Posts tagged as "ettore-bastianini"

Anita Cerquetti Recital

April 18, 2019

A famous Decca operatic recital, long unavailable, celebrating the thrilling voice and short-lived career of a soprano who set operatic stages alight in the late 1950s. Anita Cerquetti made only two commercial recordings both for Decca under the baton of Gianandrea Gavazzeni. In 1957, she sang the title role in a complete ‘La Gioconda‘ with […]

Ponchielli: La Gioconda

April 18, 2019

The first stereo recording of Ponchielli’s most famous opera, with a towering performance of the title role captured in classic Decca sound. There is more to ‘La Gioconda’ than the ‘Dance of the Hours’, more even than the hit ‘Suicidio’ aria of the ill-fated and ironically-titled Venetian ballad-singer who holds the stage. There are scenes […]

An Evening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

July 14, 2017

The Lyric Opera of Chicago was founded as recently as 1954 but within two years it had secured the services of many operatic stars of the day who were doubtless reassured of the quality and warmth of reception at the company by the trailblazing US debut of Maria Callas as Norma in its first season. […]

Puccini Favourites

April 29, 2016

Besides Verdi, Puccini was the other great nineteenth-century Italian opera composer. This anthology brings together favourite arias and ensemble pieces from his operas. All the most famous are represented – ‘Bohème, Butterfly, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi…’ And of course the performers are the greatest operatic stars you can think of having all on a single CD!

Pearl Fishers’ Duet

April 22, 2016

There is always a special pleasure in the blending of two fine voices, and composers have usually been happy to provide it during the course of their operas. Characters may join their voices in a unity of feeling, or in extreme disagreement, or in any one of the thousand shades in between. On this CD, […]