Marilyn Horne

Christmas Adagios
Two record set which gives me all the best in Christmas music.

This is the BEST Christmas collection that I have ever heard. I would like
to purchase 15 more to give as gifts this year; however, it appears that
Decca is out of stock or no longer releasing it. HELP!!

this was one of the best assortment of classical holiday songs that i have ever heard. it contains a marvelous array of the best composers and performers that the world has to offer. if you are a fan of classical music, i think this cd will be a positive addition to your music collection

Beautiful Adagios and a rich selection for the price. Audio travels to Vienna, London, Cambridge etc

What a delightful surprise this 2 disc album was and I'm not a big fan of Christmas music. I loved all the selections and felt they were well performed. This is a true "must have" for any Christmas collection. Superior to many other compliations on the market. This one is a keeper! It is the one album I'll pick first to listen to after Thanksgiving.

It is a beautifully rendered and a varied selection of excellent choices. The best I've heard and I love it! My favorite Christmas album of all time.

Over and over we played "Die Menge der Engel" - - it is stunningly beautiful! The loftiness of the voices, wonderful.

We loved the boys/children's choruses on many of the other pieces on the album. Duets by Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavorati - - magnifico!

It is a pleasant compilation of traditional favorites and awesome classical pieces that are worth listening to again and again.

If you love Christmas as much as I do, you will probably enjoy this album. It features plenty of standard favorites - especially sung by the MoTab, who seem to be a holiday staple. I probably wouldn't pay $17.95 just to hear songs like 'The Little Drummer Boy' of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas.'

What makes this compillation interesting is the liberal sprinkling of less traditional - or, anyway, less well-known - classical pieces. Vivaldi's 'Gloria', Corelli's 'Christmas Concerto', and the opera 'Hansel and Gretel' all make an appearance. The standout, in my mind, is the ethereally beautiful 'Watt's Cradle Hymn,' which I have never seen or heard anywhere else - that one song alone makes this album worth a listen.

Good mix of the expected ("Silent Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful", etc) and the unexpected (the Vivaldi Gloria, Gabrieli, Schutz). Kudos to the Sony team for uniform clarity & quality of sound, despite source material from 1959 through 1998. Word to the wise: the performance of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" credited to Marilyn Horne is actually by Eileen Farrell from her excellent "Carols for Christmas Eve" release. No disrespect to Ms Horne, who is well represented by two performances with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. If you're truly a classical music fan but don't mind a traditional carol or two, this is an excellent buy.

I have more experience with other genres of music, but am interested in basically all kinds. I have been collecting CDs for nearly 2 decades but had no Opera in my collection. I did a little research and arrived at a conclusion. If I wanted the most and best Opera music for my money, I had to get this title, which is a double album, and "The Most Famous Opera Duets". Well, the latter was a steal with a list price under four dollars, and the former was a truly good compilation of many uplifting, diverse, impactful, and pleasant pieces. I am satisfied with my purchases and have filled the gap in my music collection. I can't see Opera getting better than this and the other title I mentioned. Enjoy!

This is a wonderful background for any tension realeasing activity, like reading a book. So glad I purchased it.

This music cd has really essential pieces of great operas. If you don't have many classical cds, why don't you buy this one and enjoy~? :)

I am not an opera fan normally. But sometimes the music is so lovely that it's a pleasure to just sit and listen. That is what this disc is. Most of the music is gorgeous and although I don't understand a word of it I just love listening to it and enjoy it. I think anyone who loves beautiful music be it an opera fan or not will enjoy this cd.

Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments

Absolutely fantastic! Stare into space and enjoy this music.

i went searching for a Beethoven CD because i was lucky enough to find this wonderful Mozart one. But this Beethoven CD doesnt have the best performances. The most popular pieces are apparently played by beginners because the notes sound disjointed, as if they arent playing together but playing each piece separately, which is not what an orchestra is supposed to sound like....otherwise we wouldnt call it an orchestra....it would be an elementary school meddley! But anyway, the less popular pieces are boring, like the compilers didnt feel like paying for the good stuff. Overall, im disappointed with this CD. The picture is cool though.....(insert glaring smiley here).

This two disc set is a good sampler of Beethoven; I had forgotten how inspiring his work could be. This set has motivated me to order all three of the Deutch Grammaphone two disc which together include all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies.

Some of these songs are the best that I've heard. I also enjoy the fact that this album provides the ENTIRE movement or selection, unlike some of the other albums that I've heard that only play for a little bit of the song. One example is Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major Second Movement, this movement is one of my favorites to begin with and hearing it so smoothly and masterfully recorded made my heart sing the first time I heard this all the way to end (the other recordings usually stop after the major key shift after the first theme). Also the Egmont Overture is one of the best full versions that I've had the pleasure of enjoying performed this well. The Moonlight Sonata First Movement I found to be nice, but there are better versions out there. For those people just looking for a nice collection of Beethoven songs that are well recorded and well performed, I stronly suggest that you purchase this album.

Classical music compilations are extremely difficult to review. You are always fighting with someone else's opinion of what is "Best of" material. And why should we buy selections when we could buy the entire pieces and hear them played as the composers intended?

A quick answer would be simple: we simply cannot afford to purchase every single piece by every single composer we love. And if the buyer is familiar with the music, he or she would perhaps only want the famous selections everyone knows. In my case, I am particularly picky with recordings and don't have the time to meddle with libraries or going to stores that offer listening stations. Recordings vary greatly and so does playing ability. So why did I go with Essential Beethoven?

It is released with Decca, one of the finest classical music companies out there. You are guaranteed no gimmick or inexpensively recorded tracks on this compilation. Essential B. also has a wider selection than other compilations I looked at. For once, there isn't a movement to be found from the Fifth Symphony. If that's all you want to buy, look elsewhere. Essential B. has pieces I was not familiar with, so here I am listening to it.

Regrettably, there are three distinct issues with this recording, and I want to get them out of the way. 1. Für Elise is atrociously boring to listen to. As a pianist, it is fun to play and almost required learning for the beginner. It should've been dropped. 2. Piano Concerto No. 5 is missing the third movement. It is common to drop the first movement here, but the second and third movements are programmatically tied, providing some of the most emotionally charged music ever put down on lined paper. Also, this rendition of the concerto is less than inspiring and I regret that it is the famous Ashkenazy playing this version. There is almost no life in the playing. 3. The remastering could've been better. The listener will enjoy the loud and boisterous pieces, but the quieter parts, and even the soft piano solos, will have him straining his ears to the point of exasperation. Because of this, I recommend listening on headphones or in a place where you can turn the volume up a little more than usual.

That aside, the rest of the tracks are well recorded, extremely well played, and varied enough to quench even the most learned ears. Decca has included pieces conducted by Sir Georg Solti, one of the greatest conducters in my opinion. (Another "collection" solely conducted by Solti is the "Immortal Beloved" soundtrack.) The orchestral pieces are lush and the range is dynamic. (A little too dynamic, like I stated above, in some areas.) The inclusion of movement IV from Symphony no. 8 pleases me, as I feel this is the least appreciated symphony, overshadowed by Symphony no. 9

The piano pieces are some of the best renditions I've heard. I own all of Ashkenazy's sonatas, so it was nice to hear a movement from "The Tempest" played by Stephen Kovacevich, who plays with fierce determination. Selections from B's piano concertos are fantastic and have prompted me to delve further into listening to more concertos from him. The Rondo from Piano Concerto No. 2, played by Radu Lupu, is one of the most upbeat and wonderfully played pieces here.

To round things off nicely is a movement from the Violin Sonata No. 5, played by the one and only Itzhak Perlman! The piano is caressed by Mr. Ashkenazy himself, and he does so lovingly. You will also find pieces from a string quartet, a violin Romance (and orchestra), and one overture: the "Egmont." I'm not a huge fan of this rendition either, but that's probably because I've heard the Egmont a thousand times.

A huge bonus with this collection are the three choral selections at the end, two of which are from "Fidelio," an opera I've yet to hear in its entirety. The Prisoners' Chorus is beautiful. The introduction sounds very much like a major contribution to Charles Ives's 1906 piece "The Unanswered Question." The compilation ends with Symphony No. 9's finale, but unfortunately, it is a horribly edited excerpt, and mixed extremely hot. I have to turn my volume down everytime this comes on.

I would like to make a little note about the art design, however. Credit here is given to Mark Millington, who did a fine job blending black & white photos of storm clouds, an inspiring sculpture, and blackletter-styled fonts. The CDs themselves are a contrasting bright orange. As a sucker for marketing, I would've plunked money down for this compilation just for the art!

My kids and I have really enjoyed this CD. This is a great collection of music with high quality performances.

This is an excellent recording of an excellent performance of the famous REQUIEM by Verdi. The Dies Irae section is especially thrilling. Highly recommended.The "Four Sacred Pieces" is a fine added bonus, especially the "Te Deum".

Of all of Verdi's latter works, the Verdi requiem is perhaps my favorite after Otello. Although it was written as a Requiem mass, I find that Verdi's composition recalls something that sounds more operatic than parochial, and for this reason, I don't think that it should be treated merely as a church piece. Rather, it should be seen a piece that combines both the elements of the sacred and secular emotions. This recording, one of Decca's most prestigious achievements in the studio, clearly ranks itself as one of the most exciting and beautiful renditions of the Verdi requiem, spearheaded by the Hungarian conductor Sir Georg Solti with the Vienna Philharmonic and the soloists Dame Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, and Martti Talvela. Although Solti has been accused of being overly emphatic with his conducting, I think the religious nature of the work tamed his hammy hand and made something beautiful and reverent out of it. No, this doesn't sound like Wagner, and I think that is all for the better. The more reflective parts are played with the kind of virtuosity that only an orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic can offer, and the more balls against the wall are given a drive that no other recording gives. The Dies Irae is an excellent example of this. This is the second remastering of this awesome choral work by Decca, and you can hear so many details being given more emphasis by the engineers. In short, I think this is the best sounding Verdi requiem on the market, as proven by Decca's quality engineering.

The soloists are one of the most distinguished quartets ever to have sung their respective parts. Luciano Pavarotti in his prime sings the tenor with a meltingly tender line and a phrasing that no one will ever anticipate to surpass. Talvela is the most sonorous and darkest bass ever to sing the gorgeous Confutatis. Horne imbues the alto part with her dark timbre and her graceful phrasing. Her Liber Scriptus, Agnus Dei, and Lux Aeterna are rivalled only by Christa Ludwig and Grace Bumbry. And then there's Joan Sutherland. Although several listeners gripe about the overparted sound of her voice, I think it actually fits the piece quite well. Joan Sutherland had an amazingly huge voice, as large as Birgit Nilsson's whenever she sang any repertoire. It may not be as dark as let's say...Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Zinka Milanov, or Antonietta Stella, but her ease with the difficult and high lying soprano part makes her singing a treat to listen to. I still love Freni and Gheorghiu in the part, but Joan Sutherland is one of the very best sopranos and no one should criticize her for her diction since it actually sounded very good here.

To sum up, one of the best Verdi Requiems on the market, perhaps the best if you want theater and the sacred combined in one indelible package. This CD set also comes with the composer's Quattro Pezzi Sacre. An essential set!

Including the DVD performance with von Karajan/La Scala, I own ten recordings of the Verdi Requiem. Putting the DVD performance aside for a moment, this recording and the Fritz Reiner on Decca Verdi: Requiem are the two that I pull out most frequently. I am biased in that I grew up with this recording which my mother bought after she sang the piece in college in the mid 1960s. Since these two are my favorites, I will compare and contrast.

The appropriateness of having Sutherland as the soprano soloist has always been debated. She has her strengths and weaknesses like any other singer, and oddly enough her quiet high notes aren't the best on record. But her breath control throughout (and especially at the end of the Offertorio) is stunning, and she truly sounds terrified at the beginning of the Libera Me. The duets with Horne have a solidity that is found in most of their work together, sounding much more like a single voice that's managed to produce two notes.

Price's performance with Reiner is legendary. Her low range, which is called upon frequently in this piece as well as the high register, is stronger than Sutherland's, and her quiet high notes are excellent. It is also argued that since Verdi wrote this part for the original Aida, Price is more appropriate to the part.

Horne embodies "mezzo-soprano" singing and is ideal for the part. Her high register is easy but forceful, and she has one of the most dramatic chest voices there is. Elias is also very good, but there's a polish and a variety in Horne's colors that keep me coming back to her recording. It's difficult to believe that the Liber Scriptus, dark and commanding, and the Lux Aeterna, light and ethereal, were sung by the same person.

Pavarotti early in his career, or Björling at the end of it. If only the latter had made the recording a few years before, but he didn't. It remains one of the definitive performances of the part, his tone is remarkably consistent, high notes not quite as easy as they could be, but remarkable. However, Pavarotti in the 60s was a force of nature. His voice is expressive, the second high B-flat in the Ingemisco (on the word "dextra") is quite possibly the best high B-flat sung on record; he sounds like he could have gone UP to the E-flat instead of down. He had also done enough work with Sutherland and Horne that he blends with them excellently.

Talvela and Tozzi are both BIG voices, both true basses, and both excellent. I think that Tozzi gets my vote here for color, though Talvela is an absolute rock of tone and pitch. Talvela also tends towards the Germanic pronunciation of some of the Latin (Quia being pronounced as Kvia, for instance) which occasionally doesn't blend.

Both recordings have the excellent Vienna Philharmonic. Solti, as usual, tends towards the faster side, and Reiner towards the slower. The recording itself is much more dimensional for the Solti since the better part of a decade had passed and the technology had improved, but the newest remastering of the Reiner (on the Decca Legends series) improves it considerably over past efforts. Solti goes for an operatic, dramatic, and occasionally over the top performance, and Reiner is more reverent and restrained. Since Verdi is the master of opera and wrote the Requiem in the style with which he was most comfortable, I think Solti has an extremely valid point conducting it the way he does. Both versions work, both versions hold together, and I wouldn't be without either of them.

I think the Verdi Requiem is the greatest Italian opera ever composed.
The old master managed to summon all his experience in the opera house and take the great themes of death, salvation, redemption and forgiveness and weave them into a stunning theatrical experience! (This is definitely not music for a liturgy.) A fantastic performance! Sutherland, freed from the constraints of her husband's boring conducting. Pavarotti, still young and making music instead of doing a "celebrity gig". Horne and Talvela at their considerable best. And Solti, unleashing the furies as only he could. This is a great recording.
(But also check out the Reiner recording with Leontyne Price & Jussi
Bjoerling. Talk about heavenly singing! My own, personal desert island recording. And Solti's later version from Chicago with Price is also a knockout!)

Marilyn Horne - The Complete Decca RecitalsThese recitals give a complete view of Hornes range,from Bel Canto opera to American song,via Mahler and Wagner.What a fantastic Artist she is,ease of singing in all ranges from top "C" down to the depths of a true contralto,and she manages to vary her timbre as to what she is singing.
recommended o all lovers of great singing

what to say??? First, "THANK YOU" to Decca records for assembling and presenting this WONDERFUL collection to us, honoring this Great Lady...the complete recital recordings of the Fabulous Ms Horne...certainly one of the GREATEST SINGERS of the Century. I do not recall a more distinctive mezzo voice in my many years of listening to opera and classical voice recordings. She had a seamless, absolutely stellar voice, and used it well, carving her niche in the history of Great Operatic Singing. These 11 discs are all stunning on their own as individuals, but packaged up together, in this Beautiful Box Set, and with the Original Album Cover Art reproduced on the individual sleeves, as well as the documentation presented with them, make this set a true Treasure-Trove, and Meaningful Remembrance of Ms Horne's long and memorable career. In today's "money, money, money" world, where we think that things are produced simply to "sell", it is refreshing, and heartening, to know that the people at Decca have produced this set Not for Quick Bucks, but as a Homogeneous Testament to the Talent and Memory of Marilyn Horne, truly one of America's Greatest Treasures...here, "ART" takes first place over "dollars". Thank You, Decca records for giving us this great collection of Ms Horne's solo recordings.

I agree with the previous reviewers about Ms. Horne's voice and performances. There are many riches here: the singing is superb throughout, one or two optional unmusical high notes aside. The range of music is enormous and Horne sings it all with style and grace, including the odd collection that is the American Songbook (Copeland, Foster, Berlin and... Malotte!?) Most of these recitals were conducted by Henry Lewis. He is fine, but I really sat up and took notice when Zubin Mehta took over for the Mahler song cycles directly after listening to Lewis conduct the Mahler/Wagner songs. Horne seemed more engaged on the Mehta led disc, too.
The unfortunate news is that some of this music is unfamiliar (Nin and Bizet songs, some of the bel canto and French arias) and there is not a text or synopsis in sight. I would have gladly paid a little more for even bare-bones texts.
The opera arias and excellent Rossini scenes discs are available separately. The first two discs (the stunning Souvenir of a Golden Era) have recently also been reissued as a set. It looks like those two CDs - at about two-thirds the cost of these eleven CDs - have been issued with texts and notes. (The timings on each disc in the eleven CD set range from about 37 minutes to 57 minutes.)

If you are reading this review, you are already too late in making the necessary clicks to purchase and add this stunning collection of vocal artistry to your collection. A MUST OWN! BUY, BUY, BUY IT!

Marilyn Horne's career is beyond the reach of the five star standard. I have had the pleasure of hearing her sing in person many times at the Lyric in Chicago as well as in recital. These discs bring a flood of memories of the size, beauty, range, and absolute glory of her voice.

