Search - Sutherland, Horne, Conrad :: Age of Bel Canto

A coloratura ensemble to die for!

10/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The day they reissued this recording on cd was one of the luckiest ever for opera-lovers. If you haven't heard this set, you haven't heard what perfection sounds like, with many operatic pieces usually not dared to be repeated elsewhere. Sutherland and Horne are the soprano/mezzo combination who were born to sing together; their silky tonal blending in the Semiramide duet turns them into one musical being. Likewise, Richard Conrad can melt his ultra-light bel canto tenor into the softer nuances of the women's voices and create harmonies that are too amazing for words... listen to their stunningly gentle trio in Bellini's Angiol di pace... and Conrad's ethereal love duet with Sutherland from Don Pasquale. Two sounds coming from seemingly one person. The best thing about this set, other than the literal show-off magic of super stars in their prime, is that it features three very distinctive ranges of voice, whose pieces are inter-arranged so thoughtfully that just when you think you've heard the best aria ever from a soprano, you suddenly land into the best aria ever from a mezzo and so on and so on... every piece tops all the others. The selection of material is also not just your usual often-recorded-old-standbys... among the scattered well-knowns are less familiar pieces that rival anything ever written in sheer beauty and melody. My copy is on continual loan -- no one seems to want to return it!!"

The most exiting and wonderful introduction to Bel Canto

BDSinC | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 05/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this recording a very long time ago when it came out on record. I was simply fascinated with it. The booklet then was filled to overflowing with photos of the original creators of many of the roles sung. This booklet isn't quite a lovely, nor does it contain as many interesting things about the various operas. Still, it isn't for the booklet anyone would think of buying this recording. It was released in CD before, but not at all complete. It was more a "Joan Sutherland Album." I am so glad the complete album has finally come out. When one reviewer stated simply, "the Album sings for itself" that is no overstatement by any means. It really does. What you will hear is simply superb singing. For some the light, nearly a cross between falsetto and natural voice of the tenor may seem a bit odd, however, the sound is beautiful, and actually very correct for that style of music (especially if you consider that no tenor at the time this music was "new" sang anything in CHEST voice above the A flat, everything was in what was called "head" voice, or what we would call a very refined falsetto that blended seamlessly into the natural voice). Don't let that put you off, this is not Wagner nor late Verdi, and it is definitely NOT Puccini. The gentle caressing sound of his voice is just perfect for this music. As for Sutherland and Horne, well, with this recording you will see that they are worthy of every bit of praise they receive. Their technical skills are sublime. What I found so interesting when I bought this recording the first time was the variety of music. Much of the music presented I had never heard of before, and many of the composers I was completely unfamiliar with. The result was a lifelong search for interesting music. I have collected many of the scores of the works sung here. Some were modern printings, but some are scores owned by various singers who sang these roles, including their own embellishments. For those who would agree with Maria Callas that we "over embellish" these days, I would say, I don't think so at all. Most of the embellishments used in this recording are actually quite modest compared to those sung by the original artists. One thing is for sure, it is probably not likely that you will ever hear this music sung so well, with so much style, so true to the feel of its age, as you will find it here. The very first number, though originally written for a castrato, is by far the most exciting piece imaginable to begin a set with. I couldn't imagine a counter tenor ever doing justice to this piece ever. And the ending piece, a Bolero, is one of the most beautiful "show stoppers" for mezzo imaginable. In short, you have two disks filled with music to grab your heart, soul, and mind. You are literally taken away from the very first piece right to the exciting bolero that ends the recording. It is such a pity that these remarkable artists didn't record many of these operas from which this music came in their entirety. After buying the scores, I can assure everyone, they are filled to overflowing with much lovely, and very special music. All they lack are artist capable of breathing joy and life into them. In this recording such wonderful artist were found."

Bel Canto at its finest

John W. Kersting | Taunton, MA United States | 08/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buy it, if you can find it, and you will see why it does not need to be praised. It "sings for itself.""