2 comments about Tchaikovsky: The Maid of Orleans.

1. Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky's "The Maid of Orleans" (or Orleanskaya deva) of 1879 was his fifth completed opera. Cast in 4 acts (six scenes), the stage work is loosely based on F. von Schiller's "Jeanne d'Arc translated by Zhukovsky. Tchaikovsky himself provided the libretto for the work. The premiere in 1881 at the Maryinsky Theatre conducted by Eduard Napravnik scored only a modest success. The assassination of Tsar Alexander II two weeks later did much to shelve the opera, as the season was cancelled. In looking at the history of performances compiled by Ultraphone LPs, which reissued the original Melodiya recording, this opera was performed no more than nine occassions between 1881 and 1958.

   The perceptions of the opera did most of the damage, I believe. In Richard Taruskin's revealing essay of Tchaikovsky in Grove, Cesar Cui noted that Tchaikovsky identified with the Joan d'Arc too profoundly, as if giving her a sense of divinity. There's a certain truth to that, though not very surprising. Like Massenet, Tchaikovsky's gift rested in his understanding of the characters, sometimes to the point of becoming one of them. In reviewing his Manfred Symphony under Pletnev, I've noted the composer's relation to the anger, tormentation, soul searching, and redemption and inner peace Manfred underwent. That was Tchaikovsky's life in a nutshell. Tchaikovsky did not become Joan d' Arc, but a recent breakdown of his marriage played a role in his treatment of the opera.

   Did Tchaikovsky damaged Joan d' Arc's mission in the eyes of heaven? No, Tchaikovsky was too good of a musical psychologist for that. He, however, added human dimensions to Joan d'Arc beyond the divinity and gave her inner strength and even a sense of vulnerabilty that are compelling. The work is to an extant a grand opera for the rhetoric leans towards Meyerbeer while the sense of urgency in some pages suggests his familiarity with Verdi. But out of Verdi and Meyerbeer, Rubinstein was the bigger influence. For example, in the middle of Act I (the chorus of the Maidens), the opera inherits the nobleness and the old-mannered dignity to be found in Rubinstein's "The Demon." But Tchaikovsky was his own man, with his orchestration and choral writing idiomatic, glorious and even poetic. The end of Act I for example, with Jeanne d' Arc's aria accompaning by the Chorus of the Maidens, shows Tchaikovsky as among his best.

   Tchaikovsky's treatment of the rest of the cast is also very compelling and singers of the Kirov Opera and Ballet met the challenges euphoniously. V. Kilchevsky as Charles VII was strong and commanding throughout. But Sofya Preobrazhenskaya, a brilliant yet overlooked soprano, made a name of herself particularly by performing Jeanne d'Arc throughout her career. She gave the character a sort of femininity that is strong, willful, and convicted, as if guided by God himself. But Preobrazhenskaya avoided the one-dimensionalism of the character that could have been easily undertaken by those not so familiar with the role as she was (except Irina Arkhipova in a later Melodiya recording). She made Jeanne d' Arc a vulnerable, pure human being, torn between her divine mission and her love for Lionel (passionately sung by L. Solomyak). The love duet between them in Act IV is especially spellbinding before Jeanne's execution.

   Boris Khaikin was an excellent concert and theatrical conductor of the former Soviet Russia. He led the Chorus and Orchestra of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre with fiery temperament and drive. Yet there are places where he can have this magical sense of subtlety and vividness. It's unfortunate that he, like so many conductors around his generation (such as Samosud, Melik-Pashayev, and Nebolsin), remained so little known. The original 1946 recording is well captured on these dics and the fillers (esp. of Mussorgsky's Khovanschina) are further incentives to purchase this CD album. The presentation is relatively disappointing, though, with no libretto, inadequate history behind the work, and no slip case. But the performance itself is truly in a demonstration class.




