5 comments about Puccini - Turandot / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Caballé · Ghiaurov · Krause · Pears · LPO · Mehta.

1. I bought the recording in the tape form years ago. I could not listen to it any more because of the wear after I played it too many times. Fortunately, technology came to the resue, CD!!!
   
   The tenderness, emotion, range, and capacity, from a delicate note to a full blown key, Luciano Pavarotti's voice is from Heaven. No tenor recordings came close to the quality of singing of this one.
   
   Joan Sutherland is the sweetest Liu that I have ever heard. Better still, the voices of the two, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pvarotti, were the best combination ever. Add to this, we get Montserrat Caballe as the princess.
   
   What more can one ask for?



2. Siempre he pensado que en la obra maestra de Giacomo Puccini, que por cierto dentro de algunos días completara 82 años de haberse estrenado, abusa un poco del registro agudo y sobreagudo para dar forma a la pauta; igualmente en la modulación de la intensidad y volúmen orquestal; pero hay que pensar que no estaba terminada para cuando murió prematuramente; la embergadura de semejante obra deja pasmado al escucha más docto y exigente; es en si una obra de tales magnitudes que desde su entrada se prevee la exigencia a cada uno de los integrantes del reparto; basta decir que los solistas principales (prima donna e primo uomo) cantan con "la integral" del registro, al tope de sus posibilidades vocales; es una obra extraordinariamente difícil y exigente para los cantantes; por ende se necesita un equipo como este; nos muestra cosas interesantes y por demás geniales; Joanine canta como nunca antes me la hubiera imaginado, con una canto plano, sin coloratura, con exigencias dramáticas incoercibles; bien era conocido el dominio del reino sobreagudo, pero en esta ocasión fue mas allá de todo lo que imaginé; perfecta!!; el Calaf que apesar de lo que digan sus detractores, Pavarotti también sobrepasa lo esperado, que manera de emitir sus sobreagudos, que manera de mostrarse hasta cierto punto dramático (siendo una voz lírico spinto); un calaf que desde mi punto de vista llena perfectamente su rol; la maravilla de Caballé en su rol de Liú, con magistral dominio del pianissimi y con su perfecto dominio del legatto; corta participación pero perfecta también; el emperador de los Bajos, Nicolai Ghiaurov como Timur, espléndida voz ya también extinta, pero que con un rol pequeño llega hasta la fibras más profundas y sensibles, basta mencionar la escena del suicidio de Liú y de la plañidera voz quebrada por el llanto y la desesperación, saca lágrimas!!; la participación de los roles menores también a su nivel; la orquesta un tanto "stacatta" pero con una volumen correcto y bien temperada; coros ni que decir.... necesaria y obligada también...



3. This version is certainly the best for me.
   Joan Sutherland has always been my favourite, I was lucky enough to have seen her performing several times.
   She is exceptional.



4. Good performance. CD had a "dimple" on the media side. Two tracks were unreadable. Getting a replacement from Amazon was easy and quick. Amazon e-mailed a postage-paid label. Slapped on on the box and dropped in a mailbox. Amazon promptly shipped a replacement. Painless and prompt.



5. Puccini - Turandot / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Caballé · Ghiaurov · Krause · Pears · LPO · Mehta
   
   This recording brings together some of the most remarkable talents in the world of opera who reached their peaks during my lifetime. Sutherland, Pavarotti and, of course, Mehta. Given that it's a Puccini piece (one of my favourite composers) you'd expect me to rave a bit. Lots of exclamation marks and other grammatical expressions of temporary insanity.
   
   Oh, it's a pleasant-enough piece of work and undoubtedly an audio snapshot of Pavarotti at his best working with Sutherland (who was better). There simply couldn't be a better choice than Mehta to bake all of this into something irresistible and terribly bad for you. And yet, and yet.
   
   Yes, it is pleasant-enough and perhaps it's Puccini's choice of storyline that begins to reign it in and hold it back from the finish line of fist-pumping, wild-eyed ecstacy (do opera lovers do that?). Sadly, no-one has ever managed to marry European melodic forms with a Chinese theme and produce an offspring that had that 'carry-you-away' quality. (And, no, nothing by Gilbert & Sullivan qualifies as an exception to that.)
   
   Perhaps its the recording standards of 1990 that keep this from being audio heroin. I don't know - all I know is that I find it pleasant-enough and a decent accompaniment to other tasks that leave have my mind free to listen.
   
   Operatic muzak? Not quite but not a great deal more either.

5 comments about Bach: Matthaus-Passion (St Matthew Passion) BWV 244 /Bostridge * Selig * Rubens * Scholl * Gura * Henschel * Collegium Vocale * Herreweghe (+CD-Rom).

1. I'm a musicologist and former choral conductor, and I think this is an absolutely wonderful interpretation by all involved (I find Scholl's countertenor to be a bit harsh, but that's a small point.) I like the forcefulness of the back-and-forth between the two choirs in the first chorus..."Behold! Who? The Bridegroom." It has great rhetorical power, which is an important aspect of the chorus, exhorting the congregation to witness the Passion events.
   
   MAC USERS BEWARE: this was produced back in '99, in the days of OS 9.
   The CD-ROM won't work on Macs running OS X.
   Macs just evolve too quickly I guess! ;o)



2. Do not hesitate for a moment to purchase this CD/CD ROM package. I researched thoroughly the many recordings of this work, and I am very pleased to have decided on this one. It is a gorgeous, moving recording.



3. BOSTRIDGE AND SCHOLL: THE STARS ON THIS DISC!!!
   
   Bach (1685-1750), a Lutheran, was specifically asked by St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig, to supply a non-theatrical Passion. In this context passion stands for the act of passive suffering, of watching and occasonally empathising in the suffering of Christ, a development which began in the Middle Ages when the church took steps to popularise the Bible. When sung, the role of the Evangelist would be taken by a tenor and that of Jesus by a bass. As various instruments were added they began to be associated with certain roles and as with opera any dramatic action in the text occurred during the recitative. The chorus has two functions: to participate in the action and then to reflect upon it, such reflections provided by the chorales which were familiar Lutheran hymns.
   
   The St. Matthew Passion was composed for the Good Friday service at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig in 1727. As time went on Bach revised and added other pieces and subsequently this Passion became the grandest and the largest of his works. He used a Double Chorus, included a third soprano group for the opening and close of Part One, two orchestras split so that they either accompanied the first or the second chorus, four soloists who carry specific parts and a number of other singers who have other roles. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 26 and 27 plus traditional Lutheran chorales and meditative poems (by Henrici also known as Picander) provide the text.The Evangelist narrates the action scene by scene.
   
   
   Although the work as a whole is somewhat heavy and sombre there are some lighter moments to treasure, and none more delightful than the soprano aria in Part One "Ich will dir mein Herze schenken" (I will give my heart to Thee). Part two contains the best known and loved aria from the work "Erbarme dich,mein Gott" (Have mercy, my God) for alto and violin obligato and pizzicato bass. The death is terse but dramatic as is the earthquake following with the heartrending crying "Walrlich dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen" (Truly this was the Son of (God). It all ends with a Sarabande-like chorale bidding Jesus to rest in peace.
   
   The packageing of this edition is outstanding; the booklet includes absolutely all the documentation that one may need to fully comprehend this monumental work of Bach's. In addition, to the 3 CD's, there is a CD-Rom that explains the entire procedure for the production of this recording (in 3 languages:French,English and German).
   
   The performance itself is excellent and beyond reproach. Ian Bostridge is all that one would desire in a tenor Evangelist; a joy just to hear his voice. Andreas Scholl gives one of the most emotional performances I have ever heard from him; he tends to be somewhat 'laid-back' in some renditons, but not in this one. Just my opinion; all you Scholl fans, don't get excited!!!!!I suggest you allow yourself an entire day to explore this wonderful musical experience.



4. There are gratefully many recordings of Bach's great St. Matthew Passion from which to choose, and the approaches to this long and mighty work of inspiration are varied. While this listener cut his teeth of the old Klemperer recording now re-mastered from the LP days to CD, this recording under the sensitive and commanding control of Philippe Herreweghe has become the recording most favored for return listenings, especially during the Holy Week. Herreweghe obviously knows the work from intense study, a fact that gives him all the stamina to make the overall Passion work both musically and dramatically.
   
   Herreweghe draws sumptuous playing from his Collegium Vocale Orchestra and Chorus, keeping the period sound intact while adding the contemporary trend for finding the operatic aspects of the work in the lead of all the other recordings. Of course he has an extraordinary group of soloists who give definitive performances. The leading actor is the Evangelist who guides us through the arrest and assassination the Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew: Ian Bostridge not only has a beautiful tenor voice, rich and warm, but he also offers perfect enunciation of the text and delivers his comments with the exact amount of propelling drama. The role of Jesus is strongly delivered by Franz-Josef Selig and matches his competition (Fischer-Dieskau, Quasthoff and Goerne included!) in conveying both the agony and the transcendence of Bach's lines.
   
   Add to this strong matrix the exquisite singing of Andreas Scholl and the solo work by Sibylla Rubens, Werner G?ra, Dietrich Henschel, Dominik Worner, Elisabeth Hermans, Susan Hamilton and Frits Vanhulle and the beauty of the drama is perfect. This is truly the most dramatic performance of Bach's most dramatic Passion and one to cherish for years. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06



5. I own six different St. Matthew Passion recordings, and this is my favorite. Herrweghe gets it right. I am not a stickler for HIP, but prefer it. In my opinion this is the most balanced high quality HIP treatment of the St. Matthew available. Get it!

5 comments about Bellini - Norma / Maria Callas, Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria, Teatro alla Scala, Serafin.

1. To begin with, I will say that "Norma" is my favorite opera. I know that many opera-lovers would be surprised by that; this has never been a great favorite of the public. I have heard every studio recording (including Souliotis on LP) and quite a few "pirates". This does not make me an expert, but it does suggest that I have some familiarity with the score (which I play on the piano when I can get my friends to sing with me) and this style of singing. That said, if I could only hear one recording of "Norma", it would he this.
   
   There is an elegance as well as authority in Callas' performance which is unique. When listening to her, you really feel that singing is as natural and normal a mode of communication as speech. This is especially true in the recitatives which are so important in this opera. Her Italian is, in the view of my Italian partner, practically perfect: clear, natural, and idiomatic. All I can say is that I really feel that I am hearing the voice of Norma, not a singer impersonating her. I know that some of you will think "another Callas fanatic", but that is not the case. I listen with a critical ear. Nor do I feel that Callas was the best in each of her roles, but as Norma, I think she is.
   
   Clearly, there are some wobbly and hard moments on high for the diva. So what? It cannot be disputed that Sutherland, Caballe, Milanov, Cerquetti, and Ponselle have better high B's and C's: more secure, more rounded, more pleasant to hear. But Callas' uniquely supple phrasing, EXPRESSIVE and immaculate coloratura (yes, just as good as Sutherland and Sills, just in a much darker color), and singularly dark, & rich vocal color more than compensate. The subtlety of her interpretation always amazes me, despite having heard this record hundreds of times in the past 20 years.
   
   Similarly, Serafin's conducting seems just right to me. Although it must be noted that the maestro uses the traditional Italian performing edition of the score, not the complete autograph which was first recorded by Sutherland and Bonynge in 1964 and has since become the rule.
   
   Corelli is, to my ears, terrific. He really sounds like a very attractive man whom all the girls go for (as they do in the story!). The glorious voice rings out manfully & the words are clear as a bell. A cad, no doubt, but one whose appeal to Norma and Adalgisa is so clear.
   
   I will say that I find Ludwig problematic. An intelligent artist with a vibrant voice, she just does not have the smoothness of production (Callas is very smooth throughout most of her range; you just have to accept the sound of her voice), ease of legato, nor facility in coloratura to be ideal in the role. Nor as the words ideally clear. Rita Gorr was slated to sing the role, but was replaced by Ludwig after having been hurt in a car accident; she would have been a disaster in my view: loud, graceless, & mature-sounding. By contrast, Ludwig sounds young and fresh, a nice contrast to the chesty, matronly mezzos who so often sing the part.
   
   I recommend this recording over Callas's first, if you have to choose between the 2. In this role, Callas' only competition is herself, despite the many lovely and stylish performances by the likes of Cerquetti, Ponselle, Milanov, Sutherland, Caballe, Scotto, Verrett, and even Sills. Listen closely to this recording, read the words, and then sit back and soak up this wonderful performance in the best Italian tradition.



2. This recording is exactly what you would expect from an all-star cast.
   
   Owners of the Schirmer piano score, watch out for cuts from page 44 to 48, 76 to 80, and 106 to 107. The endings of bth acts are also different.



3. If you are trying to decide between the two studio recordings of Norma with Callas, I offer some advice. Get them both. The later recording is quite beautiful and better recorded. The earlier has a fresher sounding Callas but she does have more dramatic insight in that later recording. Ludwig is a nice treat in a bel-canto role. Overall, I highly recommend!



