Search - Gaetano Donizetti, Richard Heuberger, Jules Massenet :: Art of Beverly Sills

A must for all opera lovers!

G. Golding | Seattle, WA | 02/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is awesome! Sills has outdone herself and so has EMI, picking some of her finest work with arias from recital discs and complete operas. The opening aria from the Vepres Siciliennes is, in my opinion, the best recording of this terribly difficult bolero. Sills said that she had a very high fever and was hospitalized after recording four Verdi arias (this being one) and that she had no recollection of ever recording them at all!!! She thankfully does not take the high E at the end.The Massenet gavotte from Manon is splendidly sung, as is the Doll Song from the Tales of Hoffman. Sills may have some off pitch staccatos in the Doll Song, but it sung with such swagger and confidence that one hardly notices!
The Mozart and Strauss are done in long breathed, beautiful phrases and are like silk to the ear.
The Ernani involvami from Ernani is, like the Vepres aria, definitive, at least to my ear. It has rarely if ever been sung so effortlessly with drama and character. The coloratura and high notes are splendidly sung leaving nothing to be desired!
Una voce poco fa from the Barber of Seville is also very fine, though Sills was past her best when she made this recording. She certainly sounds like the caged viper, tossing off coloratura without batting an eyelash. (Check out her earlier live recording of this aria on the Sillsiana disc -WOW!!!!! The very best, ever!). The final excerpt from Don Pasquale is similarly successful. This is late Sills but this recording finds her voice in excellent condition. Her little giggles are wonderfully caught and the vivaciousness of the character is vividly conveyed.
This disc is one of the bibles of opera singing. Get it!"

Beverly Sills: The Legend

G. Golding | 12/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Art Of Beverly Sills are cd recordings that come in two volumes. If I'm not mistaken, this is Volume 2. Beverly Sills was a red-haired American opera diva who took the world by storm in the 60's and 70's. The singing sensation and phenomenon that was Beverly Sills is still talked about to this day. Her LP recordings have been digitally remastered like new and available on most music stores' classical music/opera section. They are also available right here at Amazon.com. Beverly's performances in "The Ballad Of Baby Jane Doe", "Julius Caesar" "La Fille Du Regiment" "Lucia Di Lammermoor" Donizetti's Tudor Queen Trilogy, Manon, Thais, Don Pasquale, La Traviata and many others.In this compilation album, we find Beverly Sills taking on Verdi arias from "Vespers" and "Ernani". As always, the amazing coloratura that made Beverly Sills so famous is present in the singing, even if Sills is past her prime and closer to the decline of her voice. The best studio recordings and live recordings that find Beverly Sills in her best form are "Ballad Of Baby Doe" "Giulio Cesare" "La Fille Du Regiment" "Manon" "Lucia" and the Donizetti Tudor Queens- Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux. It was after singing these often precarious opera roles that require a heavyweight voice, and after singing such dramatic roles as Lucrezia Borgia and Norma that Beverly Sills voice took a toll. But she knew it was worth it because she went out in a blaze of glory. In addition to Verdi, there are the charming coloratura showcases from Offenbach's "Tales Of Hoffman" Olympia's Doll Song and the lively aria from Donizetti's Don Pasquale. The lyric and restrained beauty of Mozart's Zaide aria is highly exceptional and Beverly sings it to perfection. Also here are an aria from Manon, which was one of Beverly Sills' finest performances as well as the lighter texture of the operetta "Der Opernball". This cd provides a varied and insightful look at the legendary songbird. This is a must have for all fans of Beverly Sills who are constantly looking for rare recorded material. The most rarest material on here is Beverly Sills singing Juliet from Bellini's "I Capuleti e Montechi" (Capulets and Montagues) which is still considered an obscure bel canto opera and neglected in the light of Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet" which far outshone it. Beverly Sills singing Juliet is an opera treasure and Sills attempted to popularize the opera and to make it at least as successful as Gounod's."

This is the favorite of all my opera recordings.

G. Golding | 01/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was an opera major at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in the late'60's, when Beverly Sills came to perform at the famous Cincinnati Summer Zoo Opera. She also came to the conservatory to give master classes. I was a dramatic soprano, but knew she was one of the best coloraturas of her day, and knew there would be much to learn from her.To be honest, when I heard her performance, I recognized that she was very, very good, but "best of all?" I wasn't so sure.Then, years later, I heard this anthology recording of arias done in her prime and at her very best. Wow, this is flat-out the best singing I have ever heard.I have given this recording to so many people I can't count. I wish it would be reissued.Loretta Cook, Cincinnati"