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GIUSEPPE VERDI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Verdi: La Forza del Destino (highlights recorded in 1955) Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Ettore Bastianini / Orchestra e coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma / Francesco Molinari-Pradelli [ Decca / CD - released 1/Oct/1997 ] 'Tebaldi, as always, makes some lovely sounds, and the mezza voce in the soaring theme (first heard in the overture) in 'madre, madre, pietosa Vergine' is exquisite...the brilliance and atmosphere of the recording add much to the listener's pleasure" |
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FRANCESCO CILEA
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (complete opera recorded in 1962) Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Giulietta Simionato, Giulio Fioravanti / Orchestra & Coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma, Franco Capuana [ Decca / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Oct/1991 ] Cilea's opera is based on a popular play which was itself based on the real life story of Adriana Lecouvreur - the great actress of early 18th Century Paris - and her relationship with the aristocratic soldier Maurizio, Count of Saxony. |
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ALFREDO CATALANI
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Catalani: La Wally (Complete opera with libretto, recorded in 1968) Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Piero Cappuccilli, Justino Diaz / Coro Lirico di Torino & Orchestre national de l'Opera de Monte-Carlo / Cleva [ Decca / London / 2 CD Box Set - released 1/Oct/2007 ] "Tebaldi in the title role who "...gives one of her most tenederly affecting performances on record, a glorious example of her singing late in her career...her poise and control of line...provide a model for any generation...the recording is superb." |
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VERDI / PUCCINI / ROSSINI / CILEA / REFICE / BOITO / MASCAGNI / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: La Tebaldi Renata Tebaldi (soprano), Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte-Carlo, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, New Philharmonia Orchestr [ Decca / CD Box Set - released 10/Aug/2005 ] In May 1946, when Milan's venerable La Scala theatre reopened after World War II, conductor Arturo Toscanini selected Renata Tebaldi, then 24, to sing music by Rossini and Verdi... the voice of an angel - Toscanini's reported. |
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BOHUSLAV MARTINU
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Martinu: Double Concerto / Concerto for String Quartet / Sinfonietta La Jolla / etc Jean-François Heisser, Alain Planès (pianos), Jean Camosi (timpani), Brandis Quartet, French National Orchestra, James Conlon [ Erato Classics / 2 CD - released 2/Oct/1998 ] "Conlon keeps a tight rein on things, making the most of the edgy ostinati and driving neo-classical allegros...on a purely artistic level these are pretty compelling performances." MusicWeb |
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ANDRE PREVIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Previn: Diversions - Songs Renee Fleming, Barbara Bonney (sopranos) / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Andra Previn (piano/conductor) [ Deutche Grammophon / CD - released 25/Jul/2001 ] Recording Venue: The American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City Recording Venue: Abbey Road Studios, London |
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MOZART / DONIZETTI / LEHAR / DVORAK & OTHERS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Renee and Bryn - Under the Stars Renee Fleming, Bryn Terfel / The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera / Gareth Jones / Paul Gemignani [ Decca DVD / DVD - released 24/Mar/2003 ] Filmed 'live' in the magical mountains of Wales at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival, this exclusive 'Under The Stars' DVD is released to co-incide with the CD of the same title. |
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HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras, etc Renee Fleming (soprano) / BBC Singers, New World Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas [ RCA Red Seal / CD - released 1/Apr/1996 ] Originally recorded in January 1996 |
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JONI MITCHELL / STEVIE WONDER / GUSTAV MAHLER / ALBAN BERG / JOHN LENNON & PAUL McCARTNEY / etc
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Renee Fleming - Haunted Heart Renee Fleming (soprano) with Fred Hersch (piano), Bill Frisell (guitar) [ Decca Records / CD - released 22/Jul/2005 ] Renée Fleming explores terrain that will be unfamiliar to many of her listeners, but is actually an integral part of what makes her the singer she is today. |
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JACQUES OFFENBACH
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Offenbach: La Perichole (Highlights) Regine Crespin, Alain Vanzo, Jules Bastin, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhine Opera Chorus, Alain Lombard [ Erato Opera Collection / CD - released 14/Jun/1996 ] "It is 67 minutes of unalloyed joy. I strongly recommend it" MusicWeb July 2004 |
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LEOPOLD GODOWSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Godowsky: Piano Music Rian de Waal (piano) [ Hyperion Helios / CD - released 14/Jul/2006 ] 'A musical as well as a technical revelation ... De Waal's virtuosity is awe-inspiring, and he's complemented throughout by a beautifully natural and wide-ranging recording' (Gramophone) |
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GUSTAV MAHLER
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE:: Mahler - Symphony No.3 in D minor (plus Bach Suite, arr Mahler) Petra Lang (mezzo) / Prague Philharmonic Choir, Netherlands Children's Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly [ Decca / 2 CD - released 2/Feb/2004 ] "Chailly's account of the concluding Adagio as one of the two or three finest on disc. The timing (just under 23 minutes) strikes me as just right, and the orchestra simply outdoes itself in the eloquence and poetry of its response" 10/10 Class.Today |
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RICHARD RODGERS
Rodgers: No Strings Richard Kiley & Diahann Carroll / Original Broadway Cast [ Angel / Broadway / CD - released 17/May/1993 ] No Strings is a musical drama with book by Samuel A. Taylor and words and music by Richard Rodgers. No Strings is the only Broadway score for which Rodgers wrote both lyrics and music. |
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ERVIN DRAKE
Drake: Her First Roman Richard Kiley & Leslie Uggams / 25th Anniversary Cast Recording [ Lockett Palmer Recordings / CD - released 17/May/1993 ] Her First Roman is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Ervin Drake, based on the 1898 George Bernard Shaw play Caesar and Cleopatra. |
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FELIX MENDELSSOHN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Mendelssohn: Complete Music for Cello Richard Lester (cello) / Susan Tomes (piano) [ Hyperion Helios / CD - released 11/Nov/2005 ] 'Chamber-music playing of the highest order, empathetic and warm-hearted' (Birmingham Post) |
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BIBER / FINGER / NERUDA / VEJVANOVSKY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Biber: Sonata No 4 / Neruda: Trumpet Concerto / etc Richard Steuart (Trumpet) / Virtuosi di Praga [ Discover / CD - released 10/Feb/1995 ] Recorded in Prague, November 1994 |
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AARON COPLAND / LEONARD BERNSTEIN / GEORGE GERSHWIN
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Bernstein: Sonata / Gershwin: Three Preludes Richard Stoltzman (clarinet) / London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, Eric Stern [ RCA Red Seal / CD - released 30/Sep/1993 ] "Richard Stoltzman could be claimed as the James Galway of the clarinet. He has developed the personality of the instrument in new ways, often drawing on jazz" Gramophone |
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VERDI / PONCHIELLI / PUCCINI / BEETHOVEN / MOZART
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rita Hunter - Great Soprano Arias Rita Hunter (soprano) / Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Dobbs Franks [ ABC Classics / CD - released 1/Aug/1990 ] The great British soprano Rita Hunter will always be remembered as a great Wagnerian soprano, having sung Brünhilde at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, ENO and the Australian Opera. This CD of Arias stands as a fitting memorial to her. |
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BELA BARTOK / TIBOR SERLY
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bartok: Concerto for Viola & Orchestra / Hungarian Peasant Songs / Serly: Concerto for Viola & Orchestra Rivka Golani (viola) / Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Ligeti [ Conifer Classics / CD - released 1/Apr/1990 ] Recorded in January 1990 |
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SIR EDWARD ELGAR / SIR ARNOLD BAX
MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Elgar: Cello Concerto, Three Characteristic Pieces / Bax: Phantasy for Viola & Orchestra Rivka Golani (viola) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley [ Conifer Classics / CD - released 1/Apr/1989 ] Rivka Golani is an Israeli viola player. She has performed as soloist with many orchestras throughout the world and more than 250 pieces have been written for her, including over 60 concertos. |