CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du regiment / Dessay, Florez, Palmer, Corbelli, French, Campanella, Pelly (Royal Opera House 2007)

starring: Natalie Dessay, Juan Diego Florez, Felicity Palmer, Alessandro Corbelli, Dawn French
directed by: Laurent Pelly

Release Date April 15, 2008
Marvelous singing, fun to watch, wonderful acting and great comic timing by Natalie Dessay, 9 high Cs by Juan Diego Florez. If you want to buy only one bel canto opera buffa, get this one.

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Romantic Arias

by: Jonas Kaufmann

Release Date March 11, 2008
I've just received this highly vaulted recital album, which is more-or-less my introduction to Kaufmann and his voice. My first thought was that the voice is as baritonal as they say -- like listening to Robert Merrill try tenor roles, though Kaufmann is fully comfortable in the range. I found this particularly distracting in the Traviata excerpt, when I couldn't stop wondering why Germont is singing his son's lines. Some tenors (Del Monoco?) do also come to mind, but rarely his (and my) idol Fritz Wunderlich; the sound is often cloudy and unclear, and rarely strings out cleanly and prettily (a notable fault in the Bizet aria, a bit better in Faust); it seems most open in the Wagner excerpt (and does sound a bit like Wunderlich there). In some cases ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Italian Opera Arias [Includes DVD]

from: Virgin Classics

Release Date February 05, 2008
A must have! That's all one has to say about this! Well done Natalie. We move with you...a true actor-singer synthesis who is also very precise musically and correct in technique! Brava!

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Cielo e Mar

from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date April 22, 2008
I absolutely love this album - the choice of arias is simply superb and tasteful. Villazon has poured out his heart into these songs, and it really represent a milestone in the stellar career of this young tenor.
Even so, I sincerely hope that he will fully recover from his general physical breakdown, and recap his vocal prowess with a redirected vision.
Not being unduely harsh, I have strong reservations for young Rolando assuming spinto roles. Listen to his aria from Simon Boccanegra. The technique is flawless. However, the timbre is not as dramatic as the typical Verdian tenor. He excels much better in Donizetti and the bel canto roles.
Nor do I think that JDF is the only tenor that excels at bel canto. Villazon is another superb bel canto interpretor.
Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Jules Massenet - Manon / Dessay, Villazon, Ramey, Lanza, Henry, Perez, McVicar (Gran Teatre del Liceu 2007)

starring: Natalie Dessay, Rolando Villazon, Samuel Ramey, Manuel Lanza, Victor Pabro Pérez
directed by: David McVicar, François Roussillon

Release Date January 15, 2008
It is an excellent presentation of Massenet's opera Manon. Of course, the dream cast of Natalie Dessay and Rolando Villazon contributes enormously to the enjoyment of this DVD. The production is first-class and depicts the life of these women, who are paid for by wealthy suiters, more realistically than in any other production.
Highly recommended.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Diana Damrau - Arie di Bravura (Mozart, Salieri, Righini Opera Arias)

from: Virgin Classics

Release Date November 06, 2007
While the focus of this album, in the words of the singer herself, is to revive her personal favourite composer for the voice, Salieri; the real reason why I found this album to be a treasure has to be the discovery of a first-rate classical composer of opera by the name of Vincenzo Righini.

It is nothing short of a curious anomaly and a regretful shame in the history of opera why Righini was forgotten and unheard of in our day; as I hear the aria "Ove son? Qual'aure io spiro" from the opera Il natal d'Apollo, I could virtually envision the heavens opening and gleams of wondrous light pervading the clouds and illuminating the earth.

On first listening one might assume it to be a late aria written by Mozart - but the truth is that even Mozart himself had ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007]

starring: Renee Fleming, Ramon Vargas, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Valery Gergiev, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt
directed by: Brian Large, Robert Carsen

Release Date December 18, 2007
This is a stellar performance by a superb cast and conducted expertly by Valery Gergiev. Hvorostovsky and Fleming are ideal as Onegin and Tatiana The stark set, indeed a "non-set", is at first disappointing, but does succeed in focusing attention on the human drama instead of toward lavish production elements. Color is used very effectively to saturate each scene and outline the singers. This production no doubt benefited from the close scrutiny of the camera because the performances were finely tuned and sublty nuanced. As an example, the usual "dance spectacle" accompanying the Polonaise which opens Act III is replaced here by Onegin attended to by his valet staff while changing from dueling attire to formal dress. Although I enjoy a lavish production as much as anyone, it was refreshing ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Cecilia Bartoli - Maria

from: Decca

Release Date October 10, 2006
I should start out saying I generally do not like to listen to female singers five minutes (I have always loved Baritones). There is only one singer that is the exception and that is Cecilia.

I certainly feel that there are enough different songs on here that there is something for everyone. There are slow flowing songs like "Se Un Mio Desir" and fast paced songs such as "Ah! Non" to name a few. Cecilia's voice is distinctive and a pleasure to listen to.

--Sarah

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Una Furtiva Lagrima

from: Decca

Release Date April 08, 2003
Una Furtiva Lagrima - Juan Diego Florez
It would be difficult to find another tenor anywhere who is in such command of the belcanto repertoire.
Juan Diego Florez is a very well trained musician not just an overnight sensation. Voices like his come
around every ten years, if we are lucky. This CD belongs in every record collection of great voices.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Vincenzo Bellini - I Puritani

from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date December 18, 2007
I loved this film, and enjoyed it very much. Netrebko is a most excellent Elvira, and the rest of the cast completely lived up to her. Recommend this DVD highly for anyone who loves opera on film.