Samuel Barber: Vanessa

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Samuel Barber was almost 48 years old when his first opera, Vanessa, was produced by the Metropolitan Opera Company on 23rd January, 1958. Received with much acclaim, the opera went on to win the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for music. The libretto, written by the composer’s life-long friend Gian Carlo Menotti, tells of the love triangle between the heroine Vanessa, her niece Erika and the son of her former married lover Anatol. This tense, tragic scenario is fully reflected in Barber’s music, with incredible passion and intensity throughout.

Tracks:

Medea's Dance Of Vengeance, Op. 23a
String Quartet In B Minor, Op. 11: Adagio For Strings
Second Essay For Orchestra, Op. 17
Overture To The School For Scandal, Op. 5
'Andromache's Farewell,' Op. 39: Andromache's Farewell, Op. 39
Intermezzo From Vanessa (Act II), Op. 32
Overture To Amelia al ballo
Interlude From Wozzeck (Act III)
Introduction To Fervaal, Op. 40

Amazon.com

This classic disc has been the prime recommendation for Barber's short orchestral pieces since the early 1960s. Remastered onto CD for the first time, and with the addition of some other items conducted by Thomas Schippers, it sounds better than ever. All of Barber's music is blessed with the virtues of impeccable craftsmanship, tunefulness, and, above all, brevity. Although a Romantic by temperament, Barber had the gift of being able to fit a lot of emotional impact into a very small space. The famous Adagio for Strings and the Second Essay actually sound much bigger than they are, but they don't go on a second too long--which means you can play them again right away! You'll want to. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

The most beautiful recording ever made of the Adagio for Strings is at last on CD, thoughtfully coupled with some of the other recordings the young Thomas Schippers made for Columbia Masterworks--of the music of Barber and others--between 1960 and 1965, at the start of his all-too-brief career. Although he was never on personal terms with Barber, Schippers had the ability to put Barber's music across in just the right way, with the perfect blend of energy and lyricism, toughness and warmth, and, above all, the feeling that its sentiment was real, yet ineffably contained. The performance of the New York Philharmonic (in the Adagio, as well as in the Second Essay for Orchestra, the Overture to the School for Scandal, Andromache's Farewell, and Medea's Dance of Vengeance) is aglow with inspiration, and the sound is exceptionally vivid, with a palpable sense of presence and space. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A sparkling remaster.......2006-12-29

This disc showcases a spectrum of talent from the young Schippers before his tragic death. However, contrary to the other reviews, this is not the best version of the "Adagio" that I have ever heard. The other tracks on the disc are a nice complement and some are hard to find on CD. All in all, a decent buy.

Great music and a great package.......2006-11-10

This reissue of material conducted by Thomas Schippers shows the great style he had conducting Barber's (and Menotti's) work. This CD has been reissued again with a more mundane package as part of the RCA red seal releases. This disc presents background information and pictures that are a delight to the collector and will interest the listener new to this music. Its sound is good for its age and packages material together very well.

An American Classic.......2005-12-03

Like many of the other reviewers, I owned this recording as an LP. Listening to it again in the CD format was a wonderful experience. Barber's lyrical gift was extraordinary. "Romantic" is an inadequate word to describe his music. And it sounds peculiarly American, like Copland's. You can't imagine that a European could have written it. It has too much freedom and sparkle, too much yearning and openess. My only criticism is that this disc omits "Knoxville: Summer of 1915", which I recall was on the old LP, with Leontyne Price as the soloist. Thomas Schippers seems to have been the ideal interpreter of this composer. What a pity that he died young.

Best of Barber.......2004-09-30

The cover and Barber performances come from one of my favorite LPs - an old Odyssey release from the 70s. (Having worn one down, I was lucky to find a new one at a second-hand store - and soon after the CD was, finally, released.) Needless to say, I've listened to these performances frequently but never tire of them. Schippers, who was a close protege of Barber's (his lover?), infuses all of the Barber orchestral pieces with enormous vitality and emotion. The Adagio is one of the two or three best (if not THE best) on record, and the Medea Meditation and Dance of Vengeance is a knockout, more forceful even than Barber's own recording of the music in the Medea Suite for Mercury in the 50s. The School for Scandal Overture is a rollicking and tuneful delight, and the Second Essay is superbly done. My only objection is the CD is a rather scatter-shot collection, a massing culled from the handful of recordings Schippers made for Columbia in the early '60s. The sound is fine, but I'd sure love to hear an SACD version of this recording.

Is there anything to add...?.......2003-09-26

Is there anything to add to the string of glowing reviews of this CD? Perhaps not but I feel an obligation as it has been part of my life since I first bought it in 1967--and wore out several LP versions of it. The combination of composition, interpretation, playing, and engineering of the Barber pieces is unparalleled in my experience; each must be considered as definitive. I particularly favor the Second Essay which comes across as a major work of it era and should appear in concert more often. The contibution by Martina Arroyo is just an extra added attraction in this extended compilation. Legendary!

Renée Fleming - I Want Magic! ~ American Opera Arias

Average customer rating:

All-American Fun
A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections
I wish I could give more than 5 stars
This music needs a lot less diva
Bringing American opera to the forefront

Renée Fleming - I Want Magic! ~ American Opera Arias
George Gershwin , Carlisle Floyd , Leonard Bernstein , Douglas S. Moore , Bernard Herrmann , Gian Carlo Menotti , Igor Stravinsky , Samuel Barber , André Previn , Metropolitan Opera Orchestra , James Levine , and Renée Fleming
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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Renée Fleming
Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov)
Renée Fleming: Bel Canto
Renée Fleming - Signatures ~ Great Opera Scenes / Sir Georg Solti

ASIN: B00000AFR4
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Wuthering Heights: I Have Dreamt
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: The Letter Song
The Medium: Monica's Waltz
Porgy And Bess: Summertime
Porgy And Bess: My Man's Gone Now
Candide: Glitter And Be Gay
Susannah: Ain't It A Pretty Night
Susannah: The Trees on the Mountains
The Rake's Progress: No Word From Tom ... I Go, I Go To Him
VANESSA: He Has Come, He Has Come
A Streetcar Named Desire: I Want Magic!

Amazon.com

Like Dawn Upshaw's The World So Wide on Nonesuch, this program is such an inviting cross section of American opera of the last 50 years, you wonder why more of it hasn't been recorded. Composers include Carlisle Floyd, Douglas Moore, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti, whose childlike "Monica's Waltz" from the otherwise lurid opera The Medium is a highlight. Old favorites are here, such as Gershwin's "Summertime." And new favorites, too: Andre Previn's forthcoming "A Streetcar Named Desire" graciously offers Straussian lushness and bitonal wind-instrument details suggesting Blanche DuBois's mind departing from reality, all sounding remarkably true to Previn's pre-World War II upbringing in Berlin. This dramatically alert arioso isn't so melodically memorable but makes all necessary dramatic points eloquently. Though she performs vividly throughout, Fleming often lets her vocal tone overwhelm articulation of the words--a middling drawback. And comedy is not her thing: Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay" is way too hammy. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

All-American Fun.......2007-01-01

I love this CD. It's so incredibly American. It features American lyric soprano Renee Fleming singing American opera arias. Ms. Fleming is capably accompanied by the Met orchestra, America's best opera orchestra, conducted by another distinguished American, Maestro James Levine. The only way this CD could be more American is if it were released on July 4th, with two baseball tickets included. I'm grateful that Decca made this release.

This CD starts out very strong with a gorgeous aria "I have dreamt" from "Wuthering Heights". I've never seen this opera nor heard of this opera. If the opera is half as good as the aria, I would love to see it. Renee cruises through "The Letter Song" from "The Ballad of Baby Doe" with heartfelt interpretation. "Monica's Waltz" is not one of my favorite arias in the world, but Ms. Fleming sings it beautifully.

Here's where we depart, and the reason I gave this CD only 4 stars. First, Renee sings two arias from "Porgy and Bess": "Summertime" and "My Man's Gone Now". Renee's voice is way too rich and lush for these arias. Listen to Renee sing it, then listen to the gold standard, Leontyne Price. You'll see what I mean. Renee's rendition of "My Man's Gone Now" was just way too pretty. The score calls for some extended glissandos, which are supposed to be wails of grief. Renee sang the glissandos beautifully, but no grief was in sight. Her next choice "Glitter and Be Gay" from "Candide" is just not a good choice for her. I think even Renee would tell you that a voice like hers is just not right for Cunegonde. This aria (and role) calls for a smaller voice. [...].

Then Renee reminds me of why I love her in the first place, by returning to two arias from "Susannah", a signature role for her. Her performances of "Ain't it a pretty night!" and "The trees on the mountains" are too good for words. She completely understands this role, and communicates the mood in these arias right through your speakers. Just imagine how good it must be live!

Renee closes with "No word from Tom" (The Rake's Progress), "He has come, he has come!" (Vanessa), and "I want magic! (A Streetcar Named Desire). I wish more opera companies would produce "The Rake's Progress". This is a wonderful opera by an "adopted" American composer, Igor Stravinsky. The aria from "Streetcar" is kind of an odd choice to close this CD, but Renee did premiere the role of Blanche in this Previn piece with the SF Opera. So maybe it's not so strange after all.

Highly recommended for fans of Renee Fleming, and those who need to add some good old American opera to round out their Puccini collections. This is a nice performance record by a woman surely destined to be one of the greatest lyric sopranos in history.

A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections.......2006-04-05

'I Want Magic' sung by superstar mezzo Renee Fleming, backed by James Levine and his Metropolitan Opera Orchestra follows the same pattern of severa of Fleming's other releases, in that there is one widely known and very familiar piece (Gershwin's 'Summertime' from 'Porgy and Bess') plus many less familiar pieces.

The theme of all the pieces is that they are arias from American operas, all in English. And, I get a lot more from this selection than I do from, for example, her recording of Shubert Lieder. One thing I learn is how totally typical is Leonard Bernstein's piece from 'Candide', which sounds like it stepped right out of a production of 'The Fantasticks'. Gershwin's two great songs, on the other hand, are icons of American music and even Herrmann's movie song from Wuthering Heights makes Bernstein's song sound ordinary.

But, the album is really all about Fleming's realization of these songs, which is simply nothing less than spectacular. While I tend to prefer hearing works 'in situ', Fleming's talent is so great that hearing her do eleven pieces out of context is worth it. The album is also more interesting than the average collection of Lieder in that it has the backing of a major American dramatic orchestra.

Better than average Fleming choice.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars.......2005-09-30

This recording is truly wonderful! I really feel that American composers have written some incredible things. I think that American opera is much better than British opera, with the exception of Benjamin Britten. My favorites on this track are actually all of them, but if I had to choose, I would pick: "No word from Tom" (The Rakes Progress, Stravinsky), "Ain't it a pretty night" (Sussanah, Floyd), "Glitter and be Gay" (Candide, Bernstein), and my absolute favorite "Monica's Waltz" (The Medium, Menotti). This is such a great album. Some of Renee's diction isn't completely clear, but that's opera. In order to acheive a beautiful sound, especially in English, certain vowels need to be altered. ESPECIALLY for the soprano voice. When singing so high, certain vowels and consonants need to be altered a bit. Anyway, it's an incredible album!!

This music needs a lot less diva.......2005-09-18

Renee Fleming has a glorious voice, and there's not a note here that isn't ravishing. Decca's engineers have caught the voice very well, and Levine's conducting is all it could be. The problem? Well, having her sing Summertime and My Man's Gone NOw was a bad idea, not only because both are cliches. Felming has a hard time sounding emotionally natural. She tends to apply her incredible voice with diva-like self-consciousness and play-acted emotion far too often.

Which means that her CD recitals are hit-and-miss. Glitter and Be Gay is a disaster here because she tries to be funny and winds up being self-conscious and embarrassing. But the big aria form Susannah, a role Fleming sings at the Met, is perfect. I expected a lot more adventurousness from this American collection, since Felming is, after all, an American singer. But it's mostly overplayed, like Puccini in English, sobs and all. I enjoyed the voice, but after a while the mannerisms became tiresome.

Bringing American opera to the forefront.......2005-01-20

American opera is not as well-known to many people because it can be complex, both musically and dramatically, and requires amazing vocal technique to sing things that sound simple. Fleming's recording highlights some familiar arias (the Susannah arias, for example) as well as some that are almost unknown. If you are an opera fan, and especially if you want to learn more about American opera, this CD is a great place to start. My favorite: Glitter and Be Gay, from Bernstein's Candide. Wow.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Singing
Perfect
I'm a listener, not a critic or singer
Nice Timbre, Well Balanced voice, Dramatic, but.....
The Denyce Graves CD I was waiting for

Denyce Graves - Voce di Donna
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Georges Bizet , George Frideric Handel , Francesco Cilea , Henry Purcell , Amilcare Ponchielli , Gaetano Donizetti , Samuel Barber , Pietro Mascagni , Camille Saint-Saëns , Jules Massenet , Maurizio Barbacini , and Denyce Graves
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | 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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | 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
Similar Items:

French Opera Arias - Denyce Graves
American Anthem
Angels Watching over Me
The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style
Kaleidoscope

ASIN: B00000JMH2
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Carmen: Quand je vous aimerai?... L'amour est un oiseau rebelle - (Habanera)
Carmen: Pres des remparts de Seville - (Seguidilla)
Orfeo ed Euridice: Ahime!...Che faro senza Euridice?
La Gioconda: Voce di donna
Adriana Lecouvreur: Acerba volutta
Dido and Aeneas: Thy hand, Belinda... When I Am Laid In Earth
Amadigi di Gaula: D' un sventurato amante...Pena tiranna
La Favorite: Fia dunque vero...O mio Fernando!
VANESSA: Must The Winter Come So Soon
Vavalleria rusticana: Voi lo sapete
Werther: Werther, Werther! - (Air des lettres)
Werther: Va! Laisse couler mes larmes
Samson et Dalila: Printemps qui commence
Samson et Dalila: Samson...Amour! Viensaider ma faiblesse!

Amazon.com

This isn't mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves's first solo disc (she has previously released a compilation of romantic opera heroines), but it's definitely her most impressive. Like many beginning recording artists, she hasn't always been able to project her stage electricity into the microphone, but with such a sumptuous voice, one doesn't always mind. Here, though, there's not a dull moment in two choice arias each from roles Graves has sung often onstage: her signature role of Carmen and her almost-as-famous Dalila. There's also a fairly promising preview of the Charlotte from Werther, which she'll sing with Andrea Bocelli in October 1999 in Detroit, though one senses she still has work to do in learning to act with her voice. Two baroque-period selections, an aria from Handel's Amadigi and Purcell's famous "When I Am Laid in Earth" from Dido and Aeneas, suffer from imprecise diction and messy ornaments. But the aria in which Graves sounds most emotionally present is, oddly enough, "Must the Winter Come So Soon" from Barber's Vanessa. Her vivid reading reminds you of what happens onstage with her and hopefully what's to come on recordings. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Singing.......2005-10-01

Ms. Graves' voice is so warm. The sound is so impressive!!! There has been debate on whether or not she is truly a mezzo-soprano. Some critics feel that she is a true contralto with an extended upper range. The role of Dalila, is also considered borderline mezzo-soprano and contralto. Anyway, her voice has total ring in every tone. The rich sound that she produces is totally even from her bottom register to her top. The baroque selections need to be maybe a little lighter and more pure, but I am not that petty. I just believe that she is absolutely wonderful!!! Brava Ms. Graves!!!

