Les Introuvables Du Chant Verdien [Box set]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This collection, whose French title might be translated "Verdi Vocal Rarities," is a unique contribution to the Verdi centennial year. Its 136 selections on eight compact discs offer an in-depth survey of singers who recorded notable Verdi performances during the era of 78-rpm recording. Coincidentally, this period covers, within a few years, the half- century after the composer's death, in 1901. Some of the singers in the earliest cuts--tenor Francesco Tamagno and bass Victor Maurel, for example--had known Verdi and sung for him. Many of the singers will be familiar to connoisseurs of Verdi discography--Enrico Caruso, Boris Christoff, Fedora Barbieri, Ezio Pinza, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Tito Gobbi, Beniamino Gigli, and Jussi Bjoerling, to name a few. Others, such as Frieda Hempel, Emmy Destinn, Martha Modl, Joseph Schwarz, Gino Cigna, and Mattia Battistini, are names you come across in books about opera, but you have heard their voices only if you spend a lot of time with historic recordings. And a lot of performances, including some of the best, are likely to be the work of singers encountered for the first time.

Most of the big moments from Verdi's operas are included--grouped by opera, not by chronological order of recording. There are a few strange omissions; for example, the "Miserere" scene from Il trovatore. But other selections, such as "Ah fors' e lui" and "La donna e mobile," are given in two or three performances--sometimes in French, German, or Russian as well as Italian. Some of the performances are classics; many are mind-boggling.

Some favorite Verdi singers--Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, among them--are absent because they began recording after the collection's cutoff date. Other problems are mostly related to the dates of the original recordings. The sound is all pre-high-fidelity and sometimes quite primitive, though some remarkable work has been done to optimize the earliest items. The annotations are minimal--mostly the date, venue, and performers in each cut, with pictures of the biggest stars. This decision was probably made to keep the price low, and those who already know most of the arias and ensembles will likely find the tradeoff acceptable. --Joe McLellan

Les Introuvables Du Chant Verdien, Music, Giuseppe Verdi, Alberto Erede, Alceo Galliera, Anatole Fistoulari, Antonio Sabino, Argeo Quadri, Bruno Seidler-Winkler, Carlo Sabajno, Edoardo Vitale, Eugene Bigot, Franco Patane, Franz Schmidt, Frieder Weissmann, Fritz Zweig, Gabriele Santini, Gino Marinuzzi, Giulio Setti, H. Defosse, Hans Löwlein, Hans Steinkopf, Herbert von Karajan, Ignatz Waghalter, Julius Pruwer, Lorenzo Molajoli, Nils Grevillius, Percy Pitt, Renato Arduini, Rosario Boudon, Rosario Bourdon, Sir Hamilton Harty, Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Thomas Beecham, Tullio Serafin, Umberto Berretoni, Walter B. Rogers, Walter Süsskind, Wilfred Pelletier, Wilhelm Schuchter, Berliner Staatsopernorchester, Erich Ortmann, Grande Orchestra, L'Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, London Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Milan Radio Symphony Orchestra, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Philharmonia Orchestra of London

Average customer rating: Rare but well-polished Verdi gems.

Les Introuvables Du Chant Verdien Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Giannini, Dusolina | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | 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 Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Les Introuvables du Chant Français Les Introuvables Du Chant Wagnérien The Verdi Recordings Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson ASIN: B000051W4C Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

1. Ernani: Act I: Surta E La Notte... Ernani! Ernani, Involami - Frieda Hempel
2. Ernani: Act I: Che Mai Vegg'io!... Infelice!... Infin Che Un Brando Vindice - Boris Christoff
3. Ernani: Act II: Vieni Meco... - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Cors/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
4. Ernani: Act III: O De' Verd'anni Miei - Giuseppe Kaschmann/Salvatore Cottone
5. Ernani: Act III: Gran Dio!... O De' Verd'anni Miei - Benvenuto Franci
6. Ernani: Act III: O Sommo Carlo - Mattia Battistini/Emillia Corsi/Luigi Colazza/Aristodemo Silich/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala
7. Il Trovatore: Act I: Tacea La Notte Placida - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
8. Il Trovatore: Act I: Deserto Sulla Terra - Francesco Tamagno
9. Il Trovatore: Act II: Stride La Vampa! - Fedora Barbiera
10. Il Trovatore: Act II: Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi - Margarete Klose
11. Il Trovatore: Act II: Perigliarti Ancor (Sung In German) - Margarete Matzenauer/Heinrich Knote
12. Il Trovatore: Act II: Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso - Giuseppe Pacini
13. Il Trovatore: Act III: Ah! Si Ben Mio, Coll'essere - Charles Dalmores
14. Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira (Sung In French) - Cesar Vezzani
15. Il Trovatore: Act III: Di Quella Pira - Jussi Bjorling
16. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Timor Di Me?... D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - Emmy Destinn
17. Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Sung In German) - Frida Leider
18. Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - EVA TURNER
19. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Udiste?... Mira, D'acerbe Lagrime... Vivra! - Carlo Galeffi/Giannina Arragi-Lombardi
20. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Si M'ami Ancor... Ai Nostri Monti - Beniamino Gigli/Cloe Elmo

Tracks:

1. Macbeth: Act II: La Luce Langue (Sung In German) - Martha Modl
2. Macbeth: Act IV: O Figli, O Figli Mie!... Ah La Paterna Mano - Enrico Caruso
3. Macbeth: Act IV: Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora - Margherita Grandi/Vera Terry/Ernest Frank
4. Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Alfred Piccaver
5. Rigoletto: Act I: Questa O Quella - Dino Borgioli
6. Rigoletto: Act I: Pari Siamo! - Tito Gobbi
7. Rigoletto: Act I: Gia Tre Lune... Veglia, O Donna (Sung In German) - Claire Dux/Joseph Schwartz
8. Rigoletto: Act I: E Il Sol Dell'anima (Sung In French) - Miguel Villabella/Elde Norena
9. Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In Russian) - Lydia Lipowska
10. Rigoletto: Act I: Caro Nome (Sung In German) - Maria Ivogun
11. Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigiani, Vil Razza Damnata (Sung In German) - Joseph Schwarz
12. Rigoletto: Act II: Cortigianni, Vil Razza Damnata - Pasquale Amato
13. Rigoletto: Act II: Ciel! Dammi Corraggio! Tutte Le Feste - Olimpia Boronat
14. Rigoletto: Act II: Tutte Le Feste... Piangi Fanciulla - Lotte Schone/Herbert Janssen
15. Rigoletto: Act II: No, Vecchio, T'inganni... Si Vendetta - Maria Galvany
16. Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Enrico Caruso
17. Rigoletto: Act III: La Donna E Mobile - Tino Folgar
18. Rigoletto: Act III: Bella Figlia Dell'amore - Beniamino Gigli/Louise Homer/Amelita Galli-Curci/Giuseppe De Luca
19. Rigoletto: Act III: O Mia Gilda... Lassu In Ciel - Tito Ruffo/Graziella Pareto

Tracks:

1. Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A Te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacerto Spirito - Francesco Navarini
2. Simon Boccanegra: Prologuo: A te L'estremo Addio... Il Lacertato Spirito - Alexander Kipnis
3. La Traviata: Act I: Un Di, Felice - Bjorn Talen/Lola Artot De Padila
4. La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors' e Lui (Sung In Russian) - Antonina Neshdanova/Umberto Mazetti
5. La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui - Maria kousnezoff
6. La Traviata: Act I: Ah Fors'e Lui... Follie!... Sempre Libera - Luisa Tetrazzini
7. La Traviata: Act II: De' Miel Bollenti Spiriti - Fernando De Lucia
8. La Traviata: Act II: Lunge Da Lei... De' Miei Bollentti Spiriti - Giuseppe Di Stefano
9. La Traviata: Act II: Dite Alla Giovine - Nellie Melba/John Brownlee/Harold Craxton
10. La Traviata: Act II: Madamigella Valery?... Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Dite Alla Giovine - Rolando Panerai/Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
11. La Traviata: Act II: Che Fai? Nulla Scrivevi? (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge/Maria Cebotari
12. La Traviata: Act II: Mio Figlio... Di Provenza - Mattia Battistini
13. La Traviata: Act II: Alfredo, Alfredo... - Lilli Lehmann
14. La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio, Del Passato - Claudio Muzio
15. La Traviata: Act III: Teneste La Promessa... Addio De Passato - Margherita Carosio

Tracks:

1. Nabucco: Act I: Sperate, O Figli - Nazzareno De Angelis
2. Nabucco: Act II: Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno - Ines De Frate
3. Nabucco: Act III: Ah! Prigioniero Io Sono... Dio Di Giuda - Carlo Galeffi
4. La Forza Del Destino: Act I: Ma Pellegrina Ed Orfana - Gina Cigna
5. La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Celestina Boninsegna
6. La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Son Giunta!... Madre, Pietosa Vergine - Dusolina Giannini
7. La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Chi Puo Legger Nel Futoro (Sung In German) - Ivan Andresen/Meta Seinemeyer
8. La Forza Del Destino: Act II: Alzatevi... La Vergine Degli Angeli - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Chor Of The Metropolitan Opr
9. La Forza Del Destino: Act III: O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli - Francesco Merli
10. La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Solene In Quest'ora - Enrico Caruso/Antonio Scotti
11. La Forza Del Destino: Act III: Morir!... Urna Fatale... E Salvo (Sung In German) - Heinrich Schlusnus
12. La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Invano, Alvaro - Gino Bechi/Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
13. La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Salomea Kruszelnicka
14. La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Pace, Pace, Mio Dio - Zinka Milanov
15. La Forza Del Destino: Act IV: Non Imprecare - Ezio Pinza/Rosa Ponselle/Giovanni Martinelli

Tracks:

1. Don Carlo: Act I: E Lui... Dio, Che Nell'alma - Giuseppe De Luca/Giovanni Martinelli
2. Don Carlo: Act II: Nell Giardin Del Bello (Sung In German) - Margarete Arndt-Ober
3. Don Carlo: Act II: Restate - Boris Christoff/Tito Gobbi
4. Don Carlo: Act IV: Ou Suis-je!... Je Dormirai Dans Mon Manteau Royal (Sung In French) - Pol Plancon
5. Don Carlo: Act III: Ella Giammai M'amo!... Dormiro Sol - Boris Christoff
6. Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Frida Leider
7. Don Carlo: Act III: O Don Fatale - Clara Butt
8. Don Carlo: Act III: I. Convien Qui Dirci Addio... Per Me Giunto/II. O Carlo Ascolta... Lo Morro - Tito Gobbi
9. Don Carlo: Act IV: Tu Che Le Vanita - Hertha Stolzenberg
10. I Vespri Siciliani: Act II: O Tu Palermo - Boris Christoff
11. I Vespri Siciliani: Act III: In Braccia Alle Dovizie - Riccardo Stracciari
12. I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Giorno Di Pianto (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
13. I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Arrigo! Ah Parli A Un Core - Ester Mazzoleni
14. I Vespri Siciliani: Act IV: Merce, Dilette Amiche - Rosa Raisa

Tracks:

1. I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Je Veux Encore Entendre - Leonce Escalais
2. I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act II: Grace, Mon Dieu!... O Jour Fatal - Paul Payan
3. I Lombardi/Jerusalem: Act III: Or Non Piu... Qual Volutta Trascorrere - Elisabeth Rethberg/Beniamino Gigli/Ezio Pinza
4. Aida: Act I: Celeste Aida (Sung In French) - Paul Franz
5. Aida: Act I: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!... Celeste Aida (Sung In German) - Helge Roswaenge
6. Aida: Act I: I Sacri Nomi (Sung In French) - Felia Litvinne
7. Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Giannina Russ
8. Aida: Act I: Ritorna Vincitor - Florence Austral
9. Aida: Act III: O Patria Mia (Sung In German) - Emmy Destinn
10. Aida: Act III: Qui Radames Verra... O Patria Mia (Sung In Russian) - Natalia Yushina
11. Aida: Act III: Pur Ti Riveggo - Giovanni Martinelli/Rosa Ponselle
12. Aida: Act III: Fuggiam Gli Ardori Inospiti (Sung In German) - Elsa Bland/Leo Slezak
13. Aida: Act III: Lo L'amo Sempre... Gia I Sacerdoti (Sung In German) - Sabine Kalter/Richard Tauber
14. Aida: Act III: Ohime!... Morir Mi Sento - Ebe Stignani/Chor Del Teatro Dell'Opr Di Roma
15. Aida: Act III: Morir Si Pura E Bella (Sung In German) - Leo Slezak/Sofie Sedlmair
16. Aida: Act III: O Terra, Addio - Johanna Gadski/Enrico Caruso

Tracks:

1. I Due Foscari: Act I: O Vecchio Cor - Riccardo Stracciari
2. I Due Foscari: Act I: Questa Dunque - Pasquale Amato
3. Otello: Act I: Esultate - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
4. Otello: Act I: Esultate - John O'Sullivan
5. Otello: Act I: Qua, Ragazzi... Inaffia L'ugola! - Apollo Granforte/Nello Palai/Piero Girardi/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano
6. Otello: Act I: Gia Nella Notte - Tino Pattiera/Meta Seinemeyer
7. Otello: Act II: Credo In Un Dio Crudel - Cesare Formichi
8. Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio (Sung In French) - Jose Luccioni
9. Otello: Act II: Tu! Indietro... Ora E Per Sempre Addio - Mario Del Monaco
10. Otello: Act II: Era La Notte - Eugenio Giraldoni
11. Otello: Act II: E Qual Certezza... Era La Notte - Lawrence Tibbett
12. Otello: Act II: Si Pel Ciel - Giovanni Zenatello/Paquale Amato
13. Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar (Sung In German) - Lauritz Melchior
14. Otello: Act III: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar - Renato Zanelli
15. Otello: Act IV: Piangea Cantando (Sung In German) - Lotte Lehmann
16. Otello: Act IV: Mia Madre Aveva Una Pavera Ancella - Yvonne Gall
17. Otello: Act IV: Ave Maria (Sung In German) - Tiana Lemnitz
18. Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Francesco Tamagno/Salvatore Cottone
19. Otello: Act IV: Niun Mi Tema - Giuseppe Borgatti

Tracks:

1. Luisa Miller: Act I: Ah! Tutto M'arride... Il Mio Sangue - Tancredi Pasero
2. Luisa Miller: Act II: Oh! Fede Negar Potessi... Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Giuseppe Anselmi
3. Luisa Miller: Act II: Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Aureliano Pertile
4. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: Zitti... L'incanto... Re Dell'abisso - Irene Minghini-Cattaneo
5. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: E' Scherzo Od E Follia - Aureliano Pertile/Ines Maria Ferraris/Luis Bertana/Antonio Righetti/Cesare Baromeo
6. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Eugenai Burzio
7. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act II: Ma Dall'arido Stelo - Hina Spani
8. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia (Sung In German) - Melanie Kurt
9. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia - Elisabeth Rethberg
10. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Eri Tu - Giuseppe De Luca
11. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Saper Vorreste - Selma Kurz
12. Un Ballo In Maschera: Act III: Forse La Soglia Attinse... Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti - Antonio Cortis
13. Falstaff: Act I: L'onore! - Mariano Stabile
14. Falstaff: Act II: Alfin, T'ho Colto... Quand'ero Paggio - Antonio Magini-Coletti/Elisa Petri
15. Falstaff: Act II: Quand'ero Paggio - Victor Maurel
16. Falstaff: Act III: Ehi! Taverniere - Mariano Stabile
17. Falstaff: Act III: Da Labbro Il Canto - Tito Schipa
18. Falstaff: Act III: Sul Fil D'un Soffio Etesio - Toti Dal Monte/Chor Del Teatro Alla Scal, Milano

Amazon.com

Most of the big moments from Verdi's operas are included--grouped by opera, not by chronological order of recording. There are a few strange omissions; for example, the "Miserere" scene from Il trovatore. But other selections, such as "Ah fors' e lui" and "La donna e mobile," are given in two or three performances--sometimes in French, German, or Russian as well as Italian. Some of the performances are classics; many are mind-boggling.

Some favorite Verdi singers--Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti, among them--are absent because they began recording after the collection's cutoff date. Other problems are mostly related to the dates of the original recordings. The sound is all pre-high-fidelity and sometimes quite primitive, though some remarkable work has been done to optimize the earliest items. The annotations are minimal--mostly the date, venue, and performers in each cut, with pictures of the biggest stars. This decision was probably made to keep the price low, and those who already know most of the arias and ensembles will likely find the tradeoff acceptable. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Rare but well-polished Verdi gems........2001-10-21

Few would quibble about the quality of what is to be found in this splendid collection of Verdi "introuvables". You will hear how Emmy Destinn portrayed Aida yearning for her homeland in 1908, and how Elisabeth Schwarzkopf portrayed Violetta intereacting with her lover's father in 1953. You will hear several items duplicated. Francesco Navarini, recorded in 1907 with a piano, makes a stunning Fiesco in the "Simon Boccanegra" prologue, as is not up-staged by the more familiar Alexander Kipnis version which follows.

You might regret that your favourite Verdi record is not here. You'll have opportunities to make comparisons, however. I could never believe that anyone could equal Giuseppe de Luca'a 1930 "O sommo Carlo" from "Ernani, but here I have a chance to hear for the first time how the famous baritone Mattia Battistini did it in 1906.

Keith Hardwick compiled and transferred this collection originally in the late 1980s. He has augmented and transferred that issue onto 8 CDs, and provided the annotations. Full recording details are provided, there are many singer photographs but no singer biographies.

The recording dates range from 1903 to 1953. Sadly, almost all the singers - Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf being a notable exception - are all dead by now. Those of us who have opportunities to hear and collect their work, however, can be grateful that the older we get the better it sounds. Indeed, I have never heard any of the items included here in better transfers. Elsewhere I have given this issue a five star rating. Subsequent hearings have made me aware of a technical matter which may bother some listeners. This set has been transferred from the long playing records on which it was originally issued. Their pristine sound quality has been preserved but also some of the ghostly "swish" that accompanied each revolution.

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