Puccini: Essential Puccini [Import]

Track Listings

1. Gianni Schicchi

2. La Boheme

3. La Fanciulla Del West

4. La Rondine

5. Madame Butterfly

6. Manon Lescaut

7. Perludio Sinfonico

8. Suor Angelica

9. Tosca

10. Turandot

Customer Reviews:

Violin touches your heart.......2007-06-24

Those who do not prefer violin music should try this. His violin will change your world.
His music touches people's heart.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Mario Lanza

Manufacturer: RCA
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The Essential Benny Goodman
Essential Broadway
Gold: '80s British
Gold: Old School Jams
Gold

ASIN: B000NDEXHK
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Be My Love (from "The Toast of New Orleans")
Drink, Drink, Drink (From "The Student Prince") (Remastered 1991)
Rigoletto; Act IV; La donna è mobile (1991 Remastered)
Danny Boy
Granada (1991 Remastered)
Because You're Mine (From "Because You're Mine") (1991 Remastered)
Ave Maria
Valencia
The Loveliest Night of the Year (From "The Great Caruso") (1991 Remastered)
Song of India
Because (1991 Remastered)
O sole mio (1991 Remastered)
The Donkey Serenade (From "Firefly")
If I Loved You (from "Carousel") (1991 Remastered)
Serenade (From "The Student Prince") (1991 Remastered)
Funiculi, funicula
Golden Days (From "The Student Prince") (1991 Remastered)
Arrivederci, Roma (featured in "The Seven Hills of Rome") (Remastered 1991)
You'll Never Walk Alone
Beloved (From "The Student Prince") (1991 Remastered)
Come prima (From "For the First Time") (1991 Remastered)
Tosca; Act III; E lucevan le stelle
Santa Lucia (1993 Remastered)
I'll Walk With God

Tracks:

And This is My Beloved (from "Kismet")
La Gioconda; Act II; Cielo e mar
Deep In My Heart, Dear (from "The Student Prince") (1993 Remastered)
Core 'ngrato (1993 Remastered)
L'elisir d'amore; Act II; Una furtiva lagrima
Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life
Canta pe' me (Remastered 1995)
Santa Lucia luntana (Remastered 1995)
Memories
With a Song in My Heart (from "Spring Is Here") (1991 Remastered)
L'africana; Act IV; O paradiso! (1993 Remastered)
Temptation (from "Going Hollywood") (Remastered 1991)
Aida (featured in "The Great Caruso"); Act I; Celeste Aida (1991 Remastered)
Fenesta che lucive (Remastered 1995)
A Night to Remember (Remastered 1991)
Non ti scordar di me (Remastered 1993)
Somewhere a Voice Is Calling (Remastered - 1995)
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (Remastered 1991)
All the Things You Are (From "Very Warm for May") (1991 Remastered)
Passione (Remastered 1995)
One Night of Love (From "One Night of Love") (Remastered 1991)
La danza (1993 Remastered)

Average customer rating:

Great collection but the title's a misnomer

Essential Opera

Manufacturer: Decca
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Essential Opera
Essential Mozart Opera
Essential Opera 2
Essential Puccini
Essential Verdi

ASIN: B0009A41V0
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Customer Reviews:

Great collection but the title's a misnomer.......2006-07-17

The producers of Essential Opera 1 and 2 finally decided to give us a wonderful gift and combined the two for the price of one. The effect is an exciting collection for opera lovers and opera beginners alike. Thank you, producers.

However, I can't agree that the collection lives up to its name. How can it be essential when where is Maria Callas in the line-up? Absent Maria, any opera collection that deems itself "essential" deludes itself. Callas is as indispensable to opera as, say, Picasso is to cubism. To paraphrase Franco Zeffirelli, Callas showed us the maximum of what opera is. Callas IS essential opera.

This misnomer is made the more stark and jarring when one sees that a contemporaneous rival, Renata Tebaldi, is given two tracks to sing and Callas, none. Tebaldi was Callas' rival like Clementi was Mozart's--whoever remembers the rivals now? History has judged well who the masters are. So I listen to arias in this CD, arias that Callas have incomparably defined like Tosca's Vissi d'Arte, La Wallys's Ebben Ne'andro Lontana", to disappointment.

