London Philharmonic Orchestra

The greatest opera stars in the world - together in one 2-CD set.

A unique collection of all the great genuine opera stars appearing on the world's stages today.

A galaxy of great names performing opera's best-loved arias and classic melodies.

CD 1 ("The Divos") features celebrated performances from Roberto Alagna, Juan Diego Flórez, Jonas Kaufmann, Plácido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Josef Calleja and Erwin Schrott

CD 2 ("The Divas") features outstanding recordings by Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu, Montserrat Caballé, Nicole Cabell, Olga Borodina, and Kiri te Kanawa

A fabulous showcase of today's top vocal talent

2 CDs for the price of one

Recorded: Cheltenham Festival, 7 July 1972 (Vaughan Williams), Barking Town Hall, 26 November 1969 (Hadley, Bax), Maida Vale Studios, 12 December 1966 (Berg)

Sir Adrian Boult was Vaughan Williams's close friend and one of his greatest advocates.

The broadcast in excellent stereo from the 1972 Cheltenham Festival marks the composers 100th anniversary with wonderful performances of Symphony No.6 (Boult gave the first performance of this work in 1947) and the ever popular Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. Boult recorded these works in the studio many times but these are live performances and the occasion is palpably felt.

There are two short fillers in stereo from Patrick Hadley (celebrating Vaughan Williams's 70th birthday) and Arnold Bax with his warmly atmospheric 'Mediterranean' both recorded in the studio in 1969.

As a substantial bonus and also as a 'must' for Boult collectors is a very rare broadcast made in 1966 in stereo of Berg's 'Lyric Suite'. Boult gave a pioneering performance of Berg's 'Wozzeck' in 1933 and therefore it is of particular interest to hear his interpretation of the three movement 'Lyric Suite', one of the composers most approachable works.

With Fidelio, Beethoven found the perfect vehicle to express his lifelong commitment to liberty. The work exposes the reality that at any moment in the world, at any point in history, unjust atrocities are being committed, which can only be prevented by an individual belief in the sanctity of human life and the all-conquering power of universal love. This timeless theme is as relevant today as it was when Beethoven started to write his opera in 1804. Anja Kampe and Torsten Kerl made their Glyndebourne debuts in the roles of Leonore and Florestan in 2006 to rapturous critical praise and this production won the Royal Philharmonic Society Opera Award in 2001.

Libretto translated from the original French into English, Italian and German.

Extensive accompanying booklet including a commissioned article about the opera.

Feature and review publicity in national newspapers, radio and specialist music magazines.

Features two exciting Glyndebourne debuts from Anja Kampe and Torsten Kerl.

Recorded live at Glyndebourne, August 2006.

Includes 2 discs in a 150 page hard-bound book.

Reviews from 2006

“Glyndebourne’s searing, sublime Fidelio is an example of what can happen - but seldom does - when everything comes together in opera…Do anything to get a ticket: opera simply does not come better than this.” The Sunday Telegraph

“Anja Kampe is the Leonore of one’s dreams and Torsten Kerl’s Florestan complements her ideally, with thrilling tone from them both in their duet.” Opera Magazine

“A moving and enthralling Fidelio…Glyndebourne has pulled it off, in a revival that shows the place on top form building on teamwork, attention to detail and rigorous rehersal…” The Daily Telegraph

“…exquisitely sung by Milne, Kampe, Kennedy and Sherratt, which makes this the second Glyndebourne production in one season to have raised the bar on ensemble singing to a dizzying height.” Independent on Sunday

Frederick Delius (1862-1934) was born in Bradford of parents who had been born in Germany. His father was a successful wool merchant and although he allowed his son to study music he did not regard it as a career option. On leaving school he therefore joined the wool company but he proved unreliable; he did, however, visit Norway and Paris on the firm’s business and met life-long friends. In 1884 he was allowed to go to Florida as an orange grower. This gave him freedom from family pressures – he neglected the oranges but studied music and was greatly influenced by the music of the plantation negroes. He developed one of the most individual and easily recognisable harmonic and melodic styles of composition. He was strongly supported by the eminent conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, who gave numerous performances of his work and clearly established an appreciation for it amongst its listeners. Some critics have remarked that whilst his formula for composition was artistically successful it was so but within a strictly defined and narrow emotional and expressive range – certainly this is borne out by the popularity of the shorter works which form the vast majority of this collection, especially the exquisite sensuous idylls catching the lights, sounds, perhaps even the smells of the English countryside.

His last ten years were blighted by illness and in 1928 Eric Fenby became his amanuensis thereby enabling the composer to complete a number of works including A Song of Summer.

He died virtually a recluse in Grez-sur-Loing and, as French law forbade his burial in his garden, his remains were removed from Grez’s cemetery after a year and moved to Limpsfield in Surrey.

Prokofiev’s last opera, Betrothal in a Monastery, launched the Glyndebourne label in 2008. According to Shostakovich it was ‘one of Prokofiev’s most radiant and buoyant works’. It has been unavailable for several months and back in stock, repackaged in line with the more recent Glyndebourne releases.

Luxury 256-page hard-bound book.

Essay by Harlow Robinson, world authority on Soviet and Russian cultural history.

Includes full libretto in Cyrillic with English, French and German translations.