
Summertime
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria (Cantilena)
You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

This is a compilation--plus three previously unreleased selections--of some of the glorious Renée Fleming's finest work, 15 selections covering 13 composers. The rose-in-full-bloom quality of the voice is staggeringly beautiful: Her rendition of Rusalka's "Song to the Moon" is justly famous and is, alone, worth the price of this CD. Other highlights are Marietta's Lied from Korngold's Die tote stadt, an odd arrangement of the aria from Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasilerias No. 5, Manon's Gavotte, and a knock-down-gorgeous reading of Gershwin's "Summertime." The three new recordings are of Violetta's big first-act scene from La traviata, which features one of the most perfect trills heard since Joan Sutherland, a thrilling Cäcilie (R. Strauss), and a version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" which is so over the-top that it might make you look away in embarrassment. On the basis of this CD, one would have to acknowledge that Fleming is more interested in--and more successful at--pure singing than she is at character delineation (Butterfly sounds oddly like Wally who sounds too much like Norma), but it's not hard to tell why she's a superstar. Her voice and technique are one in a million. --Robert Levine

Album Details

"by Request" is a Collection of Fleming's Greatest and Most Popular Recordings Including Works by Mozart, Bellini, Pucchini, Verdi and Dvorak. Featuring Recordings from Renee Fleming's Outstanding Decca Discography Together with Two Glorious Tracks Strauss "Cacilie" and Verdi's "la Traviata" a Role Fleming Performed to Critical Aclaim Earlier in 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Not all the arias were her best.......2005-01-15

There is something lacking. Although most of these are indeed her "Best" releases, some things could have been left out. Her O Mio Babbino Caro and her Casta Diva weren't her best efforts at all. Casta Diva, sung to perfection by other revered artists, sounded too breathy and fearful here. It has good chest notes, and it is definitely better than Joan Sutherland's Norma though. Her O Mio Babbino Caro is the usual aria sung in its usual way, without leaving any trace of awe at an ability of a singer to interpret the aria. Rachmaninov's Vocalise was good, and it was great of Decca to release her Song to the Moon on this disc. However, some new additions weren't all that good as well. For example, if you listen to her excerpt from La Traviata, you will find that she sounds like she was singing jazz when uttering out "Gioir!". I think Decca should have issued the live performance version of this instead. That was so much better. Also, they should have showcased more of the bel canto repertoire she had specialized in. That would have made this CD a gem!

DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST.......2004-11-22

THIS CD DEFINITELY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN HER REPERTOIRE. SHE IS SOLID, WARM, AND BRILLIANT ON MOST OF THE SONGS. SINCE I OWN MANY OF HER CDS MOST OF THE TRACKS I HAVE IN DUPLICATE. EVEN SO EACH VERSION HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT. HER "O MIO" IS GREAT BUT GENERALLY I FEEL THAT KIRI TE KAWANA IS A LITTLE CLEARER THAN RENEE. HER "Ebben?...Ne Andrò Lontana" IS ALWAYS BRILLIANT FROM HER HIGH ENDS TO THE NECESSARY LOW NOTES TO FINISH THIS GLORIOUS TRACK. HER COUNTESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG AND POWERFUL CHARACTERIZATION AND HER BUTTERFLY TEETERS ON HAPPINESS AND PAIN. THESE RICH LYRIC ROLES DESERVE A SOPRANO LIKE RENEE. I WAS HOWEVER, VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT SHE ADDED "SEMPRE LIBERA" TO THIS CD AS SHE'S NEVER BEEN A COMPELLING VIOLETTA AND CAN'T EVEN MUSTER THE HIGH "C" WE ALL EXPECT NOW A DAYS. HER RUSALKA IS ALWAYS MESMERIZING AND HER SIMPLICITY ON GLUCK'S "Das Mir Verblieb" WAS AN INCREDIBLE SURPRISE. I FOUND THE OTHER SONGS BORING DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIKE THEM AND I KIND OF WISHED SHE WOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH SOME BETTER WORKS. I MISSED HER SOFT AND DEFEATED "AVE MARIA" FROM OTHELLO OR HER FULL BODIED SPOILED MUSETTA IN "QUANDO MEN VO" OR HER RICH SADNESS IN "DOVE SONO"

Fair Enough .......2004-10-01

This is a compilation. I can't say love them I think thatpeople want to be surprised by new things, instead of um things they already own.On the other hand a die hard fan wouldn't mind having an extra cd by their favorite artist.Fair Enough.There was one aria that was new to me"Cantilena Brasileras"by Villa Lobos that was very striking.Her voice flows like an unimpeded stream with a lush vibrato.Like I read in one kid's review "Renee has a silky,creamy, instrument that is very beautiful and caresses the ear",couldn't have said it better myself. I agree. One smart kid!!! One thing that I have to comment on that will not escape is the dull cover picture. Renee get a better photographer;you're far more beautiful than that. I'm sounding like her mother,dear lord! She is a fox!

Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD.......2004-09-06

Just one listen to the high points of this disc will make you realize why Renée Fleming is an opera superstar. Covering a ten-year period, this compilation disc covers a most fertile period for Fleming, absolutely one of the world's leading lyric and dramatic sopranos. What is particularly impressive is how many different styles she has covered, ranging from Italian bel canto to French Romanticism to Rodgers & Hammerstein. She effortlessly sings in six different languages, including what sounds like flawless Czech on Dvorak's "Měsíčku na nebi hlubokén" (which goes back to her family roots). Her powerful voice is expressive, almost buttery, which allows the listener to enjoy the coloratura agility she has mastered over the years and the tonal qualities she specifically defines for each aria. This is most evident on my two personal favorites - "Ebben?...Ne scoglio" from Catalani's "La Wally" (which will sound familiar to fans of the French eighties noir film, "Diva") where her crystalline voice complements the increasing power of the melody, and the haunting "Mariettas Lied" from Korngold's "Die tote Stadt".

Fleming also has a good sense of the characters she is portraying, for instance, on the "La traviata" aria, "È stano...Ah, fors'è lui...Sempre libera", one gets a strong sense of Violetta's conflict between the attractions of true love versus the free life of a courtesan. She also gets some sturdy help from tenor Joseph Calleja as Alfredo in this piece. But even in this number, the effect of her daunting runs and trills can be a bit overwhelming. She does keep this in check with the slower-paced tracks like "Casta diva" from Bellini's "Norma", which uses a choir in the background to great effect, and Rachmaninov's lovely "Vocalise". The well-worn "Summertime" from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" is nicely covered here, and it certainly invites comparisons to even Leontyne Price's definitive version. Fleming ends the disc with a rousing version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel" that grows a bit too bombastic for listening comfort. Regardless, this disc provides a nice sampling of what this truly great singer has done over the past decade. A treat for her fans and highly recommended for anyone who wants an ideal introduction to her range of talent.

Beautiful indeed!.......2004-07-19

I'm very happy with this CD. She has a lovely voice! And what a fox! ;)

Average customer rating:

I am in love with Anna
simple stunning
Ok but not a bel canto singer
Having It All
Talented singer, but should she choose her reportoire better?

Sempre Libera
Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Claudio Abbado , Sascha Reckert , Sara Mingardo , Mahler Chamber Orchestra , and Saimir Pirgu
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Anna Netrebko: Opera Arias
Russian Album
Violetta: Arias and Duets from Verdi's La Traviata [Includes DVD]
Anna Netrebko - The Woman, The Voice
Verdi - La Traviata

ASIN: B000295TXC
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

E strano! - "Ah, fors'ui"
Sempre libera
Ah! Se una volta sola
Ah, non credea mirarti
Ah! non giunge uman pensiero
O rendetemi le speme...Qui la voce
Ah! tu sorridi
Vien, diletto, n ciel la luna
O giusto cielo! (Act 2)
OihmSorge il tremendo
Ardon gli incensi... (Act 2)
Spargi d'amaro pianto (Act 2)
Era pimo?
Piangea cantando nell'erma landa...
Ave Maria, piena di grazia
O mio babbino caro

Amazon.com

Anna Netrebko's second CD is even more impressive than her first. She still may not be an absolutely polished, finished artist, but she's working at it and presents here a very satisfying---even thrilling---program. She doesn't quite have the stature or insights for Verdi's Violetta yet, but aside from some smudged coloratura in low-lying passages she sings the first act scene quite well (capped with a well-placed, big E-flat). She's close to ideal in the Sonnambula and Puritani excerpts, where her girlishness is entirely right, her coloratura dazzling, and her ability to sound tearful really impressive. The Lucia Mad Scene (also notable here for its use of the glass harmonica for which it was composed in place of the usual flute) is quite wonderful, even if the runs are sometimes not as well-delineated as they should be. And although she's not vocally suited to Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria, she does manage to darken her voice to fit the character and presents a very moving portrait. The CD ends with an utterly charming "O mio babbino caro." Artistry and everything else aside, her voice is just beautiful. Claudio Abbado's leadership is ideal. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

I am in love with Anna.......2007-05-15

Did you see her in the Met's big screen broadcast of I Puritani? Then you know what I mean. Here is a just stunningly, impossibly gorgeous woman with a voice of liquid fire and gold who can sing with passion and precision while she's bending over and crawling around on the floor! If she weren't real I would guess she was the invention of the overinflamed imagination of a heterosexual opera queen (if such a being exists).

If you love getting great voice, buy this.

simple stunning.......2007-05-10

having just found this young womans CD in our local speciality store I was transformed from the mundaine life to the peak of ecstasy with her wonderful voice and the intense colours created by her own intensity.Here is a woman who can fill the heart with words that are pure gold and like velvet on the mind ,a truly wonderful voice and a stunning person to go with it .Here at last is a worthy successor to Dame Joan and others who gave opera to the world ,now we have in Anna Netrebko someone to give the passion and drama of opera to a new audience with the fire and fun of the pleasure this style of music can give.It is great to at last have an opera singer of this caliber who is unafraid to be herself and to let her own warmth and passion come through LONG May she continue to be the standard for others to attain.May she never change her love of singing and life

Ok but not a bel canto singer.......2007-03-21

Anna Netrebko's I Puritani selections are way below the art and skill of Callas, Sills, Sutherland, Caballe, and Gencer. She has no passion, no trills, no high notes that are deep and rich. Her best is in the Russian repertoire and possibley some undemanding Mozart.

Her broadcast from the Met Live of the I Puritani was alright, but scooping, avoidance of repetitions, running through passages like a locomotive, and an ending that would have brought the wrath of most opera houses in the world..scooping again, and a tight awful sounding high note. The same tentativenes is also here on this CD.She should know this. Her beauty and acting and allure are what interest the masses, not the voice, which is forgiven everything.

Too bad; she could be a lovely Tatyana some day.Also too, the Traviata is not that great; Anna Moffo , Renee Fleming, M. Caballe, and of course Maria Callas..Listen to these and hear the difference.

Having It All.......2007-01-22

This is a remarkable CD by the current "it" soprano. Anna Netrebko has it all. She is a wonderful singer, and a beautiful woman. Any star on the rise, particularly one with this much physical beauty and commercial promise, will always fall victim to criticisms that are more or less trivial. Believe me, I get it. When I first saw Anna, I wanted to be judgemental. After all, maybe she was just another pretty face being pushed by a record company. Then I heard her "Sempre libera" and became a fan.

There are criticisms of her trill, or her lack of a trill. Renee Fleming doesn't have a trill, and she has been the acclaimed queen for some time. Because of Anna's trill issues, she's criticized as lacking something that a coloratura should have. Well, she's not a coloratura. A good bel canto singer does not have to be a coloratura. There are criticisms of Anna's repertoire choices. You know why she picked this interesting melange for this CD? Because these are difficult scenes and arias, and she can do them. The only aria I didn't think "fit" is the "O mio babbino caro". She does it well, I just can't figure out what it's doing on this CD.

The "La Traviata" scene that starts the CD is absolutely magnificent. She is a wonderful Violetta, and sings this demanding scene with panache. She does the high E-flat at the end. Of course, she was coached by Scotto on this aria. Nice coaching if you can get it. No less remarkable are her scenes from "La sonnambula" and "I puritani". Her "Qui la voce" was beautiful. To listen to that gorgeous singing, and only focus on whether or not she has a trill is to miss the point of the music. I can definitely see why the Met is giving her the "Puritani" this season. Her scenes from "Lucia di Lammermoor" were technically perfect, and her mad scene very well done. The "Otello" scenes were amazing, particularly the floated pianos and pianissimos in the "Ave Maria". Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra are wonderful collaborators.

Ignore the criticisms and buy this CD! You'll be glad that you did. Highly recommended.

Talented singer, but should she choose her reportoire better?.......2007-01-10

Anna Netrebko has an attractive voice and a pleasing personality in this recording. But her performance also raises some questions.

First, she has a Callas-like habit (not a great compliment) when she ups her volume on higher notes of producing a rather unpleasant sound. In "Sempre libera," from "La Traviata," this is manifest. I compare this with the silky smooth lyric voice of Anna Moffo, from the 1960s and 1970s, who essayed this same piece in a manner much more attractive to the ear. Second, I could not hear a single trill on this CD (although maybe I missed something). In the colorature/bel canto repertoire, this is not a trifle. A trill is a standard part of a coloratura soprano's armamentorium. In that, again, she is like Callas, who scarcely issued forth a trill. "Spargi d'amaro pianto" is one of the classic cabalettas for coloratura sopranos. Sung without trills, it is not very satisfying. Some who have recorded the pyrotechnics of the "Mad Scene" have only displayed adequate trills (e.g., Anna Moffo or Angela Gheorghiu). Others, of course, have deployed wondrous effects, such as Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills. Just so, the cabalettas in "La Sonnambula" and "I Puritani."

Certainly, Netrebko also exhibits considerable strengths. Other ornamentation is fine; she has an agile voice; she can hit all the notes, including the high ones. Her vocal sound is most attractive (outside the one example noted earlier of a certain harshness). Her singing in the pieces from "Otello" and "Gianni Schicchi" are very well done.

So, all in all, a nice CD, but one that does not seem to feature Anna Netrebko at her best.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Collection of Songs
A Legend in all.....La Callas.
Excellent compilation of La Divina's arias
Some people have no business reviewing this
BELLA BELLA BELLA!

Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964
Maria Callas: The Legend
Puccini: Arias
The Most Famous Opera Duets

ASIN: B00000631B
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Norma: Casta Diva (Atto I): Norma
La Sonnambula: Compagne, teneri amici...Come per me sereno (Atto I): La Sonnambula
Il Barbieri Di Siviglia: Una Voce poco fa (Atto I): Il barbiere di Siviglia
Lucia di Lammermoor: Regnava nel silenzio...Quando, rapito in estasi (Atto I): Lucia di Siviglia
Rigoletto: Gualtier Mald...Caro Nome (Atto I): Rigoletto
La Traviata: E Strano!...Ah, Fors'e lui...Sempre libera (Atto I): La traviata
La Boheme: Si, Mi chiamo Mimi (Atto I): La boheme
La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci (Atto III) (Mimi's Farewell): La boheme
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel di Vedremo (Atto II): Madama Butterfly
TOSCA: Vissi D'arte (Atto II): tosca
Turandot: In questa reggia (Atto II): Turandot
La Wally: Ebben? ne andro lontana (Atto I): La Wally
Andrea Chenier: La mamma morta (Atto III): Andrea Chenier

Tracks:

Orphee et Eurydice: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice (Acte V)
Alceste: Divinites du Styx (Acte I)
Dinorah: Ombra leggiera (Atto II) (Shadow Song)
Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre (Acte I) (Waltz Song)
Faust: Les grand seigneurs...Ah! je ris (Acte III)
Lakme: Dov'e l'indiana bruna? (Atto II) (Bell Song)
Samson et Dalila: Printemps qui commence (Acte I)
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Acte II)
Les Pecheurs De Perles: Me voila seule...Comme autrefois (Acte II)
Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)(Acte I)
Carmen: Les tringles des sistre tintaient (Acte II)
Le Cid: De cet affreux combat...Pleurez mes yeux! (Acte III)
Manon: Je ne suis que faiblesse...Adieu, notre petite table (Acte II)
Louise: Depuis le jour (Acte III)

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Collection of Songs.......2006-07-15

I have listened samples of 5 Callas CDs before buying this one. This one has a very beautiful collection of songs on just 2 CDs. he sings with so much expression. Most the recordings are from the fifties and early sixties when her voice was very young and lovely. I'll try to get her on DVD so I can see her sing.

A Legend in all.....La Callas........2005-04-24

I would just like to refer to an article that was published by a German Newspaper in 1959, mentioned on the Callas Edition (CED:100342)
'...her voice is of unparalleled beauty, having an inimitable, completely own timbre of sopranos and altos...a performance of superior musical quality..a phenomenon amongst contemporary singers'
' ...One of the most spectacular Verdi arias, of Elizabeth from Don Carlo, and one, In Germany tottaly unknown, terrific scene from Bellini's opera Il Pirata were enough to enchant huge numers of television viewers, who can say at her next performance: 'we have seen La Callas''(Hamburg concert 1959)
'- from the contra-alt-f to the f - thats Callas' voice range, spanning over 37 half-tones. Callas herself has drawn the range of her voice. In her concert repertoire the contra-alt-f can be found in e.g. the aria from I Vespri Siciliani. In an aria from Rossini's opera Armida she reaches the 'F'. five half-tones above the high C. Normal voices couldnt possibly even whistle this high F. Though there are other singers, whose voices contain these three octaves - Erna Sack with her coloratura soprano, the lyrical singer Ema Berger and the dramatical singer Zinka Milanov from the New York Metropolitan Opera - simple fact is that the phenomenon Meneghini-Callas lies in her fabulous vocal versatility. She is a coloratura singer, drama-player and lyrist in one person - and an exceptionally talented ac-tress at that.'
Excuse from a journalist of the German Newspaper for the Diva :

Article Title : 'I am sorry!'

'I owe Maria Callas an apology. She is a unique vocal talent, a great artist. She is a primadonna. And she has her moods. Moods for which i ask her to forgive me. Because i misunderstood them - and many others too. That much i gathered from her latest television concert. Even in the flickering of the screen this woman's nervousness and enormous effort were visible.
La Callas is a fragile, rather shy person. Her moods are fear of failure. The moloch audience expects her to always go to any lenght, show the brilliance others just dont have. She is not allowed to get weak. Decent country singers are not decapitated for a false note. La Callas, on the other hand, is the identifying mark of the extraordinary. Even the slightest hint of a mistake would cost her her uniqueness, her stardom....a perverse triumph for all bathtube singers.
That explains her inhibitation to perform when she isnt well, her cancellations when she is not in the right mood. I understand them now. If she werent moody, she wouldnt be a primadonna, would not be La Callas.
Stars like her do not fit in our world of standards and programmed data. They pay dearly for their moods, have to put up fights and, undoubtedly, shed many a tear. So one more, my apologies, Maria Callas'
(Hans im Bild)
That's all folks!:D

Excellent compilation of La Divina's arias.......2005-03-21

This is one of the best compilations EMI has ever made for Maria Callas' arias. Each and every aria lets us listen to the best of her voice from each period of her career. An excellent collection!

Holly Mathews doesn't know how to appreciate art. Kathleen Battle and Renee Fleming themselves have admitted to the supremacy of Callas' singing over theirs, even if their voices seem more beautiful than La Divina. Why else would Callas be a legend and they wouldn't? They are equally good in their own right, but none of them would surpass the accuracy of La Divina's singing and phrasing. Holly Mathews' left side of the brain must be made of clay or foam, dead material that couldn't absorb any beauty.

Some people have no business reviewing this.......2005-01-25

My goodness, what is a non-musical person like Holly Mathews doing in this board? Do you know what other album she has reviewed? Hayley Westenra! And she's not even an opera singer! She obviously doesn't know her business! Disgraceful review! Ignore it! It obviously was not based on good judgement. I'm sure she is a pop fan who just likes tender music. Oh, her insulting language! What an ignorant Maria basher!

Anyway, this is an excellent compilation of SOME of Maria Callas' greatest arias. Although I do wish some arias like Pace Pace Mio Dio were included here, I do think it is a very good compilation all in all. Although she has many detractors, they still have to admit that Callas is the sheer embodiment of singing and drama. She was an actress...a panther on the stage. Listen to her La Mamma Morta and her Suicidio...those brought chills to my spine when I listened to them. Maria is the only singer in the history of opera besides the great Caruso-tenor Franco Corelli who touched me, moved me even. This is probably the reason why I love Maria Callas' music so much. If you want to hear Medea's anger and Norma's anguish and Butterfly's hopeful blindness, listen to Maria Callas. If you just want a golden voice, then go to Renata Tebaldi or Joan Sutherland. And don't even compare her with Charlotte Church or Hayley Westenra! The distaste of some people!

