Bellini: Vaga luna che inargenti

One of David Daniels’ great passions is to explore repertoire not necessarily associated with the countertenor voice. He also really likes to sing with guitar. The result is a delightful program of songs that David performs regularly in recital, ranging from gems by Dowland and Purcell to American classics like Beautiful Dreamer and the title song, John Kander’s A Quiet Thing. Leading Australian guitarist Craig Ogden has made the arrangements and accompanies David in a collection designed to be ‘very intimate, and full of beautiful words and melodies’.

Following his recovery from leukaemia in 1988 the great Spanish tenor José Carreras performed a series of comeback concerts, and this recording presents a collection of excerpts from these very special events. It includes not only operatic arias but also art-songs and items from Zarzuela, revealing the whole broad range of his repertoire.

Spanish tenor José Carreras unquestionably numbers among the most important tenors of the second half of the twentieth century, yet in the consciousness of many people his biography is not only marked by his outstanding artistic achievements. The apparent tragic end of the career of the then 41-year-old singer as a result of a life-threatening illness, his triumph over death, and the entirely unexpected re-commencement of his career as singer have become just as much a part of public memory as the appearances with his tenor colleagues Domingo and Pavarotti who, as ‘The Three Tenors’, delighted an audience of millions throughout the world. José Carerras went on to establish a foundation that has collected millions of euros used to alleviate the suffering of the sick and provide scientists with financial support for their research into leukaemia.

In addition to Luciano Pavarotti’s brilliant career on the opera stage, he was also known for his immensely popular recital performances featuring art song and lieder. This double-album features 24 recordings made at the peak of his career, ranging through works by Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Mascagni, and the rather less obvious Legrenzi, Liszt and Respighi as well as Giordani’s ‘Caro mio ben’, Beethoven’s ‘In Questa Tomba Oscura’, and Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’. This is one of a series of five archive recordings of the legendary tenor being released by the American label Opera d’Oro over the next couple of months.

This 2-CD set features 22 groundbreaking performances by the legendary Luciano Pavarotti. The recordings include Neapolitan songs by Tosti, Bixio, De Curtis and many more by Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Mascagni and other composers. The set is one of five new releases featuring the great tenor to be issued by the American label Opera d’Oro during the early summer.

A stunning debut album from an up and coming young opera singer, Ilona Domnich. This diverse album covers a range of styles, as Ilona says …”some of the songs are very difficult. For instance some parts of the Strauss songs are very acrobatic, on the other hand the lyrical Italian songs, while ostensibly less technically demanding, call for intense musicality and sensitivity”