Fai

Fai

Track Listings

1. Dies, Les Coses

2. Paura

3. Dies, Les Coses (Remake)

4. Cande

5. Deliria

6. Maddalena

7. Dexase Apagar

8. d'Amor

9. Faise Tarde

10. Sebastian

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa - Sherrill Milnes
Dunque Io Son - Sherrill Milnes
Contro Un Cor - Sherrill Milnes
Ah, Qual Colpo Inaspetatto! - Sherrill Milnes
E Il Sol Dell'anima... Addio! Speranza Ed Anima - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Gualtier Malde... Caro Nome - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tutte Le Feste Al Tempio... Compiuto Pur Quanto... Si, Vendetta - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
V'ho Ingannato... Lassu In Cielo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere... So Anch'io La Virtu Magica - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Pronta Io Son... Vado, Corro - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Via, Caro Sposino - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tornami A Dir Che M'ami - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
La Morale In Tutto Questo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Vilia - Beverly Sills
Ah! Je Suis Seule... Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
Cielo! Che Diverro?... Si, ferite... Dal Soggiorno... Ah! Che Spiegar - Beverly Sills
Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - John Alldis Choir
Un Di Felice, Eterea - John Alldis Choir
E Strano... Ah, Fors'e Lui... Follie! Follie!... Sempre Libera - John Alldis Choir
Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Ah! Dite Alla Giovine - John Alldis Choir
Che Fai? - John Alldis Choir
Addio Del Passato - John Alldis Choir
Parigi, O Cara - John Alldis Choir

Amazon.com

Beverly Sills hardly needs an introduction. She sang on the radio as a child and on the operatic stage as a teenager; her meteoric international career was launched by appearances in several virtually unknown bel canto operas at the New York City Opera. This compilation of arias and ensembles from some of her signature roles, recorded in the 1970s, with splendid partners like Nicolai Gedda, Alfredo Kraus, and Sherrill Milnes, displays her unique vocal and dramatic artistry at its peak. Her voice, effortlessly produced over an enormous range, is bright, pure, infinitely variable in color, inflection and intensity. Her intonation is impeccable even in huge leaps, and her breath is endless. The coloratura roulades are like strings of perfect, luminous pearls, clearly articulated in seamless legato. But this stunning technique (whose only flaw is a sometimes wide, wobbly vibrato) is never used for show; every note has life and expression, serving the music and the dramatic situation. Indeed, her characters are flesh-and-blood human beings, whose thoughts, emotions and interactions, from inwardness to ecstasy, from lamentation to overflowing joy, she projects with riveting concentration. Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville is a charming, mischievous minx who succumbs to delighted tenderness; Pamira's great scene from his Siege of Corinth shows clearly why her Metropolitan Opera debut in that role was a sensation. In Verdi's Rigoletto, Gilda's hopeful innocence turns into hopeless despair: she dies, palpably, on a floating, celestial pianissimo. In his La traviata, Violetta's initial cool, hesitant restraint gradually melts as she opens herself (and her voice) to Alfredo's ardor and the bliss of love. The vocal balance in their final duet is uncanny; its tremulous tenderness in the shadow of death breaks the heart, as does her duet with Germont. Massenet's Thais is sensuous; Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Lehár's The Merry Widow provide comic relief. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Beverly Sills - The Best.......2007-04-01

What a voice. No coloratura can compare, and she makes it seem so easy.

Beverly Sills' highs are breathtaking!.......2006-09-18

Adio del Passato is incredible! Beverly's high, floating coloratura is no less than ethereal which takes you to another world. Her voice has given me so much joy that it is hard to say one recording is better than another because I love her Mozart album equally with her Bellini/Donizetti. It is so wonderful to have these recordings captured on CD! Enjoy!

THE 2005 OPERA CD OF THE YEAR.......2006-08-19

THIS CD WAS THE BEST OPERA CD ISSUED LAST YEAR, AND HAS CAUGHT THE WORLD'S EAR IN NO TIME. I WAS BUSY WRITING IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, WHILE THE STATEOWNED FM RADIOSTATION, DEDICATED TO CULTURE, WAS SOFTLY PLAYING OPERA ARIAS IN THE BACKGROUND. SUDDENLY I HEARD THE MOST FANTASTIC RENDERING OF "SEMPRE LIBERA" FROM "LA TRAVIATA". I GOT UP, SAT BY THE RADIO AND WAITED TO KNOW WHO WAS SINGING... THEN GOT BACK TO THE COMPUTER TO ORDER THIS CD FROM AMAZON! INCREDIBLE: ONLY 17 BUCKS FOR THIS, WHILE QUITE A BIT OF TRASH IS SOLD FOR 30.40 AND MORE...
A LADY FRIEND ONCE TOLD ME SHE COULD NOT LISTEN TO THE DUET IN "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" WITH MIRELLA FRENI AND LUCIANO PAVAROTTI (RECORDED IN 1974, BY VON KARAJAN) WITHOUT CRYING. WELL, YOU CANNOT LISTEN TO SILLS IN "LA TRAVIATA" DRY-EYED, NO MATTER WHO THE TENOR IS. SHE PROJECTS THE SAME DRAMATIC FEELING OF "LA DIVINA" CALLAS WITHOUT THOSE SHRIEKED HIGHNOTES; SHE OFFERS THE SAME COLORATURA VOCAL GYMNASTICS AS "LA STUPENDA" SUTHERLAND BUT WITH WARMTH... WHEN BEVERLY SANG, AS IN EVERYTHING ELSE SHE DID, SHE ALWAYS GAVE HER UTMOST. SHE WAS "LA GENEROSA" TO BE SURE.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE READING WHAT OTHERS THINK.
ORDER THIS CD NOW AND MARVEL AT HOW THIS GREAT AMERICAN LADY, IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS, ALSO COULD SING!

