Opera Proibita [Import] [Limited Edition]

Track Listings

1. All'arme Si Accesi Guerrieri

2. Mentre Io Godo In Dolce Oblio

3. Un Pensiero Nemico Di Pace

4. Vanne Pentita A Piangere

5. Sparga Il Senso Lascivo Veleno

6. Caldo Sangue

7. Come Nembo Che Fugge Col Vento

8. Ecco Negl'orti Tuoi...Che Dolce Simpatia

9. Qui Resta...L'alta Roma

10. Lascia La Spina Cogli La

11. Ahi! Qual Cordoglio...Doppio Affetto

12. Si Piangete Pupille Dolente

13. Ahi Quanto Cieca...Come Foco Alla Sua Sfera

14. Disserratevi Oh Porte D'averno

15. Notte Funesta...Ferma L'ali

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Limited Australian pressing. An extraordinary album of dramatic arias written in Rome at a time when opera performance was forbidden by the Church, and female singers were forbidden from singing in public. Decca. 2005.

Tracks:

All'arme si accesi guerrieri (Aria dell Pace)
Mentre io godo (Aria della Speranza)
Un pensiero nemico di pace
Vanne pentita a piangere
Sparga il senso lascivo veleno
Caldo Sangue
Come nembo che fugge col vento
Ecco negl'orti tuoi...Che dolce simpatica
Qui resta...L'alta Roma
Lascia la spina cogli la rosa
Ahi qual cordoglio...Doppio affetto
Si piangete pupille dolente
Ahi quanto cieca...Come foco allo splendore
Disserratevi oh porte d'Averno
Notte funesta...Ferma l'ali

Amazon.com

Cecilia Bartoli's new CD features a collection of music that could not be heard in her native Rome at the start of the 18th century due to Papal censorship. Theaters, the Church felt, were places of evil and corruption and operas led people to immorality. But some music-loving senior members of the priesthood asked composers to write oratorios and cantatas--indeed, operas without staging, essentially--for their own private entertainment. Call it what you will, the music is sensational--by turns virtuosic, gentle, and playful--and always expressive: just right, it seems, for Cecilia Bartoli's temperament. The opening aria on the CD, a call for peace in the name of Jesus, is, in fact, a dazzling martial air with trumpets blaring and the voice going through an amazing array of coloratura fireworks. It shows Bartoli at her most aggressive. The listener is practically hurled back from the speakers when she begins, with rapid-fire runs and trills and cascades of notes, all perfectly in place. Showy arias are offset by several tender ones ("Lascia la spina" from Handel's Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno returns in the composer's Rinaldo, four years later, as the now-famous "Lascia ch'io pianga"), and Bartoli exhibits again, her many, many levels of pianissimo and sensitive phrasing. Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens are just right for this repertoire and back Bartoli up superbly. This is a fascinating project, rivetingly performed and presented. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Limited Australian pressing. An extraordinary album of dramatic arias written in Rome at a time when opera performance was forbidden by the Church, and female singers were forbidden from singing in public. Decca. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Only one diva, only Bartoli........2007-06-19

Just like Farinelli was the opera phenomenon of his time, fast-forward to the 21st century, Bartoli gives once again this music of the Italian settecento a breath of new life in all its splendor and glory.

In Opera Proibita, Bartoli's repertoire not only reflects on her as a consummate vocal artist but also as the ultimate scholar. Rarely an opera singer would dig this dip and go that far to unearth great scores from total obscurity. Even more uncommonly a singer would take the challenge of singing these arias without the risk of ridiculing herself, but to the contrary establishing a new record and precedent.

Her execution of the Handel arias is truly astonishing in coloratura and melismas probably not heard for three hundred years when only the best castrati commanded the virtuosity to tackle these arias. Also surprising and refreshing was to hear works by Handel that show his wild side.

Bartoli brings this album to a high climax with the arias from Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. This is really her realm and true medium. Her vocal runs in "Un pensiero nemico di face" sound like a first violin, and as if this was not difficult enough she ornaments the da capo melismas in tempo from allegro to presto molto vivace, and transitions into a note crescendo with great ease and certainty. Wonderful!

Amazing disc.......2007-03-03

This disc has all the elements needed for an amazing disc. The conductor, orchestra, and music are all top notch. Bartoli's singing is amazing. I find this album energizing and a testament to how exciting baroque music can be. However, if you don't like Bartoli's voice in previous recordings, you probably won't change your opinion because of this disc.

Beautiful Music, but vocally unmusical........2007-02-09

I owned over a dozen of Bartoli solo albums, plus other operatic albums of hers. From the early days of 'Arias Antique' I got impressed by her beautiful singing and her outstanding technique.
Alas, starting from her Vivaldi Album, I do not find her singing that beautiful any more. True, the songs picked there are technically very challenging, used to be sung by male castrato singers. The songs picked here are even more difficult.
BUT - is singing just about technique?
There are some songs in the Vivaldi Album that have the vocal musical lines broken in places. Here in Opera Proibita, almost every song has this problem, even the slow ones of Caldara. Compare her singing in the earlier part of her career, her early Mozart operas, I could not help but wonder if Ms. Bartoli has taken the correct turn in her career: her forced high notes, though squarely hit, do not sound at all pleasing; her runs and trills, though taken accurately at great tempi, is no longer truly musical. Compare her singing with the other two great baroque mezzo-sopranos Bernarda Fink and the tragically short-lived late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, you would understand what I mean.

With the latest turn in Ms. Bartoli's singing, I am being forced to admit that this is a singer of great technical brilliance and enormous fame, but not at all pleasing to the ear.

Not to my taste.......2006-11-05

Cecilia Bartoli has her fans, no doubt, as the other reviews on this site demonstrate, people who love her warmth of tone and her impassioned interpretations. These vocal qualities may suit the performance conventions of the nineteenth-century repertoire; however in this anthology of eighteenth century sacred arias the result is an unhappy imbalance. The problem is, in my opinion, one of clashing calls for attention, whose affect is to distract the listener from attention to the music itself. True, the god of the counter-reformation was to be worshipped ecstatically. And true, also, that I am an anti-romantic listener, who grew up with those early music performances which valued detached purity of tone. This was vaunted as the ideal means of interpretation of the rediscovered seventeenth and eighteenth-century repertoire (it protested too much its rightness, and alienated people- but I like it). However to return to the subject at hand- I find Bartoli's readings of these crypto-erotic arias overblown and self-indulgent. I guess that this sort of coloratura always offered a chance for a bit of ego to be let loose, even in church- however when the performance goes so far as to insist on attention to itself rather than deflecting attention to the music, I stop enjoying the music. This recording does not find the balance between the big romantic personality and eighteenth-century performance conventions, which, after 30 or 40 years of self-critique, have some authority. I disliked it very much. I am a great admirer of Mark Minkowski's opera interpretations, which I think find a perfect balance between these opposing impulses of warm and cool- a binary we can trace throughout aesthetics and through the ages. Here there's an overbalance in favour of warm (hot, in fact), which the performers might argue is just the sort of vivification that Baroque performance needs. Not for me. I gave it to a friend (she's still a friend).

Exciting, moving, beautiful, energetic, heart-felt, fantastic..........2006-09-02

What more can I add?

Cecilia Bartoli just "does it" for me almost every time. She is just fantastic in my books. I love her dearly. She can give one an adrenalin rush with her bravura singing and then break one's heart with her pathos.

This is a superb collection of Baroque arias from "almost" operas! ;-))
I also liked the cheeky and none-too-subtle references to La Dolce Vita on
cover and the images inside the disc. Nice to see an opera singer with a playful sense of humour!

I am listening to this disc as I write this review and all I can say is that I love this disc and it is clearly one of the best Signorina Bartoli has released, although I like all of her recordings. Listen to track 12 and you will buy this disc.

More, please!

PS: How about DECCA getting Cecilia Bartoli and Andreas Scholl together for a musical project? I'd love to see two of my favourite singers together on the one disc.
PSPS: If you like Opera Proibita, buy Andreas Scholl's Arcadia and Arias for Senesino, too!

Sentimento: Andrea Bocelli with Lorin Maazel and the London Symphony Orchestra [Limited Edition w/ Bonus Track]

Average customer rating:

Fine idea, weak execution
He's magnificent
Romantic sounds!
Simply beautiful!
Average Bocelli at best

Sentimento: Andrea Bocelli with Lorin Maazel and the London Symphony Orchestra [Limited Edition w/ Bonus Track]
Jacques Offenbach , Francesco Paolo Tosti , Gioachino Rossini , Johann Paul Aegidius Martini , Stanislao Gastaldon , Luigi Denza , Stefano Donaudy , and Lorin Maazel
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romanza
Andrea Bocelli - Amore
Andrea
Cieli di Toscana
Sogno

ASIN: B00006IX20
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor (Rodrigo)
Mattinata (Leoncavallo)
Barcarolle (Offenbach)
L'Alba Separa Della Luce I'ombra (Tosti)
Sogno d'Amore (Liszt)
La Serenata (Tosti)
L'Ultima Canzone (Tosti)
Malia (Tosti)
La Danza (Rossini)
Ideale (Tosti)
Sogno (Tosti)
Plaisir d'Amour (Martini)
Musica Proibita (S. Gastaldon)
Occhi Di Fata (Denza)
A Vuchella (Tosti)
Vorrei Morire (Tosti)
Vaghissima Sembianza (S. Donaudy)

Amazon.com

The international crossover success of tenor Andrea Bocelli has spawned any number of imitators on both sides of the Atlantic. But this collection of romantic arias and duets with violinist-conductor Lorin Maazel (who also arranges and helms the London Symphony Orchestra here) proves once again that the classical canon still offers ample room for compelling reinvention without nettlesome pop affectations. In reviving a genre (violin and vocal) largely dormant since the days of Caruso, Bocelli has taken some rewarding liberties with Rodrigo's "En Aranjuez can ta amor" and forged Liszt's familiar Liebestraume No. 3 into "Sogno D'Amore" with new, self-penned lyrics. Maazel's warm, evocative violin obligatos and sensitive, sympathetic arrangements infuse this tenor's showcase not only with unabashed romance, but as their lively romp through Tosti's "Malia" demonstrates, a sense of joyous fun. An album for romantics of all ages and persuasions--and one that gratifyingly demonstrates that crossing over is hardly the same as selling out. Enhanced CD includes a mini-documentary with comments by Bocelli and Maazel, as well as links to a more comprehensive interview with the tenor. --Jerry McCulley

Album Details

A Sensational Album featuring Truly Beautiful Songs and Arias that Evoke Feelings of Passion and Romance. The UK Special Edition of the Album Includes the Bonus Track "Non T'amo Pui" by Tosti.

Customer Reviews:

Fine idea, weak execution.......2007-04-26

Lorin Maazel, in the self-indulgent pat on the back that passes for linear notes, manages to make one good point: the tenor-violin duet was once a fine tradition worthy of exploring afresh. As an effort to revive this dusty tradition, this disc is not successful.

Maazel seems to enjoy the feel of the violin under his chin, and generally produces elegant sounds. The orchestration, which he tells us in his notes evolved amidst a hectic schedule of conducting and rehearsing Don Carlo and Don Giovanni, is basic and generally inoffensive. Good thing he tells the listener of his busy schedule, or one would have to be harsher with his sometimes dreary musical arrangements.

Andrea Bocelli is something of a controversial figure in some circles. I am a picky listener, and suffer from the maniacal ailments that afflict the opera buff. Still, I have always enjoyed Bocelli's popular recordings. I like pleasant tunes sung by a full, clear tenor voice. Having said this, I find his operatic recordings lamentable.

Though not opera per se, Bocelli sounds over-taxed by the repertory at hand (mostly lovely 19th century songs). Each track is unworthy of comparison with past performances by operatic greats-- Pavarotti, Carreras, Gigli, Di Stefano, and Schipa come to mind. Bocelli's voice is strained, and he offers nothing resembling the grace required by these three-minute masterpieces.

Those who are in love with Bocelli's voice will no doubt enjoy this recording. Still, I strongly urge exploring this repertory as it is presented by far more capable performers, and far better endowed voices.

He's magnificent.......2007-03-12

I thoroughly enjoyed this CD, especially some favorites that I haven't heard in years. I wholeheartedly recommend.

Romantic sounds!.......2007-01-12

Adrea's voice continues to enthrall me! Even if you don't understand Italian, you will enjoy this album. Highly recommended.

Simply beautiful!.......2006-07-09

I wont repeat what others with positive reviews already said. Just know that none of Bocelli's CD's have ever disappointed me, and if you are looking for as fine a piece of work as possible (thus far), THIS and "Romanza" are it.

Average Bocelli at best.......2005-01-20

I bought this Bocelli album because I truly wanted to hear him perform "Plaisir D'Amour," one of my all time favorites. While I do love Bocelli I wasn't completely impressed with the entire CD. This is not the best I've heard from Andrea and his voice is not great throughout the CD. I do enjoy it though. He's one of the few artists I can listen to these days without getting a headache.

Average customer rating:

An interesting abomination.........
Caruso....re-emerged...or....re-submerged
amazing technology
An Unexpected Pleasure
I was floored

Italian Songs: The Digital Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
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Caruso 2000
The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
Great Caruso
Prima Voce - Caruso
The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli

ASIN: B00005MO14
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Tracks:

Vieni sul mar
'O sole mio
Tu can nun chiagne
Santa Lucia
Pecche?
L'Alba separa dalla luce l'ombra
Fenesta che lucive
Mamma mia che vo' sape
Musica proibita
Core 'ngrato
Luna d'estate
Ideale
'A vucchella
Vaghissima sembianza
Tarantella sincera
Senza nisciuno
L'addio a Napoli

Amazon.com

As a follow-up to its Caruso 2000 release, RCA here offers us a remastered, implemented selection of Neapolitan songs recorded by Enrico Caruso between 1906 and 1920. The gimmick is again that the old recordings have been digitally stripped of their oompah, blaring instruments. In their place, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra has provided modern accompaniment. It's still anachronistic--the voice remains in another acoustical era from the orchestra--but this time, the balance is a little better, and conductor Gottfried Rabl is amazingly sensitive to Caruso's style and phrasing. Moreover, of course, the pops and clicks of the old pre-electrical shellacs are gone. The voice retains its timbre and quality, thank goodness, and one can still marvel at the way the sound grew over the 14 years recorded here. It's always magnificent, but it became more baritonal and muscular with age, without losing any of its thrills. The "Ideale" from 1906 remains an exquisitely tender piece of singing; elsewhere, the sheer visceral excitement of the voice dazzles. Purists may not approve. Those unfamiliar with the Caruso phenomenon should hear him under any circumstances, and this is as good a chance as any. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

An interesting abomination................2007-07-22

This recording is a technical marvel...the producers have taken the acoustic recordings of the greatest tenor that ever lived, digitalized them, "cleaned them up", whatever that means, and added a modern orchestra for background. God help us.

In Caruso's day, the performer sang into a large horn of the type shown in the old RCA ads, the microphone not being invented till 1925, four years after Caruso died. The sound was recorded on a wax disk, which was then used as a master. All of our attempts to listen to ancient records are, to some degree, artificial...I haven't seen a hand crank Victrola since I was a small child, well over 50 years ago. But this?!?....

I admit that this isn't like painting over an old master...the original recordings still exist. And I've already admitted that this is well done, in a technical sense. And about the voice of The Great Caruso there can, of course, be no question. Maybe I'm a traditionalist; I prefer to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" in black & white, I think pretty girls look prettier in dresses, and I'd rather see baseball played on grass. This isn't even like Richard Harwell abridging the works of Douglas Southall Freeman; that at least allows the reader with limited time and money to learn from the master. The original versions of these recordings are readily available, and take the same time to listen to.

We can play "what if" forever...could a modern doctor have cured George Washington? Of course. What would Bobby Jones do with modern golf equipment?? Sorry, Tiger. The originals of these landmark recordings represent the way listeners of Caruso's day heard him. It was state-of-the-art AT THE TIME.

Look, we live in America; the producer of this recording has an absolute right to make it, and you have an absolute right to buy it, enjoy it, and write a five star review of it, stating that I'm a stupid fool. That's the glory of America. Buy, and like, this record if you wish, but know what you are buying.

Caruso....re-emerged...or....re-submerged.......2007-02-15

I have been listening to Caruso recordings, necessarily periodically, for close on sixty years, though I didn't learn anything about music until in my mid twenties. Whilst thrilling hysterically to those top notes one couldn't help being more than a little aware, even as a child, that the trumpet-like noises, as Caruso himself once described it on hearing someone playing one of his records, emanating from the playback equipment, hardly represented a human being. Thanks to the digital restorative efforts of Thomas G Stockham we can appreciate the real art that conceals art, as C again put it, on the twelve CD edition previously published by RCA; since much of the artificial peakiness [ distortions ] has been alleviated - a tribute to the success of these may be concluded from the fact that some notes that previously sounded like he had a throatful of phlegm are simply revealed as record wear; as well as the more important sense of straining for effect being eliminated; far from it as we then appreciate how (apparently) effortlessly he puts those spectacular phrases across. As far as I can discern they have used these registrations here; so far so good. For the sake of this review attempt I listened again to this CD, for the first time since I bought it, probably well over a year ago. My humble opinion is that the orchestrations are too loud, tending to drown him out. Well done no doubt, if crass at times then, but providing little advantage over the Stockham 'recreations'. Maybe that's due to me being one of that army of Caruso lovers, or of any of a myriad of great artists' recordings for that matter, to whom the singing is paramount; the orchestra is merely lucky to be there. Is all that fuss regarding the minutiae of recent orchestral arrangements not just a bit patronising and condescending, with more accent on their problems rather than giving tribute to the singer who had no benefits of any post editing whatsoever; never mind the terribly restrictive recording environment and session period in which to do it ? I guess, like all hero worshippers, I'm possibly waxing unnecessarily defensive at this juncture. What if we could hear Caruso recorded now, as a contemporary of, say, Andrea Bocelli; would we be at his feet ? Maybe that's where this compilation really comes in, reaffirming the legend, dressed up to the nines. Does giving a monochrome phantom flash clothes, like those colourised photos, really make him more visible ?

On a personal note; it would have been an improvement had they NOT included "Vieni sul mar"; "L'Alba separa dalla luce l'ombra" and "Luna d'estate". "A Dream" would have been nice; also "I' m'arricordo e Napule" or, what I think is one of the best recordings of Caruso - Denza's "Si vous l'aviez compris" [ also Massenet's "Elegie" ], albeit they have piano/violin accompaniment, which would have presented a challenge to the engineers.

amazing technology.......2005-05-20

The Italian songs of Caruso have been a longtime favorite of mine -to hear this amazing voice - backed with a wonderful modern orchestra is just something else -I believe it is bringing 90 -100 year old recordings back to life - the voice is always clear and strong with no distortions one would expext from vintage recordings .The Vienna orchestra is wonderfully sensitive providing a lush sound behing this wonderful voice - my partner came in to see what I was playing, she said the voice was moving her to tears ," with a voice like honey" and I guess this was what the great Caruso was doing in his day to sell so many records

An Unexpected Pleasure.......2004-12-19

I have been an avid fan of Enrico Caruso for over forty years. I have heard just about every gimmicky process that has ever been attempted to make his recordings more modern sounding (read "electrical"). Each has its own virtues and inadequacies. I had not planned on purchasing this disc because, quite frankly, Caruso 2000 had been a disappointment. Caruso's voice almost always seemed to have a lid on it.

A certain fact has to be faced here. Caruso never made an electrical recording. No amount of filtering and doctoring can change that. The only way I can imagine that this barrier could ever be overcome is perhaps by computerized extrapolation of the frequencies his voice produced. A computer might some day be programmed to "figure out" from the original recordings the sound frequencies Caruso's voice produced but that the recording horn was too insensitive to record. Those frequencies could then be dubbed into the existing recording. However, it doesn't appear that technology is that advanced yet; perhaps it never will be. In my opinion, it doesn't need to be. All one really needs is a schooled ear to be deeply moved by the gifts, art, and technique Caruso exhibited on his original acoustical recordings.

Incidentally, I am both amused and appalled by individuals who doubt that he was the greatest male singer in the history of recording, perhaps of all time. Anyone who would suggest Mario Lanza's, John McCormack's, or anyone else's singing as more satisfactory isn't listening. Lanza wanted to be the next Caruso, but he was not Caruso, not even a pale imitation. Even Pavarotti willingly acknowledges that he idolizes Caruso. And McCormack was a completely different kind of singer.

The best way to enjoy Caruso, Italian Songs and even Caruso 2000 is to set them aside as seperate works of art, rather than expect them to be improvements over the original recordings. They're not. Caruso's voice is not reproduced as accurately as it is on original recordings played on the proper equipment in the proper environment, especially on Caruso 2000. But the beauty of his art and technique remains intact. It seems the recording engineers did less manipulation of the voice on this new CD; the voice is more faithful to the originals, but still not the same. It occurs to me that perhaps these recordings are best for those who cannot tolerate surface noise and Victor's almost exclsive use of wind instruments for the orchestra.

That said, the digital accompaniment added unexpected emotion, power, and drama to every piece. I was caught completely off-guard. The music on this disc had me in tears. Music is about emotions, and this disc overpowered mine. If the degree of emotion induced by a performance is the standard for its evaluation, then this disc rates five stars without question. And if this is the way more modern ears than mine must be introduced to the artistry of this great singer, let it be! The instrumentation and arrangements fit every selection, and the synchronization with Caruso's stylizing is nearly always perfect. I highly recommend this disc to budding opera and classical voice lovers as a worthy introduction to Caruso's artistry. And for the seasoned aficionado of classical voice, it is a refreshing, yet emotionally moving collection of great singing in its own right. Neither type of listener would be disappointed.

I was floored.......2004-02-14

This was a vast improvement over the last effort. When you listen to it on a regular stereo, as background music, you could swear you are listening to something that was recorded altogether, as if the singer was there. I also like the folk approach that was put forth by it. It is not Caruso trying to be the character of the song that comes from the opera, but Caruso being Caruso, without all the operatic techniques. It sounded like he was just having fun with the recordings, and the jovial personality that he had shows through clearly. I would be interested in seeing if RCA would consider doing more.

Average customer rating:

Sentimento--Average at Best

Sentimento
Andrea Bocelli
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sogno
Cieli di Toscana
Andrea
Romanza
Andrea Bocelli - Amore

ASIN: B000071X4U
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
Mattinata
Barcarolle
Alba Separa Dalla Luce l'Ombra
Sogno d'Amore (Liebestraum)
Serenata
Ultima Canzone
Malia
Danza
Ideale
Soyno - Andrea Bocelli, The London Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Plaisir d'Amour - Andrea Bocelli, The London Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Musica Proibita
Occhi Di Fata
Vucchella
Vorrei Morire!

Customer Reviews:

Sentimento--Average at Best.......2005-01-20

I bought this CD for one reason...Bocelli sings "Plaisir D'Amour," one of my absolute all time favorites. This isn't the best of Andrea. His voice is sometimes weak and warbly. That said, I enjoy this CD for easy listening and simply because it doesn't give me a headache.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
OUTSTANDING! THE BEST OF PAVAROTTI!
Charming and moving, not to be missed...
Cantare, cantare

Mamma
A. Walter Kramer , Innocenzi , Giovanni D'Anzi , Eldo di Lazzaro , Vincenzo De Crescenzo , Anonymous , Giovanni Battista Califano , Columbo Arona , and Andrea Griminelli
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Luciano Pavarotti - Passione - Neapolitan Songs
O Sole Mio: Favorite Neapolitan Songs
Volare
Pavarotti at Carnegie Hall
Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs

ASIN: B0000040WC
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Mamma
Non ti scordar di me
Lolita
Musica proibita
Firenze sogna
Vivere
Parlarmi d'amore, Mariu
In un palco della Scala
Addio, sogna di gloria
Voglio vivere cosi
Chitarra Romana
Rondine al nido
La ghirlandeina
La mia canzone al vento
Vieni sul mar
La campana di San Giusto

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2006-03-16

I am of Italian descent and even though I only understand some words the beauty of this cd is beyond description. The zest for life and fervor in each number is unbelieveable. Henry Mancini's arrangements gave me a greater appreciation of each of these very talented showmen. I think Pavarotti was at his prime on this disc.

OUTSTANDING! THE BEST OF PAVAROTTI!.......2005-11-19

Not even a song in this album fails to please me. A must-have for those interested in italian song and in good music.

Charming and moving, not to be missed..........2000-05-30

I just love this CD! He followed this with another similar CD called "Passione" which also had many lovely italian songs, but this one has it all. There are sweet songs (Parlami D'amore, Mariu), cute songs (Palco della Scala) and then bittersweet songs (Addio, Songi Di Gloria and Rondine Al Nido.) This CD comes with liner notes and I recommend taking the extra few minutes to see what he's singing. It will enhance your enjoyment (although the music alone is enjoyment enough!) Mancini's arrangements are really what helps to make the difference. I think a great arranger was what was missing from "Passione" --that and passione!

Cantare, cantare.......1999-11-26

Isn't this CD wonderful? I came upon it a bit late, but it was a great idea for Luciano Pavarotti and Herni (Enrico? ) Mancini to get together and introduce us all to these standard Italian favourites. Henri Mancini somehow knows just how to polish a tune and Pavarotti's "millenium" tenor puts in that last sparkle. I've fallen in love with "Parlami d'amore, Mariu." and whistle/sing/hum it all the time. (The original by Vittorio de Sica must be interesting.) Buy this CD to enjoy Italian songs at their absolute best.

For the First Time/Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites

Average customer rating:

Impressive performances from Lanza's final years

For the First Time/Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites

Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005B523
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

Come Prima
Tarantella
O Sole Mio
Neapolitan Dance
Hofbrauhaus Song (Wir Einmal Nur in Munchen War]
O, Mon Amour (Je Nen Connais Pas la Fin)
Mazurka
Pineapple Pickers
Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba
Otello: Finale
Aida: Act I
Ich Liebe Dich (I Love Thee)
Ave Maria
Vieni Sul Mar
Senza Nisciuno
Musica Proibita
Vaghissima Sembianza
Serenata - Mario Lanza,
Lolita
Luna d'Estate
Alba Separa Dalla Luce l'Ombra
Pour un Baiser
Mia Canzone
Ideale
Santa Lucia

Customer Reviews:

Impressive performances from Lanza's final years.......2004-12-18

This CD contains most of the soundtrack from Lanza's final movie, the 1958 For the First Time, together with the 1959 album Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites.

By 1958 Lanza's lirico spinto tenor had darkened significantly, acquiring a baritonal richness in its middle and lower registers, while still retaining the celebrated top notes for which he was justly famous. On his best days, he was also a more sensitive singer than he had sometimes been in his Hollywood period. This is immediately noticeable on the operatic selections included here: Vesti La Giubba; the Otello Death Scene (Niun Mi Tema); and the Grand March from Aida. On the first two numbers, Lanza phrases beautifully and avoids marring these arias with the hammy histrionics that many more celebrated names have indulged in elsewhere. Dark with haunting overtones, his voice is by now ideal for both Canio and Otello.

The Grand March scene is also impressive, with Lanza delivering some staggering B flats over the deafening Rome Opera Orchestra and chorus. All three operatic selections from For the First Time were recorded (and subsequently filmed) at the Rome Opera House, and the effect that Lanza had on the musicians present was extraordinary. "A very musical tenor of enormous possibilities, with an exceptional timbre" was the verdict of the theatre's then Artistic Director Riccardo Vitale.

The first half of For the First Time is much lighter, and includes the pleasant title song, Come Prima, along with a sweet and all-too-brief O Mon Amour. There is also the novelty of hearing Lanza singing in German in the rousing Hofbrauhaus Song, as well as a ridiculous rock and roll number called Pineapple Pickers. (Typically, BMG place this next to Vesti la Giubba on the CD, with no thought for the massive jump in musical style and content between the tracks.) O Sole Mio sounds a little laboured here, and rings out much more thrillingly in the movie. But with the exception of the videotape of the actual film (reviewed elsewhere on this site), many of these selections have never sounded better. There is still the ever-present sandiness that mars all of Lanza's stereo releases, but at least this is an improvement on the soundtrack's earlier outing on the Double Feature CD.

My only gripe is that the delightful Cosi Fan Tutte trio - E Voi Ridete - has been omitted. Instead we have three uneventful (and irritating) non-Lanza musical interludes. *Mercifully* missing, however, is the tenor's La Donna 'e Mobile. Uncharacteristically strained, it was his least impressive performance of the aria, and the only vocal lapse in the entire film.

The final twelve selections from the Caruso Favorites album also feature Lanza in mostly fine form. As with all the tenor's 1959 recordings, however, the reproduction of his voice (though curiously *not* the orchestra) is less than ideal, and the ever-present distortion - particularly on his top notes - mars some of the best moments. Gripes aside, this is an important album in the Lanza canon. Among the highlights are the Neapolitan song Senza Nisciuno; a tasteful Vaghissima Sembianza, replete with two beautiful High As; the daunting Serenata; and three exquisite Tosti songs: L'Alba Separa Dalla Luce L'Ombra, Pour Un Baiser and Ideale.

L'Alba Separa dalla Luce l'Ombra deserves special mention. Lanza is appropriately operatic on this miniature masterpiece, and although his voice sounds a little heavy at times, the impact of his performance is very moving. From "Chiudimi, O notte, nel tuo sen materno," (Envelop me, O night, in your maternal [...]) onwards, Lanza is in full control of the song, faltering only slightly on the climactic note on "eterno" (though this may, in fact, be due to the distortion). Lapses aside, L'Alba Separa is a fine example of Lanza's artistic maturity.

Among the few lesser moments, Mario runs out of steam in the second half of La Mia Canzone, and is subjected to an overly boisterous arrangement on Santa Lucia, which sounds more akin to a march than a lilting ode to the Bay of Naples! At times Lanza does sound tired, and as one perceptive reviewer has noted, we miss the characteristic smile of his earlier voice. Ironically, critics and habitual Lanza-knockers are much more likely to praise this album for the very reason that the tenor *is* so subdued.

Caruso Favorites and For the First Time - together with the brilliant Neapolitan album Mario! Lanza At His Best (also reviewed on this site) - represent the tenor's most impressive singing from the final period of his life. As Lanza authority Lindsay Perigo has noted, the tenor's voice on all three albums is often "hauntingly ethereal." In short, these are not performances that are easily forgotten.

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The Complete Caruso

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Complete Recordings, 1902-1920 (Box Set)
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ASIN: B0001TSWQO
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Ramon Vargas - Canzoni (Neapolitan Songs and other Italian Classical songs)

Average customer rating:

wonderful recital
THIS is an okay recording!!!
Ramon Vargas at a bargain price!
Wonderful recital by a great modern artist
Simply the Best

Ramon Vargas - Canzoni (Neapolitan Songs and other Italian Classical songs)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ramón Vargas - L'amour, l'amour / Viotti
In My Heart - 17th and 18th Italian Songs
Ramón Vargas - Verdi Arias
Between Friends
Verdi Arias

ASIN: B00000DDMG
Release Date: 2000-07-07

Tracks:

Gia il sole dal Gange
Fenesta che lucive
Vaga luna
Mattinata
Ideale
Rondine al nido
Musica prohibita
Dicitencello vuie!
Chiove
Autunno
A'Vucchella
Core'ngrato
Lejos de ti
Borrachita
Munequita linda
Despedida

Customer Reviews:

wonderful recital.......2005-08-24

As with Vargas recording of 16 Italian songs on his "In My Heart" CD, the selections performed here are sung with great emotion and good technique. Vargas voice is clear, and his pianisimos are well done. His voice stays clear and tention free throughout the recital. I find it disappointing that this recording seems to be unavailable for now. Vargas is singing songs that are not often performed today. One must seek out the works of Careras and possibly Domingo to find some of the neopoliton pieces. I feel fortunate enough to have purchased Canzoni.

THIS is an okay recording!!!.......2003-08-04

This is a cheap recording.YES a great bargin.I liked this cd but found ramon vargas's singing a little boring at times.He does have a beautiful voice,but on this cd not as much passion as these singers had in the same repitore:montserrat caballe,pavarotti,cecilia bartoli,and andrea bocelli.This cd is still not to bad to listen to.Listen with open hearts and full bellies. May the eternal father bless those who listen to such classical music,and may his wife the goddess lull you to sleep at night with her operatic voice.THE GODDESS told me that ramon vargos the mexican tenor is so blessed with a voice,and that he is half iguana.I recommend you buy all his many cds from amazon is voice will have you.anon.

