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 […]
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 […]
One of the great troubadors of his time, Mario del Monaco has power, masculinity and virility to burn in his portrayal of Manrico on this recording of Trovatore. Tebaldi is a sweet and moving Leonora, excelling in such moments as ‘Tacea la notte placida’ and ‘D’amor sull’ali rosee’. Giulietta Simionato as Azucena leaves the most […]
Two murders, an attempted rape and a suicide, all packed into about a hundred minutes, makes for spellbinding drama. And this performance of highlights from ‘Tosca’ is just that, in one of Tebaldi’s early recordings for Decca.
This compilation, drawn from the archive of ‘the Opera Company’ – Decca – boasts many of the greatest Verdi recordings ever made and features the greatest highlights of his operatic works. Here you’ll find the stars of the opera performing Overtures, Arias and Choruses from La Traviata, Aida, Luisa Miller, Otello, Nabucco, Rigoletto and Il […]
Verismo at its peak. This fireball of a performance of Mascagni’s opera features Mario Del Monaco in his prime.
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!
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, […]
Bellini’s advice to librettists, in 1834, might profitably hang above the desks of all who would pursue this singular art today: ‘Carve in your head in adamantine letters: Opera must make people weep, feel horrified, die through singing. It is wrong to want to write all the numbers the same way but they must all […]
Although overshadowed by the more celebrated second recording of Otello that Mario del Monaco and Renata Tebaldi made with Karajan (1960), many feel this earlier (1954) recording features both protagonists in fresher voice, and Alberto Erede and his Santa Cecilia forces really pack a punch.
Heralded by a priceless photo of Del Monaco, this classic 1954 recording of ‘Rigoletto’ is restored to the catalogue. Recorded about the same time as Erede’s ‘Otello’ sessions (also with Del Monaco and Protti), Del Monaco gives a powerful rendition of the Duke and Hilda Gueden’s crystalline purity gives Gilda all the innocence and largesse […]
These new re-masterings cast fresh light on seminal recordings of ‘Cavalleria rusticana’ and ‘Pagliacci’ both featuring Mario del Monaco. He was in his prime when he recorded Turiddu and Canio, and his performances in both recordings could hardly be more spine-tingling. ‘Cavalleria rusticana’ was recorded in 1954 and ‘Pagliacci’ in 1953. Franco Ghione’s feeling for the lyricism […]
