Great Opera

The Great Classics series from Naxos is the perfect introduction to myriad genres of classical music. Comprising both complete and compiled selections from the greatest works in the repertoire, the boxes are bursting with wonderful pieces of music, both recognizable and unfamiliar. The boxes take the listener on a thrilling tour of some of the world's most dramatic musical media, encompassing music from six centuries and featuring sensational performers. All boxes come with a fascinating booklet with detailed information on the genre itself, chronological placement of each work, and a comprehensive study of the music. A fitting celebration of 25 years of superb music from Naxos, the world's favourite classical label.

The very first operas were performed in Florence in the mid-1590s. Since then, musical styles have blossomed and evolved out of all recognition, yet opera continues to be heavily influenced by the political, social and cultural contexts surrounding its genesis. A collaborative enterprise, an opera brings together the works of composers, librettists, singers and designers alike, generating rich veins of public response and resulting in what is surely the most dramatic of all musical media. In this collection, we have brought together some of the most-loved operas, ranging from the elegance of Mozart's Don Giovanni to the raw emotion of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. The lighthearted japes of Rossini's Barber of Seville contrast royally with the pomp and spectacle of Verdi's Aida, whilst the sultry allure of Bizet's Carmen is the perfect foil to the lachrymose tragedy of Puccini's La Bohème. This box is sure to entice any listener further into the magical world of opera.

Artists
Regina Schorg (soprano), Ildiko Raimondi (soprano), Torsten Kerl (tenor), Janusz Monarcha (bass), Bo Skovhus (baritone), Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano), Boaz Daniel (bass), Renato Girolami (bass), Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz (soprano), Kurt Rydl (bass), Wilfried Gahmlich (tenor), Hellen Kwon (soprano), Lotte Leitner (soprano), Herbert Lippert (tenor), Georg Tichy (baritone), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano), Ingrid Kertesi (soprano), Angelo Romero (bass), Roberto Servile (baritone), Ramón Vargas (tenor), Franco de Grandis (bass), Monika Krause (soprano), Yordy Ramiro (tenor), Jozef Spacek (baritone), Ivica Neshybova (soprano), Rannveig Braga (mezzo-soprano), Mark Rucker (baritone), Riccardo Ferrari (bass), Francesco Ellero d' Artegna (bass), Maria Dragoni (soprano), Kristjan Johannsson (tenor), Barbara Dever (mezzo-soprano), Graciela Alperyn (mezzo-soprano), Giorgio Lamberti (tenor), Alan Titus (baritone), Doina Palade (soprano), Ann Liebeck (soprano), Stefka Evstatieva (soprano), Alzbeta Michalkova (contralto), Anna di Mauro (mezzo-soprano), Eduard Tumagian (baritone), Giacomo Aragall (tenor), Miroslav Dvorsky (tenor), Miriam Gauci (soprano), Nicola Martinucci (tenor), Nelly Miricioiu (soprano), Silvano Carroli (baritone), Stanislav Benacka (bass), Andrea Piccinni (bass), Jan Durco (baritone), Jozef Abel (tenor), Nelly Boschkowa (mezzo-soprano), Luba Orgonasova (soprano), Carmen Gonzales (soprano), Jonathan Welch (tenor), Boaz Senator (baritone), Ivan Urbas (bass), Fabio Previati (baritone), Jiri Sulzenko (bass)

Hungarian Radio Chorus, Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia, Budapest Failoni Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Festival Chorus, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTE Chamber Choir, RTE Philharmonic Choir, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava, Michael Halász, Will Humburg, Alexander Rahbari, Ricco Saccani