Perfect.......2005-09-27

There is nothing I can say other than this is the perfect recording. Denyce Graves has chosen arias that we don't always get to hear and I thank her for doing so, she breathes live into the old standards from "Carmen" and introduces us to arias that will undoubtably become new favorites. Denyce's voice is absolutely fabulous, it's powerful yet calm and perfectly refined, I can say nothing bad about her voice or this recording.

I'm a listener, not a critic or singer.......2005-03-23

Unlike the other reviewers here, I'm an amateur piano player, and ocassionally listen to classical music. Several years ago while flipping, I came across Ms. Graves. I was totally blown away. I introduced her to my father who is an avid fan of the opera before he passed on.
While vocal crisis is a terrible thing for any singer to suffer (and I do worry about Ms Graves too), just step aside and listen to her render these time tested works for just a moment. Perhaps like me, you'll end up continually repeating this album on your iPod for hours on end. The final two tracks from Samson and Delilah makes your hair stand on end and your knees weak.

Nice Timbre, Well Balanced voice, Dramatic, but............2004-01-10

Denyce Graves has a lot of potential in this Album "Voce Di Donna". These are some of the most interesting Operas of it's time. They have stood the test of time. And such emotional airas as from Vanessa's Opera, when she sings the role of Erika in "Must the winter come so soon" is something. But other songs as I noticed in "Acerba Volutta" When she comes to substaining the high A6 note, she sounds as though she had to push her voice a little. And the same in "O mio Fernando" The A6 sounds more pushed at the end. In "Pres des remparts de Seville", the B6 sounds somewhat thin, but otherwise, she performs it very well. Denyce Graves has a lot of potential, but she should perform airas and in Operas as to her vocal comfort. Pushing the voice often isn't a good thing, as can lead to vocal Crisis. But nontheless, this is a good Opera Album. I can't wait till she puts out another CD.

The Denyce Graves CD I was waiting for.......2001-07-24

A much superior offering to her Heroines of French Romantic Opera offering, I feel. Her voice rings beautifully. You won't find yourself listening only to her as Carmen. She'll pull you in with the rest of the arias also.

Samuel Barber: Capricorn Concerto; A Hand of Bridge; Intermezzo from Vanessa

Average customer rating:

One of the best in the series
A Great Final Disc
Mostly Unfamiliar, but Worthy, Orchestral Music by Barber

Samuel Barber: Capricorn Concerto; A Hand of Bridge; Intermezzo from Vanessa

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Barber: School for Scandal/Symphonies 1 & 2
Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14; Souvenirs (Ballet Suite), Op. 28; Serenade for Strings, Op. 1; Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op. 7
Samuel Barber: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
American Classics: Barber: COMPLETE PUBLISHED SOLO PIANO MUSIC

ASIN: B000675OJ4
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Allegretto
Allegro Con Brio
A Hand Of Bridge
Mutations From Bach
Intermezzo From Vanessa
Canzonetta For Oboe And Strings
Fadograph Of A Yestern Scene

Customer Reviews:

One of the best in the series.......2006-03-27

This last installment in Naxos's Barber series collects together some of Barber's lesser known and hard-to-find pieces. The Fadograph of a Yestern Scene and the Canzonetta are achingly beautiful and not often recorded. My major complaint with this release is the placement of A Hand Of Bridge. Being a somewhat erratic vocal piece, it does not belong in the middle of the CD where it breaks the meditative flow of the other five instrumental pieces. It either belongs as the last selection on the CD, or better still, paired with Knoxville, Summer of 1915, another Barber vocal composition.

That other CD, was also poorly programmed by Naxos by their inclusion of two of Barber's three orchestral Essays. These lovely pieces shouldn't have been tainted by their proximity to the vocal piece. That is, an all-vocal Barber CD would have been welcomed by all.

At 52:28, the skimpiest offering in Naxos's survey of Barber's work.

A Great Final Disc.......2005-04-05

This is the final disc in Naxos' series of the orchestral music of Samuel Barber, and it ends with more great performances. The Capricorn Concerto (named for the home in Mount Kisco that Barber shared with Gian Carlo Menotti) is not often recorded but deserves much more attention. The concerto is greatly influenced by Igor Stravinsky and is a triple concerto for oboe, flute and trumpet - a neo-classical re-working of Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto. The concerto is an engaging work in three movements that explores the virtuosity of the three solo instruments. The surprise on this disc is the pocket-opera A Hand of Bridge where two couples playing cards think indulgently on their obsessions. The libretto is by Menotti and has quite a biting wit to it, however, the performance recorded here is only adequate. The earlier recording by Vladimir Golshman and the Symphony of the Air has a better balance and better singing overall. The voices on this recording are sometimes not clearly heard over the music and the soprano sometimes does not maintain control. Still, this is performance will be of interest to those interested in Barber rarities. There is no libretto, which would have been a welcomed addition.

The Mutations from Bach is a late work for brass instruments and was meant as a tribute to Barber's favorite composer. The famous Intermezzo from Vanessa, from Barber's first and very successful opera, depicts the spurned heroine, connecting two scenes and providing emotional context. The Canzonetta for Oboe and Strings was to have been a concerto but the ailing Barber was only barely able to produce this short piece, an elegiac and romantic close to a distinguished career. The depth of feeling in this recording is beautifully expressed. Fadograph from a Yestern Scene is a tribute to Barber's interest in James Joyce. This is a later work when the composer was living as a recluse and composed little. The inspiration for this short piece is Finnegan's Wake. It is a quiet, impressionistic work, commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony, and was the last orchestra piece that Barber completed.

This is a remarkable disc that anyone interested in the music of Samuel Barber will want to have. Marin Alsop has proven to be a remarkable interpreter of Berber's music and her series of recordings with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will be the ones that all newcomers are compared against.

Mostly Unfamiliar, but Worthy, Orchestral Music by Barber.......2005-03-15

This is the last in the series of Barber's orchestral music with Marin Alsop conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It includes one very familiar work--the Capricorn Concerto--and several that are almost never heard, including his witty 9-minute one act opera, 'A Hand of Bridge.' Of these only the Capricorn has had multiple modern recordings as far as I'm aware. And Alsop's and the RSNO's performance of this sprightly piece, whose instrumentation is the same as that of Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto (trumpet, oboe, flute, strings), is as good as any I've heard. I've always been taken with its third movement, with its virtuoso trumpet part, and we are not let down by trumpeter John Gracie. As good as he is, oboist Stéphane Rancourt and flutist Karen Jones are his equals.

'A Hand of Bridge' was composed for the Spoleto Festival, founded by Barber's long-time companion Gian-Carlo Menotti, who wrote the libretto for it. It is for four singers who alternate intoning the business of bidding and playing a hand of bridge and singing arioso internal monologs mostly about the other players. It is nicely done here, but Naxos would have done us a favor by printing the libretto in the jewel box insert because even though it is in English, too many words are lost when sung. The excellent soloists are Lesley Craigie, soprano, Roderick Williams, bass, Louise Winter, mezzo, and Simon Wall, tenor.

'Mutations from Bach,' (sometimes called 'Meditation on a theme of Bach'), written late in Barber's life and for his own amusement, is for brass and timpani. This six-minute piece presents four harmonizations of the plainsong 'Christ, thou lamb of God' starting with that of Joachim Decker from the 17th century, then Bach's harmonization (from BWV 23, the cantata 'Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn'), then Barber's own, followed by a repeat of the Decker. They are all of course orchestrated by Barber for brass (4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, plus timpani). This is an extraordinarily beautiful work and is played gorgeously here by members of the RSNO.

Next is the 'Intermezzo' from Barber's beautiful opera 'Vanessa' (which has been taken into the repertoire of many opera companies and which has in the past year had two excellent new recordings). The Intermezzo comes in Act III and is a heartbreaking psychological portrait of the spurned Vanessa. I love this piece (well, I love the whole opera, truth be told) and this performance is both wrenching and consoling. Lovely.

The last work Barber attempted was a concerto for oboe and strings. It was supposed to be for Harold Gomberg, the long-time principal oboe of the New York Philharmonic. But Barber did not live to finish it. Indeed, he wrote only one movement and even that had to be completed by his student, Charles Turner. It is an elegiac pastorale in which the oboe sings as a great soprano might. I'd never heard it before and fell in love with it immediately. It is spare, haunting, echt-Barber with those long romantic lines, those harmonic cross-relations so Bachian and yet so modern. Oboist Stéphane Rancourt plays like an angel, with unearthly breath control, sensitive phrasing, subtle dynamic variation, and lovely tone. This is a nine-minute aria that will tear your heart out.

Finally, the almost impressionistic 'Fadograph of a Yestern Scene.' The title is taken from Joyce's 'Finnegan's Wake.' That evocative title tells us precisely what to expect in this nostalgic and dreamlike reminiscence of other times. In some sense it is a wordless companion to Barber's other nostalgic masterpiece, 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915.' A glorious end to a glorious series of recordings by Alsop and the RSNO. There is no a bad performance in the whole six CD series. I would guess that eventually Naxos will combine them into a boxed set, but why wait?

Strongly recommended.

TT=52:28

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

GREAT AUDIO HISTORY OF THE 50'S & 60'S AT THE OLD MET

Voices of Living Stereo, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: RCA
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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Milanov, Zinka | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Price, Leontyne | Divas | 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
ASIN: B000003FR1
Release Date: 1995-08-15

Tracks:

Orfeo ed Euridice: Che faro senza Euridice
TOSCA: Vissi d'arte
Madama Bufferfly: Un bel di
Lucia di Lammermoor: Ardon gl'incensi
Lucia di Lammermoor: Tu che a Dio spiegasti
VANESSA: To leave, To break
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Largo al factotum
Macbeth: La luce langue
Macbeth: Ah, la paterna mano
Macbeth: Pieta, rispetto, amore
Turandot: Signore, ascolta!
Turandot: In questa reggia
Turandot: Nessun dorma
Il Trovatore: Tacea la notte placida
Il Trovatore: Di tale amor
Otello: Era la notte
Otello: Si, pel ciel
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee

Customer Reviews:

