Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos [Import]

Track Listings

1. Orchestereinleitug

2. Mein Herr Haushofmeister!

3. Du AllmÄChtiger Gott! O Du Mein Zitterndes Herz!

4. Die Ungetreue Zerbinetta Und Ihre Vier Liebhaber- Ein Heitres Nachspiel Mit TÄNzen

5. Ein Augenblick Ist Wenig - Ein Blick Ist Viel

6. Sein Wir Wieder Gut... Musik Ist Eine Heilige Kunst

7. OuvertÜRe

8. SchlÄFt Sie-

9. Wo War Ich- Tod- Und Lebe

10. Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen

11. Es Gibt Ein Reich, Wo Alles Rein Ist

12. Die Dame Gibt Mit Trubem Sinn

13. GrossmÄChtige Prinzessin

14. HÜBsch Gepredigt! Aber Tauben Ohren!

15. Ein Schones Wunder!

16. Circe, Kannst Du Mich HÖRen-

17. Das Waren Zauberworte!

Tracks:

Ach War Ich Schon (Fidelio)
Non So Piu (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Porgi, Amor (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono (Le Nozze Di Figaro)
Mi Tradi Quell'Alma Ingrata (Don Giovanni)
Come Scoglio (Cosi Fan Tutti)
Leise, Leise, Fromme Weise (Der Freischutz)
Dich, Teure Halle (Tannhauser)
Einsam In Truben Tagen (Lohengrin)
Wie Fremd Und Tot (Die Verkaufte Braut)
Bruderchen, Komm, Tanz Mit Mir (Hansel Und Gretel)
Da Geht Er Hin (Der Rosenkavalier)
Es Gibt Ein Reich (Ariadne Auf Naxos) - Richard Strauss
Das War Sehr Gut (Arabella)

Tracks:

Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen
Bist Du Bei Mir
Ridente La Calma
An Die Musik
Der Musensohn
Nachtviolen
Der Musensohn
Auch Kleine Dinge
Mein Liebster Ist So Klein
Verschling' Der Abgrund
Ich Hab' In Penna
Wiegenlied Im Sommer
Mausfallenspruchlein
In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
Mignon (Kennst Du Das Land?)
Gsatzli (Swiss Folksong)
Fruhling
Im Abendrot
Muttertandelei
Zueignung
Klange Der Heimat (Die Fledermaus)
Es Lebt'Eine Vilja (Die Lustige Witwe)
Im Chambre Separee (Der Opemball)
Wien, Du Stadt Meiner Traume

Amazon.com

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was certainly one of the greatest singers of her own, or indeed any other time. An obsessive perfectionist, her flawless technique and intonation over a huge range, vocal flexibility, breath control, phrasing, stylistic versatility, and above all her focused, radiantly beautiful sound were matchless and incomparable. All these are on full display on this generous 2-CD set, which features over a dozen arias, songs by Schubert, Wolf and Richard Strauss, and some lighter fare. The recordings were made between 1950 and 1967, and the singing becomes better and better, the voice richer and more varied, the expression deeper and more immediate. Not surprisingly, the peaks come in the arias from her signature roles in Mozart's Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte; Richard Strauss' Ariadne, Rosenkavalier, and Arabella, which rise to real ecstasy; and arias from Weber's Freischütz and Smetana's Bartered Bride, which are wonderfully intimate and touching. She is less convincing in roles she never sang on stage, and the "childish" voice she cultivated especially for Hänsel and Gretel is unnatural and contrived. The same is true of the last two "popular" numbers, which sound condescending and artificial. The songs, however, have all her customary finesse and inwardness; the Wolf group, perhaps chosen for its gentle humor, is charming, while Strauss' "Four Last Songs" (represented by two) shimmer and soar. Schwarzkopf's singing had instantly recognizable characteristics: a tendency to hold back both vocally and emotionally, giving a sense of noble restraint, but also of cool detachment; excessive use of color and nuance, creating a fussy, calculated and somewhat artificial air. Only rarely does she "let go" with full voice and spontaneous feeling. However, as these recordings show, she invariably inspires admiration and captures ear and heart through the inimitable, glorious beauty of her voice. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Fine anthology but still prefer her "Four Last Songs" recording.......2006-11-06

The engineering and audio quality of these 1960's performances are surprisingly good. The songs are wonderfully peformed and cover a range of periods and styles, but I find myself returning to her recording (also re-released on CD) of Strauss' "Four Last Songs", which I would give 6 stars -- my favorite recording of all time.

RIP DAME ELIZABETH (1915-2006).......2006-08-04

This set is a fine tribute to this extraordinary singer and musician. I was saddened to read about her passing. She had a long life (90 years) and inspired a whole generation of singers and music lovers throughout the world.

SCHWARZKOPF ----- ONE OF THE GREATS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.......2006-01-29

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's career is what legends are made of. She is every bit as fundamental to classical singing in the twentieth century as is Maria Callas. Schwarzkopf sang with refinement, polish, beauty of voice, and meticulous articulation. She was the greatest Mozart and Strauss soprano of her day; her ability to sing the operetta music of Lehar, Suppe', and Johann Strauss has not been equalled; she performed with distinction orchestral compositions of Mahler, Brahms, Bach, and Handel; her Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and Mahler lieder were exemplary. She sang many operatic roles, far more than many people realize, and was certainly the definitive Marshallin in "Rosenkavalier" throughout the 1950's and 1960'. I saw her many times in recital in Chicago, and even at the time of her farewell (which I was fortunate enough to see), she was sublime. All of the superlative qualities of Schwarzkopf are generously demonstrated throughout these two wonder CD's. Virtually every item is magnificent (though obviously some will prefer some to others) and has the detailed Schwarzkopf imprint stamped right into the music. This CD, great as it is, represents only a very small part of the greatness of Schwarzkopf. I already own tons of her operas and recitals, from which many of the items here come from. But for the sake of completeness, I will probably add it. A person who loves great singing can never have too much of the art of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. She's a vocal icon.

¡PERFECT!.......2005-02-10

I only want to say that you can hear, in this double cd, one of the great singers of all time. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Why? Because she sings all the arias and lieder with pure of tone, brilliance, perfect inflexion, modulation, excellent control breath, measured vibrato, and, all above, great emision of colours. She is master in this art.

PERFECTA INTERPRETACIÓN.......2005-02-09

La mejor recopilación de la discografía de Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Su belleza de voz, la impecable hilación de frases, y, sobre todo, su expresiva interpretación son algunas de las sorpresas que se podrán escuchar en estos dos discos. Sin duda, UNA DE LAS MEJORES SOPRANOS DEL SIGLO XX.

Strauss: Four Last Songs, Arabella/Della Casa (Vier letzte Lieder)

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Mesmerizing
NOT TO BE MISSED
The Perfect Rendition?

Strauss: Four Last Songs, Arabella/Della Casa (Vier letzte Lieder)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004XQ8H
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Four Last Songs: Beim Schlafengehen
Four Last Songs: September
Four Last Songs: Fruhling
Four Last Songs: I'm Abendrot
Arabella: Er ist der Richtige nicht fur mich...Aber der Richtige
Arabella: Der Richtige - so hab ich stets zu mir gesagt...Und du wirst mein Gebieter sein
Arabella: Das war sehr gut, Mandryka
Ariande auf Naxos: Es gibt ein Reich
Capriccio: Orchestral introduction
Capriccio: Wo ist mein Bruder?
Capriccio: Morgen mittag um elf!
Capriccio: Kein Andres, das mir so im Herzen loht
Capriccio: Ihre Liebe schlagt mir entgegen

Customer Reviews:

Mesmerizing.......2004-10-20

From the day it was released all those years ago, this remains one of the most beautiful (Strauss) recordings ever made. It's been available in different versions (I have the earlier release that includes the Wesendonck Lieder with Flagstaf), but it's worth it to get this one for the opera arias. I'm not a big fan of these operas, but it's unlikely you'll ever hear them sung with more beauty or understanding. You may have another favorite recording of the Songs, but you owe it to yourself to listen to what Della Casa does here. And not to slight Bohm either; he obviously knew this music inside out, and is miles ahead of most of his competition.

NOT TO BE MISSED.......2000-11-26

As one record reviewer put it: "It was a voice unlike any other." Indeed, for sheer vocal beauty no one matches Lisa della Casa, and a quick sampling of this disc's contents will demonstrate why Strauss himself identified her as his ideal Arabella. The voice's glory was its upper register: full, free, intensely colored, and exciting. But she had other gifts: superlative breath control (amazing in this music), naturalness of utterance, and perfect diction. Her tone quality suggests restrained emotion, and although she is Swiss, I can think of no singer who evokes Viennese elegance better. I like lots of singers past and present, and I admire many, but I worship this voice. If the house were on fire, I'd grab this CD before jumping out the window.

Although the Boehm-led 'Four Last Songs' are a classic performance, I find they are my least favorite part of this recording. Boehm's tempos are a little fast and della Casa, for all her beauty, sounds disengaged. But from then on she is matchless. The 'Arabella' duets are stunning, both for the singer's high level of vocal accomplishment and her ability to convey the character's changing moods. She sounds so genuine and unaffected and the voice is so gorgeous that I find myself drawn into the drama as with no other singer. She has good partners in Gueden and Schoeffler, but Poell brays relentlessly. Her rendition of the passage beginning "Und du wirst mein Gebieter sein" is my number one tear-inducing moment in all of recorded history. The 'Ariadne' aria is nicely sung, although she was even better a few years later for EMI/Testament. The 'Capriccio' final scene is ravishing from beginning to end, with della Casa's voice soaring gloriously above the Vienna Philharmonic's lush carpet of sound. For once you will see the moonlight shimmer during the orchestral interlude. It's almost too rich and delicious, like Sachertorte for breakfast.

Decca's remastering brings the singer forward and gives the orchestra more presence, but am I the only one who misses some high frequencies as a result? Although there are some terrific Strauss sopranos around these days, no one should be without della Casa. She DEFINES Strauss singing. Don't deny yourself this superlative musical experience.

The Perfect Rendition?.......2000-10-10

Lisa della Casa's recording of the Four Last Songs has been a part of my life for the past twenty years; and in my book it beats all the competition, past, present and (probably) future. It may not be your perfect rendition, because one's response to a voice is such a personal, unpredictable thing; but it is certainly mine. Della Casa's shimmering, silvery soprano soars radiantly above the lush, romantic orchestration; and even after many, many times of listening to this disc, I still find something new in it. I never get tired of it, and it never fails to move me. The excerpts from Arabella are also excellent, although not as well recorded as the Four Last Songs. However, they reward repeated listening, and they preserve della Casa's celebrated interpretation of Arabella (her most famous stage role). Even if you have heard other interpreters of the Four Last Songs, and have your own favourite, please give this a try. For sheer tonal beauty, it cannot be beaten.

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The Incomparable LEONTYNE PRICE: "The Stradivarius of Singers"!!
Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection
The true prima donna asoluta
Fabulous singing, Overblown orchestras
Fabulous!

Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection

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Release Date: 1999-05-25

Tracks:

Aida: Ritorna vincitor
Turandot: Signore, ascolta
Le nozze di Figaro: Porgi amor
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di
Manon: Adieu, notre petite table
Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide
Dido & Aeneas: Thy hand...when I am laid
Il Trovatore: Che piu... Tacea la notte ...Di tale amor
Les Nuits D'ete: Sur les lagunes
Porgy & Bess: Summertime
La rondine: Chi il bel sogno
Carmen: Habanera
La forza del destino: Son giunta...Madre.
Vier letzte Lieder: Im Abendrot
Ariadne auf Naxos: Es gibt ein Reich

Tracks:

Aida: O Patria Mia
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
Turandot: Tu che di gel cinta
Le nozze di Figaro: Susanna
Il Trovatore: Siam giunti
Un Ballo in Maschera: Morro ma prima in grazia
Carmen: Sequidille
Il re pastore: L'amero
Don Carlo: Tu che la vanita
Suor Angelica: Senza Mama
Anthony and Cleopatra: Give me my robe
Madame Butterfly: Tu? tu?
La forza del destino: Pace, pace mio Dio

Customer Reviews:

The Incomparable LEONTYNE PRICE: "The Stradivarius of Singers"!!.......2006-08-14

This collection is a wonderful, affordable, and welcome overview of one of Opera's greatest and beloved aritsts:the phenomenal American Superstar soprano LEONTYNE PRICE.

For those Opera-lovers who first encountered Ms. Price's magical vocalism from the recording studio, this collection includes the the entire legendary "Blue Album" which many operaphile consider to be one of the finest recordings ever. The selections gathered here vividly demonstrate the reason why Leontyne Price is regarded as the supreme VERDI soprano of her generation (30 years to date) a renowned PUCCINI specialist, and one of the greatest artists of all time. Recorded in the early 60's, Ms. Price's instrument was, in her own words "a juicy lyric". The intrinsic lyricism of her voice was aligned to warm, lustrous tone that pulsated in the middle voice, yielded a dark, uniquely sensuous sound in the lower regions, and gleamed with a distinctive, fast, liquid vibrato in the upper voice. That unique vibrato was elemental to this diva's ability to infuse Verdi and Puccini's most dramatic phrases with surging power (without pushing), and still produce lovely pianos in alt - soaring there with an ease that was singular to her, and that continued to her retirement in the 2002. Elsewhere the listener is treated to the rewards of Ms. Price's natural vocal evolution, wherein her voice developed into a full spinto with the middle throbbing, creamy, and lush, the low voice alternately chesty or breathy, slightly weaker -but retaining its smoky quality. It is in her upper voice, already superb, however, that Ms. Price revealed the rewards of maturation. The upper voice became rounder, less vibrant perhaps but refulgent with greater strength at the top, meeting the out-sized demands of STRAUSS and WAGNER (missing in this compilation) amongst others, while spinning out soft, exquisite pianos, and luxuriating in the long phrases of any number of composers, not the least of which were MOZART, VERDI and PUCCINI.

Leontyne Price recorded arias and scenas from every standard repertory VERDI opera with few exceptions (Nabucco/Luisa Miller/Vespri/Falstaff) in superlative fashion. Her onstage roles included the "Il Trovatore" Leonora, the role of her sensational MET debut (that resulted in a record 42 minute ovation), thrice recorded by her, and a signature role throughout her career. The selections on this recording were culled from her first complete recording of the opera. Here Ms. Price soars effortlessly to the heights repeatedly in "Tacea la notte", and sings the cabaletta fluently. "D'amor sull ali rosee" (once the sole property of Ms. Price's Verdian predecessor Zinka Milanov) is enhanced by the soprano's expert trills, musical nuances, and the glorious vibrato that carries her gossamer tones to the floated high C in alt. She was also the leading interpreter of Verdi's other Leonora -di Vargas- in "La Forza del Destino" which the diva recorded twice. There is also a Live MET performance available on DVD, recorded when the diva was nearing her retirement from Opera. (The two selections here also hail from her first complete recording of this work) "Son giunta!...Madre pietosa Vergine" is one of Verdi's most demanding scenas for soprano, but THIS soprano was a mistress of Verdian sweep, and supplies a wealth of dynamic shadings that illustrate the desperation of the hapless Leonora. Ms. Price produces silvery, vibrant, pulsing tone with amplitude that rises to the forte climaxes, riding them without overpowering the orchestra. This role was one of her most riveting potrayals from a dramatic viewpoint. The second "Forza" aria is the great lament "Pace, pace mio Dio" and is synonymous with Leontyne Price to this day. The diva sang this aria onstage more often than any other Verdi aria throughout her long career. Here she infuses the music with sorrow and despair, her voice in service to the text, and caps the aria with her stirring cries of "Maledizione!!" on a sustained forte high Bflat. Ms. Price's successful outings as Amelia are represented by the Act II aria "Morro, ma prima in grazia" from her stellar complete recording of "Un Ballo in Maschera". She sings the aria in a hushed, somber manner, climaxing on a brilliant high C, and with a lovely diminuendo at its end. One of the several operatic roles Ms. Price sadly did not assume onstage was Queen Elisabetta from "Don Carlo". We must be grateful for her warm, glowing, majesterial account of "Tu che le vanita", replete with burnished, opulent tone throughout. The leading newspaper of Italy said of Ms. Price that "..our great Verdi would have her the ideal Aida" and that sentiment has been adopted the world over. The "Aida" selections here are the first ones recorded by the American diva, and remains a revelation. In "Ritorna vincitor" the soprano's lyric instrument is indeed "juicy", declaiming her fierce opposition to the Egyptian invaders of her Ethiopian homeland with energetic and powerful vocalism. She then masterfully delineates the young princess' dilemma with fervent and youthful passion, ending with a prayerful "Numi pieta" suffused by warm, sable-colored tone. "O Patria mia" is another of Ms. Price's most revered performances, indeed the aria that garnered her a (5) five minute ovation on live television at her "farewell to Opera" performance in the same opera. The soprano injects Aida's farewell to her homeland with rich, smoky, plangent tones that rise effortlessly to a shining high C that bedeviled some of her most illustrous rivals, and would be bettered in the future only by the wonderful Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe - and Ms. Price herself!!

Leontyne Price performed the veristic music of PUCCINI onstage in a number of his operas that included "Manon Lescaut"/"Tosca"/Madama Butterfly"/"La Faniculla del West"/"Il Tabarro"/ and "Turandot", albeit with less frequency than with Verdi. She brought a luminous, womanly quality to all of the composer's music. Here, she sings with particular intensity and emotion as the geisha girl Cio-Cio San (her favorite Puccini role)and offers limpid, melting tone as the fiery Roman prima donna Floria Tosca -the complete opera twice-recorded and highly-acclaimed. Puccini's music for the doomed Chinese slave-girl Liu are exquisitely sung, while "In quelle trine morbide" and "Senza mamma" benefit from the voluptuous, sensuous vocalism of the more mature Price. The most outstanding qualities of this diva in Puccini's music was a femininity and humanity, inherent in all of her singing, but most pronounced with this composer. She also fearlessly sang his highest phrases with a vocal splendor and freedom unrivalled by anyone, nowhere more than as the tragic Butterfly. However, until she retired from public singing, one aria remained a trademark for this diva: Chi bel sogno di Doretta" from Puccini's rarely performed operetta "La Rondine". The performance here was her first recording of it, and is a classic in its own right. Ms. Price's voice shimmers throughout, singing the high C with astonishing purity, and caressing, velvety tone elsewhere.

MOZART's operas also brought deserved glory to Ms. Price. Her plush-toned voice was considered to be almost too rich for some early in her career. This was amply belied by the rapturous reception her onstage performances brought her, most notably as Donna Anna, the leading lady of "Don Giovanni", ironically not included in this collection. Another aria Ms. Price enjoyed singing in concert, "Come scoglio" ("Cosi Fan Tutte") is missing here as well, though she performed the role of Fiordiligi at the MET. The soprano never performed in "Le Nozze di Figaro", but sang the scena "Dove sono" often in her live concerts, understandably, because of the smooth, elegant vocalism she lavished on this music. It is truly a pity that she didn't either record or perform the entire role. "Porgi amor" (also from Le Nozze) and "L'amero" (Il Re Pastore) were extracted from a Mozart aria recording, and are well-sung, if not as memorably as other Mozarteans.

It is good that RCA included several French selections, for Ms. Price's talents were marvellously well-suited to the Gallic idiom. Leontyne Price sang the leading role of Madame Lidoine in the American premiere of POULENC's "Dialogues des Carmelites", a few performances of MASSENET's "Thais" onstage (both sadly missing from this compilation) in addition to her celebrated recordings of BIZET's "Carmen" and BERLIOZ's song cycle "Nuits D'ete". She lent a deliciously silken tone to the more nuanced passions of the French repertoire. The "Carmen" excerpts are exceptionally vivid in Price's hands, successfully capturing the earthy, sultry qualities of one of Opera's more mercurial creatures. Ms. Price's lower register is richly displayed in the Berlioz song, while Manon's wistful, poignant "farewell" is sung with delicacy and shimmery tone.

The German wing is represented by music that Ms. Price sang onstage, and recorded as well. While the diva recorded Richard STRAUSS' entire "Four Last Songs" song cycle as well as the title heroine in a complete opera recording of "Ariadne auf Naxos" , the listener gets a good sampling of the potency, range, and the "dunkel" qualities she brought to this music. Fortunately, there is a CD of Richard Strauss arias sung by Ms. Price mid-career that is impressive in its breadth, and vocally sumptuous.

Versatility was a Price by-word. In the recording studio she stylishly performed the music of composers that ranged from the early music of PURCELL's "Dido & Aneas" to the 20th Century musings of Samuel BARBER, who wrote the opera "ANTONY & CLEOPATRA" for Ms. Price to open the New MET in 1966 - another historic milestone. Both selections included here are superbly rendered by the artist. The "Dido" aria is sung with a fuller, richer tone than is usually associated with this period (though it should be noted that two great Wagnerian sopranos Kirsten Flagstad and more recently Jessye Norman have been much admired in this music), but with no loss of style, her vibrato evoking pathos and beauty in this plaintive music. The "Antony" scena is sung with all of the majesty, seductive guile, and courage of Cleopatra, one of history's most storied women - and Ms. Price shines in this music written expressly for her voice. RCA also includes the diva's inimitable performance of "Summertime" the opening aria of GERSHWIN's American opera "Porgy and Bess".

This compilation is a superb introduction to the glories of this magnificent artist for a neophyte...and a treasure trove of musical excellence for the connoisseur of great voices, and they come no greater than America's diva assoluta soprano LEONTYNE PRICE.

Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection.......2005-07-20

This was the first time I ordered anything from you. I was very happy with my selection. Delivery was fast and accurate, I immediately played my CD and have enjoyed it since.

Rolande M. Collins

The true prima donna asoluta.......2002-05-23

Ms. Leontyne Price is the quentisential diva. I fell in love with her when I started studying music at the conservatory level. Her phrasing, tone, quality, and endless range are breathtaking. This CD features selections from when she was vocaly at her best. Even though I could go without the Ariadne and Cleopatra, the rest of the CD is simply marvelous. I cannot stop listening to D'amor sull'ali rosee, which I think is the best interpretation and performance of the piece that I have ever heard!!! I prefer Price over Sutherland, Caballe, Freni, and Fleming any day. Her high tones give you the feeling of floating on clouds. This is one of the best CD's in my entire classical/Opera collection. Whoever purchases this CD, it will be worth your while.

Fabulous singing, Overblown orchestras.......2002-04-10

When I was first getting interested in opera, during the late 1960s - early 1970s, Leontyne Price was still singing at the Met, but I could never get a ticket because she only sang five performances a year (later, three). She said this was to "preserve" the voice but, as I learned from those who actually did hear her in person, her mid-range was deteriorating at that time until it was practically inaudible (though her high notes and lower range still sounded great). Also, to be honest, as a youngster I was put off by the promotion of her albums...all those fancy pictures of her in diamonds and furs just seemed so ostentatious to me, and listening to her on records was not always a pleasurable experience. Her voice so often sounded swamped by those loud, blaring, overblown orchestras.

But then I heard a remastering of the famous 1961 "Aida" with Vickers, Gorr and Merrill, and I realized how great a singer she was. That's when I started listening more seriously, and discovered a soprano who had a thorough command of her voice from the late '50s to the late '60s, not only in terms of vocal color but also in terms of phrasing. Listening to Price in her prime is incredible...she almost sounds as if she never breathed, her phrasing is so beautifully bound and poised. At the same time, however, I was disappointed by RCA's choice of partners for her on recordings. ...

This set goes a long way towards restoring the legend. Stripped of her sub-par partners (with the exception of Corelli's belting in the "Seguidilla" from "Carmen"), one can listen to Price's voice uncompromised, and it is a thrill. Even when the orchestra sounds detached and uninteresting, as it often does, Price seems to be on an entirely different wavelength, giving out with passion and great musicality. As for the selections chosen, they represent an excellent cross-section of Price's best work, even though the Purcell and Berlioz sound awfully heavy by today's standards and I can live without the "Anthony and Cleopatra" selection or the Strauss song.

One caveat I have is the lack of discographical information. No dates, orchestras or conductors are given. This is a grave injustice, even though the backup does not always meet expectations. On the plus side, all of the legendary "blue album" (her first recital discs for RCA in 1961) is presented complete, including the two selections from the July 1959 "Il Trovatore" that were on that LP...and in MUCH better, more focused sound. For this, and the heavy orchestral sound, I give the set only 4 stars...but for the singing alone I would give it eight!!

Fabulous!.......2002-01-19

The only alternative to Joan Sutherland. An equally gorgeous and fabulous voice. A true diva that puts me to tears. Sensational recital of so many gems.

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Thoroughly entertaining sample of five fine young artists

A Night At The Opera

Manufacturer: Naxos
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ASIN: B00030B9CU
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Un Di, Se Ben Rammentomi
Parto, Parto, Ma Tu Ben Mio
Quel Trouble Inconnu Me Penetre?
Alerte, Alerte, Ou Vous Etes Perdus!
Vecchia Zimarra, Senti
La Ci Darem La Mano
Son Io, Mio Carlo
O Carlo, Ascolta, La Madre T'aspetta
Barcarolle
Sorge Infausta Una Procella
Arise, Arise Ye Subterranean Winds
Vanne... Lasciami, Ne Timor Di Me Ti Prenda...
Au Fond Du Temple Saint
Seien Wir Wieder Gut!
Avete Torto! E Fine! Astuto...
Suoni La Tromba, E Intrepido

Album Description

A Night At The Opera features five young singers who have already made considerable names for themselves. The soprano Indra Thomas has been acclaimed as the next great Verdi soprano, while the mezzo-soprano Kristine Jepson has enjoyed great success in the key role of Octavian at the New York Met, in addition to other roles there and throughout Europe and America. The lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani's international career also includes appearances at the Met in a varied and challenging repertoire. The Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien's operatic appearances have included the Met and the Vienna State Opera, with a number of distinguished awards, and the prize-winning bass-baritone Valerian Ruminski boasts a particularly wide repertoire in a career of growing distinction. These marvelous talents are backed by the renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with internationally noted opera conductor Charles Rosekrans.

Customer Reviews:

Thoroughly entertaining sample of five fine young artists.......2005-05-13

I have only a few quibbles about this release, but it really is enjoyable, and repeated listenings have only increased my admiration. The repertoire ranges across much of the operatic spectrum - okay, there's no Wagner, but perhaps that's too much to expect at this point in their careers. Since most of these selections have been recorded by other, established artists, individual comparisons are pointless. The overall impression given by these singers is that of vibrant youth and spontaneous joy in singing. Matthew Polenzani is perhaps the best known of these, and certainly justifies one's attention with some fine tenorizing. If he can't quite pull off the SCHICCHI aria (who has, lately?) he sings a splendid Faust, and there are darn few good ones these days. He's a real pleasure to hear. Since I've heard Indra Thomas live on numerous occasions, I'm thrilled to have her on CDs at last. She possesses a soaring, juicy lyric soprano (unfortunately not all that well captured here - the voice has a gorgeous spin to it, reminiscent of the young Leontyne Price, and that emerges from the recording only occasionally). Ms. Thomas sang the most beautiful and one of the most exciting performances of the TROVATORE Leonora I have ever heard (and I've heard some great Leonoras), and I'm glad to have a memento of it here. Valerian Ruminski, whose bass is exceptionally beautiful and well-focused, is one of the most fluent male exponents of coloratura that I've heard in 50 years of live performances, so I'm delighted to have the Purcell and Handel selections. In addition, he possesses what Walter Legge called "an immediately recognizable timbre" - the voice sticks in the memory. Kristine Jepson and Mariusz Kwiecien also acquit themselves well. My single real reservation about the individual selections is Ms. Jepson's track of the Composer's outburst from ARIADNE ("Sein wir wieder gut!"). In common with many mezzos, she sounds overparted by its high, soaring lines, though she throws herself into with gusto. To my mind, this role really is best sung by a soprano. Nevertheless, Ms. Jepson proves herself adept enough for Sesto and Zerlina. Mr. Kwiecien's robust baritone is a treat to hear in Verdi, and he and Mr. Ruminski sing a wonderful PURITANI duet. The orchestra plays well and while one might wish the conductor was a bit more "accommodating" to the singers, things move along nicely. This really is, on the whole, an invigorating and tuneful evening's worth of entertainment and a promise of fine things to come.

Amor: Opera Scenes and Lieder by Richard Strauss

Average customer rating:

Dessay rules
Amor - N. Dessay
Sparkling Strauss
Glorious Strauss
a wonderful holiday gift

Amor: Opera Scenes and Lieder by Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss , Natalie Dessay , Felicity Lott , Sophie Koch , Angelika Kirchschlager , Thomas Allen , and Antonio Pappano
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias
Natalie Dessay ~ Delirio (Handel Italian Cantatas)
Mozart Heroines; Natalie Dessay
Natalie Dessay - Vocalise
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

ASIN: B0002ZBSN6
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Tracks:

Oper-Grossmachtige Prinzessin
Vorspiel-Kindskopf! Merkt Auf
An Ihre Platze... Seien Wir Wieder Gut
No. 2-Ich Wollt' Ein Stausslein Binden
No. 3-Sausle, Liebe Myrte
No. 4-Als Mir Dein Lied Erklang
No. 5-Amor
Act 1-Ich Danke, Fraulein... Aber Der Richtige
Act 2-Mir Ist Die Ehre Widerfahren
Act 3-Marie Theres', Wie Gut Sie Ist
Ist Ein Traum... Spur' Nur Dich

Amazon.com

Natalie Dessay's vocal crisis--she was operated on for nodes on her vocal cords three years ago--is clearly over. The voice has ripened somewhat but the incredible high notes are still present and easily produced. Zerbinetta is one of her signature roles, and she knows this complex, winning gal well. She can be cajoling, sarcastic, witty and sincere--and toss off high Cs, Ds and more, with impeccable staccati and trills, making them seem as natural as speech. She works magic with the four Brentano Lieder recorded here, expressing longing, sweetness and rapture as well as sheer perkiness in "Amor" with its vocal imitation of flame. In the extended scene from Ariadne, the composer sung by Sophie Koch delivers her aria with passion and seems to lack only a bottom note or two to fill the role ideally. In the act-one Arabella-Zdenka duet, Dessay is girlish and loving of her big sister, unaffectedly sung here by Felicity Lott. But the pieces de résistance on this CD are the highlights from Der Rosenkavalier: the Presentation of the Silver Rose and final trio and duet. Dessay sounds youthful and pure in the Presentation and sings with the most loving legato and tone at the opera's end. She's abetted by Angelika Kirchschlager as Octavian, who is simply perfect, and Felicity Lott, also smooth as silk. Pappano is becoming an all-purpose great opera conductor, and the Covent Garden orchestra is polished and elegant. The sound is rich and full. This CD is a gem. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Dessay rules.......2007-02-07

For an opera or a classical music admirer, Natalie Dessay is a must. This is an excellent recording. And the DER ROSENKAVALIER interprentation amazing. It's worth it!!!

Amor - N. Dessay.......2006-01-12

I'm sorry to say that I did not enjoy this CD. When I was listening to the songs from Der Rosenkavalier, all I could think of was: she doesn't have the voice for this - her high notes seem a little thin to me. I realize taste is subjective, but Lucia Popp, Theresa Stich-Randall, Kiri Te Kanawa, Renee Fleming all do much better interpretations of those songs. This is the first CD I've ever heard from her - and I don't want to judge her by this CD alone. I'd say try another CD by her if you've never listened to her before.

Sparkling Strauss.......2005-09-24

I just love this CD; Ms Dessay is radiant vocally, and she puts on a great show in each aria- you can practically see her on stage, she is so absorbing and vivid. Of the current sopranos, she is probably best Zerbinetta, and she has a great laughter. Actually, I felt that Der Rosenkavalier pieces were the best, but there are no weak links and any arias and songs that are less than spectacular on this CD. Ms Dessay has a touch of French accent when she sings in German, but I find totally charming and overall her diction is very good.
The other singers are great, especially Angelika Kirchschlage, and the sound is just perfect. This is such a sweet treat, a real Straussian desert!

Glorious Strauss.......2005-01-02

This is a major CD release of a major singer obviously very much at home with this repertoire. The disk comprises scenes from three of Strauss's most affecting operas for Soprano, with the Brentano Lieder thrown in for good measure. Dessay's voice is in wonderful shape - it is clear, well positioned, on key and agile. Yet my one reservation is her voice is too "bright" for the Marschallin and Arabella. The bright, ringing quality is very well suited for Ariadne, but I prefer a slightly darker, more mature sound, certainly in Rosenkavalier and even in Arabella. If you believe that Arabella is a younger Marschallin, then the same voice best becomes both roles. In recent times, think Te Kanawa. The voice is big enough to carry through the at times too loud and evasive orchestral playing by the Covent Garden Opera Orchestra, led by an obviously zealous Antonio Pappano. All these reservations aside, this is a wonderful disk. Dessay will never be my favorite Marschallin or Arabella, but a wonderful collection nonetheless. Certainly worth the money and worth repeated listenings.

a wonderful holiday gift.......2004-12-14

Unquestionably the reigning coloratura of our times, Natalie Dessay has the misfortune of blossoming at a time where complete opera recordings are no longer being produced at the rate they were from the 50's to the 80's. Thankfully, we have this delightful pastiche of Strauss, including her signature role, Zerbinetta. She is far and away my favorite opera singer of the current generation. First, she is to be commended for reviving the tradition of the French coloratura, which has been lacking ever since the heyday of Mady Mesple. Second, she defies the notion that all coloraturas have to stand up to Joan Sutherland (my all-time favorite). True, Sutherland's vocal legacy is truly formidable, but then again, would Sutherland have tackled roles like Zerbinetta or Zdenka? It takes a Natlie Dessay to bring these roles to life.

This is a very satisfactory recital, from start to end. What's more, complete scenes are featured, with a host of top-drawer guests, like Felicity Lott and Angelika Kirschlager. Decca is to be thanked for pulling out all the stops. Not being an expert on Strauss, I can't judge Pappano's conducting, except to say that it sounds quite fine to my ear. Furthermore, the sound quality is excellent.

Now, I'm sure everyone will listen closely for evidence of vocal distress. Natalie just had another surgery to remove a node from her vocal cords, and in a recent press release stated that she hasn't "completely healed" from her intial surgery over a year ago. The only thing I can pick up on are a few high notes sung in alt (like in the duet from Arabella) that sound like they were squeezed out. However, there isn't anything really troubling, like a wobble or ugly spread on top. Let's pray for Dessay's full recovery from her second surgery.

This is music that is absolutely sublime. Surprise someone with this recital for Christmas, especially those who stubbornly listen to Italian opera and eschew any other genre.

Average customer rating:

A captivating stage performer doesn't register as dramatically on disc
Goerne Excellent in Familiar and Unusual Repertory

Matthias Goerne - Arias
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Wagner , Robert Schumann , Engelbert Humperdinck , Richard Strauss , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Alban Berg , Matthias Görne , Dorothea Röschmann , Manfred Honeck , and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Matthias Goerne - Bach Cantatas / Albrecht Mayer · Camerata Academia Salzburg · Sir Roger Norrington
Schumann Lieder
Matthias Goerne · Vladimir Ashkenazy ~ Schumann - Dichterliebe · Liederkreis op. 24

ASIN: B000055X2Q
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Tracks:

Die Zauberflote: Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja
Die Zauberflote: Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen
Die Zauberflote: Ein Madchen oder Weibchen
Le nozze di Figaro: Hai gia vinta la causa !
Le nozze di Figaro: Crudel ! perche finora
Don Giovanni: Deh, vieni alla finestra
Tannhauser: Blick ich umher in diesem edlen Kreise
Tannhauser: Wie Todesahnung...O du mein holder Abendstern
Szenen aus Goethes Faust: Ein Sumpf zieht am Gebirge hin
Konigskinder: Verdorben! Gestorben!... Ihr Kindlein, sie sind gefunden
Ariadne auf Naxos: Harlekinlied
Die tote Stadt: Mein Sehnen, mein Wahnen
Wozzeck: Wir arme Leut!
Wozzeck: Dort links geht's in die Stadt...Du sollst da bleiben, Marie

Amazon.com

Possessor of one of today's most beautiful baritone voices, Matthias Goerne has been associated, on stage and disc, more with lieder than with opera. Listeners who were spellbound by the emotional impact of his performances of Schubert's great song cycles were amazed at the comic perfection of his Papageno in his Metropolitan Opera debut. This recording, on which he creates and impersonates nine vastly different characters from operas spanning three centuries, is an even bigger surprise. Using--but never abusing--an extraordinary range of vocal and expressive color and inflection, he captures Papageno's humor, Count Almaviva's malicious cunning, Don Giovanni's seductiveness, Wolfram von Eschenbach's inward, chaste devoutness, and Wozzek's yearning desperation and madness, with equally total involvement and conviction. Along the way there are also rarities: the Minstrel's heartbreaking lament from Humperdinck's Die Königskinder--unjustly neglected if the rest of the opera is indeed as beautiful as this aria--Harlekin's ironic ditty from Strauss's Ariadne; the Pierrot's sensuous dream-song from Korngold's Die tote Stadt; and the final, heroically dramatic section of Schumann's Scenes from Faust. Soprano Dorothea Röschmann, his partner in four duets, also takes on several greatly varied roles with admirable flexibility. A children's chorus and a women's chorus participate in one aria to lovely effect, and the orchestra is excellent. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

A captivating stage performer doesn't register as dramatically on disc.......2005-09-24

Georne's picture on the cover of this CD implies an edgy, even angst-ridden interpreter, but the singing one finds inside is good average baritone work. I hear no musical revelations here, and although Goern'es voice is instantly recognizable, his characterization is rather faceless. If you think Hermann Prey or Theo Adam is a great baritone, I guess you'll think Goerne is one, too. Compared to a similar baritone recital on Sony with Bo Skovhus, I'd give the edge to Skovhus. Thomas Hampson, Thomas Quasthoff, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky have nothing to fear; maybe even Nathan Gunn has nothing to fear. All in all, I expected more from a singer who reputation is flying high.

Goerne Excellent in Familiar and Unusual Repertory.......2003-10-10

Many baritones record Papegano's first aria ("Die Vogelfanger bin ich, ja"), Don Giovanni's serenade, and Wolfram's Evening Star Song. But when was the last time you saw Count Almaviva's aria ("Vedro, mentr'io sospiro") from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Wolfram's "Blick, ich umher," or the murder scene from WOZZECK excerpted on a recital disc? Matthias Goerne's "Arias" CD includes all of these items and more, all sung with beauty, feeling, and musicality by one of the most intelligent and charismatic male singers of today. Goerne is joined in three duets ("Bei Mannern" from DIE ZAUBERFLOTE, "Crudel, perche finora" from FIGARO, and the WOZZECK scene) by soprano Dorothea Roschmann, whose sound isn't quite to my taste (it's a bit lacking in warmth) but who is as musical and as sensitive as her partner. The conductor, Manfred Honeck, is also an ideal match both for Goerne and for the music. Matthias Goerne's "Arias" is an indispensable disc for admirers of German music, the baritone voice, or Goerne himself -- or for those who would just like to hear an interestingly programmed aria recital.

Average customer rating:

A great reading now out in a bargain two-fer from Europe
A classic, surely...

Richard Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001G7L
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

A great reading now out in a bargain two-fer from Europe.......2005-09-18

I own every major recording of Ariadne, and this is one of my favorites, on a par with the Sinopoli among modern readings and just below the classic Karajan on EMI from the Fifties. Everyone is first rate, Levine's conducting is excellent, and Kathleen Battle gives one of her most charming as well as virtuosic performances on disc as Zerbinetta. The Bacchus falls a bit short, but every tenor except Heppner does--the role is a killer. Highly recommended, even without libretto. Look for the bargain twofer rather than the full-priced pressing.

A classic, surely..........2003-11-22

the EMI mono set, conducted by von Karajan, is widely regarded a classic -- exemplary singers who completely understand their roles and the culture that produced Strauss and von Hoffmansthal, a master of the craft to guide and shape the effort (Walter Legge) -- and, oh yeah, that von Karajan guy, too!

The same can be said for this performance, recorded live in Salzburg, with perhaps restricted mono sound compared with Legge's production -- also mono, but beautiful enough to make you wonder why they bothered with stereo at all!

What clinches this set for me is the presence of Lisa Della Casa: beautiful voice, beautiful woman -- the perfect singing actress in Mozart and Strauss, in my opinion. And Bohm is the conductor, with a complete understanding of all things Straussian. And the rest of the cast is supurb. It seems the 50s were a golden age for Strauss, and we seem to be enjoying a similar richness today: Jesse Norman, Sumi Jo, and so many others. Lucky us.

As for the EMI recording -- I still own the lp set. And lps still sound pretty good, lest we forget.

P.S. This is definitely not the Levine recording, which is listed as a DG Double elsewhere -- a good buy if you are in the market for it. This ARIADNE is probably from the same performance as the Gala set, but the sound is far better. Similarly, there is a Gala IL TROVATORE with Price and Correli, cond. by von Karajan that is available on DG (look for it!) with superior sound. I have personal experience with both recordings -- all 4, actually -- and the DG issues of both Strauss and Verdi are, happily, in my collection.

Tracks:

Ariadne auf Naxos: Es Ist alles vergebens - Es gibt ein Reich
Salome: Es ist kein Laut zu vernehmen
Salome: Ah! du wolltest mich nicht deinen Mund kussen lassen, Jochanaan
Salome: Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter
Salome: Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund gekusst, Jochanaan
Elektra: Was willst du, Fremder Mensch?
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Es dunkelt, dass ich nicht sehe zur Arbeit
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Es gibt derer, Die bleiben immer gelassen Abtu ich von meinem Leibe die Kinder
Die Fau Ohne Schatten: Die Weib ist irre - Barak, ich hab es nicht getan
Tannhauser: Dich, teure Halle
Lohengrin: Euch Luften, die mein Klagen
Lohengrin: Elsa!-Wer Ruft?
Lohengrin: Ortrud, wo bist du?

Tracks:

Tristan und Isolde: Horst du sie noch?
Tristan und Isolde: Mild und leise wie er lachelt
Die Walkure: Schlafst du, Gast?
Die Walkure: Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond
Die Walkure: De bist der Lenz
Die Walkure: O susseste Wonne! Seligstes Weib!
Die Walkure: Siegmund heiss ich und Siegmund bin ich!
Siegfried: Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich
Gotterdammerung: Schweigt eures Jammers jauchzenden Schwall
Gotterdammerung: Starke Scheite, Schichtet mir dort

Customer Reviews:

The whole career of one of the greatest singers of all time.......2007-01-14

I could nor beleive my eyes when I saw the price of this recording. It covers the whole career of the greatest Wagner and Strauss singer in the last half of the 20th Century. I think the whole performance of Ariadne of Naxos allurs in the archives of the Swedish Broadcasting company - a release, please!
When the news arrived that La Nilsson hade died in her home, surrounded by family members and near friends, on Christmas Day 2005 (kidneys not functioning, and no more dialysis possible) - we at once underrstand her uniquiness - there was nobody there to take over the helm and shield....It is quite wonderful that this eextensive compilation was published just recently. It is a very worthy portrait of a blessed singer!

Birgit Sings Like Sweetness.......2007-01-08

This is the first time I had heard Birgit Nilsson sing. The CD was great. However, I did have to blast the music because it is the original recording on the CD. Besides the quality it is worth purchasing if you want to hear one of the best. Her voice is clear and sweet, and welcoming to the ears.

A Document In The Grand Career Of Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005).......2006-03-23

The great soprano from Sweden, Birgit Nilsson, once contemplated suicide when she met with dismal reviews in her first perfomrance as Agathe from Weber's Die Freitschutz, for she was inexperienced and fresh out of the farm she grew up in. She went on to become the greatest dramatic soprano of all time, and for me, she is an even more thrilling and masterful soprano than the overrated Maria Callas. Birgit Nilsson died of unknown causes in her hometown of Sweden on Christmas of '05 only months ago. Her huge, steely, bright, metallic voice was reportedly capable of breaking glass and stone. This album covers many years in her career. Her Ariadne is not well known and it's captured in a young voice (50's) and she is in phenomenal shape. The dramatic heft of the role is suited to her voice. Wagner was her specialty of course and here we have slices of her Elisabeth from Tannhauser. She also sang Venus. Isolde was another great role of hers (the one she debuted at the Met) and Brunhilde is of course her best role. Singing Strauss is no piece of cake but when we listen to her Salome and Elektra and Dryer's Wife from Die Frau we are hearing a woman who, despite age, is singing with strength and vigor. She gets into character each time and she sings beautifully. All fans of La Nilsson must get this one.

Great.......2003-08-20

This is a very good CD for people who follow Birgit Nilsson's development. It contains live performances from 1949 (Ariadne auf Naxos - Nilsson sang Ariadne!!) to 1977 (Dyer's Wife in Die Frau Ohne Schatten). You can see her development from young to old over close to 30 years. For someone like me who have many of Birgit Nilsson's commercial recordings, this is a great CD too because it allows me to compare her 'live' performances with the studio recordings. It also enables me to see how her voice developed over the years. For instance, her voice grew in warm as she progressed in her career. By 1977, her voice had lost some ease - you can tell that she has to sing with more effort but her top register is still amazing, the gleam is still there even if it is more effortful to produce (when I say effortful I mean by young Birgit Nilsson standards - if you compare with other singers, she still sings effortlessly). Imagine - by 1977, she was 59 and she still puts singers singers half her age at 30 to shame. A very interesting CD in very mono sound. 5 stars for Nilsson's superb performances (her vocalism never fails to amaze me), for a fantastic variety of excerpts, for very mono sound, for the historical importance of this CD and for the incredible bargain price ... for 2 CDs.

Tracks:

Vorspiel: Orchestereinleitung
Vorspiel: Mein Herr Haushofmeister!
Vorspiel: Hier finden Euer Gnaden
Vorspiel: Eselgesicht!
Vorspiel: Das! Fen Bacchus!
Vorspiel: Erst nach der Oper kommen wir daran
Vorspiel: Du, Venus' Sohn - gibst suben Lohn
Vorspiel: Hast ein St Notenpapier?
Vorspiel: Ist schon geschehn
Vorspiel: Das finde ich sehr richtig
Vorspiel: Denn, Herr, sie ist eine von den Frauen
Vorspiel: Sie gibt sich dem Tod hin
Vorspiel: Ein Augenblick ist wenig
Vorspiel: Auf Ihre Ple, meine Damen und Herren!
Oper: Overture
Oper: Schl sie?
Oper: Wo war ich?
Oper: Ein sch war
Oper: Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen
Oper: Est gibt ein Reich
Oper: Die Dame gibt mit trinn

Tracks:

Grotige Prinzessin
Hgepredigt! Aber tauben Ohren!
Ein sch Wunder!
Circe, kannst du mich h?
Da geht er hin
Ach, du bist wieder da!
Die Zeit, die ist ein sonderbar Ding
Ich had' ihn nich einmal gek

Customer Reviews:

Viennese Charm.......2001-06-21

This is one of my favourite recordings for Richard Strauss; the most charming account of 'Ariadne auf Naxos'. Someone might say that Della Casa is not dramatic Ariadne different from R. Strauss's intention. However, she is just like a beautiful and graceful Greek princess. Her singing is impeccable and radiating.

Hilde Gueden is not a typical coloratura either but her Zerbinetta is one of the loveliest/sweetest one.

Irmgard Seefried as Composer, Paul Schoeffler as Music Teacher and Murray Dickie as Brighella are also marvellous.

No one could excel Karl Boehm's 'Ariadne' in tersms of the Viennese charms and exuberance.

4 wonders for Ariadne.......2000-11-09

4 wonders = della Casa, Seefried, Gueden, Streich, four supreme straussians barely distributed in the same opera. However this recording is not as perfect as it should. Technically there have been better recording from the fifties even monaural. Boehm's direction is exceptionally good with a real feeling for the theater and this opera in particular. Seefried is really outstanding and cannot be bettered in this role. Gueden is charming but the very high top notes are maybe a little bit too high for her! Streich could have replaced her but on live, her voice lacks some volume. Della Casa has given a better interpretation in studio (Decca and Testament both highly recommendable), here the voice is sometimes shrill without the fabulous tone she normally has. Schock is as good as in the studio version with Karajan. A very good evening indeed but not a reference!

Obsessions (Wagner & Strauss: Arias and Scenes)

Average customer rating:

The Opera ain't over......
A Wonderful Wagner and Strauss Recital
Absolutely Smitten!
Divine Deborah
RECOMMENDED FOR WAGNER OR STRAUSS BEGINNERS

Obsessions (Wagner & Strauss: Arias and Scenes)

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Plácido Domingo & Deborah Voigt - Wagner Love Duets ~ Tristan und Isolde, Siegfried
All My Heart: Deborah Voigt Sings American Songs
Italian Opera Arias
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Russian Album

ASIN: B0001O3YGM
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Wagner: Tannhauser - "Dich, teure Halle" (Elisabeth's Aria from Act 2, Scene 1)
Wagner: Die Walkure - "Du bist der Lenz" (Sieglinde's scene from Act 1, Scene 3)
Wagner: Die Walkure - "Der Manner Sippe" (Sieglinde's scene from Act 1, Scene 3)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - "Weh', ach wehe dies zu dulden" (Isolde's Curse and Narration from Act 1, Scene 3) with Natascha Petrinsky
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - "Mild und leise" (Isolde's Liebestod from Act 3, Scene 3)
R. Strauss: Elektra - "Ich kann nicht sitzen" (Chrysothemis's scene) with Natascha Petrinsky
R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos - "Es gibt ein Reich" (Ariadne's scene)
R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten - "Ist mein liebster dahin" (Kaiserin's opening scene, Act 1)
R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten - "Wehe mein Mann" (Kaiserin's opening scene, Act 2)
R. Strauss: Salome - "Es ist kein Laut zu vernehmen" (Salome's final scene)

Amazon.com

Here the beautiful-voiced Deborah Voigt tackles music her sound is made for: big, powerful moments from works of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. All 10 selections are handsomely sung, with gleaming, even tone, and some are true standouts. Elisabeth's Greeting from Tannhaeuser is sort of matter-of-fact, but both of Sieglinde's solos from Walküre are filled with urgency and depth and seem to be happening in real time. Ariadne's monolog is suitably ethereal and fantastic (in the true sense of the word) and the "chunks" from Die Frau ohne Schatten and Chrysothemis's monolog from Elektra, though weird out of context, are vocal showpieces. Her Isolde is nuanced and potent, if without the ultimate rage in the Narrative and Curse or the heavenly transfiguration of the Liebestod, and the final scene of Salome, ravishingly sung, does not quite probe this character's berserk Freudian issues. But she's a remarkable singer and this CD is sure to delight; one can bathe in her warm, rich sound. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

The Opera ain't over.............2007-06-18

This review is kind of dated; since this album was released, the fat lady had lost a bunch of weight. Miss Voigt got some unfortunate publicity a couple of years ago when Covent Garden paid off her contract, and fired her due to her excess poundage. I don't question their right to do that, but I do question the sanity of anyone who fires the greatest Wagnerian of our day. That event triggered her big weight loss, and she's back at Covent Garden. What do audiences want? Every High School has plenty of girls who look great in skimpy costumes, but, can they sing this music? Please...great Wagner singers are MUCH rarer than great heart surgeons. Flagstad wasn't anything to look at, and Schumann-Heink was massive, BUT, they could do justice to Wagner. Helen Traubel? There are exceptions to everything.

This is a truly wonderful album...Wagner and Strauss did not write for weaklings. Miss Voigt makes Sieglinde and Isolde come alive; her voice is both massive and beautiful. What we have here is 68 minutes of the finest singing of really tough music available in our day. The "Tristan und Isolde" excerpts are alone worth the price, but the whole recording is a joy.

A Wonderful Wagner and Strauss Recital.......2007-04-04

When I first heard this CD, I didn't think much of Deborah Voigt since I had heard her during her earlier days singing Mathilde in Rossini's Gugliemo Tell with the conductor Evelino Pido. Her timbre at that time was so creamy and rich and beautiful, and as I heard her over the years, I noticed that the qualities that made her such a promising singer in that Tell were not present in this recording. I also heard her do some Verdi roles in the Met, parts that were obviously not suited to her cooler, Germanic sound. A few days ago, after listening to a broadcast of her spectacular Salome from Chicago last fall and her recent Agyptische Helena from the Met, I have to say that I have never been more amazed by this soprano.

