#61 the elisabeth schwarzkopf collection (part 2)

22 Wolf Lieder (1953)

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Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sings Operetta (1959)

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The Very Best of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (2009)

*Please comment if links are inaccessible, will re-upload.

*Part 1 is here.

#60 The Unknown Kurt Weill - Teresa Stratas

Teresa Stratas (soprano)

01 Meine Herren, mit siebzehn Jahren (Nannaslied)
02 Complainte de la Seine
03 Ich sitze da un' esse Klops (Klopslied)
04 Berlin im Licht
05 Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?
06 Die Muschel von Margate
07 Wie lange noch?
08 Youkali
09 Der Abschiedbrief
10 Es Regnet
11 Buddy on the Nightshift
12 Schickelgruber
13 Je ne t'aime pas
14 Lied von den braunen Inseln

AMAZON
DOWNLOAD (mediafire)
* with cover picture

#59 Hugues Cuénod Chante Debussy - Hugues Cuénod

Hugues Cuénod (tenor)
Martin Isepp (piano)

01 Le balcon BAUDELAIRE
02 Harmonie du soir BAUDELAIRE
03 Le jet d'eau BAUDELAIRE
04 Recuieillement BAUDELAIRE
05 La mort des amants BAUDELAIRE
06 Nuit d'étoiles DE BANVILLE
07 Fleur des blés GIROD
08 Romance BOURGET
09 Dans le jardin JEULIN
10 Les angélus LE ROY
11 L'ombre des arbres VERLAINE
12 Mandoline VERLAINE
13 Le son du cor safflige vers les bois VERLAINE
14 L'échelonnement des haies VERLAINE
15 Soupir MALLARMÉ
16 Placet futile MALLARMÉ
17 Éventail MALLARMÉ

AMAZON
DOWNLOAD (mediafire)
* with cover picture and embedded lyrics.

#53 Tosca (Puccini) - Leontyne Price, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei

TOSCA (1963)
GIACOMO PUCCINI
HERBERT VON KARAJAN Conductor
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra & State Opera Chorus

Tosca ... Leontyne Price
Mario Cavaradossi ... Giuseppe di Stefano
Scarpia ... Giuseppe Taddei
Angelotti ... Carlo Cava
Sacristan ... Fernando Corena
Spoletta ... Piero de Palma
Sciarrone ... Leonardo Monreale
Shepherd boy ... Herbert Weiss
Prison guard ... Alfredo Mariotti

*Includes cover picture, libretto & vocal score

#51 Arabella (Strauss) - Lisa Della Casa, George London, Hilde Gueden, Anton Darmota

ARABELLA (1958)
RICHARD STRAUSS
GEORG SOLTI Conductor
Vienna Philharmonics

Arabella ... Lisa Della Casa
Zdenka ... Hilde Gueden
Mandryka ... George London
Matteo ... Anton Darmota
Grad Waldner ... Otto Edelmann
Adelaide ... Ira Malaniuk
Elemer ... Waldemar Kmentt
Dominik ... Eberhard Wächter
Lamoral ... Harald Prôglhôf
Die Fiakermilli ... Mimi Coertse
A fortune-teller ... Judith Hellwig

Kiri who? Della Casa rules! (includes alternative cover pictures and libretto)

#49 Aïda (Verdi) - Leontyne Price, Jon Vickers, Rita Gorr, Robert Merrill

AÏDA (1962)
GIUSEPPE VERDI
GEORG SOLTI Conductor
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Aïda ... Leontyne Price
Radamès ... Jon Vickers
Amneris ... Rita Gorr
Amonasro ... Robert Merrill
Ramphis ... Giorgio Tozzi
King of Egypt ... Plinio Clabassi
Priestess ... Mietta Singhele
A Messenger ... Franco Ricciardi

#48 La rondine (Puccini) - Anna Moffo, Daniele Barioni, Piero de Palma, Graziella Sciutti

LA RONDINE (1966)
GIACOMO PUCCINI
FRANCESCO MOLINARI-PRADELLI Conductor
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus


Magda de Civry ... Anna Moffo
Ruggero Lastouc ... Daniele Barioni
Rambaldo Fernandez ... Mario Sereni
Lisette ... Graziella Sciutti
Prunier ... Piero de Palma
Yvette ... Sylvia Brigham-Dimiziani
Bianca ... Virginia De Notaristefani
Suzy ... Franca Mattiucci
Gobin ... Fernando Jacopucci
Périchaud ... Mario Basiola II
Maggiordomo ... Robert El Hage



Included: cover pictures, libretto and vocal score

#32 the cecilia bartoli collection no 3

Rossini Arias (1989)

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano)
Giuseppe Patanè (conductor)
Arnold-Schönberg-Chor
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Volksopernorchester


01 Cruda sorte! amor tiranno! (L'Italiana in Algeri)
02 Pronti abbiamo... Amici in ogni evento... Pensa alla patria (L'Italiana in Algeri)
03 Mura felici...Elena! O tu, che chiamo (La donna del lago)
04 O patria... Di tanti palpiti (Tancredi)
05 Assisa a'piè d'un salice... Deh! calma, o ciel (Othello)
06 Fac ut portem (Stabat mater dolorosa)
07 Se l'Italie contrade... Se per voi lo torno (La pietra del paragone)
08 Nacqui all'affanno... Non più mesta (La cenerentola)


The first recording in a glorious catalogue, the arias included are butter and bread Rossini pieces. Surprisingly most of the pieces are commonly performed by mezzos with lower tessituras (Horne, Baltsa, Larmore, Genaux et al) as opposed to one with a higher tessitura, as Bartoli clearly is e.g. Cruda sorte, Mura felici, Di tanti palpiti. On the other hand, Rossini's stab at the Willow Song is always welcome (I still believe von Stade's version on the Otello recording with Carreras and López-Cobos is the very very best) and the Cinderella piece has always been Bartoli's showpiece.

#31 the cecilia bartoli collection no 2

Rossini Heroines (1992)

Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo soprano)
Ion Marin (conductor)
Orchestra e Coro La Fenice

01 Riedi al soglio (Zelmira)
02 Ah! non potrian esistere (cantata: Le nozze di Teti e Pelo)
03 Giusto ciel! in tal periglio (Maometto II)
04 Tanti affetti in tal momento (La donna del lago)
05 Quant'è grato in alma mia (Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra)
06 Fellon, la penna avrai (Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra)
07 Ah! che invan su questo cielo (Maometto II)
08 Serena e vaghi rai... Bel raggio lusinghier (Semiramide)

Made back in the days when Cecilia is a true-blue mezzo, as opposed to the faux-lite version of a soprano (sopranista?) she is today. Giusto ciel! profited immensely from Cecilia's inherent quality of pathos. I like that she draws out the tanta in tanta felicitá in the La donna del lago piece. The Semiramide extract is weird, particularly when one's first exposure to the grand aria was by one Dame Joan. As most cases when coloratura mezzos record this aria, they fall prey to the fast figures in the Il bel momento section and notch up the tempo when what would have worked better is to maintain the same pace and let each note 'speak'. But essentially what this disk is missing is the agilitá di forza that most of these pieces require; Bartoli is the textbook definition of agilitá di grazia (male counterpart: Juan Diego Flórez) and this jarring lack is especially evident in the Zelmira, La donna (but she did the second part i.e. Fra il padre e fra l'amante very beautifully), Elisabetta and Semiramide arias. Otherwise, it's a fine output, especially considering the absence of mannerisms and audible gasps and SUPERB diction: after all Rossini is probably Cecilia's part of a healthy breakfast every day.

#30 the cecilia bartoli collection no 1

Arie antiche - Se tu m'ami (piano recital 1992)

Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo soprano
Gyorgy Fischer, piano

01 Già il sole dal Gange
02 Son tutta duolo
03 Se Florindo è fedele
04 O cessate di piagarmi
05 Spesso vibra per suo gioco
06 Caro mio ben
07 Pur dicesti, o bocca bella
08 Intorno all'idol mio
09 Nel cor più non mi sento
10 Il mio ben quando verrà
11 O leggiadri occhi belli
12 Il mio bel foco... Quella fiamma che m'accende
13 Selve amiche, ombrose piante
14 Sebben, crudele
15 Tu ch'hai le penne, amore
16 Se tu m'ami (attrib. Pergolesi)
17 Chi vuol la zingarella
18 Amarilli, mia bella
19 Delizie contente, che l'alma beate
20 Sposa son disprezzata
21 Vittoria, mio core!

*****

This is in my opinion the best of all her recordings, up to and including Sacrificium (Maria comes close, but not quite). It displays all of Bartoli's measurable advantages: a reflective quality of timbre able to summon pathos and unquestioned depths (much like Fleming at her best) which by a turn of a phrase becomes so joyous you couldn't help smiling, a very easy coloratura, immense breath support, and (admittedly an unfair advantage) a complete mastery of the Italian idiom. A must-have for all singing majors, I have especially embedded the lyrics to the songs in each file so that you can follow along as you listen on your iPod (it works on Windows Media Player also). Favourite tracks: Se tu m'ami is a gem; Spesso vibro will set your ears vibrating; Amarilli will break your heart and then piece it together again with mezzo-cream glue; Sposa son disprezzata is a masterclass in breath control and legato singing.

One quip: One wonders why Bartoli hasn't released any more of this type of recording i.e. piano recitals, in which her small voice and breathy inflections (which had been increasing over the years) would at least be less intrusive and taken as attempts to foster intimacy (only two other recordings come to mind, the live recital with Thibaudet and the delightful La danza with Maestro Levine). Perhaps because of limited literature? (She never seems to sing anything other than Italian, Latin sacred music, some French and English eg Semele, and let's face it: 60% of art songs are in German. Maybe she can sing Tosti or the Neapolitan canzone, they're really huge with audiences. A wet dream of mine: Bartoli singing Respighi's Il tramonto.) It really is a pity because her powers of interpretation are basically limitless: I couldn't hear any other Sposa son disprezzata other than  her version in my head.

#29 birgit nilsson in strauss

Salome (1961)

Salome - Birgit Nilsson

Herode - Gerhald Stolze

Herodias - Grace Hoffmann

Jokanaan - Eberhard Wächter

Georg Solti

Vienna Philharmonic

*****

Elektra (1967)

Elektra - Birgit Nilsson
Klytaemnestra - Regina Resnik
Chrysothemis - Marie Collier
Aegisth - Gerhald Stolze
Orest - Tom Krause

Georg Solti
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

*****

One word: gigantic!

#28 strauss lieder - jonas kaufmann

Strauss Lieder (2006)

Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Helmut Deutsch, piano
(live recording)


01 Zueignung Op 10 No 1
02 Nichts Op 10 No 2
03 Die Nacht Op 10 No 3
04 Wer hat's getan Op 10 No 6 (bis)
05 Befreit Op 39 No 4
06 Allerseelen Op 10 No 8
07 Ruhe, meine Seele Op 27 No 1
08 Cäcilie Op 27 No 2
09 Heimliche Aufforderung Op 27 No 3
10 Morgen! Op 27 No 4
11 Freundliche Vision Op 48 No 1
12 Ich liebe dich Op 37 No 2
13 All mein Gedanken? Op 21 No 1
14 Du meines Herzens Krönelein Op 21 No 2
15 Ach Lieb, ich muss nun scheiden! Op. 21 No. 3
16 Ach weh mir unglückhaftem Mann Op. 21 No. 4 
17 Die Frauen sind oft fromm und still Op. 21 No. 5
18 Traum durch die Dämmerung Op. 29 No. 1
19 Nachtgang Op. 29 No. 3
20 Wozu noch, Mädchen Op. 19 No. 1
21 Breit' über mein Haupt Op. 19 No. 2
22 Schön sind, doch kalt die Himmelsterne Op. 19 No. 3
23 Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten Op. 19 No. 4
24 Hoffen und wieder verzagen Op. 19 No. 5
25 Mein Herz ist stumm Op. 19 No. 6
26 Ich trage meine Minne Op. 32 No. 1
27 Sehnsucht Op. 32 No. 2
28 Schlechtes Wetter Op. 69 No. 5

*****

I hate the Breit' über mein Haupt. Otherwise, it's a fine disc.

#27 the sumi jo collection

Virtuoso Arias (1995)

01 Una voce poco fa (Il barbiere di Siviglia ROSSINI)

02 Ah non credea mirarti... Ah! non giunge (La sonnambula BELLINI)

03 Ah! Où va la jeune Hindoue? (The Bell Song) (Lakmé DELIBES)

04 Gualtier Maldé... Caro nome (Rigoletto VERDI)

05 Ombre légère (The Shadow Song) (Le Pardon de Ploërmel MEYERBEER)

06 Il dolce suono... Sparsa è di rose... Ardon gl'incensi... Alfin son tua... Spargi d'amaro pianto (Lucia's mad scene) (Lucia di Lammermoor DONIZETTI)

07 Noch glaub'ich dem einen ganz mich gehörend... So war es mit Pagliazzo... Doch niemals Launen, immer ein Müssen! (Zerbinetta's monologue) (Ariadne auf Naxos STRAUSS)

08 Glitter and be gay (Candide BERNSTEIN)

09 Der Hölle Rache (Die Zauberflöte MOZART)

10 Ar-ri rang (YOON live)

*****

La promessa (piano recital with Vincenzo Scalera, 1998)

01 Caro mio ben (GIORDANI)

02 Lungi dal caro ben (SARTI)

03 Malinconia, ninfa gentile (BELLINI)

04 Qual farfalletta amante (SCARLATTI)

05 Bell'astro della terra (Ad una stella) (VERDI) 

06 Lascia ch'io pianga (HÄNDEL)

07 Per pietà, bell'idol mio (BELLINI)

08 O del mio dolce ardor (GLUCK)

09 Star vicino (ROSA)

10 Se Florindo è fedele (SCARLATTI)

11 Non t'amo più (TOSTI)

12 Intorno all'idol mio (CESTI)

13 Ch'io mai vi possa (La promessa) (ROSSINI)

14 La capinera (BENEDICT)

15 O del mio amato ben (DONAUDY)

16 V'adoro pupille (HÄNDEL)

17 Vaghissima sembianza (DONAUDY)

18 Ridente la calma (MOZART)

19 Alma del core (CALDARA)

20 Nel cor più non mi sento (PAISIELLO)

*****

The Art of Sumi Jo (1998)

01 La belle Inès fait florès (Le domino noir AUBER)
02 Je romps la chaîne (L'amant jaloux GRÉTRY)
03 O zittre nicht... Zum Leiden bin ich (Die Zauberflöte MOZART)
04 Der Hölle Rache (Die Zauberflöte MOZART)
05 Valse Tyrolienne (Un mari à la porte OFFENBACH)
06 Mes chères soeurs (Le domino noir AUBER)
07 Ah! vous dirai-je maman (Le toréador ADAM)
08 Qui je suis? (Le domino noir AUBER)
09 À Séville, belles señoras (Sevillana) (Don César de Bazan MASSENET)
10 Bolero (La fête du village voisin BOIELDIEU)
11 Avec son petit air... Car la femme (Le toréador ADAM)
12 Flamme vengeresse (Le domino noir AUBER)
13 Carnaval de Venise (La reine Topaze MASSÉ)
14 Charmant oiseau (Couplets de Mysoli) (La perle du Brésil DAVID)


*****


Les bijoux (1999)

01 Je veux vivre (Roméo et Juliette GOUNOD)
02 Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir! (The jewel song) (Faust GOUNOD)
03 Oui, pour ce soir, je suis reine des fées... Je suis Titania la blonde (Mignon THOMAS)
04 C'est bien l'air que chaque matin (L'Étoile du nord MEYEBEER)
05 A vos jeux, mes amis... Et maintenant... Pâle et blonde (Ophélie's mad scene) (Hamlet THOMAS)
06 Depuis le jour (Louise CHARPENTIER)
07 Ô légère hirondelle, messagère fidèle (Manon MASSENET)
08 Ô beau pays de la Touraine (Les Huguenots MEYERBEER)
09 Obéissons, quand leur voix appelle (Manon MASSENET)
10 Me voilà seule dans la nuit (Les pêcheurs de perles BIZET)
11 Conduisez-moi vers celui que j'adore (Robinson Crusoë OFFENBACH)


*****


Baroque Journey (2007)

01 Nulla in mundo pax sincera (Nulla in mundo pax sincera VIVALDI)
02 Agitata da due venti (Griselda VIVALDI)
03 Bist du bei mir (BACH (disputed)/Diomedes, oder die triumphierende Unschuld STÖLZEL)
04 As steals the morn upon night (L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato HÄNDEL)
05 Where'er you walk (Semele HÄNDEL)
06 Ei! wie schmeckt der Kaffee süße (Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht BACH)
07 Music for a while (music for the play Oedipus PURCELL)
08 Let the bright seraphim (Samson HÄNDEL)
09 Sposa son disprezzata (Bajazet VIVALDI)
10 Fairest isle (King Arthur PURCELL)
11 Lascia ch'io pianga (Rinaldo HÄNDEL)
12 Seufzer, Tränen, Kummer, Not (Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis BACH)
13 I know that my Redeemer liveth (Messiah HÄNDEL)

#26 the elisabeth schwarzkopf collection (part 1)

In Songs You Love (1957-1966)

01 - Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
02 - Plaisir D'Amour
03 - Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges
04 - Songs My Mother Taught Me
05 - Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes
06 - Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht
07 - Murmelndes Luftchen
08 - Ich Liebe Dich
09 - Farmyard Song
10 - Schwarze Rosen
11 - Wiegenlied
12 - In Dem Schlatten
13 - Elfenlied
14 - O Du Liebs Angeli (Swiss Folk Song)
15 - Gsatzli (Swiss Folk Song)

******


Schubert & Mozart Lieder (1990)

01 - Franz Schubert An Die Musik
02 - Franz Schubert Im Frühling
03 - Franz Schubert Wehmut
04 - Franz Schubert Ganymed
05 - Franz Schubert Das Lied Im Grünen
06 - Franz Schubert Gretchen Am Spinnrade
07 - Franz Schubert Nähe Des Geliebten
08 - Franz Schubert Die Junge Nonne
09 - Franz Schubert An Sylvia
10 - Franz Schubert Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
11 - Franz Schubert Nachtviolen
12 - Franz Schubert Der Musensohn
13 - W.A. Mozart Ridente La Calma
14 - W.A. Mozart Oiseux, Si Tous Les Ans
15 - W.A. Mozart Die Kleine Spinnerin
16 - W.A. Mozart Als Luise Die Briefe
17 - W.A. Mozart Abendempfindung
18 - W.A. Mozart Das Kinderspiel
19 - W.A. Mozart Der Zauberer
20 - W.A. Mozart Im Frühlingsanfange
21 - W.A. Mozart Die Zufriedenheit
22 - W.A. Mozart An Chloe
23 - W.A. Mozart Sehnsucht Nach Dem Frühlinge

******


Songs You Love (2006)

01 - Danny Boy
02 - The Arnold Book Of Old Songs - Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
03 - Plaisir D'amour
04 - Bist Du Bei Mir- Bwv 508- Aria
05 - Abendempfindung- K.523
06 - Der Zauberer- K.472
07 - Myrthen- Op.25- No.3. Der Nussbaum
08 - Lieder Und Gesänge III- Op.77- No.5. Aufträge (L'egru)
09 - 49 Deutsche Volkslieder- WoO.33- Da Unten Im Tale
10 - 49 Deutsche Volkslieder- WoO.33- Och Moder- Ich Well En Ding Han!
11 - 5 Lieder Und Romanzen- Op.84- Vergebliches Ständchen
12 - 6 Lieder- Op.34- Auf Flügeln Des Gesanges
13 - 7 Gipsy Melodies- B.104 (Op.55)- Songs My Mother Taught Me
14 - Si Mes Vers Avaient Des Ailes
15 - 6 Songs- Op.6- Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt
16 - Murmelndes Lüftchen- Op.21-4
17 - Melodies Of The Heart- Op.5- Ich Liebe Dich
18 - 7 Children's Songs- Op.61- Farmyard Song
19 - 6 Songs- Op.36- Schwarze Rosen
20 - 6 Songs- Op.36- Schilf- Schilf- Säusle
21 - 5 Lieder- Op.41- Wiegenlied (Dehmel)
22 - Spanisches Liederbuch- In Dem Schatten Meiner Locken
23 - Mörike Lieder- Lebewohl
24 - 6 Lieder Für Eine Frauenstimme- Wiegenlied Im Sommer
25 - 4 Lieder- Op.36- Hat Gesagt- Bleibt's Nicht Dabei (Aus 'Des Knaben Wundhorn')
26 - 5 Kleine Lieder- Op.69- Schlechtes Wetter
27 - 6 Lieder Für Eine Frauenstimme- Mausfallen-Sprüchlein
28 - O Du Liebs Ängeli
29 - Gsätzli

******

To My Friends (1977-1979)

01 - Mörike-Lieder- Storchenbotschaft
02 - Mörike-Lieder- Fussereise
03 - Mörike-Lieder- Elfenlied
04 - Mörike-Lieder- Bein Einer Trauung
05 - Mörike-Lieder- Jägerlied
06 - Mörike-Lieder- Selbstgeständnis
07 - Mörike-Lieder- Heimweh
08 - Mörike-Lieder- Nixe Binsefuss
09 - Sechs Lieder für eine Frauenstimme- Mausfallen Sprüchlein
10 - Mörike-Lieder- Nimmersatte Liebe
11 - Mörike-Lieder- Lebe Wohl
12 - Mörike-Lieder- Das Verlassene Mägdlein
13 - Mörike-Lieder- Auf ein altes Bild
14 - Drei Balladen- Op.20- Die wandelnde Glocke- Op.20-3
15 - En Svane (A Swan)- Op.25- No.2 - sung in German as -Ein Schwan-
16 - Mädchenlied- Op.95- No.6- Mädchenlied- Op.95- No.6
17 - Therese- Op.86- No.1- Therese- Op.86- No.1
18 - Blinde Kuh- Op.58- No.1- Blinde Kuh- Op.58- No.1

*Part 2 is here.