2. I have not heard this recording, but do own one put out by Columbia Melodiya many years ago. The opera was complete. It starred the riviting Irina Arkhipova as Joan ( a voice so electrifying, at once very powerful full and tender ). For those familiar with Tchaikovshy's other operas, in particular Eugene Onegin or the Queen of Spades, you are in for a most wonderful surprise. This opera is every bit as melodic ( more so actually ) and really very gripping, especially in the final scene where Joan is burned at the stake. The first act is faultless, and contains the only well known number from the work, Joan's Farewell. Joan's vision that ends the act is spellbinding. This opera offers so much more in the way of pageantry and wonderful choruses that his more well known operas simply don't offer. Why this opera is so forgotten is really a mistery, as it was the first of Tchaikovshy's operas to travel outside Russia, and was extremely popular. Though the part of Joan was originally written for a soprano, at the premier it was tranposed for a mezzo, and has been sung that way most all the time. The score contains both versions. The weakest roles in the opera are for Agnes, and for the Dauphin. The baritone love interest, lionel, is so written it would be the envy of any tenor. For those who love Tchaikovsky's drama and melodies contained in his ballet music, this opera will especially excite you, as it reflects that auro rather than the more disjointed melodic lines of some of his other operatic writing, and that of many of his Russian contemporaries. Though I cannot vouch for this recording, I can say for sure, the opera itself is well worth the money.

2 comments about Meyerbeer - Dinorah / D. Cook · du Plessis · A. Oliver · D. Jones · M. Hill Smith · R. Earle · I. Caley · PO · Judd.

1. Dinorah (also called Le Pardon de Ploërmel) is a quaint piece about superstitious Breton peasants, with some lovely music, especially for soprano. The opera premiered in 1859, with Marie Cabel in the title role; celebrated baritone (and acquaintance of Rossini) Jean-Baptiste Faure as Hoël, the romantic lead; and Charles-Louis Ste.-Foy as the comic tenor Corentin (like Ali in Azor et Zémire). The critic for L'Année Musicale praises all three principals, as well as the goat. (A subsequent goat was less well-behaved: it butted Dinorah into the ravine and jumped in after her.)

   The opera is set in Brittany; the names Hoël and Corentin are genuine Breton names, as is the place-name Ploërmel; the pardon is a religious festival. Briefly, Dinorah's house has been burned down in a storm; Hoël, in hopes of getting money to rebuild it, has gone off in search of an enchanted treasure in a ravine. The only drag is that the first person to touch the treasure will die within a year; Hoël consequently lures Corentin into joining him in searching for the treasure. Meanwhile, Dinorah wanders about mad, as a result of Hoël's desertion. In the end, Dinorah inadvertently reveals the treasure's curse to Corentin, who now refuses to go in after it, and gets Dinorah to go into the ravine instead. She does; a storm hits; Hoël, finally recognizing her, runs in after her. The good-natured Corentin, showing no resentment of Hoël's attempt to get him killed (whioch indeed is treated rather lightly in the opera), runs to the village for aid, while Hoël, stricken with remorse, begs Dinorah to revive. She does, the two have a tender reunion, and Hoël persuades Dinorah that the previous year has only been a dream. Apparently, her house has, somehow or other, been rebuilt, since Hoël points it out to her. Given that Hoël's purpose in seeking the treasure in the first place had been to rebuild her home, this is somewhat puzzling.

   But not too much should be made of the plot of this unassuming little piece. The characterization in largely adequate, and the music quite lovely. The only major defect is the overture, which is too long. Among the musical numbers, I single out for special praise Dinorah's two arias, her lullaby to her (imagined) goat, and her Shadow Song; Hoël's two arias, especially the Act III aria, "Ah! mon remords te venge"; and the couple's final duet.The most unique feature about Meyerbeer's music is the orchestration, which is very colorful, imitating for example the goat's bell, thunder, and frequently the singer's (especially Dinorah's) voice. There are a couple of brief interludes for the villagers, but at least there's no ballet. (Not that I have anything against ballet, just not in the middle of my opera, s'il vous plaît.)

   The lead singers are Deborah Cook, who sings with ethereal beauty, particularly in the goat lullaby, the Shadow Song, and when reciting the legend of the treasure's curse, as well as the final duet; baritone Christian Du Plessis, who also sings beautifully, especially in the Act III aria, when he thinks Dinorah is dead; and Alexander Oliver, who sounds fine as the comic tenor (for example, in the Act I duet with Dinorah). The conductor is James Judd, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Geoffrey Mitchell Chorus (London, 1979).

   The notes are interesting and informative, though with a few errors (saying that the goat to whom the lullaby is addressed is the real goat); the libretto is riddled with spelling errors and typos.




2. This work, a staple of such prime donne as Adelina Patti and Amelita Galli-Curci, has all but disappeared from modern opera stages. Thankfully, the people at Opera Rara have produced this recording, so those of us who are curious may see just what the opera has to offer. While it is not a masterpiece, it is quite charming and filled with much delightful music, not the least of which is the most famous aria, the heroine's "Shadow Song." That aria is well sung by Deborah Cook, small and fleet of voice (not unlike Galli-Curci) and capping the aria with a high F. The rest of the singers are great, with Della Jones and Marilyn Hill Smith in small roles. It goes without saying that Opera Rara's packaging and presentation are first-rate. An important addition to operatic recordings.

3 comments about Mozart - Don Giovanni / Garry Magee · Cullagh · Banks · Plazas · Shore · Tierny · PO · David Parry.

1. Once again, Chandos Opera series have outdone themselves with this studio recording of Don Giovanni sung dramatically and beautifully in English. The beginner will benefit from listening to operas in English first and then moving on to the original language of the opera- in the case of Don Giovanni, Italian. Opera is sung in mainly European languages- German, French, Italian and even Russian. A gifted composer can write librettos and set it to music in any language.
   
   Don Giovanni in English is very amusing, brilliant and dramatic. This recording is like watching a play, especially in the abundant recitatives. The cast is singing with passion and lyric power- Garry Magee fits the Don perfectly. He is scheming, charming, full of lust, bawdy, devilish and hiding beneath the mantle of a gentleman. All this is powerfully expressed in recitative and in song. Majella Cullagh as Donna Anna sings with lyric beauty, especially in times when she reveals her anger and her grief. She never gets over the death of her father. She feels fury against the Don but some will have it that she is vigorously trying to kill her own desire for him so that she can be free to marry Don Ottavio. Barry Banks is Don Ottavio, a romantic who is frustrated that he must wait for so long until he is free to consummate his marriage with Dona Anna, which is why he is determined to have revenge on Don Giovanni. Vivien Tierny as Dona Elvira is the most colorful of all, her bright soprano voice full of beauty and dignity. Jealous, enraged, the epitome of the betrayed woman, she stalks Don Giovanni and thwarts his attempts of seducing other women. In the end, even after all his crimes, she still loves that bad boy Don Giovanni, even after his sent to Hell. She claims she will spend the rest of her life in a quiet retreat or convent. Mary Plazas is a bubbly, charming and seductive Zerlina, while Dean Robinson is a jealous, feisty Masetto. Andrew Shore as Leporello is a riot, comic and clever. Because it is sung in English, the dramatic points and even the funny lines are stronger. However, the cast is weak when compared to the cast in Lorin Maazel's recording starring Ruggero Raimondi, Jose Van Dam, Kiri Te Kenawa, Edda Moser, Kenneth Reigel, Teresa Berganza and Malcolm King. The Annas and Elviras of greater fame include Birgit Nilsson, Leontine Price, Joan Sutherland, Elizabeth Schwartzkopff and lighter voices like Beverly Sills and Renee Fleming. Don Giovannis of great fame include Ruggero Raimondi, Samuel Ramey, Bryn Terfel, Ferrucio Furlanetto. This is a great version if you want to get into your fist Don Giovanni.



2. Prior to purchasing this set, it had two major strikes against it that long deterred me from making the purchase:

   1) The incomparable Giulini reading. Along with The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni is my favorite opera. I like to have several recordings of many of my favorites. However, I have not found a 2nd recording of this opera that isn't garbage in comparision to the Giulini set.

   2) It's in English. I've never been a fan of hearing things in any language but that intended by the creator.

   Well, I finally broke down and purchased this set. I wanted something that would enhance the experience of this opera - being I do not have knowledge of Italian and reading a libretto is more difficult than understanding it while it is being performed.

   First off, I have to say that the 'Commendatore Scene' is simply FANTASTIC! From the moment Elvira screams in terror until Don Giovanni is dragged into hell screaming is marvelously thrilling. Very haunting scene that is wonderfully performed in such an intense and haunting manner. I dare say the scene rivals that of the Giulini set.

   The orchestral performance is great. Tempos are kept at a nice, fast, light paced speed. The performers are certainly not on par with the Giulini equivalents (Sutherland, Schwartzkopf, Wachter, Taddei, etc) but they are more than adequate. I found Andrew Shore's reading of Leporello particularily excellent.

   The translation is quite good as well. I really have a new found sense of the completeness of Don Giovanni and the nuances that I was not able to pick up before.

   For my enjoyment of Mozart, so much more depends on the conducting as opposed to the technicality of the singing (Giulini is the only set I've heard that has both, in spades).

   I have purchased several other sets of this opera (Karajan, Solti, etc) and they are all collecting dust. The problem I have with a lot of Mozart performances (particularily many of the Don Giovanni recordings) is the conductors apart desire to transform Mozart into Puccini. At least it seems that way. Pieces that should be light and clear (the Classical form) are slow and bogged down. This set, is how it should be.

   It is nice to finally have another recording of this truly magnificant opera to listen to, and one in English to boot.

   It's definitely worth it. Where the singers lack in technicality they more than compensate for with their acting abilities. Very emotional readings here.

   Excellent all around, a great buy!




3. This recording of the Prague version of Don Giovanni is a welcome addition to Chandos' Opera in English series. Also, surprisingly, the first Mozart in the series - surprising as he is perhaps the ideal composer to have his work sung in English, owing to the structure of the pieces and the presence of recitatives. It's a slightly tauter version of the opera than we are used to - no Dalla sua Pace or Mi tradi - and the casting reflects these differences, making Elvira a dramatic, not a lyric soprano. All of which, I suppose, is a way of justifying yet another Giovanni when there are plenty of other recordings to choose from (though none in English to my knowledge). David Parry gives a forwardly mobile, almost aggressive, account of the score, always dramatically appropriate, never rushed. The orchestra sounds grand when it needs to and there is plenty of ear-catching detail. He has a fine cast of singers, some of whom are left over from Operan North's production 2 years ago, notably Garry Magee in the title role. He sounds young - he looks it as well - and uses the bloom on his voice to suave effect without ever quite being authoritative as he somehow should - this man can stop a wedding with a very few words. His Leporello, Andrew Shore, sounds older and wiser but somehow muted, unusual for this singer.
   From the sinners to the sinned - against - Majella Cullagh's focused, bright instrument copes well with the tribulations of Anna, the odd tight high A aside, and is agile. Vivian Tierney is a less familiar Mozartian but gives an emotionally charged performance, verbally poignant. The odd squawk in alt is forgivable. Barry Banks sings with exemplary style as Ottavio, Mary Plazas and Dean Robinson are charming as the young lovers, and Clive Bayley is a suitably scary commendatore.
   Recommendable as much for its strong sense of ensemble as for star performances, this is a recommendable recording - there's never a dull moment.

5 comments about The Essential Leontyne Price.

1. Leontyne Price is the glory of opera. There are not any singers today who can come any where near her level. This album is the documentation of a great artist's best work. Even though the set is expensive, BUY IT. It is essntial to any opera lover's collections.



2. Here we have one of the most luxuriously presented, and carefully laid out, documentaries of a great, great, artist. A great lady. A great American. A true "citizen of the world". And, certainly, a great giver of joy and pleasure from her marvellous singing, on and off the stage, and her recorded documentation of it, also.
   
   May I say here to you, Ms. Price "God Bless you, and Thank You, Forever from My Heart, for what you have given us. You are Greatly Loved, not just by me, but the Whole World, and Most Fittingly."
   
   ----
   The Review:
   
   This generous, lovely packaged 11 Disc overview of Ms. Price's career is simply beyond compare. I, in my long "love affair" with LP's, and CD's, have never seen such a wealth of material placed in one box! It simply must be held in your hands, listened to, and the beautifully bound hard cover book included just finishes icing the cake. BMG, you are to be greatly thanked and congratulated on producing this beautiful "gift to us, from Leontyne, and you folks, on the occasion of her 70th Birthday". What a wonderful commemoration of this Great Lady's wonderful career.
   
   Here is as near a complete collection as we are ever going to get, or need, of Leontyne's recordings. From selections from her complete opera recordings, to the arias and songs that she recorded over the course of her marvelous 30+ year career. It would turn into a "book" here if I commented individually on the included works, so I will refrain, and, instead, send you back to the notated list of arias/etc. mentioned above, with short clips to listen to.
   
   Sadly, this wonderful box has been allowed to go out of print, perhaps to return under the Sony/BMG partnership(?). I will say this...I currently see here used sets at $399, and new ones for $499. This is a very steep price, but, at $35-$45 per disc, and the wonderful book, all in a "leatherette"-type packaging I would not consider it outrageous for die-hard Leontyne Price fans like myself as this MIGHT NOT be reissued...who knows, today, what goes on with oop stuff? All you need is one "director" someplace high up in the company, and if he/she feels it will not "sell" enough, then NO GO on a reissue, that's for sure. One could also check other venues for new/used recordings, too.
   
   But, regardless, this, truly, is one of the greatest presentations of an artist's work that I have seen. It is fitting that BMG produced this beautiful package honoring Leontyne Price, and pleasing us so much in the process. My Higest Recommendation, both to the quality of presentation here, and also to the quality of the recordings, and the endearing, everlasting greatness of Ms. Price's art. There has never been a more flexible, exciting, voice as hers. How thankful we are to have experienced this lovely lady's gifts to the world. ~operabruin



3. This compilation of Ms. Price's career is almost as complete as anything I've ever come across!!
   An American Icon....I will forever be a loyal fan and admirer!!



4. Along with the equally extensive "Prima Donna Collection" this is Leontyne Price's best album. Anyone who wants to become familiarized with her vocal technique and her art on record should own this album. It features her best work ever recorded. A lot of these arias and their respective soprano roles were not roles she sang on stage. Leontyne Price was not only a consummate artist, but a cautious one. The reason these arias, Lieder, Gospel and spirituals sound so beautiful and technically brilliant is because Leontyne was smart enough to sing them infrequently and in concert form. She did not take on new roles other than her repetitive Aidas, Leonoras, Butterfly, Toscas and Madame Lidoins, etc, because she was afraid of ruining her glorious voice too soon as many of her contemporary sopranos. Like soprano Zinka Milanov, Leontyne Price preserved the freshness and vitality of her voice through "operatic abstinence". Thus, the Norma, Salome, Manon, Lady Macbeth and even Traviata we hear on this album are well-rendered because she did NOT sing them on stage. She would have worn out her beautiful voice if she sung so many roles.
   
   This collection is overwhelming. Leontyne Price proves herself to be a masterful artist of diverse repertoire. Pity she didn't really sing these on stage because she would have put Maria Callas and all the reigning divas before and after her to shame. Listen to her remarkable, unsurpassed Mozart repertoire. This she did sing in opera houses, probably because Mozart does not require a true lyrico-spinto heavyness and smaller opera houses can accomodate Mozartian voices that do not often rise above the staff/orchestra. She sang exquisite Fiordiligis at the Met. The arias from Cosi Fan Tutte here - Soave sia il vento, O Guarda Sorelle and the fiendishly difficult vocal showcase "Come Scoglio" with its vertiginious scales are all fine samples of Miss Price's artistry. She sang Susanna and Donna Anna with beauty and bravura. The Salome excerpt is quite thrilling. She would have made a terrific Salome but the role is quite difficult and it would have surely killed her voice. Leontyne Price was the number one Verdi soprano. Every opera cognoscente will tell you that. When you hear the excerpts from Verdi operas here - Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking Scene, Aida's arias, Leonora's arias from Trovatore and Leonora's arias from Forza Del Destino, particularly La Virgine Del Angeli and the ravishing Pace Pace Mio Dio- are the best renditions of Verdi soprano singing. Anyone who wants to study how to sing in the letter-to-letter Verdi lyrico spinto style should hear these arias. A voice like Leontyne cannot be easily imitated. Maria Callas's own voice can be imitated as Romanian diva Angela Gheorghiu has proven. Leontyne was in a class of her own, a voice that is both dramatic and beautiful to hear. However, most people find fault in her lack of dramatic interpretation. I say they're not hearing hard enough. Yes, there is excessive beauty in her singing but she understood that the opera heroines should sound beautiful because they are beautiful and though I never saw her on stage, from the recordings I hear she sounds dramatic and character-driven enough for me to be satisfied. For a devoted fan of Leontyne Price, this album is the Holy Grail. She sings the most beautiful Norma, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Aida, Violetta, Madame Lidoin, Suor Angelica, Susanna, Dona Ana, Gilda, Fiordiligi, Desdemona and countless other heroines. The last cd is a collection of Gospel, spirituals and patriotic songs. These "American", non-opera selections find her in beautiful voice and she is actually paying tribute to her roots. She was not only African-American, but a Southerner from Mississippi. Her voice must have been heavenly to hear in Church! This is the album that made me love Leontyne.



5. Originally a Gospel singer, Leontyne Price rose to the heights of operatic superstardom in the 60's and 70's. She enjoyed the same success Maria Callas did in the 50's. Although Callas will forever be most people's idea of the greatest soprano of the 20th century, Leontyne Price was not a force to be reckoned with. In my opinion, and this is just me, she outshone Callas and was the greater singer as far as techinicality and musicianship. Leontyne Price's best work is recorded in this album. It is her best album, together with the Prima Donna Collection. The price is expensive but it's worth every penny. Prepare to be riveted and blown away by the dynamic strength and passion of her voice as it blasts through yours stereo. While many often point out that Leontyne Price was not much of an actress, from a purely operatic/vocal level, her voice was faultless and virtuosic, powerful, passionate, beautiful, lyrical, soulful. Never have I heard a soprano so richly endowed with strong chest register- she could sing the low octaves that are found in the roles of mezzo-soprano voices or contralto voices. But she was a dramatic soprano and that's dramatic with a capital D- all the high C's were there, perfectly in place, and she was a thrilling singer when reaching for the stratosphere with her voice.
   
   This album contains arias from operas that I didn't even know she performed- La Traviata (yes, Leontyne Price as Violetta is a moving and powerful interpretation, executed with sublime beauty. She finds herself the equal to Callas in the role- for Callas had a big voice for a role that calls for the "dying" effect. Thus, Price, like Callas, could sing roles that call for beauty and not just dramatic vigor. It's unfortunate that unlike the stars that were rising in her time- Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills and Montserrat Caballe- Price never mastered the bel canto repertoire - Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini (although she sang a sensational Norma, excerpts are found in this recording). But her strongest suit was Verdi. She had the voice Verdi was looking for in a soprano- rich, dramatic, beautiful, able to fill up the lines with smoky and velvety hues and a gleaming high top. Check out her Amelia in Un Ballo In Maschera, her Leonora in Trovatore, her Leonora in La Forza Del Destino. Of course, her greatest role, her signature role, and one which she connected with on a personal/ancestral level was that of Aida. The first selections in this recording are from that masterpiece. As Aida, she was at her best. It was easy for her somehow, when most other sopranos tackle the role with difficulty. She conveys grace, nobility, passion and spirituality in the role of the tragic Ethiopian princess.
   
   Further roles she excelled in that are on this recording is Desdemona in Otello, which she sung opposite Placido Domingo. Their masterful voices blend together harmonically and gloriously in the Act 1 Love Duet. She's quite the ground-breaking artist. Most Violettas in Traviata or Desdemona in Otello are Caucasian lyric soprano (Desdemona was white, Otello was black, that was Shakespeare's intention) but in opera, race does not matter and Leontyne Price's voice made her a star in a time when it was incredibly difficult for a black woman to sing opera. From the start of the century, opera was always associated with white Europeans and later on Americans. But Leontyne Price followed the inspirational example of the gutsy contralto Marian Anderson, who suffered a lot of rejection in opera due to skin color in pre-Civil Rights Movement 30's, 40's and 50's. Finally in the late 50's, Anderson, after a lifetime of singing only in private concerts and recitals, debuted at the Met as Ulrica in Un Ballo. Leontyne Price immediately picked up where she left- singing all the soprano diva roles typically associated with white singers - especially Tosca. Her Tosca is second to her Aida. As Tosca, she encompasses the diva who dies for love in the most thrilling way.
   
   Other than Tosca, Puccini heroines were just as magnificent vehicles for her voice. She sang Madame Butterfly to great acclaim. I dont know how she did it but she suddenly ceased to be herself and became the frail, naive, lovesick Japanese Geisha. Softness and fragility is also mixed with the maturity of a woman in love, with passion and dramatic vocal color. She sang La Rondine with equal success, though this role is more along the lines of Violetta/Traviata. She sang Suor Angelica, she sang in modern works such as Barber's Antony and Cleopatra- in that infamous Zefferelli production- she sang Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, she sang in Dialoge of the Carmelites. All these are on here, along with her Baroque specialties- Dido in Dido and Aeneas. Her Mozart voice is also the best I've heard, really, even with a more dramatic and beautiful charm than other singers I've heard. She sang the acrobatic role of Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, both Dona Ana and Donva Elvira in Don Giovanni. I prefer her as Dona Ana, she is all fire, despair, intensity and repressed desire, but she sings a hysterical and lovesick Elvira with a passion as well. She even sang the Countess in Le Nozze Di Figaro. But the sky was the limit to Price. She even sang, in a Jessie Norman way, the Wagner role of Isolde. Her "Liebestod" is the greatest I've heard since Birgit Nilsson, with a passion that stemmed from her religious Gospel heart.
   This is a great album and I recommend it to any fan of Price and any fan of opera in general. If you have never heard Price and want to start somewhere, start with this one. This one or the Prima Donna Collection.

No comments about Der Rosenkavalier.

No comments about Antonín Dvorák: Dimitri.

No comments about Bedrich Smetana: The Secret/Viola.

1 comments about Placido Domingo: 30 Years with EMI.

1. This expensive box set is a collection of scenes from full-length recordings starring tenor Placido Domingo under the EMI record label, a label that championed him. This is unquestionably Domingo's most extensive compilation album. He is in fine voice as he sang under EMI throughout the years, but mostly in the 80's and 90's. Here we find him singing his most celebrated roles- Verdi's Otello, still his signature Italian role, Alfredo from Traviata, Mario Cavaradossi from Tosca, Lieutenant Pinkerton from Madame Butterfly, Dick Johnson from La Fanciualla Del West, Rodolfo from La Boheme, Don Carlos- the role that earned him a place in the EMI catalog. The Giulini Don Carlos is still a hot item and here we hear excerpts from that legendary recording. If you are the biggest fan of Placido Domingo, and you have the money for it, this is for you. It's hours and hours of beautiful singing in the tenor key, and moments of dramatic intensity in opera. Get this before it sells out fast!

No comments about Britten: The BBC Collection.

2 comments about Mozart: Don Giovanni.

1. This is the most powerful performance of Don G available, with Furtwangler's Wagnerian brass, Tito Gobbi's scornful, snarling, thuggish Don, Ljuba Welitsch's furious, piercing, and on-pitch Donna Anna, and Josef Greindl's devastating Commendatore.

   The weaknesses include the squawking of Eliz Schwartzkopf and a bumbling incompetant keyboard-player who screws up the accompaniment in just about every single recitative, causing vocal confusion (At the beginning of act 2 Tito Gobbi bellows "Ei he ha he, sei morto!" at Leporello and Donna Elvira at the wrong time and gets ignored). But the overall power of the performance is so great that none of this seems to matter.

   Absolutely uncompromising.




2. I was very disappointed with the inferior quality of the recorded sound in this set. I was looking forward to hearing Gobbi's Don Giovanni, especially with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as Donna Elvira and Ljuba Welitsch as Donna Anna. This recording was made from a live performance at Salzburg in 1950, with Furtwangler conducting. The overture begins with distortion that's impossible to eliminate, even by adjusting the treble, and things don't get much better as the opera continues. EMI has issued this same performance in the past, and perhaps their source material was better than whatever was used for this remastering, but unless you don't mind substandard sound, steer clear of this one.