4. This is a strange recording for me. It features three all time favorite singers of mine, Callas, Ludwig and Corelli, and yet I had very mixed feelings about it. Some have called Callas's performance here more refined than the earlier recording and the famous live performances. I would characterize her performance as slightly cautious. Her Norma is older, wiser and a bit on the weathered side. I wonder how much of the refinement was her own sense of having to compensate for her voice which was in the final stages of decline. I expected a certain degree of the recklessness that she displayed in her second Tosca recording that was made a few years later. Here she seems to be carefully phrasing at times as to not hurt something. But, despite the vocal decline, not just the high notes but the tone, her mastery of the style and ease with which she handles the coloratura passages, is still a miraculous listening experience.
   
   I'm glad I have the recording and the current edition is warmer than the original CD release. This was the only opportunity for Callas, Corelli and Ludwig to make a commercial recording together, and Corelli and Ludwig are wonderful, although too bad EMI was unable to get Simionatto. But if you're familiar with the earlier recording (which by the way is only available at the moment in an awful GROTC edition) and the live performances, you might miss the broad strokes, I do, but it is still a worthy listening experience. When is Callas not? Never as far as I'm concerned.
   
   I would have loved to have rated this 5 stars, but 4 seems more appropriate. It's a fine but not a great recording.



5. Well, I think there are two roles in the history of opera that after the interpretation of Maria Callas it would not be unwise to claim that they should not be performed again: Norma by Bellini (all recordings she ever made) and la Traviata by Verdi (the definition of the role lies in the London 1958 Traviata- unfortunately, her 1953 studio recording with Cetra is almost unacceptable considering how she developed the role of Violetta after 1955).
   Although I very rarely sit down to write a review at Amazon, after having read so much on Mme Callas, I feel it is my responsibility as a fan of this great art named opera to make the following points:
   a)Maria Callas was not an interpreter. She was a creator herself to be placed at the same rank as Donizzeti, Bellini and Verdi. Had it not been for her I doubt that opera would exist today and if it did it would be a sad, boring musuem exhibit. She recreated the whole of Italian Opera -not just bel canto- and modernised it in a way that will make it last for another 100 years aftet her death. I remind you that opera in the 50's meant German Opera. Italian opera before Mme Callas was something of a joke. Terribly abused by singers and a bad tradition of horrendus vocalising, the music of Italian composers had lost its drama, its sense, its meaning.
   b)why do people spend so much time judging the voice of this great artist? Why can they not just relax and enjoy this great artistry? No-one says that there no other great singers! But no matter how great, they are unfortunately just that:"singers". Caballe, Sutherland, Sills, Price, Fleming, Dessay all have amazing voices and great carreers. But, comparing them with a phenomenon that was for the opera what Mozart was for classical music simply does not do them justice.
   c)Whether we like it or not Norma is a dramatic soprano role! A very difficult one as well and it should be treated with some respect. Caballe and Sutherland, because they had these amazing voices, did manage to sing it and they sang it well. But, as they were not dramatic sopranos they conveyed a lyricism in their interpretation that simply does not suit the role and Bellini's intentions. Other attempts however (Sills and -alas- Gruberova recently)should really remain as textbook examples of how inflated egos can ridicule both theselves and a work of art. I repeat that Norma is a dramatic soprano role. In this sense the only singers that approached the Callas perfection are Elena Suliotis (Decca for reason of expediency or stupidity is not reissuing her marvellous 1968 recording with Del Monaco) and Jane Eaglen in the Sony Muti recording. The only singer that seems to have been taught by the Callas Legacy in Bel Canto is Mme Renata Scotto but she was as well inadequate as Norma and wasted much of her talent singing (for commercial reasons, I suppose) Puccini.
   d)Callas has been very unlucky as far as supporting cast is concerned. The 1960 Norma recording is the only exception. It features the amazing Franco Corelli. What a voice this man had! Pefect voice, perfect dramatic conviction, beautiful and clear italian diction. Can we imagine a Callas -Corelli partnership in Aida, Pirata, Manon Lescaut?
   e)Callas did not lose her voice even though she overworked it in the 50s. The 1964 Tosca recording is the best proof of that. But she did lose her confidence and emotional stability. This fact led her quit her carreer in 1965 and that is the real tragedy of opera. Had she managed to work as hard in the 60-68 period when all her worry was Ar. Onassis we would have been left with at least 10 amazing stereo recordings. And I say 68 because someone like Callas simply would refuse to play young soprano roles after the age of 45. She believed that opera singers are like ballet dansers or athletes (and they are!), they should retire early. Mme Sutherland had a voice till the age of 60. And so? Is it not ridiculous singing La Sonnambula at the age of 59? If Callas did that she would not be the legend she is!
   
   This is all I wanted to note on a woman that achieved a fame in the world of opera (and beyond!!!) in a way that noone else had before and I am afraid no one else will do so in the future. People had to sleep on pavements for three days and three nights to get a ticket for this lady!

5 comments about Puccini - Il Trittico / Alagna, Gheorghiu, Guelfi, Guleghina, Gallardo-Domás, Manca di Nissa, Palmer, Shicoff, van Dam, LSO, PO, Pappano.

1. These are very beautiful and artistically committed performances. I think they are the best currently available on Cd-(but one wonders about those "LIVE FROM THE MET" SAT. performances broadcast live to theaters across the country. Will they become available and trump this recording?Only time will tell.)
   But there is much here to enjoy , compare, and contrast.
   While I still favor Tito Gobbi's Gianni Schicci , Van Dam's rogue has his own magic and merits. The Alagna's too are both quite stunning! While the older London Tebaldi/Merrill/Del Monaco Il Tabarro is very special to me for Merrill's amazing singing and acting(not usual for him-his voice was so gorgeous that he really didn't need to act that much), nevertheless these performances here are very fresh, alive and pungent in the combined impact projected by Guelfi's seething Michele, Guleghina's desperate wife and Schicoff's macho Luigi( Listen to the high notes!)(You'll scream along with Giorgetta at the end of Tabarro-you'll NEED to.)
   Maria Gauci's Angelica was a touchingly vulnerable and beautifully tender performance on Euro disc, but here we have Christina Gallardo-Domas's passionately human and spiritual heroine. Despite what some snide critics have said, pay careful attention to this sturdy yet vulnerable Puccini-tormented character. He loved her dearly- you can HEAR it if you listen with both heart and ears. Just turn down your inner critic a notch or two!
   All three operas are beautifully recorded and I LIKE MAESTRO PAPPANO! HE IS BOTH MUSICALLY AND DRAMATICALLY ALERT AND THRILLING! HE CAREFULLY LINKS THESE DIVERSE AND UNUSUAL WORKS INTO A SINGLE EVENING'S ENTERTAINMENT(just try listening to them back-to-back, as the composer wished). Also, the purchase price of the recording is now MOST reasdonable.
   Recently I wrote a separate review praising the Eurodisc set of TRITTICO not realizing that it was no longer available. What a Shame!
   For now at least, get this Angel/EMI recording. I think you'll be very pleased. It has very starry casting for very diverse Puccini. Maybe Il Trittico is not Boheme, Tosca or Butterfly but IT IS far better than many critics will condescend to admit. So, if you would like some Puccini verismo served on toast...help yourself!!!



2. Very good performances of all three one-acts. Good sound quality, and the orchestra performance is top-notch.



3. This review compares three of the recordings of Suor Angelica, with the finding that the recording of this miniature gem in the boxed set of Puccini's Il Trittico conducted by Antonio Pappano far exceeds the others in various qualities.
   
   The best first. The vocal performances of both the title role (Cristina Gallardo-Domas) and la Zia Principessa (Bernadette Manca di Nissa) offer a great breadth of interpretation and an honest and true attention to pure vocal production. I have the very slightest of quibbles with one specific response from Gallardo-Domas' Angelica to her aunt, "La Vergine ci ascolta e Lei vi giudica!" is offered much too anglrily, where the score is marked "coldly." The wonderful choral work that supports the action and provides so much of the exposition is a well-modulated performance of Puccini's best writing for women's voices in non-starring roles. Indeed, the balance between the soloists, chorus, and orchestra is keenly maintained througout, ever allowing the orchestra and chorus to be equals to the soloists. Lastly, Pappano's pacing seems the most accomplished of all the recordings.
   
   The worst second. The performance of the Rome Opera Orchestra & Chorus with Fedora Barbieri and Victoria de Los Angeles is frightful. The balance is muddy, and the soloists are miked so closely that they become strident. Worse yet is that the editing was inattentive, and several badly pitched tones made their way to the final recording. --And the pitch problems continue throughout, sometimes sharp, sometimes flat. The chorus members' diction is almost slurred, and a sloppy ensemble results in many nice melodies being unintelligible.
   
   The most surprising recording is conducted by Richard Bonynge and stars Joan Sutherland and Christ Ludwig. As another reviewer noted, Dame Sutherland is past her prime, recording the role at age 52. If only we had a recording of Angelica from her at 30! As it is, I believe Richard Bonynge is the one driving a stake through the heart of this work. His readings alternate between a rush through lyric passages and tearing through the recitativo segments at a full tilt. But it seems so strange because the balance favors the women's voices, making the orchestra extraordinarily subservient. Finally, the performances in general seem less than committed. For example, Sutherland lacks both the fire and the meek submissiveness that should complicate the character.



4. Like another previous reviewer, I too came to this set feeling that the old Tito Gobbi recording was something very special, and hard to beat. And it still has a special place in my collection. But this set is exceptional on all counts; it is superbly recorded, the soloists are wonderful, and Pappano's pacing throughout is just glorious...here is a conductor who understands, and has a love for this music. Furthermore, the older Gobbi set is hard to find, and only "Schicchi" is in true stereo. In short, you will not go wrong with these lovely, sensitive recordings. Better yet, get these and the older set if you can find it, and you'll never want for any more.



5. Once upon a time I was traversing an Interstate Highway on an otherwise uneventful day and Bamm! the sweet intonations of the female soloist singing in the most heavenly voice (by the way not THIS reviewed rendition), was being delivered by the most crappy Amplitude Modulated car radio. I was so mesmorized by the sweet sounds I was hearing that I pulled off the Interstate and just listened. For an hour I just listened. The Opera was 'Suor Angelica'.
   
   I have this particular CD and it is recorded better than the version I had experienced. Yet the rendition I had experienced set me on the path of discovery.
   
   Music is like that.

5 comments about Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti.

1. Solti's Ring cycle is certainly one of the great achievements in the history of recorded music. The story behind the first studio Ring is now legendary... how a young producer named John Culshaw undertook the most ambitious recording project in history to create his vision for the ultitmate Ring. Boasting an all-star cast and utilizing the best available technology to its fullest potential, the final result was a Ring cycle for the ages... or so was the general consensus. But as time wore on and new Ring cycles by Bohm, Karajan, and (most recently) Keilberth have become available, this set's flaws become all too obvious.
   
   Listening to any of these Solti/Culshaw operas, one immediately has to adjust for a musical barrage of exaggerated climaxes, hyped up dynamics, and (sometimes silly) sound effects. The result being that these great works come across as sounding too much like a typical Hollywood blockbuster. Admittedly the sound quality is often outstanding, but balances often seem ill-chosen with performers frequently on the verge of being overwhelmed by the orchestral soundscape. (Windgassen in particular is treated without much sympathy from either conductor or producer.) In addition, Solti's obsession with rhythmic precision and excessive punctuation often seem to shortchange the more lyrical aspects of the score. Revisiting Furtwangler on EMI or Karajan on DG as a point of comparison, one can hear how Solti prefers to deliver a sock to the solar plexus rather than gently tug at the heart strings. This ultra-theatrical approach is impressive at first, but all those in-your-face climaxes quickly grow wearisome. Even worse, Solti's aggressive tempos sometimes have the opposite effect by arbitrarily slowing to a crawl and thereby robbing a particular scene of its forward momentum. For example, check out the Forging Scene in Siegfried- perhaps the most boring on disc. But more to the point, Solti and Culshaw's approach tends to give these operas a rather episodic feel... more like a collection of highlights than a continuous work.
   
   Ultimately, the litmus test for any great Ring cycle is whether it holds up well upon repeated hearings. Unfortunately, whenever I now (try to) listen to one of these operas and once again find myself having to cope with Solti's agressive tempos, the wierd balances, and the utter lack of subtlety, it almost always feels more like a chore than a pleasure.
   
   I wonder how many of its devoted fans can still survive listening through the whole cycle...



2. I love this set and wouldn't be without it and think the remastering is an improvement over the first generation CD release. It is somewhat interesting that Decca hasn't re-mastered it further.
   
   Anyway, interesting that Birgit Nilsson was never really that happy with the recording. Her huge voice was somewhat scaled down by the engineers in favor of the orchestral detail and volume. I heard Nilsson live enough to remember her never being drowned out by the orchestra. In her autobiography, she felt better balance was struck with this release but she was so dissatisfied with the "Walkure" recording that she almost refused to have the recording released. I actually prefer her performance in the complete live Bayreuth Ring on Phillips, conducted by Karl Bohm. That's the Brunnhilde I remember.
   
   The other problem with this set and this is really minor, considering the medium. This music does not sound like this when heard in a theater or ever in concert. The Decca engineers were out to make a big sonic bang with these operas, and they did. The sound is incredible and if you try it on an iPOD, you'll be walking into walls.



3. I have owned three versions of this classic recording. My first as a set of cassette tapes that I worked part-time one summer just be be able to purchase. The second version was an early CD recording, and my third purchase was this remastered set.
   This is the definitive listening experience for anyone who loves music, art, poetry and literature. I have long felt that the musical drama is the apogee of art, in that it combines so many art forms into one experience: poetry, music, singing, instrumentation, narrative, costume design, and set design.
   One does not experience all of these by listening to a CD recording, but we all cannot travel to Bayreuth every time we want to experience Wagner.
   I own many recordings of THE RING, and eack one has something to offer. But for sheer enjoyment and power, Solti's RING is it for me. It is my desert island disc set!



4. This is, by any standards, a phenomenal achievement. I would recommend it to anyone, both new and experienced to the ring cycle to purchase this and it is, and shall remain, a landmark in studio recording. However, as a complete ring cycle, I consider Bohm's and Barenboim's to at least be its equal. Still, Solti's Gotterdammerun, Siegfried, and Rhinegold are areguably the finest on record-but his Walkure is, despite a great Act I, pretty shoddy-due mainly to Hans Hotter shaky Wotan. Hotter comes through magnificently as the Wanderer, especially in Act III of Siegfried-but Walkure finds Hotter a shadow of his brilliant, incomparable former self. I pity those who know Hotter only through this cycle-for how could they be expected to understand why he considered "THE" Wotan for the ages. TO understand that, one must turn to his Krauss53, KNA56, and the recently released Keilberth55 cycle(of which the Krauss and Keilberth to be superior to this cycle on all accounts-with the exception of sound) A side not-Astrid varnay is the Brunnhilde in those performances and her voice is much more in line with what I believe Brunnhilde to be and her Keilberth performance is the single greatest performance of that role on recordl....period.
   But, with the exception of the Keilberth, the krauss should be reserved till after you are familiar with Wagner and historical sound.
   This is a page turning performance(in the manner of Krauss rather than the meditative KNA-while Keilberth falls in between the two). Its intensity is truly only rivalled and exceeded by the Krauss.
   Its cast is a concotion of the best the opera world had to offer at the time.
   George London is Wotan in Rhinegold, before Hotter takes over for Walkure and Siegfried. Nilsson is Brunnhilde, a marvelous performance with really no drawbacks.
   though individually-among post Keilberth versions(which is in stereo) there is arguably no finer Ring except for possible Bohm's(though I find Theo Adam to be too weak as Wotan but I prefer Brigid Nilsson's performance to this one). Barenboim's has great sound and John Tomlinsons Wotan to support it. Tomlinson turns in one of, if the not the, greatest Wotan performance of our time(along with James Morris\Levine on DVD). Between Levine and Barenboim however, Barenboim excells on all levels.
   Cycles-
   Krauss, Keilberth, KNA56
   Solti\Bohm, Barenboim
   Finest individual performances
   Rhinegold-Solti, Karajan,Krauss
   Walkure-Krauss, Keilberth,KNA
   Siegfried-Keilberth, Solti
   Gotterdammerung-Keilberth, Solti,Krauss,KNA



5. Great performances by all, unsurpassed by any other I've heard, plus wonderful sound effects, but the original sound has been somewhat degraded by a "de-hissing" process, compared with the original CD of excerpts. Too bad.

5 comments about Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording).

1. I own this version as well as the original version. I respect both of them. I owned it on vinyl in the seventies and found it to be an exciting discovery. On CD, I bought the Nonesuch version first. It was nice to be reunited with an old friend. A middle aged old friend. The Nonesuch version version has much richer tonality than the original recording. Do I go to Einstein on the Beach for rich tonality? No, I go to it for edgy relentlessness. Although the Nonesuch version is longer, it is much less relentless. It's pacing is more leisurely. It seems to be striving for stateliness, to be seen as a classic, which it now is. I later bought the original recording on CD and was reunited with a friend who hasn't changed, It is still an exciting discovery. I prefer the flat tone of the vocals on the original as well. The later version sounds more practiced to be sure, but with that practice came a desire to emote and vary tone. To "act". It's guilding the lily. Nevertheless, I like both versions and play both from time to time. This opera is a true classic. and much better than it's schmaltzy followups in the trilogy.



2. Einstein On The Beach was first performed in 1976 and the first recording was released in 1979. This version of Einstein was release in 1993. To date, these existing reviews span a period of 8 years - which to me, is a testament to the significance of this masterwork.
   
   And in the same spirit as another reviewer, I too must confess that I prefer the original recording over this revised, modified and re-recorded version. I will say that this version is not at all "bad" - it is excellent. But to me the heart of the music lies with the original recording. I can understand the desire to release a "newer" version of this recording, but unfortunately in it's more polished form, it has lost a great deal of charm and, as has been mentioned, humor. Oddly the readings in this new recording sound very affected and almost pretentious. The music here - played with a digital perfection, has a sense of more mechanicality and a less human feel than the previous release (CBS Masterworks). Between the two versions, I think there are about 20 additional minutes on this re-recording than the earlier one, but for my taste this does not really add anything of startling consequence to the piece overall.
   
   It is said that all music is mathemetics. And since we all know about Einstein's love for the violin, it was an incredible intelligent idea to merge the two into a singular revolutionary operatic concept. As the reader is aware: it is now generally recognized that EOTB one of the most significant contributions to late 20th century music and performance, and simultaneously re-defined the potential of opera.
   
   So why buy this edition over the other? Honestly, I can't give you one solid reason. Both have positives and negatives. Get both. But listen to the earlier one first!



3. Before this, I'd only really heard Glass's solo piano music. Where I found his repetitive figures unmoving in that context, here - fleshed out with vocals and synths - they become something else, something hypnotic, beguiling and quite beautiful. Even over 3 hours, it is hard to tire of the gradually shifting rhythms, which move at break-neck speed.
   
   It is hard to grasp the effect the music has by listening to the samples above, and you shouldn't think, 'well, this is fine - but for 3 hours?!' - as it is much more than the sum of its parts. That effect is akin to a visual illusion on an epic scale. Only musical, if you will.
   
   This edition is hard to fault: it's very well recorded, despite the set being 14 years old and it's all very attractively packaged. The booklet is thorough, although I would have liked to see some colour photos from the performance, not just the badly reproduced black & white ones we are provided with. That aside, well worth the money.



4. Einstein on the Beach is one of the great works of music/theatre (as opposed to opera, or even traditional "musical theatre") of the 20th century, but the rerecording suffers from the bloated, cheap pretentiousness that characterizes almost all of Philip Glass's later work. Dilettantes criticize the original for the "artificial" timbre of the synthesizers, ignorant of the idea that the sound of the synthesizers are part of the piece as a historical text, or that the grating sound of the original recording actually emphasizes the formal qualities of Glass's minimalism. Utterly lacking in the irony and wit that made the first not only fascinating, but a pleasure to listen to, the rerecording is just dull.



5. I seem to be in the minority, but I prefer the original recording. What this version gains in performance and sonics, it loses in bite and immediacy. I came to Glass from rock music. The earlier recording had attitude and human energy. This one is fine art. I guess it depends what you're in the mood to hear.
   
   The text has been altered quite a bit. I can live with everything except the new "Mr. Bojangles"; for some reason, Glass decided that the speaker should EMOTE in an odd self-conscious way. It doesn't work. The deadpan humor is gone.
   
   The new sax line in "Building" (formerly "Building/Train") seems to have wandered in from a different universe. We're zooming through a mathematical soundworld ... and there's Kenny G. This piece has been extensively revised. The old version suggested a train at full throttle. This version is much slower, with muted organ and a meditative vibe.
   
   The "Bed" aria is technically flawless (a definite "improvement"), but it doesn't have the plaintive, haunting feel of the first recording. This singer has a strong, formal, "operatic" style.
   
   Someone was wondering why the earlier version was a 4-CD set. The reason is, it was originally a 4-LP box. At the time, 4 vinyl records meant 4 shiny compact discs. CDs were still a strange new medium for rich people. It took a while for the public to demand longer discs and lower prices.

5 comments about Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Milnes · Ghiaurov · ROH Covent Garden · Bonynge.

1. This is probably one of the top versions of Lucia di Lammermoor, one of Donizetti's greatest works. The cast displays such stalwarts as Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Ghiarov, Luciano Pavarotti, and--of course--Joan Sutherland. Richard Bonynge did much background research to create a Lucia more consistent with the composer's vision of the opera; he also conducted.
   
   Some representative segments of the opera. . . .
   
   A very nice ensemble scene, "Cruda, funesta smania," features lively singing. Sherrill Milnes' rich voice is well displayed. The ensemble sings with great spirit.
   
   A nice aria, "Regnava nel silenzio" is followed by a wonderful cabaletta, "Quando, rapito in estasi." This is one of Joan Sutherland's signature pieces. Here, she is at the "top of her game." The aria is smoothly sung. She shows agility and some nice trills. Although her voice is heavier than some other coloratura sopranos, she is most effective and deploys excellent technique and skills. In the cabaletta, she displays nice florid singing the first time through, replete with some nice trills. She also has some fine runs and hits a series of high notes with ease. On the repeat, she sings a trill off a high note (nicely done although not perfectly done). Her technique is excellent and she hits the final high note with ease.
   
   "Chi me frena in tal momento" is one of the all time great ensemble pieces in opera. Pavarotti's rich and youthful voice sounds splendid. Sutherland's voice soars above the ensemble. All manner of emotions and thoughts are displayed by the various singers. The voices meld well together for an effective ensemble "feel."
   
   One of the top cabalettas in all of opera has to be "Spargi d'amaro pianto." Sutherland sings it well and cleanly. The first time through, her voice and technique are rock solid. She shows off some nice trills and some well executed runs. The repeat is iconic. Good technique, a trill off of a high note, and a well executed final high note. All in all, Dame Joan sparkles.
   
   This is one of the top versions of "Lucia di Lammermoor," and it stands up well after the intervening decades.



2. Sutherland's first recording of Lucia was terrific but the second beats it on all counts.The supporting cast is superb. Pavarotti in his youth singing a very stylish Edgardo. Ghiaurov brings his beautiful voice to the bass role. Sherril Milnes is wonderfully evil as Enrico and his Act 1 duet with Sutherland is sensational. As for Sutherland she is generally superior here to her first recording, with the exception of her first act aria. The famous high notes are here in their glory; the high D at the end of the first act and the E flat at the end of the mad scene are among her best on record. Her interpretation has deepened, especially during the mad scene. At the point where "Alfin Son Tua" begins to the point of the flute duet, she delivers some of the most moving singing I have ever heard - reaching a heartbreaking level that I normally asoociate with a Billie Holiday not an opera singer. In conclusion this is one of Bonynge's better conductiong jobs and the RHO orchestra and chorus are excellent. The sound quality is very good.



3. As someone who is a relative newcomer to opera, although I find Dame Joan's sound and coloratura breathtaking, it was Callas's perfomance that really drew me into this story and made it a more cohesive allround experience for me. And I think I can say this of their Normas as well. That being said this is an amazing perfomance and "Chi Mi Frena" sounds exquisite with all these marvelous singers joining their talents.
   Ultimately I love both the Divas for very different reasons, but if you need to be drawn in by the plot of an opera, no one nails characterization like Callas, utterly rivetting and convincing and I might add vocally beautiful as well.



4. I purchased this recording just recently, and I'm certainly glad I did. Sutherland sings a glorious Lucia, having no problem whatsoever with all the coloratura runs and clarion high notes. I'm getting tired of listening to people talk about how poor her diction was. Does it really matter if she took the time to enunciate every last little detail of a word? She is one of the best singers the bel canto repertoire has ever seen and she has a beautiful, large, rich voice. And it's not as if the majority of Opera listeners can understand the words anyway. Just listen to the beautiful singing and be happy (and besides, her diction wasn't as bad as people make it out to be.) Anyway, Pavarotti is his usual glorious self, and his powerful and beautiful singing here would make one want to swoon.He always excelled at the bel canto roles and all the bravura passages that they held. Milnes probably has one of the most enormous voices ever. One example of this is in one of his duets with Sutherland where he ends the duet with a full throated High A (a note that even some tenors find taxing). By the way, Sutherland launches a stunning High E at the end of that duet as well. Ghiaurov has a beautiful, melodious bass voice. Huguette Torangeau has an extremely beautiful Mezzo voice. I'm surprised she wasn't more well known. Her voice has an utterly beautiful tone quality, a lovely vibrato, and a nice even range. So if you want to hear some truly "Bel canto", beautiful singing, then buy this set.



5. Simply the BEST Lucia since Callas. Even better for Pavarotti's fan, one of the best Baritone Milnes and Bass Ghiaurov are here. All in good shape, great recording. What more?

5 comments about Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro.

1. If you enjoy a quintessentially Viennese production of *Figaro*, then this recording is for you. Böhm leads a performance that consistently uplifts for its geniality, elegance and charm. This is a heartwarming rather than a sizzling account of the score, though Böhm's tempos do not strike me as excessively slow (as they did another reviewer on this website). Indeed Böhm can convey enormous vitality when the occasion demands--as in the Act II Finale. He also manages to get crisp and committed playing from his Viennese forces (nothing routine here). Few listeners will be able to resist Böhm's ideal combination of pathos and serenity in the great reconciliation scene of the Act IV Finale; this may be Böhm's finest moment on record.
   
   But it is chiefly for the singing that I am always drawn back to this version. Arguably this is the finest cast ever assembled for a studio recording of the opera. Janowitz' Countess can seem cool at first, but the sheer beauty of her voice--silvery, angelic, like something one might hear in Galadriel's mythic realm--and the consistent perceptiveness of her characterization cannot be gainsaid. Opposite her, Fischer-Dieskau overacts as usual--sometimes distractingly playing the buffoon--but his commanding manner and intelligent way with the text make this otherwise slimy character unusually sympathetic, even noble. One believes every word of his penetential plea in Act IV--while remaining disposed to forgive him for any future lapses! Prey is a virile, at times overly serious Figaro who plays up the revolutionary subtext. One could wish for a bit more "smile in the voice" but with a singer as gifted as he, one is not disposed to complain. As his consort, Mathis is a pert and perky Susanna, sexy where she needs to be, believably scheming, and most movingly standing by her man (Figaro -- or the Count?) in "Deh, vieni non tardar." Best of all is Troyanos' Cherubino. I have never heard a more convincing portrayal of this terminally randy adolescent. Her agile and believably boyish voice is a perfect fit for the part; no matronly mezzo she. The comprimarios are everything they should be, with the possible exception of a "grandmatronly" Marcellina. Their Act IV arias, included here, do prove to be too much of a good thing too late in the game. If I were conducting *Figaro*, even for a recording, I would omit these arias (which suffer by contrast to the other, truly great, arias in Act IV) if only for the sake of preserving dramatic continuity. But listeners can, of course, choose to include them or program them out.
   
   The remastering is a success. The sonics, which always were crisp and clear, are smoother than on LP, though there is a hint of peaking here and there. One might wish for a tad more warmth, but with superbly balanced orchestral textures and vocal ensembles, I count the engineering to be far more of an asset than a liability. I notice that used copies of this set are being offered for astonishingly low prices on this website; don't hesitate, then, to acquire a *Figaro* with all the classic virtues and an unbeatable cast.



2. Some music just captures your senses and it was the one track on this CD that I had heard several times as part of a movie. The movie was Shawshank Redemption and one night while watching it, I heard "Duettino - Sull Aria".I don't know why I hadn't taken notice of it before. I am listening to the entire CD and although I am familiar with the story, the music is still very new to me.
   
   I had difficulty in tracking down an outlet that had the CD I wanted and it was only Amazon that could provide me with it at a reasonable price.



3. When I saw that some customers had rated this item with 2 stars or less, I couldn't believe my eyes. This is by far the best recording available. How can you go wrong with such a cast, a Fischer-Dieskau is at his best in any opera. He's such a delightful musician and artist. I disagree that the performance is plodding - it is anything but. Bohm contrasts well the fast and lyrical overture and opening numbers with the slower arias later on into the first act.
   
   Bohm does well to contrast the characters with different voices. The rich and bold voice of Fischer-Dieskau with the energetic lightness of Prey. The same goes with the Countess and Susanna - Bohm's use of contrasts. How boring if all the characters sounded the same! The contrasts help to set the characters apart. It's such a stunning interpretation! Mozart would have been proud.
   
   As for the lack of 'Italianness' - I think people forget that Mozart was Austrian, and not to mention that the opera is set in Spain and was based on a French play retooled by an Italian lyricist. I don't think that it is fair to listen to this opera for its 'Italian-ness'. It does the work an injustice to label it geographically or expect the music to represent a particular "culture" since it touches so many corners of Europe.
   
   This is a wonderful recording, and you won't be disappointed.



4. For those who quibble with this recording's pacing & pedigree, I offer this new & different perspective - this "Figaro" is entirely in the spirit of the source material, which is to say Beaumarchais' delightful comedy of class & manners. It's in no way over-wrought or over-sung, as many recordings of "Figaro" are, and reflects many of the rhythm changes Mozart intended (and which keep the tempo from becoming repetitive.) After all, who wants to see the singers racing to the end of each track with no regard for the music or the underlying dramatic story (especially in some of the most beautiful arias Mozart ever wrote?) Bohm's conducting is unsurpassable, each of the cast in "mellifluous" voice and the orchestra vibrant & dynamic. If you're in doubt, purchase several different recordings & compare them - I guarantee you'll come back to this one time & time again.



5. This Figaro is recommendable primarily for the contribution of the women in the cast. Gundula Janowitz is a beautiful, aristocratic Countess and Edith Mathis a very good Susanna indeed. The late Tatiana Troyanos is excellent as Cherubino and Patricia Johnson an unusually good Marcellina. Of the men, I'm less convinced. Hermann Prey's Figaro is engaging but misses the repressed anger of the character. Fisher-Dieskau's Count is boldly presented, but substitutes snarling for singing in too many instances. The rest of the men are OK, but they are outclassed by other recorded exponents.
   
   My major problem with this set is that many of the cast members just don't sing the Italian language very well (the Germanic 'dunkveh' for 'dunque' for example). The conversational quality that should inform the recitatives isn't present. In this most quicksilver of Mozart's operas, that's a signicant flaw. For what it's worth, the recording is complete with Marcellina's and Basilio's fourth act arias.

5 comments about The Mozart Effect: Music For Children, Vols. 1-3.

1. These CD's are very uplifting and will leave you in a great mood. These are wonderful for children to listen to on a daily basis.



2. It's okay. For the classroom, there is one CD that's good background music for working at desks and one that's good for dancing. But I'd rather listen to "real" classical music with kids.



3. Our whole famiy loves these CDs! They are very relaxing to listen to while playing games, drawing, or building! I'm no music expert, but I thought the sound quality was good. We listen to them almost everyday! In fact, our kids request 'Mozart music' when playing and it does seem to help keep them focused on one thing for quite some time. :)



4. Some scholars claimed that the Author of "The Mozart Effect", Don Campbell, overemphasized his theory. I bought his 2 books, and this set of CD to find out whether his findings are legitimate.
   The more I listen to Mozart, according to his arrangement, the more I'm convinced. The Mozart Effect: Music for Children, Volume 1-3 is an excellent prescription for the young and older mind, alike.



5. I have not heard this CD but the idea that listening to Classical music in the womb has been disproven by legitimate scientists for a long time. A simple search found the following...

   "The Mozart Effect is an example of how science and the media mix in our world. A suggestion in a few paragraphs in a scientific journal becomes a universal truth in a matter of months, eventually believed even by the scientists who initially recognized how their work had been distorted and exaggerated by the media. Others, smelling the money, jump on the bandwagon and play to the crowd, adding their own myths, questionable claims, and distortions to the mix."

   "The idea for the Mozart Effect originated in 1993 at the University of California, Irvine, with physicist Gordon Shaw and Frances Rauscher, a former concert cellist and an expert on cognitive development. They studied the effects on a few dozen college students of listening to the first 10 minutes of the Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K.448). They found a temporary enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning, as measured by the Stanford-Binet IQ test. No one else has been able to duplicate their results. One researcher commented that the "very best thing that could be said of their [Shaw's and Rauscher's] experiment-were it completely uncontested-would be that listening to bad Mozart enhances short-term IQ" (Linton). Rauscher has moved on to study the effects of Mozart on rats. Both Shaw and Rauscher have speculated that exposure to Mozart enhances spatial-reasoning and memory in humans. "

   Note that the only scientific tests were performed on college students.

   If you want to listen to Mozart, great. Just buy a CD that does not insult your intelligence by making ridiculous claims.

5 comments about Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Schwarzkopf · Ludwig · Karajan.

1. This is surely among the better Rosenkavalier recordings. In its day it had no equal. Can Christa Ludwig ever do wrong? I don't think so. She is sublime as is Karajan. A young Nicolai Gedda is a treat. My problem is Stitch-Randall with that annoying vibrato.
   Schwarzkopf herself I find a bit too white and colorless. This great opera is widely recorded try them all. The most memorable performances I've seen were live from New York to Vienna.



2. This was my first recording of this magnificent opera and it left me cold. It may be that I never was much of a fan of either Elizabeth Schwarzkopf or Otto Edelmann. Now that I have many more recordings, all of which is better than this one IMO, I know why I didn't like it. It is mainly because of Karajan's approach to Strauss in general and Schwarzkopf as the Marschallin.
   Karajan's approach to this exceptionally lyrical opera is so undramatic and overglossing. It has none of the beauty and spark of Böhm or Kleiber (both Erich and Carlos). Even the great 1936 Busch performance, in bad sound quality, has more beauty and spark than this. I see the same in his Ariadne. Several times in the opera is dramatically important musical devices simply ignored by Karajan. In almost all other recordings I feel a sence of awe in the Octavian/Sophie duet in the beginning of act 2. In this recording there is nothing awe-inspiring at all.
   Schwarzkopf is nothing like Maria Reining (in either the studio Erich Kleiber set or in Clemens Krauss' Salzburg performance). Schwarzkopf is too much like Schwarzkopf and not the Marschallin. I get no sense of drama from her.
   I also have a problem with Otto Edelmann. I miss the deep bass of Ludwig Weber (on the Kleiber set), Kurt Bohme (on Bohm's set) or Alexander Kipnis (in the Busch performance).
   Christa Ludwig is one of very favorite mezzo sopranos, but I think she sounds much too feminine to be Octavian. Probably the best Octavian I have heard is Sena Jurinac (on the Kleiber set). Irmgard Seefried (on Bohm's set) is also really great. None of them are very feminine in their portrayl of the young Count. Ludwig sings really well, but I have never felt she is musically and dramatically right for the part because of her very feminine voice.
   The rest of the cast is really good
   The sound is good for early stereo, but there are times when the sound is a little muffled. The documentation is really great.
   
   To close I have to say that Bohm's magnificent recording with Schech, Seefried and Bohme is a clear first choice if you have to have a stereo recording.
   If stereo isn't important, then there is basically no better studio recording than the famous Erich Kleiber set from Decca with Maria Reining, Sena Jurinac and Ludwig Weber.



3. Karajan's 1956 version, one of the greatest of all opera recordings, is in a class of its own, with the patrician refinement of Karajan's spacious reading combining with an emotional intensity that he remains a supreme interpreter. Matching that achievement is the incomparable portrait of the Marschallin from Schwarzkopf, bringing out detail as no one else can, yet equally presenting the breadth and richness of the character, a woman still young and attractive. Christa Ludwig with her firm, clear mezzo tone makes an ideal, ardent Octavian and Teresa Stich-Randall a radiant Sophie, with Otto Edelmann a winningly characterful Ochs, who yet sings every note clearly. This has now rightly been reissued, at mid-price, as one of EMI's `Great Recordings of the Century,' with sound further enhanced.



4. OK, Der Rosenkavalier opera is a smidgeon kinky. But the music is ethereal. One of the most hauntingly beautiful waltzes ever written. This music was sung (with words by Hollywood lyricist Earl Brent) by the fetching Jeanette Mac Donald in the movie "Three Daring Daughters."
   
   Listen to the waltz music a few times and you can't get it out of your head. Nor do you want to.



5. I've just started listening to Strauss's Operas. I found "Elektra" exhausting but breathtaking. This work is definitely more lyrical and less loud, took some getting used to after Elektra, I half expected a huge orchestra to take over and blast everyone offstage but that never happened.
   I find some of the "comedy" a little tedious but parts of it are exquisite.
   I love Schwarzkopf's rendition of the " monologue", she conveys so much emotion and brings this character to life perfectly. Brava!!
   And I think I've listened to "Presentation...Rose" about a 1000 times already. Ear candy if there ever was.
   I think the story is intriguing and addictive.
   Love Christa Ludwig's Octavion, wow! (I like von Otter too)