Vivre Pour Vivre (Original Soundtrack) [Import] [Soundtrack]

vivre pour vivre (original soundtrack) [import] [soundtrack]

Track Listings

1. Vivre Pour Vivre

2. Theme De Catherine

3. Theme De Candice

4. Vivre Pour Vivre

5. Des Ronds Dans L'eau 'Now You Want To Be Loved'

6. Theme De Cathrine

7. Theme De Robert

8. Vivre Pour Vivre

9. A Wourd'Hui C'Est Toi 'All At Once It's Love'

10. Zoom

11. Vivre Pour Vivre

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Absolutely perfect soundtrack! Francis Lai composed an exciting & very touching music. The film is directed by French filmmaker Claude Lelouch & was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, 1967. 11 tracks. Flavour Japan. 1997.

Vivre Pour Vivre (Original Soundtrack),Francis Lai,Flavo,Soundtrack,Soundtracks

Vivre Pour Vivre (Original Soundtrack) [Import] [Soundtrack]

Maria Callas - Life & Art (2 CD's & Bonus DVD)

Average customer rating:

The Fascinating Maria Callas
Stupenda! A great compilation...
wonderful representation of Callas artistry

Maria Callas - Life & Art (2 CD's & Bonus DVD)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Similar Items:

Verdi: Arias by Maria Callas (includes DVD - rare performance of Callas on film)
The Passion of Callas
Maria Callas - The Callas Conversations (EMI Classic Archive)
Callas - A Documentary Plus Bonus / John Ardoin, Franco Zeffirelli
Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century

ASIN: B0002Z83KW
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Bellini: Norma - Casta Diva (Act I)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena - Al dolce guidami castel natio (Act II)
Verdi: Il trovatore - D'amor sull'ali rosee (Act IV)
Catalani: La Wally - Ebben? ne andrr lontana (Act I)
Giordano: Andrea Chinier - La mamma morta (Act III)
Puccini: La bohhme - Donde lieta uscl (Act III)
Puccini: Tosca - Vissi d'arte (Act II)
Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana - Voi lo sapete o mamma
Boito: Mefistofele - L'altra notte in fondo al mare (Act III)10. Puccini: Madama Butterfly - Un bel dl vedremo (Act II)
Puccini: Turandot - Signore, ascolta (Act I)
Puccini: Manon Lescaut - Sola, perduta, abbandonata (Act IV)
Ponchielli: La Gioconda - Suicidio! (Act IV)
Verdi: Aida - Ritorna vincitor! (Act I)
Bizet: Carmen - Carreau ! Pique ! (Card Scene) (Act III)
Massenet: Le Cid - De cet affreux combat...Pleurez, mes yeux ! (Act III)

Tracks:

Bellini: La sonnambula - Compagne, teneri amici...Come per me sereno...Sovra il sen la man mi posa (Act I)
Bellini: I puritani - Son vergin vezzosa (Act 1)
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor - Regnava nel silenzio...Quando rapito in estasi (Act I)
Verdi: Rigoletto - Gualtier Maldh...Caro nome (Act I)
Verdi: La traviata - Ah, fors'h lui (Act I)
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi - O mio babbino caro
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur - Ecco: respiro appena. Io son l'umile ancella (Act I)
Thomas: Mignon - Ah, pour ce soir...Je suis Titania (Act II)
Gounod: Romio et Juliette - Ah ! Je veux vivre dans ce rjve (Act I)
Gounod: Faust - Un bouquet !...Ah ! je ris (Jewel Song) (Act III)
Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust - D'amour l'ardente flamme (Part IV)
Massenet: Werther - Werther ! Qui m'aurait dit...Des cris joyeux (Letter Scene) (Act III)
Bizet: Les Pjcheurs de perles - Me voil` seule...Comme autrefois (Act II)
Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila - Printemps qui commence (Act I)
Charpentier: Louise - Depuis le jour ( Act III)

Tracks:

Massenet: Le Cid - De cet affreux combat...Pleurez, mes yeux (Acte III) (DVD)
Bizet: Carmen - Prilude; Habanera (Acte I); Entr'acte (Acte III); Siguidille (Acte I) (DVD)
Verdi: Ernani - Surta h la notte...Ernani, involami (Atto I) (DVD)
Rossini: La Cenerentola - Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto...Non piy mesta (Atto II) (DVD)
Verdi: Don Carlo - O don fatale, o don crudel (Atto III) (DVD)

Customer Reviews:

The Fascinating Maria Callas.......2007-01-10

The DVD of her life was the most interesting part. I was really hoping for a wide selection of arias on the CDs, rather than the two full operas that came in the set.

Stupenda! A great compilation..........2006-08-23

First off, I think this is a great compilation of Maria Callas' work. It has a little bit of almst everything. It picks the right records and highlights them quite well. I liked the idea of splitting the album into two discs. One of lighter romantic arias. The other with tragic and dramatic arias. Now, to the point...
I listen to many operas as it is my music of choice. Whenever I find myself at a loss with a certain soprano for either character or tone I always find myself coming back to Callas. Not having the most tonaly beautiful voice she does for me what is more important. She adds life and passion to the music instead of just singing it. She knows the characters and their motivations. This rare feat comes thru in her voice. Capable of singing almost any soprano role from a light lyric coloratura such as Lakme or to the heavy demands of a Wagnerian role such as Norma. Not only does her range impress but her voice was capable of such colors and shades of those colors. She imparts such pathos and depth with her voice. This for me is most important. A singer can have the most tonaly beautiful voice, but if there is no heart and emotion behind it, forget about it. Callas has that in spades. Maybe that is why 30 some odd years after her death I still find myself turning to her for inpsiration.

wonderful representation of Callas artistry.......2006-04-29

This 2 set CD and additional DVD are a great sampling of Maria Callas singing various operatic arias. They demonstrate not only her remarkable vocal range but her ability to perform expressively as well. No artist in my opinion can act today as well as Callas. Callas voice may have been flawed later on during her career, but her ability to act truly makes up for any vocal imperfections. After all, she is the only operatic soprano I know of who possessed not only the natural talent for acting, but the ability to sing anything from mezzo to soprano. If you are a fan of Callas, then I highly recommend this set. Even those not familiar with Maria Callas should hear her perform at least once.

Average customer rating:

Natalie Dessay in the French Repertoire: Nicely Done!
Another French Album?!
Le vrai Amour & la Grande Musique
Salut à la France!
Wonderful, but a minor quality control problem

Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias
Natalie Dessay , Michel Plasson , Jules Massenet , and Jacques Offenbach
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart Heroines; Natalie Dessay
Natalie Dessay - Vocalise
The Miracle of the Voice
Natalie Dessay ~ Delirio (Handel Italian Cantatas)
Natalie Dessay - French Opera Arias

ASIN: B0000ZOJZW
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

Acte III - Air Du Cours La Reine: Suis-Je Gentille Ainsi?
Gavotte: Obessions Quand Leur Voix Appelle
Fabliau: Rire Toujours? Vous Vous Trompez
Acte II - Polonaise: Oui, Pour Ce Soir...Je Suis Titania La Blonde Philine
Acte III - Aubade: vive Amour Qui Reve L'Ensoleillad
Acte I - Bolero: Profitez de La Vie Mme De Ligneul
Acte II - Grande Valse: Conduisez-Moi Vers Celui Que J'Adore Edwige
Acte I: En Proie A La Tristesse La Comtesse
Acte II: C'En Est Donc Fait...Salut A La France! Marie
Acte I - Valse De Juliette: Ah ! Je Veux Vivre Juliette
Acte IV - Air De La Foile: A Vos Jeux Mes Amis Ophelie
Mort D'Ophelie: Le Voila, Je Crois L'Entendre Ophelie

Amazon.com

Yet again, the fascinating French soprano Natalie Dessay has come up with a winning recital. Canary fanciers can love her without guilt: her high notes are all in place (up to a solid E natural), her skill with fast coloratura is astonishing, her pitch is ideal, and her breath control is massive. But she's as interested in creating character as she is in pure singing. For once Ophelia's long Mad Scene from Thomas' Hamlet is a truly dramatic, heartbreaking event, for instance; similarly, Manon sounds young and sassy, as she should. Rarities by Boieldieu and Offenbach are a joy to hear; "Je suis Titania" and Juliette's Waltz Song are suitably virtuosic and show-offy--she's as good as any of the so-called "Golden Age" sopranos in this repertoire. Her tone remains full and pretty; only the very top notes have a bit of an edge, but this hardly detracts. In short, this is a remarkable recital--interesting pieces, gloriously sung. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Natalie Dessay in the French Repertoire: Nicely Done!.......2007-03-08

Here, Natalie Dessay sings French arias. All in all, a satisfying album, with a few exceptions as noted below. A few samples of the cuts on this CD.

From Massenet's "Manon," she sings nicely. "Suis-je gentile ainsi" shows off her clear, light, agile voice. She demonstrates a decent trill and nice high note. "Obeissons quand leur voix appelle" is sung at a slower pace. Well sung, with some subtle vocal effects. This closes with a nice run, but a rather harshly sung high note. Then, "Rive toujours." This begins at a slower pace, but picks up. There is some nice ornamentation. For the most part, this is sweetly sung.

Thomas' "Mignon" features a wonderful piece, "Je suis Titania la blonde." Dessay, again, displays an agile and attractive voice. She demonstrates capable coloratura technique, featuring some nicely done appoggiaturas. In the last segment, she manifests a nice trill. Her penultimate high note is a bit harsh. However, she concludes with a very well done set of trills and a good high note.

From Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," we have "Ah! Je veux vivre." The first part is smoothly sung. Nice characterization by Dessay. There is some attractive and pleasant florid singing at the end. Finally, from Thomas' "Hamlet," she essays "A vos jeux mes amis." Nice effects and good vocal technique are displayed. Her voice is attractive in this cut. Nice ornamentation toward the end. Some good trills and some nicely hit high notes.

This is a fine CD. Natalie Dessay shows her vocal virtues to good effect. She is obviously quite at home on the French repertoire, and this CD demonstrates that statement very clearly.

Another French Album?!.......2005-12-26

Does Natalie Dessay even know how to sing Italian? Whatever. I find her boring and flat. Her middle range drives me batty 'cas it's non exsistent and too sharp for my taste. I have no clue how anyone can compare her to Lily Pons becuase Pons notes were flawless and effortless. I always hold my breath to see if Dessay hits her notes well or if it just comes out piercing and sharp. She's about 50/50. She is no Lily Pons. She's decent but utterly forgettable and frankly I'm not sure why people are so enraptured by her. I find Sumi Jo much more appealing and talented

Le vrai Amour & la Grande Musique.......2004-05-14

Elle musique est si paisible et claire. Natalie Dessaix est épousé au baryton chanteur d'opéra Laurent Naouri. Ils ont deux beaux enfants. Natalie et Laurent ont participé dans les films télévisé nombreux. Dans Orphée aux enfers (1997) elle a joué Eurydice et il a joué Jupiter. Laurent Naouri est présenté dans Rameau 'Hippolyte et Aricie'. Dans cet opéra baroque français,
Naouri dans son aria 'Puisque Pluton' il est destiné à tuer son fils.

Salut à la France!.......2004-05-10

Natalie Dessay is a delight on this CD of arias from 19th century French Opera. The listener can experience a singer who is both concerned about the vocal and interpretative values of each selection of this recital. The first two tracks of the Cours de la Reine Scene from Massenet's 'Manon' show a fresh voice that portrays easily the youth and frivolity of the title character. All the stacattos, cadenzas and high notes are on the service of the character. It is delightful to find some rarities on this recital, like the Fabliau from 'Manon' (an alternative aria that Massenet composed for sustitution of the Gavotte) and the pieces from 'Chérubin', 'La fête du village voisin' and 'Robinson Crusoe'. On the selection by Offenbach, Dessay sings a stunning trill on a Dflat and then goes to expectacular scales, finishing the dazzling waltz with an elaborate cadenza and a firm high E. Another highlight of the CD is the elaborate aria from 'Le Comte Ory' by Rossini, where the soprano's attention to the nuances of the piece bring out a lively interpretation. The aria from 'La fille du régiment' makes us wish for a complete recording of the opera. However, the best part of the CD are the last two tracks. Dessay brings all her gifts to a climax with a marvelous performance of the Ophélie's Mad and Death Scenes from 'Hamlet' by Ambroise Thomas. This version of the Mad Scene is even better than her previous rendition on her last recital of French arias. This is a highly emotional interpretation where all the brilliant scales and cadenzas reflect the changing moods of Ophelie's madness and her despair as well as her innocence. This is the definitive performance of this music on records, period. The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and the Choeur 'Les Eléments', ably conducted by Michel Plasson, complement Dessay beautifully. In summary, another wonderful CD by one of the most remarkable coloratura sopranos of our time.

Wonderful, but a minor quality control problem.......2004-04-02

Five stars for Natalie Dessay, who has an incredible instrument, and a great selection of arias. But I've listened to 4 copies of this disc and each had a very short "click" at 2:22 on track 2 (the Gavotte from Manon). Must be a quality control problem. Maybe it was just a bad batch.

Anyway, Dessay's voice is a force of nature; she must be one of the greatest coloraturas ever. I prefer her live version of Handel's "Tornami" from Alcina to Sutherland's. And she's incredible on Orphee Aux Enfers - not only a wonderful singer, but obviously a great actress and comedienne.

So, if you've not heard her before, give this album a try - ignore the "click" and listen to a truly angelic voice.

Tracks:

Casta Diva
Una Voce Poco Fa
Lascia Ch'lo Pianga
Qui La Voce Sua Soave...Ah! Rendetemi La Speme...Vien, Diletto
D'amor Sull'ali Rosee
Werther! Qui M'aurait Dit La Place...Des Cris Joyeux D'enfants
Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins...Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle - Nicolas Rivenq
Non! Non!...Ah! Je Veux Vivre Dans Le Reve
L'amour Est Enfant De Boheme
Carreau, Pique...La Mort! En Vain Pour Eviter Les Responses
Depuis Le Jour
Vissi D'arte
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
O Mio Babbino Caro

Customer Reviews:

I know... it's not helpful if I don't agree with you, but...........2006-10-26

This is a collection of previously released arias so there's nothing new if you were looking to see if she had improved or something which I was.
Angela has a lovely voice and is lovely to look at. These things are obvious. But one does ask if we have made what you look like more important than what you sound like in opera. I can hear that she sings flat quite a bit. Her rendition of "Depuis le jour" is truly awful. Tremulous, and under pitched singing make it difficult to bear listening to. (If you want to hear a great one check out a young Leontyne Price or Sills) Angela has really great phrasing which makes the under pitched singing all that more of a mystery. Also her low notes, which can be raspy and breathy are very unattractive- as well her transitions between chest & head voice are really glaringly bad. She also slows things down sometimes not out of dramatic effect but when she needs more time to make a "beautiful sound" (something Kiri used to do too.) Which I'm sure the average composer if asked would not be too keen on. Her pronounciation is suspect too. I've heard a tripthong on her Italian vowel u many times. I know, she's from somewhere other than Italy- but so are most opera singers. If one is proclaiming themselves a DIVA then these things should be already taken care of - in my humble opinion- which doesn't matter because she's sold tons of recordings. I listened to the whole CD then admit to having given it away to a friend. Is this the Emperor's clothing or am I the only one that can hear these things? If she had bad phrasing but sang on pitch I would overlook that in view of the loveliness of her voice- but let's face it, these aren't Pendereckian compositions with suggestions for pitches- the composers wrote the pitches indicated for a reason. Sounds like I'm being too harsh? well, I feel the same way about Andrea Boccelli- lovely voice, flat way too much of the time. So now the whole world can hate me for thinking 2 commercial successes don't sing on pitch with the consistency expected at this level.
I know... this isn't helpful because you disagree. It's okay, there may be one person out there who would like an honest opinion even if they disagree, after all, I did cover, in detail, the perfomance and the performer and isn't *that* what these reviews are here for? to help people decide? :)

A True Diva.......2006-04-15

Her interpretation of Casta Diva revealed that Gheorghiu was the true Diva here, sensitive, expressive and yet dignified. She is a wholistic mixture, melting together her talents of beautiful voice, perfect technique and dramatic expression, which not only applies to each song, but often to the phrase or word level. She can convey the emotion of the piece without putting her voice in physical distress. She can also dial in the appropriate amount of "darkness" in her voice for the occasion and dramatic effect.

I do not think she sounded like Callas, whose voice appeared to be stronger and thicker, but less pure and agile than Angela's. Callas always seemed to have some tension in her voice, loud or soft. Gheorghiu can relax or tense up her voice as needed, increasing the dramatic effect, in both her low and higher registers. Finally Angela's lower voice is unmatched in its expressiveness and unstressed purity.

This CD is highly recommended but in order to experience her full artistic talents, including acting, get her DVDs.

Excellent voice!.......2006-02-24

If Maria Callas had a great voice, it would have sounded like this.

A Diva ? A Copycat.......2005-12-24

Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu's "Diva" album: Is this supposed to be a tribute to Maria Callas ? Every time I hear Gheorghiu sing, she sounds like Maria Callas. She's a soprano who is riding on the wave of Maria Calla's past fame. Their voices are very similar..ie. If you put on a Maria Callas record album of the same arias (most notably "Casta Diva", "Una Voce Poco Fa", "D'amor Sull'ari Rosee" "Je Veux Vivre", "Depuis Le Jour" "Vissi D'Arte and "O Mio Babbino Caro." Gheorghiu is an attractive, Mediterrenean-looking woman and her voice is a lot like Callas. I'm assuming audiences adore her because their guilty secret is that they want to see a Maria Callas re-born once more. But on the risk of being too critical, I will admit she has more beautiful tones. She and her husband Roberto Alagna sit on top of the opera world as its most charming, exciting couple/performers. Gheorghiu has a beautiful voice, with dramatic bite and radiant lyrical capacities. However, she has hard one too many Callas records and copied them.

UH WILL THE REAL CALLAS PLEASE STAND UP?.......2004-11-22

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY TIME I HEAR HER SING SHE SOUNDS LIKE MY OLD RECORDINGS OF CALLAS?? THIS CHICK NEVER SEEMS TO DO ANYTHING ORGINAL!!! IN THE ENTIRE CD I FELT LIKE I RATHER LISTEN TO CALLAS THAN TO THIS CALLAS WANNABE

Average customer rating:

Must-Love Songs

8 Women
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

8 Women
Souviens: Toi de M'Oublier

ASIN: B00007GZJL
Release Date: 2002-12-17

Tracks:

8 Femmes 8 Fleurs
Papa T'es Plus Dans L'coup - Ludivine Sagnier
Message Personnel - Isabelle Huppert
A Quoi Sert De Vivre Libre - Fanny Ardant
Mon Amour Mon Ami - Virginie Ledoyen
Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul - Firmine Richard
Pile Ou Face - Emmanuelle Beart
Toi Jamais - Catherine Deneuve
Il N'y A Pas D'amour Heureux - Danielle Darrieux
Theme 8 Femmes (Generique De Fin)
La Fenetre
Confession Du Suzon
Augustine S'evanouit
Pierrette Seule
Augustine Seule
Portrait De Gaby
Envie D'etre Belle
Complicite Feminine
La Baiser
La Machination
Fin

Amazon.com

French director François Ozon's international hit manages to spoof both convoluted film whodunits and overblown Hollywood musicals: Agatha Christie as envisioned by Baz Luhrmann. One of the romp's chief joys is having eight of modern French cinema's most accomplished actresses take their turns in elaborately staged song and dance numbers, performances that compose this soundtrack's first half. Those showcases range from Ludivine Sagnier's loopy, '60s a-go-go take on "Papa T'es Plus dans L'Coup" through Fanny Ardant's breezy Parisian jazz, Isabelle Huppert's world-weary "Message Personnel," and Catherine Deneuve's tango-tinged "Toi Jamais." Coupled with Krishna Levy's masterfully earnest orchestral score (which offers a few fond nods to such '40s Bernard Herrmann romantic classics as Jane Eyre), the film's campy delights are crucially delivered deadpan and with nary a knowing wink, a tack that ensures its musical triumph--tongue firmly in cheek, or otherwise. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

8 Women is the story of 8 women trapped in the house of a murdered man. One of the women is the culprit, and suspicious and mistrust run wild as they try to outwit and out maneuver one another. This French hit by filmmaker Francois Ozon has wowed audiences across Europe and the U.S. Academy Award winner Catherine Deneuve leads the star-studded cast, which boasts the best-known and most talented women of French cinema. Eight songs off the soundtrack feature the vocal talents of each of these eight actresses. The score is by Krishna Levy. Rhino. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Must-Love Songs.......2006-03-10

Nice songs, and especially for students of French like myself. Good for enriching the vocabulary and music to the ears. The movie 8 femmes is a must see-too.

Average customer rating:

Valuable compendium
Rareties available on CD at last!
Heavenly
WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Voice of the Century

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

YET ANOTHER CALLAS COLLECTION

Maria Callas: The Platinum Collection

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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

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Maria Callas Live
Maria Callas: The Legend
La Divina 2
The Very Best Of Maria Callas
Maria Callas, the Voice of the Century

ASIN: B000B6OD0G
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Puccini: Un bel di vedremo (from Madama Butterfly)
Bizet: L'zmour est un oiseau rebelle - Habanera (from Carmen)
Catalini: Ebben? ne andro lontana (from La Wally)
Rossini: Una voca poco fa (from Il Barbiere di Siviglia)
Bellini: Casta Diva (from Norma)
Saint-Saens: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (from Samson et Dalila)
Verdi: Gualtier Malde... Caro nome (from Rigoletto)
Verdi: Sempre libera (from La Traviata)
Gounod: Ah! Je veux vivre dans ce reve (from Romeo et Juliette)
Puccini: Si. Mi chiamano Mimi (from La Boheme)
Mozart: Mi tradi quell'alma ingrate (from Don Giovanni)
Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma (from Cavalleria Rusticana)
Ponchielli: Suicidio! (from La Gioconda)
Puccini: O mio babbino caro (from Gianni Schicchi)
Puccini: In questa reggia (from Turandot)
Puccini: Vissi d'arte (from Tosca)

Tracks:

Giordano: La mamma morte (from Andrea Chenier)
Spontini: O nume tutelar (from La Vestale)
Massenet: Je ne suis que faiblesse... Adieu, notre petite table (from Manon)
Puccini: Oh, saro la piu bella... Tu, tu, amore? (from Manon Lescaut)
Bizet: Pres des ramparts de Seville - Seguedille (from Carmen)
Rossini: Dunque io son (from Il Barbiere di Siviglia)
Delibes: Dov'e l;indiana brune? - Bell Song (from Lakme)
Verdi: Qui Radames verra .... O partria mia (from Aida)
Puccini: O soave fanciulla (from La Boheme)
Puccini: Signore, ascolta! (from Turandot)
Leoncavallo: Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!... Hui! Stridono lassu (from Pagliacci)
Verdi: D'amor sull'ali rosee (from Il Trovatore)
Puccini: Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino (from Madama Butterfly)
Meyerbeer: Ombra leggera - Shadow Song (from Dinorah)

Tracks:

Gluck: Divinites du Styx (from Alceste)
Bizet: Les tringles des sistres tintaient - Chanson boheme (from Carmen)
Verdi: Surta e la notte... Ernani! Ernani, involami (from Ernani)
Puccini: il quelle trine morbide (from Manon Lescaut)
Verdi: Ritorna vincitor! (from Aida)
Gluck: J'ai perdu mon Eurydice (from Orphee et Eurydice)
Verdi: Merce, dilette amiche - Bolero (from I Vespri Siciliani)
Charpentier: Depuis le jour (from Louise)
Puccini: Donde lieta usci (from La Boheme)
Thomas: Ah, pour ce soir... Je suis Titania - Polanaise (from Mignon)
Verdi: Teneste la promessa... Addio, del passato (from La Traviata)
Verdi: O don fatale (from Don Carlo)
Saint-Saens: Printemps qui commence (from Samson et Dalila)
Bellini: Compagne, teneri amicic... Come per sereno...Sovra il sen (from
Cilea: Ecco: respiro appena. Io son l'umile ancella (from Andriana Lecouvreur)
Donizetti: Spargi d'amaro pianto (from Lucia di Lammermoor)

Customer Reviews:

YET ANOTHER CALLAS COLLECTION.......2006-02-08

I find that I'm beginning to agree with Herbert Breslin, who wrote in his book "The King and I" (which deals with his years as Pavarotti's manager) that "EMI has managed to convince the public that Maria Callas is still alive". Undoubtedly, EMI has made a fortune on Callas -------- complete operas, live recordings of operas, recitals, previously unpublished arias, and the like ------- and is showing no signs of slowing up promoting her recordings. There is no other operatic artist whose recordings are being promoted and marketed the way Callas' are. Obviously, the fascination continues. Is all of this warranted? Obviously, to judge by the sales of her recordings, most definitely "yes". Callas the artist is represented in this collection with arias and scenes recorded in different times of her short but spectacular career. The items recorded in the early and middle 1950's are vocally more secure than those recorded after 1960. What IS incredible are the different colors and hues that Callas had in her voice ---- she comes off as kind of an operatic Lon Chaney ("Man of a Thousand Faces")and manages to forge her imprint into virtually every item on included on this disc. What other soprano - living or historical---could sing such a wide repertoire which incorporated so many different vocal styles? This alone is reason to value Callas ------- as well as for her brains and incredible musicianship. Certainly we have hard more externally beautiful voices, but virtually none of them have had the sheer individuality of Maria Callas. This collection is certainly a great place to sample her art. I warn you ---- her art is addictive.

Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias

Average customer rating:

Swenson Coloratura?
A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson
A True Successor
It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it!
Positively golden...!

Ruth Ann Swenson - Positively Golden ~ Colaratura Arias
Gaetano Donizetti , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Vincenzo Bellini , Charles Gounod , Nicola Rescigno , London Philharmonic Orchestra , and Ruth Ann Swenson
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Ruth Ann Swenson - Con Amore ~ Italian Opera Arias / Rudel, London SO
Ruth Ann Swenson - i carry your heart / Warren Jones
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella
Arie da Opere
Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer

ASIN: B000002RTG
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Linda di Chamounix. Act I Recitative and Cavatina: Ah! tardi troppo...O luce di quest' anima
Lucia di Lammermoor.Act I Cavatina: Regnava nel silenzio...Quando, rapito in estasi
I Puritani.Act II Aria: O rendetemi la speme...Que la voce... Vien. diletto
La Sonnambula. Act I Scene and Cavatina: A te diletta... Come per me sereno... Sovra il sen
Romeo et Juliette. Act I Ariette: Je veux vivre
L'Africaine. Act I Romance: Adieu, Mon doux revage... Pour celle qui M'est chere
Les Huguenots. Act II Aria: O Beau pays de la touraine!...A ce Mot seuls'anime
Dinorah. Act II Aria: Ombre legere, qui suis mes pas ( Shadow Song)

Customer Reviews:

Swenson Coloratura? .......2007-03-22

WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO HEAR THE BEAUTY OF THE HUMAN VOICE? PLEASE, Listen to the Coloraturas of the Golden Age. This young lady's singing is muddled, hooty, there is no center to the tone and the articulation is muffled. Absolutely no brilliance to the voice. These singers, and even moreso their teachers, should listen to Nezhdanova, Muzio and more. Alas, it is too late - the Golden Age of Singing will not return as long as the correct frequency of the human voice is not developed. 1 Star for the conductor

A nice introduction to Ruth Ann Swenson.......2007-02-09

Ruth Ann Swenson takes on some standard coloratura roles from Bellini and Donizetti and then some examplars from the French repertoire (Gounod and Meyerbeer). In this CD, we see a number of examples of the standard technique of Bellini and Donizetti, with a cabaletta following a slower work. As the Wikipedia puts it: The cabaletta is a "form of aria within 19th century Italian opera. It usually refers specifically to the second half of a double aria: a faster or more rhythmic movement following a cantabile section. . . . Classic examples include "Vien diletto, è in ciel la luna" from I Puritani by Bellini (1835). . . ."

Some samples of her style from this CD. In Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," we are treated to Swenson's version of "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quanto rapito in estasi." Hers is a somewhat darker, heavier voice than that of Dessay or Sills (more similar to Netrebko and Callas in that regard). Still the voice is agile; her trill technique is adequate but not noteworthy. In the cabaletta, she shows agility and her florid technique is fine. She is able to hit the higher notes well. In the repeat of "Quanto rapito in estasi," she is fine, but not at the level of top coloraturas such as Dessay or Sills or Sutherland.

Bellini's "I Puritani" features the standard cantabile-cabaletta structure as per the Wikipedia's description above, "Qui la voce. . .Vien, diletto." Classic coloratura territory. In the first part, she shows a nice smoothly sung line. In the cabaletta, she hits the high notes cleanly, Her florid technique is fine but not exciting. Her trills are adequate but not wonderful. In the repeat, her ornamentation moves up a jot. All in all, a competently done--but not exciting--version.

From Bellini's "La Sonnambula," we have "A ti deletta. . .Sovra il sen." Again, Swenson does a technically sound version. There is a very nice trill early on. She floats some higher notes very well. The cabaletta is fine, her florid technique is good, she shows off in this cut a nice trill, and she closes out with a well executed high note.

All in all, Ruth Ann Swenson comes off as a good coloratura soprano with fine technique. She lacks some of the firepower and technique of the top performers, but this is a nice CD in the final analysis.

A True Successor.......2004-03-15

Ruth Ann Swenson is one of the finest coloratura sopranos singing today. Her voice is a seamless, pearly-timbred instrument; her technique is rock-solid. In her first solo CD (recorded in 1993) Swenson concentrates on the bel canto repertory and gives us some of the most assured singing in this since Joan Sutherland. My favorite track is the Act I aria from LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, in which Swenson conveys Lucia's horror in a stream of eerily pure tone, which then sparkles in the cabaletta, "Quando, rapito in estasi." In both beauty of sound and coloratura virtuosity, Swenson is a very worthy successor to Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe. "Positively Golden" is, so far, my favorite coloratura recital next to Sutherland's "The Art of the Prima Donna."

It's only showbiz, but she is real good at it!.......2001-12-01

Ruth Ann Swenson is like Michael Jordan - a supremely gifted & disciplined athlete, & also a freak of nature. The great basketball player shatters the backboard, the colortura soprano shatters the wine glass. Composers use the colortura aria to show off a certain kind of composing that requires an unreal voice. It's strictly showbiz. Conveying a character - that demonstration of peculiar, exaggerated emotions many opera fans call "acting" - is completely optional. So just crank up the volume, sit back, & let Ms. Swenson raise goosebumps on your neck. That's the job Gounod, Bellini, Donizetti & Meyerbeer gave her to do. & boy, does she do it swell!

Positively golden...!.......2000-06-08

I first heard Ruth Ann Swenson when she was in the Merola Opera Program at SFO, saw and heard her on several occasions that year and have followed her career with interest since then. This album showcases the beauty and perfection of Miss Swenson's voice, and immediately became one of my most favorite coloratura soprano arias recordings.

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Alagna, van Dam, Dessay, Vaduva, Jo, Lascarro, Dubosc, Ragon, Sénéchal, Bacquier, Lamprecht, Nagano

Average customer rating:

Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved
The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot
Hoffman contines to elude the recording world
Excellent but not definitive
O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?

Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Alagna, van Dam, Dessay, Vaduva, Jo, Lascarro, Dubosc, Ragon, Sénéchal, Bacquier, Lamprecht, Nagano
Jacques Offenbach , Roberto Alagna , Natalie Dessay , Kent Nagano , Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon , Leontina Vaduva , Sumi Jo , José van Dam , Catherine Dubosc , Gilles Ragon , Gabriel Bacquier , Doris Lamprecht , and Juanita Lascarro
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Donizetti: Lucie de Lammermoor; Natalie Dessay, Roberto Alagna
Russian Album

ASIN: B000005E4D
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Prelude - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 1, Scene 1: Glou! Glou! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets de la muse: La verite, dit-on, sortait d'un puits - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Elle est sur la scene, un peuple l'acclame - La Muse - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 2: Le conseiller Lindorf, morbleu! - Lindorf, Andres - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 3: Vayons? Pour Hoffmann! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Dans les roles d'amoureux - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Deux heures devant moi - Scene 4: Vite, vite, qu'on se remue! - Lindorf, Luther - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: Choeur des Etudiants - Drig, drig - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vrai Dieu! Mes amis - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Eh! Luther! Ma grosse tonne - Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Bonjour, amis! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets and Andante: Va pour Kleinzach! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Peuh! Cette biere est detestable! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Duo: Et par ou votre Diablerie - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Simple echange de politesse - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je vous dis, moi - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ma maitresse? - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Final: Messieurs, on va lever le rideau! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Lindorf, Luther, Nathanael, Hermann, Wolfram, Wilhelm - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Act 2: Entracte - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 1: La! Dors en paix - Spalanzani - Scene 2: Ah! Bonjour! Enchacte! - Spalanzani, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Fais allumer partout! - Spalanzani, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 4: Allons! Courage et confiance! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Pardieu! J'etais bien sur - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Couplets: Une poupee aux yeux d'email - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 5: C'est moi, Coppelius! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Je me nomme Coppelius - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: J'ai deux jeux, de beaux yeux - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Serviteur - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Ange du ciel, est-ce bien toi? - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Coppelius - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 6: Hein! Vous! - Hoffmann, Coppelius, Spalanzani - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 7: Choeur des Invites: Non aucun hote vraiment - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Vous serez satisfaits, messieurs - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 8: Mesdames et Messieurs - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Mesdames et Meisseurs, fiere de vos bravos - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Air: Les oiseaux dans la charmille - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Mon ami! Quel accent! - Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Nicklausse, Olympia, Cochenille - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 9: Ils se sont eloignes! Enfin! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Vivre deux! - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Tu me fuis? - Hoffmann, Olympia - Scene 10: Eh! morbleu! modere ton zele! - Hoffmann, Nicklausse - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 11: Voleur! Brigand! Quelle deroute! - Coppelius - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Scene 12: En place les danseurs - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Voila! Assez, assez, ma fille - Kent Nagano
Les Contes D' Hoffmann: Ah! Quoi? L'homme aux lunettes, la! - Spalanzani, Cochenille, Hoffmann, Olympia, Nicklausse, Coppelius - Kent Nagano

Tracks:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act 3: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Elle a fui, la tourterelle - Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Malheureuse enfant! - Crespel, Antonia - Scene 3: Desespoir! Tout a l'heure, encore! - Crespel - Scene 4: Frantz! n'ouvre a personne! - Crespel, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre - Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Frantz, c'est ici! - Hoffmann, Frantz - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Enfin je vais savoir pourquoi - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: Vois sous l'archet fremissant - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: C'est une chanson d'amour - Hoffmann, Antonia, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 8: Ah! Je le savais bien - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! J'ai le bonheur dans l'ame - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Pourtant, o ma fiancee - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Viens la comme autrefois - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Qu'as-tu donc? - Antonia, Hoffmann - Scene 9: Rien! J'ai cru qu'Hoffmann etait ici! - Hoffmann, Crespel, Frantz, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 10: Pour conjurer la danger - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Allons, parle! et sois bref! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: J'ai la certains flacons - Miracle, Crespel, Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 11: Ne plus chanter - Hoffmann, Antonia - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 12: Tu ne chanteras plus? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Quelle est cette voix? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ta mere, oses-tu l'interroger? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Non! Assez! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ja cede au transport qui m'enivre! - Miracle, Antonia, La Voix - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 13: Mon enfant, ma fille! - Crespel, Antonia, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Miracle - Jacques Offenbach

Tracks:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act IV: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Messieurs, silence! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Recit et Chant bachique: Et moi, ce n'est pas la - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Amis, l'amour tendre et reveur - Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Je vois qu'on est en fete! - Schlemil, Giulietta, Pitchinaccio, Hoffmann - Scene 3: Au premier reve je t'enleve - Nicklausse, Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 4: Tourne, tourne, miroir - Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 5: Cher ange! - Dapertutto, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 6: Melodrame: Vivat! J'ai tout gagne! - Giulietta, Schlemil, Dapertutto - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 7: Giulietta, palsembleu! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Air de Giulietta: Vous ne jouez pas? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Que dit-elle? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Giulietta, je vous jure! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Oui, fut-ce au prix de ma vie - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Sextuor and Choeur: Helas! Je vais encore la suivre - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Morbleu! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Il a ma cle - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Ton ami dit vrai! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Romance: O Dieu, de quelle ivresse - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Jusque-la, cependant - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Si ta presence m'est ravie - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ah! Tu m'as defiee - Giulietta, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Alerte, Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voyez! Il n'a plus le moindre reflet! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Je n'aime pas qu'on me defie! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ainsi, tu mentais! - Nicklausse, Hoffmann, Dapertutto, Pitchinaccio, Giulietta - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Act V: Entracte - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 1: Choeur: Folie! Oublie tes douleurs - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Voila quelle fut l'histoire - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Choeur des Esprits et des Etudiants: Glou! Glou! - Hoffmann, Luther, Lindorf, Nathanael, Nicklausse - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Scene 2: Stella, Stella! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Couplet: Pour le coeur de Phrygne - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Denouement: Hola! Quelqu'un de fort pour emporter Hoffmann! - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Ingrat! Et moi? - Jacques Offenbach
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Adieu! Je t'abandonne - Andres, Hoffmann, Nicklausse, Stella, La Muse, Lindorf - Jacques Offenbach

Amazon.com

Of all the revisionist Hoffmanns, this one is the best, using the latest (and one trusts) last version of Michael Kaye's edition, based on sketches recently discovered for the unfinished opera. Most of the changes are in the Giulietta act; it now tracks better dramatically, and unlike some restoration attempts, its length is sensible. In the title role, Roberto Alagna is full of imaginative touches of characterization, singing the famous Kleinzach song with an intentional vocal roughness in a worthy effort to convey the Hoffmann's debauched state. As the mechanical doll Olympia, Natalie Dessay proves she's not only a phenomenal singer but a great comedienne. Kent Nagano deploys his Lyon Opera forces with great stylistic authority. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Not a flawless version, but one to be REALLY loved.......2006-05-09

This is a recording with significant highs and lows. But in overall it is an excellent account of this wonderfully tuneful and beloved opera.
First, about the edition. The Kaye edition restores a lot of music including recitatives written by Offenbach and a number of musical numbers. It also goes for the Guiraud recitatives which some versions totally omit and replace by the dialogues which Offenbach likely might have intended. Compared to, say, the historical Sutherland/Domingo/Bonynge version, this version is significantly longer and more substantial, musically speaking. With more than 30 minutes of music compared to the Bonynge edition, it is understandable why the Kaye version needs up to 3 CDs to bear the substantial amount of music.
While fans of Contes d'Hoffmann would likely be grateful at the ressurrection of so much musical material, I personally find this version sometimes just too painfully long. The Guiraud recitatives sometimes simply are bland and cause the opera to just drag along. Yes, Guiraud obviously has a lot of skills and bright ideas in these recitatives, mostly shown by the quoting of music by Offenbach in these recitatives to give the opera a better sense of unison. But compared to the simpler recitatives that Offenbach himself wrote, the Guiraud sometimes just seems aloof. Unless you really have a lot of time, you might want to stick to the more important musical numbers. Also, the new ending, with Hoffmann facing the Muse in the apotheose is a wonderful ensemble, with sounds from the church organ that gives the scene its necessary "holy" feel.
Now to the singers. Alagna has a masculine voice and is dramatically very effective. He also has a perfect French diction-crisp, idiomatic and a real joy to listen to. His instrument naturally is not very beautiful; and I personally find his Hoffmann a bit beefy and hysterical; but his good understanding of the role still helps him come across as a better Hoffmann. The best Hoffmann is in my opinion either Domingo or Schicoff.
The ladies are provided with quite a luxury cast. Natalie Dessay's Olympia is perhaps second only to Sutherland and Sills. To everyone who honors La Stupenda's E flats, listen: Dessay presents the role of the mechanical doll with FOUR Gs, yes 4 full-voiced, stunning, jaw-dropping Gs!!! Musically speaking, Dessay is not as comedic as Sutherland; her tone is a little thin and nasal but her coloratura and lovely portrayal of the role is simply untterly convincing.
Vaduva's Antonia is excellent: excellent diction, girly tone and very successfully portrays the youngsinger's vulnerability and sensibility. She however lacks power in the trio and that C sharp falls flat. Her "Elle a fui la tourterelle" is however wonderfully touching and moving. The best Antonia, in my opinion, is Victoria de Los Angeles. To one of the reviewers here, Vaduva is not a Slavic singer. She is a French singer of Romanian origin. A totally Latin singer!
Sumi Jo portrays a very convincing Giulietta with very believable spinto qualities, which she provides effectively with chaning in tone. The rediscovered coloratura, with a couple of E flats and spellbinding runs, well, brings the wonderful Korean coloratura soprano to her prime best. Her French is surprisingly idiomatic.
Lascarro's got a small role as Stella. I personally don't like her tone; but she is good enough in the beautiful apotheose ensemble.
Jose Van Dam's quartet villain almost matches Bacquier's famous portrayal. His voice is not as dark or evil-sounding as Bacquier's but still gives a top-notch interpretation. His doctor Miracle might have been the best on record if he took some of those melodramatic laughs in the Trio. His reluctance, combined with Vaduva's small voice, creates a flat Trio. This being said, the French bass's quartet of villains stills ranks among the undisputed best. My favorite villain quartet, Gabriel Bacquier has a cameo role here as Crespel, which he does a great job.
Gilles Ragon's a good tenor and his stuttering in the portrayal of Cochenille is very convincing. I however find him a bit too serious and heavy for these tenore buffo roles. The same can be said for Senechal's Spalanzani. Compared to Charon's Spalanzani on the Bonynge recording, he is very unfunny. The "brigand! Bandit!" quarrel after the destruction of the doll is bland and lifeless.
Catherine's Dubosc has a lovely voice and does great job as Nicklausse. There is nothing to criticize about her singing qualities. My only objection is that the casting of this trouser role for a soprano harms the overall balance of the opera: 5 soprano roles and 1 mezzo role (the voice of the mother): this is not a good balance. The Barcarolle duet, in particular, suffers from both a misbalance and a ridiculous fast tempo.
Kent Nagano's conducting does not have the solid tempos of Bonynge and sometimes overwhelms the singers: most notably in that C sharp of the Trio. But he has really interesting ideas and provides invaluable support.
With the exception of a bland Spalanzani, some strange tempos and the unusual length of the edition, this is a very good Hoffmann. Together with the Bonynge version, this is another very good all-around recording. The set is a tad expensive, but given the substantial amount of music and a very informative booklet, this is a recording to really consider. It will provide a lot of listening pleasures. You will not be disappointed.

The best of a mediocre-to-bad lot.......2003-10-30

I have heard six recordings of "Hoffmann," an opera that is particularly dear to me for sentimental reasons. None of them are perfect, all have flaws, but on balance this is the best of the lot.

Now that musicologists have finished playing with the Mahler 10th Symphony (which ended rather well) and the Beethoven 10th (which ended rather badly), they have been taking a whack at "Hoffmann," rushing to revise music the composer never sanctioned and adding music found in buckets and boxes long after his death. My personal feeling was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it: you're not Offenbach, and to speak for him requires a tremendous amount of chutzpah. And a lot of the revisions, to my ear, simply do not work well, such as turning Giulietta into a coloratura soprano, spinning out an aria that ends much like Olympia's doll song as on this recording.

I'm also not fond of switching the Antonia and Giulietta acts from their traditional positions for both dramatic and musical reasons. To begin with, having the "tales" end with Antonia gives Hoffmann's character a certain sense of redemption that simply isn't there the other way. Also, the Giulietta act is musically the weakest: as primiarily an operetta composer, Offenbach simply had a hard time creating music for this act which is darker and more tensely dramatic than anything else in the work. The superp trio that climaxes the Antonia act, on the other hand, is one of the most brilliant and transcendent things he wrote.

That being said, there is much to admire in this set. Kent Nagano conducts briskly, which is his wont, thereby tying together the music in a cohesive and satisfying way where others (particularly Cluytens and Cambreling) sound slow and rambling. On the other hand, his chorus of the spirits, though light and brisk, just misses the rapt, enchanting sound achieved by Bonynge; and though it was probably Offenbach's intent to have only a few strings play the violin motif in the Antonia trio, they sound too thin, not sweeping or driven enough, for the dramatic situation. Nagano also conducts the famed "Barcarolle" at a shade-too-fast tempo, thus robbing the music of its mysterious charm (even Arthur Fiedler made a better recording of the instrumental version). These moments point to a lack of "theatricality" in Nagano's conducting style that Bonynge, Rudel and even Beecham managed to capture.

Alagna is not as suavely beautiful or haunting in the role as Robert Rounseville or Stuart Burrows were. This is something of an abrupt, nervous reading, though if one knows something about E.T.A. Hoffmann and his tales it is perfectly in keeping with his character. (I have yet, however, to see ANY tenor perform the role made up to LOOK like Hoffmann, a scrawny little man with a square jaw, popping eyes and a shock of unruly, frizzy hair. I guess no tenor really wants to look like that!)

This is unquestionably the finest performance Dessay has ever recorded: her voice is brilliant, in focus, on pitch and wonderfully secure. Only Bond in the Beecham performance and Sutherland come close, though I personally feel that Sutherland was funnier in the role. She had a real flair for comedy, whereas she did not possess enough personal warmth for Antonia or Giulietta.

The Sutherland recording also had the best "villains" in Gabriel Bacquier in his prime, but to my ears Van Dam is an excellent second. (Treigle, in the Sills set, was good but not great, his somewhat gruff voice rather overwhelimg the roles with too much histrionics.)

Vaduva has a pretty tone but your typical "Slavic wobble," more noticeable in the early and late parts of her act. For some reason, the voice is better focused in the middle sections, but she does not efface memories of de los Angeles who was the best Antonia ever.

Jo is surprisingly good as Giulietta: though her voice is even smaller than Dessay's, it had a fuller lyric sound in the mid-range which captured well on records. (I have beel told that her "live" career is just about over on stage as the voice is too small to carry in most modern theaters.) I liked Margherita Grandi in the old Beecham film, but a chesty, spinto Giulietta is apparently persona non grata in the new Michael Kaye edition of the work.

Dubosc is a good Nicklausse, though I preferred Tourangeau and the singer (I forget her name) from the Beecham film. Bacquier, with far less voice, is still predictably good as Crespel; the timeless Senechal is a classic Spalanzani; Ragon is an excellent Cochenille, not so memorable as Franz. (I miss Andrea Velis, the old Met comp, who was brilliant in these roles but was never recorded in them.) The other small roles range from excellent (Tezier as Schlemil) to poor (Juanita Lascarre as Stella).

An ideal modern "Hoffmann" would have Elisabeth Vidal as Olympia, Hong as Antonia, Fleming as Giulietta, Alvarez as Hoffmann, Rene Pape as the three villains, and someone like Pappano or Plasson conducting.....but we can dream all we want. The era of complete opera recordings, according to many inside sources, is over as we know it--even the Bobby & Angela act is being shelved--so we must pick from what we have, and this is simply the finest over all "Hoffmann" on record, with Bonynge's being a good second choice, though I do not like Domingo's hard-voiced, beefy Hoffmann.

Hoffman contines to elude the recording world.......2001-10-03

This is a very good Hoffman, with the new edition of the score and a lot more music than in earlier editions. There is MUCH here to be admired and enjoyed as there is in the classic Domingo/Sutherland recording.

I prefer Domingo's more passionate Hoffman to Alagna's workmanlike effort, which is still quite fine.

On the other hand, having different female vocalists, as this recording does is preferable to my ear than having the same throughout as the Domingo/Sutherland recording does. The three female leads here range from good (Dessay) to excellent (Jo). Having heard Sumi Jo sing Olympia on record and in person, I find it hard to enjoy Dessay's quite as much. Jo is here as Antonia however.

No single recording of Hoffman is clearly preferable and listening to each is recommended. In the meanwhile, there is still an opening here for a more fully satisying Hoffman.

Excellent but not definitive.......2001-04-20

This recording has given me many hours of listening pleasure. Pretty much every artist featured in it gives an excellent performance, and the greatness of Offenbach's opera is conveyed more fully than can be done by other performances that contain less of what he composed for "Hoffmann" before his untimely death. However, the recording has several specific faults that result in my giving it only 4 stars, even though it is among my favorite operatic recordings.

First, the good points. Listening to this recording one definitely thinks of the opera's characters rather than the artists portraying them.... I find Alagna's voice quite beautiful on this recording and feel that he portrays the character of Hoffmann with spectacular success....

Van Dam is one of the recording's great assets as the villains. The three main heroines are each memorable(.).......(Jo's) interpretation of Giulietta's long-lost coloratura aria is spectacular and features a spine-chilling moment in her climactic cadenza ...she sings a rising series of notes almost identical to one sung by Dessay as Olympia in Act II, emphasizing the connection of the heroines. ...Lascarro does a very good job in the small role of Stella (....Dubosc is excellent as the Muse and Nicklausse, giving a truly memorable performance of nearly the entire role. Unfortunately, Nicklausse's Antonia-act aria, arguably the artistic and emotional heart of the entire opera ...,seems somehow disappointing on this recording. Dubosc's voice does not cut through the orchestra as it should when she sings in her lower register, and as a result the aria fails to have the cathartic impact on me that it has when I have heard it in Metropolitan Opera broadcasts. .... Ragon gives an excellent, highly memorable performance in the four "grotesque" roles.

Now I may turn to the disappointing features of this recording. ....(T)his recording contains no extra-musical sound effects whatsoever. To a certain extent this is a valid approach to recording an opera. The problem is that "Hoffmann" contains an unusually high number of passages which were composed with the extra-musical sounds that would be heard from the stage in mind and which lack some of their intended impact without sound effects. The effectiveness of the students' drinking song is reduced when we don't hear them banging their glasses together and on the tables, and without the winding-up sound the pauses in Olympia's song when she runs down make less sense. We also should hear Coppelius smashing Olympia, Hoffmann and Schlemil moving around heavily as they duel, the death-gasp of another character who dies in the new ending of the Giulietta act (I won't spoil the unfamiliar twists of plot here), and various other sound effects which would add to the drama of the story. Moreover, Van Dam's villains never laugh except when their laughter is notated in the score, even though the libretto specifies some additional evil laughs, notably the one as Dr. Miracle disappears and Antonia falls dying at the end of the trio for Miracle, Antonia and the voice of Antonia's mother.

One of the main problems with the recording is that Van Dam, Ragon and Dubosc are the only performers to play multiple roles. Not only are the heroines played by four different sopranos, but none of the artists who play Luther and the students reappear in other roles in the acts devoted to Hoffmann's three stories. All of this goes against what are presumed to be Offenbach's wishes for his opera, despite the fact that this is a recording of Kaye's critical edition (in its "grand opera" version). Moreover, this recording was, unfortunately, made before Offenbach's own finished finale for the Giulietta act, written very shortly before his death, became available for inclusion in Kaye's edition. ....

Finally, it seems bizarre that the aria "Scintille, diamant," which has been one of the most popular numbers in the opera for a long time, is not included on this recording. ....

Despite these flaws, this recording is recommended. It is extremely enjoyable and represents the totality of Offenbach's intentions for "Hoffmann" more fully than any other recording currently available. One hopes that a new recording of Kaye's edition, with the definitive ending for the Giulietta act and with a single soprano playing all four heroines, will be made in the not-too-distant future.

O Dieu, de quelle ivresse embrasse-tu mon âme?.......1999-11-21

Comme un concert divin ta voix m'a pénétré!....

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ariette: Je veux vivire dans ce reve...
Faust: L'air Des Bijoux: Ah! Je ris de mi voir si belle en ce miroir!
Mignon: Recht, Polonaise et Finale: Oui, pour ce soir, je suis reine des fees
L'Etoile du Nord: C'est bien l'air que chaque matin
Hamlet: Scen et air d'Ophelie: A vos jeux, mes amis
Louise: Depuis le jour ou je suis donnee
Mireille: La Valse: O legere hirondelle, messagere fidele
Les Hugenots: Acte II, Introduction et Air: O Beux Pays de la Touraine
Manon: Gavotte: Obeissons, quant leur voix appelle
Les pecheurs de perles: Cavatine de Leila: Mi voila a seule dans la nuit
Robinson Crusoe: Conduisez-moi verss celui que j'adore

Amazon.com

Sumi Jo is an exquisite singer, in some ways a throwback to the coloraturas of old, who could dash off high, pure sounds with ease, all the while exuding charm and grace. But unlike too many of those gone warblers, Jo also pays attention to the text--even if the texts for most of these arias tend to be pretty silly. In this new recital, she concentrates on the French repertoire, tossing these jewels at us and making us grab for more. Rarities include arias from Meyerbeer's L'Etoile du Nord, with its two- and then three-flute accompaniment (Sutherland recorded it as well) and an aria from Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe (also recorded by Dame Joan, and Yvonne Kenny--but still rare); favorites are Ophelie's Mad Scene, superbly sung and characterized, Juliette's Waltz Song, all fresh and sweet, and a nicely surprising piece of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. It's only in Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" that Jo seems out of her weight class, though the singing is still gorgeous. This is a sure bet for fans of this repertoire and a fine way to meet Sumi Jo if you haven't already. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

great album from Sumi Jo.......2006-10-20

I'm only a recent convert of the charming opera singer Sumi Jo. This is one of my favourite albums, showcasing arias of composers including Gounod, Offenbach, Bizet, and (most surprisingly) Meyerbeer.

The Meyerbeer arias are truly something. Sumi Jo should consider doing a whole album dedicated to his works, but until then, we can savour the "Les Huguenots" and "L'Etoile du Nord" arias.

Sumi Jo's voice has a fantastic, silvery quality, best-suited to the demanding arias on show here. Hers is a precision instrument that hits each and every note perfectly; never does she slide between notes or compromise the quality of the material. Perfection is a tough thing to live up to, but Sumi Jo is perfection.

I heartily recommend this album. [Erato/Warner Music 3984-23140-2]

a chanteuse on the loose.......2002-09-06

Sumi Jo is cleary at ease with the French repetoire and she has some magical moments on this cd, the Meyerbeer stuff especially. The quality of the voice is evident, and she has a certain timbre that seems particularly suited to this literature; light, but totally controlled singing reigns throughout.

Delightful.......2002-02-05

I purchased this CD as a student of coloratura literature (specifically because of "Je suis Titania") and it is my first Sumi Jo recording. While I personally find her voice a little too bright for my taste and, occasionally, she sounds slightly unstable on the top, I still wholeheartedly recommend it. Sumi Jo is an extremely clean coloratura and has a beautiful voice, even if it is something of an acquired tasts if you are used to a more lyric sound. It is no wonder she is considered one of the best coloraturas singing today. Besides praising Sumi Jo, I have to say that this is simply a wonderful collection of music; all of it is lovely! It is truly delightful to listen to.

Very Nice!.......2002-01-17

An excellent demonstration of a beautiful voice. Sumi Jo is at her best. This is a nice purchase for any lover of fine music.

customer review.......2001-08-07

I received this CD by accident as I am not very familiar with ordering from the Internet. I pondered whether or not to open it as when it is open it cannot be returned. I am really glad that I opened it. It is wonderful. I heard about this singer on NPRand it was said that a voice like hers only happens once a century or something like that. She is truly gifted and a wonderful Coloratura soprano. I suggest this CD for anyone like myself that is a high-note junkie.

Average customer rating:

Callas à Paris

Manufacturer: Capitol
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
ASIN: B000002RPO
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Music:

Music

music