CD-Charts Position 141
Average Rating:

Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Sony Bmg Europe

Release Date July 31, 2007
I first heard of Paul Potts on YouTube and like many others, thought it was a fairytale ending to a beautiful story. Paul conquered bullies, sadness, and shyness and won over our hearts with his amazing voice and talent. He brought Opera to those that didn't understand it or appreciate it. I bought this CD not only for myself, but for Paul. He made me smile, cry, and laugh. Success couldn't have happened to a nicer person. Thank you Paul...

CD-Charts Position 142
Average Rating:

Baby Einstein: Playtime Music Box

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Buena Vista

Release Date December 21, 2004
This is music for babies, or for children, the people at Baby Einstein understand that little ears have trouble discerning multiple sounds. If you had wanted a classical music CD those are already available. But your baby needs a simple CD with only 1 or 2 instruments. It's not about whether YOU like the CD, but whether your child likes it.

CD-Charts Position 143
Average Rating:

Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and Other Choral Works

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
by: Eric Whitacre, Polyphony, Robert Millett, Stephen Betteridge, Stephen Layton

Release Date February 14, 2006
Truly a masterpiece for choir! I am a choral amateur listener, as I just got into it: this is my first choral cd, but I must tell you that it was worth much more than I payed. A beautiful collection of songs by the very talented Eric Whitacre: his harmonies and suspensions will make you fall in love with the music.

CD-Charts Position 144
Average Rating:

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
starring: Daniel Barenboim, Johanna Meier, Rene Kollo, Matti Salminen, Hanna Schwarz
directed by: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

Release Date August 14, 2007
Having heard and read so much praise I expected much more from the Ponnelle/Barenboim "Tristan und Isolde" from the Bayreuth Festival of 1981. For one thing, the DVD's video quality is extremely disappointing. Darkness is extremely grainy. Even bleeding most of the color out the video, the quality is that of early VHS which is not good.

Ponnelle's direction and designs are overly quirky and the sets are extremely ugly looking. The opening scene with Isolde on the floor with a cape spreading out covering most of the stage and wearing a ridiculous looking crown (which she rips up after the Narration and Curse) set the tone for most of the balance of the performance, which is a series of misfires better known as opera singers behaving badly. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 145
Average Rating:

Verdi: Ernani (1983)

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: Decca

Release Date January 08, 2008
If this is the Decca CD. Look else where. After trying 3 of them, having the same problem with Act 2. I finally just bought a VHS tape, which works and sounds great.

CD-Charts Position 146
Average Rating:

The Italian Opera Collection

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
starring: Luciano Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera

Release Date April 08, 2008
Like the Verdi Pavarotti album,this register like all the ones coming from Metropolitan are made under original conception.This together with the best performances of Pavarotti become an unavoidable DVD for people that likes these operas and that wont be repeated again

CD-Charts Position 147
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) / Keenlyside, Roschmann, Hartmann, Damrau, Selig, Allen, Sir Colin Davis, Covent Garden

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
starring: Mozart, Simon Keenlyside, Dorothea Roschmann, Diana Damrau, Thomas Allen
directed by: Sir Colin Davis, David McVicar

Release Date September 23, 2003
What an incredible portrayal of what is, in my opinion, Mozart's most beautiful opera. My love of this DVD began with the overture, with beautiful shots of the orchestra. Now, for the singing:

Everyone in this production is amazing. The show-stealer is Dorothea Roschmann, as Pamina, who plays this character as if the role was made just for her. She is innocent, yet knowing, and her search for truth gives her layering that not all singers playing Pamina can properly delineate. Brava to her and her beautiful, rich, emotional voice. Simon Keenlyside is just as marvelous, with an awkward yet strong presence as Papageno. He makes the audience laugh at him, pity him and root for him all within the same performance. Diana Damrau takes the Queen of the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 148
Average Rating:

Puccini - La Rondine / Gheorghiu · Alagna · Matteuzzi · Mula · Rinaldi · Ciofi · Bacelli · LSO · Pappano

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: EMI Classics

Release Date May 13, 1997
This is in my opinion not the best opera Puccini wrote but its not att all bad. Its no Tosca, La Boheme, Turandot etc but it doesnt matter because it is a quite good one AND most importent is that performance is absolutly fantastic on this disc.

Pappano conducts FANTASTIC, GREAT AND Alagna AND Gheorghiu sings ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC too and so do rest of the cast.

I had a lot of opera records and find a better opera record, talking about singing and conducting (and sound of this excellent record,) you need to look for Björlings best records and/or some of Pavarottis and Domingos best.

Some people dont like Alagna/Gheorghiu but in this case you should give this couple a fair chance because they sing wonderful on this disc.

Mayby everything ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 149
Average Rating:

Stars & Stripes Forever and the Greatest Marches

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
from: RCA

Release Date September 06, 1991
I love Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Used to watch him on PBS all the time. So I thought I was prepared for a symphonic version of the marches. For the most part they are pretty good. However, I was completely disappointed with the Colonel Bogey march. They did a take off of the Bridge on the River Kwai theme instead of doing a march. I hardly recognized the music. I think that the Colonel Bogey march was the number one march of any major Marine base that I was stationed at, and that many a Marine has marched to it. When a marching band is playing it, and you're marching to it - it has a life and quality all it's own. On this CD it came through as a juvenile troupe's garage session.

CD-Charts Position 150
Average Rating:

Free

CD-Charts > Music > Opera and Vocal
by: Chris Dodd, Fiona Pears, Anthony Chadney, Ben Crawley, Christopher Robson, Raoul Platt

Release Date October 05, 2004
Libera is not "classical" music, per se...judging them by that standard is absurd and unfair (I say this as a trained musician and Bach aficionado). Their style is their own, let them have it! The choir isn't supposed to be John Eliot Gardiner or Mahler (thank God).

The whole disc is worth the recording of "Adoramus." Instead of the flute solo that opened the live performance of the piece at Leiden, Holland, in December 2007, here the choir uses one of the higher trebles vocalizing those same notes. The difference is astounding.

Overall, "Free" breaks away from the almost total use of plainchant themes (as in "Luminosa") in favor of a series of original works by director Robert Prizeman and others. The dancelike ambience of "Free" demonstrates the choir's technical ... Read More: