Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini

Bonus: Björling in Manon Lescaut.

First release in excellent sound.

This compact disc collection includes a number of important extracts from Puccini’s Turandot (sadly, complete recordings have not survived) from performances Barbirolli conducted at Covent Garden, and performed during the 1937 Coronation Season. These extracts are not only valuable for Barbirolli live ‘in action’ as it were, within the opera house, but also they provide us with the opportunity of hearing great singers in roles for which they became most famous. In this regard, the chance of hearing the legendary Dame Eva Turner as Turandot with Giovanni Martinelli as Calaf (his first appearance in the role), is indeed wholly exceptional.

These excerpts are taken from two performances at Covent Garden, heard on May 5th and 10th 1937 and the recorded selections are of broadly identical passages in the score, although those from the May 10th performance are slightly longer excerpts. The most important difference is the change of cast, in that in the May 10th performance Licia Albanese replaces Mafalda Favero as Liù. The atmosphere of live performances thus conveyed is tangible; apart from various audience and stage noises, and what may be the occasional catch of breath from Barbirolli, the undeniable frisson of Barbirolli’s masterly conducting in following the singers, especially in their fermate – notably at the end of Martinelli’s Nessun Dorma – is a prime example of his ability to empathise with them in every way. One might also note the appositeness of his tempi, always giving the singers time to sing and to phrase properly. The HMV studio recordings from April and June 1929 feature an Italian baritone, a contemporary of Martinelli, who did not enjoy a commensurate international fame, Giovanni Inghilleri – although, like Martinelli, he was a much admired singer, especially amongst his peers. From these recordings conducted by Sir John Barbirolli we can only regret that what was undoubtedly Manchester’s gain was the international world of opera’s loss.

Although one of his most consistently lyrical operas, La rondine (The Swallow) remains one of Puccini’s least known.

Dissatisfied with the result of his work, Puccini wrote three versions, with two different endings, and continued to make further revisions up to his death in 1924.

The innovative 2007 production at the Torre del Lago Giacomo Puccini Festival, presented here, is in effect a fourth version, which combines Acts I and II of the first version (1917), with Lorenzo Ferrero’s 1994 orchestration of parts of the Finale of Act III of the incomplete third version (1921), some of which had survived only in piano score, as well as Ruggero’s Act I romanza, ‘Parigi è la città dei desideri’, from the second version (1920).

2 CDs for the price of 1

This new release entited Classical Love Songs on Profil is a compilation of the most beautiful love songs by Mozart, Schumann, Brahms, Rossini, Donizetti and many more.

The songs are sung by an exceptional array of artists including Fritz Wunderlich, Rudolf Schock, Hermann Prey, Richard Tauber, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Joseph Schmidt, Anneliese Rothenberger and Heinz Hoppe.

Adrianne Pieczonka's diary for the next few months makes it clear that this soprano, long celebrated for her Wagner and Strauss roles across the world, is now also in international demand for the Italian repertoire. She is singing Tosca in San Francisco, Desdemona in Munich,Amelia, Simon Boccanegra, at the Met alongside Plácido Domingo and Requiem at Carnegie Hall. None of which should be a surprise as she is one of the finest exponents of bel canto singing today. Pieczonka's foray into Puccini roles takes us from his debut Le Villi to the late Turandot. She can offer with ease the dramatic power necessary for the title roles of Madama Butterfly or Tosca, yet she still remains true to the lyrical ideal, whether in Lauretta's 'O mio babbino caro' or the soulful phrases of Mimì or Liù that are so beloved of the public.Tosca's prayer has become an acknowledged highpoint in her repertoire, though the same should now be said of the whole rôle itself. She may have famously borrowed the jewellery of Maria Callas to sing Tosca, but she needs no borrowed plumes, for as we hear on this CD,Adrianne Pieczonka has emerged as a Puccini singer of the first rank.

"Domingo was lucky to have a wonderful Sieglinde in the lovely Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, who brought a gleaming voice, affecting vulnerability and exciting sensuality to her performance." New York Times

"The company's "Tosca" has been around… But Tosca is new: Adrianne Pieczonka sang the role for the first time Saturday. The Canadian soprano will surely be singing it for a long time. She was radiant." LA Times

This Austrian quartet was founded in 2000 by students of the Kärntner (Carinthian) Landeskonservatorium. The ensemble has participated in numerous master classes with members of many internationally renowned quartets. Their debut album was released by Gramola in 2007 (GRAM98826)

Continuing Preiser’s critically acclaimed series, Legendary Singers, featuring Ester Mazzoleni. She was renowned in her day for choosing repertoire that was considered (at the time) to be rather exotic!