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Raymond Leppard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Francesco Cavalli: La Calisto (1993)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Raymond Leppard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Francesco Cavalli: La Calisto (1993)

Raymond Leppard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Francesco Cavalli: La Calisto (1993)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 577 Mb | Total time: 62:18+57:32 | Scans included
Classical | Label: DECCA | # 436 216-2 | Recorded: 1971

Raymond Leppard's second and more renowned contribution to the modern revival of Cavalli: a classic among Baroque opera recordings which won the coveted Rosette award from the Penguin Record Guide. In 1651, seven years after Ormindo (also reissued by Eloquence in Leppard's recording, 482 9382), Cavalli and his librettist Faustini scored another hit with the hungry but demanding Venetian opera public with a tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The change that all of Ovid's central characters undergo is in this case suffered by the nymph Calisto, who is rejected by the goddess Diana, turned into a bear by the Furies and back into a human by Jupiter, who finally sets her among the stars in reward for her patience and her love. Writing as editor of the Musical Times in the summer of 1970, Stanley Sadie observed that.

Bernard Haitink, The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Verdi: Don Carlo (2005/1985)

Posted By: Vilboa
Bernard Haitink, The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Verdi: Don Carlo (2005/1985)

Bernard Haitink, The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Verdi: Don Carlo (2005/1985)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano (Dolby AC3, 2 ch) | 7.14 Gb (DVD9) | 204 min
Classical | NVC Arts | Sub: English, Deutsch, Espanol, Francais, Italiano, Portugues, Japanese

It’s a traditional production, in monumental sets. Haitink’s conducting is also on the monumental side, but it feels appropriate to the staging. It’s not insignificant that this production was last seen during Haitink’s farewell to the House in 2002. Luis Lima is a charming Carlos, a bit throaty, but there is an innocence about his acting that wins the audience over. Ileana Cotrubas’ Elisabetta is a wonderfully fragile one. Giorgio Zancanaro’s wonderfully aristocratic singing makes for an excellent Posa. Bruna Baglioni is a little matronly as Eboli, as are certain women in the chorus. Robert Lloyd is first and foremost a superlative actor. Philip’s response to Posa’s pleas are masterly, especially his eyes. (Mark Pullinger)

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Plácido Domingo - Verdi: Rigoletto (2004/1977)

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Plácido Domingo - Verdi: Rigoletto (2004/1977)

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Plácido Domingo - Verdi: Rigoletto (2004/1977)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | (DTS, 5 ch) | (Dolby AC3, 6 ch) | 7.86 Gb (DVD9) | 137 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

This 1977 production was highly enthusiastically received. Speight Jenkins, the noted critic and opera impresario, wrote of Cornell MacNeil's Rigoletto in the New York Post that "few have ever sung a more moving denunciation of the courtiers or a better Vengeance Duet with Gilda. His was a great Verdian interpretation… Dramatically (Domingo) and Miss Cotrubas did not make a false move, and the same camn be said for Justino Diaz' ominous, well-sung Sparafucile, Isola Jones, the Maddalena…while John Cheek made a stirring Monterone. conducted with the command of Verdi that has so often been his trademark. His adherence to the composer's markings, his rhythm and his opneing of the traditional small cuts in the opera all made for a superb musical performance.

James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (2005)

Posted By: ArlegZ
James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (2005)

James Levine, Wiener Philharmoniker - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (2005)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Deutsch (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | 189 min | 4,24+7,00 Gb (DVD5+DVD9)
Classical | Label: TDK | Sub: English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Italiano | Recorded: 1982

This production of Mozart’s Zauberflöte received enormous and unanimous approval, when it was premiered in Salzburg. The Theatre wizard Jean-Pierre Ponnellecreated a staging which became part and parcel of the festival programme for over nine years and soon acquired the status of a legend. Of course, none of that would have had the same appeal if it had not been in accord with Mozart’s music, performed with perfect blend of lightness and pathos, humour and profundity, by James Levine and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; nor would it all have worked without a truly Festival-worthy cast of singers: the Finnish bass Martti Talvela, who departed way too soon in 1989, in his famous role as Sarastro, the incomparable Edita Gruberová as “the best-ever Queen of the Night” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), the legendary Tamino Peter Schreier as well as the petite, lyrical soprano Ileana Cotrubas˛ as Pamina. Further, Christian Boesch, who sang the role of his life with Papageno, was credited most for his performance in this legendary Zauberflöte.

Carlos Kleiber, Bayerisches Staatsorchester - Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata (2005)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Carlos Kleiber, Bayerisches Staatsorchester - Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata (2005)

Carlos Kleiber, Bayerisches Staatsorchester - Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata (2005)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 452 Mb | Total time: 63:46+45:50 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Deutsche Grammophon | # 477 7115 | Recorded: 1977

Carlos Kleiber's 1977 La Traviata is a rare gestalt among studio opera recordings, and it is one of the conductor's finer achievements. Kleiber knits the score together with unwavering rhythmic and dramatic intensity, never allowing any single moment to eclipse the larger scene or musical structure. The singers are kept on a tight leash – given enough room to shape phrases and cadences, but not to indulge in sheer vocal display. The orchestra is similarly focused on realizing every detail of rhythm, melody, and articulation with vivid intensity. As a result, favorite arias, duets, and ensembles melt into the surrounding scenes in a way that invites curiosity about the drama at large while propelling it relentlessly forward. The general pace may strike some as a bit fast, but it's never boring, and frequently brilliant.

Richard Bonynge, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna - Gaetano Donizetti: La Favorita (1990)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Richard Bonynge, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna - Gaetano Donizetti: La Favorita (1990)

Richard Bonynge, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Fiorenza Cossotto, Luciano Pavarotti - Gaetano Donizetti: La Favorita (1990)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 789 Mb | Total time: 167:38 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Decca | # 430 038-2 | Recorded: 1974

For me, this recording represents the absolute epitome of bel canto singing, with Pavarotti spinning endless golden tone as Fernand and Fiorenza Cossotto showcasing that indomitable chest-voice as Leonora.

John Pritchard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (2004/1973)

Posted By: Vilboa
John Pritchard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (2004/1973)

John Pritchard, London Philharmonic Orchestra - Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (2004/1973)
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Italiano | LinearPCM, 2 ch | 7.34 Gb (DVD9) | 179 min
Classical | Label: Arthaus Musik | Sub: Italiano, Deutsch, English, Espanol, Francais

Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart's timeless opera buffa, is one of the greatest of all operatic masterpieces. It is based on Beaumarchai's comedy Le Marriage de Figaro and tells the tale of the servant Figaro, who is about to marry the maid Susanna. Count Almaviva, keeping an eye on Susanna himself, tries to prevent this marriage with the help of Bortolo, the doctor, but is continually thwarted.

Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy - Handel: Rinaldo (1997)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy - Handel: Rinaldo (1997)

Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy - Handel: Rinaldo (1997)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 758 Mb | Total time: 63:59+57:22+50:11 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Sony | # 34592 | Recorded: 1977

Rinaldo (HWV 7) is an opera by George Frideric Handel, composed in 1711, and was the first Italian language opera written specifically for the London stage. The libretto was prepared by Giacomo Rossi from a scenario provided by Aaron Hill, and the work was first performed at the Queen's Theatre in London's Haymarket on 24 February 1711. The story of love, war and redemption, set at the time of the First Crusade, is loosely based on Torquato Tasso's epic poem Gerusalemme liberata ("Jerusalem Delivered"), and its staging involved many original and vivid effects. It was a great success with the public, despite negative reactions from literary critics hostile to the contemporary trend towards Italian entertainment in English theatres.

Raymond Leppard, New Philharmonia Orchestra, John Alldis Choir - Mozart: Mass in C minor (2000)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Raymond Leppard, New Philharmonia Orchestra, John Alldis Choir - Mozart: Mass in C minor (2000)

Raymond Leppard, New Philharmonia Orchestra, John Alldis Choir - Mozart: Mass in C minor (2000)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 277 Mb | Total time: 59:21 | Scans included
Classical | Label: EMI Classics | # 5 73751 2 | Recorded: 1974

Together with the Requiem, Mozart's C minor mass is one of the brilliant composer's great unfinished sacred works. The work combines monumental power, solemn spirituality and moving solo passages. This recording under the baton of Baroque and Classical expert Raymond Leppard has great expressive depth, and offers a truly legendary vocal ensemble featuring stars like Kiri Te Kanawa and Ileana Cotrubas.

Georges Pretre, The Orcestra of the Royal Opera House - Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (2003/1980)

Posted By: Vilboa
Georges Pretre, The Orcestra of the Royal Opera House - Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (2003/1980)

Georges Prêtre, The Orcestra of the Royal Opera House, Plácido Domingo, Luciana Serra, Agnes Baltsa, Ileana Cotrubas - Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (2003/1980)
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) VBR | Français (Dolby AC3, 6 ch) | 7.52 Gb (DVD9) | 148 min
Classical | NVC ARTS | Sub: English, Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Espanol, Japanese

By Jacques Offenbach. Seeking to exorcise the failure of his current love affair, the poet Hoffmann tells the story of his three past loves - the doll-like Olympia, the high-class courtesan Giulietta, and the ambitious but delicate Antonia - and recalls how each was thwarted by the evil influence of his rival. In this production by the distinguished film director, John Schlesinger, with spectacular designs by Maria Björnson and William Dudley, Offenbach's nightmare world is brought to life. The all-star cast is headed by Placido Domingo as Hoffmann: his three loves are Ileana Cotrubas, Agnes Baltsa and Luciana Serra and the manifestations of his rival are sung by Geraint Evans, Robert Lloyd, Siegmund Nimsgern and Nicola Ghiuselev. The score, which includes such favorites as the "Barcarolle" and the "Doll's Song", is conducted by Georges Prêtre.

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Mozart: Idomeneo [2006/1982]

Posted By: Vilboa
James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Mozart: Idomeneo [2006/1982]

James Levine, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Mozart: Idomeneo [2006/1982]
NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | Italiano | LinearPCM, 2 ch | DTS, 6 ch | Dolby AC3, 6 ch | 6.86 + 4.20 Gb (DVD9+DVD5) | 182 min
Classical | Deutsche Grammophon | Sub: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese

Considered the greatest “opera seria,” Idomeneo was composed when Mozart was just twenty-five and a tour de force for all singers. A 1982 production starring superstar Luciano Pavarotti as Idomeneo, the tortured king of Crete, with Ilena Cotrubas and Frederica von Stade along with Hildegard Behrens providing the mad scenes!

Helmut Winschermann, Deutsche Bachsolisten - Bach: 13 Sacred Cantatas [5CDs] (1996)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Helmut Winschermann, Deutsche Bachsolisten - Bach: 13 Sacred Cantatas [5CDs] (1996)

Helmut Winschermann, Deutsche Bachsolisten - Bach: 13 Sacred Cantatas [5CDs] (1996)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 1.78 Gb | Total time: 5:52:39 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Philips | # 454 346-2 | Recorded: 1968-1972

Winschermann's approach to the cantatas is conservative; his tempos are usually well chosen, though sometimes a little on the slow side, and his phrasing inclines towards that smooth legato so much favoured by Helmuth Rilling… Cantatas Nos. 147 and 74…were issued in 1972 and I think, on balance, they are the two which best illustrate the strong points of Winschermann's approach. In Cantata No. 74, especially, there is some fine obbligato playing from the violinist, Saschko Gawriloff, from Don Smithers (trumpet), and from Winschermann himself (oboe da caccia). The soprano, Ileana Cotrubas, has a vocal colour which suits the music very well…

Verdi The Complete Works [75CDs] (2016)

Posted By: ArlegZ
Verdi The Complete Works [75CDs] (2016)

Verdi: The Complete Works [75CDs] (2016)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 20,9 Gb | Total time: 76:18:01 | Scans included
Classical | Label: DECCA | # 4789574 | Recorded: 1950-2013

Decca proudly presents the Complete Works by Giuseppe Verdi in a single 75 CD box set. From the ever-popular “Aida” to the obscure “Alzira,” all 28 of Giuseppe Verdi's operas are here as well as his Sacred Works, Arias, Songs, Ballet Music, the String quartet and other rarities.