Prima Diva

1. Il barbière di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera Act I~Una Voce Poco Fa
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Maria Callas
Conducted by Alceo Galliera

2. Norma, opera Act I~Casta Diva
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus with Maria Callas
Conducted by Tullio Serafin

3. Frühling ("In dämmrigen Grüften träumte ich lang"), song for voice & orchestra, AV 150/1 Fruhling
Composed by Richard Strauss
Performed by Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Conducted by George Szell

4. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta Act II~Nun Lasst Uns Aber Wie Daheim...Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
Composed by Franz Lehar
Performed by Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Conducted by Lovro von Matacic

5. Songs of the Auvergne for voice & orchestra, Series 1, No 2, "Baïlèro"
Composed by Joseph Marie Canteloube
Performed by Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra with Victoria de Los Angeles
Conducted by Jean-Pierre Jacquillat

6. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera Act II~Un Bel Di Vedremo
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Rome Opera Theater Orchestra with Victoria de Los Angeles
Conducted by Gabriele Santini

7. Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527 Act II~Troppo Mi Spiace...Non Mi Dir
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by London Philharmonia Orchestra with Joan Sutherland
Conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini

8. La forza del destino, opera Act IV~Pace, Pace, Mio Dio
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Montserrat Caballe
Conducted by Anton Guadagno

9. Gianni Schicchi, opera O Mio Babbino Caro
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra with Montserrat Caballe
Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras

10. Adriana Lecouvreur, opera Act I~Ecco: Respiro Appena...Lo Son L'umile Ancella
Composed by Francesco Cilea
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra with Kiri Te Kanawa
Conducted by Myung-Whun Chung

11. Summertime, song (from Porgy and Bess, opera)
Composed by George Gershwin
Performed by New Princess Theatre Orchestra , New York Choral Artists with Kiri Te Kanawa
Conducted by John McGlinn

12. Requiem for soloists, chorus & orchestra Pie Jesu
Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Performed by Swedish Radio Orchestra with Barbara Hendricks , Ola Samnegard
Conducted by Eric Ericson

13. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Act II~Ach, Ich Fuhl's
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
with English Chamber Orchestra , Barbara Hendricks
Conducted by Jeffrey Tate

14. La Belle Hélène, operetta Act II~On Me Nomme Helene La Blonde...Dis-Moi, Venus
Composed by Jacques Offenbach
Performed by Toulouse Orchestra with Jessye Norman
Conducted by Michel Plasson

15. Alcina, opera, HWV 34 Act I~Tornami A Vagheggiar
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Kathleen Battle
Conducted by Neville Marriner

16. Così fan tutte, opera, K. 588 Act I~In Uomini, In Soldati
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Riccardo Muti

17. Csárdás ("Klänge der Heimat"), for voice & orchestra (RV 503-6)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden Conducted by John Barker

Tracks:

La Gioconda: Suicidio
Otello: The Willow Song
Otello: Ave Maria
Aida: Qui Radames Vera!...O Patria Mia
Aida: Pur Ti Riveggo - Rosa Ponselle/Giovanni Martinelli
Ernani: Surta E La Notte...Ernani, Involami
La Vestale: Tu Che Invoco
La Vestale: O Nume Tutelar
La Forza Del Destino: Alzatevi...La Vergine Degli Angeli - Rosa Ponselle/Ezio Pinza
Norma: Sediziose Voci...Casta Diva
Norma: Mira, O Norma
Carme
Maria, Mari!
On Wings Of Dream
The Nightingale And The Rose
A Perfect Day

Customer Reviews:

Rosa Ponselle Prima Voce.......2006-03-18

These are old recordings, but great from the standpoint that it is the only way we can hear an almost faithful representation of her great voice.

It is a very fine selection of opera arias.

Albert C. Ruocchio

Avatar or envoy of gods.......2006-02-14

Nasal ringing sound, like one of Caruso, Bechi but better. Frequent intrusions into men's repertoire ('Song of Indian merchant', 'In questa tomba oscura', 'Tre giorni son che Nina', 'Der Tod und das Madchen', etc).
Best singer, best voice.
Early retirement because of higher nasal impedance.

The most ravishing soprano voice. Ever........2005-08-23

Many would argue that this was the most beautiful soprano voice ever - or at least ever recorded. And it's a strong argument. Such richness, such depth, such warmth, such glorious freedom, such security - who else, before or since, can match them. Destinn? A bit blousy. Boninsegna? The voice changes through the passagio. Rethberg? Close, but no cigar. Tebaldi? A bit shrill by comparison. Callas? Dramatic, yes, but beautiful, I don't think so. Gheorgiu? Good by today's standards, but no contest.

No, this thick double-cream stream of tone is something to relish, to sit back and just enjoy. Try her 'Casta Diva' or 'Un bel di' to see how it feels when you approach every high note with joyous anticipation and not with the prospect of a wince (cf. Callas). The Nile aria from Aida is as near perfection as we have any right to expect this side of Opera Heaven - a wondrous piano high C. And on these discs you will also find one of my all-time favourite records - La Vergine degli Angeli from La Forza del Destino where you get, not only Ponselle's wondrous soprano at the top, but also her bass equivalent, Ezio Pinza, below. Two wonderful voices for the price of one.

The Nimbus sound, achieved by recording what actually emerges from the record into a room rather than directly off the shellac, is not to everyone's taste. But it is to mine. It allows the singer's voice to develop and bloom and sound, to my ears, very natural.

The richest, most beautiful voice in history!.......2004-02-10

More beautiful than Caballe and Sutherland combined! A voice like a gleaming red ruby, the greatest lirico spinto of the century. Her Verdi-recordings have found their equals only in Callas' insightful performances but she did not quite possess the creamy, gleaming luxury timbre that Ponselle had. Being reported as one of the biggest voice in history (On occasions she drowned out Titta Ruffo!!!!) she will dazzle you like only Callas could afterwards. She debuted as Leonora in Forza in her teens (I think she was 18) with Caruso as Don Alvaro and made operatic history. Her Gioconda was as legendary as her Giulia (Vestale), repertoire only to be sung by Callas to the same perfection. Her brilliant Aida puts most others to shame, as do both of her Leonoras. Two complete opera-recordings with her exist: La Traviata and Carmen. Get them both and be charmed by the most gorgeous voice in history!

Callas was correct..........2002-11-19

When I read that Maria Callas credited Rosa Ponselle as her vocal idol and only inspiration, the first thought I had was that if a soprano as great as Callas said this, is because it should be true. When I bought this CD I proved the affirmation was correct: you only have to hear Rosa Ponselle's voice and verify that she is one the best sopranos of the century, and why her voice was the inspiration of many Callas's roles, including Norma, La Gioconda and La vestale. The sound quality of this CD is incredible if we consider that the recordings dates from the 1920's

Average customer rating:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!
Sutherland is Amazing
A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted
Canary in the silver mine
Bel Canto from an angelic voice

The Art of the Prima Donna

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland - The Greatest Hits
The Art of Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
Very Best of

ASIN: B00004XQ8G
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voci ... Casta diva ... Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme ... Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne ... Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella ... Piangea cantando
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E' strano ... Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde ... Caro nome

Amazon.com

In February 1959, an unknown (well, comparatively) Australian singer appeared at Covent Garden in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor and took the world by storm. The following year, Joan Sutherland went into the studio to record this reissued tribute to prima donnas of previous generations, illustrating along the way the bel canto tradition of which she was to become a leading exponent. The 16 excerpts on this digitally remastered double CD include several roles she had already sung or was on the verge of singing, from Gilda in Rigoletto, which she had sung at Covent Garden before her Lucia debut, to Norma. What a performance! The voice is fresh, remarkable in its beauty, and she makes it all sound so effortless, tossing off Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim" or the Jewel aria from Gounod's Faust as if they're the easiest things in the world. This sparkling selection of glorious singing demonstrates just why Sutherland was to remain at the top of her profession for the next 30 years and join those to whom she here pays tribute as one of the great singers of all time. --Richard Fawkes

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!.......2007-01-05

I originally bought "The Art of the Prima Donna" in 1963, when I was just a kid, after seeing Dame Joan's debut in "Norma" with the Vancouver Opera in October of that year, and I was completely bowled over by both her live performances and her recording. She made me an opera fan for life. I've worn out and replaced that miraculous recording since then, and now have a third version on CD.

I completely disagree with those who believe that Sutherland lost the gleam on her voice after 1961. It's true that she suffered for several years with intermittently poor diction and rhythmic lapses, but these were due to terrible medical problems and the results of serious operations that were required to restore her health. Later she recovered most of her vocal lustre and all of her enthusiasm for performing, and her diction steadily improved. Her fabulous technique remained intact until her retirement in 1990.

No singers sound as fresh at 50 as they do at 30. Just listen to how Callas sounded in her later years, when her voice had almost completely deteriorated, and her career was far shorter than Sutherland's. The fact is that Sutherland sang in public for forty years, without amplification and often in barnlike theatres, and yet she still sounded formidable when she retired. Just listen to her performance of the final aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" on YouTube. I heard her debut in that role, again in Vancouver, shortly before that Covent Garden performance, and can attest that she was still in fabulous voice at the age of 53 and her coloratura remained spectacular.

What "The Art of the Prima Donna" gives us is the memory of an unparalleled vocal phenomenon in her glorious youth, before her physical disabilities briefly interrupted her career. No singer since has created a recording that exhibits anything like the range, vocal beauty and versatility that Sutherland displayed on this historic recording--not Callas, nor Caballe, nor Sills, nor any of their recent imitators. The title of this recording was not an exaggeration. This is singing that truly revived "The Age of Bel Canto," to quote the title of another Sutherland recording. "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Sutherland's earlier recordings, if you can get them, constitute an invaluable legacy from an artist who truly restored the golden age of singing.

Sutherland is Amazing.......2006-06-29

The first thing I ever heard by Sutherland was the Bel Raggio and I was floored. The voice sounded huge but I wondered if it was a technicians trick. I heard her on stage many times. Recordings do NO JUSTICE to the hugeness of the voice. Her diction was weak and her line sometimes droopy but the warm, huge, fexible voice was amazing. I don't think she or anyone else was the Voice or Singer of the century- no voice or singer could sing every role in the repetoire. Sutherland could no more sing Brunnhilde than Flagstad could sing Lucia.

In her repertoire, JS was one of the greatest voices with an incredible technique and style that ever made recordings. This is a great CD - but some others which were issued on vinyl but to my knowledge not on CD help round out the Sutherland greatnes, viz., Command Performance, The Age of Bel Canto and the French Opera Album. She did a 2 disc set called "A Festival of Baroque Operas- There is an aria called "Barbaro, Barbaro" which is mind boggling for the speed and clarity of its coloratura. Even in 1977 at 51 yrs old her video performance of Lucrezia Borgia is amazing - it is one of the greatest performances she ever did- exciting, tender and again with that huge voice and flexibility. The last scene is amazing.

Flawless-NO Unique-WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!

A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted.......2005-10-08

There is not much to add to the encomiums of previous reviews. This is one of the most astounding vocal recitals, if not THE most astounding, ever recorded. It caught one of history's greatest singers in her absolute prime, before the well-known defects - mushy diction, cloudy tone, sliding into notes, enervated rhythmic sense - began to compromise her singing. (Well, ok, the diction here is not crystal clear, but mostly quite acceptable and MUCH better than it later became.)

One wonders if any other soprano in history ever sang so fast, so high and so loud while always preserving such a full, golden, round sound. Sutherland was a genuine vocal phenomenon, and even those who don't generally care for her singing surely must find their jaws on the floor repeatedly during this recital. Every selection has something treasurable. My personal favorites: "A soldier tir'd," "Bel raggio lusinghier," "Qui la voce," "Come per me sereno," the "Hamlet" Mad Scene, the Bell Song, and "O beau pays."

The remastering is superb, enabling us to hear Sutherland's voice in all its pristine glory. The engineers have even managed to mitigate the rumble of Underground trains (the Picadilly Line?) that were a perpetual problem in Kingsway Hall, although I was glad to hear that the loud yell in the distance one hears during the "Croce e delizia" section of "Ah, fors'e lui" is still there; by now it is an old friend, and I would miss it.

Canary in the silver mine .......2005-09-20

This is a good compilation, and Sutherland was captured at the right time, before she went completely mushy dictionwise and lost her vocal sheen. The remastered sound is very good, too, spectacular for a recording from the 1960s.
However, after digesting this CD for several weeks, I still have a mixed response to all these Stupendous vocalistics.
The beginning is the main sour note- Arne is tired, with often imprecise, behind the beat coloratura, quite unlike the rest of Sutherland's output, and Let the Bright Seraphim is unbelievably leaden- the orchestra in particular sounds awful, and clunky. I can't comment on ornamentation here because I didn't detect any. This is a poor man's Seraphim, only impressive if you never heard any other versions, and Sutherland's voice is wasted in this piece.
This CD really picks up with Casta Diva, a dazzling showcase for Sutherland's voice. I was very impressed with Sutherland's performance as Norma in this recording- what happened to her in later years, when her "acting" was limited to, as she herself described it, wearing a "generally pained expression" and singing without much color or feeling?
Pieces from I Puritani are great, then we get excellent Rossini, wonderful Jewel Song, and then sparkling Juliet and very effective, beautiful and dramatically involved Desdemona.
And then- another fly in the ointment, Marten Aller Arten. This is one of my favourite arias and I can be very unforgiving when it comes to its performance, plus I like Konstanze to be really angry and wired, which is sort of opposite of what Joan does. This is a pretty, chirpy Marten, and she works hard on her German- way too hard actually, she seems to be slowing down trying to pronounce it, and still "Ich verlache" and "mich" turn into "Ich ve-ayee" and "meeeh", plus she does not sound as secure on top as I would expect, with a metallic high C. She picks up at the very end, putting some feeling into the sound, then topples again... This is a hit and miss one.
Fortunately the rest of the CD is filled with sparklers more in Sutherland's vein. Violetta is really great, with a fantastic high E, Ophelia is nice, Lakme is vocally one of the best I have ever heard, the dull Meyerbeer aria is made interesting and shimmery- that fabulous trill is finally put to work after many tracks of underuse- and then it all ends with a most charming Gilda.
It's not the greatest vocal performance ever put on vinyl/plastic/megabites, but overall, a good, historical set to add to your collection of opera recitals and soprano specials.

Bel Canto from an angelic voice.......2005-04-19

There are only a few soprano-recitals that are absolutely essential and must be in every opera collector's collection. The art of the primadonna, does it qualify? Oh yes indeed and here's why. Joan Sutherland had one of the most brilliant and beautiful voices in recorded history, combine that with an excellent technique, high notes that sparkle like stars and coloratura of angelic quality and you get what Joan Sutherland was in 1961. To describe only a few favourites:

2. Samson, oratorio, HWV 57 Let the bright Seraphim
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Joan Sutherland

A sparkling and intense interpretation of this well known yet hardly ever magnificently performed piece. Lucid, beautiful and technically impeccable.

3. Norma, opera Sediziose voci... Casta diva... Ah! bello
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Joan Sutherland

Surely her best studio-recording of this killer-aria. She is one of the few Normas who masters the recitativo without cracking or sounding strained, yet full of authority and intelligent drama. The Casta Diva itself is fluent, the make-or-break coloratura wonderfully executed. As for the cabaletta, not since young Callas in 1949 have I heard this piece sung so beautifully! Amazing high notes crown a cabaletta that broke more than one famous Norma before.

6. I Puritani, opera O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

A Bellinian madscene at its finest. Once again only Callas in 1949 can be compared to this wonder of a recording. Callas too found darker colours and more intensity. (Dolore e passione as described in the score) Sutherland may lack these but she sings it with her own sense for drama which is uniquely sublime.

10. Otello, opera Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangea cantando
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

An interesting and excellent choice. There are pictures of Joan Sutherland as Desdemona and what a pity that no complete recording of her performances survived. I find her Desdemona to be far more convincing than Tebaldi because she sounds more fragile and elegant, plus she has that silvery tone of innocence that I don't hear in Tebaldi's golden, sensual voice. Excellent in the floating lines, beautiful and tender in the cantabile.

16. Rigoletto, opera Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

This can be compared to Maria Callas' live-performance of this piece and, being in excellent sound, might be preferred. (Callas was excellent in the studio as well, yet in 1955 she was less daring and defying) Stunningly intense in the cantabile and brilliant in the coloratura-passages. Far better than her famous performance with Pavarotti where she had lost the youthful, silvery sound that made her earlier Gilda so loveable.

I do not adore her as much in French opera and La Traviata or anything German but that doesn't mean that her singing was anything but amazing, just a personal preference. In short: Buy it and discover why Joan Sutherland is indeed La Stupenda!

Average customer rating:

Just the best of the best.

Maria Callas Live

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000AMUU9E
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Casta Diva...Fino Al Rito...Ah! Bello A Me Ritorna
Oh, Rimembranza!...Ah Si, Fa Core
Perfido! Or Basti!
Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi!...Si, Fino All'ore Estreme
In Mia Man Alfin Tu Sei
Deh! Non Volerli Vittime
Sorgete; E In Me Dover...Quando A Un Tratto - Various Artists
Ah! Lo Sento
Cedo Al Destin Orribile
Oh! S'io Potessi Dissipar Le Nubi...Col Sorriso D'innocenza..Oh, Sole! Ti Vela Di Tenebra Fonda

Tracks:

Care Compagne...Come Per Me Sereno...Sovra Il Sen
Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
D'Un Pensiero E D'un Accento...Non Piu Nozze - Various Artists
Ah! Non Credea Mirarti
Ah! Non Giunge
Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
Qui Di Sposa...Verranno A Te
Soffriva Nel Pianto...Tu Che Vedi Il Pianto Mio
Chi Mi Frena - Various Artists
Il Dolce Suono...Ardon Gli Incensi...Spargi D'amaro Pianto - Various Artists

Tracks:

Dei Tuo figli...O Fatal Vello D'or
Creonte A Me Solo
E Che? Io Son Medea!
Come, Innocente Giovane...Non V'ha Sguardo
Io Sentii Sulla Mia Mano - Various Artists
Ove Sono?...In Quegli Sguardi Impresso...Ah! Segnata E La Mia Sorte - Various Artists
Va, Infelice
Fin Dall'eta Piu Tenera...Salira D'Inghilterra Sul Trono
Piangete Voi?...Al Dolce Guidami...Qual Mesto Suon?...Coppia Iniqua - Various Artists

Tracks:

Di Mio Padre...Deh! Pelopea Stirpe!...O Tu, Che In Tua Pieta Crudel
Sommi Dei!...O Sventurata Ifigenia
Il Voto Pago Andra...Io Ti Veggio
Ah! L'esecrando Rito...Io T'imploro Anelante
Di Quai Soavi Lagrime
Omai Da Lunge...Perche Di Stolto Giubilo
Donna...Che! Possente Numi!...Quest'alma E Troppo Debole
Ah! Fuggi Da Morte
Ecco Il Segnal!
Ecco L'orrido Campo...Ma Dall'arido Stela Divulsa
Teco Io Sto...O Qual Soave Brivido
A Tal Colpo...Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia

Tracks:

Libiamo, Ne' Lieti Calici
E Strano! E Strano...Ah! Fors'e Lui...Sempre Libera
Non Sapete...Ah! Dite Alla Giovine
Dammi Tu Forza, O Cielo!
Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato
Ah, Violetta!...Se Una Pudica Vergine - Various Artists
Ritorna Vincitor!
Al Tuo Consiglio Io Cedo...Gloria All'egitto - Various Artists
Qui Radames Verra!...O Patria Mia
Ciel! Mio Padre!
O Terra, Addio

Tracks:

Nel Di Della Vittoria...Vieni! T'afferetta!...Or Tutti Sorgete
La Luce Langue
Una Macchia E Qui Tuttora
Gente La Dentro!...Mario! Mario!...Non La Sospiri, La Nostra Casetta
Orsu, Tosca, Parlate - Various Artists
Vissi D'arte
Senti, L'ora E Vicina...Amaro Sol Per Te...Presto! Su, Mario! - Various Artists
Ecco L'altare...Ervate Possente
Come Sa Amare!...La Mamma Morta
Benedico Il Destino! - Various Artists

Tracks:

Ben Io T'invenni...Anch'io Dischiuso Un Giorno (Abigaille, Act II)
Dov'e L'indiana Bruna? (Bell Song) (Lakme, Act II)
Tutte Le Torture (Costanze, Act II)
Ahime! Che Notte Oscura...Ombra Leggera (Shadow Song) (Dinorah, Act II)
Depuis Le Jour (Louise, Act III)
D'amore Al Dolce Impero (Armida, Act II)
Bel Raggio Lusinghier (Smiramide, Act I)
Ma Chi E Questa Bella...Ai Vostri Giochi...Ed Ora A Voi (Ofelia, Act IV)
Vanne, Lasciami...D'amor Sull'ali Rosee (Leonora, Act IV)
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio! (Leonora, Act IV)
Dolce E Calmo (Liebestod) Isolde, Act III)

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa (Rosina, Act I)
Tu Che Vedi Il Mio Tormento (Tu Che Invoco) (Giulia, Act II)
Surta E La Notte...Ernani! Nernai, Involami (Elvira, Act I)
Tu Che Le Vanita (Elsabetta, Act IV)
Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (Mimi, Act I)
L'altra Notte In Fondo Al Mare (Margherita, Act III)
L'amour Est Un Oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Carmen, Act I)
Pres Des Remparts De Seville (Seguedille) (Carmen, Act I)
Nacqui All'affanno...Non Piu Mesta (Cenerentola, Act II)
Je Ne Suis Que Faiblesse...Adieu, Notre Petite Table (Manon, Act II)
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit...Des Cris Joyeux (Charlotte, Act III)
Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio (Butterfly, Act II)
O Mio Babbino Caro (Lauretta)

Customer Reviews:

Just the best of the best........2006-02-08

From all the compilations of Maria Callas EMI has issued this is BY FAR the best one.

Unlike her studio recitals, unequal and mostly recorded when her voice was starting to decay, this live records take you back to the glorious early fifties when the young Callas was changing the history of opera forever.

The first 6 CD's are scenes from stage performances and the last 2 from recitals.

Chronollogically, this compilation starts with the legendary (and controversial) 1951 Mexico-City "Aida" and ends with the 1964 Covent Garden "Tosca" (when Callas' voice was just the shade of itself but at the peak of her dramatic skills).
Listen to the electrifying poetry of the 1952 "La sonnambula", to the devorating flame of 1955 "La traviata" and "Lucia". Not to forget the 1952 "Norma", the 1957 "Ana Bolena" and some rarities like "Andrea Chénier", "Ifigenia in Tauride" and "Poliuto".
The only great absent of this collection is "Armida"...

As for the the 2 recital CD's, the first one contains arias from concerts between 1952 and 1958, when Callas was in full command of her voice. Nobody else was capable of singing arias from Nabucco and Lakmé on the same recital! And listen to the last aria: Wagner's Isolde's dead.

The second one, contains arias from 1959 to 1963. Here, Callas voice had diminished considerably and she was not anymore capable of the same technical miracles, but she still managed to give thrilling dramatical interpretations (listen to the dead scene of Madama Butterfly of the 1963 Paris recital!!!)

In 80% of this compilation you can hear the young Callas creating her own legend, giving herself completly on the stage.

Leontyne Price (The Prima Donna Collection)

Average customer rating:

A brilliant collection from a great soprano
If I could have only one collection......
Yes this is great!
The Grandest Collection of Leontyne Price Arias
The Greatest Soprano Ever Recorded

Leontyne Price (The Prima Donna Collection)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Opera Arias
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Handel: Arias

ASIN: B000003FAF
Release Date: 1992-08-11

Tracks:

Dido and Aeneas: Act 3: Thy Hand, Belinda!
Dido and Aeneas: Act 3: When I Am Laid In Earth
Le nozze di Figaro: Act 3: E Susanna non vien!
Le nozze di Figaro: Act 3: Dove sono
La traviata: Act 3: Teneste la promessa
La traviata: Act 3: Addio del passato
L'africaine: Act 2: Sur mes genoux, fils du soleil
Manon: Act 2: Allons! il le faut!
Manon: Act 2: Adieu, notre petite table
Otello: Act 4: Era piu calma?
Otello: Act 4: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella (Willow Song)
Otello: Act 4: Ave Maria
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 1: Ecco: respiro appena
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 1: Io son l'umile ancella
Louise: Act 3: Depuis le jour
Turandot: Act 2: In questa reggia
Die tote Stadt: Act 1: Marietta's Lied
Vanessa: Act 1: He Has Come, He Has Come!
Vanessa: Act 1: Do Not Utter A Word

Tracks:

Atalanta: Act 1: Care Selve
Don Giovanni: Act 1: Don, Ottavio, son morta!
Don Giovanni: Act 1: Or sai chi l'onore
Der Freischuetz: Act 2: Wie nahte mir der Schlummer
Der Freischuetz: Act 2: Liese, leise
Tannhaeuser: Act 2: Dich, teure Halle
Macbeth: Act 2: La luce langue
Macbeth: Act 4: Vegliammo invan due notti (Sleepwalking Scene)
Macbeth: Act 4: Una macchia e qui tuttora
Mefistofele: Act 3: L'altra notte in fondo al mare
Rusalka: Act 1: Song To The Moon
L'Enfant Prodigue: Air de Lia: L'annee en vain
Andrea Chenier: Act 3: La mamma morta
Francesca da Ramini: Act 3: Paolo, datemi pace
Suor Angelica: Senza mammo, o bimbo, tu sei morto!
Amelia Goes To The Ball: While I Waste These Precious Hours

Tracks:

Alceste: Act 1: Divinites du Styx
Don Giovanni: Act 2: Crudele? Ah, no, mio bene
Don Giovanni: Act 2: Non mi dir
I lombardi: Act 2: O madre, dal cielo
I lombardi: Act 2: Se vano e il pregare
Martha: Act 2: The Last Rose Of Summer
Simon Boccanegra: Act 1: Come in quest'ora bruna
La Perichole: Act 3: Tu n'es pas beau
Die Walkuere: Act 1: Du bist der Lenz
Die Fledermaus: Act 2: Czardas: Klange der Heimat
Carmen: Act 3: Ces des contrebandiers
Carmen: Act 3: Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi lo sapete
Thais: Act 2: Ah! je suis seule
Thais: Act 2: Dis-moi que je suis belle
Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Les dialogues des Carmelites: Act 3: Mes filles, voila s'acheve

Tracks:

Semele: Act 2: Where 'er You Walk
Idomeneo: Act 3: O smania! O Furie!
Idomeneo: Act 3: D 'Oreste, d' Ajace!
La damnation de Faust: Part 4: D'amour l'ardente flamme
Oberon: Act 2: Ozean, du Ungeheuer!
Norma: Act 1: Sediziose voci, voci di guerra
Norma: Act 1: Casta diva
Norma: Act 1: Ah! bello a me ritorna
Rigoletto: Act 1: Gualtier Malde
Rigoletto: Act 1: Caro Nome
Tristan und Isolde: Act 3: Liebestod: Mild und leise
Pagliacci: Act 1: Ballatella: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo
Adriana Lecouvreur: Act 4: Poveri fiori
Gloriana: Act 1, Scene 2: Soliloquy & Prayer: On Rivalries 'tis Safe For Kings
Gloriana: Act 1, Scene 2: Soliloquy & Prayer: O God, My King, Sole Ruler Of The World

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant collection from a great soprano.......2007-04-30

Leontyne Price was much admired and this 4CD collection shows her outstanding vocal gifts to the best advantage. Numerous reviewers have commented on the wide-ranging styles present and I can agree wholeheartedly with them. You would be hard-pressed to find a greater compilation of Ms Price, showcasing her amazing gifts as a great singer!

If I could have only one collection.............2006-11-12

....it would be this. Such fine singing in so many periods, languages, and styles. She is truley a great artist and this set helps you see just HOW GREAT she is. I won't go thru all the tracks but will say Cara Selve drives me wild. "When I am Laid in Earth..." comes across very nicely. There are some rare exerpts too like Gloriana, Menotti's Amelia goes to the Ball. Overall most tracks are inspired. The musicianship is to the highest standards. I JUST lOVE IT!

Yes this is great!.......2006-10-14

But "When I am Laid in Earth" was written by PURCELL! Handel's "Care Selve", however, is also on this set, and it is GORGEOUS!!! I love just about everything on here. A few items from the fourth CD are a bit telling of her age (D'oreste d'ajace!")- but even they are fabulous. THe price of this set is unfortunate - however, it has dropped a little! :) I originally purchased it from BMG in 1994, for next-to-nothing, then "gave" it to my best friend! Two years ago, she lost hers to Hurricane Ivan, and paid a LOT for a new set!

The Grandest Collection of Leontyne Price Arias.......2005-08-08

If you're a fan of Leontyne Price, this should be at the top of your list of her recording albums. I don't know when this was issued, but it's from the RCA Label which was her best promotional record company. It's a box set featuring dozens of arias from magnificent grand operas (some of which Leontyne Price never sang on stage in full and instead sang some bits in concert). Leontyne Price sings in fresh, beautiful and strong voice in dramatic and versatile roles, mastering each music from each composer. She masters such strikingly different masters's works as Samuel Barber (Vannessa) Webber (Der Freischutz) Wagner (Tristan and Isolde, Tannhauser) Falla (Atalanta) Mozart (Le Nozze Di Figaro). She sings the title roles of Massenet's Manon, Bizet's Carmen, Bellini's Norma, Verdi's Lady Macbeth, Amelia in Un Ballo Di Maschera, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Turandot and Suor Angelica, Flotow's Martha, and even oratorio such as Handel's Semele and Benjamin Britten's Gloriana. This is a vast repertoire, far grander in variety than I have ever known any one soprano sang. While critics will indeed compare Leontyne Price to Maria Callas (as another review critic brought up) these two sopranos could not have been any more different. It's not even a matter of their different racial backgrounds- Callas was born in Greece and became an American citizen then gave it up for French citizenship..and Price was born in Mississippi and was African-American) it's a matter of how different their approach at opera was and their vocal category. Callas was a dramatic soprano sforzando (literally "forced dramatic soprano")who would prefer to produce a choking, ugly, harsh sound merely for the dramatic effect and the integrity of the text in her lines. Leontyne Price was the definition of a soprano lyrico-spinto ("pushed" lyric-dramatic singing)which meant above all, to sound beautiful and to fill up those dramatic lines with as much vocal and tonal beauty as possible. Price had a more thrilling mezzo di voce and high soaring top register and a cleaner, smoother sound than the wobbly Callas, no offense to Callas fanatics of which there are many. It is true that Price did lose her touch in a sense in her older years (the 1970's and 80's) when her voice lacked the vibrant lyricism and attention to diction. Her 1970's Toscas and Aidas are therefore a sloppier than her 1950's and 60's Toscas and the same went for her Leonoras in both Trovatore and Forza Del Destino. Nevertheless, Price is an ageless singer. Her voice, dark, messy or bright and smooth, is still what was said of her in her debut at the Met as Leonora in Trovatore - a "bright, unfurling banner". She was goddess of the opera and paved the way for the new generation of black sopranos of today.

This collection does not showcase the more famous roles that were in fact her signature ones - Leonora from Trovatore and Forza, Aida is'nt even in here and that one even she considered her greatest role, we don't find her Madame Butterfly here. Instead we find rare pieces that she sings beautifully and dramatically, making us wish she had sung the entire operas in full on stage. She never sang a full-length Norma and that's a pity- even Grace Bumbry and Shirley Verrett did in their careers. Price seemed to enjoy singing Samuel Barber's vocal works - she opened the 1965-1966 Met season with Barber's Antony and Cleopatra (a bad production by the way but not through any fault of Miss Price but the overblown spectacle of the design of the opera itself) and here she sings his Vanessa. Benjamin Britten's Gloriana sounds lovely in her hands. Her Norma and Dona Anna in Mozart are dramatic and fiery, her Lady Macbeth darkly mysterious, her Suor Angelica peaceful with powerful inner fire and her Dialogue Des Carmelites are also sensational. Yes, many of these arias are beautiful to hear, and thank God she doesn't have any of the flaws critics keep hearing in her later recordings. Without a doubt, this is her finest album. I think you should listen via audio samples here the following to make you get this recording: the Countess aria from Nozze Di Figaro, her Manon (Adieu Petit Table) La Mamma Morta, her version of Sediziose Voce/Casta Diva from Norma, the excerpt from Carmen, "Don Ottavio son Morta...Or Sai Chi L'Onore" from Don Giovanni, Care Salve, the Dido and Aeneas excerpts, the La Traviata excerpts (Addio Del Passato) and the beautifull, mystic, haunting and well-executed Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, which I even feel surpasses Birgit Nilsson's version. Just listen to how heart-felt that Liebestod is! I have not heard the likes of it anywhere else.

The Greatest Soprano Ever Recorded.......2005-03-20

O.K. So that is only my opinion. But Leontyne Price was one of the most dedicated singers of the 20th century. Her vast repertoire is showcased in this extensive collection of arias. While to many Maria Callas will forever be the ultimate and the greatest of them all, Leontyne Price had the same poswerful, high dramatic voice, in addition a more generous chest register and a regial presence. Moreover, she overcame so much to get to the top. In her day, African-American women in opera was new. Marian Anderson was the first to get into the mainstream opera world, with much difficulty and intervention, such as Eleanor Roosevelt's support. After Marian Anderson finally landed her first role at the Met in the 50's, a new generation of black women in opera began. The 60's and 70's would see the rise of mezzo sopranos later turned to dramatic sopranos such as Grace Bumbry, Shirley Verrett and it would follow into the 80's with Jessie Norman and Kathleen Battle. Today, black women have made opera one of their highest achievements. Leontyne Price began singing in the 50's. A televised production of Tosca was not shown in some Southern states that were racistad opposed the idea of seeing a black woman in a "white" role. Leontyne Price would master the role of Tosca as successfully as Maria Callas. I think that while she is at her best in the Puccini and Verdi operas she recorded and performed (not showcased here)- Trovatore, Aida, Forza Del Destino, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Suor Angelica. However, there is so much that she is absolutely remarkable in. I love her as Violetta in Traviata (few black women sing the traditionally white role of Violetta), Massenet's Manon, Verdi's Lady Macbeth (which was another of Shirley Verrett's great roles)Dido from Dido and Aneas, Dona Ana and Elvira in Don Giovanni, The Countess in Figaro, Bellini's Norma (she is outstanding in that powerful druid diva role). I think if we narrow it down to a few roles that she really made her own it would be 1: Aida....2:Tosca...3Dona Ana/Dona Elvira 4 Desdemona from Otello and 5..Leonoras from Trovatore and Forza.

This collection is pretty impressive. I didn't know a soprano could be that versatile. Leontyne Price is remarkable. Her rich, lyric voice, capable of plaintive and melancholy lines as well as powerful high C's and dramatic whoops, was always clean, smooth and intense. Of course, like most sopranos, she had her bad days. Her later Toscas (in the mid or late 70's) became too melodramatic and sloppy, when she used to be more mannered and poised with the role, her Cleopatra in Samuel Barber's opera was a fiaco because the production was too bizarre and messy, etc. But for the most part, mostly in Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and as Norma, she was radiant, glorious and perfect. Her background in Church music made her incredibly suited to singing Requiems, such as Verdi's Requiem. There will never be another Leontyne Price. She was a one woman Golden Age of Opera, and sang with the best of the best- Bjussi Bjorling, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo.

Average customer rating:

Really great, but there some strange choices
Diva-lightful
Young Opera Fan
who compiled these songs??

DIVA ~ 30 Great Prima Donnas

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The #1 Soprano Album
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ASIN: B00004YYRN
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

La Gioconda, Act IV: Suicidio - Maria Callas
La Traviata, Act III: Addio Del Passato - Renata Tebaldi
Cavalleria Rusticana: Voi Lo Sapete O Mamma - Giulietta Simionato/Liliana Pellegrino
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio babbino Caro - Marcella Pobbe
Tosca, Act II: Vissi D'arte - Catherine Malfitano
La Boheme, Act I: Mi Chiamano Mimi - Barbara Hendricks
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, Act I: Una Voce Poco Fa - Lucia Valentini Terrani
I Puritani, Act I: Son Vergin Vezzosa - Katia Ricciarelli/Elena Jankovic/Chris Merritt/Roberto Scandiuzzi/Ambrogio Riva
Carmen, Act I: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Regine Crespin
Carmen, Act III: Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'epouvante - Angela Gheorghiu
Faust, Act II: Il Etait Un Roi De Thule - Montserrat Caballe
Faust, Act II: L'air Des Bijoux - Sumi Jo
Werther, Act III: Je Vous Ecris De Ma Petite Chambre - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Der Fliegende Hollander, Act III: Johohoe! Traft Ihr Das Schiff - Astrid Varnay
Tannhauser, Act II: Dich Teure Halle - Kiri Te Kanawa
Tristan Und Isolde, Act III: Mild Und Leise - Martha Modl

Tracks:

Orfeo Ed Euridice, Act III: Che Faro Senza Euridice - Janet Baker
Orphee Et Eurydice, Act II: Cet Asile Aimable Et Tranquille - Dawn Upshaw
Alcina, Act I: Di' Cor Mio, Quanto T'amai - Renee Fleming
Rinaldo, Act I: Cara Sposa - Marilyn Horne
Xerxes, Act I: Ombra Mai Fu - Jennifer Larmore
Dido And Aeneas, Act III: Thy Hand, Belinda - Tatjana Troyanos
The Fairy Queen, Act V: O Let Me Ever, Ever Weep - Sylvia McNair
L'isola Di Alcina, Act I: Sono Alcina - Teresa Berganza
Lucio Silla, Act II: Quest'improvviso Tremito - Cecilia Bartoli
Cosi Fan Tutte, Act II: E Amore Un Ladroncello - Frederica Von Stade
Don Giovanni, Act II: Vedrai, Carino - Barbara Bonney
La Clemenza Di Tito, Act II: Non Piu Di Fiori - Lucia Popp
Die Zauberflote, Act II: Der Holle Rache - Edita Gruberova
Fidelio, Act I: Komm Hoffnung - Waltraud Meier

Customer Reviews:

Really great, but there some strange choices.......2002-12-22

I will talk about the arias because choosing a singer depends on the personal taste. So, lets start from the very beginning - Callas and her fanous "Suicidio" - there is nothing to compare with her performance even the Caballe recording. I would gladly die after her final note. As for the "Addio del passato", for God's sake why Tebaldi - even Angela Gheorghiu is better, personally I would vote for Victoria de Los Angeles here.I agree that Caballe is a superb Mimi and somehow Hendricks isn't so captivating. As for Tosca's aria Malfitano is a goodlooking lady but then why not even Anna Moffo - if we have Price and Ricciarelli for Vissi d'arte or Kabaivanska. Terrani's Rosina is one of the best, as for the I Puritani polonaise here definitely Sutherland or Sills.Instead of Crespin I would choose de Los Angeles again. Janet Baker is a terrible Orfeo. Well buy it, nice compilation and some singers deserve the money.

Diva-lightful.......2002-12-03

I heard this CD playing background music in second-hand bookstore and I HAD-TO-HAVE-IT. The shopkeeper couldn't tell me much about the CD except that it was called DIVA (she didn't have the cover anymore) and I knew full well that I was listening to the incomparable Dame Janet Baker singing "Che farò senza Euridice" from Gluck's Orfeo et Euridice, followed by someone else doing the famous Serse (Xerxes) Largo and an aria from Dido and Aeneas. So with that knowledge in hand, I searched Amazon.com and found this 2-CD set. And promptly purchased it.

Frankly, I adore this for the second CD alone, but there is lots to like on both CD's, such as some of my favorite divas among which are Lucia Popp, Montserrat Caballe, Fredericka von Stade and Dawn Upshaw. Some of the aria/artist choices are rather quirky; Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing "Dich Teure Halle" instead of Birgit Nielsen; Marcella Pobbe singing "O Mio Babbino Caro" instead of Dame Kiri. Caballe not singing from La Boheme (I defy you to find a better Mimi than she) but doing Faust instead. And Sutherland and Sills are AWOL along with Nielsen--though maybe it was a case of not being able to obtain the copyrights rather than deliberate omission.

The selections here are well-chosen for variety and in the case of the bel canto selections on the second CD, they flow together so superbly, it's a real joy to hear. The only dark spot are the two arias done with the Zurich Symphony--and worse yet, they are with Lucia Popp (a huge favorite of mine) and Gruberova doing the Queen of the Night's nasty aria of extreme rage "Holle Rache". The orchestra drags in the Popp aria from "Clemenza de Tito", the dynamics are second-rate and Gruberova misses a note (not the wicked high ones but an amateurish note on an upscale.) Overall these are not the finest moments for either of these divas. That aside, there is lots to like on this CD if you overlook a couple of false notes.

Young Opera Fan.......2002-07-22

Exactly what i was thinking. Sure these ladies are nice clear singers, but where was the Beverly Sills? Joan Sutherland? Birgit Nilsson? Being a HUGE admirer of the following I was rather shocked and disappointed to not see their arias on this c.d. Buy the c.d. knowing that it is incomplete yet still has some very nice singers-thus the 3 stars.

who compiled these songs??.......2001-07-09

Seeing the great cover of this CD in the store with the promise of 30 great Prima Donna's was too good to be true. I can't understand why anyone would pick this compilation of artists and songs. There were some good points.. and a whole lot of bad ones too. They did have the good taste to put Maria Callas first w/ a great rendition of Suicido from La Gioconda. Unfortunately the very next song is the worst recording I've ever heard of Renata Tebaldi. Why they would choose to include a track of her singing La Traviata.. which was probably her worst role?? And lousy sound to boot. Very disappointing. I was amazed to see a few great Divas missing from this album. Where's Birgit Nilsson? Where's Beverly Sills? Where's Renata Scotto? and if they could include sumi jo.. where's Natalie Dessay?? Not only that.. it's as if they picked all of the songs worst suited for the artists presented? I recommend you skip this CD... at best you will get to hear a very differnt side of your favorite Divas as well as a whole bunch of artists who don't even deserve the title Diva.

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Average customer rating:

Like a walk in the clouds!
It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge
Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more
Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard
Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda

Joan Sutherland ~ The Art of the Prima Donna

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000042EK
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voce ... Casta diva...Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce sua soave... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne... Come perme sereno... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux... Ah! je res

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangia cantanco
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E'strano... Ah fors'e lui... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indoue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde... Caro nome

Amazon.com

One customer calls this CD "simply the greatest recording of a coloratura soprano's art ever"--a kind of superlative and a level of enthusiasm that critics try to avoid. But looking through a century of recorded sound, not a single recording is a clearly better coloratura example. Joan Sutherland's voice is young, fresh, agile, superbly controlled, and rich in tone. To ask for more expressive power would be missing the point; that is not what this music is about. It is perfectly chosen to display the best qualities of Sutherland's voice at its peak. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Like a walk in the clouds!.......2004-07-13

What can one say about one of the greatest soprano recitals ever. Despite all her later achievements, this early recital is Sutherland's most significant contribution to operatic discography.

This recital is full of her huge but always sweet high notes. This is after all, what made them so special. When I listen to these high notes it's as if a bird is taking me on a trip to the sky. Her coloratura abilities are jaw dropping to say the least. You have no idea what a trill or staccato means if you haven't heard Joan singing! Everything here is stunning but my favourites are her Bell Song, Care compagne and The soldier Tir'd.

I've never been Sutherland's greatest fan due to her mushy enunciation, which fortunately is restricted to the minimum here but this early recital never stays far from my cd player! Indeed the art of a primadonna, Sutherland's art!

It reach the highest status, just how high? you be the judge.......2003-07-30

The recital by one Australian diva recorded in 1960 by a young and unknown soprano that has taken the world by storm. She not only became the most celebrated coloratura soprano the world had ever known, she became the most loved.
16 arias...the test of every coloratura skills known to mankind. Does she past, or fall short? You be the judge. I say she sings the most incredible recital ever recorded in the history of the grammophone. A gigantic claim. A claim that is substantuated by her singing.

Sutherland's greatest achievment, need I say more.......2003-07-30

Sutherland's first and finest moments in her reign as one of opera's most beloved sopranos. I need not say more. Her name and reputation speaks for itself. She is La Stupenda.

Since int's inception in 1960, this is the standard.......2003-07-28

The best selling recital by a coloratura soprano ever released. That includes Callas. Now it's time to upgrade to this remaster of the most astonishing singing on record.
The old cd "Art of the Prima Donna" is of course, the last world for stupendous singing. But this is a remaster version of it. The flaws with the non remaster cd in nothing comparing to the sonic of this gem.
You will hear Sutherland as never heard before. IN full voice, an her dynamic range is finally capture on CD. Before when the soprano hits a D or E, the sound is not capture properly by Decca's engineer, her high notes are just too big and vibrant.. Here, you get to hear the real Sutherland, the engineers at decca allows you to hear La Stupenda as she really it. You hear the full Sutherland range, form low G to the F above high C. I have to recommend this. It is the last world in bel canto.

Dazzling display of coloratura singing by La Stupenda.......2003-07-27

I adore this recital done by La Stupenda in 1960. It is a true feat of Bravura for Dame Joan Sutherland, and I am thrilled to death to have it on cd. I already have this on cassette
and lp, but this is my first Cd with Sutherland because I'm a starving artist. But it is superb, far more
luminous than the lp or the cassette. The sound is so life-like! Finally, a medium that allows the
Sutherland voice to be heard as it should be. Every aria is a tour de force of the highest caliber.

The most remarkable thing is the huge top. It is both enormous and has a brilliant vibrato. Funny
thing that as Sutherland ages, the high notes got smaller and smaller. But not here, this is Sutherland
at her best. I think if Birgit Nilsson had an E flat, that's what it would sound like, Wagnerian in size.
Almost every aria has an high E flat or E. Besides the high notes is the most true to form of a trill that
exist. An actual trill, not a tremolo like other divas.

I believe that when Donizetti and Bellini wrote for Pasta, Grisi, and Malibran, this is the kind of
soprano he had in mind when he wrote these near impossible arias. A true diva from the golden age.
Of course, the difference between these divas of the past and Sutherland is the enormous size of
Sutherland's instrument. Plus the fact that all those divas of Bellini's time transpose these arias down
one full step or more.

Sutherland doesn't do that. Even though she has a right to do so because the tones today are now
almost a full tone higher than they were in the 17th century, so a high C then is only a B flat today.
So an E flat today is much higher than an E flat in Donizetti's time. So all of Sutherland's E flats are
actually high Fs! Imagine that.

If there is a single cd I can have on a desert island, this would be it. This is, without a doubt, the
most taxing program that any prima donna has attempted in a single recital, every arias is a tour de
force, stretching the limits of the human voice in all but Sutherland. In fact, this seems easy for her -
it's effortless. I challedge anyone to find a coloratura today, or anyday, who can match up to La
Stupenda.