GREAT AUDIO HISTORY OF THE 50'S & 60'S AT THE OLD MET.......2000-01-01

A wonderful collection of arias and scenes from recordings made by the wonderful artists who were Metropolitan Opera regulars in the late 1950's and early 1960's. All of them recorded for RCA Victor, and this wonderful vocal bouquet is fairly representative of the singing they did during their vocal heydays, though a couple of them were a little past theirs at the time they did these recordings. Some of the highlights:Jussi Bjoerling's historic "Nessun dorma" from the wonderful complete "Turandot" recording; Anna Moffo's fragile "Un bel di" from the complete recording of "Madame Butterfly"; Birgit Nilsson, with steel and javelin in her laser-beamed voice, singing a spectacular "In Questa Reggia" from the "Turandot" recording noted above; Renata Tebaldi, in exquisite voice, singing "Signore, ascolta" from the same "Turandot" recording; Zinka Milanov, perhaps a shade past her best days, nonetheless singing a beautifully controlled "Visi d'arte" from her complete "Tosca" recording; Roberta Peters performing the Mad Scene from her complete "Lucia" recording; Leontyne Price's opulent voice wrapping itself around "Tacea la notte placida" from her first complete "Trovatore" recording. Remaining contributions from Franco Corelli (a poorly articulated "Flower Song" from "Carmen, Rise Stevens (well past her prime in the aria from Gluck's "Orfeo"), and Leonie Rysenek (vocally and dramatically unsuited to the "Macbeth" scene) are somewhat less auspicious. Still, there is much to savor and admire on this recording, and at the mid-line price, it can't be beat. Enthusiastically recommended for all opera people.

Barber - Vanessa / Steber · Gedda · Elias · Tozzi · Resnik · MET · Mitropoulos

Average customer rating:

"It is a long winter here..."
THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPERA
Someone Revived It!
Someone Revive This....Soon!
A Masterpiece!

Barber - Vanessa / Steber · Gedda · Elias · Tozzi · Resnik · MET · Mitropoulos
Samuel Barber , Dimitri Mitropoulos , Eleonor Steber , Nicolai Gedda , Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus , Rosalind Elias , Giorgia Tozzi , Regina Resnik , George Cehanovsky , and Robert Nagy
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | 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
Similar Items:

Barber: Vanessa [Hybrid SACD]
Massenet: Cendrillon
Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis
The Ballad of Baby Doe
Samuel Barber: Capricorn Concerto; A Hand of Bridge; Intermezzo from Vanessa

ASIN: B000003ES5
Release Date: 1990-02-13

Tracks:

VANESSA: Act 1: Potage creme aux perles
VANESSA: Act 1: No, I Cannot Understand
VANESSA: Act I: Must The Winter Come So Soon?
VANESSA: Act I: Listen!... They Are Here...
VANESSA: Act I: Do Not Utter A Word, Anatol
VANESSA: Act I: Yes, I Believe I Shall Love You
VANESSA: Act I: Who Are You?
VANESSA: Act II: And Then?---He Made Me Drink
VANESSA: Act II: No, You Are Not As Good A Skater
VANESSA: Act II: 'Under The Willow Tree...'
VANESSA: Act II: Erika, I Am So Happy
VANESSA: Act II: Our Arms Entwined
VANESSA: Act II: Did You Hear Her?
VANESSA: Act II: Outside This House The World Has Changed
VANESSA: Act II: Orchestral Interlude---Hymn

Tracks:

VANESSA: Act III: The Count And Countess d'Albany
VANESSA: Act III: I Should Never Have Been A Doctor
VANESSA: Act III: Here You Are!
VANESSA: Act III: At Last I Found You
VANESSA: Act III: Nothing To Worry About
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 1: Why Did No One Warn Me?
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 1: Why Must The Greatest Sorrows
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 1: There, Look!
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 1: Anatol, Tell Me The Truth!
VANESSA: Act III, Scene 1: Take Me Away
VANESSA: Act III, Scene 1: Grandmother!---Yes, Erika
VANESSA: Act III, Scene 1: Intermezzo
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 2: By The Time We Arrive
VANESSA: Act III, Scene 2: For Every Love There Is A Last Farewell
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 2: And You, My Friend
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 2: To Leave, To Break (Quintet)
VANESSA: Act IV, Scene 2: Goodbye, Erika

Customer Reviews:

"It is a long winter here...".......2003-01-24

... has got to be the loveliest aria ever for a mezzo. Elias convinces me the opera should be called "Erika."

THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPERA.......2002-11-07

If you want to leave for a while very well known operas, then you'd hear this one. The only reasons are: Barber, Steber, Gedda, Elias, Tozzi, Resnik, the MET and Mitropoulos. I think I do not have to say anything more

Someone Revived It!.......2002-10-30

As an addendum to my previous review, I'm pleased to say that the Washington Opera revived Vanessa this year. I haven't seen the production, but my sister raved about it. Maybe this will give new life to this amazing work!

Someone Revive This....Soon!.......2002-06-25

This may be one of the greatest American operas of all time. It is shocking that a work of this quality isn't more widely performed. It is a vocal showcase.

Vanessa suffers perhaps from a bit overwrought libretto. Menotti is guilty of his usual excesses. But Barber more than makes up for this in the sweep of his melodies. Musically, the piece is tonal, but harmonically adventureous. Interestingly, some of the piece calls to mind composers such as Bernard Herrmann or Miklas Rosza...high praise indeed for dramatic music in my mind. The final quintet at the end of the fourth act is rapturous. I find myself listening to it again and again.

The performance is as close to perfect as a composer could wish for. Steber is brilliant as Vanessa and Rosalind Elias is a moving Ericka. Mitropoulos conducts with sweep and power.

I wish opera companies would revive this work. It really deserves it.

A Masterpiece!.......2002-04-30

A truly gorgeous recording. What amazed me the most is the perfect diction of each performer. What a lesson for singers young and old! Barber's score is hauntingly beautiful.The cast is, without exception, brilliant Why isn't this work done at the Metropolitan on a regular basis?

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Average customer rating:

Very good Barber overview from the LP era

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical Instrumental 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
Similar Items:

Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 10
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 9; Orchestra Song; Circus Overture
Belcea Quartet ~ Debussy · Dutilleux · Ravel

ASIN: B000AARL3Y
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings, Op.11 - New York Philharmonic
Summer Music, Op.31 - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.1: Un Poco Allegro - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.2: In Slow Blues Tempo - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.3: Allegretto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.4: Allegro Molto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
Dover Beach For Voice And String Quartet, Op.3 - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Molto Allegro E Appassionato - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Molto Adagio - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Molto Allegro - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Intermezzo - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Toccata Festiva, Op.36 - The Philadelphia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Very good Barber overview from the LP era.......2007-01-08

Sony/BMG reached deep into their vaults to pull together this intriguing Barber overview, and as a bonus brought together an impressive collection of performers. In spite of the fact that these recordings are all about 40 years old, the sound has worn fairly well. The Schippers "Adagio for Strings" remains one of the most intense performances ever recorded. It's nice having the work's original version as the middle movement of the String Quartet available on the same disc, along with Schippers conducting the Intermezzo from "Vanessa." Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the Juilliard String Quartet zero in on the dark depression in the setting of Arnold's "Dover Beach," and André Previn's jazz credentials are put to good use in "Four Excursions." When the "Toccata Festiva" first appeared on LP back in the 1960s, the recording already sounded too close and strident, but Eugene Ormandy and E. Power Biggs find in this celebratory piece touches of angst underplayed by later performers. At mid-price, this disc is very attractive.

Average customer rating:

A Salute to American Music

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | 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
ASIN: B00000E6PJ
Release Date: 1992-12-01

Average customer rating:

Samuel Barber

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005B1DA
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Average customer rating:

Not all singers performing with the BBC are British
A Dramatic And Beautiful Account Of Barber's English Opera

Barber: Vanessa [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Barber - Vanessa / Steber · Gedda · Elias · Tozzi · Resnik · MET · Mitropoulos
Strauss: The Complete Songs, Vol. 1
Menotti: The Consul
Sibelius: Luonnotar Orchestral Songs [Hybrid SACD]
Strauss: Four Last Songs; Death and Transfiguration; Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

ASIN: B000632PQI
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Act I, Scene 1: Introduction - BBC Singers
Act I, Scene 1: Potage Creme Aux Perles - Susan Graham
Act I, Scene 1: No, I Cannot Understand Why... - Christine Brewer
Act I, Scene 1: Must The Winter Come So Soon? - Susan Graham
Act I, Scene 1: Listen!... They Are Here - Susan Graham
Act I, Scene 1: Do Not Utter A Word, Anatol - Christine Brewer
Act I, Scene 1: Yes, I Believe I Shall Love You - William Burden
Act I, Scene 1: Who Are You? - Susan Graham
Act I, Scene 2: And Then? - Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Act I, Scene 2: No, You Are Not As Good A Skater - Christine Brewer
Act I, Scene 2: Under The Willow Tree... - Neal Davies
Act I, Scene 2: Erika, I Am So Happy - Christine Brewer
Act I, Scene 2: Did You Hear Her? - Susan Graham
Act I, Scene 2: Help, Help! Save Me From Their Talk - William Burden
Act I, Scene 2: Outside This House The World Has Changed - William Burden
Act I, Scene 2: Hurry Now! - Christine Brewer
Act I, Scene 2: In The Morning Light Let Us Rejoice - BBC Singers

Tracks:

Act II: The Count And The Countess D'Albanie - Simon Burchall
Act II: I Should Never Have Been A Doctor - Neal Davies
Act II: Here You Are! - Christine Brewer
Act II: At Last I've Found You - William Burden
Act II: Love Has A Bitter Core, Vanessa - William Burden
Act II: Nothing To Worry About - Neal Davies
Act III, Scene 1: Why Did No-One Warn Me? - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 1: Why Must The Greatest Sorrows... - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 1: There, Look! - Neal Davies
Act III, Scene 1: On The Path To The Lake - William Burden
Act III, Scene 1: Anatol, Tell Me The Truth! - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 1: Grandmother! - Susan Graham
Intermezzo - BBC Singers
Act III, Scene 2: By The Time We Arrive In Paris - William Burden
Act III, Scene 2: For Every Love There Is A Last Farewell - Neal Davies
Act III, Scene 2: And You, My Friend - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 2: Erika, Before I Leave You, You Must Tell Me - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 2: To Leave, To Break, To Find, To Keep - Christine Brewer
Act III, Scene 2: Goodbye, Be Happy, Aunt Vanessa - Susan Graham
Act III, Scene 2: No I Must Never Say That Name Again - Susan Graham

Amazon.com

This new recording of Vanessa replaces even the excellent original 1958 set on RCA, let alone the not-bad, recent Naxos recording, as first choice. As fine and authentic as the RCA is (it's also of interest because it presents the opera's original version, without the 1964 revisions), here we get a recording so pristine and clear that almost every word can be understood--all the more important for an opera in which there are great subtleties in the characters' interactions. In addition, Susan Graham's performance of Erika here becomes the touchstone--conflicted, loving, angry--and tenor William Burden as Anatol is so smooth that it's easy to tell why both women fall for him. Christine Brewer's big-voiced Vanessa is splendid--listening to the ice in her voice melt away is just one fine aspect of her portrayal. Catherine Wyn-Rogers as the Old Baroness is properly imperious, and the rest of the cast is excellent. Leonard Slatkin leads the BBC forces with flexibility and a true understanding of the score's lyrical and tragic moments. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Not all singers performing with the BBC are British.......2006-07-06

The previous reviewer refers to a cast of British singers in this performance. In fact, Christine Brewer, Susan Graham and William Burden are all Americans. Ms. Brewer is a dramatic soprano, and as such may sound "mature" to some ears. Hers is certainly a larger voice than we have tended to hear previously in the title role of Barber's "Vanessa." Eleanor Steber, who created the role (after Maria Callas and Sena Jurinac turned it down) had a lighter voice, but Ms. Brewer's sound is gorgeous. Otherwise, I agree with the previous reviewer's positive comments about this performance.

A Dramatic And Beautiful Account Of Barber's English Opera.......2006-03-23

Cast: Christine Brewer (soprano) [Vanessa] ** Susan Graham [mezzo-soprano Erika] ** Catherine Wyn-Rogers [mezzo-soprano The Old Baroness] ** William Burden [tenor Anatol] ** Neal Davies [baritone The Old Doctor] ** Simon Birchall (bass) [Nicholas] ** Stephen Charlesworth [Footman] ** BBC Singers [Servants, Guests, Peasants] ** BBC Symphony Orchestra ** Conductor Leonard Slatkin

This modern studio recording of Barber's Vanessa from the BBC, and with the score conducted by Leonard Slatkin is possibly the best all-around recording today. Of course, the 50's recording which complimented the original Metropolitan Opera performances (Eleanor Steber, Rosalind Elias, Nicolai Gedda and Regina Resnik) is undoubtedly the best of the best. But this one is amazing. The singers are themselves British and therefore enunciate the English with lazer-sharp diction and don't try to sound like they are singing Italian. There are times when the singing can sound melodramatic (as if they were singing for the English National Opera) but they truly understand the mood of this work. This is a haunting, chilling story about lost love and even tackles a serious issue for the 50's - abortion. The smooth, womanizing gallant gentleman Anatol (Will Burden) gains the affection of two women, aunt and niece Vanessa and Erika. He plays both women. He impregnates Erica, then dumps her and marries Vanessa. Erika is naturally distraught and even decides she'll have an abortion by drowning herself in a lake in the middle of winter. She lives, inherits Vanessa's home but will live in constant humiliation and anguish. She is hopeful that perhaps Anatol will return to her (and the son) and now the cycle continues and she will wait for Anatol the way Vanessa did for 20 years. Set in a wintery landscape in Edwardian England, the opera has a bleak, Gothic feel, as if it were a sort of modern Bronte novel set to music. Barber's lush, heavy, subtle music is always powerful but never drowns out the singers. Christine Brewer sings the role of Vanessa in a heavier voice than other sopranos, at times she even comes off as a dramatic or high mezzo soprano. It was hard for me to distinguish between Brewer and Susan Graham, who is a mezzo-soprano, but that's a good trick/technique considering how both women are affected by Anatol and how tragic their lives truly are when it comes to love. I don't care for Brewer's voice for Vanessa. It is too mature and old sounding but I'm being very picky. It is a good voice nonetheless and she is doing a fabulous performance. Still, I prefer Eleanor Steber and Kiri Te Kenawa as Vanessa. Susan Graham set the bar high for the role of Erika. She is dramatic and full of rich lyric prowess. Her abilities are as such that we are able to see her expression and gestures even through a recording. The sound is clear and the orchestra is first-rate. A must have for fans of this particular opera or fans of these singers.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Stockholm Syndrome [Import]

Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 2 / Symphony No. 3

Anthology of Czech Piano Music, Vol. 7

The Max Weinberg 7

Anotherlatenight (Reis)

Adagio-Classical Music for Yoga

Ad Vitam Aeternam [Import]

Anthology [Import]

Act One [Import]

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring (Suite) / Short Symphony (No. 2) / Quiet City / Three Latin American Sketches - Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness [Import]

12 Kilates Musicales

Amor Tierno

Delta Blues 1940-1951

Ultimate Kylie