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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Sylvia Sass – The Decca Recitals
Bartók: | Five Songs, Op. 16 (Text: Endre Ady) | Bellini: | Sediziose voci (from Norma) with the Ambrosian Singers | Liszt: | Die Lorelei with András Schiff (piano) Ne brany menya, moy drug, S340a original version with András Schiff (piano) Enfant, si j'étais roi (Hugo), S283 with András Schiff (piano) Es muss ein Wunderbares sein, S. 314 with András Schiff (piano) Vergiftet sind meine Lieder, S.289 with András Schiff (piano) Kling Leise, mein Lied, S301 with András Schiff (piano) Der König von Thule with András Schiff (piano) Die drei Zigeuner, S.320 with András Schiff (piano) | Ponchielli: | Suicidio! (from La Gioconda) National Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli | Puccini: | In questa reggia (from Turandot) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli Vissi d'arte (from Tosca) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli In quelle trine morbide (from Manon Lescaut) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli Sola, perduta, abbandonata (from Manon Lescaut) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli Un bel di vedremo (from Madama Butterfly) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli | Verdi: | Ritorna vincitor! (from Aida) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli Una macchia è qui tutt'ora (from Macbeth) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli O madre, dal cielo …Se vano, se vano è il pregare (from I Lombardi) London Symphony Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli È strano! è strano!...Ah! fors è lui (from La traviata) with Ian Caley (tenor) Vanne, lasciami (from Il Trovatore) La luce langue (from Macbeth) |
Sylvia Sass was born near Budapest, Hungary, in 1951 to a very musical family. Her mother was a coloratura soprano and her father a high school music teacher. She made her stage debut at age 14 in Adam’s operetta Die Nürnberger Puppe and then commenced study at the celebrated Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, completing a five-year program in two. Her professional debut was as Frasquita in Carmen in 1971. Several awards followed – 1st prize at the Kodály Voice Competition in Budapest, 1972; winner at the International Opera Competition for Young Singers, of the Grand Prix as Violetta in La traviata, 1973, the Silver Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, 1974. She was also made an Honoured Artist of Hungary in 1977. While still in Budapest, she performed such dramatic roles as Freia in Das Rheingold, Violetta in La traviata and Mimi in La bohème. International stardom came with a composer with whom she is most associated and in a role represented on her Decca recitals – Giselda in Verdi’s I Lombardi at Covent Garden in London, 1976. The next year she made both, her Italian debut in Turin as Lady Macbeth, and her Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca alongside José Carreras. La Scala followed the year after, in 1978, where she sang Puccini’s tragic heroine Manon Lescaut alongside Plácido Domingo. Soon, Sass was being heralded as ‘the new Callas’, and she did meet Callas in person, thanks to a meeting set up by Leonard Bernstein. True, the voice had a similar dramatic colour, but Sass quickly rebuffed the comparison, saying, ‘Callas was so great and so unique. I just don’t think it’s fair to compare somebody with such a great artist.’ Her three recital records for Decca include two discs of operatic arias, including all her most celebrated roles, both conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, and a disc of songs by Liszt and Bartók with her compatriot, pianist András Schiff. All of these are issued collectively as a 2CD set for the first time. In recent years, Sass has settled in France, where she keeps busy painting and giving masterclasses. “you could say that Sylvia Sass had taken the best from Callas's and Sutherland's Norma … ‘Sempre libera’, which sounds appropriately hectic, is fearlessly done (with a tender, ardent incursion from Ian Caley as Alfredo) … her vibrant ‘Suicidio’ is undeniably exciting … The Decca recording is faultless.” Gramophone Magazine “The very first phrases of the opening aria (Turandot’s ‘In questa reggia’, no less) command attention and let you know that something rather special has arrived on the scene. And as the Puccini arias follow one another it becomes quite clear that here is an exceptional singer, distinctive in timbre, distinguished in artistry. The voice glitters rather than soothes, shines rather than warms. It is powerful, has a wide range, and is firmly placed. The tone can be brilliantly luminous (as in the Turandot aria), or may acquire a deeper kind of radiance (as in the ‘Vissi d’arte’ that follows it).” Gramophone Magazine “Entering into every nuance of the songs’ moods, and employing a dynamic range from the merest whisper to a full-blooded climax, Sylvia Sass makes the utmost of their not very rewarding vocal line; but the success of this performance is assured by the subtle playing of András Schiff, who conjures up beautiful sounds from the swirling figurations [Bartók] … Die Loreley is an evocative scena, sung imaginatively (and with much flexibility of pace) by Sass, bringing into play a vocal quality as seductive as that of the siren herself; and her gentle singing of the serenade Kling leise, mein Lied would melt the most obdurate heart. … all the performances here are unusually illuminating and satisfying; and the recording is excellent.” Gramophone Magazine (Liszt, Bartók) | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Maria Callas Live in ParisRecorded at the Palais Garnier on 19th December 1958
This concert was recorded in 1958 in the Palais Garnier. Callas performs excerpts from Bellini’s Norma, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Rossini’s Barber of Seville and the second act of Puccini’s Tosca with Tito Gobbi. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Maria Callas in Athens
Delibes: | Où va la jeune Indoue? 'Bell Song' (from Lakmé) Sung in Italian as 'Dov'e l'Indiana bruna?' Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Oliviero de Fabritiis | Donizetti: | Regnava nel silenzio...Quando rapito in estasi (from Lucia di Lammermoor) Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto Il dolce suono mi colpì di sua voce! … Spargi d'amaro pianto (from Lucia di Lammermoor) NB Surface-noise remains on this track Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Oliviero de Fabritiis | Thomas, Ambroise: | A vos jeux, mes amis (from Hamlet) Sung in Italian as 'Ai vostri giochi' Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto | Verdi: | Vanne, lasciami (from Il Trovatore) Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto D'amor sull'ali rosee (from Il Trovatore) Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto Pace, pace mio Dio! (from La forza del destino) Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto Vieni! t'affretta!…Or tutti sorgete (from Macbeth) Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Oliviero de Fabritiis Ben io t'invenni … Anch'io dischiuso … Salgo già (from Nabucco) Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Oliviero de Fabritiis | Wagner: | Mild und leise 'Isolde's Liebestod' (from Tristan und Isolde) Sung in Italian as 'Dolce e calmo' Orchestra of the Athens Festival, Antonino Votto |
Recorded on 5th August 1957 (Athens) and 18th February 1952 (Turin) | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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