Ernani

"A quartet of major voices was on hand to fill the leading roles… Naturally, they gave fans of sheer vocalism a great deal to cheer about during the evening… Mr. Pavarotti gave a splendid full-throated performance… He was also a sensitive partner in the many ensemble numbers… Miss Mitchell filled the house gloriously… Mr. Milnes was a dominating force… Mr. Raimondi gave his usual solid performance, musically and dramatically… James Levine's conducting had plenty of passion and momentum." – New York Times

Giuseppe Verdi was born in the little town of Roncole in the vicinity of Parma and spent the longest period of his life in seclusion close to Parma. He died in Milan in 1901. Today, the region of Parma honours its one-time fellow citizen with the international Verdi Festival organized by the Teatro Regio di Parma. Every year, Verdi’s masterworks are performed in the historical theatres of Parma and neighbouring Busseto over 28 days in the autumn…

This 11-CD set, one might say jokingly, contains all the music ever written for the soprano voice and a bit for mezzo as well. And indeed, it's a staggering collection: In addition to her great Verdi heroines (the two Leonoras, Aida, Amelia, and Elvira in Ernani), Price is heard in her Puccini roles–Manon Lescaut, Butterfly, Tosca–and at least two dozen other roles, most of which she never sang on stage. Here are her heroic, secure Leonore in Fidelio, Strauss's high-flying Egyptian Helen, Purcell's Dido, Barber's Cleopatra, Bellini's Norma, Ariadne, Verdi's Violetta and Desdemona, Bizet's Carmen, Mozart's Countess, and Fiordiligi…

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century. His works are frequently performed in opera houses throughout the world and, transcending the boundaries of the genre, some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture - such as "La donna mobile" from Rigoletto, "Va, pensiero" (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking Song) from La traviata and the "Grand March" from Aida. His work has sometimes been criticized for using a generally diatonic rather than a chromatic musical idiom and for being essentially melodrama during his early years. He was an atheist. Verdi's masterworks dominate the standard repertoire a century and a half after their composition.

Rosa Ponselle - The Victor Recordings 1926-1929 (1994) {2CD Set Romophone 81007-2}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 520 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 342 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 31 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1926-29, 1994 Victor / Romophone | 81007-2
Classical / Vocal / Historical

Rosa Ponselle was one of the greatest sopranos of the century and this superb collection of recordings from her prime makes that evident. Some have long been the standards against which all others are judged–the Aida tomb scene with Giovanni Martinelli, the Norma "Casta Diva," and much else. Her famous Norma duet, "Mia, o Norma," with Marion Telvey is here, still striking sparks. Lots of Verdi–the big arias and duets from Aida, Trovatore, and Ernani, all sung in a big, stunningly beautiful voice alive to textual nuances. The arias from Spontini's La Vestale are wondrous, but so are the parlor songs, the 1920s "crossover" equivalents. Marston includes several alternate takes, and the transfers are excellent. This should be a cornerstone of any operatic collection.

Rosa Ponselle - The Columbia Acoustic Recordings (1992) {2CD Set Pearl GEMM CDS 9964 rec 1918-1923}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 444 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 377 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1918-23, 1992 Pearl / Pavilion Records | GEMM CDS 9964
Classical / Vocal / Opera / Historical

Those early Ponselle records have unique qualities. She was at the age of the characters she was portraying, in her impulsiveness (incredibly controlled by technique and taste) singing every note and emotion with the freshness of youth in life's spring. This with the most glorious voice that ever came from any woman's throat in the Italian repertory, with a precocious sense of line, style, and emotional honesty…

Rosa Ponselle - The Victor Recordings 1923-1925 (1994) {2CD Set Romophone 81006-2}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 543 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 371 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 29 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1923-25, 1994 Victor / Romophone | 81006-2
Classical / Vocal / Historical

For Romophone, 'complete' means just that. The Ponselle has every playable 'take' made in that period, issued or not, seventeen of them, all fascinating, many never available before and none so precisely pitched…. Ponselle's Romophone CD is self-recommending. What a voice! True, the recordings are, for the most part, primitive in comparison to what we have today. Even so, this glorious and honest voice, so free of artsy affectation, reveals a beauty and artistry that has its roots in the simple perfection of classical Greece and Rome.

Alongside our comprehensive limited and numbered edition of the legendary Claudio Abbado’s complete recordings for DG, Decca and Philips, we are in the process of issuing 16 digital albums covering the same repertoire. The penultimate release in this series of e albums, which are organised in alphabetical order of composer name, features Abbado’s Verdi recordings and is available now.