Verdi Heroines

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu is at a significant crossroads for a singer: past the heady days of her sudden, youthful stardom in the mid-1990s initiated by her legendary Covent Garden La Traviata, but still forging a mature identity, both vocally and interpretively. The results of this in-betweenness can be frustrating, as Gheorghiu at this point clearly doesn't seem light enough for Gilda's "Caro nome" in Rigoletto (the weakest cut on this recital), but still needs to develop the heavier sound and heft needed for such Verdi heroines as Aida. That said, Gheorghiu's attempt to position herself at the head of the new generation of Verdi sopranos has a lot going for it--most important, the mesmerizing quality of her uniquely dusky timbre and the conviction of her vocal acting (it's even able to come across on CD). Just listen to how she can encode unhappiness in her phrasing--a prerequisite for a Verdi heroine--as Aida, or transient but intensely sought peace as Leonora, or, in the longest scèna here, as an appealingly multilayered Desdemona (quite possibly the recital's best cut). There's also the exciting polarity of Gheorghiu's leaps from chest voice to a high perch (at the end of the lengthy Don Carlo scèna) to signify the traversal of as many emotions, though she practically throws away what should be a killer moment with her disappointing attack on the high pianissimo at the end of "Morro, Ma Prima in Grazia.". The chemistry between Gheorghiu and conductor Riccardo Chailly that was so remarkable on their Bohème is even more powerful here, and Chailly's ear for detail enables the arias to unfold against a canvas of vibrant colors; the symphonic dimension he gives to the orchestral prologues (especially in the Don Carlo and Otello scenes) adds depth and perspective. --Thomas May

Tracks:

Ritorna Vincitor!
O Patria Mia
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora (Sleepwalking Scene)
Addio Del Passato
Ernani! Ernani, Involami
Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella (Willow Song)
Ave Maria
Ma Dall'arido Stelo Divulsa
Tacea La Notte Placida
D'amor Sull' Ali Rosee
Madre, Madre, Pietosa Vergine
La Vergine Degli Angeli
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio

Customer Reviews:

The STAR.......2005-05-07

The review offerred by Amazon fails to mention the most important fact. The main performer is Leontyne Price. I can't even find the name of the other listed performers on this item. The listed conductors are 2 of 5 conductors that took part!!

THE FINEST.......2000-07-11

Arguably the finest Verdi soprano of our time and certainly the finest 'Aida' and 'Leonora' in "La Forza Del Destino" and "Il Trovatore," I was lucky enough to see/hear Miss Price, live at the Metropolitan Opera House and in concert at Brooklyn College. Her God-given talents combined with a passionate stage presence, handsome looks and magnetic warmth made her a unique artist--I heard once on a TV documentary that she was the most "decorated" (i.e. award-winning) musical artist of the century! This superb collection of Verdi arias include two from "Aida" which, most likely, will not ever be matched, an exquisite 'Willow Song' & 'Ave Maria' from "Otello" plus several familiar arias from "Ernani," "Trovatore," "Forza," "Traviata" and the sleepwalking scene from "Macbeth." The sound on this compilation RCA CD is fine, if not as good had it been recorded more recently than the 70's. The various conductors include Thomas Schippers and Erich Leinsdorf.

a must have for your collection.......1999-04-15

In this recital recording of previously recorded material we are shown why Leontyne Price is the Godess of all verdian sopranos. No one has ever or will ever match her package of talent and beauty that she entertained the world with. Everything in this compilation is simply beautiful and perfect! I own this cd even though I already own most of the box sets the arias come from. If you don't have this cd you simply MUST buy it. If you've been under an opera rock and aren't familiar with Leontyne, you will be very pleased with this cd and she'll quickly become one of your favorite sopranos. and definitely your favorite Verdian soprano

Average customer rating:

The Dramatic Callas
Still good...

Verdi Heroines

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lyric & Coloratura Arias by Maria Callas (EMI's Great Recordings of the Century)
French Orchestral Music
Maria Callas 100 Best Classics

ASIN: B000MX7SUA
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

Nel Di Della Vittoria...Ambizioso Spirto...Vieni! T'affretta...Or Tutti Sorgete
La Luce Langue
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Surta E La Notte...Ernani, Ernani, Involami
Tu Che Le Vanita
Mi Parea. M'ingiunse Di Coricarmi... Mia Madre Aveva Una Povera Ancella...
Piangea Cantando...
Ave Maria, Piena Di Grazia
O, Cielo! Dove Son Io?
O Don Fatale
Ritorna Vincitor!