EMI Does It Again: Beverly Sills - A Tribute.......2005-07-22

EMI's "Very Best Of" series are perfect introductions to operatic singers of the 20th century. Once you hear these artist tribute albums (much like The Singers series) you will get hooked on the singer and seek out their full-length studio recordings. Beverly Sills was the first truly famous American opera star. One may argue that she was not, that she was merely a continued tradition of American divas such as Mary Garden and Lily Pons and which still continues today with Renee Fleming, Elizabeth Futral and Susan Graham. Beverly was raised in New York City, which is still her home, and which is the home of the New York City Opera and the Met, opera houses which rocketed her to fame. Her first success (not featured in this recording...UH WHY ?) was Cleopatra of Handel's Julius Caesar, a performance she sang opposite the illustrious baritone Norman Treigle. Those performances were legendary because coincidentally at the same time the Met was opening its new theatre and season with what became a disastrous Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra starring Leontyne Price in an overblown, big-budget, epic fiasco. The great roles that followed the 1965 Cleopatra were Manon, Queen Elizabeth I in Roberto Deveraux, Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena in the Donizetti Tudor Queen operas, Pamira in The Siege of Corinth (which were Sill's La Scala and belated Met debut. None of the Queens are featured in this recording, though its supposedly the Very Best Of. An aria from Rossini's Siege of Corinth is featured here however. What we are treated to however are fine lyric roles- Beverly Sills shone brightly and acted convincingly as Gilda in Rigoletto (the final scene is featured here) as Violetta in La Traviata, Thais, The Merry Widow (the beautiful Vilja is featured here)and the ingenue role of Norina in Don Pasquale is also showcased here. To each of these roles, Beverly Sills delivered an authenticity and dramatic interpretation, not ot mention beautiful, sweet tone. I love her pianissimos, her high notes, her chest register. It was the voice of Beverly Sills who first hooked me into opera. For a recording that should showcase her best work, Manon is not featured nor any of her prized French heroines- Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment and the heroines in Tales of Hoffman. Also not in here is the role that was her first success- the Broadway opera Ballad of Baby Doe. Even as such, the arias here are gorgeous. The Barber of Seville is in here and as Rosina she is playful and charming. Sills was a modern singer, with a voice that was beautiful but willing to sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic content. When Sills was once asked what she thought of the supposed rivalry with Joan Sutherland (which was never real and only gossip from partisan fans) Beverly said something to this effect -Joan and I are apples and oranges in our take on opera, we are Picasso and Monet. She would do anything for the effect of beauty and tone, I'd sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic text. Even as such, I see no ugliness to any of the roles here. All of them are beautiful to hear, full of rich floating celestial tones. It would have been nice to hear the roles that did call for Sills to step up the tense drama - Norma, will her recording ever be reissued by EMI ? Also, few people know that Beverly Sills sung role most would consider dangerous for her voice (though she sang them long before her career even took off)- Aida and Carmen!!

Glad To Be The First Review- Beverly Sills Treasury Of Arias.......2005-04-29

At last EMI's "The Very Best Of" series has issued some of the finer recorded documented arias of the incomparable soprano Beverly Sills. Fans of this down-to-earth, warm patron of music and the most unique lyric-coloratura-dramatic soprano, will be in Heaven. Sure, this is only some of the arias in only a small number of the many operas Sills performed. To be truthful, this is not what I'd personally regard as the best of Beverly Sills. Other albums of hers do use greater vocal masterpieces she sang- the best being "The Singers" Series, and another EMI edition called The Art of Beverly Sills Volume 2 and then there's the rare and brilliant "Sillsiana". Nevertheless, this album has its charm and appeal. Beverly Sills sings arias from Rossini's Barber of Seville, Verdi's Rigoletto and Traviata. This recording seems to highlight mostly her mastership of the bel canto repertoire and Verdi. Gilda and Violetta were roles she sang with supreme dramatic integrity and sweetness and purity of vocal line. Yet, it is hardly "the best of". Where are scenes from the masterful interpretations of Donizetti, truly Sills strongest suit- Lucia Di Lammermoor, Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereaux, where is Sills' Manon, which even she hails as her best ? And when will her recorded Norma ever see the light of day ? Sills also excelled in the French repertoire- Faust, Thais, La Fille Du Regiment, The Tales of Hoffman and she was an incredible Queen Shemakha in Korsakov's Coq D'Or. True, Sills had a light, girlish, delicate voice, bright and small, but this worked in her favor in tragic roles. Dramatically, she could get into character as passionately and convincingly as Maria Callas. When she could darken her voice and use her chest voice for dramatic effect it was often thrilling. This is the latest recording in a number of recordings that are coming out, further promoting a great singer of the past. Beverly Sills. She was the working man's soprano. She worked hard to get to the top. She was the reigning singer of the NYC Opera where she starred in such great operas as Handel's Giulio Ceare Sills as Cleopatra (also not on this recording) and Tales of Hoffman singing opposite the great but underrated bass Norman Treigle. Sills is a wonderful human being and she has a beautiful voice that I cannot get out of my mind. She will always be the greatest to me. She got me hooked into opera.

In My Heart - 17th and 18th Italian Songs

Average customer rating:

misguiding
He missed the point
A (perhaps too) romantic approach to some old favorites
Adequate
Highly Recommended

In My Heart - 17th and 18th Italian Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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Similar Items:

Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs
The Soul of Italy
Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini
Ramón Vargas - L'amour, l'amour / Viotti
Renato Bruson - Arie antiche

ASIN: B00006JO9L
Release Date: 2002-10-14

Tracks:

Amarilla, mia bella
Vittoria, mio core!
O cessate di piagarmi
Gil sole dal Gange
Toglietemi la vita ancor
Pur dicesti, o bocca bella
Sebben, crudele
Come raggio di sol
Per la gloria d'adorarvi
Il mio bel foco; Quella fiamma
Teco, si, vengo anch'io
Nina
O del mio dolce ardor
Nel cor piu non mi sento
Plaisir d'amour
Caro mio ben

Amazon.com

Those who prefer 17th- and 18th-century music performed in a "historically correct" manner may balk, but these "old songs and arias" ("arie antiche") are beautifully presented and sung. It's not that Ramón Vargas approaches them in a verismo style or that he overexclaims them. Rather, he sings with ardor, generous portamento, and a Romantic, cushioned voice filled with vibrato and expression. At the same time, Vargas embellishes the vocal line in very much the style popular and proper 200 and 300 years ago, and these embellishments are attractive and in excellent taste. But the voice is the thing, and it's gorgeous and beautifully used. The opening, earliest song (for instance) is sung sweetly and softly from start to finish--it's hard to recall the last time one heard such sustained elegant, gentle vocalism from a major tenor. Vargas never overstates his case, and by refusing to do so, sells us these brief, lovely items one at a time. Another winner from this unique tenor. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

misguiding.......2007-04-09

Those who love Mr Vargas' singing will probably be satisfied.
His voice is beautiful and this repertoire is most apt to show it to advantage. His technique is good (some problems with pianos), his agility commendable.

Those instead looking for an adequate rendering of old arias will find this compilation lacking: he chose (as declared in the booklet) to ignore philologicas and stylistical issues, singing them beautifully but also romantically, as late Donizetti or early Verdi. Problem is that this, to educated ears, sounds incredibly wrong, nearly inaudible.

A pity: with more attention to style this could have been a useful compilation for singing students too. Such as it is, it is only good for Mr Vargas' fans.

He missed the point.......2005-11-12

I am sorry I bought this album. I did not listen to the sound bytes first...my bad! Vargas croons his way through music that has been orchestated out of all recognition. It sounds syrupy and sentimental, not intensely emotional. The Carissimi is a joke! The Scarlatti is painful to hear. There are too many fine performances of 17th & 18th century music out there for this to pass muster. For example, if you want to hear Bononcini as he should be sung, listen to Martin Oro or Gerard Lesne. My recommendation is a most emphatic "NO".

A (perhaps too) romantic approach to some old favorites.......2003-11-27

Ramon Vargas is probably the most elegant and classy tenor singing today. If I may be forgiven an ethnic cliche, the Mexican singer's voice reminds me of dulce del leche ice cream - rich, sweet, and smooth as caramel. Having sung both on stage and on records a wide operatic repertory ranging from bel canto to French works to Puccini and Verdi, Vargas now turns his efforts to this album of arie antiche entitled (rather unimaginatively, I think) `Nel Mio Cuore' - In My Heart. Nearly all lovers of classical vocal music are familiar with the songs represented on this disc; many singers have recorded them and just about everybody who has ever had a voice lesson has studied at least some of them. The defining feature of these songs - which is why they are used by voice students - is that while it is easy to learn the basics of singing them, it takes true expertise to handle all their technical challenges and to bring out all their nuances. If some misguided performance practice decisions make the CD a less than total success, Vargas' vocal beauty, excellent technique and total commitment make this a mostly very enjoyable listen.

As Vargas says in his brief comments, he wants to sing this music in a more 'romantic', (i.e. unrestrained and overtly emotional) manner than many other performers do, to bring a 21st century sensibility to mostly 17th and 18th century music. Vargas as a child was a soloist in the choir of the Basilica Guadalupe of Mexico City, and it was standard procedure there to sing sacred music from this and earlier periods that way. While this approach to the actual singing works very well, I am not entirely happy with the decision to use a small 'salon' orchestra instead of the usual piano or harpsichord, and I suspect many will agree with me on this. I don't object to orchestral arrangements on principle - the arrangements of the arie antiche recorded by Richard Tucker on the superb CD 'The Soul of Italy' work very well, particularly the delightful 'Gia sole del Gange'. On this disc, however, few of the arrangements (by Sascha Goetzel and Joseph Turrin) really enhance the music or make it more interesting, and sometimes they just get in the way. Perhaps in an actual salon or concert setting, this wouldn't be as big a problem. In general, the best arrangements are the most quiet and unobtrusive ones, such as 'Nina' or 'Plaisir d'amour', allowing Vargas to sing softly and tenderly instead of just ardently. The major exception to this is actually the best track on the disc, `Sebben crudele', where the music helps Vargas' anguish and pain reach appropriately operatic proportions. Gluck's `O del mio dolce ardor', an actual opera selection often sung with orchestra, also responds well to this treatment. For most of the other selections, however, it might be helpful to play individual selections or a few at a time instead of the entire album at once, and I wouldn't advise playing it at much more than medium volume.

The good news, though, is that Vargas sings this music with real passion, warmth, and style. The arrangements may require him to sing the music more loudly than many singers do but he never forces or shouts - his heart may be on his sleeve, but is sincere and never vulgar. He pays close attention to the meaning of the words and is musically sensitive and expressive. His Italian diction is excellent, although his French could be a bit crisper. His long experience with bel canto operas makes runs and articulated grace notes easy for him, and he inserts some lovely decorations. The musicians, led by pianist Katherine Chu, do an excellent job with what they are given, and Vargas should actually have been credited as their conductor. I note particularly the beautiful wind playing in 'Teco, si, vengo anch'io'.

In addition to Vargas' comments, there are also notes on the music and full texts and translations. However, I thought the tone of the notes was just a bit too defensive of the more 'modern' approach. All the musicians are listed by name, a nice touch.

The sheer beauty of Vargas' voice, his enthusiasm and his sincerity should set aside most objections to the performance decisions made here. However, I would definitely recommend a more 'traditional' piano-or-harpsichord-accompanied set of this music alongside this if you don't already have one. Cecilia Bartoli's 'Se Tu M'Ami' is essential, and I would also suggest that if you are interested in hearing the music sung by a tenor, you should listen to Alfredo Kraus, especially since many opera lovers consider Vargas to be an heir to this late great Spaniard. Also, Vargas' 'Canzoni' album, from a live concert in Mexico City, shows how wonderful his voice sounds with piano in Italian and Mexican songs - including 'Gia sole del gange' sung in much the same way it is here. It's at super-budget price, too. Still, `Nel Mio Cuore' will give admirers of this lovely tenor the opportunity to wallow in a wonderful voice and experience the heart of an artist.

Adequate.......2003-05-20

Lovely music, but somehow I find it not very involving. Listen to it some, if possible and see if it really is what you are looking for.

Highly Recommended.......2003-03-10

Every beginning classical singer works on these arias that Vargas chose for this album, so naturally, they are often heard and almost always abused. Vargas makes them music again. Absolutely stunning work. He is the real thing - voice, brains and musicality. This combination is sadly lacking in many of todays top operatic stars.

