Opera
Reviews of full operas as well as collections and recitals of arias
Puccini: Turandot (Warner Classics)
Great sound, conducting, choral singing and orchestral playing, but only one principal singer who really comes up to scratch [RMo]
Decca’s Golden Ring – The 2022 Remaster
An overview by Jack Lawson
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 3)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Cavalli: L’Egisto (Château de Versailles Spectacles)
A welcome sound première recording for one of Cavalli’s more dramatically involving operas [PCG]
Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di anima et di corpo (Naxos)
Cavalieri’s pioneering work given a modern interpretation with mixed results [PCG]
Bologne: L’Amant Anonyme (Cedille)
Welcome first appearance on disc of Joseph Bologne’s only surviving opera [CRo]
Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Deutsche Grammophon)
Netrebko’s star shines brightly in the otherwise dull Salzburg night’s sky [LD]
Wagner: Das Rheingold (Oehms Classics)
(Déjà Review) Both performance and engineering are of the highest quality [GD]
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 2)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Verdi: Aïda (Pristine Audio)
In vocal terms this is arguably the finest complete recording of Aïda in the catalogue, in a sterling new transfer [MP]
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Sony Classical)
(Déjà Review) Verdi singing does not come much better than this [RJF]
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen [Dynamic)
A spectacular staging of a visually impressive and finely performed Ring from Bulgaria [GT]
Puccini: Tosca (Warner Fonit)
(Déjà Review) There are plenty of reasons for having this as well as the Callas/De Sabata [CH]
Verdi: His Life and Operas (Part 1)
(From the Archive) A conspectus in four parts by Bob Farr
Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano) Collection (Guild)
(Déjà Review) Despite some idiosyncrasies of style in the Mozart, this diverse collection should appeal to all lovers of singing
Nicole Cabell – Soprano (Decca)
(Déjà Review) A remarkable voice and I am already longing to hear more from her [GF]
Giordano: Siberia (C Major)
Bregenz gives Giordano’s tragic tale a contemporary twist [RMay]
Sir Thomas Allen (baritone) Great Operatic Arias Vol. 2 (Chandos)
(Déjà Review) This collection does full justice to the finest lyric baritone Britain has produced since the Second World War [RJF]
Jessye Norman (soprano) The Unreleased Masters (Decca)
Supposedly hitherto hidden treasures from the vaults turn out to be something of a let-down [RMo]
Rossini: L’italiana in Algeri (Glossa)
A very attractive recording with a lot of good singing, not least from the superb Vasilisa Berzhanskaya [GF]
Massenet: Thaïs (Decca)
Fleming is entirely convincing as a flirtatious and seductive courtesan for whom even a monk might risk his soul [RMay]
Bellini: Bianca e Fernando (Dynamic)
A first video release of Bellini’s early work features some attractive singing and an elegant, if quirky, production [MP]
Blow/Purcell: Operas (Opus Arte)
A delightful baroque double bill in an enjoyable period production and setting [PCG]
Piccinni: Didon (Bongiovanni)
The level of the singing is such that I cannot, with the best will in the world, recommend this issue [GF]
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Featured Naxos review |
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