Customer Reviews:

The Dramatic Callas.......2007-05-12

This album is a great representation of the Callas voice in dramatic roles. She was know for singing all styles and ranges of the soprano repatory over her career. This shows her ability to give what is demanded by Verdi in these dramatic roles. Although some tones are a bit less in beauty, the dramatic intent takes over and results in and excellent rendition of each work.

Still good... .......2007-03-29

These recordings are still nice. They are taken from different sessions so they show the voice at very different times. I like the choice for this disc. It makes for a nice listen. It includes most of the pieces I listen to on Verdi 1,2, and 3 from Callas. However, note that this is not the Verdi album as Callas intended it to be. If you want those get the 3 Verdi discs from the Callas edition......Sound is great.

Average customer rating:

AWFUL!
Gheorghiu is not a spinto soprano... so what??
Artistic audacity!!
Overparted in spinto arias she should not be singing
Vocal Knowledge.....

Verdi Heroines

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Angela Gheorghiu & Roberto Alagna - Verdi per due
My World
Renée Fleming
Angela Gheorghiu - Arias
Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu - Duets & Arias

ASIN: B00004DTQV
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Merce, dilette amiche (I vespri siciliani)
Tu che le vanita conoscesti ... Francia, nobile suol (Don Carlo)
Gualtier Malde! ... Caro nome: Gualtier Malde! ... Caro nome (Rigoletto)
Qui Radames verra !... O patria mia (Aida)
Che piu t'arresti? ... Tacea la notte placida ... Di tale amor (Il trovatore)
Morro, ma prima in grazia (Un ballo in maschera)
Come in quest'ora br na (Simon Boccanegra)
Pace, Pace, mio Dio! (La forza del destino)
Era piu calmo? ... 'Piangea cantando...' ...Ave Maria (Otello)

Amazon.com

Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu is at a significant crossroads for a singer: past the heady days of her sudden, youthful stardom in the mid-1990s initiated by her legendary Covent Garden La Traviata, but still forging a mature identity, both vocally and interpretively. The results of this in-betweenness can be frustrating, as Gheorghiu at this point clearly doesn't seem light enough for Gilda's "Caro nome" in Rigoletto (the weakest cut on this recital), but still needs to develop the heavier sound and heft needed for such Verdi heroines as Aida. That said, Gheorghiu's attempt to position herself at the head of the new generation of Verdi sopranos has a lot going for it--most important, the mesmerizing quality of her uniquely dusky timbre and the conviction of her vocal acting (it's even able to come across on CD). Just listen to how she can encode unhappiness in her phrasing--a prerequisite for a Verdi heroine--as Aida, or transient but intensely sought peace as Leonora, or, in the longest scèna here, as an appealingly multilayered Desdemona (quite possibly the recital's best cut). There's also the exciting polarity of Gheorghiu's leaps from chest voice to a high perch (at the end of the lengthy Don Carlo scèna) to signify the traversal of as many emotions, though she practically throws away what should be a killer moment with her disappointing attack on the high pianissimo at the end of "Morro, Ma Prima in Grazia.". The chemistry between Gheorghiu and conductor Riccardo Chailly that was so remarkable on their Bohème is even more powerful here, and Chailly's ear for detail enables the arias to unfold against a canvas of vibrant colors; the symphonic dimension he gives to the orchestral prologues (especially in the Don Carlo and Otello scenes) adds depth and perspective. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

