RICHARD WAGNER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Wagner: Tannhauser (Complete opera at a special price) Brigitte Nilsson, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Theo Adam / Berlin Opera, Otto Gerdes [ Deutsche Grammophon Trio / 3 CD Box Set - released 11/Sep/2002 ] "...a fine chorus and orchestra, and Windgassen offers an experienced, sincere, and intensely sung account of the title role, Fischer-Dieskau, in peak form, a wonderful Wolfram ...one has to admire [Nilsson's] vocal security throughout." Gramophone,... |
RUGGIERO LEONCAVALLO
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (Complete opera with libretto) Carlo Bergonzi, Joan Carlyle, Giuseppe Taddei, Ugo Benelli / Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. Herbert von Karajan [ Deutsche Grammophon The Originals / CD - released 12/Oct/2004 ] "..long-breathed, expansible tempi and the minimum of exaggeration. Karajan's choice of soloists was clearly aimed to help that...rarely if ever on record has the La Scala Orchestra played with such beautiful feeling for tone-colour." - Penguin Guide |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Don Carlo (complete opera with libretto recorded in 1966) Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi, Nicolai Ghiaurav, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau / Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House / Sir Georg Solti [ Decca / 3 CD Box Set - released 1/Feb/1988 ] "A five-Act version of Verdi's opera, in the standard Italian translation, conducted with energy and boasting superior soloists. Carlo Bergonzi is especially fine in the title role." BBC Music Magazine, January 2009 **** |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: Il Trovatore (Complete Opera with libretto) Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor), Placido Domingo (tenor), Rosalind Plowright (soprano), Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano) etc... [ Deusche Grammophon / 3 CD - released 20/Sep/1984 ] Il trovatore ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's most successful... |
SCOTT JOPLIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Joplin: Treemonisha (Complete opera) Carmen Baltrop, Betty Allen, Curtis Rayam, Willard White / Original Cast Orchestra & Chorus / Gunther Schuller [ Deutsche Grammophon / 2 CD - released 1/Jul/1976 ] 'Performance and recording are first class' - Penguin Guide |
AGOSTINO STEFFANI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Steffani: Mission (Blu-ray) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano) / I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis, with Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) [ Decca Classics Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 6/Dec/2012 ] "Bartoli's programming instincts are immaculate in terms of musical and emotional variety; she is compelling in pearly arioso and slow numbers, less so in bravura ones." Sunday Times, 14th October 2012 |
BELLINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bellini: La Sonnambula (complete opera in hard cover with full libretto) Cecilia Bartoli, Juan-Diego Florez, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo / Orchestra La Scintilla / Alessandro De Marchi [ Decca Music Group / 2 CD - released 5/Nov/2008 ] "In this recording, thanks to the soloists and conductor, it manages to come over as I suspect Bellini and Romani intended, as a mini-drama with a happy ending. I have enjoyed the performance immensely and will return to it. (MusicWeb) |
GIOACHINO ROSSINI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rossini: La Cenerentola [Cinderella] (complete opera with full libretto recorded in 1992) Cecilia Bartoli, William Matteuzzi, Enzo Dara, Alessandro Corbelli / Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Riccardo Chailly [ Decca / 2 CD Box Set - released 28/Aug/2014 ] "All eyes and ears, inevitably, are on Bartoli, and she doesn't disappoint...The singing itself is ravishing. At the same time, the performance makes dramatic sense." Gramophone |
RICHARD WAGNER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The World of Wagner Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Vienna State Opera Chorus & Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti, Birgit Nilsson (soprano) / [ Decca / CD - released 10/Nov/1993 ] A great beginners guide to the operas of Richard Wagner. |
EMMANUEL CHABRIER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Chabrier: Briseis, ou Les Amantes de Corinthe Joan Rodgers, Mark Padmore, Simon Keenlyside, Michael George / Chorus Of Scottish Opera / BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra / Jean-Yves Ossonce [ Hyperion Helios / CD - released 1/Sep/2012 ] PENGUIN GUIDE ROSETTE GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE 'For those who heard Chabrier's incomplete magnum opus at last year's Festival this recording will need no recommendation... Fabulously rewarding' (The Scotsman) |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel: Agrippina (complete opera recorded in 2004) Combattimento Consort Amsterdam / Renate Arends / Annemarie Kremer / Jan Willem de Vriend (cond) [ Challenge Records DVD / DVD - released 25/Sep/2006 ] "A viable work of art, as witnessed by those who experienced this almost perfect production" Ivo Sindelár (The Czech Handel Society) |
RICHARD WAGNER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Wagner: Die Walkure (complete opera recorded in 1992) Daniel Barenboim / Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele / Harry Kupfer / Poul Elming / Nadine Secunde / Matthias Holle / etc. [ Warner Music Vision / Unitel DVD / 2 DVD - released 28/Oct/2005 ] "In many ways this is now the best bet for anyone wanting a DVD version of Die Walkure." (International Record Review) |
BALFE / WALLACE / SULLIVAN / FARADAY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The Power of Love - British Opera Arias Deborah Riedel (soprano) / Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra / Richard Bonynge [ Melba Recordings SACD / CD - released 20/Aug/2000 ] A beautiful recording of neglected British Opera arias... "Obviously this album is a work of great love and every attempt has been to do it right." |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, [The Damnation of Faust] Op. 24 Denés Gulyás, Maria Ewing, Robert Lloyd / Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt, Kölner Rundfunkchor, Südfunk-Chor Stuttgart, Eliahu Inbal [ Brilliant Classics Opera Collection / 2 CD - released 10/Dec/2012 ] 'Inbal has a fine ear for Berlioz's orchestration, matched by sensitive recording, so that time and again details spring into dramatic life…a distinctive and intelligent performance… No lover of the work should miss hearing it.' Gramophone, July 1991 |
SAINT-SAENS / GOUNOD / BERLIOZ / MASSENET / THOMAS / LALO / BIZET / DONIZETTI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Denyce Graves - French Opera Arias Denyce Graves (mezzo-soprano) / Orchestre Philhamonique de Monte Carlo, Marc Soustrot [ Virgin Classics / CD - released 28/Feb/2004 ] ""Connais-tu le pays" from Mignon, taken very slowly, is sung with a ravishing legato and beautifully shaded tone. Dalila is one of Graves' signature roles and she delivers both arias impressively...Sound is excellent" ClassicsToday |
GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto (complete opera) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Wolfgang Schene, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Tatiana Troyanos / Munchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter [ Deutsche Grammophon Opera House / 4 CD - released 1/Dec/2006 ] 'Tatiana Troyanos copes marvellously well with Cleopatra's essentially soprano part' (Gramophone) |
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina (complete opera recorded in 1978) Dimiter Petrov, Todor Kostov, Nicola Ghiuselev / Sofia National Opera Orchestra, Atanas Margaritov [ Brilliant Classics Opera Collection / 3 CD Box Set - released 11/Sep/2011 ] Khovanschina occupied the composer during 1872, as Boris was being 'adjusted' to suit the theatre authorities ahead of the premier. |
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan Favourites (from The Gondoliers, Iolanthe, Ruddigore, The Mikado & The Yeomen of the Guard) The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company / James Walker / Sir Malcolm Sargent [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 7/Jul/1995 ] 'all the performances are as good as they get' ClassicsToday.com |
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 |
GILBERT and SULLIVAN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Gilbert & Sullivan: The Grand Duke (Complete) / Henry VIII-Incidental Music / Overture di Ballo D'Oyly Carte Opera Company with John Reed, Meston Reid, Kenneth Sandford / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royston Nash [ Decca Records / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Apr/1993 ] "This represents, perhaps the ideal way to sample Sullivan's least known major score. The recorded performance has both polish and vigour. The recording is characteristically brilliant." *** Three Stars. Penguin Stereo Guide. |