Puccini: Turandot (Complete Opera) Maria Callas; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: Eugenio Fernandi; Tullio Serafin

Average customer rating:

Callas in Turandot
Despite fine singing, mono sound disappoints
If , and only if, you are a Callas fan: Get this!
The best Liu on disc
A great moment - a revelation

Puccini: Turandot (Complete Opera) Maria Callas; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: Eugenio Fernandi; Tullio Serafin
Eugenio Fernandi , Giuseppe Nessi , Nicola Zaccaria , Giulio Mauri , Mario Borriello , and Milan Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Theatre
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Puccini: La Boheme (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Anna Moffo, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Bizet: Carmen (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Pretre, Paris Opera Orchestra
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Lucia Danieli, Nicolai Gedda, Herbert von Karajan, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
Puccini: Manon Lescaut (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

ASIN: B000002RY0
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

Turandot: Act One: Popolo di Pekino!
Turandot: Act One: Padre! Mio padre!
Turandot: Act One: Perduta la battaglia
Turandot: Act One: Gira la cote! Gira!
Turandot: Act One: Perche tarda la luna?
Turandot: Act One: La, sui monti dell'est
Turandot: Act One: O giovinetto!
Turandot: Act One: Figlio, che fai?
Turandot: Act One: Fermo! che fai? T'arresta!
Turandot: Act One: Silenzio, ola!
Turandot: Act One: Guardalo, Pong!
Turandot: Act One: Non indugiare!
Turandot: Act One: Signore, ascolta!
Turandot: Act One: Non piangere, Liu!
Turandot: Act One: Ah! per l'ultima volta!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: Ola, Pang! Ola, Pong!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: O Cina, o Cina
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: Ho una casa nell'Honan
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: O mondo, pieno di pazzi innamorati!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: Addio, amore!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene One: Noi si sogna
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Gravi, enormi ed imponenti
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Un giuramento atroce mi costringe
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Diecimila anni ai nostro Imperatore!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: In questa reggia
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Straniero, ascolta! Nella cupa notte
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Guizza al pari di fiamma
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Gelo che ti da foco
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Gloria, o vincitore!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Figlio del cielo!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Tre enigmi m'Hai proposto!
Turandot: Act Two: Scene Two: Ai tuoi piedi ci prostriam

Tracks:

Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Cosi comanda Turandot
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Nessun dorma!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Tu che guardi le stelle
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Principessa divina!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Quel nome!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: L'amore? ... Tanto amore, segreto e inconfessato
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Tu, che di gel sei cinta
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Liu...bonta!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Principessa di morte!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Che e mai di me? Perduta!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Del primo pianto, si...La mia gloria e il tuo amplesso!
Turandot: Act Three: Scene One: Diecimilla anni al nostro Imperatore!

Amazon.com

This is a would-be classic. The younger, pudgier Maria Callas sang the role of Turandot with a hurricane force that's rarely been equaled. But by 1958--when this recording was made--the slimmer, wiser Callas had less of the vocal power required by the opera's Act II shouting match (also known as "The Riddle Scene"), and the character's simplistic motivation (beheading suitors as a way of not dealing with her sexual frigidity) offered little for her sophisticated theatrical imagination. As the suitor who breaks through her barriers, tenor Eugenio Fernandi is little better than adequate. Elsewhere, there are strong pluses: In the uncharacteristic role of Liu, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf summons the honeyed tone of her earlier years as well as the dramatic specificity of her maturity. Conductor Tullio Serafin gives one of his most individualistic, dramatically memorable interpretations. He never lets you forget this is an ugly story about barbaric people, underscoring Puccini's every dissonance and inspiring a supremely vivid performance from the La Scala chorus. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Callas in Turandot.......2006-12-03

I would recommend this recording to Callas lovers. It is the only true Turandot available in full form. They claim there is one from 1949 with del Monaco, but it was only partly recorded. This is Callas's only full recording of Turandot, with Serafin conducting, so I would also recommend it to people who love Turandot. Serafin gives an exciting, insightful performance (one of those we rarely get from Serafin) and is very well-done by the Teatro alla Scala's Chorus and Orchestra. This is where the glory ends. Callas's drama is almost undectable, her '47, '48, and '49 Turandots were all about vocal glory, which is something Callas by now is on her way to... redefining. So, she is conserving her voice, something one does not do and pull off a Turandot, unless one is Callas. And here, one is. This is a very good Turandot for collectors, but don't make it your first. For that I would recommend the Turandot with Nilsson and Corelli with Molinari-Pradelli conducting. Quatre stelle!

Despite fine singing, mono sound disappoints.......2006-06-02

Callas fans will want to own this, but I cannot recommend it as a first Turandot. It is an opera of lush orchestration and complex ensembles more than of melodies, and the mono recording just can't handle it; the ear struggles to pick out the different parts, and at times it is impossible even to follow along in the libretto. The chorus in particular tends to disappear in quieter passages, of which there are many. This work cries out for a lush modern stereo recording.

If , and only if, you are a Callas fan: Get this! .......2005-04-14

This recording is only for Callas-fans. Serafin is allways good, but he does nothing spesial here. Schwarzkopf is nothing more than adequat as Liù and the Calaf of Fernandi is not even that.

Even Callas - the only reason to by this set - is in unsteady voce. Here top often gets out of control, and some times it gets really ugly. Listen to the frase "quell grido e quella morte" in "In questa regga": she lacks control here!

But still: If you are - like I am - a fan of Callas, you simply must have this. She may have lost some of the brilliant voce she had before 1955 (give or take a year), but she still is an amazing acter. She colores everything so beautifully, and she gives the unhuman Turandot a human, beleveble "face".

The best Liu on disc.......2005-03-05

This may come as a surprise but I truly believe that Schwarzkopf is the most touching Liu on disc. It is also amazing to realise in this site how many people simply fail to have an opinion of their own regarding the singing and just repeat some classical reviews made by certain People in a certain Era and for certain Reasons which I care not to explain.
All you have to do is play the part where Callas sings the phrase: "Chi posa tanta forza nel tuo core?" and Elisabeth responds: "Principessa, l'amoooreeee" On the word "amore" we have one of the subtlest and most expressive pianissisimi ever made by a human throat. It can melt your heart...it is not a pianisimo made by the singer in order to sound beautiful or to sing a high note that could not be reached forte (like by Caballe whose pianissimi always served her technique and nothing else). It is a pianissimo made by the most profound musicality and the most sensitive intention towards the composer's description of Liu's character. Because Schwarzkopf as well as Callas never sang a pianissimo unless they wanted to say something with it...
This is a heart breaking Liu and I dare to say that the "Cold Diva" is a thousand times warmer and more expressive than supposedly succesful Lius on disc whose singing I find completely COLD. I also believe that this performance is the most mis-judged performance in the 20th century Anyone with a heart remains cold and unmoved by Liu when sung by Caballe or Tebaldi or Gheorghiou...but here! This is so unbelievable touching that it brings tears... The Ultimate Exmaple of Schwarzkopf's lesson in Opera: that precision, accuracy and subtle colors are sometimes enough to reveal the beauty of music.
I won;t even mention Elisabeth's "Tu che di gel" ... it is not necessairy to make my point. Just listen to that phrase:
"Principessa, l'amooooooooooooreeeeeee" and you will realise what makes the difference of a Genius singing.

Callas here sings with more passion that Nilsson did in her entire career. The only rival for this Turandot is Borkh's...

A great moment - a revelation.......2004-10-23

I read all the reviews in this page and hoped for some reason and some musical criticism but as usual with Amazon the negative "reviews" are nothing except insipid, bottom-showing crap. One even plagiarised an entire review from somebody else. One can see how much hatred great talent can provoke. Then the bashing is written in awful grammar and unmusical nonsense is sold as the "truth". If Callas' voice HAD been "weak" and "thin" she could hardly have performed Aida, Tosca, Brünnhilde, Isolde, Kundry and Turandot to great critical acclaim. This Turandor really "bursts with colour" as another reviewer wrote. Schwarzkopf, ever intelligent and idiomatic, redeemed the lovely role of Liu of all the verismo-mannerisms that had plagued it before. Callas, in 1957 her voice was in beautiful shape though not as tough as it used to be, creates the most insightful, impressive Turandot that doesn't merely blow out her guts but shows feeling and emotion to. Listen how she phrases the word "Amore" and be floored by such beauty. Fernandi might not be a Corelli but I found his Prince to be very charming and truly heart-warming. Serafin conducts Puccini to perfection, nobody ever did it as well as he, who had witnessed Puccini himself. Two thumbs up indeed!

Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables

Average customer rating:

An informed performance of rare works that really shines
Think twice before buying it
Can music get any better?
Cecilia
The art of singing, perfected . .

Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Bernhard Forck , Cecilia Bartoli , and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album / Il Giardino Armonico
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Cecilia Bartoli - Rossini Arias / Patanè
Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)

ASIN: B00005ND3K
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Tremo Fra' Dubbi Miei
Di Questa Centra In Seno
Misera, Dov Son!...Ah! Non Son Io Che Parlo
Ciascum Siegua il Suo Stile...Maggior Follia
Quel Chiaro Rio
Ah, Taci, Barbaro...Come Potesti, Oh Dio!
Se Mai Senti Spirarti Sul Volto
Berenice, Che Fai?

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

On this recording of eight unfamiliar arias by Gluck, Cecilia Bartoli once again demonstrates her peerless vocalism and communicative power. Using texts by Pietro Metastasio, the leading librettist of his day, from whose poetry the disc's title is taken, Gluck composed music of heartwarming and heartbreaking beauty. The arias encompass an infinite variety of style, mood, character, and expression, and Bartoli's mastery of them is complete. The sheer beauty of her voice and her consummately effortless coloratura are unique: endless cascading runs, ranging from below the staff to high D's and E-flat's, flow out flawlessly placed and articulated, like strings of perfect, shining pearls. But what makes her singing so fascinating and unforgettable is Bartoli's ability to color and change her voice to fit the music, going in an instant from lighthearted parody to tempestuous fury, half-mad desperation, and lamentatious pleading. Equally captivating is her ability to create real characters by purely vocal means. The pyrotechnics are stunning, the fiery outbursts thrilling, but it is the slow, lyrical, inward arias that are most moving and memorable. She can spin out a long melody like a golden thread, with a focused, centered sound and a concentrated intensity of expression that cast an irresistible spell over ear and heart. Most of these arias are in da capo form, but she ornaments the repeats freely and imaginatively without becoming excessive. The Berlin Academy for Ancient Music, playing on period instruments tuned to a low A, supports her with a wonderfully clear, transparent sound and great stylistic empathy. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

An informed performance of rare works that really shines.......2005-08-02

I think this is the best singing by Bartoli that I've heard since she recorded Idomeneo with Placido Domingo in the early 90's. It is historically informed and well played by the orchestra. The arias are rare gems that sparkle and are moving.

It is definitely a must have for all fans of Bartoli along, and not just the early-music crowd but all lovers of classical music.

Bravo!

Think twice before buying it.......2004-06-27

I used to give Ms Bartoli infinite credit, so I bought this Gluck album without much hesitation. Yet the dissapointment it brought was double: i) the passion of Ms Bartoli's interpretation overflows too often at the wrong place and ii) this selection of pieces proves that Gluck was not always inspired enough to hit the good string, having also produced dull, insipid musak. I think the composer has to bear most of the responsibility for this failed project. 3 stars for Ms Bartoli alone.

Can music get any better?.......2003-10-18

Cecilia Bartoli shows in this fantastic CD what a composer Gluck actually was from his early years. The music is fantastic, orchestrated well, and Bartoli delivers wonderful performances of these neglected pieces. Each one is so fantastic and full of life, and Bartoli is surely the one of the greatest artists of her or any time. Let's just hope she continues producing such fantastic work!

Cecilia.......2003-07-06

She is a light,high mezzo-soprano, so it sounds like she's a soprano. I fell in love with the second aria. I could play it over and over again, and the baroque music is very beautiful.

The art of singing, perfected . ........2003-04-01

Can you improve on perfection? Cecilia BARTOLI certainly can . . , and elevates a grateful GLUCK to new heights.
Now how can I top my raves for her VIVALDI Album? Here she
uses her vital energy to float an even more arid project.
And regales us with amazing vocal artistry. A tour-de-force
shining new light on a quasi-forgotten composer, who found
in Cecilia his most valiant knight. The orchestra under
B. Forck a class act. And the graphic presentation/booklet
an achievement in itself, it's a labour of love you'll
feel tempted to leave on your coffee table for conversation.
Make this your CD of the month, and be amazed.

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)
Janet Baker , John Shirley-Quirk , Graham Sheen , Johann Sebastian Bach , Ludwig van Beethoven , Hector Berlioz , Giovanni Bononcini , Benjamin Britten , Giulio Caccini , and Antonio Caldara
Manufacturer: Philips
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The Very Best of Janet Baker
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ASIN: B0000B0A0Q
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer.......2004-01-09

For those of us who grew up on Janet Baker's recordings (and were lucky enough to hear her "live" as well), the sound of her voice and her singular artstic personality - British restraint coupled with fierce emotional and spiritual commitment - are indelibly imprinted in our minds and hearts. The closest current equivalent is Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, another superb artist who has charted her own course, and not surprisingly there is some overlap of repertoire, in the music of J.S. Bach, of course, but also Berlioz's Didon and Beatrice, Handel's Ariodante and Britten's Phaedra (composed for Baker).
This wonderful compilation is complementary to EMI's 2-CD "The Very Best of Janet Baker" -- no overlap of repertoire whatsoever. Unlike that set, which focused on concert repertoire (with orchestra or piano) there's a generous sampling here of Baker's operatic roles including Handel, Mozart, Purcell, Rameau, Gluck, and Britten. Also welcome is "Phaedra," one of Britten's strongest late works. And it's good to have the Berlioz: "Cleopatre" and "Herminie" complete, the big aria from "Beatrice et Benedict." (Why EMI included nothing from her recording of the last 2 scenes of "Les Troyens" is unfathomable.) The wide time-span allows us to hear Baker's voice in all its youthful, "sappy" warmth, as well as in its artistic maturity (though truth to tell she was pretty much a complete artist from the start). There are a few signs of wear in later items, nothing serious, in fact rather less than I remembered. I could have done with fewer of the "Arie Amorose" in favor of more cuts from her Gluck LP, which I believe has never been issued complete on CD, but that's just personal preference. The focus here is entirely on orchestrally accompanied works (or, in the case of the marvelous early disc of Ravel, Chausson & Delage songs, with chamber ensemble) so for Baker the supreme interpreter of English, German and French song you'll need to go elsewhere (the EMI has a fair sampling, especially of her Schubert). But everything here is indispensible.

Vergine Bella: Italian Renaissance Music

Average customer rating:

Beautiful wonderful album

Vergine Bella: Italian Renaissance Music

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Lute In A: S'io Sedo A L'ombra
Lute In G: Recercare
Aime, Ch'io Moro - Vocal Ensemble
Lute In E: Pavana
Lute In E: Se Non Soccorri, Amore - Julian Podger
Lute In E: Che Debo Far?
Lute In A: Fugga Pur Chi Vol Amore
Ave, Maria, Gratia Plena - Julian Podger
Ave, Victorioso E Sancto Legno - Vocal Ensemble
Lute In G: Recercare
Lute In A: Poi Che Volse La Mia Stella
Dolores Mortis - Vocal Ensemble
Lute In G: Recercare
Lute In A: Si Oportuerit Me Teco Mori
Lute In E: Si Bella E La Mia Donna - Julian Podger
Lute In E: O Mia Cieca E Dura Sorte
Virtu, Che Fai In Questo Miser Mondo? - Vocal Ensemble
Lute In G: Recercare
Salve, Victrice E Gloriosa Insegna - Vocal Ensemble
Lute In E: Vergine Bella - Julian Podger

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful wonderful album.......2004-07-29

I wish I could speak learnedly about the music on this
album. I know some is fairly rarely done-- like the Trombocinos for examples. In any case, IMO wonderful
sensitive singing & playing by a group of artists who are very comfortable and knowledgeable of the period, and I'm
particularly impressed by Carolyn Sampson. Of course on
the 'sacred' side of Renaissance music, but much here
to enjoy.

Lassus: Il Canzoniere di Messer Francesco Petrarca

Average customer rating:

Achingly beautiful
Totally gorgeous

Lassus: Il Canzoniere di Messer Francesco Petrarca

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Obrecht: Missa O lumen ecclesiae; Missa Malheur me bat /ANS Chorus * Bali
Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons

ASIN: B0001WECNI
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Tracks:

Solo E Pensoso A 5
S'una Fede Amorosa A 8
Di Pensier In Pensier A 6
Tutto'l Di Piango A 5
Cantai, Hor Piango A 5
Che Fai, Alma? A 7
La Ver' L'aurora A 5
Mia Benigna Fortuna A 5
Io Son Si Stanco Sotto A 5
I'vo Piangendo A 5

Customer Reviews:

Achingly beautiful.......2007-01-01

This is sublime. It is a remarkably fine recording of pure, generous, fluid choral music.

Totally gorgeous.......2005-07-16

Orlando Lassus (1532- 1594) is a Renaissance composer who truly stands out as being one of the outstanding Humanist artists of his age. Although Flemish by birth, he was one of the most cosmopolitan composers of his age, who spoke several languages and worked variously in Palermo, Mantua, Milan, Naples, Florence, Rome, Antwerp and lastly in Munich. If you go to Munich, even today you will find that the famous Hofbräuhaus (that famous haunt of Oktoberfest revellers) stands on none other than Orlando Platz, named in honour of Lassus. Of all Renaissance composers he stands out as the one who wrote the most sensuously appealling music which nonetheless maintains enormous depth and richness. As a child prodigy who went on to write effortlessly inspired music he seriously rivals Mozart. In fact as an unusually talented child, gifted with a beautiful voice, he was kidnaped no less than three times for other choirs. After the third attempt, in 1544, his parents finally gave up their 12 year old son to Ferdinand Gonzaga, Viceroy of Sicily.

It is entirely appropriate than Lassus should also have chosen the texts of the Humanist poet Francesco Petrarca. Over a period of almost fourty years, Lassus remained devoted to Petrarca and continued to explore his texts over this period of time. The results were madrigals of great harmonic depth and subtlety.

The performances here present a wonderful case for Lassus as one of the greatest of madrigalists amongst composers of the Seconda Prattica. The style here is very different from the more florid arioso style of the younger generation, being more subdued and introspective. However the results here are simply gorgeous. The effortless melodic line that Lassus commands is simply divine and makes immensely attractive listening. In fact this lovely CD is terribly hard to stop listening to!

An essential Lassus CD if there ever was one.

Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy: My Favorite Opera in the Movies

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Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy: My Favorite Opera in the Movies

Manufacturer: Decca
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Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy: My Favorite Opera for Everyone

ASIN: B00000425A
Release Date: 1994-08-23

Tracks:

Andrea Chenier: Philadelphia - La mamma morta
La Wally: Philadelphia - Ebben?..Ne andro lontana
Adriana Lecouvreur: Philadelphia - Ecco, respiro appena...lo son l'umile ancella
Don Giovanni: Guarding Tess - Madamina, il catalogo e questo
The Abduction From The Seraglio: Guarding Tess - Ich gehe, doch rate ich dir
The Barber Of Seville: Mrs. Doubtfire - Largo al factotum
Faust: The Age Of Innocence - Il se fait tardi!...Laisse-moi
The Bohemian Girl: The Age Of Innocence - I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls
Lakme: Carlito's Way - Flower Duet
The Girl Of The Golden West: The Man Without A Face - Ch'elle mi creda lebero
Madame Butterfly: M. Butterfly - Un bel di
Madame Butterfly: Jennifer 8 - Humming Chorus
The Elixir Of Love: Lorenzo's Oil - Una furtiva lagrima
Rigoletto: Honeymoon In Vegas - La donna e mobile
La Traviata: Pretty Woman - Che fai?...Nulla
Cavalleria Rusticana: Godfather III - Beato voi, compar Alfio...Easter Hymn
Cavalleria Rusticana: Godfather III - Intermezzo
Pagliacci: The Untouchables - Recitar...Vesti la giubba

Haydn: Symphonies no. 91 & 92 "Oxford"; Scena di Berenice

Average customer rating:

Bravo Jacobs & the Freiburgers....more please!
A little known kettledrum concerto by Haydn

Haydn: Symphonies no. 91 & 92 "Oxford"; Scena di Berenice

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
Haydn: Concertos pour piano

ASIN: B0007A0E7W
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

Largo-Allegro Assai
Andante
Menuet. Un Poco Allegretto
Finale. Vivace
Berenice, Che Fai?
Adagio
Adagio
Menuet. Allegretto
Finale. Presto

Customer Reviews:

Bravo Jacobs & the Freiburgers....more please!.......2005-06-11

Prominent tympani aside (which feature, by the way, in more Haydn than the "Drumroll" symphony--funny what you can hear when you trim away a couple of desks of strings), this most recent outing by Rene Jacobs and his Freiburg band--Haydn's infectiously inventive "pre-London" symphonies 91 and 92-- contains many of the same delights found in their previous exercise, Haydn's "Seasons." If you've heard and loved Jacobs' way with that late masterpiece, you'll be equally satisfied by this current release. The same attention to felicitous detail, which abounds in all Haydn, but particularly in the late symphonies and the oratorios, can be found here. Tempos are occasionally elastic, but nothing is truly stretched out of shape. What is certain, though, is the incredible level of energy and interest that Jacobs imbues with every bar. Strings attack their lines with gusto, and winds and brass supply their accents with great character and variety. And yes, there IS percussion in Haydn, though certainly not of the overwhelming variety referred to in an earlier review. The recording quality is superb, the effect much like a good orchestra-front seat in a small hall. Intonation and attack are precise, with wondefully balanced soloists. This isn't Haydn for your grandmother's Oldsmobile; it's fresh and truly alive.

The closest performing analogy I can apply to these readings is the traversal of the complete Haydn symphonies by Adam Fischer and his Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, currently available on the Brilliant Classics label. The orchestras of Fischer and Jacobs are of similar size, though while the Austro-Hungarians are a modern instrument ensemble whose playing is informed by period practice, Jacobs' Freiburgers are period performers through and through. Fortunately, this doesn't automatically translate into the dreaded tinny scratchings of gut strings and overly careful tiptoeing-on-broken-glass phrasing that mar some period outings. What Jacobs communicates beautifully is the sense of discovery and humor that Haydn so often imbued his scores with, the feeling that you're standing in the master's workshop as he tinkers and refines the very classical forms that he'd developed decades prior. Nothing is phoned in, copied & pasted, or blindly passed along here. If anything, Jacobs is more spirited than Fischer in the two symphonies performed here, though I do return often to the ealier set with pleasure.

As a substantial entr'acte, we're given Haydn's "Scena di Berenice," his setting of a portion of the third act of "Antigono" by Metastasio. In it, the character of Berenice is lamenting the death of Demetrio, begging him to take her in death to be with him. It's a brief but pungently scored and arranged bit of theater, originally premiered in London along with Haydn's Symphony 104. Bernarda Fink's dramatic mezzo is forcefully employed here to telling effect, with Haydn's sudden key and mood changes caught on the wing. Fortunately for all of us, Fink and Jacob's result here is more successful than those reports of the premier at Haydn's last benefit concert on May 4, 1795, where the maestro himself later lamented that soprano Brigida Banti "sang very scanty." Ms. Fink certainly more than holds her own here among some rather distinguished company. I'll close with a fervent hope that Jacobs tackles more late Haydn--perhaps a full set of the "London" symphonies, and a "Creation" to rival or surpass the benchmarks set by Gardiner and Karajan in the latter, to name a few.

A little known kettledrum concerto by Haydn.......2005-06-08

The cover art on this CD is a beautifully reproduced detail of a still life by Chardin. That was, in all candor, one of the reasons for my impulse purchase of this recording. (Naively, I assumed these production values would extend to the music.) Another reason was the praise Rene Jacobs has received for his Mozart opera recordings. A single CD of Haydn seemed a relatively inexpensive way to sample Jacobs' way with the Classical repertoire. Now having sampled it, I will forego the opera boxed sets.

Jacobs micro-manages tempos, dynamics, balances, and phrasing in a way that might pass for mastery, but for me simply gets in the way of Haydn's genius. It all seems too manipulated, too clever. Still, having enjoyed all sorts of Haydn performances over the years, I might have come to appreciate the virtues of this one. What will prevent that from happening is the flagrant MIS-management of balances in the tuttis, specifically in symphony #92, but throughout that piece. When the trumpets and drums enter they dominate all other voices, and I am truly unable to cite a tympani part as prominent as this outside of the Rite of Spring. Consequently this recording -- or at least the performance of the "Oxford" -- will never again pass under my CD laser.

There is room in the world for various approaches to Haydn, but if you enjoy hearing ALL the musical lines Haydn wrote into his symphonies you might try the Scherchen reissues on DGG. Allowing for the often scrappy ensemble, the comically out-of-tune oboe, the over-eager trumpet, and the frequently distorted sound, these performances are great fun and great Haydn.

As for Jacobs, I concede him two stars, but only on the strength of his orchestra.

Average customer rating:

Amazing
A must -own
A Great Italian tenor from NY
Drown Pavarotti
Tucker: an Italian tenor from Brooklyn.

The Soul of Italy

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pavarotti at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B00002MZ60
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-12-07

Being an aspiring tenor I have been researching various music and was looking for different renditions of Nina. After seeing the review "Drown Pavarotti" I ordered the CD. It is magic. I see so many Cd's that talk about the "Three Tenors". After hearing this CD there is only one tenor as far as I am concerned. I listened to Nina first, and it was stunning. I was amazed. It is now my mission to own any and everything this incredible artist has done. If you want to hear a great tenor look no further. This CD is my new favorite and I have a feeling it will be number one for a long time. I just received the CD today and I felt so strongly about this I couldn't wait to post a review.

A must -own.......2005-05-19

I don't think the critics and public knew quite what to make of Richard Tucker's "The Art of Bel Canto," which was released in the 1960s, when the dramatic tenor was in his 50s. Why did this legendary Rodolfo (Luisa Miller) and Canio stop to record "Sebben crudele" and "Danza, danza fanciulla"? The singing, however, is stunning in every way. How many dramatic tenors could sing this repertoire with such utterly flawless technique? The heart is there, too, and the orchestrations are ingenious and colorful.

Even today the record execs don't know what to make of this legendary foray into the arie antiche. What were they thinking when they released these 12 exquisite tracks on a repulsive-looking CD entitled "The Soul of Italy"? The stereotypical cover makes Tucker look like a Mafia goon named Guido the Wrench. And the program notes must certainly be one of the most mindless ever to be published on a commercial CD.

No matter, this CD is a must own for all voice teachers and for anyone who THINKS they understand "the technique."

A Great Italian tenor from NY.......2003-09-20

The fascinating biography of Richard Tucker has been well publicized. Somehow, his name keeps dropping out from the various "top ten" lists. Luckily, his vast recorded legacy combined with modern reengineering methods does not allow his name to fade into obscurity. The CD at hand combines two albums originally issues as LPs - "The Soul of Italy" and "The Art of Bel Canto". There are 12 songs from each album, allowing for generous helping of Neapolitan Songs from the former and 18th century Italian composers' songs from the latter. Most of the Neapolitan songs are well known to current public largely thanks to Luciano Pavarotti's two albums "O Sole Mio" and "Passione". While I respectfully disagree with a statement of my fellow reviewer that Pavarotti has "corrupted" the material, I must say that the execution of some of the songs on these albums appeared somewhat detached. Not the case with Tucker. He pours a lot of heart and soul into these songs, easily evoking images usually associated with them (Italian scenery, unrequited love, and big BIG passions). Had I not known that Tucker was born and raised in a Jewish household in Brooklyn NY, I would've surely thought, "this is an Italian singing". This only goes to say that true art knows no geographical boundaries. Tucker's Italian, in fact, is perfect, as several native speakers have told me, and he stresses all the right words. He isn't afraid to allow a bit of a sob or a sigh into his tone, and they do sound authentic, not overdone.
Turning to the Bel Canto part of the CD (tracks 13-24) one is in for a surprise - the singing here is entirely different. Here's why: most of these songs are vocal students' bread and butter, having been published in a well-known Schirmer compilation book "24 Italian Songs and Arias Of The 17th and 18th C." They require simple approach, but utmost care and control of the voice, especially a big voice such as Tucker's. I have no doubt that Tucker has studied these songs in his early years, and he consciously makes them as straightforward as possible, yet infuses each with subtle passion. It has now become somewhat of a trend to rediscover these songs once again. The latest offering is from a wonderful young tenor Ramon Vargas and it's a pleasure to hear that he, just like Tucker does not over-emote on any of these songs and just sings them through as they were meant to be sang. Tucker's tenor voice was exceptionally large. Therefore the singer had to exercise a great deal of control with this repertoire. The result -- quite possibly the best rendition of these songs on record. Regrettably, the well-known "Pieta Signore" is attributed to ... Rossini.
This CD is a must for any fan of good singing. The second half of it is also a good companion for the voice students. Along with "Richard Tucker sings Verdi" and "Welcoming the Sabbath", this disc is a testimony to the talent and personality of one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

Drown Pavarotti.......2002-10-30

Now that Pavarotti has corrupted an entire generation of tenors with his arch and mannered style, it is good to hear a man who truly sings, a man who will tear your heart out.

It is a pity that Tucker's original disc, "The Art of Bel Canto", has been combined with "The Soul of Italy" and under that title. "Bel Canto" was by far the better album, and because of the title change it is harder to find.

This is an album to be treasured.

Tucker: an Italian tenor from Brooklyn........2002-04-17

Here you'll find Tucker at his best: Glorious voice, ringing, powerful and supple. Faultless singing technique, and an unerring sense of style in this popular, and not so popular, italian repertoire. He is fully idiomatic and musically deligthful. Really a great italian tenor that came from Brooklyn!

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