Berlioz Don Carlos

Gerviev and the Vienna Philharmonic give a splendid performance of Symphonie fantastique. The Death of Cleopatra is a dramatic "lyric scene" written in 1819 describing "an Egyptian queen who has been bitten by a poisonous snake and is dying a painful death in an agony of remorse." Mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, now at the peak of her career, is magnificent in this performance, a very appropriate coupling for the symphony. The Vienna Philharmonic is at its best and this recording, from live performances in May 2003 in Vienna's Musikverein is superb sonically, more natural in sound than the same conductor and orchestra's recording of Pictures at an Exhibition recorded in April 2000 (see REVIEW). Text/translation are provided for Cléopåtre.

Having dazzled us with her coloratura ability in arias by Mozart, Gluck, and her fellow Czech, Myslivecek, this luscious young mezzo-soprano now offers us a generous program of French arias–15 of them, widely varied in tone, weight, dramatic intent, and style–and conquers and convinces in them all. Beginning again in coloratura territory, an aria from Auber's rare Le domino noir catches our attention with the heroine's opening words, "Je suis sauvée enfin!" ("I am safe at last!"), in which she paints the picture of our out-of-breath heroine immediately.

Roberto Alagna - L'Enchanteur (2016) {2CD Set Warner Classics 0825646390229}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 666 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 353 Mb
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© 2016 Parlophone / Warner Classics | 0825646390229
Classical / Romantic / Opera Aria / Tenor

Roberto Alagna is the kind of ‘opera singer’ who can sing for all with such infectious pleasure that all we can do is sit back and enjoy. And so happy are we to listen to him that there’s only one thing we feel we should say to him: thank you. This collection features aria from Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Gounoud, Massenet, Bizet, Berlioz, Offenbach and Bernstein.

Magdalena Kožená is a remarkable singer. Her voice is a somewhat light mezzo with many colors, and she can shade it to a whisper or impress with a fortissimo high B-flat. Her range is absolutely even from top to bottom and she never switches gears; similarly she refuses to push the voice at either end. Her reading of Eboli's "Veil Song" from Verdi's Don Carlos is seductive and insinuating, with just the right Spanish flavor in the low-register roulades–but they're soft-focused. Perhaps she has no "chest" register, or is afraid to use it?

Véronique Gens is one of the most acclaimed French soprano. ü She has recorded in 2005, 2008 and 2011 three recitals of operatic arias for soprano from the French tragic operas of the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries from Lully to Saint-Saëns. Véronique Gens embodies the tragic heroines of the Antiquity such as Dido, Circe, Medea or Cassandra… ü Véronique Gens is accompanied by renowned French director Christophe Rousset and his ensemble les Talens Lyriques. ü These three recitals are the most successful she has recorded, with Les Nuits d’été by Berlioz. Véronique Gens has recently received again very good critics (such as the Gramophone Editor's choice) for her latest recital, Visions, released on Alpha Classics

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the greatest media event in classical music, Sony Classical released in 2015 a complete edition of all the works ever played at the Wiener Philharmoniker’s New Year’s Concerts. Performed in the “Golden Hall” of the Musikverein between 1941 and 2015, the iconic live performances were issued for the first time in a single box set of 23 CDs. Now, in 2020, this edition will be available as a 26-CD extended version, with all the new repertoire from the last five years compiled on three additional CDs.

Limited edition 100 CD box set on the premiere classical label Deutsch Grammophon. Subtitled from Gregorian Chant to Gorecki. For some it will be the ultimate reference tool. For others a big place to start on something they always wanted to know about. Either way, the idea is to present a comprehensive history of Classical Music from its origins to the present day, covering all periods, including all major composers.

The second installment in Sakari Oramo's superb hybrid SACD cycle of the symphonies of Carl Nielsen on BIS presents the Symphony No. 1 in G minor and the Symphony No. 3, "Sinfonia espansiva," two ruggedly independent works that reflect the composer's late Romantic style yet point to the modernism to come. While the Symphony No. 1 was influenced by Brahms and offers a rich harmonic language, propulsive rhythms, and a fairly homogenous orchestral palette, the Symphony No. 3 is striking for its reliance on unfolding counterpoint and long-breathed lines, and most notable for the use of wordless parts for soprano and baritone voices in the pastoral slow movement. These performances by Oramo and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra are exceptional for their stunning power and spacious feeling, though the crisp details and focused sound quality will be the biggest draw for audiophiles.