"Souvenir of a Golden Era" was always my favorite of her recordings; as a consequence I was so pleased to hear that it would be re-released. When I learned that it would be available in this set as well, how could I resist. I actually still have all these discs in vinyl, but could not resist the opportunity to purchase this wonderful compilation and overview of her career.

The most glorious evening I have ever spent in the opera house was the night I heard "Semiramide" at the Lyric. Chicago was in the grip of a fierce blizzard. However, I waited outside the stage door for both Marilyn and Joan to emerge to collect their autographs on my program. Miss Horne and Dame Joan were astounded to see this snow covered person standing and waiting and were graciously signed my program. Marilyn left the "e" off of her signature, remarking, "I've forgotten the final 'e.'" She tacked it on with a giggle and a smile. I shall never forget the experience and, of course, cherish that program to this day.

As I listen to these discs, my memories of her last recital here in Chicago come flooding back as she remarked that she would be enlisting in Medicare soon and noted "the voice isn't what it used to be." How we all wished it would never diminish. Thank you Decca/London for this rare gift.

The type of Christmas album that isn't being made any more. Every note is sung with reverence for the music and the occasion. A great singer at the height of her powers.

I needed a traditional CD of patriotic songs to teach my Girl Scout troop but they wouldn't listen to this one past the first song. It is way to intense. The huge orchestra and the operatic voices,although truly beautiful, will not appeal to a mass audience.

This collection has all the standards, and a few "hard-to-find" ones. These are all well done. I used them recently during our church's senior adult program to honor our vets.

Enjoy.

This album is well put together and I enjoy the old standards. Music is an integral part of our heritage. Often when I listen to this album, I think about what our country has been through and how very, very important it is to appreciate what we have. I spent 3 years living in France in the 60's and I cannot tell you how much all Americans looked forward to going "Home!"

Enjoy!!

If you like a mix of songs and marches very well played, this CD is for you. The voices of the singers are good, the music support the lyrics and it is easy to listen or to sing along. Also, nearby half of the tunes are played by the Band of the Grenadier Guards and for me, this Band is the best band to play Sousa marches and military marches. The precision of the execution is perfect, the sound is lovely and the technical quality of the recording is perfect. When I listen Anchors Aweigh, I always hear the sound of the waves and it is one of the only bands that gives me this feeling. If you have just one CD of military music to buy, you may buy this one; it is a best buy.

As usual, "Dixie," "The Bonnie Blue Flag," and other songs of a Southern genre are conspicuously absent. Why not throw in a couple of rap tunes to make this album truly "American?"

She wasn't called La Stupenda by the Italians for nothing. Now retired, a truly great voice. I don't think I shall hear anything like her again. Worth every penny. Magnificent recording.

This 2 CD set is entitled "La Stupenda," which creates extremely high expectations. Joan Sutherland meets those expectations on this CD; she is, indeed, "La Stupenda." One of the interesting aspects of this set is Dame Joan's singing some non operatic works (such as "Home Sweet Home" or "Where Are the Songs We Sung?" or "Falling in Love with Love"). In the end, this is a wonderful compilation of the art of Joan Sutherland.

First, let's consider a sampling of the cuts on these CDs.

"O Zittre Nicht" is from Mozart's "Magic Flute" and it is a challenge to sopranos, with its series of staccato high notes. Sutherland essays this well. There are some nice trills; she hits the high notes well. The series of (treacherous) high notes toward the end is handled very nicely by Sutherland. In short, she scintillates, with a closing high note well hit.

From Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix," she sings "O luce di questi'anima." Her voice and technique are well suited for Donizetti (and Bellini). The cantabile is smoothly sung. The cabaletta is rollicking. Her coloratura technique is on target; the ornamentation is compelling. There are trills, runs, high notes and other ornamentation well done. The close is nice (although there may be a bit of a scoop on the final high note).

From "Beatrice di Tenda" (by Bellini), we hear ""Eccomi pronta. . .Deh, se un'urna." The cantabile is sung well. She hits notes clearly. The spirited cabaletta follows. Sutherland exhibits somewhat less ornamentation than usual, but trills are well done and, overall, the piece is nicely sung. The close features clean high notes.

"Home Sweet Home." This kind of illustrates Joan Sutherland's work nicely. I can hardly make out the words (and it is sung in English). But it is an interesting version. She sings the song straight, without overpowering the song with operatic technique (an occasional trill actually works out well).

Elsewhere, I have commented on her 1959 version of the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia di Lammermoor" (from her album "The Greatest Hits").

"Falling in Love with Love" is an interesting cut. This is a classic Rodgers and Hart song. Sutherland sings it pretty well, and one can pick up the words cleanly. However, one might compare this with Anna Moffo's version, which is more musical. Sutherland's version is a bit too operatic for what the song is about.

Finally, "Ah non giunge" from Bellini's "La Sonnambula," a great coloratura tune! This is taken at a sprightly pace. Sutherland exhibits good coloratura technique. There is nice ornamentation. She precisely nails high notes. In the repeat, the florid singing ramps up. This is a compelling version, with series of staccato high notes to close the work out.

Thus, this 2 CD set is a welcome entrée to the body of work of Dame Joan Sutherland. Sometimes (as with "Home Sweet Home") one has a hard time picking out the words. But with Sutherland, the skills and techniques create a compelling oeuvre that is well worth attending to.

I'm not an opera expert I just enjoy it. La Stupenda has the best of Joan Sutherland in a two CD set and it's amazing. She looked like a nice, quiet housewife but an indescribalbe voice. Her aria from Norma gave me chills and her version of "I Dreamed I Dwelt in Marble Halls" is flat out one of the prettiest things I've ever heard.

Joan Sutherland was undeniably one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the 20th century. This comprehensive two-CD retrospective of her long career will delight her many fans, and serve as a fitting introduction for those unfamiliar with her artistry. The two CDs span a period of nearly thirty years, from 1959 to 1988, with the majority of the 27 tracks recorded during the 1960s and 1970s, when her voice was at its' astounding best. Sutherland was renowned first and foremost as a dramatic coloratura, and her supple technique is brilliantly illustrated in selections such as the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor; Doll Song from The Tales of Hoffmann; Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute; and the seldom-performed Concerto for Coloratura Soprano by Gliere. As her career progressed, her voice became larger and more powerful, as demonstrated by the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, and In Questa Reggia from Puccini's Turandot. Lastly, Sutherland was a diva who was not afraid to let her hair down once in a while, and we are treated to lighter selections such as Where are the songs we sung? by Noel Coward, and Falling in love with love, by Rogers and Hart. Highly recommended for all lovers of great singing.

I adore this woman's voice. And I love this cd. I was really happy to find an aria of "Esclarmonde" which is virtually impossible to find as well as some of the more lesser known works of hers such as Mozart's Queen of Night, although I wish she had done a recording of the revenge aria (Der Holle Roche) The whole cd was wonderful to hear but if I had to make on complaint it's that I didn't buy her Isolde's Liebestod but the woman can sing Lucia better than just about anyone so I'll forgive her for not sticking with the Wagner. In fact I am thrilled that she chose Lucia over Isolde because frankly acting and interperation was never her strong suit, it was the pure beauty of her voice. It's always a grand pleasure to listen to Joan kick butt in any coloratura arias but of course she set the bar so high that there is yet a coloratura since her that can do those arias half as well. She has spoiled me for life and that's why she is La Stupenda.

I absolutely love opera music, and this c.d. is great for the most part. However, I am completely shocked that Maria Callas is nowhere to be found! In my opinion Callas' versions of Vissi D'arte, Vissi D'amore, L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle, Oh! MI Babbino Caro, Signore, Ascolta!, and Un bel di vedremo were much better than the versions feature on this c.d. Even Tribaldi made the list! If people enjoy amazing opera music, they would be better off buying a c.d. by Maria Callas. Of course, Pavarotti is also amazing.

this is a wonderful cd. i have it in my car and listen to it all the time. you wont go wrong buying this cd if you love the operah and great voices.

Many people are turned off of opera because of the nature of the beast - unknown tongue, the continual singing and particularly the sopranos whose voices are as piercing as they are diffdicult to understand. These selections are ravishing in their beauty. It has been estimated that 2/3 of all classical effort was put into opera. Thus it is not surprising that some of the best music ever penned can be found here, particularly those that deal with that most human of emotion - love.

The orchestration is wonderful, the voices emotional and quite sincere, the authenticity is present. It is difficult to surpass Verdi or Puccini in plumbing the emotional depths. All in all a good experience.

I'm so in love with this CD, I'm giving it to as many ppl as I can. It's a great introduction to opera for ppl who don't listen to it very often. It has all the great hits with all the great singers, who can make shivers go down your spine. My friends who don't know opera as much as I do love it too.

If you have just got to be interested in Opera, this is a good start. You can listen to the best pieces of the most famous (an romantic) Operas performed by the best singers. If you are a long-time Opera lover, this CD will remind you of all the performances that you went with your loved one and romantic moments after the concerts.