I'd give this disc four and a half stars for Callas' omission, but the Amazon rating system does not allow it. In any case, Tatiana Troyano's Habanera, Cecilia Bartoli's "Una Voce Poco fa," Krause, Popp, and Fassbaender's "Saove sia il vento," and Sutherland and Berbie's Lakme duet, and ten other tracks still make this compilation wonderful, exciting, and highly commendable. Do yourselves a favor and get this cd.

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection

Average customer rating:

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection Review
The Greatest Choral Masterpieces
Not that bad... at first
Gread Idea, Great Performance
Dies Irae

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The #1 Choral Album
Mass: The Most Powerful, Uplifting & Passionate Music You Will Ever Hear
Choral Masterpieces
Simply the Best Classical Anthems
Tears from Heaven

ASIN: B0000041NV
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Dies Irac: Requiem - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Chorus Of THe Hebrew Slaves: Nabucco - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Entrance Of The Toreadors: Carmen - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
An die Freude: Symphony No. 9 - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Zadok the Priest - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Bridal Chorus: Lohengrin - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Easter Hymn: Cavellera Rusticana - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Requiem Aeternam: Requiem - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Pavane - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Gloria In Excelsis Deo: Gloria - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
For Unto Us A Child Is Born: Messiah - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
O Isis und Osiris: The Magic Flute - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Credo: Messe Solennelle Di Sainte Cecile - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
I Vow To Thee, My Country - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Final Chorus: Turandot - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL

Tracks:

O Fortuna: Carmina Burana - Various Artists
Trimphal March: Aida - Various Artists
Deus in adiutorium - Domine ad adiuvaum: Vespro Della Beata Vergine - Various Artists
See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes: Judas Maccabeus - Various Artists
In The Hall Of The Mountain King: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Various Artists
Magnificat anima mea: Magnificat - Various Artists
Agnus Dei: Requiem - Various Artists
Humming Chorus: Madama Butterfly - Various Artists
Ich will hier bei dir stehen: St. Mathew's Passion - Various Artists
Entry Of The Guest: Tannhauser - Various Artists
Auto0da-fe' Chorus: Don Carlo - Various Artists
Polovtsian Dances: Prince Igor - Various Artists
Anvil Chorus: Il Trovatore - Various Artists
Land Of Hope And Glory: Pomp And Circumstance - Various Artists
'Hallelujah' Chorus: Messiah - Various Artists

Amazon.com

This certainly is a desirable compendium of some of the most famous large-scale choral pieces, primarily drawn from Deutsche Grammophon's catalog of operas and oratorios. Among the 30 selections on this two-disc set are choruses from Carmen, Lohengrin, Aida, Madame Butterfly, and Il Trovatore, as well as Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, and Verdi's Requiem. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection Review.......2007-07-07

This 2 disc collection of Choral music is a great introduction to classical music. Many of these selections have been made famous in movies and will be recognizable to even the most casual listener. I bought this album for O Fortuna by Carl Orff, a song that is featured in Excalibur and Jackass: The Movie. The music on these CDs is great. I especially like Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven, Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg, and Requiem by Mozart.

Other albums recommended:
Amadeus: Original Soundtrack Recording
25 Beethoven Favorites
Excalibur: Original Movie Soundtrack

The Greatest Choral Masterpieces.......2005-10-02

This collection is outstanding, featuring the best choral works from operas and oratorios in classical repertoire. It begins with the fiery and intense Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem. This piece is sublimely performed by the Berlin forces. It's followed by the anthem-like Va Pensiero from Verdi's early opera Nabucco, as conducted by Sinopoli and sounds maravelous. A brief excerpt from Beethoven's Ninth "The Ode to Joy" is a treat. The Coronation Anthem from Zadok The Priest by Handel is well-executed and powerful. The famous Bridal March (better known as "Here Comes The Bride") from Wagner's opera Lohengrin is sumptuous. A lot of this music is grandiose, and all the famous grand choruse from the grand operas like Aida (The Triumphal March scene) and the Inquistion Scene from Don Carlo. What is missing however, and I would have enjoyed, is the wondrous Finale to Wagner's Die Meistersanger which features a great chorus in praise of art. My favorite piece on here is the little known Mass of Saint Cecilia by Charles Gounod. It is absolutely gorgeous and epic sounding. The underrated but great conductor Igor Markevitch conducts. The famous O Fortuna from Orff's Carmina Burana is also on here, not to mention Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah and other pieces from Judas Maccabeus. This is a great collection of chorus masterpieces that any fan would appreciate or if you are studying to sing in chorues yourself.

Not that bad... at first.......2005-03-26

There's plenty of free samples to this CD, and I agree that this is a great collection of music. Chances are you won't find a collection of songs, all of them with angelic choirs, as great as this. When I got it I was quite happy with it, but when I heard the same songs done with different conductors I thought to myself: 'Hey, why doesn't it sound like my CD?' It's the quality that I don't like. For example, Dias Irae is a great song, and it sounds pretty good on the CD, but compare it to another version and this one is slower, the chorus is off key, and it doesn't have that intense emotion. Same thing with O Fortuna, it's a great song, but the chorus is just terrible on this CD, the instruments are lacking in emotion: percussion doesn't add that extra 'oomph' to the bass drum, the cymbals don't have enough emphasis, the chorus sounds like they're about to go asleep, and the dynamics between fortissimo and pianissimo have little effort.

I'd recomend this if you have little cash to blow on a lot of good songs, otherwise you might want to search for a bunch of seperate CDs with the same songs.

Gread Idea, Great Performance.......2003-03-03

This CD should move people in a way that few other recordings can. The one word to describe many of the works is "exalted". This is not music for dinner parties but instead should be heard in solitary contemplation of all the great artists and their efforts in creating such an inspiring recording.

Dies Irae.......2000-03-07

I have an extensive CD collection, but since purchasing this CD, it has become my very favorite. This music sent chills down my spine. I felt transported to a different world....What amazing voices! I intend to give this cd as xmas presents to family and friends.

Average customer rating:

A Classic Recording
A must for a Placido fan
Great for what it is
Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo
Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!

Essential Placido Domingo

Manufacturer: Sony
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Very Best of
Por Amor
Bravo Domingo
De Mi Alma Latina
Placido Domingo: A Love Until The End Of Time

ASIN: B00064AEYW
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Tracks:

Nessun Dorma!
Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!.. Celeste Aida
Ch'Ella Mi Creda Libero E Lontano
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Quando Le Sere Al Placido
Bimba Dagli Occhi
Addio, Fiorito Asi
Ingemisco
Amor Ti Vieta
Sincero Amor
Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini-O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
Apri La Tua Finestra!
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Sole E Amore
Von Der Jugend
Di Quella Pira

Tracks:

Te Quiero, Morena-Jota
La Roca Fria Del Calvario (Romanze)
Por El Humo Se Sabe Donde Esta El Fuego
Granada
Andalucia
Serenata Tapatia
Adoro
Siempre En Mi Corazon
Malaguena
Dulcinea
The Impossible Dream (The Quest)
In Pace
Maria
Perhaps Love
Love Came For Me
A Love Until The End Of Time

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Recording.......2007-03-09

This was a great buy for me. The power and accuracy of Placido's voice are demonstrated well. Two CD's and 34 songs--just can't beat that for the price.

A must for a Placido fan.......2005-04-23

If you've continously listened to this master of tenors and said "wow, I like it, I want to listen even more of him", then raise it to 5 stars, which is the rating I personally give the CD; HOWEVER, if you've only heard him once or not at all, you might want to wait a while and get to know him and other tenors better. Why? Well, disc 1 is the "classical" disc, with arias from famous operas and choral pieces by Puccini and the like, but disc 2, the "modern" or "popular" disc, contains music that will leave you a bit puzzled, since it's is not for everyone; a lot of people have never heard zarzuela or tunes by Manzanero or Lecuona. In short, this disc is better suited for fans of Placido or people who want to know him better, if not, it still is a top choice, and this way you just might fall in love with him (well, his singing, not him literally).

Great for what it is.......2005-01-13

I agree with the previous poster that this does not contain his great dramatic stuff like otello/wagner, but the collection is a beautiful one. There are some great recordings here, and his crossover stuff(maria, Dulcinea, impossible dream) is very interesting. His opera is of course impecable and brilliant. Finally we get to hear Domingo's high C in Di Quella Pira, and its a good one. The zarzuela or spanish operetta type songs and are wonderful.

I found this to be beautiful and exhilirating to listen to.

Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo.......2005-01-03

I grew up with Placido Domingo. Not in the sense of being boyhood friends, but rather in the sense that he was part of my "Golden Age" at the Metropolitan Opera. Of the "Three Tenors" (more Marketing hype than useful grouping of three fine singers) Domingo was the most dramatic - the "heaviest" of the three. His repertoire extended well beyond the lyric - and that's why this collection is not all the "essential" Domingo, but rather offers an interesting look at the lighter, more lyric side of Placido Domingo. You won't find Lohengrin or Otello here, but you will find many of the more lyric tenor arias from Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti - to name a few.

There is an "edge" to Domingo's voice that perhaps accounts for his ability to transition successfully into the heavier repertory. I find that tonal quality particularly noticeable in this collection - and sometimes too pronounced. On the other hand, there are a few wonderful surprises. His "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore is a stand out. Its rare you here a tenor with this much power sing the role. The duet "Bima dagli occhi" from Madama Butterfly with Renata Scotto, again casts Pinkerton with a quality tenor not often found in the opera house any more. I loved the selection from Gianni Schicchi - when is the last time you found Rinuccio cast with this size tenor voice - and the Italian tenor's aria from Rosenkavalier is a treasure from a recording currently out of print. And then there is one of Domingo's signature roles - Jack Rance in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. No one sings Rance better than Domingo - and the excerpt from the complete recording finds Domingo at his very best.

Disk two is devoted to song - popular and classical. There is a fair amount of tripe - too much cross over (as in who needs to hear Domingo sing "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha - Broadway is not Mr. Domingo's genre). But there are some wonderful cuts as well - "Granada" is a Domingo encore specialty, and I was particularly struck by the song "In Pace" from the motion picture Hamlet - I never saw the film and was truly taken aback at how beautiful a song this is, and Domingo's voice soars.

I found the sound of these CD's a bit "tinny". Perhaps its the analogue to digital conversion, but I was disappointed in the overall sound. The album is badly mistitled "The Essential Placido Domingo". Certainly this is some of the essential Domingo - and some very wonderful examples of the lyric Domingo - but there is clearly a volume two to come - the dramatic Placido Domingo. But why wait - buy this fine collection, and then feast on some of the complete recordings such as Otello or Lohengrin.

Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!.......2005-01-01

Why wait to see if this reviewer enjoyed Sony's latest offering: I did, and so will you. Hats off to Sony for getting it right with this two CD, 34-song bonanza of Placido Domingo singing -- well, as the name implies -- the essentials, from opera to Broadway to Hollywood, in a mix that keeps its distance while holding it all together in a package that breeds enough familiarity to make even the most harsh tenor critic purr. The more clasical offerings are on the first CD and the more sentimental are on disc two. Interestingly, I found side two more seductive and subdued in tone, and enjoyed listening to Mr. Domingo's interpretation of such popular favorites as "Maria" from "West Side Story", "Dulcinea" from "Man From LaMancha" and a couple duets with John Denver (Perhaps Love) and Maureen McGovern (A Love Without End). The songs selected for side two actually did set a thematic tone. Readers of my reviews know that I place a high value on a CDs overall ability to present what is offered in a bundle that sets and keeps a mood. I usually ask two questions: is it consistent once the mood is set; and does it keep the listener in that mood throughout once established? Here, well, here, I break from tradition and profess some confusion. The mood on disc one is not thematic but ecclectic -- from solo's to duets, from live recordings to studio, from one orchestra to the next, from upbeat to mellow. Technically, while there is some difference in the overall sound quality while switching from one setting to another, it is something you would have to listen for to catch, and becaue of this doesn't amount to a serious flaw as presented. What saves disc one from my usual "tenor blahs" is Mr. Domingo's exceptional voice and the selection of songs chosen -- which, while altering between one mood and another, are all familiar enough that we listen with knowing ease to what we expect. This isn't the kind of CD you put on while holding a conversation with anyone, but rather one you would put on, close your eyes and listen to for its sheer technical achievement -- or more precisely for Mr. Domingo's talent. The voice is clear and strong and passinate and reflects Mr. Domingo's control of his range and interpretive skills. Listen to Verdi's "Ingemisco" with The London Symphony and Leonard Bernstein; Puccini's "Bimba Dagli Occhi" with Renata Scoto (he sings a couple meodies with Scoto) and Umberto Giordino's "Amor ti Vieta" from Fedora to get an idea of what I am referring to here. It took me a couple sessions with each side to settle down and appreciate what was offered. Hopefully this review will get you ready and you will enjoy it from the start. PJW

Average customer rating:

Great compilation but the title's a misnomer.
A great introduction to opera!

Essential Opera

Manufacturer: Decca
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Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Essential Opera 2
Essential Opera
The Most Famous Opera Duets
Operas Greatest Moments / Domingo, Price, Caballé, Kraus, Norman, Lanza
The Most Famous Opera Arias

ASIN: B0000041ZX
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Carmen: Prelude To Act One
Tosca: Vissi D'arte
Il Trovatore: Vedi! Le Fosche
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
Rigoletto: Bella Figlia Dell'amore
Nabucco: Va Pensiero
Carmen: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee
La Wally: Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Largo Al Factorum
Verdi: Gloria All'egitto
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babino Caro
Turandot: Nessun Dorma
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'armor
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo
Don Giovanni: Finch'han Dal Vino
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
Turandot: Non Piangere Liu...Ah! Per L'ultima Volta!

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation but the title's a misnomer........2006-07-14

I agree that this--and Essential Opera 2--is a very good collection for opera lovers and opera beginners alike, but am afraid I can't agree that this is "essential" opera. Where is Maria Callas in the line-up? Absent Maria, any opera collection that deems itself "essential" deludes itself. Callas is as indispensable to opera as, say, Picasso is to cubism.

The misnomer is made the more stark and jarring when one sees that a contemporaneous rival, Renata Tebaldi, is given two tracks to sing and the Divina Absoluta, none. Tebaldi was Callas' rival like Clementi was Mozart's--whoever remembers the rivals now? History has judged well who the masters are. So I listen to arias in this CD--arias that Callas have incomparably performed like Tosca's Vissi d'Arte, La Wallys's Ebben Ne'andro Lontana"--to disappointment.

I'd give this disc five stars if not for Callas' omission, a fatal mistake for an opera collection that aspires to be "essential."

A great introduction to opera!.......1998-12-19

This CD is full of the most accessible works from the world of opera by some of the greatest performers. Several of the selections have been used in popular media(commercials, movies etc.)so they may be familiar. The liner notes give full details of the operas from which the pieces are selected. I find this an excellent gift for my opera-phobic friends and for children. The performances are top notch and the arrangement of pieces on the CD is well thought out.

Average customer rating:

glorious singing of puccini's greatest 'hits'
Opera !

Essential Puccini

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Essential Verdi
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Essential Mozart Opera
Essential Opera
Puccini: Great Opera Arias

ASIN: B000026ESE
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

Turandot: Nessun Dorma
Tosca: Vissi D'Arte
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Madama Butterfly: Vogliare Mi Bene (Love Duet)
La Fanciulla Del West: Minnie, Dalla Mia Casa
Madama Butterfly: Scuoti Quella Fronda (Flower Duet)
Gianni Schicchi: Firenze E Come
Suor Angelica: Senza Mamma
Manon Lescaut: Tra Voi, Belle
Turandot: In Questa Reggia
La Boheme: O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
La Rondine: Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus
Tosca: Recondita Armonia
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
Tosca: Tre Sbirri (Te Deum)
La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla

Tracks:

La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi
Madama Butterfly: Dovunque Al Mondo
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo (One Fine Day)
La Fanciulla Del West: Ch 'Ella Mi Creda Libero
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz
Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo
Turandot: Non Piangere Liu
Turandot: Tu, Che Di Gel Sei Cinta
La Fanciulla Del West: Non Mi Defendero
La Fanciulla Del West: Laggiu Nel Soledad
Manon Lescaut: Oh, Saro La Piu Bella!
Manon Lescaut: In Quelle Trine Morbide
Manon Lescaut: Ah! Non V'Avvicinate!
Manon Lescaut: Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata
Madama Butterfly: Addio, Fiorito Asil
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
La Boheme: Dunque E Proprio Finita!

Customer Reviews:

glorious singing of puccini's greatest 'hits'.......2004-12-13

This compilation is a great introduction to puccini's music, It has all of puccini's most popular numbers and
the singers are some of the greatest opera stars of the
20th century. Just look at the names: Pavarotti, te kanawa Freni,caballe, Tebaldi,Corelli, Sutherland ,bergonzi,ludwig...
Leona mitchel isn't as famous as the rest but she sings her two arias beautifully.
Pavarotti's "nessun dorma" is the best!
highly recommended for opera lovers.

Opera !.......2002-12-12

Great cd the songs, music are beautiful and not to talk about the voices, is what I expected to be. It should be in all opera lovers collection

Average customer rating:

Not enough
Essentially Crap
Imprescindible: Lo mejor de Angela!
One of the best!

The Essential Angela Gheorghiu

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Diva
Angela Gheorghiu - Arias
Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu - Duets & Arias
Puccini
Angela Gheorghiu - Casta Diva / Pido

ASIN: B0000V8CJ0
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

Ebben?...Ne Andro Lontana
Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi
O Soave Fanciulla
Ah, Fors'e Lui...Sempre Libera - Frank Lopardo
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio
O Dieu! Que De Bijoux!...Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir Si Belle (Air Des Bijoux)
Celui Dont La Parole Efface Toutes Peines...
Vive Amour Qui Reve (Aubade)
Chiedi All'aura Lusinghiera
Donde Lieta Usci Al Tuo Grido D'amore
Merce, Dilette Amiche
Come In Quest'ora Bruna
Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato
Tacea La NOtte Placida...Di Tale Amor
Muzica

Customer Reviews:

Not enough.......2006-02-20

This album hardly shows up what this gorgeous coloratura can do. It's slow, has a easy listening feel to it, but totally lacks a moment to remember.

Essentially Crap.......2006-01-15

I don't understand this woman's appeal. Honestly I do not get it. Maybe I was just spoiled by my voice teacher who pointed me in the direction of truly great sopranos (Callas, Sutherland, Pons) but I can not find the "beauty" in this woman's voice that is so amazing to others.

Let me tell you a story. When I was 14, I scooped and swooped my way through songs just like Ms. Gheorghiu loves to do (her Sempre Libera and Jewel Song are nothing but that *shudder*). But my vocal teacher trained that habit out of me real quick because scooping and swooping is simply a mark of bad musical technique. My teacher use to say "If you can only get there by scooping, THEN DON'T GO THERE." Good advice for Ms. Gheorghiu.

Honestly she is one of the most boring, bland singers on the market today and this is a bland, boring cd as well. And that's saying a lot 'cas there are a lot of bad sopranos and bad cds floating around in recent years. Personally I am going to stick with the before-I-was-even-born singers such as Callas, Sutherland, Freni, Pons, our recently departed Nilsson, Horne and if I have to choose a Lyric Soprano of today I will gladly take Fleming over Gheorghiu any day of the week. At least Fleming has the intelligence to stay with her lyric roles instead of foolishly trying to sing roles that are completely out of her range. I mean CARMEN?! Ms Gheorghiu, you are NOT Caballe. Which is probably why Gheorghiu also can not pull off Ebben? with any real conviction. Uuuggghhh!

Please!! Buy Fleming or Freni or Callas. Don't waste your time on a second string soprano like Gheorghiu who will lose be forgotten in a few years. She is not worth the money!!!!

Imprescindible: Lo mejor de Angela!.......2004-06-26

Este recopilatorio que propone DECCA es completisimo (78' de musica) y de compra obligada tanto para los amantes de ANGELA GHEORGHIU como para aquellos que aun no la conozcan. El programa incluye fragmentos de Boheme (las dos arias y el duo, con Alagna) La Wally, La Traviata (las dos arias), Il Trovatore, La Forza del Destino, Cherubin, Herodiade, Faust, L'elisir d'amore (un duo, de nuevo con Alagna), y la cancion popular 'Muzica'
Las interpretaciones de Gheorghiu son en todos los casos de primerisima fila, destacandose especialmente en 'La Forza del Destino' (antologico su 'Pace, Pace mio Dio'), 'La Traviata' (alocada en 'Sempre libera' y conmovedora en 'Addio del passato') y 'La Wally' (emotiva y desgarradora)
Los acompañamientos son tambien siempre de primer nivel, e insisto, este disco es de compra obligada para todo amante de la opera.
Las grabaciones provienen todas de albums ya editados antes por Decca, entre 1994 y 2000.

One of the best!.......2004-05-27

This is a wonderfully put together compilation displaying some of her best performances. The selections from Traviata are fine examples of what put her on the map. Her aria from Forza is stunning. And she is a wonderful Mimi. I think this CD explains what all the raves have been about. For those who don't know her work this CD would be a great place to begin. I am a huge fan so I am biased. However I do think she one of the best singers and actress singers working in opera today. I highly recommend this CD!

