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The East Village Opera Company
from: Decca
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Verdi: Requiem & Operatic Choruses
from: Telarc
: :Robert Shaw learned from Arturo Toscanini, and in his stupendous 1987 recording for Telarc he managed to surpass the master on some points. He is unerring in his pacing and staging of climaxes, and draws phrasing and dynamics from the chorus that other conductors can only dream of. Points are made with exhilarating effect throughout the account: never has the bass drum in the Dies irae been as splendidly hammered as here, and the whooping brass in the Tuba mirum is breathtaking. The all-American solo quartet sounds a bit driven, especially the light-voiced ...
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Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
: essential recording:Little can be added to what's been written about this landmark recording, except that Walter Legge's 1953 mono production yields nothing to modern Tosca recordings for vivacity and theatrical impact--especially Maria Callas's. The miraculous Victor de Sabata conjures up a vibrant, inspiring orchestral canvas that enables Callas and her stellar cohorts to work their magic. Tito Gobbi and Callas spur each other on to heights in which the characters take over from the singers in the listener's mind. Giuseppe Di Stefano is on his best behavior, and in fresher voice than ...
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Of Beauty & Light: The Music of Philip Glass [Box Set]
from: Naxos
: essential recording:Little can be added to what's been written about this landmark recording, except that Walter Legge's 1953 mono production yields nothing to modern Tosca recordings for vivacity and theatrical impact--especially Maria Callas's. The miraculous Victor de Sabata conjures up a vibrant, inspiring orchestral canvas that enables Callas and her stellar cohorts to work their magic. Tito Gobbi and Callas spur each other on to heights in which the characters take over from the singers in the listener's mind. Giuseppe Di Stefano is on his best behavior, and in fresher voice than ...
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Viaggio Italiano / Andrea Bocelli
from: Philips
: essential recording:Opera is in fashion, and the woods are full of pop vocalists who think they have the chops to sing arias. The best contender so far is Andrea Bocelli, who at least has a real voice, if a small one, and sometimes manages a really exciting tenor sound. Unfortunately, he is inconsistent in his tone and production, and, despite the fact that he's singing in his native language, he often sounds as though he has only the barest idea of what the words mean. The Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by ...
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Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria, Teatro alla Scala, Serafin
: essential recording:Opera is in fashion, and the woods are full of pop vocalists who think they have the chops to sing arias. The best contender so far is Andrea Bocelli, who at least has a real voice, if a small one, and sometimes manages a really exciting tenor sound. Unfortunately, he is inconsistent in his tone and production, and, despite the fact that he's singing in his native language, he often sounds as though he has only the barest idea of what the words mean. The Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by ...
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Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Malas, Sinclair, ROH Covent Garden, Bonynge
: essential recording:This opera, about an orphan girl who is adopted by a whole regiment of Napoleon's army (meaning that anyone who wants to marry her must get the regiment's consent) combines sparkling comedy with spectacular vocal writing--not only for the soprano but for the tenor who, in one legendary passage, must produce nine high Cs in quick succession. Pavarotti's performance in this production, fairly early in his career, ranks with his Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore, among the best of his recording career. Sutherland finds the role of Marie congenial, in terms of ...
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The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever!
from: Angel Records
: essential recording:This opera, about an orphan girl who is adopted by a whole regiment of Napoleon's army (meaning that anyone who wants to marry her must get the regiment's consent) combines sparkling comedy with spectacular vocal writing--not only for the soprano but for the tenor who, in one legendary passage, must produce nine high Cs in quick succession. Pavarotti's performance in this production, fairly early in his career, ranks with his Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore, among the best of his recording career. Sutherland finds the role of Marie congenial, in terms of ...
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Dinner Classics: The Italian Album
from: Sony
: essential recording:This opera, about an orphan girl who is adopted by a whole regiment of Napoleon's army (meaning that anyone who wants to marry her must get the regiment's consent) combines sparkling comedy with spectacular vocal writing--not only for the soprano but for the tenor who, in one legendary passage, must produce nine high Cs in quick succession. Pavarotti's performance in this production, fairly early in his career, ranks with his Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore, among the best of his recording career. Sutherland finds the role of Marie congenial, in terms of ...
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Classic Wynton
from: Sony
: :Wynton Marsalis may not have an easily recognizable or even particularly handsome tone, but this erstwhile jazz trumpeter is an amazing virtuoso with a fine sense of classical style. If you've never owned/heard any of his classical CDs, and you love (mostly baroque) trumpet music, this compilation--a sort of 'greatest hits'--is for you. From such cruddy, sensationalistic works as Carnival of Venice to the glories of Haydn's E-Flat Concerto, this is grand entertainment. Marsalis is joined by Kathleen Battle in an exciting version of Handel's 'Let the bright seraphim,' and the treat there ...
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