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The #1 Opera Album

by: Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Léo Delibes, Georges Bizet, Umberto Giordano, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, Gioachino Rossini, Alfredo Catalani, Jacques Offenbach, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Charles Gounod, Gaetano Donizetti, Pietro Mascagni, Antonin Dvorak, Richard Bonynge, Herbert von Karajan, Alberto Erede, Lamberto Gardelli, Giuseppe Patane, John Mauceri, Zubin Mehta, Charles Dutoit, Gyorgy Fischer, Riccardo Chailly, Istvan Kertesz, Leone Magiera, Evelino Pido, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Luciano Pavarotti, Jussi Bjorling, Renata Tebaldi

February 27, 2001
I heard this CD on a PBS pledge drive (it was a premium) and found myself loving every cut on it! I was in my car and just wanted to keep on driving and listening. This is by far my most-played CD - I've had to make it a weekend only listen to prevent getting burned out on it. HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are unfamiliar with some of the pieces, you will quickly learn to love them. . . . I must end this review - I'm off to listen to the "flower duet" for the 100th time. . .

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O Holy Night / Luciano Pavarotti / Special Deluxe Edition (Decca)

from: Decca

October 11, 2005
Pavarotti is in his prime for this one and the selections are both touching and grand. Mille Cherubini, a tender lullaby, is my favorite but his Agnus Dei is rich and grand. The choral backgrounds are also very good. I bought the cassette when it came out in the 70's and I am thrilled that they reissued it as CD to grace my 2007 Christmas .

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Dvorák: The Symphonies

from: Decca

February 11, 1992
Well since I order this from amazon.com, I
have listen to the whole cycle of symphonies
several times, and what really cought my attention
was his early symphonies, in particular the
story behind the first symphony which I
will not tell you so you can read it in the
detailed liner notes of the CD. I don't think
that I have a particular symphony by Dvorak, I
like, but rather I say that I like them all equally.
At the amazon.com price this is really a bargain,
highly recommended music for all ages and walks of
life. Kertesz and the Brits did a fantastic work.

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Movie Adagios

from: Decca

October 09, 2001
This CD was all that I hoped for. Beautiful, evocative music just made for a relaxing evening at home.

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Evening Adagios

from: Decca

July 16, 2002
A lot of these tracks on these cds were... poorly recorded. If you hear an alternate, well produced version, the difference is night and day. But if this is your stop, you could do so much worse. It is rather relaxing.

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Rossini - Petit Messe Solonnelle ~ Stabat Mater / Pavarotti, Freni, Lohrenger, Minton, Valentini-Terrani, LSO, Gandolfi, Kertesz

by: Gioachino Rossini, London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Romano Gandolfi, Istvan Kertesz, Mirella Freni, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Luciano Pavarotti, Ruggero Raimondi, Pilar Lorengar, Yvonne Minton, Hans Sotin, Leone Magiera, Vittorio Rosetta, Coro Polifonico del Teatro alla Scala di Milano

August 26, 1997
The gorgeous Kyrie from the Peit Messe Solonnelle has recently been used to good effect in the film 'Bad Education' prompting me to get to know the piece better and purchase this recording.The whole work is a delight,much lighter in tone and broader in length than the title would suggest.However,i suspect this is not the recording to have(i'm going to try Muti/EMI)as the soloists(a glamorous team)are unfocused and intonation a particular problem.There's a surprisngly tentative feeling about the whole performance.The piano part(a few splashy moments here) is normally taken on 2 pianos but here they make do with 1.....seems a shame to me.
Stabat Mater receives an authorative account,another very approachable work which i shall enjoy getting to know better.

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The Greatest Opera Show on Earth

from: Polygram Records

September 16, 1997
I just bought my second copy of this excellent CD because I literally wore the first one out. No matter how I feel before I play this music, I feel joy whenever I listen to it. Highly recommended to beginners and the more experienced opera listeners as well.

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Romantic Adagios 2

from: Decca

January 28, 2003
I certainly cannot add any more than what the previous reviewer stated, but I do have something to say. I have an office job and like to listen to pleasant music while I work. I have listened to this CD quite a few times and have never found it to be dull or boring. I am just an average guy who likes decent music. One of my favorite classical pieces of all time is Ralph Vaughn Williams "Fantasia on a Theme" which is included on this CD (Mp3). Overall, I believe Decca has done a commendable job with this series. If you are very particular about your music, maybe you will consider it to be a three. But, if you are like me, you will find that at worst it is a 4 and in my estimation, deserves a five.

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Bartók: Duke Bluebeard's Castle / Kertész, Ludwig, Berry

from: Decca

September 14, 1999
To be honest I am not a great Bartok fan but liked his Wooden Prince on Naxos recently and then bought a set of concertos as his concerto for orchestra was my fathers favorite but he had a terrible recordings of it. I then saw this on the shops shelves got it also.

I remember buying him (my father) the Ormandy-Hines-Elias recording (in English) and I think I played it more than he did - it was, and no doubt is very fine (I don't know if its still under the stairs or if I dumped it along with most of the LPs as no one wanted them when he died. With the exception of this I have nearly most all of my LP's in re-releases in digital enhanced sound so...)

This seems just a bit better all round with the exception of the Hungarian which although it sounds ... Read More:

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Operamania (Box Set)

from: Mca Import

October 29, 2002
First rate selections, performed by first rate musicians.
Here are some of the most haunting melodies ever created.