AWFUL!.......2005-01-20

As an opera singer, I have been a judge for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. I saw Angela's Traviata and thought it was extremely good then. I find myself enjoying her lighter roles because her voice is more free and on the breath. It has a much nicer spinning quality from top to bottom. However, when I listened to her VERDI CD I was extremely disappointed. I felt like I was back at the Met Auditions telling young sopranos not to go down the dark and heavy road. I hate what Angela is doing to her voice. In covering the voice to make it darker and heavier, she compromises the breath giving what we would call a "hooty" tone. It effects her vibrato and sounds very artificial. Her lower chest notes, I have not doubt, could not be heard unless she had a mic. The voice lies too far back to give a brilliant sound that Verdi had intended. The voice is too "covered" and unnaturally dark. If someone reading this is in question, may I remind you to listen to the voices of decades ago that were true naturally dramatic voices. When Angela uses her true voice which is lighter, it actually becomes bigger and more vibrant. But you will hear it less and less. I think this recording is a prime example of a young singer wanting too much too soon. I heard Zinka Milanov warn young singers against the seduction of the heavier roles. Angela should have listened. An interview I read regarding Angela and Roberto portrayed them as believing they do not need teachers or coaches and that humility is not their strong suit. It shows in this recording. I have several of Angela's and Roberto's recordings, each will be donated to the society for over-rated over-inflated singers.

Gheorghiu is not a spinto soprano... so what??.......2004-07-05

I find it interesting, if not funny, when someone writes a poor review bashing a CD or a singer but can barely explain why he/she disliked it. It seems that they just want to diminish the number of stars conferred to the album. However, I suppose people who are interested in buying this amazing CD will first read the reviews, and then they will know the difference between a non-sense review and an intelligent one.

Angela Gheorghiu, who is know 39 years old, is considered a lyric-dramatic soprano. She's not (instead of what some reviewers said) a simple lyric soprano, but a lyric soprano with a darker voice and a richer lower range. Besides, Gheorghiu is noted for her apparently endless capabilities. Sir Georg Solti, who conducted the famous La Traviata with her in 1994, said "This girl can do anything". Well, I wouldn't be so enthusiastic, but indeed Gheorghiu has proved she can sing a wide repertoire successfully. If you still think she can't sing these arias composed for spinto sopranos, think about Montserrat Caball?, a former lyric soprano that had great success singing spinto roles, and Mirella Freni, who's considered one of the best Elisabetta di Valois ever. Caball?'s voice has never been as dark as Gheorghiu's, and Freni's voice was far away from the rounded sound of Gheorghiu's voice.
She is also a wonderful actress, perhaps the best singer actress we've had in the last decades, so that her interpretations are always deep and moving. And Gheorghiu manages to create not only different characterizations but completely different atmospheres in each aria. Her voice is more vulnerable and lyric in the spectacular Otello scene she sings here. I do think she should sing Desdemona immediately. Hers is one of the most introspective and sad interpretations of Desdemona I've ever heard, and her voice is simply perfection: a pure and rounded sound with astonishing pianissimi. In contrast to this, we have a dazzling "Merc? diletti amici", in which Gheorghiu shows off her coloratura skills (some coloratura sopranos of these days would certainly be envy of her!).
Other highlights are the desperate "Pace, pace, mio Dio" and the innocent "Come in quest'ora bruna", sung by Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, a role that Gheorghiu has sung for the very first time in Covent Garden this year with great success. The Il Trovatore scene is wonderfully sung, though I think Gheorghiu is even better in her complete recording. In the aria "Tacea la notte placida" it's required a dark and veiled voice like Gheorghiu's, and she gives us an idea of what was going to be her incredible Leonora recorded in 2002 (though of course she didn't sing the role onstage, more because she wants to protect her voice than because she can't sing it!). Some parts I thought wouldn't fit very well in her voice were the Aida and Un Ballo in Maschera aria, but Gheorghiu proved again to be a true artist, giving us much wonderful singing and dramatic interpretations. Singers like Gheorghiu, Callas, Sutherland, Tebaldi or Rysanek hardly disappoint us, and that's why they were the leading singers during their days.
Riccardo Chailly is a great conductor, particularly in this repertoire, and conducts with intelligence and ballance.
Ignore those ridiculous reviews and enjoy this fantastic album!

Artistic audacity!!.......2004-05-08

In the past, sopranos knew their vocal limitations and did not record things that they could not sing on stage. Apparently, with the lack of truly great sopranos on today's opera scene, the less-than-great ones today are recording things that they would not be able to sing on stage. Angela Gheorghiu is a prime example. She is not a spinto and does not have the vocal resources to sing the spinto roles on stage that are represented by the arias on this disc. She is deluding herself if she thinks she can tackle this repertoire on stage. Plácido Domingo, several years ago, recorded two discs of heldentenor and love duet music from Wagner's Ring and "Tristan und Isolde". He was still in very good voice when he recorded the excerpts. He can do such a thing because, even though he would not be able to sing the heldentenor roles onstage, he has given the opera world more than 30 years of great performances, which gives him the right to record repertoire that would otherwise be unsuited to his voice in the opera house. Angela Gheorghiu has not reached that point yet. This disc was recorded solely for commericial profit. Thus, it should not be regarded highly.

Overparted in spinto arias she should not be singing.......2004-05-04

What has gone wrong with Opera - that is all I can ask myself after listeing to this CD and seeing how this talented lyric soprano is being pushed so hard into the wrong roles and then marketed as the Next Important Verdi Soprano!! I was very disillusioned with the whole thing! These selections do a service neither to the singer nor to the composer and therefore I rate the CD as a failure.

Angela Gheorghiu has so much going for her, but being a Verdi soprano is not one of them - she is not a dramatic, nor a spinto, not even a big enough lyric with enough "bite" or strenght to carry some of these roles!!! She shouldn't be attempting to sing more than half of the arias of this CD! In addition, she does not have nearly the experience as a Verdi singer to warrant recording all these things which she has never sung on stage - the interpretations just aren't there, they're put on. To be putting herself in that league shows either a tremendous hubris or that nobody expects real Verdi singing anymore - neither of which is a very good thing!!!

Angela Gheorghiu ahs made a fine impression as a lyric soprano, with successes in some of the key roles of the repertoire - Violetta, Mimi, Liu, Micaela, Juliette etc., when she started out. Now, nearing forty, she should be coming into her prime and be moving forward step by step in a healthy way, rather than leaping forward with both feet into things two sizes too big. Because as lyric sopranos go, her voice is not particularly big to begin with and is one that would need careful nurturing if she wanted to take on heavier things down the road.

Do critics and public think this is "OK" because it is "just a CD" (how artistically bankrupt!) or do they really think that this repertoire is suitable for a light lyric soprano with only two Verdi roles (Nannetta and Violetta) to her credit? I completely oppose both notions, unpopular though I may be!

It is a shame because this heavy repertoire is already taking a toll - a monotonous pushing sound and weighting down, messy coloratura runs, pushed top notes, no chest tones to speak of - all warning signs that should be addressed now before they become worse.

I think she should have omitted entirely the arias from Aida, Forza, Trovatore and Ballo, and left them to the spintos and dramatics who SHOULD be singing them. Along with the arias from Rigoletto, Boccanegra, Otello and Vespri, which have many lovely moments even if not in the "best ever" leagues - why not have included some VOCALLY SUITABLE selections from less well known operas - like Corsaro (Medora's haunting aria),two lovely arias from Giovanna d'Arco, etc. It would have made for a more respectable and more interesting CD and been more of useful exercise for the singer as well.

Angela Gheorghiu should get off her high horse and stick with the right roles,. Then if she can last another decade she take a crack at the bigger things if she wants without risking her voice and maybe able to do more of a service to the composer!

Vocal Knowledge............2004-04-30

To whomever made the asinine, cheap & tawdry comments about Gheorghiu being a "guttersnipe" and some sort of whore, you have about as much class and intellect as a redneck at the opera. If you choose to criticize a singers abilities, do so intelligently. Otherwise, people like me will only laugh at your lack of intelligence and assume you have an IQ of 5.
Some comments: First of all, I enjoy this CD greatly. I think it is a wonderful display of potential FUTURE roles for Ms. Gheorghiu. FUTURE. Do not take this CD as a sample of currently scheduled engagements. This is a taste of possible future endeavors. Although Angela Gheorghiu may not be breaking out into Pace Mio Dio in Aida on stage next month at Covent Garden, that doesn't mean she isn't capable of singing an aria from the work.
Secondly: Angela Gheorghiu's voice is NOT small. Small voices are sopranos like Kathleen Battle or Sumi Jo. To all those who claim she has a small voice, I would like to watch you stand in front of her singing full throttle, and see if you don't wince and recoil at the power emanating from her lungs. She is a full lyric soprano, just a step down from a spinto. In a few years, she will probably have spinto quality and power. She isn't even 40 years old yet, which, for a singer is pretty young.
Thirdly: This is a studio recording. ALL studio recordings are patched and enhanced. Have you heard Renee Fleming's recordings? They are patched too. She doesn't whip out 3 or 4 E flats in every aria. Trust me, I've seen her perform live. Although I'm sure some enhancements were made to this CD (namely on Caro Nome)I doubt very seriously that they would have to patch a C into a piece because Gheorghiu couldn't sing it.
Personally, I think Desdemona is the best scena on this disc. If she doesn't sing Desdemona soon, I will die.
Oh, and I almost forgot. She just sang Amelia Grimaldi at Covent Garden and critics have raved its the best thing she's ever done. Small voice, huh?

