Giacomo Puccini The Great Opera Collection Boxset 15cd

This 2015 version of Puccini's Turandot has been cannily marketed and has sold well. The marketers had ideal material to work with. Those coming to the opera from the crossover pop recordings of tenor Andrea Bocelli probably needed little more motivation to purchase the album than his name on the cover: he can turn out a crowd even in places where opera is very rare, such as Indonesia.

Giacomo Puccini - Manon Lescaut (2006) [DVD] {Deutsche Grammophon}
DVD9 -> 7.08 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | Italiano (LPCM, 2 ch / Dolby AC3, 6 ch / DTS, 6 ch) | ~ 132 min | ISO Image
Subs: Italiano, English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Chinese
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 92 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2006 Deutsche Grammophon | 00440 073 4241
Classical / Opera

James Levine conducts Renata Scotto and Placido Domingo in the Metropolitan Opera's 1980 production of Puccini's early masterpiece, a performance of 'fluid movement, eye-catching invention, sex appear and above all, a sense of humor.' Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to see Renata Scotto live in the theatre, but I am told that she is an excellent singing actress. Witness that for yourself in this magnificent production of one of my favourite Puccini operas. When Scotto is on stage you can't take your eyes off her, and watch her face at the end of Act III as DeGrieux pleads with the Captain to let him join her on board ship - what an amazing actress she is.

Puccini’s reputation rests on a mighty handful of operas whose popularity shows no sign of diminishing. It would be tempting to suppose that because of this a wealth of scintillating orchestral music has been unjustly ignored. Not so – the music so fervently performed here is lyrical and charming, but ultimately weak-willed. The very beginning of La bohème crops up in the middle of E the Capriccio sinfonico, but the energy soon peters out. It shows just how much Puccini needed the external impetus of a libretto to create drama and excitement in his music. For all that, these soft-centred sweeties make enjoyably soothing listening.

The Complete Album Collection is Paul Simon's Complete Recorded Works – minus Simon & Garfunkel, of course, along with "Slip Sliding Away" – and, as a whole, it is a mightily impressive body of work, showcasing an artist who remains restless and curious four decades into his career. The package is handsome, presenting each CD as a mini-LP, the sound is terrific, the price is affordable, and the scope is complete, so The Complete Album Collection is in every way an upgrade over the previous The Complete Studio Recordings.

John Copley’s enduring production of one of the most famously melodious and popular of all operas is a classic of the Royal Opera repertory. With historically accurate designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman and an excellent cast headed by Hibla Gerzmava and Teodor Ilincai, this 2009 revival, in which conductor Andris Nelsons makes a distinguished Royal Opera House debut, does full justice to Puccini’s masterpiece. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.