The Very Best of Alfredo Kraus

 

Release Date: 04/26/2005 Label: EMI Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Alfredo Kraus cd info/ buy

Review:

Alfredo Kraus remained an EMI Classics artist throughout most of his career. It is for that reason that this compilation extends from the early 1960s (two arias from Così, as conducted by Karl Böhm) up to a live recording from December 1987 ("Una furtiva lagrima" from L'Elisir d'amore and "Salut! demeure chaste et pure" from Faust). Kraus, who was born on September 24, 1927 in the Canary Islands, was 60 at the time, and hardly less of fresh of voice than he was in the Così recording. Kraus was a lyric tenor who never sounded juvenile. In lighter bel canto roles such as Ernesto (Don Pasquale) a more youthful vocal persona would have been more appropriate, perhaps, but in the heavier ones, such as Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Arturo (I puritani), Kraus's power, maturity, and masculinity were welcomed – no tenorino here. His bright, trumpeting voice and exciting high notes were tempered by a sunny suavity. On the other hand, he could be a rather bland interpreter. Given his excellence in the French repertoire, in particular, it is tempting to go as far back as Georges Thill when looking for comparisons. Kraus died in 1999. Most of these selections are taken from Kraus's complete recordings; the exceptions are the two indicated above from 1987, which were recorded at this Paris Opéra. (Frankly, it is a shame that Kraus left commercial recordings of neither L'Elisir nor Faust.) This means that Kraus is joined by excellent singers, including Montserrat Caballé in I Puritani, Renata Scotto in La bohème and La traviata, and Beverly Sills in Rigoletto and Don Pasquale. The selections have been chosen well, although, as with the other releases, there are some untidy fade-in and fade-outs. With the exception of Così, the engineering remains bright and shiny. This is an excellent compilation, and for those who are less familiar with Kraus than with the "Three Tenors," this might whet their appetite for more.

 

flac, scans

 

Massenet - Cendrillon (Cinderella) - Stade, Gedda, Rudel, Philharmonia Orchestra

 

Release Date: 10/25/1990 Label: Cbs Masterworks Number of discs: 2 Composer: Jules Massenet Performer: Julius Rudel cd info/ buy

Review:

This set positively sparkles with joy. Its fairy-tale story, known surely to all (Cinderella) is perfectly suited to the masterly craft of Jules Massenet, whose operas must surely soon receive the full attention they deserve. The magic/fairytale element clearly suited Massenet’s wide and sensitive orchestral palette, while the vivacious story of Princes, magic and balls makes for pure delight. The cast here is really rather starry, boasting the likes of von Stade, Gedda and Bastin. After an introduction that fizzes along, the chorus shows their prowess (‘Chez Madame de la Haltière’). Yet it is the focused voice of Jules Bastin’s Pandolfe that really impresses. In tandem with Rudel’s exemplary pacing, every word is clear. Bastin’s aria (Scene 2, ‘Du côte de la barbe’) is excellent, with the singer placing his high notes perfectly. Again fast and clear, Bastin’s projection of the comedic ‘Félicitez-moi donc’ and his ensuing contributions (track 7) are perfectly done. Wherever he sings, Bastin is focused and his pitching is uniformly true. Cinderella has to wait until Scene 5 (track 8) before she enters our consciousness in the rather sighing line ‘Ah! Que mes soeurs sont heureuse!’. Von Stade is magnificent in providing just the right bleak tone appropriate for her character’s malaise. How plaintive is the simple cry of ‘Ah!’, how meaningful the phrase ‘Résigne-toi, Cendrille’. Her joy at the end of the act is similarly brought to life (the repetitions of ‘Je suis Reine’, for example). Or try von Stade in Act 3 Scene 1, her tuning faultless, her scales sparking away, her pitching clean. During the course of this performance it is easy to sympathize with Cinderella’s distress, as well as to smile with her. Nicolai Gedda’s Prince Charming matches von Stade’s Cinders. His Act 2 Scene 2 shows off his truly lovely round tone to perfection and it is worth noting that he is thoroughly convincing here, despite the cheesiness of some of the lines he has to sing (‘Coeur sans amour, printemps sans roses’ …). It is at moments like this that I wondered the omission of a libretto might not be so bad after all …. When Cinderella and her Prince are in duet (Act 2 Scene 4), it is all one could have hoped for. Gedda provides an outpouring of passion against von Stade’s lovely, simple and tender innocence. Their voices are suited to a tee. Again, Gedda’s ardent singing warms the heart towards the end of Act 3. As mentioned above, Ruth Welting is superb. She emits an aura of the approachably supernatural with her vocal twists and turns, and her thoroughly delightful trills. The other star of this set is the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. Massenet puts his chorus to good use, and the Ambrosian responds with disciplined yet touching singing, the Fairies floating along nicely (CD2 Track 10). The sparkling repartee of Noémie (Teresa Cahill) and Dorothée (Elizabeth Bainbridge) in Act 3 Scene 2 exemplifies these singers’ grasp of Massenet’s world while Jane Berbié’s strong mezzo cuts an imposing Madame de la Haltière. Julius Rudel’s command is never once in doubt and it is good that his orchestra gets the chance to shine in the Dances of Act 2 (CD 1, Tracks 15-19), but the many felicities of scoring throughout the opera mean that the Philharmonia is a source of constant delight...This is a Recording of the Month if ever there was one.-- Colin Clarke

