La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne Lieti Calici - Various Artists
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Various Artists
Lakme: Flower duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Various Artists
Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Various Artists
Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Various Artists
Nabucco: Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Various Artists
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Various Artists
Rigoletto: La Donna è mobile - Various Artists
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Various Artists
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Various Artists
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Various Artists
La Wally: Ebben?...Ne Andrò Lontana - Various Artists
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus - Various Artists
Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Various Artists
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour - Various Artists
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Various Artists
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Various Artists
Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Various Artists
Track Listings (21) - Disc #2
Die Walküre: The Ride Of The Valkyries - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Pagliacci: Recitar!...Vesti la giubba - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
La Bohème: O soave fanciulla - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Il travatore: Anvil Chorus: Vedi! Le fosche - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Don Giovanni: Là Ci Darem La Mano - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Mattinata - Leoncavallo
Faust: Soldiers' Chorus - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Cosi fan tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
TOSCA: Vissi D'Arte - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Carmen: Toreador Song - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Madama Butterly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi bene - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Rusalka: O Silver Moon - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
La Bohème: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
Turandot: Nessun Dorma - GREATEST OPERA SHOW ON EARTH
This really is a remarkable collection, and anyone even remotely interested in opera is bound to be vastly entertained by it. Almost everything and everyone is here, albeit in small doses: Tebaldi, Pavarotti (a lot), Bjoer... more »ling, Bartoli, Sutherland, Solti, Karajan, Troyanos, Gheorghiu, Nucci; the composers are Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, and all the other usual suspects. There are plenty of fine compilation sets on the market, and this is one of the best. One can only hope that it whets listeners' appetites for whole operas. --Robert Levine« less
This really is a remarkable collection, and anyone even remotely interested in opera is bound to be vastly entertained by it. Almost everything and everyone is here, albeit in small doses: Tebaldi, Pavarotti (a lot), Bjoerling, Bartoli, Sutherland, Solti, Karajan, Troyanos, Gheorghiu, Nucci; the composers are Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, and all the other usual suspects. There are plenty of fine compilation sets on the market, and this is one of the best. One can only hope that it whets listeners' appetites for whole operas. --Robert Levine
"This recording is incredible - from Troyanos' wonderful Habenera, to Te Kanawa's beautiful, world class renditions of Dove sono and vissi d'arte....from Pavarotti to Bjoirling, Sutherland to Caballe, this recording is magnificent. There was only one thing that disappointed me - the balance is a bit off - there is, for example, only one Cecilia aria (a not too good attempt at voi che sapete from Le Nozze - it was good, but I've heard her do better) and there was a bit of a Pavarotti overdose. Though everyone loves Pavarotti's voice, me included, there could have been more scope for other singers. That isn't me moaning of course, Pavarotti is brilliant and so is everyone else - the choice of arias for each singer and for the recording is excellent (thought I would have like to have heard Te Kanawa's O Mio in place of Tebaldi's...) Thoroughly enjoyable."
An Excellent Collaboration of Music and Current Vocalists!
Mario Martinez | U.S. | 04/27/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"From the start, this CD has music that captures the listener's attention! For example, the "Brindisi" piece from La Traviata with Pavarotti and Sutherland forwards the motif of vitality and the perfomer's voice ensure that of a quality collection of recordings. Although, some of the more current, younger artists such as Bartoli, Terfel, Fleming, Alagna and Bocelli are not featured as much as the seasoned veterans such as Pavarotti, Domingo and Sutherland. I would have preferred a better mixture of the more current performers rather than that of the older ones, which may have more prestige, and are more well-known. But frankly, all of these singers are all talented and a monopoly of a handful of singers is not fair. Fleming's celestial, intensily supported tone, and Alagna's "tenor" forward tones are worth more attention on the CD. Yet overall, the recording is well mastered and worth buying. Despite the fact the most of the songs are the more popular ones leaving out the rather uniquely obscure pieces, one never gets tired of hearing every "Recitar!...Vesti la giubba" by any and all tenors. A Definate treasure to own!"
The gratest singers, composers and musicians of all time
Mario Martinez | 07/03/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the most exciting opera record. You'll have on this CDs the greatest sopranos including the marvelous Gheorghiu, the excellent voice of Te Kanawa, the beautiful voices of Freni, Sutherland, Tebaldi, Bartoli(mezzo) and the power of Flemming. Not to mention the greatest voices ever from tenors like Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras, Bocelli, Alagna, Björling, Terfel(baritone). With the most intelligent selection of the arias, duos, choruses and I sincerely recommend it to those who love this music and to those who are beginning to enjoy it. Please listen this records and you always be greatful with these kinds of artists."
The Opera Collection To Own
Mario Martinez | 01/21/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For novices, and beginners who are having their first sample of the fine art of opera, this collection is a must have. In what are the most beloved and well-known operatic pieces, "celebrity" opera stars Placido Domingo, Kiri Te Kenawa, Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavoratti, provide a rich and colorful collection. Among the beautiful soprano arias you will find "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly, "Voi Che Sapete" from Nozze Di Figaro and "Habenera" from Carmen great tenor arias such as the Flower Song from Carmen, Figaro's Aria from Barber of Seville. You will be enchanted with the fine ensembles from La Traviata (the waltz-like Brindisi) the Flower Duet from Lakme,the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore and the very rarely heard O Silver Moon from Dvorak's Rusalka, sung beautifully by Renee Fleming. This cd is a must have for opera and non-opera fans alike. Five star buy. Highlights include the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore with its powerful chorus, Va Pensiero from Nabucco with its message of hope and sung beautifully by the John Aldis Choir, and the lovely "Barcarolle" from the Tales of Hoffman. A beautiful tenor aria rarely performed also is "Mattinata" sung gorgeously by Bocelli. A five star buy. Opera has never sounded more attractive than it does in this high-quality cd."
A fantastic collection
Mario Martinez | 03/01/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No question - this is an execellent collection of recordings! Rarely does one see this degree of variety and balance in the selection of composers, operas, conductors, and performers in a 2 CD set. If forced to be overly critical, though, I would make 3 points based on my personal preferences: First, I agree with those who feel Pavarotti is featured too often. Personally, I would rather have more Carreras (he appears only once - Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut). Second, while there are some outstanding duets (like the pavarotti/sutherland brindisi from Traviata) and choruses (e.g., soldier's chorus from faust), there are too few ensembles. The Bella Figlia quartet from Rigoletto or the Mia Madre quintet from Figaro would have been excellent additions. Finally, there just ain't enough Wagner (is there ever?). We get only the bridal chorus from Lohengrin and the Ride of the Valkyries. The Meistersinger prize song or the pilgrim's chorus from Tannhauser would both have helped round out the set.However, to make these additions without adding another CD, some of what's already there would have to go. And what's there now is so glorious, so representative of the great operatic works and (relatively recent) interpretations, I'd hate to see something else get left out."