Best Languages
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, he certainly doesn’t overlook the elegance, sparkling wit and romance – though his approach is a bit more analytical than some others – but it seems that anything that happens storywise is bent into the service of his musical vision rather than vice versa. Yes, a case could certainly be made that Solti pushes things too hard, but I myself is happy to hear Un ballo work as a momentous drama at least on the musical level. And importantly, none of them seems to be put off by Solti’s intensity – one would expect that when a conductor pushes his own ideas about the drama as Solti does here the singers and their ability to provide vivid portraits of their characters suffer, but not so here, which is a tribute both to the soloists and the conductor."
"Ulrica tells Amelia to gather an herb with magical powers later that night near the gallows. *Act 2 highlight: "Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa" by Margaret Price. *Act 3 highlight: ""Morrò, ma prima in grazia" by Margaret Price This is when Amelia is begging her husband, Renato, to see her son one last time before what she believes is right before Renato kills her for imagined infidelity."
"Simply superb!"
"This is a performance and recording where his famous clarity and diction really add a great deal to the performance, and he really conveys his sheer joy in singing this music. He is matched by Margaret Price, who provides such an intense and beautiful performance, her smooth and pure voice gliding over this part like hands on a satin sheet, yet still providing drama and skill that would count as a masterclass in and of itself. The recording is top notch with the orchestra coming through with presence, detail, clarity and power in the wonderfully resonant Kingsway Hall, directed by Solti with urgency, drama, authority, and plenty of delicacy and precision."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Honestly the Tenors and Sopranos get to be a bit much for my ears after a short while."
"Rebuilding my somewhat deficient Classical collection."
"Beautiful sound and presentation."
"A thrilling interpretation of The Ring, without all that awful singing."
"WOW you've got to hear this!"
"His personal behavior was low....yet, these orchestral excerpts show the God-given musical genius he possessed right up there with Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. The conductor was able to capture "the Noble Savage" aspect in Siegfried with those musical bits."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is something to be said for a conductor who does not rely on 'cycles' to warrant respect ; there's nothing wrong with regular thought and feeling from a conductor - as in Karajan and others - yet an expansive interpretive range will come, too, from the performance of various composers ; Fritz Kreisler is a master of interesting sentiments in the same vein as L. Stokowski (another underrated conductor, if I may say) but he - Kreisler - always is best in front of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra."
"a perfect piece for the New World , hit's you right in the heart."
"The "New World Symphony" is a work I've loved since my teens but only recently realized was missing from the classical library on my iPod."
"I first heard this symphony in high school in a music appreciation class."
"This work represents a series of sweeping, majestic melodies that range from serious as in Op."
"Dvorak's New World Symphony is one of my favorites."
"Again, a wonderful presentation of RCA's "Living Stereo" era."
"This recording of New World proved to be one excellent replacement choice."
Best Czech
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is something to be said for a conductor who does not rely on 'cycles' to warrant respect ; there's nothing wrong with regular thought and feeling from a conductor - as in Karajan and others - yet an expansive interpretive range will come, too, from the performance of various composers ; Fritz Kreisler is a master of interesting sentiments in the same vein as L. Stokowski (another underrated conductor, if I may say) but he - Kreisler - always is best in front of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra."
"a perfect piece for the New World , hit's you right in the heart."
"The "New World Symphony" is a work I've loved since my teens but only recently realized was missing from the classical library on my iPod."
"I first heard this symphony in high school in a music appreciation class."
"This work represents a series of sweeping, majestic melodies that range from serious as in Op."
"Dvorak's New World Symphony is one of my favorites."
"Again, a wonderful presentation of RCA's "Living Stereo" era."
"This recording of New World proved to be one excellent replacement choice."
Best English
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The multi-layered libretto, by David Henry Hwang analyzes the search for knowledge as a basic human need, exceeding limitations, but with a cost to oneself or to others. The prologue with a wheelchair-bound scientist introduces the quest with a graphic description of physical limitations from which the questioning mind seeks liberation. The final scene of act III, after the spaceship launch, is particularly poignant, and demonstrates how superb music can universalize and convey the depth of emotion suggested by the text. One example is the repeated motion of the waves in Act II that intensifies the monotony and frustration of the long voyage before land is finally sighted. The conducting by Dennis Russell Davies brings out the fullest potential, from the crashing climax of Act 1 to the sublime calm that ends the opera."
"I was at the World Premiere for this opera - my first time to be in the Met Opera House, my first time to be at a Philip Glass premiere, in the first month after I moved to New York City."
"I recorded, live, the original broadcast from the Met. I live in Sierra Vista, AZ., and was very excited when it was broadcast live on KUAT, the night of Columbus day 1991, 500 years after Columbus discovered America."
"I have been trying to buy this since 1992, when it was played at the 500 year commemoration of the discovery of the Americas."
"This one grows on you."
"In fact, I am tempted to say that The Voyage is like a cross between the musical style of Akhnaten and La Belle Et La Bete (and other works from roughly that same mid-90s period, like the score to The Secret Agent film)."
"So, although I can't really compare it with the original (Troyanas since passed away) it was a very welcome recording and, being a Glass fan, I have enjoyed it greatly."
"Although not Glass's greatest opera (that title remains with 'Akhnaten' or 'Satyagraha'), this is still a monumental work."
Best French
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After having the LP versions of these overtures by Ormandy/Phil Orchestra and Bernstein/NY Phil from years gone by, I see now that they are not available on CD or out of print."
"Good quality."
"This is a song my family used to hum to me when I was a child and I carried it along to my children and now my grandchildren!"
"This is a good CD."
"This is a great collection of overtures."
"love this music."
"Not in the least, it reminds me of the great shows of my youth, Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police, and Captain Video."
Best German
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Honestly the Tenors and Sopranos get to be a bit much for my ears after a short while."
"Rebuilding my somewhat deficient Classical collection."
"Beautiful sound and presentation."
"A thrilling interpretation of The Ring, without all that awful singing."
"WOW you've got to hear this!"
"His personal behavior was low....yet, these orchestral excerpts show the God-given musical genius he possessed right up there with Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. The conductor was able to capture "the Noble Savage" aspect in Siegfried with those musical bits."
Best Hungarian
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You could follow the plot(In those days there were no subtitles available) and still be pulled in by the magnificient music. This doesn't really interfere with the flow of the performance, however, as it enables the singers to truly interpret dramatic situations. But I will consider some more 20th century operas, as knowing the language certainly adds to listening enjoyment."
"Although this is currently unavailable from Amazon as of April 18th, I bought my copy on March 2nd, so hopefully you'll be able to get a copy from Amazon eventually."
Best Italian
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, he certainly doesn’t overlook the elegance, sparkling wit and romance – though his approach is a bit more analytical than some others – but it seems that anything that happens storywise is bent into the service of his musical vision rather than vice versa. Yes, a case could certainly be made that Solti pushes things too hard, but I myself is happy to hear Un ballo work as a momentous drama at least on the musical level. And importantly, none of them seems to be put off by Solti’s intensity – one would expect that when a conductor pushes his own ideas about the drama as Solti does here the singers and their ability to provide vivid portraits of their characters suffer, but not so here, which is a tribute both to the soloists and the conductor."
"I was blessed to have sung in Chicago with three of these principals (Battle, Bruson, and Pavarotti) in 1979-80 seasons, so it is wonderful to hear them all in their prime on this fabulous recording."
"Ulrica tells Amelia to gather an herb with magical powers later that night near the gallows. *Act 2 highlight: "Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa" by Margaret Price. *Act 3 highlight: ""Morrò, ma prima in grazia" by Margaret Price This is when Amelia is begging her husband, Renato, to see her son one last time before what she believes is right before Renato kills her for imagined infidelity."
"Simply superb!"
"This is a performance and recording where his famous clarity and diction really add a great deal to the performance, and he really conveys his sheer joy in singing this music. He is matched by Margaret Price, who provides such an intense and beautiful performance, her smooth and pure voice gliding over this part like hands on a satin sheet, yet still providing drama and skill that would count as a masterclass in and of itself. The recording is top notch with the orchestra coming through with presence, detail, clarity and power in the wonderfully resonant Kingsway Hall, directed by Solti with urgency, drama, authority, and plenty of delicacy and precision."
Best Ladino
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Léonce-Antoine Escalaïs was a French heroic tenor of memorable skills who recorded at the beginning of the 20th Century. The mantle of the most challenging tenor leads in French opera fell on Escalaïs's shoulders - despite being short of stature there was no denying the voice and he was soon singing Raoul in Les Huguenots; Vasco da Gama in L'Africaine; Eléazar in La Juive; and in the role made famous by Nourrit, Robert in Robert le diable. And it was while in Italy between 1905 and 1906 that Escalaïs recorded his two dozen plus records for Fonotopia in Milan. What is quite incontrovertible: his high notes were unique among all tenors in power and their shattering brillance - recalling the stories about Tamagno's tremendous high notes causing the great chandeliers of opera houses to shake. In the notes to the Symposium Cd of Escalaïs, John Freestone gives copious notes to the various recordings - and well captures the athletic nature of the tenor in this description - "He quite obviously revelled in his upper register and often launched his top notes with the almost explosive accuracy of a marksman aiming at his target with perfect precision. Anyone who enjoys this Cd should also seek out the Symposium Cds, The Harold Wayne Collection Volume 14, all Escalaïs, and Volume 15, with 6 more selections along with some wonderful recordings by Litvinne and Maurel."
"Instead of being known only to its passionate cult followers,"Nimbus records" should be celebrated around the world for wonderful work they do.Lovingly restoring old 78 rpm discs on CD format,they are bringing in the light some poignant and moving musical moments previously forgotten in museum's dusty corners and at the same time preserving memory on opera's big stars of the past,distant relatives (ancestors?)."
"Not all of this was recorded before 1942 - if so, Fritz Wunderlich would have been about 11 years old when he recorded "Eugen Onegin* (he was born in 1930 and suffered his fatal accident in 1966)."
Best Polish
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Szymanowski's opera paints a wonderful,contemplative sound world with its heavenly choral singing at the beginning and the often dark orchestral colours used to depict the conflict between King Roger(Norman ruler of Sicily and the "shepherd" Dyonysus),the music is highly charged and often erotic in flavour,Zagorzanka sings beautifully as Roxana,meltingly so in her seductive aria,in fact it is a splendid version with all the singers characterising well on this clear digital recording of a rarely heard opera but one worth investigating."
"This recording of Szymanowski's opera, King Roger, is superior in every way to the recent EMI release with Simon Rattle conducting and Thomas Hampson in the title role."
Best Russian
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture with the late Erich Kunzel conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is on the TELARC label released in 1979."
"not very good sounding."
"However, I have a record with the Mormon Tabernacle Choi, with Russian Church Bells and real cannons that sounded even better."
"Got cannons?"
"I owned the vinyl recording of this work and with the right stylus, turntable and speakers, the cannons were exceedingly real."
"Not one of Telarc's best - sonics are average."
"Great sound a classic recording."
"Every bit as good as it should be."
Best Scandinavian Languages
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, he certainly doesn’t overlook the elegance, sparkling wit and romance – though his approach is a bit more analytical than some others – but it seems that anything that happens storywise is bent into the service of his musical vision rather than vice versa. Yes, a case could certainly be made that Solti pushes things too hard, but I myself is happy to hear Un ballo work as a momentous drama at least on the musical level. And importantly, none of them seems to be put off by Solti’s intensity – one would expect that when a conductor pushes his own ideas about the drama as Solti does here the singers and their ability to provide vivid portraits of their characters suffer, but not so here, which is a tribute both to the soloists and the conductor."
"Ulrica tells Amelia to gather an herb with magical powers later that night near the gallows. *Act 2 highlight: "Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa" by Margaret Price. *Act 3 highlight: ""Morrò, ma prima in grazia" by Margaret Price This is when Amelia is begging her husband, Renato, to see her son one last time before what she believes is right before Renato kills her for imagined infidelity."
"Simply superb!"
"This is a performance and recording where his famous clarity and diction really add a great deal to the performance, and he really conveys his sheer joy in singing this music. He is matched by Margaret Price, who provides such an intense and beautiful performance, her smooth and pure voice gliding over this part like hands on a satin sheet, yet still providing drama and skill that would count as a masterclass in and of itself. The recording is top notch with the orchestra coming through with presence, detail, clarity and power in the wonderfully resonant Kingsway Hall, directed by Solti with urgency, drama, authority, and plenty of delicacy and precision."
Best Spanish & Portugese
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Zarzuelas music that touches your soul, and it is very hard to get them .If you like Opera you will love Zarzuelas."