Of course, Voigt is no Nilsson, but who else was? I don't think Inge Borkh, Gwyneth Jones, Ursula Schröder-Feinen, Leonie Rysanek, or Hildegard Behrens ever equalled the great Swede in terms of power and focus, and neither will Voigt. But what Voigt has that Nilsson does not is a warmth and a grain to her voice, making Voigt's portrayals of her heroines sound more human than godlike compared to the stentorian Brünnhilde. Voigt's Sieglinde, Ariadne, Elisabeth, Isolde, Salome, Kaiserin, and Chrysothemis are all magnificent characterizations with a human, womanly touch to them. This recital allows the listener to hear showpieces that reflect her talent as a German dramatic soprano, and the listener is immediately drawn by the care to which Voigt lavishes on these selections. Dich Teure Halle is sung with the bright, happy, pure sound one associates with Elisabeth, and if it not a personalized portrayal of the heroine, it certainly is a perfectly sung one. Of the two selections from Die Walküre, Der Männer Sippe is sung with urgent drive, showing us once again that Deborah is the best Sieglinde of our day. She sings Du Bist der Lenz with rapture and beauty, and one would have hoped that she could have partnered Ben Heppner or Domingo to finish the remainder of Act I in this CD. The selections from Tristan are sung with vocal opulence that reminds us how Voigt is quickly becoming one of the best Isoldes today. The Narration from Act I is sung like a powerhouse of rage and sarcasm, and the Liebestod is perfectly sung, albeit lacking that sense of apotheosis that characterized Nilsson and Flagstad in their singing of the part. Although these excerpts were Voigt's starting forays into Isolde, she already shows security and intelligence in this cornerstone of the dramatic soprano repertoire.

The next half of the recital shows Voigt's talents in the Straussian roles where her voice is put to its best use. Unlike the Wagner selections, these Straussian excerpts don't seem to lend as well to cutting, but they nonetheless give the listener an idea of Voigt's mastery of the Straussian idiom. Her large, creamy, grainy voice is ideal for Chrysothemis, and I have never heard Ariadne sung better in these recent years. Voigt is easily the equal of Rysanek as the empress, the steely sheen of her voice perfect for the luminscent character of the Kaiserin. She closes the recital with the final scene from Salome, a selection that shows Voigt's exploration of another dramatic role that she assumed to great acclaim last fall in Chicago. All in all, a great recital, and one would only hope that she had been partnered by a more sensitive conductor like Christian Thielemann.

Absolutely Smitten!.......2005-12-30

Generally, I dislike the "new crop" of singers. It's rare, if ever, that I find a singer that can rival the singers of the Golden era. On this album, however, Deborah Voigt does exactly that. This album is a perfect showpiece for how absolutely SOLID the voice is from absolute tip-top to the very depths of her chest voice. In the rarely performed excerpts from Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Voigt tackles the extremely high tessitura effortlessly, pouring forth walls of sound. The rest of the album, from Es Gibt Ein Reich to Du bist der Lenz, follows in the same vein. The tone is always golden, gorgeous, and shining. The top has just enough metal in it to ride the orchestra, but not overly much.

The listener certainly gets the distinct impression that Madame Voigt could sing like this for an eternity, and heaven knows I wanted her to! She wields her voice like a spear; shining and golden. There is a homogenous quality to the voice that is unrivalled by most of her contemporaries. Deborah Voigt sings like a force of nature; I got the impression that she could even overpower the orchestra, if she so chose. That type of singing, uneffected and gorgeous, is certainly exciting no matter what the case.

Not since Birgit Nilsson have I heard such a huge, solid instrument. Certainly Nilsson has some advantages over Voigt; namely experience. If Voigt keeps heading in the inimitable direction she is making for herself, she is destined to be one of the very greatest sopranos of this century.

Brava Madame Voigt!

Divine Deborah.......2005-12-24

Deborah Voigt is perhaps today's newes Eileen Farrell. Like Farrell, she's unabashedly American, doesn't care for the spotlight or the "diva" lifestyle and has a voice that is beautiful, huge, steely and dramatically satisfying. Debora Voight is, sadly, underrated, like Farrell was in her own time (the 60's and 70's). It is possible that Renee Fleming albums sell more than Voigt albums. But I really think she is a dynamic singer and this album is her best showcase. With a voice that is stronger and more dramatic than the light-toned Fleming, Voigt excells in such roles as Aida, Ariadne, Brunhilde, Tosca and other heavy lyric roles. She is a masterful singer of the Strauss and Wagner repertoire. Especially noteworthy is her renditions of Elisabeth's "Hall Aria" from Tannhauser. This aria has not been recorded in quite a long while and Voight joins such great Wagnerian divas as Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson as possibly the greatest Wagnerian sopranos. Her Brunhilde from Die Walkure is a revelation, especially how she sings "Du Bist der Lenz" and "Der Manner Sippe". Such beauty and power! The same beautiful and fearsome power is given to Isolde's Invective "Curse" Aria "We Ach Wehe". In contrast, she softens her voice to the beautiful strains of the Liebestod, full of passion and romantic euphoria. Her Elektra is phenomenal, and here we are treated to Chrysothemis' Scene. It was the opera Ariadne of Naxos at London's Covent Garden where Voigt was slighted because "she was too fat" for the costumes that the art director had in mind. Well, BS! Voigt has a great voice and makes a fine Ariadne, surpassing even Jessye Norman in modern recording. And her Salome is to die for. The Final Scene, in which Salome rhaposidizes her necrophilic feelings for John the Baptist, is terrifying in its power. No doubt she is the best American soprano of our time.

RECOMMENDED FOR WAGNER OR STRAUSS BEGINNERS.......2004-12-14

One word: Awesome! this is a must have. The selection of arias is great, specially Walkure, Tannhauser (Dich teure halle!!) and the Liebestod of Isolde. The final scene of Salome is the highlight of this cd. TNo wonder is one of the best classical cds of the year. 5 stars! Recommended!!

Music Review:

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Rock Music rock-music-69

Harpe de Verre et Luth

Collection of Sacred Music & Xmas Songs

Virgin Ubiquity, Vol. 2: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981

Dreaming of Summer Days Between Topanga and Will R

Eagle & the Ocean

Celtic Mystic [Import]

Don't Mind If I Do [Import]

Especially for You/Love Songs

Ben Heppner - Airs Francais / LSO, Myung-Whun Chung

Dizzy Atmosphere [Import]

Corridos de Caballos Famosos

Bandido

Transcendence

Outside: From the Redwoods

1. Orchestereinleitug
2. Mein Herr Haushofmeister!
3. Du AllmÄChtiger Gott! O Du Mein Zitterndes Herz!
4. Die Ungetreue Zerbinetta Und Ihre Vier Liebhaber- Ein Heitres Nachspiel Mit TÄNzen
5. Ein Augenblick Ist Wenig - Ein Blick Ist Viel
6. Sein Wir Wieder Gut... Musik Ist Eine Heilige Kunst
7. OuvertÜRe
8. SchlÄFt Sie-
9. Wo War Ich- Tod- Und Lebe
10. Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen
11. Es Gibt Ein Reich, Wo Alles Rein Ist
12. Die Dame Gibt Mit Trubem Sinn
13. GrossmÄChtige Prinzessin
14. HÜBsch Gepredigt! Aber Tauben Ohren!
15. Ein Schones Wunder!
16. Circe, Kannst Du Mich HÖRen-
17. Das Waren Zauberworte!