Ferruccio Furlanetto - download (MP3 & FLAC)

Montserrat Caballé, Samuel Ramey, Ileana Cotrubas, René Kollo, Eva Marton, and Ruggero Raimondi were amongst the many opera stars from all over the world who came together at the great Arena in Verona on 8th August 1988 to support José Carreras and the establishment of his foundation to fight leukaemia. The much-loved tenor had recently recovered from this life threatening illness and the recordings included in this special two-CD set are the aural documents of this memorable gala.

Although Placido Domingo was unable to take part that evening, he too supported his friend, providing a recording of a song by zarzuela composer Jacinto Guerrero at Carreras’s disposal for the concert in aid of foundation and this album. The discs include highlights from La Bohème, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Manon Lescaut, La Giaconda, Otello, La Traviata and many other operas.

August 8th, 1988 was a great evening for José Carreras. It went on until after two o’clock in the morning, but the packed audience in the Arena in Verona did not want to go yet. They held aloft signs and banners on which they hailed the singer, who had returned to life, with heartfelt words in many languages. He was the last to perform after the greats of opera had sung for him throughout the evening. For the first time since his convalescence Carreras again stood in front of an orchestra. His strength was only sufficient for a single song - Lara’s Granada - with which his voice could outshine the waves of the instruments.

Gifted as both a writer and a musician, Arrigo Boito wrote the libretto to his own opera Mefistofele. Based on Goethe’s Faust and the eternal struggle between Good and Evil, Mefistofele is the pinnacle of Boito’s compositional achievement and has retained a place in the operatic repertoire.

Opera for Children is a wonderful range which is being made available internationally. 15 world-famous operas accompanied by a booklet telling the story. Includes beautifully illustrated story book of the opera for parents to read to children.

This edition of Attila is based on the extraordinarily successful performances of the opera given at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste last year. The towering figure of the barbarian king Attila, masterfully crafted by Verdi in one of his most efficacious bass roles, finds in Ferruccio Furlanetto a performer of matchless vocal bravura and expressive sensitivity. The Italian bass is partnered by the noble voice of the soprano Dimitra Theodossiou, who has already appeared in leading roles in Anna Bolena and Stiffelio, and the orchestra is conducted by Donato Renzetti, unquestionably one of the most prestigious Italian conductors and a well-known specialist of nineteenth-century Italian opera.

The Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg has been the scene of countless memorable musical events – operas, concerts and recitals – for 50 years. Here is a unique chance to celebrate the glories of this distinguished era.

In an exceptional collaboration with the Salzburg Festival, we have prepared a 25-CD box set – 5 complete operas, 10 concerts and 2 recitals – featuring many of the world’s greatest artists, in recordings with classical status and others that are appearing on CD for the first time.

Concerts (five out of ten are first-time releases): with Abbado, Bernstein, Böhm, Boulez, Karajan, Levine, Mehta, Muti, Solti. Soloists include Anne-Sophie Mutter and Jessye Norman. The Wiener Philharmoniker feature prominently; individual concerts with Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra.

Recitals: two exceptional concerts with Alfred Brendel (first release) and the Martha Argerich/Nelson Freire duo-concert from 2009.

The set includes new liner notes in English, German and French, and photos of the opera productions and artists – 72-page booklet.