James Levine's is a more recent entry in the realm of Dutchman recordings, and sonically the recording is absolutely stunning, with great attention having been paid to the recording process. The casting for this Metropolitan Opera effort is also uniformly first rate, even in the less grateful roles of the hapless Erik, sung by the impressive Ben Heppner, and the scolding nurse, Mary, sung by Birgitta Svendén. Morris's brooding Dutchman is hard to match on any other available recording, and Deborah Voigt is a ravishing Senta. The chorus work is quite good, though not quite as rich as that heard in the Solti/Chicago recording. Overall, Levine does a workmanlike job of conducting these impressive forces, though there are passages in which his tempi seem to drag. This recording is a must for anyone who needs a completely up to date version of Wagner's first major opera.
In this series of four landmark CDs, RWA RECORDS celebrates two inventions from the late 19th century that changed human life and civilization forever: a) the ability to transmit our speech over long distances and b) the ability to preserve that speech on recordings. Those two inventions occurred at almost the same time in history, and just as soon as people began to make recordings of their voices, they began to write and record songs about telephones.
Known by connoisseurs as the legendary 'Blue Album', this historic gem released in 1961 was Leontyne Price's debut orchestral recording for RCA. It offers some of her most shining moments from the composers whom she calls 'her best friends, operatically speaking.' Leontyne Price performing arias from Il Trovatore, Madama Butterfly, La Rondine, Tosca and Turandot.
The album captured her at the beginning of her career when her voice was so fresh, creamy and powerful. This wonderful recital presents the majestic artistry and magnificent voice of one of the 20th century's most beloved sopranos.