Giuseppe Verdi

The world-famous tenor Mario Lanza performs arias by Donizetti, Meyerbeer, Verdi, Flotow and others.

Arangi-Lombardi was underestimated during her lifetime and was a belcanto specialist. She valued exquisite vocal artistry, musical phrasing and rich tonal shading much more than outward effects. Unfortunately, Vol. I of her collection on Preiser is out of print.

Continuing the celebration of Domingo’s 70th, we’ve selected 13 complete operas from all stages of Domingo’s career. Many of them are still at top price in the catalogue, but are being offered in this super-budget, limited edition box.

Packaging: capbox, with around 84-page booklet including tracklists, reviews of operas, synopses in English, German and French.

The intermezzi recorded on this CD are, in the main, orchestral mood-painting interludes found in the great Italian operatic repertoire of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, usually connecting acts in the opera. The music is powerfully atmospheric, designed not only to create the right mood for the ensuing action of the opera, but also providing some respite from the drama itself. The exception is Ponchielli’s famous ballet, Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda, which like most ballets found in operas, gives a break from the drama of the opera and provides the audience a chance to enjoy an entertaining ballet whilst, in this case, listening to some of the catchiest music in the repertoire. Indeed, this scintillating ballet was immortalized in Walt Disney’s film Fantasia and has long been one of the most popular classics in the repertoire.

The rest of the items on this CD range from the very well known and haunting Act III Prelude from La Traviata, to the sparkling items from Wolf-Ferrari’s Jewels of the Madonna and I Quattro Rusteghi, and the richly-romantic intermezzos from the great Verismo composers of Leoncavallo, Puccini, Giordano and Cilea, though the rare items by Catalani are no less enjoyable.

Italian maestro Gianandrea Noseda is in his element in this, his native repertoire. Noseda has made many noted recordings with his BBC Philharmonic orchestra for Chandos, praised for their brilliance of sound as well as their musical excellence. Noseda’s superb musicianship in both the operatic and orchestral repertoire combine on this release to produce one of his very finest recordings. The programme here is unique.

These performances were all recorded live at the Sydney Opera House. This collection demonstrates what a priceless legacy has been left by one of the greatest singers the world has ever known and brings together “The Best of Joan Sutherland” Vols.1 & 2 at a bargain price. It includes some of Sutherland’s famous performances such as the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor.

This Irish soprano had outstanding talent coupled with powerful determination to succeed. Amazingly, she made a successful career in Italy between the World Wars. The years from 1922-1924 were her great years at La Scala. She enjoyed great popularity especially in the role of Butterfly which is included here.

Les Violoncelles Français first appeared in concert together in 2006: eight leading figures of the French school of cellists, they perform here as a consort in homage to violists of an earlier period. They play an entirely new set of transcriptions taken from mainstream repertoire in this, their first recording, arranged by Roland Pidoux.