GILBERT and SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan: Princess Ida Ambrosian Opera Chorus with Frank Gorshin, Nan Christie, Laurence Dale, Anne Collins & others [ BBC / Umbrella DVD / DVD - released 10/Aug/2014 ] Music by the London Symphony Orchestra, the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and a host of stars including Frank Gorshin, Bernard Dickerson, Anne Collins and Claire Powell. 114 minutes. For more than 100 years the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan have played to... |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan: Patience & The Sorcerer [2 DVDs] Ambrosian Opera Chorus with Sandra Dugdale, Donald Adams, Derek Hammond-Stroud, John Fryatt, Clive Revill, David Kernan & Nana Christie [ BBC / Umbrella DVD / DVD - released 10/Aug/2014 ] For more than 100 years the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan have played to packed audiences around the world. These two names have become synonymous with classic light opera - music that is timeless and tuneful lyrics that are witty, scathing and memorable. |
GRAUN / HANDEL / PERTI / PORPORA / ORLANDINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Agrippina Opera Arias Ann Hallenberg (mezzo) / Il Pomo d'Oro, Riccardo Minasi [ Deutsche Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 1/Mar/2016 ] "there's an equally dazzling vengeance aria by Orlandini, in which Riccardo Minasi's orchestra, Il Pomo d'Oro, really lets fly. Hallenberg is as convincing in these as she is in the more reflective numbers...very classily done" (The Guardian) |
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci (Complete Opera with full libretto) Barbara Frittoli, Jose Cura, Carlos Alvarez, Simon Keenlyside / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly [ Decca / CD - released 10/Mar/2000 ] 'The recording is rich, spacious and brilliant with glorious orchestral playing, making one marvel at the beauty and subtlety of Leoncavallo's orchestration.' A Key Recording, from The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs. (I Pagliacci) |
MOZART / GLUCK / BOITO / BELLINI / VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Boris Christoff - Italian Opera Arias Boris Christoff (bass) with various orchestras and accompanists [ EMI References / CD - released 2/Feb/1995 ] Bass Boris Christoff was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on 18 May 1914 of a Bulgarian father and a Russian mother. The family was very well to do and Boris received the best education available, including a period of study at the University of Sofia. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel: Opera and Oratorio Arias (Judas Maccabaeus, Dettingen Te Deum, Serse +) Bryn Terfel (baritone) / Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras [ Deutsche Grammophon / CD - released 19/Jun/2000 ] "The singing here incorporates a good deal of embellishment, some of it of Sir Charles Mackerras's devising. He is an excellent conductor for Terfel, sharing with him an appreciation of the zest in Handel." Gramophone |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Under The Stars: Music from the shows Bryn Terfel (bass) Renee Fleming (soprano) with the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera conducted by Paul Gemignani [ Decca Records / CD - released 24/Mar/2003 ] Renée Fleming and Bryn Terfel are two of the world's most popular classical stars. Their first CD together is Under The Stars, a feast of great songs from recent musical theatre. |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL / ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI / ANTONIO CALDARA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Cecilia Bartoli - Opera Proibita Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano) / Les Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski [ Decca Records / CD - released 20/Sep/2005 ] "A touch of the Fellinis as a scorching Bartoli meets the banned" RECORDING OF THE MONTH GRAMOPHONE Nov 2005 |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro [The Marriage of Figaro] (complete opera directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Recorded in 1976) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau / Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Mirella Freni, Hermann Prey, Maria Ewing / Vienna Philharmonic / Karl Bohm [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / 2 DVD - released 2/Jun/2005 ] "a visual treat, but having some solos delivered as interior monologues is distracting" Gramophone |
GILBERT & SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The World of Gilbert & Sullivan D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Isidore Godfrey, Royston Nash, Sir Malcolm Sargent [ Decca / CD - released 14/Jul/1990 ] "If you are looking for a CD to cheer you up on a dull day this Decca (recording) will serve admirably." Rosette Recording. Penguin Stereo Guide. |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan: Patience (Complete opera with full dialogue) D'Oyly Carte Opera Company with John Reed; Kenneth Sandford; Mary Sansom, Philip Potter / New Symphony Orchestra of London / Isidore Godfrey [ Decca Records / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Apr/1989 ] "Great diction. You get to hang onto every word....Donald Adams as Colonel Calverley is dynamic and John Reed excels as Reginald." Mel@marbecks |
ALFRED SCHNITTKE
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Schnittke: Historia von D. Johann Fausten (complete opera) Eberhard Lorenz, Arno Raunig, Hanna Schwarz, Eberhard Büchner / Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra & Opera Chorus, Gerd Albrecht [ RCA Victor Red Seal / 2 CD Box Set - released 3/Nov/1996 ] "The Faust Cantata serves now as the third of the three acts..The performance is strong, and the recorded sound is close-up and detailed." ClassicalMusic |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Falstaff (complete opera recorded in 2009) Glyndebourne Opera / Christopher Purves / Tassis Christoyannis / Dina Kuznetsova / Jennifer Holloway / Vladmir Jurowski (cond) [ Opus Arte DVD / DVD - released 1/Apr/2010 ] "This Falstaff is immensely enjoyable and amongst the best that I have watched. I strongly recommend it whether you admire Verdi's last work or not..an amiable, pleasing production with an exceptionally fine cast" Recording of the Month MusicWeb Nov... |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro [The Marriage Of Figaro] (Complete Opera recorded in 1994) Glyndebourne Opera / Gerald Finley, Alison Hagley, Renee Fleming / Bernard Haitink (conductor) [ Warner Music Vision DVD / DVD - released 10/Sep/2009 ] "Pure magic….Bernard Haitink conducted the LPO in an eloquent performance, beautifully played…….One listened, as Haitink, Hagley, and Finley lifted a loving, carefully prepared performance to greatness" Opera Magazine |
ALBERT LORTZING
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Lortzing: Der Wildschütz (complete opera recorded in 1963 with librettio) Hermann Prey, Anneliese Rothenberger, Fritz Wunderlich / Chorus and Orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera, Munich / Robert Heger [ EMI Classics / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Jul/1997 ] "I would enthusiastically recommend Der Wildschütz and Fritz Wunderlich, especially, as an ideal introduction to Albert Lortzing." Fanfare |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor (Highlights from the complete 1972 recording)) Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Ghiaurov / Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 24/Oct/1992 ] "Though some of the girlish freshness of voice which marked the 1961 recording had disappeared by the 1971 set, Sutherland's detailed understanding was intensified. Power is there as well as delicacy, and the rest of the cast is first-rate." Penguin |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Complete Opera with libretto) Joan Sutherland, Renato Cioni, Robert Merrill / Santa Cecilia, Roma / John Pritchard [ Decca / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Jun/1989 ] "There remains something special about this early Lucia" Gramophone |
MOZART / ROSSINI / TCHAIKOVSKY / WAGNER / BOITO / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Jonathan Lemalu: Opera Arias Jonathan Lemalu (bass-baritone) / New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. James Judd [ EMI Music / CD - released 18/Apr/2005 ] "Every so often a musician arrives on the scene with a talent so richly endowed that the musical world sits up and takes note." - Gramophone editor James Jolly |
CILEA / PUCCINI / CHARPENTIER / MASSENET / R. STRAUSS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Kiri Te Kanawa: Diva Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) / London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Staatskapelle Dresden [ EMI Classics / CD - released 17/Oct/1996 ] The best of Kiri in one package! |
CHARPENTIER / DEBUSSY / BERLIOZ / MASSENET / OFFENBACH / GLUCK / BIZET / VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Kiri te Kanawa - French Opera Arias Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Jeffrey Tate [ EMI / CD - released 20/Jun/1989 ] "As always, one marvels at the sheer allure of the voice" Gramophone |
HENRY PURCELL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Purcell: Dido and Aeneas (complete opera) Kirsten Flagstad, Warwick Braithwaite,Geraint Jones / The Mermaid Singers & Orchestra, Geraint Jones [ EMI Great Recordings of the Century / CD - released 12/Apr/2008 ] 'EMI's Great Recordings of the Century is exactly what it says: these classic interpretations warrant a place in everybody's collection.' (The Times) |
VERDI / BELLINI / DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Operatic Duets Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Jane Berbie, Huguette Tourangeau, Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Marilyn Horne, Carlo Bergonzi, etc [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 10/Oct/1982 ] Original recordings from 1959 to 1974 |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: My Favorite Moments From Rigoletto Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Sherrill Milnes, Roberto Scaltriti, Leo Nucci, Huguette Tourangeau, etc [ Decca / London Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy / CD - released 10/Jun/2009 ] 15 famous arias, duets, and ensembles from Verdi's famous tragic opera 'Rigoletto' |
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE - Rossini: Heros and Heroines Marilyn Horne (mezzo soprano) / L'Orchestre de la Suisse romande / Royal Philharmonic Orchetra / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [ Decca Opera Gala / CD - released 20/Jun/1998 ] 'Marilyn Horne's generously filled recital disc brings us one of the most cherishable among all Rossini aria records ever issued. The voice is in glorious condition, rich and firm throughout its spectacular range, and is consistently used with... |
NICOLA PORPORA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Porpora: Opera Arias Max Emanuel Cencic (countertenor) / Armonia Atenea, George Petrou [ Decca Records / CD - released 15/Aug/2018 ] "Porpora's gift for characterisation pales beside Handel's, but his vocal fireworks bring modest delight, especially when backed by the bustling musicians of George Petrou's Armonia Atenea" The Times |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Macbeth (complete opera recorded in 2008) Metropolitan Opera / Zeljko Lucic, Maria Guleghina, John Relyea, Dimitri Pittas / James Levine (Cond) [ Warner Classics DVD / 2 DVD - released 29/Sep/2008 ] "An auspicious issue in first rate sound and vision further enhanced by an excellent "behind the scenes" documentary featuring the mainstays of this memorable January 2008 night at the MET." (ClassicalNet) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Il Trovatore (complete opera recorded in 1988) Metropolitan Opera / Luciano Pavarotti, Éva Marton, Dolora Zajick, Sherrill Milnes / James Levine (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 30/May/2008 ] "The best justification for buying this issue is to see and hear Pavarotti nearer to his vocal peak in a role which his strong lyric voice and clear diction is ideally suited" (MusicWeb) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Rigoletto (Complete opera recorded in 1977) The Metropolitan Opera / Placido Domingo, Ileana Cotrubas, Cornell MacNeil / James Levine (cond) [ Deutsche Grammophon DVD / DVD - released 27/May/2004 ] "Yes, Rigoletto is a singer's opera, but Verdi also poured into it some of his most dramatic as well as melodic music. That said, the vivid colours of the production have come up amazingly well and the sound is clear." (MusicWeb Dec 2006) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Aida (Complete opera recorded in 1980) Mirella Freni, Josa Carreras, Agnes Baltsa, Piero Cappuccilli / Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan [ EMI / 3 CD Box Set - released 10/Jul/1988 ] There are numerous opera which give the chance to the producer for spectacular scenery but some actually demand it - one of these, without doubt, is AIDA. |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Rarities Montserrat Caballe (soprano) with Maja Sunara (mezzo) & Lajos Kozma (tenor) / RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra [ Rca Red Seal / CD - released 22/Jul/2013 ] Caballé's international breakthrough came in 1965 when she replaced a pregnant Marilyn Horne in a semi-staged performance of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia at New York's Carnegie Hall, which earned her a 25-minute standing ovation. (Wiki) |
FRANZ LEHAR
Lehar: The Merry Widow (complete operetta recorded in 1988) Opera Australia / Joan Sutherland, Ron Stevens, Ann-Maree McDonald / Richard Bonynge (cond) [ ABC Universal DVD / DVD - released 1/Mar/2011 ] The sparkling story concerns a national crisis in the picture-postcard country of Pontevedro, as the recently-widowed Hanna Glawari appears to be in danger of marrying a foreigner. |
FRIEDRICH SMETANA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Smetana: The Bartered Bride (complete opera recorded in German in 1962) Pilar Lorengar, Gottlob Frick, Fritz Wunderlich / Bamberger Symphoniker / Rudolf Kempe [ EMI Classics Electrola Collection / 2 CD - released 24/Aug/2011 ] Smetana's masterpiece with Fritz Wunderlich: Among the German-language recordings, experts agree that this is the best: Fritz Wunderlich at the height of his powers, Pilar Lorengar in what is "perhaps her best recording" (Jürgen Kesting). |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Otello (complete opera recorded in 1986) Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Justino Diaz / Milan La Scala Chorus & Orchestra / Lorin Maazel [ EMI / 2 CD Box Set - released 18/Aug/1986 ] "I have no hesitation in making this set my first choice in this ever-potent opera" - Gramophone |
GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Telemann: Italian Opera Arias Nuria Rial (soprano) / Kammerorchester Basel, Julia Schroder [ Deutsche Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 14/Nov/2011 ] "Rial's enchanting recital with the Basel Chamber Orchestra comprises high-quality arias...the orchestral performance is beautifully poised to support Rial's serene soprano?" BBC |
FREDERICK DELIUS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Delius: Fennimore and Gerda (complete opera) Robert Tear (tenor) Brian Rayner Cook (baritone), Hedwig Rummel (Mezzo Soprano) Elisabeth Söderström (Sop) / Danish national radio symphony, Meredith [ EMI Classics / CD - released 12/May/1997 ] "Throughout his career, (Meredith Davies) championed the cause of Frederick Delius, and his most celebrated association with Benjamin Britten came in May 1962, when he directed the premiere of Britten's War Requiem" Guardian |
BERTHOLD GOLDSCHMIDT
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Goldschmidt: Beatrice Cenci (complete opera with libretto) Roberta Alexander, Stefan Stoll, Simon Estes, Della Jones / Berlin Radio Chorus, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Lothar Zagrosek [ Sony Classical / 2 CD Box Set - released 7/Feb/1995 ] "The cast is a strong one, dominated by the burnished tone of Roberta Alexander in the title role of the abused daughter. Della Jones as her stepmother Lucrezia is equally fine" BBC Music |
JULES MASSENET
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Massenet: Manon (complete opera with libretto) Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Jose van Dam, Gilles Ragon / Chorus & Orchestra of the Theatre Royal of the Monnaie, Brussels, Antonio PappanoPappan [ EMI Classics / 3 CD Box Set - released 8/Mar/2000 ] "Major praise must go to Angela Gheorghiu. Not only does she draw a portrait of the irresistible, impetuous, selfish, luscious Manon from the very beginning, but she's totally in control of her vocal resources as well." ClassicsToday |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (Complete opera recorded in 1994) Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Frank Lopardo, Angela Gheorghiu, Leo Nucci / Sir Georg Solti (cond) [ Decca Classics DVD / DVD - released 1/Jan/2017 ] "The singing is glorious, and this is one of the DVDs that should be the cornerstone in any collection. A superb stage spectacle." Penguin Guide Rosette Winner |
W. A. MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Die Zauberflote [The Magic Flute] (Complete opera recorded in 1990 with libretto) Samuel Ramey, Cheryl Studer, Kiri te Kanawa, Olaf Bar / Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner [ Philips / 2 CD Box Set - released 20/Jun/1990 ] "This is a strong, clear, forthright account of Die Zaubeilleite, beautifully played and on the whole finely sung, which I think will win many friends." (Gramophone) |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECK COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Traviata (complete opera recorded in 1994) Angela Gheorghiu, Frank Lopardo, Leo Nucci / Royal Opera / Sir Georg Solti [ Decca Classics / 2 CD Box Set - released 25/Oct/2012 ] "... the Decca engineers here offer one of the most vivid and involving versions ever of La Traviata ... Gheorghiu brings heartfelt revelations, using her rich and vibrant, finely shaded soprano with consistent subtlety." Rosette Penguin Guide |