 

flac, covers

The Very Best of Nicolai Gedda

 

Release Date: 09/02/2003 Label: Emi Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Nicolai Gedda cd info/ buy

Review:

Hands down, Nicolai Gedda was the classiest lyric tenor of the 1950s and '60s (and very early '70s). For the most part he wisely kept away from the after-1860 Italian repertoire: his voice lacked the necessary juice, and with Björling, Bergonzi, Corelli, and del Monaco around, why bother? These CDs offer two hours and 35 minutes of singing--and interpreting--that never tire the ear and never bore. "Ach so fromm" is ravishing in its intimacy (by its close, it's normally shouted); Lohengrin's Narrative may lack heft, but it's a model of lyricism and Gedda darkens his tone enough to give it authority; an aria from Goldmark's The Queen of Sheba closes on an unearthly head-voiced high-C that's matched only by a similar feat in Bizet's Pearl Fishers (a performance notable for its great breath control and legato as well); Hoffman's tale of Kleinzach is a riveting, snappy story, filled with just the schizophrenia the role requires; the Dmitri/Marina duet from Boris is energetic and filled with smoldering undercurrent; three Tchaikovsky songs become little dramas; Beethoven's "Adelaide" and Schubert's "Ständchen" are models of Lieder singing; selections by Gounod and Massenet exhibit his impeccable French diction and style; the high-D at the close of Adam's "Postman" aria and repeated Cs in William Tell's would be the envy of any tenor; and his bel canto style in a duet from Sonnambula (with Mirella Freni) is ideal. Yes, this is the very best of Nicolai Gedda.--Robert Levine

 

flac, scans

Natalie Dessay - The Miracle of the Voice

 

Release Date: 01/16/2007 Label: Virgin Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Natalie Dessay cd info/ buy

Review:

Natalie Dessay has been in the forefront now for well nigh fifteen years and it is not only the usual hype to entitle this album “The Miracle of the Voice”. She certainly has an astonishing technique: bell-like clarity, effortless top notes, sure-footed coloratura and a trill to match. Her pianissimo singing is ravishing and then her tone is smooth as satin. It is a light voice, though she can engender quite a lot of power and then she also finds a somewhat darker timbre. The Mad Scene from Lucie de Lammermoor shows her dramatic abilities and she is obviously a good actor. listening through this two and a half hours offering was a great pleasure and I soon forgot to conjure up memories of many a great singer from the distant – and not so distant – past who have excelled in this repertoire. She is definitely a miracle of her own and here are collected some of the most taxing arias ever written and they are impressively sung. It is a pity that the notes don’t give any clues as to when the recordings were made, how the voice has changed during the ten years this collection encompasses, but to my ears her voice seems to have been very consistent. The program is a fine mix and shows the many-sided talent of this fascinating artist.

 

flac, covers

Massenet - Thais - Sills, Milnes, Gedda, Maazel 1976

 

Release Date: 09/26/1995 Label: Emi Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Jules Massenet Performer: Sherrill Milnes,  Beverly Sills,  Nicolai Gedda, Lorin Maazel   cd info/ buy

Review:

"One of Massenet’s finest operas, a work which should be much more widely performed than it is, Thaïs is based on a novel by Anatole France. Athanaël, a monk in fourth-century Alexandria, converts a courtesan, Thaïs, who then becomes a nun. Unfortunately, he is enamoured of her and attempts to address her passionately as she lies dying. Strong, if odd, stuff, and Massenet clothes it in one of his most erotically appealing scores. Thaïs is convincingly characterised by Beverly Sills, Sherrill Milnes brings his magnificent voice to the role of the amorous monk Athanaël, and Nicolai Gedda is a model of French style as Nicias, the philosopher-friend of Athanaël. The smaller roles are entrusted for the most part to excellent English singers such as Ann Murray, Norma Burrowes and Richard Van Allan... The 1976 recording is vivid, somewhat favouring the voices but not too obtrusively."--Charles Osborne, BBC Music Magazine

 

flac, scans, libretto

Jules Massenet - La Navarraise - Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Lewis

 

Release Date: 08/11/1998 Label: Rca Victor Red Seal Number of discs: 1 Composer: Jules Massenet Performer: Marilyn Horne,  Placido Domingo,  Sherrill Milnes cd info/ buy

Review:

"Worth waiting for" said the advertisement. And indeed the opera itself...is worth the rediscovery. It opens and closes with, as well as offering several reminders of, a big bold tune in D minor, full orchestra fff, that nowadays would make a fortune for someone as the 'theme music' of an epic film. It continues (and here is an attraction to the makers of 'large-scale' stereo recordings) with tremendous noises of canons and rifles which on the first night, as Bernard Shaw put it, "did heavy execution among the ladies and gentlemen who cultivate their nerves on tea and alcohol"; and it has a grand part for the heroine, especially if she takes a pride in the "voix rauque", the "voix etranglee" and the "crise de nerfs supreme" culminating (though the score does not insist on this) in a peal of mad laughter. Attention is not allowed to wander, and although the tenor does have an aria it is only ninety seconds long, and not even Polonius could complain about that. There are also: Drinking Song (combined with Soldiers' Chorus), Love Duet, Mad Scene and Intermezzo (entitled Nocturne). I suppose that Shaw, who enjoyed himself hugely on that first night, was right when he said that Massenet "has not composed an opera; he has made up a prescription", especially when he adds "and his justification is that it has been perfectly efficacious". That means that, like its prototype Cavalleria Rusticana, it is strongly theatrical, melodious and emotional. Performer:  Marilyn Horne,  Placido Domingo,  Sherrill Milnes,  Gabriel Bacquier,  Nicola Zaccaria, Ryland Davies,  Leslie Fyson Conductor:  Henry Lewis Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  Ambrosian Opera Chorus

 

flac, covers

Viva Villazon!

 

Release Date: 04/23/2008 Label: Virgin Classics Number of discs: 2 Composer: Various Performer: Rolando Villazón cd info/ buy

Review:

The most exciting tenor during the first decade of the new millennium has undoubtedly been Rolando Villazón. He has a charming appearance, is a good actor, has a voice that besides brilliance and beauty can also express all kinds of nuance, he has good taste and a versatility that is stunning. In other words he has all the attributes to make him a star performer. More than once his voice has been compared to that of the young Placido Domingo. In certain repertoire, notably on this set in the two zarzuela arias, the similarities are so close that one has to check who is singing. As can be seen from the track list, we are treated to a large number of the expected standard arias. Few of them have been better sung in recent times. We are also treated to several comparative rarities, which makes this an attractive buy even for those who are already well stocked with the standard stuff. When, for example, did you last hear something from Gounod’s Polyeucte or Massenet’s Le Mage and Roma? The sacred song by Berlioz is also something for the rarity list. Make no mistake: these are high quality pieces that are very likely to become friends to which you will want to return.

 

flac, scans

Jules Massenet - Le Roi de Lahore - Sutherland, Lima, Milnes, Bonynge, National Philharmonic Orchestra

 

Release Date: 01/19/1993 Label: Decca Number of discs: 2 Composer: Jules Massenet Performer: Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge cd info/ buy

Review:

It is hardly surprising that Le roi de Lahore should have swept its early audiences off their feet. The work is pure escapism, transporting the listener away to exotic locales on the Indian subcontinent, even—in the central tableau—to the paradise of Indra, which is the cue for celestial beings to dance around to some rather delectable ballet music. It is difficult to see why the opera cannot revive that popularity today, at least on disc. Massenet's score is overflowing with the sensuous melodic material that seems to have come to him so easily in his earlier years. A heady atmosphere, steeped in Gallic eroticism, drenches the orchestral writing, while the solo voice parts are written to show off the singers to maximum effect. The cast on this Decca reissue from 1980 is generally a strong one. Dame Joan Sutherland enjoys soaring aloft vocally as Sita: it is possible to admire her impressive high notes, while wishing those further down were a bit firmer. The young Luis Lima makes a hard-working Alim. Sherrill Milnes gives the treacherous Scindia plenty of red corpuscles and Nicolai Ghiaurov is duly noble as the god Indra; James Morris's Timour is majestically sung, but has a suspect American drawl. The orchestra under Richard Bonynge captures the opera's luxuriant beauty to good effect, although this CD transfer benefits from a little taming in the treble. Not to be missed: this is what French grand opera is all about.-- Richard Fairman, Gramophone [2/1993] Performer:  Sherrill Milnes (Baritone), James Morris (Bass Baritone), Huguette Tourangeau (Mezzo Soprano), Gareth Morrell (Tenor), David Wilson-Johnson (Bass), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Bass), John Tomlinson (Bass Baritone), Dame Joan Sutherland (Soprano), Luis Lima (Tenor) Conductor:  Richard Bonynge Orchestra/Ensemble:  National Philharmonic Orchestra,  London Opera Chorus Period: Romantic Written: 1877; France Date of Recording: 1979 Venue:  Kingsway Hall, London Length: 146 Minutes 19 Secs. Language: French

 

flac, scans