Art of The Prima Donna

Decca pays tribute to Joan Sutherland - "La Stupenda" to her numerous fans - with a limited-edition 23-CD set of her complete studio recitals. Joan Sutherland shot to international fame in February1959 when she sang the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and a month later she recorded her first solo album in Paris for Decca - the start of an exclusive association that would last until her retirement from the operatic stage on 31 December 1990. This is the first time all of Joan Sutherland's studio recitals have been made available in a single collection and the set is released in time for what would have been the diva's 85th birthday on 7 November; October 10 marks the first anniversary of her death. The CDs are presented in sleeves with original cover art a 48-page booklet contains an appreciation of Joan Sutherland by opera wrter and critic George Hall.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is universally acknowledged to be one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Blessed with a voice of exquisite beauty, as well as a striking physical presence, she shone brightly in opera, excelled in the concert hall and brought a unique artistry to the recital platform. She was signed exclusively to EMI in 1946 and released a stream of magnificent recordings over almost 30 years. Schwarzkopf could translate her charismatic stage presence into purely vocal terms through the medium of recording, and still convey all the dramatic meaning of her songs and operatic characters to listeners who could hear but not see her. This rare quality is evident in all the recordings in this unique collection, which covers a lifetime of work and reveals the development of her art.

Led by Christopher Hogwood, the Academy of Ancient Music has made many renowned recordings of Handel's music-particularly the oratorios. The beloved Messiah heads up this 8-CD set, followed by Esther; La Resurezzione , and, making its return to the international catalog after an absence of several years, the 1985 recording of Athalia -with none other than Joan Sutherland in the title role! Recorded in London, 1979-85.

Decca has pulled together a blockbuster collection of many of opera's greatest hits from the standard repertoire. The selection is heavily weighted to the nineteenth century, and to Italian operas, but it does indeed offer a generous sampling of what the general public understands as the staples of the repertoire. It includes one Baroque aria, from Handel's Rodelinda, and several from the Classical era - two arias from Gluck's Orfeo ed Eurydice, and seven from Mozart's operas - and the rest range from the bel canto of Rossini to the verismo of Cilea and Puccini. The selection is primarily made up of arias, but includes ensembles, choruses, and orchestral excerpts.

Le Nuove Musiche, led by acclaimed director Krijn Koetsveld, continue with their exceptional series of Claudio Monteverdi’s complete madrigals. Here, they look back to the very beginning of Monteverdi's works, when the young composer was still under the influence of his teacher Marc'Antonio Ingegneri. At this time, the madrigal was already a popular art form, one that Monteverdi was beginning to add his name to, before – as we know – he would go on to radically extend it with the introduction of the seconda prattica. These two books show that Monteverdi was an assured and dexterous composer in the established genre. He could follow the conventions of madrigal-writing – concentrating on the recitation of the text, adding in affects by altering the melody, rhythm and harmony – with skill and originality.