Average customer rating:

Stepping to Stage Front
Excellent Handel Program

Sarah Connolly: Heroes and Heroines

Manufacturer: CORO
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Exquisite Hour
Elina Garanca ~ Mozart Opera & Concert Arias

ASIN: B00030ERP6
Release Date: 2004-10-01

Tracks:

Sinfonia (Act 3)
Sta nell' Ircana
Mi lusingha il dolce affetto
Sinfonia to Act 2
...
...
Recit & Aria: Scherza infida
Dopo notte
Entree des songes agreables
Verdi prati
Sinfonia (Act 2)
Recit & Aria: Cease, ruler of the day
Where shall I fly

Album Description

Featuring one of ENO's most accomplished stars, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, Heroes and Heroines is a new disc of Handel arias recorded with Harry Christophers and The Symphony of Harmony and Invention in May of this year.

Performing with Sarah on this new album is The Sixteen's acclaimed orchestra The Symphony of Harmony and Invention. In addition to the thrilling and heart-stoppingly beautiful arias on this recording, the orchestra has some `solo' tracks of its own which include `The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' (from Solomon).

Customer Reviews:

Stepping to Stage Front.......2005-05-04

Sarah Connolly may be a well-known name in the UK but in the USA she has too infrequently performed for a wide audience to develop. That will most assuredly change with this release of this CD of arias and recitatives from four of Handel's operas - Alcina, Ariodante, Solomon, and Hercules.

Connolly's warm, rich, pliant mezzo soprano voice is balanced throughout her broad range and she uses it with great intelligence and a true concern for the passion and poignancy of the character portrayed. Her singing is straightforward, not that she does not embellish in the baroque tradition, but she refuses to ornament for the sake of ornamentation. If there is one aspect of Connolly's voice that is worrisome it is the wide vibrato that seeps into her singing when the declamations rise above forte. But that 'problem' is rarely significant on the opera stage; it seems to bolster the drama. Equally at home in trouser roles as well as heroines Connolly once again proves that Handel's works sung with this kind of commitment remain significantly viable contenders for the upper echelon of operas performed today.

Connolly is adroitly accompanied by Henry Christopher and The Symphony of Harmony and Invention, as superb ensemble of players as any in this repertoire! The tracks of instrumental sinfonias are as elegant and lovely as the vocal numbers. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 05

Excellent Handel Program.......2005-02-05

This is a wonderfully varied and well-thought-out recital of Handel's music for mezzo-soprano (or the castrato voice, in the case of many of these arias). The orchestral pieces are short but well-chosen, the playing is excellent, and Sarah Connolly is wonderful singer. Not the sublime territory of Lorraine Hunt or David Daniels, but close. Her performance of "Scherza Infida" from Ariodante is one of the best I've heard. The real treat on this recording is the monumental accompanied recitative from Hercules, "Where shall I fly?" a remarkably modern-sounding piece that deconstructs baroque musical conventions to a fare-thee-well. Highly recommended.

Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favorite Heroines

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Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favorite Heroines

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Freni, Mirella | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Nilsson, Birgit | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

O mio babbino caro
Sogno di Doretta
Vissi d'arte
Un bel di
Si. Mi chiamoano Mimi
Ebben? ... Ne andro lontana
Suicidio
Casta Diva
Voi lo sapete
Ave Maria
O patria mia
In questa reggia
Tacea la notte
Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera

Amazon.com

This "My Favorite Heroines" CD doesn't necessarily make opera easy, as the title of the series suggests; but it does give the listener opportunities to appreciate a succession of some of the world's greatest sopranos doing their thing. Pavarotti's favorites lean toward the heavy side (that's sound, not weight), and all are from Italian opera (no surprise) and perform some of opera's greatest hits, including "Vissi d'Arte" (Nilsson), "Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontana" (Tebaldi), "Casta Diva" (Sutherland) and "O Patria Mia" (Price). Outstanding is Freni's graceful "Un Bel Di," a recording to treasure. It's fun to compare the different talents, strengths, and weaknesses of the varous singers. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Julia Varady - Verdi Heroines Vol. I / Fischer-Dieskau

Average customer rating:

Fantastic

Julia Varady - Verdi Heroines Vol. I / Fischer-Dieskau
Giuseppe Verdi , Munich Bavarian State Orchestra , Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , and Julia Varady
Manufacturer: Orfeo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Julia Varady - Verdi Heroines Vol. II / Fischer-Dieskau

ASIN: B0000059AN
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Nabucco, Atto 2. Scena Ed Aria: Ben Io T'Invenni
II Trovatore, Atto1. Scena E Cavatina: Tacea La Notte
II Trovatore, Atto 4. Scena Ed Aria: Timor Di Me
La Traviata, Atto1. Scena Ed Aria: E Strano - Julia Varady/Lothar Odinius
La Traviata, Atto 4. Scena Ed Aria: Teneste La Promessa-Attendo, Attendo
Un Ballo In Maschera, Atto 2. Prld, Scena Ed Aria: Ecco L'Orrido Campo-Ma Dall'Arido Stelo Divulsa
Un Ballo In Maschera, Atto 3. Scena Ed Arai: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia
La Forza Del Destino, Atto4. Melodia: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2003-12-26

Julia was sadly an underrecorded artiste. She just never ran after success. But her artistry far surpasses many of the "stars" today - definitely in the class of Fleming, Gheorghiu and Mattila. Thankfully, we have a record of her achievements here.

Average customer rating:

Pretty voice, not much else

Heroines

Manufacturer: Campion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ENCORE / Various
Debut
Verdi Galante: Arias from Verdi's late works

ASIN: B0000044CR
Release Date: 1996-09-17

Tracks:

Faust: The Jewel Song
Rigoletto: Caro Nome
Rigoletto: Tutte le ferste al tempo
Turandot: Signore ascolta!
Pique Dame: It is near to midnight
The Snow Maiden: To the Woods
The Snow Maiden: Final aria
Manon: Adieu, notre petite table
Madama Butterfly: One Fine Day
Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte
Il Trovatore: D'amor sull'ali rosee
Turandot: Tuche di gel sei cinta
La Traviata: Ah, Fors'e lui - Sempre libera
Adrianna Lecouvreur: Io son l'umile ancella

Customer Reviews:

Pretty voice, not much else.......1999-04-05

Inessa Galante has a lovely voice. Unfortunately, her delivery leaves much to be desired. In other words, while most of these songs are nice, and Galante sounds okay singing them, you can find always find better versions. Particularly the Jewel Song, Caro nome, and Sempre libera are entirely unsuited to Galante's heavy voice.

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5 Héroïnes

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002S3Y
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Norma - Cavatine
Norma - Recit: Fine Al Rito E Il Sacro Bosco. & Cabalette: Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna
Norma - Scene & Duetto: Oh! Rimembranza!...Lo Fui Cosi
Norma - Finale: Oh Non Tremare
Norma - Trio: Oh Di Qual Sei Tu Vittima
Norma - Recit: Me Chiami, O Norma!
Norma - Duetto: Deh! Con Te
Norma - Duetto: Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi
Norma - Duetto: In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei
Norma - Finale: Norma! Deh! Norma Scolpati!

Tracks:

Lucia Di Lammermoor - Cavatine: Regnava Nel Silenzio
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Sulla Tomba Che Rinserra
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Qui Di Sposa Eterna Fede...Ah! Soltanto Il Nostro Foco
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Ah! Verranno A Te Sull'aure
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Recitatif: Appressati, Lucia
Lucia Di Lammermoor - II Pallor Funesto, Orrendo
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Soffriva Ne Pianto...Un Folle T'accese
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Che Fia?... Suonar Di Giubilo
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Se Tradirmi Tu Potrai...Tu Che Vedi Il Pianto Mio
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Dov'e Lucia?...Qui Giungere or La Vedrem
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Piange La Madre Estinta
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento?
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Eccola!
Lucia Di Lammermoor - II Dolce Suono
Lucia Di Lammermoor - Spargi D'amaro Pianto

Tracks:

La Traviata - Brindisi: Libiamo
La Traviata - Duo: Un Di Felice, Eterea
La Traviata - Ebben? Che Diavol Fate?
La Traviata - E Strano! E Strano!
La Traviata - Ah, fors'e Lui
La Traviata - Follie! Follie!
La Traviata - Sempre Libera
La Traviata - Pura Siccome Un Angelo
La Traviata - Non Sapete Quale Affetto
La Traviata - Un Di, Quando Le Veneri
La Traviata - Ah! Dite Alla Giovine
La Traviata - Imponete... Non Amarlo Ditegli
La Traviata - Morro! Morro! La Mia Memoria
La Traviata - Teneste La Promessa
La Traviata - Addio Del Passato
La Traviata - Parigi, O Cara
La Traviata - Ah, Non Piu
La Traviata - Ah! Gran Dio! Morir Si Giovine
La Traviata - Ah, Violetta
La Traviata - Prendi, Quest'e L'immagine
La Traviata - Se Una Pudica Vergine

Tracks:

Madama Butterfly - Viene La Sera
Madama Butterfly - Bimba Dagli Occhi Pieni Di Malia
Madama Butterfly - Vogliatemi Bene
Madama Butterfly - Air: Un Bel Di Vedremo
Madama Butterfly - Ora A Noi
Madama Butterfly - E Questo? E Questo?
Madama Butterfly - Che Tua Madre Dovra
Madama Butterfly - Va Via!
Madama Butterfly - Scuoti Quella Fronda Di Ciliegio
Madama Butterfly - Or Vieni Ad Adornar
Madama Butterfly - Choeur A Bouche Fermee Choeur
Madama Butterfly - Duo: Gia Il Sole!
Madama Butterfly - Air: Con Onor Muore

Tracks:

Tosca - Gente La Dentro!
Tosca - Mario! Mario!
Tosca - Ah, Quegli Occhi... Qual Occhio Al Mondo
Tosca - Floria! Amore!
Tosca - Se La Giurata Fede Debo Tradir
Tosca - Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore
Tosca - Vedi, Ecco, Vedi, Le Man Giunte Io Stendo A Te
Tosca - E Qual Via Scegliete?
Tosca - E Lucevan Le Stelle
Tosca - Ah! Franchigia A Floria Tosca
Tosca - O Dolci Mani
Tosca - E Non Giungono
Tosca - Com' E Lunga L'attesa
Tosca - Presto! Su, Mario! Andiam!

Average customer rating:

The best Verdi Aria Recital I've heard
A candidate for the greatest Verdi recital ever recorded
Brilliant!

Verdi Heroines

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Italian Opera Arias

ASIN: B000EHQ8IW
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Tracks:

Aida; Act I; Scene 1; Ritorna vincitor! - Leontyne Price, Oliviero de Fabritiis
Aida; Act III; O patria mia - Leontyne Price, Oliviero de Fabritiis
Macbeth; Act IV; Sleepwalking Scene - Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Leontyne Price, Robert El Hage, Corinne Vozza
La Traviata; Act III; Addio del passato - Leontyne Price
Ernani; Ernani! Ernani, involami - Carlo Bergonzi, Leontyne Price, Thomas Schippers, Ezio Flagello, Julia Hamari, Fernando Iacopucci, Mario Sereni, Hartje Mueller
Otello; Willow Song - Leontyne Price
Otello; Act IV; Ave Maria - Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Leontyne Price, Corinne Vozza
Un ballo in Maschera; Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa - Erich Leinsdorf, Leontyne Price
Il Travatore; Tacea la notte placida - Arturo Basile, Leontyne Price
Il trovatore; Act IV; Scene 1; Timor di me?; D'amor sull'ali rosee - Arturo Basile, Leontyne Price
La Forza del Destino; Madre, Madre, pietosa Vergine - Leontyne Price, Thomas Schippers
La Forza del Destino; La Vergine degli angeli - Leontyne Price, Thomas Schippers, Giorgio Tozzi
La Forza del Destino; Pace, pace, mio Dio - Leontyne Price, Thomas Schippers, Ezio Flagello, Robert Merrill, Giorgio Tozzi, Richard Tucker, Shirley Verrett

Customer Reviews:

The best Verdi Aria Recital I've heard.......2007-03-19

Leontyne Price was born in an age when Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Joan Sutherland, and Birgit Nilsson were making headlines as the world's greatest sopranos. If Callas was the dramatic coloratura of her day, Nilsson the Wagnerian, Tebaldi the spinto, and Sutherland the coloratura, Leontyne Price was perhaps the greatest voice ever to touch Verdi's literature. Her full-bodied, flexible lyric voice was one of the most beautiful instruments created for Verdi's Leonoras, Aida, Amelia, and Elvira, and she also excelled in the Puccini that she touched. She was the chosen vehicle to premiere the many works of Samuel Barber, and her interpretation of his Hermit Songs and his Antony and Cleopatra are unrivaled in their vocal opulence and dramatic intensity. Although I must say that I find her Italian to be quite unidiomatic at times (a few appearances of some American vowels here and there), the voice quality is ravishing, the tone melting, and the drama touching. Her excerpts from Aida, a role that was considered to be hers for almost three decades, shows her in secure voice and dramatic involvement. Her Ernani involami, Addio del Passato, and the Macbeth Sleepwalking scene, three selections that were not covered by Price onstage, may not have the requisite qualities that would propel Price as the ideal interpreter of these arias. Nonetheless, her voice and her artistry shine through and keep listeners aware that this artists perhaps would have excelled in them had she taken the time to slip into these roles. The Otello excerpt is a lamentable image of what could have been--Price is simply ravishing and she almost recorded the part with Domingo and Levine for RCA, only to be replaced later by Renata Scotto. We will never get a complete Desdemona from Price, but what we have more than suffices. The Ballo excerpt shows Price lending one of the most vocally ripe interpretations of Amelia's music, making us wish that she had been partnered by more able singers in her recording with Schippers. Lastly, we have the two Verdi Leonoras, parts that Leontyne made her own for the long duration of her career. I think that she is unrivalled as the Trovatore Leonora, and in the Forza Leonora, she only has Tebaldi and Callas as her sole competitors for the crowning glory of this very difficult role. All these excerpts capture Leontyne Price in her prime, devoid of any of that muddy lower register and the scooping mannerisms that would affect her late recordings. I would recommend this recital disc to anyone who wishes to hear the most beautiful Verdi soprano of the last century.

A candidate for the greatest Verdi recital ever recorded.......2006-07-27

It's great that a new (2004) remastering gives a new generation of opera lovers a chance to be flabbergasted. Leontyne Price was in her absolute prime here, which means that no one oculd surpass her for beauty of voice, thrilling delivery, and stupendous technique. All of these Verdi arias were made for her voice, even though she never sang Desdemona on stage. This isn't exactly a recital; RCA cobbled the colleciton together from various sources under five different conductors. The three La Forza arias, for example, come from a complete opera recording under Thomas Schippers. All the others, I believe, don't come from complete sets.

The original CD sound was a bit harsh, so even us old hands should seize the opportuniyt to replenish our supply. The only sad note is that another Leontyne Price hasn't remotely come our way since.

Brilliant!.......2006-07-27

There are no parallels when it comes to Ms. Price's beautiful singing. Her intelligence, keen sense of dynamics, attention to detail when creating a role are all on marvelous display in this rich collection. If you are a novice to opera, here is where you start. However, with this recording, you start at the pinnacle of all opera singing. If you are an aficionado of opera, and if you do not have this recording, then you are missing out on the best. We have God to thank for Ms. Price. Her "Pace, Pace mio Dio" is like no one else's and her other interpretations are just as spectacular. I have listened and re-listened to this album over a thousand times. It has also taught me something invaluable about singing. Get it NOW!!!

A Treasury of Operatic Heroines, 1948-1967

Average customer rating:

Heavenly

A Treasury of Operatic Heroines, 1948-1967

Manufacturer: Cambria Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Ladino | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000JXYB
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Customer Reviews:

Heavenly.......2006-02-20

Dorothy Warenskjold has a beautiful voice, and her phrasing is rad. She makes me understand why Michaela in "Carmen" feels so sad.

As I listen to Dorothy I picture the scene in the DVD of "The Shawshank Redemption" in which Andy (Tim Robbins) turns on hundreds of prisoners to the beauty of a coloratura's voice.

Music Review:

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