Ramon Vargas at a bargain price!.......2003-01-18

Cd's nowadays are kind of expensive. Especially if you think about the artist's quality. However, this cd is worth every penny. The best part though is that it is cheap. It is a live performance in Guanajuato Mexico. It is just Vargas singing arias with Negri on piano backing him. Even if you don't like opera you'll enjoy classic latin songs like boleros; Vargas sings Grever's Te quiero Dijiste and two other dulcet songs. Ramon Vargas is the singer to listen nowadays where there is a lack of talent and more image.

Wonderful recital by a great modern artist.......2002-07-13

Ramon Vargas sometimes pushes his small but lovely tenor voice beyond its means in live performance--witness his "Boheme" at the Metropolitan in the 2002 broadcast season--but this recital of songs, given before a native Mexican audience with whom he verhy obviously establishes a rapport, goes a long way towards explaining why Vargas is so highly prized. Not everything here is totally idiomatic (his "Feneste che lucive" and "'A vucchella" lack the sensuousness of earlier tenors like de Lucia and Caruso), but he definitely knows what he's doing and is obviously having a great time. Highly recommended, especially for the bargain price!!

Simply the Best.......2001-07-23

Many Tenors in the past have recorded Neopolitan songs, though none of them compare to the new young tenor on the scene Ramon Vargas. This recording, taped live in 1995, shows Vargas at his best. He has a powerful voice, and it is even from bottom to top. He has a legato line that reminds me of the great Placido Domingo. In ideale, Vargas hits the final note in a full tone piano that is simply wonderful. This cd is outstanding, and Vargas is the tenor of the future. Snyonr who loves good singing should get this cd.

Giuseppe Di Stefano Sings Neopolitan & Other Songs

Average customer rating:

GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO--VOL. 1 & 2 NEAPOLITAN SONGS
The finest available!
Pippo's Biggest Fan

Giuseppe Di Stefano Sings Neopolitan & Other Songs

Manufacturer: Testament UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003XK1
Release Date: 1997-04-10

Tracks:

Funicula, Funiculi
Luna nova
Mamma mia, che vo' sage?
Torna!
Carmela
Guapparia
Mandulinata a Napule
I' m'arricordo 'e Napule
Pecche?
Anema 'e core
Me so' 'mbiracato 'e sole
Vurria
Lolita
Ideale
L'Ultima canzone
Aprile
Luna d'estate
La Serenata
Mattinata
Non t'amo pui
Malia
Chanson de l'adieu
'A Vucchella
Musica Proibita

Customer Reviews:

GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO--VOL. 1 & 2 NEAPOLITAN SONGS.......2005-07-29

WONDERFUL MUSIC--MAKES ME THINK OF WALKING THE STREETS OF NAPLES AND LISTENING TO MY FATHER SING TO ME. ONE CAN CLOSE THEIR YES AND THINK OF SITTING IN A RESTAURANT OR SIDEWALK CAFE AND BEING SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN PEOPLE.
LOVELY SONGS SUNG BEAUTIFULLY

The finest available!.......2002-08-29

For connoisseurs of Neapolian songs, these discs from Testament are golden, and no one sings these songs better than di Stefano. He has the charm and style in his delivery as few others have.
After hearing him in these songs, others may sound like mere pretenders. I can't recommend this disc highly enough if you like great singing and canzoni Napoli.

Pippo's Biggest Fan.......2000-08-26

Now this is what I would call one beautiful CD.It shows that Pippo was the greatest tenor in the world during his reign.His voice is extremely beautiful and the warmth and emotionalism are incredible.I listen to his " Non T'amo Piu " endlessly.You just can't find singing like Pippo at his best even going back to Gigli.This CD is a must have for anyone even remotely interested in classical tenor voices.They don't meke them like Pippo anymore and fortunately his voice and style of singing will live forever with his many recordings.Do yourselves a big favor and buy this one.

Tracks:

Mamma
Non ti scordar di me
Lolita
Musica proibita
La mia canzone al vento
Malinconia d'amore
La serenata
Cantate con me
Volare
Mattinata - Leoncavallo
Aprile
Chanson de l'adieu
L'Ultima canzone
O sole mio
A vucchella
Marechiare
Torna a Surriento

Customer Reviews:

A rare treasure.......2000-01-05

The Pavarotti Songbook comes with the words and English translations for all songs. Since the songs are predominantly Italian folk songs instead of arias, this CD is a rare treasure. You will be hard pressed to find the lyrics for O sole mio, Lolita and musica proibita elsewhere. If you like to sing along, this CD is a must for your collection.

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