Messa Di Gloria

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Doreen Maria De Feis was Born in the USA and Receiced her Musical Education at the Eastman School of Music and the Famous Julliard School in New York. Caroline Odermatt was Born in Switzerland and Studied Music at the Lucerne Academy of Music.

Tracks:

Rejoice Greatly - Handel
Schlafendes Jesuskind
Laudate Dominum - Mozart
O Had I Jubal's Lyre - Handel
Seufzer, Tranen, Kummer, Not - Bach
Schafe Konnen - Bach
Ave Maria
Laudamus Te - Rossini
Bist Du Bei Mir
Mein Glaubiges Herze - Bach
Pie Jesu
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
Flobt, Mein Heiland
Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

My favourite collection of sacred music.......2006-03-31

For anyone who loves Kathleen Battle's voice, this is a real treasure, she never sounded better and more radiant.
This is a selection of well known sacred songs but they sound fresh and lovely when sung by Kathleen. She performs two Ave Marias, one very famous, by Bach, and another which is rarely performed, written by Mascagni, and this one is really stunning. Mozart's Laudate Dominum and Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem are also oustanding. The spiritual "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" is another highlight. There are several movements from Bach cantatas, including the famous Bist du bei mir, and Handel's "O Had I Jubal's Lyre" and "Rejoice greatly", they will remind you of how incredible Battle is when she sings virtuosic Baroque music.
And isn't the cover just beautiful? But get this album for the music, and you will rejoice greatly.

Battle at her glorious best.......2005-03-14

While I agree with an earlier reviewer who recommends her Levine disk, I must disagree with the claim that this "Rejoice Greatly" is inferior to her two other recordings of it. Her conception is identical in all three performances, but to my ear this is by far the best. In her full Messiah with Andrew Davis, the recording has her so recessed there is no feeling of intimacy. In her Handel recital disk, she is better placed and in better voice, but her rhythm is insecure in the sixteenth-notes; she seems to be nervously pushing ahead of the beat. But on "Grace" she gets it just right. For whatever it may be worth, a fellow fan once had the chance to ask Battle herself about this, and as I understand it her response was, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I haven't been able to do Rejoice before or since as well as it went on Grace."

The music soars.......2004-07-23

Kathleen Battle's voice is exquisite and is suited for most of the pieces on the CD. Her rendition of Mascagni's Ave Maria is perhaps the best track, with the Schafe Konnen from Bach's Cantata No. 208 coming in a close second. Another highlight is the Laudate Dominum, delivered with so much skill and feeling.

Less successful was Rossini's Laudamus Te. Battle has a flexible, clear and delicate voice, but not one that's full-bodied enough to accommodate the style of music found in a piece as grand and strident as the Laudamus Te. There is a sense of strain when she sings it, though it is by no means entirely unsuccessful.

Heavenly.......2004-07-13

Kathleen Battle is one of the people whose lovely voice first turned me on to opera, a rather unaccessible art to the common American. It is true that you can hear her breathe, and that she tempers her notes so they are sometimes gentle, sometimes strong, but that is not a weakness. The racks are rife with stereotypical fat ladies with fat voices, bellowing with nothing but technique, but there records languish while Kathleen's sell.

The songs are all fairly main stream and include a dramatic range from happy to sad. Nothing outlandish here.

Ms. Battle has been called the most beautiful soprano voice and I would heartily agree. The clarity, the roundness, the beauty of her sound is pure femininity and grace. I studied opera and no one in school or anywhere else, has ever been on her level. Some are close, but she is magnificent. I recommend this to anyone, opera snob or first timer. You will be moved!

Goddess in decline.......2004-01-24

In her late forties when this CD was recorded, Kathleen Battle can't be expected to emit the meltingly beautiful sounds she made during her rise to international stardom in the 1980s. Yet, she still sometimes does. Her final ringing note in Mascagni's "Ave Maria" is nothing short of sublime, and her "Were You There..." is emotionally sung, particularly the repeat of the phrase, "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?"

But several of the tracks on this CD have been recorded by Kathleen Battle before, and to much better effect. The opening track, "Rejoice Greatly," is impressive, but not compared to Battle's performance on her Handel album with John Nelson in which she sounds much fresher, or to her performance on the complete Messiah recording with Andrew Davis. On Grace, Battle uses the exact same ornamentation she's used on every other one of her renditions of "Rejoice," but without the accuracy and jubilation of past performances. I wonder what the point of recording a third version was, when it has nothing new to offer. The tempo feels rushed, yet the singer drags the ends of phrases ("O daughter of Zion." There's also an "h" in the first occurance of the word "Zion" - it comes out "Zi-huh-yon"). And there are some splat notes that could have been easily fixed with a bit of editing: the word "and" is dreadfully flat in the phrase, "And shout, shout!"

"Jubal's Lyre" was stunning on Kathleen's 1985 recording, "Saltzburg Recital." Grace's rendition again sounds too fast, too thin, and, dare I say, too cutesy (the ornamentation is a bit much). And the word "tuneful" is incomprehensible. Is she saying "Shhteeyoonful" or "tuneful?"

"Bist du bei mir" begins under pitch.

Battle races through Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" and annoyingly scoops many phrases. I wish you would linger, Kathleen! Let us hear you caress that ascending "Amen" instead of carelessly flitting up the scale.

There's also the issue of her gaspy, nearly shrieking breaths, which other reviewers have mentioned. Oddly, it sounds as though the microphone is pressed to her mouth when she breathes, yet that it is miles away when she sings: there is an oddly distant quality to the recording.

Tracks:

The Creation: Awake The Harp
Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Mass In G Major: Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Heavenly Father (Ave Maria)
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
St. Paul: Rise Up, Arise
St. Paul: See What Love
Onward, Christian Soldiers
The Lord's Prayer
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Messa di Gloria: Gloria
Gloria: Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Requiem: Sanctus
Gloria: Laudamus Te
Lord Nelson Mass: Sanctus
Mass In C Minor, K. 427: Gloria
Praise The Lord
Mass In E-Flat Major, D. 950: Gloria
Requiem Mass: Sanctus
Messiah: Hallelujah

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Rossini: Messa di Gloria

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000GYHZ8A
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Tracks:

No.1a Kyrie Eleison
No.1b Christe Eleison
No.1c Kyrie Eleison
No.2 Gloria In Excelsis Deo
No.3 Laudamus Te
No.4 Gratias Agimus Tibi
No.5 Domine Deus
No.6 Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
No.6 Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
No.6 Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram Patris
No.7 Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
No.8 Cum Sancto Spiritu

Puccini: Messa di Gloria/Preludio Sinfonico/Crisantemi - Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Antonio Pappano, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

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Puccini: Messa di Gloria/Preludio Sinfonico/Crisantemi - Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Antonio Pappano, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [Includes Bonus DVD]

ASIN: B000GEU6E0
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Tracks:

Preludio Sinfonico
Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis Deo- Et In Terra Pax - Laudamus Te
Gratias Agiumus Tibi
Gloria in Excelsis Deo - Dominus Deus, Rex Coelestis
Qui Tolis Peccata Mundi -
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu In Gloria Dei Patris - Gloria In Excelsis Deo Credo
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis
Et Resurrexit Tertia Die - Et In Spiritum Sanctum
Et In Unam Sanctam Catholicam -
Et Exspecto Resurrectionem - Et Vitam Venturi Saeculi
Sanctus, Sanctus Sanctus. Dominus Deus Sabaoth
Benedictus Qui Venit In Nomine Domini
Agnus Dei
For String Orchestra

Puccini: Messa di Gloria: Preludio sinfonico; Capriccio sinfonico

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Puccini: Messa di Gloria: Preludio sinfonico; Capriccio sinfonico

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Carreras · Prey · LPO · Scimone

ASIN: B00006I4B4
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Alagna, Hampson, Pappano

Average customer rating:

A New Addition to My Favorites List
Close but no bass
Astounding!
A GLORIOUS ALBUM
Early but by no means lesser Puccini

Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Alagna, Hampson, Pappano

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Carreras · Prey · LPO · Scimone
Britten - Peter Grimes / Pears · C. Watson · Pease · Brannigan · J. Watson · Elms · Studholme · Kells · R. Nilsson · Lanigan · G. Evans · D. Kelly · ROH Covent Garden · Britten
La Fanciulla del West
Rossini - Stabat Mater / Orgonasova, Bartoli, Giménez, Scandiuzzi, Wiener Phil., Chung

ASIN: B00005KGZQ
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Andante Mosso
Kyrie
Gloria: Gloria In Excelsis Deo - In Terra Pax - Laudamus Te
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Dominus Deus, Rex Coelestis
Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi -
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu In Gloria Dei Patri - Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis
Et Resurrexit Tertia Die - Et In Spiritum SAnctum
Et Unam Sanctam Catholicam
Et Expecto Resurrectionem - Et Vitam Venturi Saeculi
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth
Benedictus Qui Venit In Nomine Domini
Agnus Dei
Crustantemi For String Orchestra (Andante Mesto)

Amazon.com

Roberto Alagna and Antonio Pappano are two-thirds of the EMI triumvirate (corresponding member, Angela Gheorghiu), which has done well by Puccini on previous discs. Although this one steps outside the operatic canon into the lesser margins of the composer's output, it's all done so eloquently you forget how undistinguished the material sometimes is. Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra are clearly in the middle of a love affair and seem to understand each other's every move. Alagna sails through his three sections, making slightly heavy weather of the "Gratias with worrying signs of a widening vibrato, but happy enough in the oddly amiable Agnus Dei" duet with Thomas Hampson. Ffor a good example of the current all-round health of the LSO after several years of conservative core-repertory craft under its chief conductor, Colin Davis, listen to how beautifully the strings phrase the enlarged string quartet movement Crisantemi, which, together with the Preludio sinfonico, makes a welcome filler. --Michael White

Customer Reviews:

A New Addition to My Favorites List.......2007-02-19

I have recently discovered this work and how delighted I am that I did! This music is very appealing. How could it not stir ones very soul? I think this is the third rendition I have heard and the quality of interpretation and performance is superb. The soloists are outstanding. Only the quality of the recording is somewhat lacking.

Close but no bass.......2005-08-20

My only complaint is that the bass solo "Crucifixus" is done without a bass soloist. That is, it is sung by all the basses, which I don't think is very effective. It makes the climaxes rather unclimactic and I think the peice would be much more dramatic and effective with a solo voice.

Astounding!.......2002-07-21

What a surprisingly good album! It begins with 8 minutes of contemplative and heartbreakingly beautiful music in the 'Preludio sinfonico'. Even though it was written while he was still a student, Puccini's talent for rendering exquisite turns of phrase is clearly evident. It's climax transports the listener to the same secret and elusive place as that of his best arias. It is a perfect teaser opening for the mass that follows. The 'Kyrie' is somber, serious and powerful - even Beethoven would have been proud. The 'Gloria' is youthful and exuberant. Roberto Alagna's solo "Gratias agimus tibi" although not as supple as you would like, has such an ingratiating melody that you cannot help but be swept up in it. The chorus carries the next section "Qui tollis peccata mundi" away like a grand and glorious Verdi march. The 'Credo' is both solemn and tender. Thomas Hampson is a perfect choice for his feather light 'Benedictus'. My praise goes on and on. This disc is a great glimpse into the early Puccini. A man with with a supreme ability to write for voice(s) and an uncanny ability to capture your imagination aurally.

A GLORIOUS ALBUM.......2001-12-23

With this glorious CD music lovers have an opportunity to revel in non-operatic Puccini works - the Messa di Gloria and two rather esoteric, but nonetheless stunning, orchestral pieces, "Preludio Sinfonico" and "Crisanterri." Among Puccini's earlier pieces, they are prelude to his later compositions.

Often described as the London Symphony Orchestra's "secret weapon," conductor Antonio Pappano is a sublime interpreter of Puccini. Soloists for this album could not be more splendid - tenor Robert Alagna, and vaunted baritone Thomas Hampson.

Conductor and singing super stars are a dynamic trio who have rendered an incomparable recording, richly textured with dramatic voice.

Early but by no means lesser Puccini.......2001-10-17

Since so many of Giacomo Puccini's most popular operas have had endless recordings released on CD, it is a delight to see the release of some non-operatic works and comparative rarities. Two of the pieces were written while he was a student at the Milan Conservatory, the 'Messa di Gloria' when he was 22 and the 'Preludio Sinfonico' when he was 24. These are by no means inferior works. The beginnings of the 'Puccini style' are already evident here, and although he is borrowing some ideas from other composers, he is also making them his own. If a twenty-something composer with a tenth of the young Puccini's talent came along today, it would be considered absolutely miraculous.

It certainly doesn't hurt that the young Puccini has such an ardent and sympathetic champion as Antonio Pappano. As he proved in the recording of 'La Rondine' he conducted, he has the gift of making 'minor' Puccini sound like major Puccini. He is the finest conductor this composer has had in at least 20 years, and is well on his way to genuine greatness. He has a very strong rapport with the London Symphony Orchestra, and is that rare conductor who can keep a tight rein on proceedings without damping expression or individuality. Not only am I eager to hear his upcoming 'Tosca' recording with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, I cannot wait to hear him conduct purely symphonic, non-vocal repertory.

It is no surprise that one of Puccini's first compositions was a mass, since he came from a very long line of church composers. The 'Messa di Gloria' is a somewhat grandiose misnomer for this piece - Puccini himself referred to it as the 'Messa di Quatro Voce' ('Mass for Four Voices'). While I admit to being no expert, I think this is one of the 'lightest' settings of the mass I have ever heard. The overall feeling is of tenderness (especially in the 'Kyrie') warmth, and cheerfulness, although there are some moments of high drama in the 'Credo'. I also noticed that the 'Sanctus' is a bit more subdued than in other composers' settings. Obviously, Verdi is a major influence here. At its climax, the 'Gloria' sounds like a lighter, jollier version of the 'Dies irae' from his 'Requiem'. The 'Qui tollis' reminds one of first of the 'Miserere' and then 'Va, pensiero', and the bass choral part with horns that begins 'Et expecto resurrectionem' is identical to the opening chords of 'Rigoletto'. And Puccini later recycled melodies from this work into some of his operas - the 'Kyrie' into 'Edgar' and the 'Agnus Dei' into the 'Madrigal' in 'Manon Lescaut'. I do think that the 'Agnus Dei', and the work as a whole, ends a bit abruptly. Still, I think the 'Messa di Gloria' deserves more performances, and I hope to sing it myself one day.

The London Symphony Chorus does a splendid job. Roberto Alagna and Thomas Hampson also do fine work in their solos and the 'Agnus Dei' duet, Alagna's melancholy heroism contrasting with Hampson's sweet elegance. However, I think Alagna's approach is a bit heavy for the cheerier sentiments of this piece, notably 'Gratias agimus tibi', and it might have worked even better with a brighter, more lightweight tone. He is also not entirely comfortable with some of the upward and downward octave leaps, and I suspect a few small things (including some minor mispronunciations) could have been corrected with more recording time. Perhaps I am being overly picky about what is basically a very good performance, but because I have such a high opinion of Alagna, especially under his 'musical brother' Pappano, I expect to be dazzled.

Even more valuable than the mass itself are the two 'bookends' which the rival recording on Erato does not include. It does not hurt that Pappano works some major wonders with the LSO string section. The 'Preludio Sinfonico', which is actually the loveliest work on the disc, is a deeply moving piece of nostalgia, and this team brings out all its sweetness and warmth. It reminds me a little of the intermezzo from 'Cavalleria Rusticana' at the beginning, but there are also echoes of the 'Lohengrin' overture, and the liner notes suggest Massenet's 'Esclarmonde', which I am not familiar with. The main melody, however, is definitely Puccini. Only the rather abrupt buildup to and letdown from the climax might possibly signal this as a student work, and Pappano softens the edges of this to the point where it isn't that noticeable. 'Cristantemi' is the most 'mature' selection on the disc, very dark and melancholy. It was written when Puccini was 32 (he claimed in one night), as an elegy for a man he admired. And we have another theme that gets recycled into 'Manon Lescaut', this one for the dying Manon in Act IV. Although this final version is for string orchestra, Pappano gives it the grace and delicacy of the string quartet it originally was.

The documentation includes an essay on the works, full texts (although the line 'sub Pontio Pilato' is missing from 'Crucifixus') and translations, all in French and German as well as English, plus photos of Alagna and Hampson. Unfortunately no biographies of any of the artists, and the cover photograph isn't entirely flattering to Pappano, who is actually quite a nice-looking fellow.

Unfortunately, I will forever have an association with this music and this CD that I hope no one else will ever have - it is what I was listening to when I found out about the destruction of the World Trade Center. But music has extraordinary healing power, and this CD is playing a major part in my emotional recovery, particularly the sweet, yearning strings of the 'Preludio Sinfonico'. For this, I will always be grateful to Maestro Pappano and his forces, and, of course, to Giacomo Puccini.

Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Carreras · Prey · LPO · Scimone
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Wow! Puccini is honored by Prey and Carreras and Scimone!

Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Carreras · Prey · LPO · Scimone
Giacomo Puccini , Claudio Scimone , José Carreras , Hermann Prey , London Philharmonia Orchestra , and Ambrosian Singers
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Puccini - Messa di Gloria / Alagna, Hampson, Pappano

Puccini: Messa di Gloria: Preludio sinfonico; Capriccio sinfonico

ASIN: B000005ECY
Release Date: 1994-09-06

Tracks:

Messa di Gloria: Kyrie
Messa di Gloria: Gloria
Messa di Gloria: Credo
Messa di Gloria: Sanctus
Messa di Gloria: Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

Wow! Puccini is honored by Prey and Carreras and Scimone!.......2001-04-30

Ok, I'm not sure but I think that this is only the second 5 star review I've given out. Maybe the third. I really need to review my own reviews. Ok, who cares, lets get to the point of this review. Question: "Is this a must buy version of Messa di Gloria"?. Answer:" You bet it is".

Now let's totally forget for a moment that Jose Carreras is the tenor soloist in this piece. Ok, Ok, thats impossible but if it were you'd be focusing on the chorus and the conductor first and then probalbly the soloist, provided that he's at least decent, next. Great credit should therefore be given by Claudio Scimone and the Ambrosian Singers and the Philharmonia Orchestra. My favorite from them is what they do with 'Gloria'. I've tried to sing along but umm....without the music in front of me....yeah right.

Tracks:

Kyrie Eleison
Gloria In Excelsis
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Crucifixus
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Preludio Sonfonico
Crisantemi (Alla Memoria De Amadeo De Vavoia Duce D'Aosta)

Customer Reviews:

Price for Value.......2005-03-05

I really think this is the best rendition of the Messa di Gloria that you have. Somehow, the other versions either drag or the solo voices don't compliment one another.

Verdi: Te Deum/Messa Da Requiem/Nabucco/Luisa Miller/Hymn Of The Nations

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Verdi Choral Spectacular Conducted By The Great Toscanini
hair-rising
Absolutely the best "Requiem" ever
Excellent! Terrific rendition of terrific music
Perhaps the classic performance of the "Requiem".

Verdi: Te Deum/Messa Da Requiem/Nabucco/Luisa Miller/Hymn Of The Nations

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003EXT
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Quattro pezzi sacri, Four Sacred Pieces, No. 4: Te Deum
Messa da requiem: Requiem & Kyrie
Dies irae
Dies Irae: Tuba mirum
Dies Irae: Mors stupebit
Dies Irae: Liber scriptus
Dies Irae: Quid sum miser
Dies Irae: Rex tremendae
Dies Irae: Recordare
Dies Irae: Ingemisco
Dies Irae: Confutatis
Dies Irae: Lacrymosa

Tracks:

Offertorio: Domine Jesu Christe
Offertorio: Hostias
Offertorio: Sanctus
Offertorio: Agnus Dei
Offertorio: Lux aeterna
Libera Me: Libera me, Domine
Libera Me: Dies irae
Libera Me: Libera me, Domine
Nabucco: Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate
Luisa Miller: Quandro le sere al placido
Inno delle nazioni,Hymn of the Nations

Amazon.com

This has long been the standard by which other recordings of Verdi's Requiem are measured. Many others have better sound engineering, you may prefer a soloist or even the chorus (perhaps a later group trained by Robert Shaw) in one competing version or another, and it is quite possible to prefer the period-instrument sound of John Gardiner's taut interpretation. But no other conductor has matched the sheer intensity with which Arturo Toscanini translates the titanic and fearful vision of his friend Verdi into sound. This vision, which includes the end of the world, the dead rising from their graves and the assignment of each one either to heaven or to hell, is the climactic point of Verdi's epic style. The fillers are mostly interesting and inspiring, though Hymn of the Nations, a collage of national anthems, is one of Verdi's creative low points. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Verdi Choral Spectacular Conducted By The Great Toscanini.......2005-11-07

This recording of Verdi choral masterpieces is conducted by Arturo Toscanini in his old age when he was a popular American figure in the NBC radio broadcasts. He still packs a punch and the quality of this recording is terrific. On here are Sacred Pieces for chorus & orchestra and the Te Deum, a fitting prelude to the more large-scale and famous Requiem. The singers are in glorious form and they were popular 50's opera stars - tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, mezzo soprano Fedora Barbieri, baritone Cesare Siepi and soprano Herva Nelli. They make the music sound exceptionally bombastic and lyrical. The anthem-like Va Pensiero from Verdi's opera Nabucco is on here and is sung with sensational musicality. The tenor aria "Quando de sere al placido" is interpreted by Jan Peerce, whose ringing voice is shimmering with bravura but he pulls out all the stops for the Hymn of the Nations, a pastiche of nationalistic songs from the Italian national anthem to "The Star Spangled Banner". For fans of Verdi, this is a must have, especially because Hymn of the Nations is such a rarity.

hair-rising.......2002-02-03

I listened to some of this Verdi requiem and the paint started to peel off of the walls. This is absolutely stunning, to say the least, and no one has ever made it this way the was toscanini has. The man knew Verdi, and was probably the most respected Verdi conductor of his time, making this a classic of the gramophone, and deservedly so. It is fortunate this has been preserved. Cesare siepi is excellent as the bass soloist. fedora barbieri is always nice, and so is di stefano, though he it not the greatest in "ingemisco." the sound here is a bit constricted, preventing true pianissimo, which toscanini was definitely capable of producing. His thrilling fortissimos nearly break the equipment they are so strong. incredible stuff.

Absolutely the best "Requiem" ever.......2000-07-13

Never a favorite of mine on LP - the sound was too thin, harsh and compressed - this performance of Verdi's "Requiem," given to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, speaks volumes for the Toscanini "legend." It is a performance that satisfies both the intellect and the emotions, despite the fact that the "Ingemisco" and the "Offertorio" are conducted faster than I have ever heard them...nothing sounds rushed, the singers are excellent, and the performance has perfect balance and cohesion.

However, I prefer the new 20-bit digital remastering to even this CD issue. To find my review there, enter "Arturo Toscanini" under Classical Music, scroll down the page, and click on "Conducts Verdi/Cherubini - Cho". This new reissue is coupled with Verdi's "Te Deum" and the Cherubini "Requiem," two great works which the maestro also conducts beautifully. This one isn't just an OK performance, it's a must for any collection.

Excellent! Terrific rendition of terrific music.......1998-09-11

I will admit to getting the CD just for the Requiem, of which it is one of the better recordings available, the Lacrymosa being especially good, if not perfect. Also, "Va, pensario" is one of the classic choruses of opera, and is well executed on this CD. With those, and the Te Deum, this CD is a goldmine for Verdi fans.

Perhaps the classic performance of the "Requiem"........1998-09-10

While Herva Nelli gives a more than credible performance, and Siepi demonstrates his potential greatness, this is, clearly, Toscanini's show. The NBC Orchestra is functioning on all cylinders, as is the Maestro. One can clearly hear Toscanini's exhortation(s): "Louder! Louder!" When the listener is aware of the fact that the Conductor was a close aquaintance of Verdi and, therefore, more than a mere casual interpreter of his work, the performance's meaning is enhanced.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Casey Kasem Presents: America's Top Ten - The 60's Folk Years

Music Review: Aladár Rácz: Cimbalom

Katie Jay

City Magic

The Anthology [Import]

Ghetto Revolution [Explicit Lyrics]

It Must Be Him/The Way of Today! [Import]

Isaac Albeniz: Pepita Jimenez

Lang a-Comin'

Groovin' High

newreleasebooks.com Music: 100% Fun

How Dare You [Import]

Music: Alive [CD-single] [Live] [Import]

Entertaining Angels

Together Again! (1963 Reunion with Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson & Gene Krupa)