Average customer rating:

Pavarotti in fine voice
Sorry guys!

The Essential Pavarotti

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti
Pavarotti: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000025K4R
Release Date: 1990-07-13

Tracks:

Donna Mobile
Che Gelida Manina
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Nessun Dorma
Una Furtiva Lagrima
M'appari
Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jet
Vesti La Giubba
Di Quella Pira
Caruso
Mattinata
Aprile
Core 'Ngrato
Danza
Volare
Funicul- Funicul
Torna A Surriento
'o Sole Mio!

Customer Reviews:

Pavarotti in fine voice.......2007-02-26

This CD finds Luciano Pavarotti in fine voice. The CD catches his career while it was at its zenith. The selections run from his operatic repertoire to some popular songs. He carries off both well (not all opera singers handle popular tunes well). So, how does he do with his "greatest hits"? My reaction to a sampling of the cuts follows. . . .

The CD begins with that wonderful work, "La donna e mobile" from Verdi's "Rigoletto." Pavarotti shows to good effect his smooth and attractive voice. One thinks of how distinctive that voice is; anyone with familiarity with opera would instantly recognize it. This is a spirited version, taken at a nice clip. Sometimes, he appears a bit overexpressive; when he moves from a lower to a higher note, he emits a bit too explosive a sound on occasion. The final high note is nailed well.

"Che gelida manina" must be one of a tenor's favorite arias. His voice works well with this piece. He sings expressively and in character. Very nicely done.

The dramatic piece, "E lucevan le stelle," is well sung, too. Pavarotti does well by Puccini's operatic works. Indeed, the next cut is from yet another of Puccini's operas, "Turandot." His "Nessun dorma" shows his off his voice well again. The final high note, on "Vincero," seems a bit strained, but it is effective nonetheless.

One of the great tenor show stoppers in the repertoire is "Di quella pira," from Verdi's "Il Tovatore." Once upon a time, I recorded something like 10-15 different versions back to back, just to compare which tenors clearly did the best job. Richard Tucker ranked toward the top and quite a few toward the bottom (names not to be mentioned here). Pavarotti would clearly rate nearer the top, according to this version. His "shakes" are much better than the awful sound issued forth by Mario del Monaco. His voice shows real power. He hits the high C dead on. His voice soars over orchestra and chorus at the end. Well done!

For other tunes. . . . Caruso could not manage his breath properly while singing Rossini's treacherous "La Danza." Pavarotti has no breathing issues here. This is sprightly sung, and he shows an extremely agile voice. He seems to enjoy attacking this trifle. "Volare" is a song that can be overdone by an operatic voice (e.g., think of how Mario Lanza or Richard Tucker might "oversing" this). Pavarotti begins with what I think is a bit overdone introduction. After that, though, he sings this for what it is--and does it well. Finally, that wonderful chestnut, "Funiculi-Funicula." Simply, well done and sung with genuine zest.

All in all, this is a good CD to hear the range of Pavarotti's singing. He sings well; his voice is lush and near its peak, I would think. The selections show his strengths in the Puccini/Verdi repertoire. His singing of more popular songs shows another side of his art. In the final analysis, if a person wants one CD to learn of Pavarotti's work, this is not a bad one to purchase.

Sorry guys!.......2007-02-19

But I've just bought one of the very last CDs of Pavarotti in his best shape. Better than anyone else, Pavarotti sings the best arias and songs. BTW Thank you, Amazon. It was just impossible to buy it before I entered your page. ONDRA Czech Republic

Average customer rating:

The Essential Björling

Manufacturer: Mastersound
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000027INX
Release Date: 1995-06-20

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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Nutcracker/Swan Lake

Low Down and Up

For The Family

La La Love You Pixies! [Import]

Meet Me in the Bathroom [CD-single]

Love, Peace & Joy

More Cohler on Clarinet

Michael Oosten

Part III

Mutations

Latin Music: #1 Del Merengue: Por Fin Juntos

Kicker Daddy Is Back

Jazz & Blues Piano, Vol. 2: 1924-1947

Bon Voyage

1. Gianni Schicchi
2. La Boheme
3. La Fanciulla Del West
4. La Rondine
5. Madame Butterfly
6. Manon Lescaut
7. Perludio Sinfonico
8. Suor Angelica
9. Tosca
10. Turandot