BELLA BELLA BELLA!.......2004-11-23

THIS WAS THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT FEATURING ANY OPERATIC SOPRANO. I WAS 15 AND WAS GIVEN MY VERY FIRST CLASSICAL PIECE "CARO MIO BEN" WHICH WAS NOT AN OPERA ARIA BUT DUE TOTHIS SONG I WAS SUDDENLY IN LOVE WITH OPERA. I HAD HEAR OF HER A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST BUT MY IDEA OF A GOOD SOPRANO AT THE TIME WAS SARAH BIRGHTMAN (YES I KNOW I KNOW!!!BUT I WAS YOUNG!)BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REALIZE HOW WRONG I WAS!! THIS CALLAS RECORDING HAD THE MOST PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME WHICH LED TO MY OBSESSION WITH MY OWN OPERATIC ASPIRATIONS. IT WAS STRANGE AS SHE DID NOT SOUND LIKE A FAT WOMAN SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF IN FULL BODY ARMOR. YES YES...I AND MANY MANY SAD AMERICANS HAVE THOUGH OF THIS WHEN GIVEN THE WORD OPERA. (NOW NOW, WE ALL FELT LIKE THAT AT SOME POINT) I NEVER REALIZED THAT THERE COULD BE SUCH PASSION. HER NORMA WAS IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN IT'S SIMPLICITY AND UNDERLINING STRENGTH. HER TAKE ON "COME OER ME SERENO" AND "UNA VOCE POCO FA" WERE SWEET AND APPROPRIATELY INNOCENT. HER BEL CANTO ROLES WHICH INCLUDED HER FANTASTIC LUCIA (ALTHOUGH LATER I WOULD PREFER SUTHERLAND) AND GILDA JUST THRILLED ME. I HAD NO IDEA SOMEONE COULD ACTUALLY SING THOSE PIECES! OF COURSE UP UNTIL THIS POINT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW OPERA COULD SOUND LIKE THAT!! (SILLY ME!) I WAS SURPRISED TO REALIZED I KNEW THE ARIAS SHE SUNG FROM LA BOHEME, LA TRAVIATA, AND MADAME BUTTERFLY. THEY DIDN'T MAKE A HUGE IMPRESSION BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE FIREWORKS I WAS LOOKING FOR BUT I STILL FOUND THEM TO BE BEAUTIFUL. AFTER ALL OF THIS I LANDED ON CALLAS' TAKE OF TOSCA'S "VISSI D'ARTE". IT WAS AND HAS BEEN THE ONLY TIME I'VE BEEN SO MOVED BY A PERFORMER THAT I CRIED. IT WAS SO PURE BUT THE PAIN WAS SO EVIDENT THAT IT JUST CHILLED ME. I MUST HAVE LISTENED TO IT THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND STILL HAVE YET TO HEAR A MORE STIRRING RENDITION. DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING FIRST CD I MUST ADMIT I KIND OF IGNORED THE SECOND HALF. EVENTUALLY I DID GET TO IT AND FOUND WHAT I FELT WAS THE GREATEST SONG EVER WRITTEN. MY WHOLE BEING LIVED FOR LAKME'S BELL SONG. AFTER LISTENING TO HER I WAS CONVINCED THIS WOMAN WAS MAGICAL BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW SHE OR ANY HUMAN COULD SING LIKE THAT! HER SECOND DISC WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT WENT FROM WHITE HOT COLORATURA TO MEZZO? AAHHH BUT YES SHE WENT THERE. INTO THE INTENSITY OF SAMSON ET DELILA. I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL!!! OF COURSE I KNOW PREFER MARILYN HORNE TO CALLAS ON THOSE SONGS....BUT IT SHOWED ME THAT NOT EVERY SONG HAS TO BE HIGH TO BE BEAUTIFUL. I LOVED AND STILL DUE LOVE THIS COLLECTION....IN FACT I HAVE BOUGHT IT THREE TIMES AS MINE DETERIORATED QUICKLY 'CAS I PLAYED THEM SO MUCH! AND I'VE GIVEN THIS COLLECTION TO COUNTLESS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THIS IS THE BEST COLLECTION OF CALLAS' WORK AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE AND ANYONE! VIVA LA DIVA!

Average customer rating:

Very Good Opera Mix CD
A real treat
Wonderful orchestral rendering of opera classics!
nice music incorrect tempi
Song list incorrect, though !

Opera without Words

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini Without Words
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Opera Without Words

ASIN: B0000026QP
Release Date: 1989-11-20

Tracks:

Intermezzo
Che Gelida Manina
Mi Chiamano Mimi
O Soave Fanciulla
Quando M'En Vo' Soletta
Sono Andati?
O Mio Babbino Caro
Recondita Armonia
Vissi D'Arte
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Entrance Of Butterfly
Un Bel Di Vedremo
Je Crois Entendre Encore
Celeste Aida
Mon Coeur Souvre A Ta Voix
Flower Song
Habanera
March of the Toreadors
La Donna E Mobile
Ah Fors' E Lui & Sempre Libera
Vesti La Biubba
Children's Prayer
Barcarolle

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Opera Mix CD.......2007-04-24

For someone that isn't too keen on Opera, I really enjoyed this CD. As a choreographer, having famous operatic themes without lyrics is such a blessing. The only criticism I have about the CD is that the volume level isn't consistent throughout, and for some of the songs it is extremely low. I had to constantly adjust the volume from one song to the next, even within one track.

A real treat.......2006-09-25

This wonderful CD, is a collection of some 23 arias, drawn from the works of such maestros as Pietro Mascagni, Guiseppe Verdi, and Engelbert Humperdinck (no, the German composer...sorry, I couldn't resist!). All of the tunes sound excellent, performed to perfection by Russian-American conductor and arranger Andre Kostelanetz and his orchestra. Overall, I found this to be a real treat to listen to, with lively arias that will not send any passionate music fan to sleep. I especially loved Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, Verdi's Celeste Aida, and of course Bizet's March of the Toreadors.

So, if you like could orchestral music, then I must say that you will like this CD. I love it and give it my highest recommendations!

Wonderful orchestral rendering of opera classics!.......2004-08-10

Opera fans will enjoy this collection of celebrated arias without vocals for rest and relaxation. From the thrilling "March of the Toreadors" to the plaintive "Madame Butterfly" this CD is a great background for easy listening, romantic dinners, or just the drive to and from work. Even people who don't like opera can enjoy this one.

nice music incorrect tempi.......2003-01-03

This CD is great for listening and, perhaps, for singing along a few passages (e.g. "..la speranza!") but NOT for actual singing practice. The tempi, while sweeping and engaging, can easilty throw you off, particularly the omissions of certain phrases or simply jumping to ba-boom conclusion. For those who like the music minus singing, it offers instruments taking up the voice parts. The order of the tracks is listed incorrectly, so you'll have to make your own list to paste on the back of this CD. Don't even think of turning on your metronome, just enjoy the music. Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffmann is the best piece.

Song list incorrect, though !.......2002-05-24

In the back cover of song list, "Celeste Aida" is printed BEFORE "La donna e mobile", while in the song list inside, there is no such song. In reality, the disk does have a "Celeste Aida", but it's number 14, as the list in Amazon.com. This "Celeste Aida" has the complete tune compared to that of "Verdi Without Words".

Tracks:

Madama Butterfly: Un bel di, vedremo (Atto ll)
Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Acte l)
La Wally: Ebben? ne andro lontana (Atto l)
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Una voce poco fa (Atto l)
Norma: Casta Diva (Atto l)
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Acte ll)
Rigoletto: Caro nome (Atto l)
La Traviata: Sempre libera (Atto l)
Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre dans ce reve (Acte l)
La Boheme: Si, mi chiamano Mimi (Atto l)
Don Giovanni: Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata (Atto ll)
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete, o mamma
La Gioconda: Suicidio! (Atto lV)
Gianni Schicchi1: O mio babbino caro
Turandot: In questa reggia (Atto ll)
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore (Atto ll)

Amazon.com

If you want to know the reason behind all the fuss about Maria Callas, buy this CD. Callas's great gift was not purity of tone or emission, reliability, or sheer loveliness; it was, rather, her ability to change her vocal color and style to suit not only particular periods of opera but to get under the skin of the individual characters she portrayed. Here you will hear the 18-year-old Butterfly imagining the return of her beloved; the sultry, adult Carmen seducing all around her; the youthful Wally telling her cruel father that she will go off into the cold wilderness rather than give up her boyfriend; the sly Rosina planning to outfox her guardian; the priestess Norma performing a sacred rite; Dalila wrapping Samson around her little finger and more; Gioconda contemplating suicide when all hope is gone; Gilda recalling the name of the boy she's just fallen for; and the icy princess Turandot reliving the rape of her ancestor and swearing that no man will possess her. And you'll believe them all. At times Callas's vocalism is a bit wiry (Juliette sounds stressed, for instance); but, in all, this is like a visit with 16 women, all of them interesting, and all of them great singers! --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Landmark Soprano. An essential work for opera listeners........2007-05-26

Maria Callas may be the only female 'superstar' working in my lifetime. In the 1950s and early 1960's, she had all the star power and paparrazi draw of Jackie and Marilyn, far outstripping the fame to the world at large of her primary rival, Renita Tibaldi. I am not an expert, or even an experienced amateur at evaluating operatic sopranos; however I've listened to several of the modern crop, and while the newbies probably do a better job of keeping on key, none of them can match the drama emoted by Ms. Callas on any given aria. All three releases are especially good buys, as they all run to over 72 minutes; however the recording quality does show its early (pre-multitrack, pre-digital) recording technology. Each is as good as the next regarding content, but 2 and 3 are a bit better in sound quality.

Terrific introduction to the art of Callas.......2007-04-24

This album is entitled "Divina," not to be confused with "Divina 2," itself a very nice example of Callas at her best. This CD samples a variety of her roles, indicating the range of her art. A few examples. . . .

"Un bel di" from Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" is very well done. She displays a rich voice and a passionate rendering of this aria. At greater volume, her voice remains under control and attractive sounding (something that does not always occur as her career developed further).

The "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen" is normally a mezzo soprano work. However, Callas features a good lower tone, and it works pretty well here. She shows nice breath control, too. The orchestral backing is exceptional.

"Sempre libera," from Verdi's "La Traviata," is a soprano's dream. Here, though, Callas' voice is not as attractive as in other cuts. There is some harshness with higher notes. Alfredo Kraus' singing, by the way, is most attractive. There is some unpleasantness with Callas technique in this work, although there is a nice characterization as well (this is the price you pay for Callas). She shows off some nice runs, but zero in the way of trills (some other sopranos display nice trills in this piece).

Finally, a very well done version of "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's "La Boheme." Sweet sounds at the outset. She seems to capture the character well. Smooth singing, done well.

Thus, a good introduction to the art of Maria Callas. There are cuts here that feature some of the wondrous nature of her work. There are other cuts where one hears some unattractive aspects of her singing and one wonders about her technique. But, in the end, this is a good representation of the work of Callas.

Callas was the greatest.......2007-02-06

It's amazing how the anti-Callas claquers continue to thrive. I'll side with Leonard Bernstein, who labeled Callas "The Bible of Opera," and who described her 1952 performance of La Sonnambula under his baton as "pure electricity." Unfortunately, recordings don't do justice to any artist, given the lack of spontaneity and a full audience, as well as a host of other reasons. Even Callas withheld many recordings from release because she was her own worst critic and they did not meet her high standards. I've been listening to opera for over 30 years and although I can appreciate the artistry of Tebaldi, Sutherland, Sills, Freni, Carteri, Moffo, Price, etc., some of whom had better pure voices, there was none that could match Maria's intensity, passion, range, personality, acting ability and pure emotion. Callas could sing bel canto colaratura but drop down to a near-mezzo voice that included many dramatic roles.

The Callas bashers will always be with us, but thankfully they will always be in the tiny minority. True connossiers of opera know there never has been and never will be as great a singer as La Divina.

Great starter CD.......2005-11-24

As simplistic as this sounds, this is a perfect CD if you know you like opera, but don't know exactly what you want to hear. You'll definitely recognize some of the more popular arias, and will grow to love the others.

The epitome of divinity.......2005-03-31

Divine and then some.
A unique mezzo voice delivering a 'one-two-three punch': one in the gut, one in the heart and one in the head.
The listener instinctually senses all she imparts-regardless of French,Italian,German literacy or opera knowledge.
Her gifts were many-the 'voice'(simultaneously:sharp,buttery,bright and dark),inimitable phrasing,timing,dramatic intensity and versatility.
A fine jumping off point for Callas neophytes and Opera 'sissies' who say they don't like Opera, but never really listened to any.
For all of us already converted, I say turn it up!

Average customer rating:

Not worth buying!
Don't waste your money
Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests
A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder
This sucks...

Only Opera CD You'll Ever Need

Manufacturer: RCA
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The Most Famous Opera Arias
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ASIN: B000003GA0
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Antony & Cleopatra: 'Give Me My Robe' - Leontyne Price
Fidelio: 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen...' - Ben Heppner
Fidelio: Act II Quartet: 'Ach, du bist gerettet...' - Deborah Voigt
Norma: 'Casta Diva' - Rosa Ponselle
Candide: 'Glitter And Be Gay' - Harolyn Blackwell
Candide: 'Make Our Garden Grow' - Jerry Hadley
Carmen: Flower Song - Placido Domingo
Carmen: Habanera - Rise Stevens
Carmen: Toreador Song - Robert Merrill
Les pecheurs de perles: Duet: 'Oui, c'est elle, c'est la deesse...' - Robert Merrill
Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo' - Samuel Ramey
La Wally: 'Eben, ne andro lontana' - ONLY OPERA CD YOU'LL EVER NEED
Lakme: Bell Song - Lily Pons
L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Tito Schipa
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Chi mi frena in tal momento...' - Carlo Bergonzi
Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' - Anna Moffo
Martha: 'M'appari tutto amor' - Jussi Bjoerling
Porgy & Bess: 'Summertime' - Leontyne Price
Porgy & Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman' - William Warfield
Andrea Chenier: 'Come un bel di di maggio' - Ben Heppner
Romeo et Juliette: Juliette's Waltz; 'Je veux vivre' - Ruth Ann Swenson
Salammbo: Aria - Kiri Te Kanawa
Hansel & Gretel: 'Suuse, liebe Susse - Helen Donath
I Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Enrico Caruso
Cavalleria Rusticana: 'Viva il vino' - Jussi Bjoerling
Cherubin: 'Lorsque vous n'aurez rien' - Dawn Upshaw
Manon: 'Ah! Fuyez, douce image' - Richard Crooks
Cosi fan tutte: 'Come scoglio immoto resta' - Leontyne Price
Don Giovanni: 'La ci darem la mano' - Edith Mathis
Don Giovanni: 'Deh! vieni alla finestra' - Ezio Pinza
Don Giovanni: 'Non mi dir' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Non piu andrai...' - Alan Titus
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Porgi, amor' - Carol Vaness
Le nozze di Figaro: 'Deh vieni, non tardar' - Bidu Sayao
Die Zauberflote: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' - Fritz Wunderlich
Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache - Zdislawa Donat
Die Zauberflote: Papageno - Papageno Duet - Christian Boesch
Boris Godunov: 'I v ljutomgore, nisposlannom Bogom...' - Alexander Kipnis
Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Montserrat Caballe
La Gioconda: 'Cielo e mar' - Beniamino Gigli
La Boheme: 'Che gelida manina' - Giuseppe Di Stefano
La Boheme: 'Mi piaccion quelle cose...' - Licia Albanese
La Boheme: 'Fremon gia nell'anima' - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song - Judith Blegen
Gianni Schicchi: 'O mio babbino caro' - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: 'Ah, ti serro palpitante' - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: 'Un bel di' - Leontyne Price
Manon Lescaut: 'Donna non vidi mai' - Jussi Bjoerling
La rondine: 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - Anna Moffo
TOSCA: 'Recondita armonia' - Placido Domingo
TOSCA: 'Vissi d'arte' - Irina Oudalova
TOSCA: 'E avanti a lui...' - Zinka Milanov
TOSCA: 'E lucevan le stelle' - Mario Lanza
Turandot: 'Signore, ascolta' - Renata Tebaldi
Turandot: 'In questa reggia' - Birgit Nilsson
Turandot: 'Nessun dorma' - Jussi Bjoerling
Dido & Aeneas: 'When I Am Laid In Earth' - Leontyne Price
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum' - Robert Merrill
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' - Roberta Peters
Samson et Dalila: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre' - Christa Ludwig
The Bartered Bride: 'Wenn ich das einmal erfahre' - Teresa Stratas
Elektra: 'Agamemnon' - Inge Borkh
Der Rosenkavalier: 'Ist ein Traum' - Erna Berger
Salome: 'Nicht in der Welt...' - Inge Borkh
Eugene Onegin: Lenski's Aria - Placido Domingo
Eugene Onegin: Tatiana's Letter Scene - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' - Jussi Bjoerling
Aida: 'Ritorna vincitor!' - Leontyne Price
Aida: 'Gloria all'Egitto' - John Alldis Choir
Aida: 'O patria mia' - Leontyne Price
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'O docezze perdute! O memorie...' - Robert Merrill
Don Carlo: 'Dio, che nell'anima infondere' - Placido Domingo
Ernani: 'Emani, involami' - Leontyne Price
La forza del destino: 'Or muoio tranquillo...' - Robert Merrill
La forza del destino: 'Pace, pace mio dio' - Zinka Milanov
Nabucco: 'Va, pensiero' - Oleg Reshetkin
Otello: 'Credo' - Tito Gobbi
Otello: Willow Song - Leonie Rysanek
Otello: 'Niun mi tema' - Jon Vickers
Rigoletto: 'Qesta o quella' - Alfredo Kraus
Rigoletto: 'Caro nome' - Anna Moffo
Rigoletto: 'La donna e mobile' - Jan Peerce
Rigoletto: 'Bella figlia dell'amore' - Alfredo Kraus
La Traviata: Brindisi - Montserrat Caballe
La Traviata: 'Di provenza' - Sherrill Milnes
La Traviata: 'Sempre libera' - Eleanor Steber
La Traviata: 'Addio del passato' - Anna Moffo
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Moscow Classical Chorus & Ensemble
Il Trovatore: 'Di quella pira' - Placido Domingo
Il Trovatore: 'Tacea la notte placido - Leontyne Price
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlicht leuchtend' - Set Svanholm
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Staatskapelle Dresden
Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell - Lawrence Tibbett
Siegfried: Song Of The Forest Bird - Norma Sharp
Gotterdammerung: 'Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort' - Kirsten Flagstad
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
Lohengrin: 'In fernem Land' - Lauritz Melchior
Tannhauser: 'Dich teure Halle' - Waltraud Meler

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying!.......2007-05-29

I found this recording basically worthless. It contains only very short excerpts of the song. Not enough to get into and enjoy!

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-18

This is the worst purchase I have ever made. It is a truly dreadful piece of work.I was so disgusted with it that I threw it into the trash can.

Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests.......2006-11-19

If you want to hear full recordings of arias, then this disc is not for you. It plays only tidbits of 99 arias. Contrary to the title, this is definitely not the only opera disc you'll ever need. You shouldn't take it seriously. This disc has next to no value for an opera neophyte. But for opera fanatics, there has never been a better test of your knowledge of operatic repertoire and singers. It's a great challenge for opera buffs. Sit down with your opera loving friends for an hour, play this disc, and try to be the first to identify the singer, composer, opera, and piece. If you're a music professor, this disc would make for an awesome pop quiz. Find out how well your students really know their opera repertoire.

A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2006-10-02

I don't know anyone who would enjoy this CD. It will drive opera fans nuts with a hundred exerpts that run about 30 seconds each, then fade out without the singers even finishing a single verse. It's more like an index of arias, or a volume of teasers that hucksters might use to sell opera CDs.

I never realized how much Bernstein's "Glitter and be gay" sounded like Delibes' "Bell Song" until I heard 35 seconds of one, followed 23 seconds of the other.

Maybe the TV show 'Jeopardy' could use this CD. 'What is "Hush little baby don't you..."??'

What a waste of beautiful voices and great music. 38 seconds of Enrico Caruso, followed by 31 seconds of Jussi Bjoerling, followed by 38 seconds of Dawn Upshaw.

My copy is going to go sailing into the wastebasket as soon as I finish this review.

This sucks..........2006-03-31

I should only blame myself for not checking out more reviews... this is a CD filled with short, little snippets of great operas songs... and I mean SHORT, LITTLE snippets of 30 seconds or so, each. Don't buy this CD... it is a complete rip off... and that is saying ALOT since it is only $4.00... Again, my fault for not reading the reviews but I trusted that something called a "Music CD" would actually have complete songs... What else does this company offer? A "Music CD" that only has the intros or applause tracks to great songs...?

Move on to something else... Amazon has a great selection... just not this one.

Verdi without Words: Grand Opera for Orchestra

Average customer rating:

The Music Behind The Grand Opera: Verdi Spectacular
Dreadful Sound Engineering
Karaoke fans - eat your heart out!
Great, but you are not really singing the tune !
HIGHLY RECOMMEDED.....

Verdi without Words: Grand Opera for Orchestra

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000003D03
Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

Grand Entrance ...'Su! Del Nilo Al Sacro Lido'
'Celeste Aida'
Triumphal Scene 'Gloria All'Egitto'
'Ave Maria'
'Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie'
'Di Quella Pira'
Prelude
Introduction To Act I
'Brindisi'
Waltz
'Un Di Felice'
La Traviata: 'Sempre Libera Degg'io'
'Di Provenza Il Mar, Il Suol'
'Questa O Quella'
'Caro Nome'
'La Donna E Mobile'
'Un Di, Se Ben Rammentomi'
'Tutto Net Mondo E Burla'
'Va, Pensiero' (Prisoners' Chorus)

Customer Reviews:

The Music Behind The Grand Opera: Verdi Spectacular.......2005-10-04

This recording is a delight for fans of classical music. In opera, the singing/words/text is married to the music, but it is the music above all that must create moods and evoke sentiment- whether it is pity, romance, jealousy, rage, pomp, melancholy, heartbreak, ecstasy, passion, mystery, etc. Eric Kunzel and his Pops Orchestra performs a wonderful array of Verdi music scores from his most famous grand operas. This album opens with Aida and there is much to admire here. The Triumphal March is a spectacle-scene which features parades of dancing girls and wild animals as Radames returns victorious. This music is famous for its prominent use of trumpet and chorus. Its orchestral version is equally bombastic. The Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore is another smash Verdi hit, a chorus piece but on orchestra, it is very catchy as well. Further to these fine works, the album features music from Verdi's Otello and La Traviata. This is a fine intro to opera for those who wish to begin by listening to the orchestral music first.

Dreadful Sound Engineering.......2005-06-17

Such beautiful Verdi and tis a shame to have to fiddle with the volume control on every single track (and even within the track). One will be inaudible, the next will blare.

Karaoke fans - eat your heart out!.......2002-12-29

This disc, containing selections of Verdi's most famous operatic works, is a must buy for fans of Opera that want to "try out their pipes".

What Opera fan hasn't at least sung a few bars of "La Donna e mobile" while in the shower? This 70 minutes of Opera greats from the pen of Verdi under the able direction of the Cincinati Pops orchestra under the baton of Erich Kunzel will make most opera fans dreams come true.

There are no words on any of these numbers - making it a cross between a Karaoke disc and Verdi's greatest hits. It contains some selections from "Aida", "Othello", "Il Trovatore", "La Traviata", "Rigoletto", "Falstaff", and "Nabucco".

My only "complaint" is that the lyrics to the numbers were not included in the liner notes. That would have made this the world's first Opera Karaoke.

Still worth listening to for the majesty of the music behind the words - music that is often overshadowed by the singers. Worth a look for inclusion in any opera fan's classical library.

Great, but you are not really singing the tune !.......2002-05-24

"Celeste Aida"
1. Cincinnati Pops did not play the recitativo. Something is missing, if you are an opera freak.
2. The second verse does not include "Il tuo bel cielo vorrei ridarti", which will mislead a whistling person.

"La donna e mobile"
In the second verse, the "refrain" (la donna e mobil qual piu mal vento ...) is replayed. This gives a "queer" feeling for a singing person who is used to practicing singing it "the way it should be sung".

HIGHLY RECOMMEDED............2002-03-13

I LIKE OPERA WITHOUT THE WORDS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE
PURCHASED LATELY (AND I HAVE BOUGHT MANY LATELY). CARMAN WITHOUT
WORDS IS ALSO VERY ENJOYABLE, AS ARE ALL THE "OPERA WITHOUT WORDS" CDS OUT TODAY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CD TO ADD TO ANY
COLLECTION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC..