Gioachino Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle

1. Petite messe solennelle, for soloists, 2 pianos, harmonium & choir
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Herford North West German Philharmonic Chorus , Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie , Paderborn City Music Academy with Grace de la Cruz , Marie Louise Gilles , Hans Gunther Grimm , Hans Dieter Saretzki
Conducted by Werner Andreas Albert

Tracks:

Caccini/Mercurio: Ave Maria
Mascagni: Sancta Maria
Gounod: Ave Maria
Schubert: Ave Maria
Franck: Panis Angelicus
Rossini: Cuius animam
Verdi: Ingemisco
Mozart: Ave verum
Wagner: Der Engel
Handel: Ombra mai fu
Niedermeyer: Pieta signore
Rossini: Dominus Deus
Schubert/Mercurio: Mille Cherubini in coro
Gruber/Mercurio: Silent Night
Wade: Adeste Fideles
Gloria a te, Cristo Ges

Amazon.com

When he was growing up, Andrea Bocelli recalls finding inspiration in a favorite recording of sacred music performed by tenor legend Franco Corelli. Bocelli--who in the meantime has come to inspire millions of fiercely loyal fans himself--returns to the genre as the guiding theme of Sacred Arias, the release of which coincides with the first English-language biography of the singer. These performances are filled with the singer's phenomenally well-known vocal signature: his flair for long, sweetly floating high notes and the gentle sense of cadence he brings to a melody. It's a mistake to compartmentalize Bocelli into a singer of "operatic" versus "popular" styles: in truth his approach is at heart the same. Lack of color and control in his phrasing remains a drawback, but the emotional empathy Bocelli evokes is never in doubt. The arias collected here sample some of the most famous devotional pieces: Schubert's "Ave Maria" and Mozart's transporting "Ave Verum," as well as an arrangement of "Silent Night" in which Bocelli tries out his English. There's also a decidedly odd choice of bedfellows for a program of "sacred" music, such as a song from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder (whose "angel" is the object of an overpoweringly erotic attraction) and Handel's figurative ode to a tree, "Ombra mai fu." Still, Bocelli sings with an unfeigned directness that is sure to expand his already enormous following even further. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music.......2007-01-12

This is my second copy of this CD, I burned the first one out!!
Andrea Bocelli has a very gorgeous voice that is a gift from above. His voice is not affected or braggadoccio but naturally magnificent. I could and do start my day listening to this spiritually uplifting CD almost everyday. It is a wonderful way to get off to a pleasant peaceful start, but also a nice way to come home in the evening if you have a CD player in your car. I highly recommend it to all.

Andrea Bocelli-Sacred Arias.......2006-08-25

Excellent listening. Voice quality and tone is superb. Brings tears to my eyes when I envision listening to this in a church setting.

An "experience" of sacred arias more than "listening" of sacred arias.......2006-04-28

I bought this CD's special edition with DVD, and I am impressed by bocelli's singing in this album. I have heard many voices singing sacred songs, and christmas songs, but very few singers can achieve the "sacred atmosphere" that bocelli devotes when he sings. He may not have a "strong" voice as opera singers, but I think singing these sacred songs, devoting the "sacred atmosphere" to the audience is much more important, the voice actually is just a tool that helps a singer to achieve the result. For real, I have heard some CD by some chorus that perform sacred arias, but they did not move me as much as this CD does, mostly not even close. Personally I like "O come all ye faithful", "silent night", all "ave maria"'s, "domine deus", "cujus animam" the most. When I listen Bocelli's singing I focus on what he tries to devote in singing more than his voice color, because in terms of voice color he surely cant be compared with pavarotti or domingo, so why compares? The way of listening him and listening real opera singers is different man. But the reason I gave only this CD four stars is that I have heard several sacred arias from this album performed by his voice teacher, the legendary tenor Franco Corelli. I tried not to compare both...but I cant, not because Bocelli sings bad, he is already excellent, just Corelli is TOO excellent that cant be described by human language (well I think even Pavarotti is not even close to Franco Corelli, but this is just my opinion). Anyway if you want to "experience" the true beauty of sacred arias, this CD is highly recommended. And this is also a very good sacred aria album for beginning listeners who want to broaden their musical taste to sacred arias.

amazing talent.......2006-03-25

worth the price the songs are breathtaking and talent is indescribable

Perfect arias for the perfect voice.......2006-03-04

These are just terrific. How does Andrea acheive the range he does, and the power he has, without sounding too heavy or too light? His voice sounds like the perfect voice for these perfect arias.

I have noticed one concern with the CD. I have heard several clicks scattered here and there in the songs -- but the CD is clean and I feel confident it is not the machine. Has anyone else noticed this?

Average customer rating:

For historical reference, a must have.
A real rarity
a voice teacher and early music fan
What a beautiful voice!
A new world opened in front of me.

Moreschi - The Last Castrato

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Arias for Farinelli
Moreschi: The Last Castrato (Life & Times)
Farinelli
The World of the Castrati: The History of an Extraordinary Operatic Phenomenon
Farinelli

ASIN: B000000WYS
Release Date: 1993-01-21

Tracks:

Domine salvum fac
Et incarnatus est, Crucifixus
Ideale
Ave verum
Tui sunt coeli
Ave verum
Crucifixus
Crucifixus
Pie jesu
Hostias et preces
Preghiera
Ave Maria
Incipt lamentatio
Laudamus te
Improperia
La cruda mia Nemica
Oremus pro pontifice
Pope Leo XIII

Customer Reviews:

For historical reference, a must have........2007-05-09

If you're looking for the best quality recording, it's not due to the recording technologies of that time; Allessandro Moreschi died in 1922. But, if you want to hear how a castrato could sound like, it's a great recording reference. Sound quality is average; a lot of hiss and clicks. The singer or the singing "seems" average too: a lot of scooping (remember: different times, different singing techniques, different tastes; could be the result of singing in the acoustics of the Sistine Chapel). But, I don't regret my choice because I wanted a recording I could go back to and appreciate the evolution of singing throughout history.

A real rarity.......2007-05-07

Very interesting and rare recordings of the last castrato, even if his voice was at that time already rather exhausted. The most fascinating thing is to hear from living the voice of a Pope of the XIXth Century as Leo XIII was.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-10-03

Professor Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922),made in 1902-3 about 10 recordings all devoted to 19th century religious music. For us today the great question is: how far do Moreschi's records allow us to form any notion of the characteristics of castrato singing in the great periods? To that question there can be no certain answer, but I think that the resemblance must be slight! To begin with Moreschi's technique, far from being impeccable, often sounds shaky; in some passages he fumbles for his notes and wavers almost comically as Florence Foster Jenkins herself. These vocal shortcomings can hardly be ascribed to the singer's advanced age, for in his mid-forties he ought to have been not far past him prime. Ancient though the records are, they are reasonably well-recorded and probably give a fairly accurate impression of Moreschi's tone quality, if not his volume. The voice, unquestionably a soprano, resembles that of neither boy or woman, being stronger than the one and less sauve than the other. And I am totally sure that he is a long way from Farinelli. He is surprising, but never exquisite. The most painful for me to listen to were:'Ave Verum' Mozart- 'Crucifixus' from 'Petite Messe Solenelle' Rossini-and 'Ave Maria' Schubert. My problem with this disc is no doubt the fact that I would not want anyone to think that Moreschi's voice even in his prime was in any way equal to the great castrati singers of the 17th century!!!!

What a beautiful voice!.......2005-08-16

Moreschi's voice is incredibly beautiful. You have to get beyond the fact that this is an old recording and just listen to him hit those high notes without sounding shrill or breaking apart. In the end, this is your only chance to listen to a real castrato, and a good one at that.

A new world opened in front of me........2005-08-16

As a long-time lover of classical music but an amateur in opera I got interested into the opera voices and the castrato voices especially since I read a book about the castratos (Anne Rice: Cry to Heaven).
I was at first slightly shocked about the CD. Spoiled by our standards today I had to get used to the voices and especially to the low quality of the recordings (1902-04). The more I was listening the better I liked it. I started to understand that this long ago poeple were feeling different and therefore singing different. So many more emotions and so much suffering, you can hear it in the music if you can open up to it and, ignore the bad technical part of it.
I don't regret buying this rare recording since it gave me more than just music.
Thanks for saving these recordings and thanks to Amazon for making it possible to buy them.

Average customer rating:

Ever-reigning Queen of Sopranos
Lucia Popp
Lucy: The Reigning Queen of Opera

The Very Best of Lucia Popp

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | 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

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

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

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best of Victoria de los Angeles
Lucia Popp: Opera Arias
Very Best of
Very Best of
Opera Arias

ASIN: B0000AHEAY
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Song To The Moon
Should I Ever Learn
How Confused I Feel
Solveig's Song
Solveig's Cradle Song
Amor Volat Undique
Stetit Puella
In Trutina
Vier Letzte Lieder
Vier Letzte Lieder
Vier Letzte Lieder
Vier Letzte Lieder
Symphony No. 4 In G
Tatiana's Letter Scene

Tracks:

Un Cenno Leggiadretto
Ho Perduto Il Caro Sposo
O Had I Jubel's Lyre
Laudate Dominum
Welche Wonne, Welche Lust
Porgi, Amor
Voi Che Sapete
Giunse Alfin Il Momento...Deh Vieni, Non Tardar
Crudele?...Non Mi Dir
Come Scoglio
Una Donna A Quindici Anni
Der Holle Rache
Ach, Ich Fuhl's
Crucifixus
Die Forelle
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
An Sylvia
Zueignung
Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
Klange Der Heimat

Customer Reviews:

Ever-reigning Queen of Sopranos.......2007-05-28

Listening through these two discs, one thought kept leaping up to mind: will ever there be another soprano as versatile and accomplished as Lucia Popp? Died in 1994 at the early age of 54, the operatic world hadn't really mourned her enough.
People are still lingering on Maria Callas, the 'star' soprano with all her glamour and legendary life could offer.
Real listeners, however, could not give up the memory of Lucia Popp's terrific artistry and almost supernatural voice.
Her Rusalka, her Solveig, her Susanna, Zerlina, Despina in the da Ponte/Mozart trio, her terrific Queen of the Night (unsurpassed by ANY subsequent sopranos up till now), and ALSO her Pamina in the same opera. In any language you ask her to sing, and she excelled. I marvel at the Letter Scene in Eugene Onegin - only if Lucia had the chance to perform the whole opera during her short life! The joy, the expectation, the emotional tribulations, so vividly captured in girlish and pure timbre. No one will ever beat her; not even Fleming and Netrebko.
"Weird and wonderful" - that's what Elisabeth Schwarzkopf said of Lucia Popp's singing. We today would modify it to 'wonderful and unsurpassable'.
This 2-CD set is an absolute must have, even if you have never heard of Lucia Popp before.

Lucia Popp.......2006-01-12

This is a wonderful album showcasing the very best of Lucia Popp (as the title suggests). Her voice was absolutely beautiful. She could sing the slavic languages like no one else. Her version of Dvorak's Song to the Moon is unbeatable. I dare anyone to find a better performance! Also, the song from Die Zauberflute -Ah Ich fuls (sp?) is outstanding. I've yet to hear a better version. Her diction was fantastic and while she wasn't the highest soprano around - she knew what worked for her voice. This is album is a keeper!

Lucy: The Reigning Queen of Opera.......2004-07-12

Lucia Popp is one of the best sopranos to ever grace the operatic/classical voice stage. This CD compilation shows her progression through lyric Handel to lyric and dramatic Mozart (her Der Holle Rache from Magic Flute is unrivaled) to tender art song and operetta literature. The first disc also showcases her adeptness with 20th Century literature as well as the ability to step out of the traditional four languages of opera. Any avid music fan MUST have this CD compilation.

Sacred Arias [Special Edition with Bonus DVD]

Average customer rating:

A spiritual experience

Sacred Arias [Special Edition with Bonus DVD]
Andrea Bocelli , Giulio Caccini , Cesar Franck , Charles Gounod , Franz Xaver Gruber , George Frideric Handel , Jean-Paul Lecot , Eric Levi , Steven Mercurio , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Louis Niedermeyer , Gioachino Rossini , Franz Schubert , Giuseppe Verdi , John Francis Wade , Richard Wagner , Myung-Whun Chung , and Santa Cecilia National Academy Orchestra Rome
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Andrea Bocelli - Amore
Romanza
Sentimento: Andrea Bocelli with Lorin Maazel and the London Symphony Orchestra [Limited Edition w/ Bonus Track]
Andrea Bocelli - The Opera Album ~ Aria
Cieli di Toscana

ASIN: B0000CE9VO
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Sancta Maria
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Panis Angelicus - Norbert Balatsch
Cujus Animam
Ingemisco
Ave Verum Corpus
Der Engel
Frondi Tenere... Ombra Mai Fu
Pieta, Signore - Norbert Balatsch
Domine Deus
Mille Cherubini In Coro - Norbert Balatsch
Silent Night
Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful) - Norbert Balatsch
Gloria A Te, Cristo Gesu (The Hymn Of The Great Jubilee)
Agnus Dei
I Believe

Amazon.com

When he was growing up, Andrea Bocelli recalls finding inspiration in a favorite recording of sacred music performed by tenor legend Franco Corelli. Bocelli--who in the meantime has come to inspire millions of fiercely loyal fans himself--returns to the genre as the guiding theme of Sacred Arias. These performances are filled with the singer's phenomenally well-known vocal signature: his flair for long, sweetly floating high notes and the gentle sense of cadence he brings to a melody. It's a mistake to compartmentalize Bocelli into a singer of "operatic" versus "popular" styles: in truth his approach is at heart the same. Lack of color and control in his phrasing remains a drawback, but the emotional empathy Bocelli evokes is never in doubt. The arias collected here sample some of the most famous devotional pieces: Schubert's "Ave Maria" and Mozart's transporting "Ave Verum," as well as an arrangement of "Silent Night" in which Bocelli tries out his English. There's also a decidedly odd choice of bedfellows for a program of "sacred" music, such as a song from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder (whose "angel" is the object of an overpoweringly erotic attraction) and Handel's figurative ode to a tree, "Ombra mai fu." Still, Bocelli sings with an unfeigned directness that is sure to expand his already enormous following even further. This new special edition includes two bonus tracks on a CD enhanced with a picture gallery as well as a full-length DVD of Bocelli in concert filmed at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. --Thomas May

Album Description

Special Edition includes enhanced CD with bonus tracks and concert DVD.

Customer Reviews:

A spiritual experience.......2003-11-27

The DVD is the full 77 minute concert with two featurettes previously released alone. The CD is the full 72 minute concert previously released alone, except that two bonus tracks have been added. The audio quality of each one is quite good. (If you have a Dolby Digital stereo, then you must go into the setup menu on the DVD to select Dolby Digital sound. The default music track is the stereo 2.0 sound.) The video quality of the DVD is astonishing.

Tracks:

Act II: Amor Ti Vieta
Act II: Che Gelinda Manina
Act III: Salut Demeure Chaste Et Pure
Act III: Di Quella Pira
Act IV: Spirto Gentil, Ne' Sogni Miei (Romanza)
Act III: Solenne In Quest'Ora
Act IV: Mi Batte Il Cor...O Paradiso!
Act I: Un Di All'Azzurro Spazio (Improvviso)
Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
Act I: Questa O Quella
Act IV: La Donna E Mobile
Act III: Ah Si, Ben Mio
Act I: Celeste Aida
Act I: Recondita Armonia
Act III: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Act III: Della Natal Sua Terra Il Padre... O Tu Che In Seno Agl' Angeli
Act II: Magiche Note
Act II: La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee
Act I: Ah, Qual Soave Vision...Bianca Al Par Di Neve
Act II: Cielo E Mar
Act II: Nell'Ore Arcane Della Sua Lussuria... Ora E Per Sempre Addio
Un Ballo In Maschera: Act I: Di' Tu Se Fedele
Act II: Una Furtiva Lagrima

Tracks:

Act III: Je Suis Seul... Ah, Uyez, Douce Image
Act II: Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento? (Sextett)
Act I: O Soave Fanciulla
Act III: Ella Mi Fu Rapita!...Parmi Veder Le Lagrime
Act I: Donna Non Vidi Mai
Cujus Animam
Act II: Oh! Mostruosa Colpa!... Si, Pel Ciel
Act I: Libiamo, Libiamo (Brindisi)
Ingemisco
Act II: Faiblesse De La Race Humaine!... Inspirez-Moi, Race Divine
Act III: Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini!... O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere!
Act IV: O Figli, O Figli Miei... Ah, La Paterna Mano
Act II: Pour Moi Ce Jour Est Tout Mystere
Act I: A Cette Voix Quel Trouble...Je Crois Entendre Encore
Act IV: Bella Figlia Dell'Amore (Quartett) - Giuseppe De Luca
Act II: Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento? (Sextett) - Amelita Galli-Curci
Act I: Frondi Tenere E Belle...Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Act I: Studenti! Udite!
Crucifixus

Customer Reviews:

A nice overview of Caruso's legacy.......2007-01-04

Enrico Caruso was one of the first "media stars," with his recordings selling widely in the early twentieth century; he helped popularize the recording industry. He was one of the leading tenors of his day, and is regarded as one of the tops of the twentieth century (although he began serious singing in the late 19th century).

This CD features some of his "greatest hits," among which are his well reputed version of "Vesti la giubba" (from I Pagliacci, one of his signature operas); arias from Verdi's Rigoletto, including the bold "Questa o quella" and "La donna e mobile"; some of his most popular recordings from Puccini, including "E lucevan le stelle," "Recondita armonia," and "Che gelida manina." Nice additions to the CD are wonderful ensemble pieces, such as the sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor (including the voice of Luisa Tetrazzini) and the quartet from Rigoletto (with Amelita Galli-Curci).

Interesting tidbits include his first recording, from 1902, and his last, from 1920.

All in all, this is a very nice representation of his work. I'm not sure that it compares with the old LP (with him in clown outfit) that includes Rossini's nearly unsingable "La danza," among other items. But it is a terrific introduction to the art of Caruso. Anyone who has not listened to this tenor's works before would be well advised to use this as their entree to his oeuvre.

Unearthly.......2002-12-23

Forget toiling for a BMW, enjoy finer things in life.One of my personal favorites is ''Le pecheurs de perles'', but the offer is overwhelming.

If You Only Buy One Caruso . . ........2001-01-03

let this be it! Wonderful, generous selection of his singles for Victor, most of them solos, but a few duets, quartets, quintets, and a sextet. The accompanying booklet makes a great deal of including his first and last recordings, but by far the most important here is Caruso's 1907 recording of Vesti la giubba, the first classical recording to sell over a million copies in the United States. If you listen to it, you'll know why--it's every bit as melodramatic as the minstrel show singles with which it shared the top of the early twentieth-century charts.

Rossini - Petit Messe Solonnelle ~ Stabat Mater / Pavarotti, Freni, Lohrenger, Minton, Valentini-Terrani, LSO, Gandolfi, Kertesz

Average customer rating:

Petit Messe:lovely piece,uneven performance
Disappointing
The best performance of this enchanting mass

Rossini - Petit Messe Solonnelle ~ Stabat Mater / Pavarotti, Freni, Lohrenger, Minton, Valentini-Terrani, LSO, Gandolfi, Kertesz
Gioachino Rossini , London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra , Romano Gandolfi , Istvan Kertesz , Mirella Freni , Lucia Valentini-Terrani , Luciano Pavarotti , Ruggero Raimondi , Pilar Lorengar , Yvonne Minton , Hans Sotin , Leone Magiera , Vittorio Rosetta , and Coro Polifonico del Teatro alla Scala di Milano
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Rossini - Stabat Mater / Orgonasova, Bartoli, Giménez, Scandiuzzi, Wiener Phil., Chung
Rossini: Ciro in Babilonia
Puccini: Tosca (1953) with Callas, di Stefano, Gobbi, cond. by de Sabata
Rossini: Stabat Mater; Petite Messe Solennelle
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B0000041MB
Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Kyrie eleison
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Gloria in excelsis Deo
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Gratias agimus tibi
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Domine Deus
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Qui tollis peccata mundi
Petite Messe Solennelle: Quoniam tu solus Sanctus
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Cum Sancto Spiritu
Petite Messe Solennelle: Credo in unum Deum
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Crucifixus etiam pro nobis
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Et resurrexit
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Preludio religioso
Petite Messe Solennelle (Beginning): Sanctus

Tracks:

Petite Messe solennelle (conclusion): O salutaris hostia
Petite Messe solennelle (conclusion): Agnus Dei
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater: Cuius animam
Stabat Mater: Quis est homo
Stabat Mater: Pro peccatis
Stabat Mater: Eia, Mater
Stabat Mater: Sancta Mater
Stabat Mater: Fac ut portem
Stabat Mater: Inflammatus et accensus
Stabat Mater: Quando corpus
Stabat Mater: Amen, in sempiterna

Customer Reviews:

Petit Messe:lovely piece,uneven performance.......2004-06-29

The gorgeous Kyrie from the Peit Messe Solonnelle has recently been used to good effect in the film 'Bad Education' prompting me to get to know the piece better and purchase this recording.The whole work is a delight,much lighter in tone and broader in length than the title would suggest.However,i suspect this is not the recording to have(i'm going to try Muti/EMI)as the soloists(a glamorous team)are unfocused and intonation a particular problem.There's a surprisngly tentative feeling about the whole performance.The piano part(a few splashy moments here) is normally taken on 2 pianos but here they make do with 1.....seems a shame to me.
Stabat Mater receives an authorative account,another very approachable work which i shall enjoy getting to know better.

Disappointing.......2003-05-05

First of all, the composition itself (Petite Messe Solennelle) may not be for everyone. There are some fine moments, but I find many of the choral movements to be sprawling and unfocused. The martial-sounding tenor aria is a little goofy and operatic for it's sacred text, but if you really like Rossini, you might get some guilty pleasure out of it. The soloists are uneven (I find the bass and mezzo to be especially disappointing). In general, there are some terrifying intonation moments, especially during the treacherous (a cappella) Sanctus. Wish I could recommend a better recording, but this is my first acquaintence with the piece. All things considered, I plan on dumping my copy. I haven't even listened to the Stabat Mater, which of course is much more widely recorded work.

The best performance of this enchanting mass.......2000-06-14

Rossini's last major work, the petite messe solennelle, is in the tradition of haydn's last six masterful masses in the geniality and at many times happiness of the music. The version recorded here is the first version as soloists and chor are accompanied by piano and harmonium. The first version is genarally regarded as superior to the second one which Rossini orchestrated himself and asked not to perform it during his lifetime. Gandolfi is helped by four excellent italian soloists to convey the joy and power of the music. While the coupling of the spectacular stabat mater is very generous, some may want to purchase the stabat mater separately conducted by Hickox on Chandos.

Average customer rating:

Caruso 2000 - The world's greatest Tenor ever...
Simply Disgraceful
a wonderful effort
Exellent!
A Great Effort

Caruso 2000

Manufacturer: RCA
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

Masses | 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
Similar Items:

Italian Songs: The Digital Recordings
Amor ti vieta: Great Opera Arias
The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
Artists Of The Century - Caruso, The Greatest Tenor In The World
Great Caruso

ASIN: B000031WTO
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile
Aida: Se Quel Quel Guerrier Io Fossi... Celeste Aida
Macbeth: O Figli, O Figli Miei... Ah, La Paterna Mano
Il Trovatore: Ah, Si Ben Mio
Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira
Un Ballo in Maschera: Forse La Soglia Attinse
La Juive: Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur
L'Africaine: Mi Batte Il Cor... O Paradiso!
Manon: Je Suis Seul... Ah, Fuuyez, Douce Image
Le Cid: Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini!
Martha: M'Appari Tutt' Amor
La Gioconda: Cielo E Mar
I Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
TOSCA: Recondita Armonia
Petite Messe solennelle: Domine Deus
La Danza: Taratella Neopolitana
I Pagliacci: Comparison Track - Orig. Version: Recitar... Vesti La giubba

Amazon.com

The idea behind Caruso 2000 is actually not new. In the early '30s, RCA rerecorded some of the legendary tenor's acoustic recordings with newly added orchestral accompaniments, to rather crude results. With today's computer know-how, one can carry out this concept with infinitely more finesse and musicality, as the present release proves. What we have are some of Caruso's most famous and memorable sides, with the voice's overtones pretty much intact, minus the shellac surface noise. Likewise, the blatty orchestras are virtually rubbed out, replaced here in new performances by the Vienna Radio Symphony. It's amazing how accurately conductor Gottfried Rabl pinpoints accompaniments around Caruso's very personalized rubatos. In fact, Rabl sometimes anticipates the singer's special effects rather than reacts to them. The basic problem is that you don't get a tangible sense of Caruso's projection. Compare, for instance, the 1907 "Vesti la Giubba" from I Pagliacci (track 17) to its reconstituted counterpart (track 13). The unadulterated recording reveals the voice in proportion to the blatty orchestra in a finite space, with no dial twiddling or body miking to beef things up. In the new version, voice and orchestra are miraculously matched, yet don't blend. A vocalist will normally adjust his or her voice to the environment, but singers can't do such things when they're dead. Still, a release like this will surely instigate Caruso awareness among budding opera fans, just as Ted Turner's colorized films make classic movies palatable to viewers allergic to black and white. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Caruso 2000 - The world's greatest Tenor ever..........2007-01-11

Tenor Enrico Caruso - who died in 1921 - in the year 2000?!? YES, if you like Caruso or if you just like opera and would like to hear Caruso, this is a good starter. It is Caruso's voice with a new recorded orchestra. Almost 100 years between!
I find this CD VERY entertaining. For Caruso specialists this might be of lesser interest, because it is so different from the originals - being the scratchy old 78s recorded acoustically.

Use this CD as you would use any other music CD, listen and enjoy. I have to rate this as a 5 star release.

I love it!
René

Simply Disgraceful.......2005-04-12

What they have done to Caruso's voice for the sake of fitting his voice to the modern orchestration is simply disgraceful and offensive. The producers of this CD clearly must have assumed that anyone listening to it, would not have heard the original recordings on '78. But I have--all of arias compiled on the CD. And the Caruso voice is so distorted in most of the arias that it is almost unrecognizable. It is as though the producers sped up or slowed down the tempos of the Caruso original recordings to best fit the orchestration. If you want to hear Caruso's voice as it really sounded, don't buy this CD. Stick to the original '78's.

a wonderful effort.......2002-11-24

After reading the lastest negative reviews of this cd. I am compelled to answer the critique. Ok the cd is not perfect. But we are talking about recordings almost a century old. To be able to sit and listen to Caruso without annoyance is marvelous. The reviewer starts his dialogue by saying the Caruso's voice is over rated and this is where he is coming from. I have heard and seen the best and they are all compared to Caruso.

Exellent!.......2002-08-01

This Enrico Caruso CD sounds great! His voice has been remastered, to sound richer and clearer, more like himself. The music on the CD is just wonderful. There is no noise, or static-sound on the CD like the origional recordings. This is just one of the best Enrico Caruso CD's as far as sound, and the songs are favorites.

A Great Effort.......2002-06-24

This Caruso 2000 CD is a great effort to show us what The Great Caruso actually sounded like. Unfortunately no modern creations can really fix the old recordings and give us what He really sounded like; BUT, if you suspend your disbelief, just a little bit, this is not bad at all; and in fact is quit good. All the pops and static in the orgnakl recording is completely gone, its very clean in that regard, the vocals still sound like they were recorded mono, but with this clearer recording you can get glimpses of how great Caruso was. For example on Vesti la Giubba Caruso's vocal power is fantastic; as well as on just about every other selections hear (Great choice of song's). I give this CD a 5 for effort, and for being the best Caruso collection I have ever heard. I only wish we could go back in time with Digital recording equipment and record Caruso, then we would all know if he really was the greatest or not. But, I will tell you this, even with the mono sounding vocals hear, if he was not the best, he sure was one of them, the power and emotion are still evident even without being recorded by modern technology.

Average customer rating:

The Best of Rossini
this is a magnificent recording for the price

The Best of Rossini

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Callas, Maria | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Verdi - Nabucco / Cappuccilli, Domingo, Dimitrova, Nesterenko, Valentini-Terrani, Deutschen Oper Berlin, Sinopoli
Strauss: The Best of Vienna
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (complete operas) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
The Most Famous Opera Arias

ASIN: B000002SC0
Release Date: 1992-04-14

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Overture
The Barber Of Seville: Largo al factotum (Figaro, Act I)
The Barber Of Seville: Una voce poco fa (Rosina, Act 1)
The Barber Of Seville: La calunnia (Basilio, Act I)
La Cenerentola: Overture
La Cenerentola: Nacqui all'affanno...non piu mesta (Angelina, Act II)
The Thieving Magpie: Overture
The Thieving Magpie: Di piacer mi balza il cor (Ninetta, Act I)
Semiramide: Overture
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier (Semiramide, Act I)

Tracks:

William Tell: Overture
William Tell: Ils s'eloignent enfin...Sombre foret (Mathilde, Act II)
William Tell: Pas de six (Act I)
William Tell: Ne m'abandonne pas, espoir de la vengeance.. Asile hereditaire (Arnold, Act IV)
The Silken Ladder: Overture
Petite Messe solennelle: Domine Deus
Stabat Mater: Inflammatus et accensus
Peches de vieillesse: La Passeggiata
Peches de vieillesse: Un petit Train de plaisir
Peches de vieillesse: La Chanson du bebe
Peches de vieillesse: Toast pour le nouvel an
Peches de vieillesse: Duetto buffo di due gatti
Peches de vieillesse: La Danza

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Rossini.......2000-04-03

This album contains the overtures and the highlights of his main operas. "Sins of old age" is the favorite part, especially "the Cat's Duet".

this is a magnificent recording for the price.......1999-09-11

this is a great recordin

Average customer rating:

An excellent compilation of beautiful choral music
Good disc

Unforgettable Sacred Classics

Manufacturer: Classics for Pleasur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000J84H
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Canata No. 147: Jesus bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring)
Messiah: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Cantata No.140 (Sleepers, Wake!): Zion hort die Wachter singen
Stabat Mater: Cujus animam
Solemn Vespers: Laudate Dominium
harm. Bach O sacred head, sore wounded (English Hymnal 102)
Panis angelicus
The Creation: The Heavens Are Telling
Elijah: O rest in the lord
Ave verum corpus
Petite Messe solennelle: Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Othello: Ave Maria
Ave verum corpus, Op. 2 No. 1
Requiem: Ingemisco
St. Cecilia Mass: Sanctus
Requiem in D Minor: Lacrimosa
Requiem Op. 48: Pie Jesu
Messiah: For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Customer Reviews:

An excellent compilation of beautiful choral music.......2006-12-01

This is a really good album as a taster for choral music for those who perhaps are new to the genre.

I will readily admit that I am no classical music expert and so was a little unsure what to choose. I was particularly aiming for an album with Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" on it - a piece that I love - and had already picked up two albums where the soprano on the song was far too warbly. "Sacred", however, seems to have chosen the less warbly/operatic and perhaps purer-sounding singers and it has worked really well for me.

Yes, it's got most of the 'famous' songs that one would expect - "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" by Handel, the Mozart, Franck's Panis Angelicus and other well-known songs (including the Lloyd's Bank advert song "Zion hört die Wächter singen" by J S Bach) - and there are no great surprises in terms of the way the songs are performed but it's not an album aiming to be different. It's a compilation pure and simple - no two singers are the same, there are choirboys and female and male soloists and others - and is a very good way to get hold of some enjoyable music by different composers to give you an idea where to look if you want to delve further into this genre of music.

Good disc.......2003-03-20

Nice to chill out to, and I've even fallen asleep to it a few times!

Average customer rating:

Redisovering a great Schubert singer
A brilliant retrospective

The Very Best of Brigitte Fassbaender

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Very Best of Hildegard Behrens
The Very Best of Régine Crespin
The Very Best of Kirsten Flagstad
Schubert: Winterreise
Frida Leider: A Vocal Portrait

ASIN: B0006VYEL4
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Laudamus Te
Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram Patris
Agnus Dei
Von Den Stricken Meiner Sunden
Es Ist Vollbracht!
Doch Wer Wird Ertagen Den Tag (But Who May Abide)
O Du, Der Wonne Verkundet In Zion (O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion)
Er Ward Verschmahet (He Was Despised)
Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi - Lucia Popp
Una Voce Poco Fa
Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
Suicidio!
Ach, Ich Habe Sie Verloren (Che Faro Senza Eurdice?)
Verhangnisvoll War Das Geschenkn (O Don Fatale)

Tracks:

Der Musensohn D764
Gretchen Am Spinnrade D118
An Sylvia D891
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen D774
Fruhlingsglaube D686
Die Sterne D939
Der Einsame D800
An Die Musik D547
Gute Nacht
Die Wetterfahne
Der Linderbaum
Fruhlingstraum
Einsamkeit
Die Post
Mut
Die Nebensonnen
Der Leiermann
Jagerin, Schlau Im Sinn - Hermann Prey
Ja, Was Nun? - Hermann Prey
Ich Lade Gern Mir Gaste Ein
Heinerle, Heinerle, Hab' Kein Geld
Voruber Ist Die Feier
Im Labyrinth Der Freundlichen Hallen (Au Cabaret Du Labyrinthe)
Venus Mit Heissen Liebesflammen (Venus Au Fond De Notre Ame)

Customer Reviews:

Redisovering a great Schubert singer.......2007-02-22

The first CD in this two-fer is mostly Bach and Handel, the second CD mostly Schubert (17 lieder). Fassbaender was eminent in both areas, as well as on the oepra stage, but as she grew older she concentrated entirely on liedersinging. She was never as famous as Christa Ludwig, the other Austro-German mezzo of greatness at the time. Their voices are in stark contrast: Ludwig was soft, warm, and smiling (she had a hard time being convincingly tragic), while Fassbaender's was plaintive, sharply focused, and rarely smiling. There's a peculiar glint in her timbre that's almost metallic.

Leaving tone aside, she has great intelligence and acuity in lieder. Her Schubert isn't soft and gentle but dramatic and incisive. Eight lieder here are miscellaneous 'great hits' with Erik Werbe, the other nine are from Winterreise with Fassbaender's long-time accompanist Aribert Reimann, who's playing fits her style more closely. All these readings are intense, and although female versions of Winterreise are rare (Ludwig has a fine autumnal one with James Levine at the piano on DG), Fassbaender is thrilling and her voice suitably dark and tragic. I'd rate this her finest Schubert on disc, recor4ded early enough that she hadn't become overly intense and hectoring, which happens on some of her late recordings. Highly recommended.

A brilliant retrospective.......2005-12-19

Here we have a mezzo who was equally brilliant in the florid and dramatic style and who also sang Kunstlieder. Her recordings of Sacred Works might not be as famous as Ferrier's or Baker's but that doesn't mean she isn't as amazing. Her Eboli, Carmen, Charlotte, Rosina and many others are gems among the more famous recordings of her rivals. Her Charlotte is more stylistic and French than Obraszowa's, her Carmen has more esprit than Larmore's and so forth. Her interpretations of "Die Post" and other Lieder are little gems. Buy this album and discover a brilliant mezzo who is sadly underrated nowadays.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Percy [Import]

Schubert: Music for Piano Trio, Vol. 2

The Patsy Cline Story

Music: Snoopy's Classiks on Toys: Nutcracker

Straitjacket Fits [Import]

The Red, White and Black

The Heart of Me

Schubert: Konzertstück: Polonaise; Rondo; etc.

Tags of the Times [Import]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5

Killa Season