Verdi Ernani

I have always had rather a soft spot for Michele Campanella playing Liszt. This dates back to when he was the pianist on the first LP of Liszt I ever bought – a Pye disc of him playing the two concertos. With the bi-centenary of Liszt’s birth looming in the Autumn this is the first of the year’s celebratory sets that I have encountered. It should be noted however, as with the bulk of Brilliant Classics releases, these are licensed re-releases although in this case the provenance is not totally clear.

American star tenor Michael Fabiano presents a spectacular set of scenes taken from late Donizetti and middle Verdi operas, revealing the strong ties between these two composers. The album documents a paradigmatic shift in Italian opera, from the beautiful lines and crispness of belcanto to a richer, more dramatic musical universe. The historical line stretches from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Poliuto and Maria di Rohan to mature Verdi operas such as Rigoletto, Un ballo in maschera and Don Carlos. In many cases, Fabiano has selected original, rarely-heard versions, including the thunderous ‘Qual sangue sparsi’ from the original St. Petersburg edition of La forza del destino.

This was dubbed the Concert of the Century and captured Pavarotti and Horne in their prime. As some have suggested, Dame Joan may have been past her prime, but her voice was still strong and brilliant.

The fourteen extracts recorded here are among the best-loved arias from the worlds's most famous operas...

Cimarosa’s opera, which reuses some items from the composer’s Il matrimonio in ballo of 1776, exists in two versions. The first – the holograph manuscript of which is preserved in the Conservatorio di Musica SW. Pietro a Majella, in Naples – was entitled Il credulo and consists of two acts – although the second contains only one scene and a chorus. The second version is in one act and is entitled Il credulo deluso. The manuscript of this version is in London, British Library Add MS. 16001. The one-act version omits a few items, particularly some in Neapolitan dialect.

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 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.

This is a deluxe box set including: Each individual item (complete opera or recital CD) presented in its original artwork, 136 pages hard-back book containing essays, a biography and chronology, rarely-seen photos and also reproductions of revealing correspondence between Maria Callas, Walter Legge and other EMI executives.