CD-Charts Position 51
Average Rating:

Donizetti: L'Elisir D'Amore

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
by: Gaetano Donizetti, James Levine, Luciano Pavarotti, Kathleen Battle, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Opera, Enzo Dara, Dawn Upshaw Leo Nucci

Release Date November 10, 1990
Turn the lights off, relax in your favourite chair and sip a glass of fine wine. Press play close your eyes and enjoy !!. This is without doubt one of the definitive productions of this Opera by Donizetti. The Quality of the cast (The late great Pavarotti and Battle) and the recording itself oozes out of every pore of this cd. Ignore the supporting cast as per other reviews.just let the music and lyrics flow through you as the mins drift by.I would recommend that you buy this recording , no matter the costto your pocket. The haunting quality of Una Fortima Lagrima is worth the money on its own.

CD-Charts Position 52
Average Rating:

The Classical Child at the Opera

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Sophia Sounds/Metro Music

Release Date May 04, 2001
As a music teacher, you learn just how little non-pop music children are exposed to, so I made an effort to get them exposed to this form of musical art. I'm not a huge fan of opera myself, but I want my students to have an appreciation for all aspects of my art, and finding a way to introduce them to it without playing into their stereotypes of the fat lady with horns. So, I tried this CD, and am quite pleased with it. It gives enough of an overview that I can use it with my younger students, but has great classics so that I can go a little more in-depth with my older students. A great find!

CD-Charts Position 53
Average Rating:

Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Malas, Sinclair, ROH Covent Garden, Bonynge

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
by: Gaetano Donizetti, Richard Bonynge, Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Orchestra and Chorus of The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Monica Sinclair, Spiro Malas, Eric Garrett, Edith Coates

Release Date October 25, 1990
Ni que decir; Joanine hace toda una verdadera creación inigualable de la Marie!!; como si fuera escrita para ella; que manera de cantar por Dios; en 1968 en la cúspide de los años "vocalmente angeliacal"; rol trágico-cómico de "happy end" que marca el antes y depués de Joan Sutherland; que decir del magistral binomio Sutherland-Pavarotti, el más perfecto y eficaz en la historia de la ópera!; Joanine muestra una caraterización simplemente "perfecta" vocal e histriónicamente; su voz en la mejor forma, bien temperada, sin excesos, de forma, cuerpo y color perfectos; el maravilloso Tonio de Pavarotti, con una magna interpretación sin mancha y elocuente, con una voz técnicamente corregida 2 años atrás por la propia Joan, bien impostada, bien ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 54
Average Rating:

Delibes - Lakmé / Dessay, Kunde, van Dam, Petibon, Haidan, Konsek, Leguérinel, Plasson

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: EMI Classics

Release Date October 20, 1998
Natalie Dessay's crystal clear coloratura is what brings this set to absolute life. One only needs to hear the beginning of the "Air des clochettes" to know that his has to be one of the greatest artists of our time. The subtlety and clarity in her voice is astonishing. Having heard the Sutherland version, I can say with utmost confidence that this set...kicks the Sutherland one in the pants (and I'm a big Sutherland fan).

The rest of the cast is just as impressive. Gregory Kunde soars to the rafters as Gerald, and Jose van Dam makes a dark and imposing Nilakantha.

The only problem that I could have with this set is the libretto. It was just a little sloppy. Reading the English side, there were several grammatical errors (verb tense and ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 55
Average Rating:

Puccini: Turandot

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: EMI Classics

Release Date October 25, 1990
This is without doubt the best Turandot on disc. Nilsson's voice is more "free" compared to the RCA version but this might be a question of recording techniques. The three main parts work perfect together, they can not be bettered on disc. So - this is THE choice. To my very great astonishment EMI has chosen the recording with Maria Callas to their "Great recordings of the Century" series, not the one reviewed here. Callas sang the role a little more than 20 times just in the beginning of her career and she did not like it, she was afraid that it could destroy her voice, therefore she dropped it as soon as possible. Turandot was Nilsson's most sung role: over 300 times.
In one of his biographies Placido Domingo tells about singing in Turandot together with Nilsson ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 56
Average Rating:

Stories Of Foster And Sousa

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Vox (Classical)

Release Date April 16, 1995
This is a tremendous value considering the price and the number of tracks that you get. The renditions are not bad, but I have heard better Foster. There is a lot of narration, which makes this a great teaching tool to introduce Foster and Sousa. The narration is a bit more for Foster than Sousa. Some of the Foster songs seem to be cut a little short, giving you what is really more of a sampler than a rich collection of complete Foster songs. The Sousa marches seem to be a little longer and don't have quite as much narration. Even though both men were well known American composers, their type of music was quite different, so it's kind of an odd paring on this album. It's a pleasant listen, but not a "must have" item unless you don't have much Foster or Sousa in your music ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 57
Average Rating:

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Sony

Release Date October 19, 2004
Of course there should have been much more. I remember there been a Metropolian Opera series called CAST ALBUMS- 100 YEARS that was put out for a limited time only and had like five volumes.
As Peter Filichia noted they left out SHE LOVES ME, BRIGADOON and SWEENEY TODD. Also nothing from PACIFIC OVERTURES, BIG RIVER, CHESS, CRAZY FOR YOU, JEKYLL & HYDE, TITANIC, THE SCARLET
PIMPERNEL, FOOTLOOSE- THE MUSICAL, THE FULL MONTY, URINTOWN...
But they couldn't have put it all. I would have done without Lee Remick's
"Anyone Can Whistle", because the show was a flop. I guess because it was Sondheim's first "serious" show...

CD-Charts Position 58
Average Rating:

Story Of Johann Strauss In Words And Music

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Vox (Classical)

Release Date April 16, 1995
I had ordered 3 CDs of Strauss music. I was informed that there was a problem with my credit card on two of the items and the orders were cancelled. The third item was shipped in duplicate.(I only wanted one) and it was the worst of the three as it is more talk than music. I am not pleased with my last purchase.

CD-Charts Position 59
Average Rating:

My Heart Alone: Favorite Opera Arias and Duets

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Sony/Bmg Int'l

Release Date July 22, 2008
I had ordered 3 CDs of Strauss music. I was informed that there was a problem with my credit card on two of the items and the orders were cancelled. The third item was shipped in duplicate.(I only wanted one) and it was the worst of the three as it is more talk than music. I am not pleased with my last purchase.

CD-Charts Position 60
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

CD-Charts > Music > Operettas
from: Decca

Release Date September 12, 1991
Being the 24th reviewer, this version from 1990, recorded in the wake of Salzburg performances staged by Johannes Schaaf (although with a significantly renewed cast) and greeted with universal critics' approval anyway, obviously doesn't need my added praise - yet let me add it.

The cast is near ideal and Solti's conducting is superb. There must be something special with Hungarian conductors. Fricsay, Szell and Solti didn't need the "period instruments" movement to favor a swift and snappy approach to Mozart's allegros, which didn't preclude an ample lyricism when needed. Solti's conducting is indeed very dynamic, almost hard-pressed at times (try Papageno's first aria or the first Quintet) but it lends the music great dynamism, dramatic intensity and a forward momentum ... Read More: