Puccini: Manon Lescaut - Intermezzo

Herbert von Karajan, one of the 20th century's greatest musicians, is not only the world's best-selling conductor, but also one of EMI Classics bestselling artists of all time.

He was very closely associated with EMI Classics and recorded with them from 1946-1984 - a partnership that produced nearly 160 CDs worth of music and over 1,000 hours of recorded music.

Critics rightfully have called soprano Eli Kristin Hanssveen “the new opera diva”. Her spectacular voice has been the catalyst for a steadily rising career, and she is known for her unique charisma and acting talent. In 2002 she made her opera debut at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, where she has been soloist since 2010.

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.

Marc Hervieux delivers superb renditions of favourite Italian arias on this blockbuster ATMA recording. After the extraordinary success of Le Premier Noël (ATMA’s best selling CD in 2009), Hervieux presents his second CD on the ATMA label. This CD is devoted to the the most beautiful arias by Puccini, Verdi, Mascagni and Leoncavallo.

The most famous overtures, preludes and interludes from the world’s greatest operas.