Renata Tebaldi

I heard this CD on a PBS pledge drive (it was a premium) and found myself loving every cut on it! I was in my car and just wanted to keep on driving and listening. This is by far my most-played CD - I've had to make it a weekend only listen to prevent getting burned out on it. HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are unfamiliar with some of the pieces, you will quickly learn to love them. . . . I must end this review - I'm off to listen to the "flower duet" for the 100th time. . .

I'm new to opera, but this CD has really beautiful music. I use it in my CD clock radio (Timex, that I purchased here also) to go to sleep to.

21 Dec, 2007
The movements in this collection move Me as much as My very bowel. Hence, it might work for your too. Try it, you'll like it if you want to be moved to your very "soul".

Am just discoving the glory of opera. Not all opera, but the arias that make your heart soar. My husband turned away from opera because he was "overdosed" at an early age and it really spoiled his pleasure for life. He's gone now, and I'm discovering what I've missed. This is a wonderful CD and well worth having.

If one was wanting to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of opera, this would be a great cd to buy them. Also at this time when many of us are worrying about Luciano and his health , it is great to hear him featured on many of the selections. A great buy and wonderful collection.

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.

When I was in Lucca, It., the birthplace of Puccini, we attended a concert in a local church that was so beautiful. This CD brought me right back there. A lovely way to spend time listening to Puccini.

"Quando m'en vo" is not omitted from this CD; it is just called "Musetta's waltz song." It is the same aria.

This is one of the first opera CDs I ever got. It's wonderful for just about any body;from the newbies like me or the opera fanatics. I especially like 'In Questa Reggia'. Buy it now!!

The Ultimate Puccini Collection features some of Puccini's most arias and will appeal to even the most ardent operaphobes.

A great listening experience featuring some of the greatest opera performers of all time.

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

This film was destined to become a classic when it was first released, not only due to the actors who perform in it but also based upon the story content as well. It's a "feel good" movie recreating the times of our lives that either took place or were discussed around the family table. It rightly takes its place beside classic films featuring both Hepburns, Tracy, Bogie, Bacall, Stewart, etc.

I had previous owned it on VHS but not DVD and missed being able to watch it occasionally so I decided it was time to acquire it again. Most enjoyable!

All the men are stupid jerks who screw up their own lives and the lives of those around them. Fortunately for the safety of New York City, all of the women are wise, patient and nurturing, and manage to get the bozos back on track. No wonder my wife thinks this is the best movie of all time!

I have always loved this film. This has not changed in the years since it was released.

I have a question for the film makers. Why did it take until 2006 until this wide screen edition of the film was available? New York City is a character in the film. Landscape shots make it so.

I waited until I got this DVD, keep watching for it to come out.

Great script. Cast perfect except for Cage. I am NOT a fan of his.

I remember years ago that Olympia had her Oscar stolen. She deserved it. Cher did as well along with the script.

1 thing I do NOT like about this edition of the film. NO chapter search list or ANY INFORMATION ON THE FILM PROVIDED INSIDE. Instead you get a recipe cards? IS THIS a cooking DVD? I do NOT think so. THOUGHT IT WAS A CLASSIC, OSCAR WINNING FILM.

i love the movie, the quality and etc, etc. very happy with my purchase!

`Moonstruck' tells the all too familiar tale of a woman who falls in love with a man whom she is not promised to. Yes, we have seen this story told before, at times better, at times worse. What makes `Moonstruck' so entertaining is that it takes the age old formula and spices it with wonderful performances that capture a deeper sense of meaning than just merely whether or not one person is meant for one person.

The film tells the story if widow Loretta Castorini, a beautiful yet unkempt woman who feels as though she is unlucky, and that lack of luck has convinced her that the only way to be happy is to marry the older `nice' guy Johnny Cammareri. While Johnny is away visiting his dying mother though, Loretta meets his brother Ronny, the black sheep of the family, and (you guessed it) falls in love with him. Her passion for Ronny contradicts her insistence on marrying Johnny even though she knows that Johnny will never fulfill her the way that Ronny would. While she deals with this inconvenience she also has to contend with her parents, Cosmo and Rose, as they struggle to make their marriage work.

Yes, I'll say this now, `Moonstruck' is slightly clichéd and lays heavy on the Italian stereotypes, but it's done in that innocent jesting way, much like `My Big Fat Greek Wedding'; never in a shameless and irritable way like say, a Tyler Perry movie (don't hate). I actually thought that the little Italian touches helped the film blossom into something memorable as apposed to just another `same old same'. I am half Italian myself and while I can see how some may take offence to some of the blatant stereotypes I found that it was all done in fun, not malicious in anyway, and only added layers to the films script.

The acting is also noteworthy. Cher and Olympia Dukakis both took home acting Oscars for their performances in this film, and both were truly the standouts. I can't say that Cher deserved to win (I'm leaning more towards Glenn Close) but she was truly wonderful here (not what I expected) and her nomination alone was well deserved. Dukakis was even better, and I have to say that I totally agree with her win. She handled her character, which could have been nothing more than stock, with so much grace and maturity. Her conversation with John Mahoney alone is the single best scene in the entire film. Vincent Gardenia was effective, if not the biggest stereotype in the bunch (it's always the father, right?) and Danny Aiello is a bit lost. I tell you, I was most impressed with Cage, since I normally find him rather bland. He turned out a very good performance. His accent was right on and his emotional connection was, while still a tad muted, much deeper than most his performances and his detachment from serious emotion actually aided in the films humor.

There may be a lot familiar or clichéd about this film, but there is also a lot to enjoy and remember. The acting is mostly rich (especially from the female stars) and the script is written with enough gusto to make even its most clichéd moments entertaining and somewhat fresh. Like I said, it's not highly original and it does overdo the stereotypes at times, but its all in fun and sometimes `fun' is just what we need.

I am the proud owner of at least thirty Christmas CD's. This compilation is the best collection of quality music performed superbly that I have ever heard. I had to drive 1400 miles by myself before Christmas and I never tired of listening to this wonderful music. I also ordered several more copies of "#1 Christmas Album" to gift to family and friends who enjoy quality music.

The cover of this 2 disc set features half a dozen of the great voices of our time: Pavarotti, Domingo, Joan Sutherland, Renata Tebaldi, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Leontyne Price. However, selections by these soloists comprise only 2/5 of the set, the rest being choral and orchestral works.

Nor are these fabulous voices given equal representation. Pavarotti and my personal favorite, Joan Sutherland, have four songs apiece; Price and Kanawa have three apiece; Renata Tebaldi two and only one for Placido Domingo.

However, this is basically a very good collection. The first disc is a bit on the solemn side, while the second is brighter. Pavarotti leads off the entire collection with "Adeste Fideles" and returns later on the first disc with "Mille Cherubini in Coro". His renditions of "Panis Angelicus" and "Gesu Bambino" help grace the second CD.

Joan Sutherland brightens the first disc with her "Joy To The World" and then sets the lighter mood of the second disc with "Deck The Halls" and later returns with a sprightly "Twelve Days of Christmas". She also gives us the beautiful and tender "Virgin Slumber Song". Leontyne Price gives us Schubert's "Ave Maria", "O Tannenbaum" and "O Holy Night". Kiri Te Kanawa gives us Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria", surprises us with "White Christmas" (a very beautiful & unique interpretation), and winds up the entire set with "Mary's Boy Child". Renata Tebaldi's contributions are Brahms' "Lullaby" and "Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle". Placido Domingo's sole appearance is with the dynamic "Hosanna in Excelsis" from Lloyd Weber's Requiem.

It is a splendid feast of vocal performances. However, the choral and orchestral selections have weak spots. I was especially disappointed in the Chicago Symphony & Chorus rendition of "For Unto Us a Child Is Born", and also thought that a good rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus would've worked better. The orchestral selections did have bright spots such as "Sleigh Ride" (Mozart's, not Leroy Anderson's), Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Snowflakes" from the Nutcracker, and the "Skater's Waltz".

All in all, this is a collection which belongs in your Christmas Classical collection, but can't be considered an absolute essential.

I have not listened specifically to this edition, but I can tell you with near absolute certainty that this is a classic example of marketing at its most shameless. This is nothing more than a reissue of "The Greatest Christmas Show on Earth", but with a different title! (Something similar was done back in 1963, when the Harry Simeone Chorale's ever-popular 1958 LP, "Sing We Now of Christmas", was retitled and re-released as "The Little Drummer Boy"--its current CD title--, but at least the advertising there seemed slightly more honest.)

Everything on "The #1 Christmas Album" is exactly the same as on "The Greatest Christmas Show on Earth", right down to the order of the musical selections on the album. Only the cover design is different. Decca/London apparently believes that it can fool its customers into thinking that they are buying another album if they simply change the title. Of course, the album itself is reasonably good, though not on the level of most of my favorite Christmas albums, not even the now-deleted RCA Victor "Christmas Treasures", a collection culled from RCA Victor's Living Stereo series. The offense lies in the marketing gimmick,something I have never seen in all my years of avid CD buying. This is worse than all those "collections" which just rehash old material--at least each collection is a newly organized album.

If you enjoy opera or choir, this is a must collection. The Choir of King's College probably knows the secret how to make the listener flying among thousands of Christmas candles. Pavarotti's opening is so mighty that remind people, this year, to be courageous and to believe (not limited from religious sense but the humanity perspective.) And his Mill Cherubini and Panis Angelicus can vibrate one's tear from the heart, reflecting to the tragedy and the war in 2001. As for the sopranos, this collection is a Jewel. Joan Sutherland's Deck The Hall and The Twelve Days of Christmas bring out the merry atmosphere of the season and cheer one's mood to celebrate. Also her Virgin's Slumber Song has so much beauty and grace . Kanawa's Ave Maria is so dramatic performed that perfectly drawn out the human's longing for love and protection. All the orchestra also have done a splendid job. The arrangement is perfect there is no dull moment from the beginning to the end.

"The fact that a coarseminded 'reviewer' found Bjorling lacking... is simply another proof of Jussi's quality."

And as for Pavarotti, he idolized Bjorling. "... two interviews with Pavarotti. It is clear that Jussi Björling was his idol. 'When I'm about to train a new opera, I first listen to how Jussi Björling did it. His voice was unique and it's his path that I want to follow. I would more than anything else wish that people compared me with Jussi Björling. It's like so I'm striving to sing.'"

"Anouther quote came from Luciano Pavarotti when he was compared to being in the same league as Bjorling. Pavarotti replied 'Please, I'm only human' a statement demonstrating that even the great modern tenor had enormous respect for Bjorling."

This recording has the best tracks I've heard, nothing compares to the Pearl Fish Duet.

Jussi Björling - The Ultimate Collection - 2 CDs, is a precious gift to anyone who loves the most beautiful voice of that talented swedish tenor, one of the greatest opera singers ever. Enjoy 2 hours 36 minutes of pure enchantment!

I first heard (and heard of) Jussi Björling 8 or 9 years ago. I heard the "Au fond du temple saint" duet, and was blown away. I immediately became a JB fan, and was eager to hear more. I found the Pearl Fishers duet CD at my local library, and was blown away again by the other duets on that CD, especially the duets from Don Carlo, La Forza del Destino, and Otello. Later, I found out about the "Ultimate Collection" album, where I could get all of the duets, plus many arias, so I went out and bought it. It was a great purchase. I've listened to it many times now, and never get tired of it.

These recordings were made in the 1950s, and some of them are not in stereo, but the sound quality is great. I am not expert enough to know if JB was really the greatest tenor of the 20th century, as several polls have indicated, but I would certainly rank him as the best.

If you want to hear some really great singing, buy this album.

He is obviously one of the best of his time and puts to shame some of the newer singers. You get alot for your money on this CD too. I highly recommend it for a Sunday morning to enjoy your coffee, newspaper, and scones :}

To enjoy the artistry of great tenors, I really prefer collections of arias only. If I want scenes, I want the entire opera, to which I listen while following a libretto, since my exposure to opera has been primarily audio rather than visual. So, I would not have purchased this cd for myself. But I received it as a gift for becoming a member of the local PBS station.
I am glad I have it; and I give it a 5 star rating.
Bjoerling's is, of course, the voice that stands out (or is that my favoritism showing?). The duets with Robert Merrill, especially "The Pearl Fishers" and "La Boheme," marvelously portray the compatibility of the two voices. The remaining selections illustrate Bjoerling's ability to project himself into the character he is portraying.
If you enjoy opera, and especially if you enjoy a great tenor like Bjoerling, get this cd. You, too, will be glad you have it.

I can hardly tell you how much I loved this CD when musicologist David St. George gave
gave me a copy of it. Each time I hear the CD, Bjoerling's singing astounds me, because
depsite his age, he was in excellent voice when he recorded the "Pearl Fishers Duet."
My only complaint about Bjoerling is that a year before my birth, he died. :)

The beautiful main duet from Bizet's "The Pearlfishers" ("Au fond du temple saint") is the centerpiece of this disc, that also features pieces from "Aida", "Tosca", "Turandot" and "Otello", amongst others by Puccini and Verdi.

Legendary opera stars Robert Merrill, Zinka Milanov, Licia Albanese and Renata Tebaldi have the kind of voices that one rarely hears these days in opera. It's such a pleasure to know that these singers have received immortality thanks to CD reissues like this one. As other reviewers have noted, these recordings have great historical value but don't expect miracles with the overall sound quality.

[RCA/BMG Classics GD87799]

Bjoerling never misses his pitch, never struggles with any note in his repertoire, never runs out of breath, and most importantly, never fails to makes any note perfectly beautiful. Bjoerling's supporting cast are immortalized by their association with this incomparable singer. Every track in this album is historically as well as artistically precious.

I'm prompted to comment only because a reviewer below offers no criticism of this famous duets recording exceept for the Manon Lescaut excerpt with Licia Albanese. As it happens, the only weakness in the cuts with Bjorling and Merrill is the workaday conducting by Renato Cellini (and the boxy sound that deserves the same miraculous remastering BMG has recently given to Toscanini). The Met was a singers' house and often fell short on conducting, saddling Golden Age voices with less than stellar maestros like Cillini, Fausto Cleva, and Leinsdorf (who actually does a very good job, for him, in Turandot, Bjorling's last opera recording before he died).

But the RCA Manon Lescaut from Rome was a wonderful exception. It is arguably the most satisfying collaboration in Bjorling's career, thanks to Jonel Perlea and the inspired Licia Albanese. Others might argue for the Aida with Milanov or the famous La Boheme with de los Angeles under Beecham. But for me the dramatic intensity of this Manon Lescaut is unparalleled. It's true that Albanese doesn't sound like a lush, full-voiced Puccini soprano, but she inhabits the role of Manon with astonishing realism and passion.

It is good driving music, it is a breath of fresh air in a hectic world.

This CD was all that I hoped for. Beautiful, evocative music just made for a relaxing evening at home.

This compilation of movie themes is one of the most pleasurable CD's you'll ever own.

I say "probably," since it's hard to outdo its "Beethoven Adagios" set. I've only bought a few of these "Adagios" sets because, looking over the track listings of so many, there's just so much overlap. Here, you get the best single collection of the bunch. Here, I was introduced to Addinsell's "Warsaw Concerto," and for that alone it was worth the price. But let's not forget a significant number of other gorgeous classic adagios: Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto (used in a gorgeous film, "Picnic at Hanging Rock"), Bach's "Air on a G String," Mahler's Adaghietto from Symphony no. 5, some obligatory Mozart, the Barber adagio, Debussy's Claire de lune, and - oh lovely! - Schubert's String Quintet in C. Then there are much-appreciated entries (Cinema Paradiso, Gabriel's Oboe) from a personal favorite composer, Ennio Morricone, one of the actual official film composers (as distinct from long-dead composers whose music was used in film) used for this collection, along with a couple from another personal favorite, John Barry. (You'd really need to get Barry's own set of "adagios," titled "Moviola," to get his best, e.g., the title theme to "Out of Africa" and to "Somewhere in Time." For Morricone, the master of the romantic adagio in the past century, go with "Itinerary of a Genius" or individual soundtracks like "Legend of 1900," "Lolita," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Once Upon a Time in the West," and others.)

A couple drawbacks to this set: (1) The adagio from Rachmaninov's 2nd is truncated to a mere 4 minutes. For this, one is well advised to purchase a CD with the entire concerto, or get a full version of just the adagio elsewhere (Decca does include a full version on its "Romantic Adagios" collection). (2) So much from so many composers is included, that there is too little room for more Beethoven. I'd prefer the adagio from the "Pathetique" sonata to the "Moonlight" one which was included here. For Beethoven adagios, you need the "Beethoven Adagios" set as an accompaniment (where you get, among other things, adagios for the op. 130 string quartet, the 6th symphony, the violin concerto, piano concerto no. 3, the 7th symphony, and the romance for violin no. 2, op. 50). If you're a fan of Mozart music often used in the movies, there's the "Mozart Adagios" set and/or the "Amadeus" soundtrack.

I'm a "purist" as to a few works; I'd rather hear the entirety of the "Emperor" concerto than merely the adagio, for instance. In plenty of other cases, an adagio movement is heard just fine as a stand-alone work; plenty of the most beautiful music is used for adagio movements, as these sets make clear enough.

This is an excellent selection of music. I listen to it every chance I get. It is great just to put in your CD player on "repeat" and allow it to soothe and inspire you for a few hours, for an evening, or an for entire day.

One reason I chose it was that I was looking for music that could simply be a nice background noise for when I'm working on things that require reading and concentration. I wanted music that would not be a distraction, and this does a good job. It is also great to listen to when doing almost anything, like even cleaning the house or doing laundry. I will admit though, that listening to the selection from Swan Lake might make you want to dance around the living room.

Also, besides the obvious ones that everybody knows (Beethoven's 5th, or Canon in D, etc.) I do not know enough to distinguish specific songs from their composers, which is why I was hesitant to buy a classical CD soley of one artist because once I got it I may not have liked it or been familiar with any of the songs. That is why I picked Movie Adagios because I knew it would be a selection of some of the best classical music from the movies, which it is.

Decca has been perusing the vaults and re-releasing some classic recordings. Renata Tebaldi's CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL is one such recording. Originally released in 1971, it is a wonderful example of Tebaldi's artistry. While her voice is somewhat darker in this recording than in some of her earlier recordings, the arrangers seemed to know how to highlight Tebaldi's vocal majesty in tracks that suit her voice.

It is a standard operatic Christmas recording-traditional Christmas carols and some religious songs that are not necessarily Christmas pieces, but fit the mood of the holiday season rather well. Tebaldi sings reach track with ease. In some tracks we find the glory and artistry that is trademark Tebaldi, particularly when she sings "O Holy Night." We have renditions of both versions of "Ave Maria" (Gounod and Schubert). The Gounod is very well done. "Panis Angelicus" is heavenly. Her rendition of "O Divine Redeemer" reminds me of her Desdemona of OTELLO (the Karajan version with Mario Del Monaco in the title role) when she sings the "Willow Song" and then moves into the Hail Mary. To me, this is one of Tebaldi's greatest recorded moments. While the music differs, she performs "O Divine Redeemer" with the same intensity and feeling as her Desdemona. An added bonus is her English diction. I have become used to most operatic recordings of Christmas music having beautiful moments vocally, though the English diction is poor (Placido Domingo and Pavarotti's Christmas recordings quickly come to mind), but this is not the case with Tebaldi, who carefully sings each English word. It is perhaps attention to detail that makes this recording outstanding.

This recording is truly a classic and fortunately its re-release ensures it will be a favorite for years to come.

Despite this album was recorded in the last years of Mrs. Tebaldi's career (1971), her voice still remains intact, sounding as warm as ever: like an angel!!! The arias and carols selected for the recording are excellent. This album will be a real pleasure in Christmas!! Enjoy it!!

My mother, who never saw an opera in her life, had the London LP "Highlights" version of this performance. Each time she played it, she cried unashamedly. I have seen 4 Butterfly's performed live. None matches this recording for its sheer power. Brava, Renata, brava.

I had not listened to this CD for a while. I recently heard snippets of the love duet (Callas version...) and decided to listen to it again.
I think I'd forgotten just how beautiful Puccini's music in this opera is. Tebaldi is about as close to perfection in this as one can humanly get. I'd recommend this strongly to those who have not listened to the whole opera yet. I've always found Butterfly more moving than Boheme...I must be in the minority. To me, this opera and Tosca (for very different reasons) are his best.

I couldn't have asked for a more lovingly sung Butterfly than Tebaldi's and at this bargain price it puts it way out front of similar accomplishments. The stereo sound is sharp and well balanced, voices front as they should be. Plus Serafin's beautiful dramatic conducting. One may quibble with Bergonzi's Pinkerton not seeeming "caddish" enough, but he sounds better here than in most recordings I have heard.

i have been playing non-stop for two weeks and have not tired of it yet--i love it

I'll admit that MADAMA BUTTERFLY is not one of my favorite operas, at least as far as characters are concerned. I find Pinkerton repulsive and as an American, I hate the fact that one of opera's most popular works has what is perhaps the most obvious example of an "Ugly American." I remember reading that some American critics hated the work at its New York premiere for the reasons I state. And yes I know, there are far more vile characters in opera than "Love'm and Leave'm Pinkerton, but he's so realistic ,Cio Cio San is so vulnerable, and Puccini's music so fits the story, I almost hate to listen to the opera because the same tragedy happens over and over again. Yet every time I put the CDs in the player and hear the string prelude, I know I have to listen because there are some of opera's most emotional and passionate musical moments in this work.

There are a number of tremendous recordings of this work available with some of operas greatest stars as Cio Cio San: Maria Callas, Mirella Freni, Anna Moffo, and Renata Tebaldi. Tenors who love the bravado of Pinkerton include Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Mario Del Monaco and Carlo Bergonzi. Any set with any of these stars is musical heaven, but for me the BUTTERFLY of choice is this mid priced set with Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi under the direction of Tulio Serafin. Anytime I listen to it, I'm captivated by the performance and drawn into the drama. It is often considered one of Tebaldi's best studio recordings, and Decca has used excerpts from this recording in many of its opera compilations.

Since this is a role often associated with both Renata Tebaldi and her rival Maria Callas, some may wonder which is the better choice. Well, I'm the wrong person to ask. I own and love both. The Callas recoding has certain intensity as opposed to the polish of this set, and this set is in stereo as opposed to the mono recording of the Callas set. Both sets are masterpieces, but for my tastes, the Tebaldi set is the better choice.