Amilcare Ponchielli

I love this CD. It includes the best performance of romantic heroines in opera by Maria Callas. I really enjoyed it and each time of listenting can be more understanding this great artist.

I grew up on opera but not on Maria Callas. Joan Sutherland, Schwartzkoff, Victoria Los Angeles, and Mady Mesple (to name a few) crowded the airwaves of our home growing up. I had heard that Maria Callas was THE Diva of opera and bought one of her obscure recordings from a low budget bin while in Paris 10 years ago. It didn't impress me that much. Perhaps it was recorded during her voice decline. I could certainly tell she had a powerhouse voice but many of those arias were unknown to me and I didn't connect all that well with the CD.

After reading some of these reviews I decided to give her one more chance. Surely 50 million opera fans can't be all wrong! So I bought this disc and listened to it the other day. There are plenty of pieces to listen to and her voice is a force to be recond with. I get it! She was truely great; as any opera buff will tell you - and rightfully so!

Callas is so incredible. No one can touch the Pathos is her voice. This CD is a great collection of her works. But don't stop here keep buying her up!

I like this CD very much. Great CD with superb voice. I love this CD.

There are moments on this recording that are virtually audio heaven.
Ms. Callas' voice goes beyond the normal concept of beauty.

My family loves "Fantasia," but the poor audio quality of this recording makes it nearly impossible to listen to. Disappointing.

Just wanted to chime in with many of the other reviewers and say the sound quality on this CD is absolutely horrible. Seriously, it REALLY sucks. At least after reading these reviews I know why it sucks so much. Buy this only if you're a hardcore classical fan who can pick out and appreciate the supposed wonderful nuances of this particular recording. Otherwise see if you can find the "uninspired" remake from the 80s. That one sounds awesome.

This product is wonderful, I gave it to my dad for his birthday and he listens to it all the time. He even plays this music in the classroom for his kids.

Loved the cd. Was a bit scratchy, but reminded me of the many classical records I have. Wonderful addition to my collection!

Let me say up front that I am not an audiophile. Unless something is really good or really bad, it pretty much all sounds the same to me. Additionally, I bought this recording of Fantasia to play on the little nursery CD player in my toddler's room. It does not have the greatest sound quality to begin with, but it suits my purpose, and my three year old can change her own CDs.

WE LOVE FANTASIA. This is the only CD that my daughter will go to sleep to. She listens to it every night. She tells me the stories of the ice skating fairies, the dancing mushrooms, and the swimming fish. She recognizes excerpts from the Nutcracker Suite where ever she hears them. I hear her humming snatches of the various pieces. She also tells me the story of "Magic Mickey" (i.e., The Sorcerer's Apprentice) every night. She recognizes exactly what is going on by the various movements, and has only seen the Fantasia DVD twice. Clearly, she sees the pictures in her head. This is a very special time for us, courtesy of some very special music.

Fantasia also brings back fond memories for me. I can remember seeing the movie with my parents, and later humming the tunes and watching the pictures in MY head. I think Fantasia gave me my love of classical music. It was one of the first cassette tapes that I kept in my car.

This music nurtures the imagination of young and old alike. The sound quality is good enough for me - it sounds perfect to my ears. I give this CD my highest recommendation. It is a grand tradition that can be passed on to younger generations.

This is an excellent CD of singers from the past century, origonally recorded in analog and very well remastered.

This was advertised as a salute to Robert Merrill. It is not, it a collection of Opera stars and more arias are sung by Victoria de Los Angeles than anyone else which is okay because the recordings are superb. I would be a bit more specific in the future.

The sound quality of this disc is surprisingly good, very good for an ADD. All the selections captured each singer in his/her top form. It is a real treat that this disc contains many work that were not normally in certain singer's repertoire. Gedda's Aida, Moffo's Rossini-Rosina and Cherobino, for example, all were superbly sung. Even Moffo's Lucia sounds much better than I have ever heard in other places.

The artists on this CD succeed in their goal to create a CD that displays great Italian opera. Carlo del Monte and Victoria de los Angeles open the disc with the Brindisi from La Traviata. Victoria de los Angeles is not the best Violetta, but she does the job, along with her parner Carlo del Monte, an underappreciated tenor. Victoria de los Angeles also appears on the CD in "Un bel di vedremo" from Madama Butterfly, a role she was well known for. Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda appears on the disc twice. His first appearence is a superb rendition of "La donna e mobile" from Rigoletto. His final performance on this disc is in the heroric aria "Celeste Aida", a performance in a role that was not in his voice range. Anna Moffo is the star on this CD, appearing three times in three very different roles. First is her beautiful "Una voce poco fa", normally a role that calls for a mezzo-soprano. Her second is "Voi che sapete" from Le Nozze di Figaro, another mezzo-soprano role. Her final appearence is her best, "The Mad Scene" from Lucia di Lammermoor. Underrated tenor Giuseppe Campora performs "Che gelida manina" with a great tenor voice. Soprano Reri Girst is excellent in her performance of "Caro nome" from Rigoletto. One of my favorite baritones appears on this CD. Robert Merrill is a perfect Count di Luna, and it is evident in his rendition of "Il balen del suo sorriso". Another baritone appears on this CD: mario Sereni. He is not a world famous baritone, but he should have been. Overall, this is an excellent introduction to the world of Italian opera.

The performers, the selections, the quality... almost divine!

What beautiful music. I'm new to opera, but the tracks on this CD are awesome. My only complaint is that Nessun Dorma is the last tract...so I start out there first.

THIS IS AN AMAZING CD. ALL THE WONDERFUL, TIMELESS ARIAS SUNG BY SO MANY OF THE WORLD'S GREAT TENORS. AN ADDED TREAT WAS THE BROCHURE WHICH HAD THE LYRICS AND TRANSLATIONS OF ALL OF THESE ARIAS AND WONDERFUL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OF THE TENORS. I RECOMMEND THIS CD HIGHLY!!!! IT'S INCREDIBLE LISTENING!!!!!

I can't seem to listen to this CD enough. It has been added to my collection, and every time I am fortunate enough to come across more from these artists I add that, too. Every one of them is superb. Thank you, God.

This is a wonderful CD to sing along with in "rotten" traffic. All of a sudden, it just dosen't matter that much. If it can do this for me, it will help even the most "miserable" (in thought, word and deed), driver.
Worth having in the car.

With the talent on this CD, you get just what you might expect....perfection. What a wonderfully inspiring and relaxing CD. I certainly would not hesitate to recommend it, but doubt any recommendation is needed, given the voices and selection of music presented.

This one is only O.K. Gives me a headache but the babies seem to like it.

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.

This CD is a must-have for our little Baby Einstein fans! My son loves this CD! From the moment when I played it the first time, a few months ago, he still loves to dance to this. I find it's great to put on while he's playing with his toys, instead of turning on a DVD or the TV, and he'll play much longer and happier.

I put all my baby's toys on the floor and turn on the cd player and she gets veeery excited with this music! Excellent! Get the "Traveling with the Baby" as well cause it's very soothing in the car.

This is by far the best CD in the Baby Einstein collection--it will put your toddler in hyperactive playful mode and exhaust you as you try to keep up. But for today's overweight, tv- and game- addicted children, this is great!

I love this CD. Caruso is powerful and compelling. I listen to this CD on my computer, in my car, even in my backyard. It's very uplifting. I find Caruso to have a flavor of old Italian opera, pure and simple. I believe that anyone who wants to get back to the roots of opera would enjoy this CD and the selections on it.

Beautiful sound considering the condition of the source recordings. One of the best digitally "cleaned up" releases I've heard. Even with the sonic limitations of the age of the original recordings you can hear why the world remains in awe of his voice. Remember that he sang these into a horn that mechanically used a needle to scratch a wax recording blank. Just like the RCA Red Seal dog (His Master's Voice) in reverse. The value is incomparable.

This CD is a magical experience. Listening to the clear sound one realizes why opera fans were so excited when Pavarotti appeared on scene with similar phrasing and vocal tone. Highly recommended -- I am only sorry that there are no early recordings of full operas, only these lovely individual arias.

I am impressed how well these almost 100 year old recordings have been transfered to CD. Of course they aren't perfect but considering their age it is still a miracle. It is nice to hear Caruso in his prime and not on a scratchy vinyl. I would recommend this to any lover of Caruso's singing.

I do not really know Opera. I am writing this review because I remember hearing Caruso's voice coming from a seventy- eight on an old Victor gramophone in my paternal grandparents house. The power and lyric quality of the voice struck me so strongly especially in 'Pagliacci'. The phrase has been with me, and comes back occasionally through all the years.
Caruso was then, and I believe still is considered at the very top of operatic singers. And it is a remarkable experience to hear so many years later , and in a stronger and clearer way sounds which one heard long ago in childhood, and have for years only lived in the mind.

Let's not try to analyze every phrase, every note, every sustained pitch. Let's just listen to a tenor who sings from the heart. Pavarotti, he is not--but who is? Domingo he is not--but who is? In fact, who else is Bocelli?
As a tenor fanatic, I try to listen to as many tenors as I can--even some for whom I do not care (see my review on Carlo Bergonzi). There is enjoyment in all of them.
Now, one comment specifically on this recording. I have not been enthusiastic about some of Bocelli's other repertoire. But this entry into operatic arias ranks at the top of his list.

I am 45 years old. The reason why this is something I am mentioning, is to let all of you reading my review know what age group I am in. It might be important to the age you are in knowing what I have to say. I have four Andrea Bocelli CD's and they are all wonderful. I love each of them. My mom turned me on to him, and, since I love Josh Groban, I decided to listen to Andrea Bocelli and see what all her fuss over him was about. I'm glad I did. I am half Italian and half Spanish. I don't know either language, but when I listen to both Andrea and Josh, I don't have to. They make the music tell a story, and instantly, you understand something about the words from just the sound of their voices. If you love Josh Groban, then Andrea Bocelli is someone you should give a listen to. His voice is soothing, powerful, and romantic. I am looking forward to getting more of his CD's. Great Stuff!!!

What I have heard about Andrea Bocelli is bimodal--some think that he is not up to the operatic repertoire and is way overrated; others see him as a fine singer, from a nontraditional background and career path. What I hear on this CD is fine singing, with some limitations. He was once a law school student; he played in piano bars. He took lessons from the great Franco Corelli. Some examples of his work illustrate his skills:

"Questa O quella" is a nice romp. His smooth voice moves through this aria nicely. His voice is not a big one. On the other hand, his musicianship seems fine (thank goodness none of the sobbing and catches that some tenors adopt).

In Puccini's "Che gelida manina" (from "La Boheme"), he again sings smoothly. He has a nice sound to his voice. The high note is a bit thin, but certainly not as bad as some critics would have it. A serviceable version, in short.

Then, the twin arias from "Tosca"--"Recondita armonia" and "E lucevan le stelle." Both are well sung. His version of "Recondita armonia" compares well with other versions. He certainly has no reason to hang his head. When he amps up the volume, his voice is not quite as rich as many other tenors, bit it is still fine. Top notes, as observed before, are a bit thin, but--again--hardly reason for lamentation. This is nicely sung. My notes for "E lucevan le stelle" simply say "Ibid." That is, one could write a very similar set of comments.

The last piece is from a different tradition--a selection from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Tome degli avi miei." Smoothly sung. A bit thin on higher notes. Overall, though, a nice job.

As I listen to his work, I think that Bocelli does a good job in the standard tenor repertoire. Is he a great tenor? No. Is he a good tenor? Yes.

This album is a pleasure. The selections are spirited and well executed. I was very satisfied with this purchse and would recommend it to any one who enjoys opera.

Introduced me to arias that were not known to me, and I find to be
quite beautiful. As usual, Bocelli does not fail.

Who doesn't love Pavarotti? The short pieces on this disc are perfect for listening to in the car, and the sound quality is astonishingly good for the price. I would have edited out the lengthy applause that follows the live segments, but for $6.99, I'm not complaining.

ADDENDUM:
I see that since I bought this CD and wrote this review, the Amazon price has gone up by $1 (which while it seems insignificant is nonetheless some 14 percent) to $7.99. However, it is still a bargain for this wonderful collection of music by one of the greatest voices of all time.

ADDENDUM 2:
I've noticed that the price tends to fluctuate between $6.99 and $7.99 and back again rapidly and without rhyme nor reason. If you are planning to buy this and it is $7.99, put it in your shopping cart to "buy later" and wait a few days.

What can one say about Luciano Pavarotti------------next to Caruso he is and was one of the best tenors of our time. This DVD is wonderful to hear and he sings some of his best arias on it. Bravo!!!

I started listening to Opera music and Pavarotti is my first purchased CD and I love it. I purchased the CD for "Nessun Dorma" but the entire CD is fun and relaxing. I'm looking forward to other "Classical Opera" music choices.

Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun dorma (Arias & Duets) at his finest. Wonderful recording to listen to when you can't hear the entire opera.

We have lost Pavarotti now, but, thank God, we have his wonderful voice still to listen to. I, for one, will never forget him. Thank you, God, for allowing us to share him.

Probely this is a good buy for someone who is gest getting into the world of OPERA.Still a very good purchaes with fimiluar songs.

If you love opera - this collection of some of the lovliest arias ever sung by artists from Caballe to Freni, from Delibes to Puccini - will inspire you. It is a wonderful gift for friends or for yourself.

In my small operetic mind, this set of Cd's has completely captured me for the Opera. I was a young and upcoming musician in my youth. I'v been around the block "as it were" with the Classics. This collection is indeed, the benchmark upon which all others would hope to aspire.

Congradulations EMI for an incredible vision of the greatest opeatic moments recorded.

Gosh what's next?

Ralph Hassman

If you don't like the idea of buying whole operas, or if you're a newcomer to opera - this is an extremely good collection / introduction, worth every single cent. The collection features many of the worlds greatest singers, giving their interpretations of some of the world's greatest arias. The compilation itself is very tasteful and covers a wide range from Handel to early 20th century composers. You won't miss any important stuff from the history of opera, except maybe Wagner and the most modern operas - I'll come back to that fact later. The compilers have actually put some lesser known, although no less beautiful, arias here, that oftenly are neglected on ordinary opera-collections, why the name `ultimate collection' is more than correct in that aspect.

EMI have a enormous archive to pick their recordings from, and that of course makes it easy to find first rate interpretations of all the arias included in this collection, and I do think that almost all of the arias are wonderfully sung here. It may be possible to find better performances of single numbers here and there, but I've not yet heard a more complete, wellmatched, and so thrillingly sung collection.

Well then, is there nothing wrong with this compilation? You might find it a little odd that there are so many soloarias and so few duets, terzettos a.s.o, especially since the drama in operas oftenly is greater in numbers with more than one singer. You might also wish that some of the recordings had been a little more modern (most of these recordings were made during the 50's, 60's & 70's) giving place to younger performers that still are singing on the stages, but those are minor objections when the over all quality is so high.

The maybe strongest objection to this collection is that there is not one single part from any of Wagner's operas, and not any number sung in german, nor is there any parts from modern or russian operas. That may be a miss if you're interested in Wagner, russian and modern opera - on the other hand I think you should watch Wagners, russian and modern operas before listening to recordings of them - and if you've seen them and liked them you will probably buy the whole opera anyway. Therefor I still think that this is a extremely strong and complete compilation - the best I've run into so far. Easy to listen to, yet never banal.

The title of this review says it all. Great voice, great selections, great two-disc CD set!!

Me encanta las Arias y las canciones ,exelente voz y disertacion ,perfecto para los amantes de una de las voces mas bellas de opera Jussi Bjorling.

Unless, you are as crazy as I am about Bjorling and willing to buy everything available anyway, this is the collection to purchase.

It includes the best of all the other compilations. The sound is very clean: much better than some of the records that I have with the same material.

The French stuff is wonderful -- especially Le Reve. There is something so melancholic about his voice. He doesn't need to act or add anything phony. As soon as he opens his mouth, you know this story is not going to end well.

The collection covers more than 20 years. It's amazing that the voice changed so little. His voice lost none of it beauty or power over the years.

Best Beethoven Adeliade ever. What a pity he never recorded any Schubert song cycles.

My God, this collection even includes Adam's Julsang -- which as far as I know existed only in a Swedish RCA 33 rpm. You will never think of "Oh, Holy Night" the same way again.

If you have not listened to Bjorling before, you will never think of some other famous tenors the same way either.

And a bargain. Two disks for $17? Start here.