Gioacchino Rossini - Otello (Lopez-Cobos, Carreras, von Stade, Ramey)

Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868)

Otello - Opera in three acts. (1816)

Libretto by Francesco Berio di Salsa

Otello: José Carreras (tenor) 

Desdemona: Frederica von Stade (soprano) 

Elmiro: Samuel Ramey (bass) 

Rodrigo: Salvatore Fisichella (tenor) 

Jago: Gianfranco Pastine (tenor) 

Emilia: Nucci Condo (mezzo-soprano); 

Lucio: Keith Lewis (tenor)

 

Ambrosian Opera Chorus

John McCarthy

Philharmonia Orchestra

Jesús López-Cobos

Recorded London September 1978

Gioachino Rossini - La Donna del Lago

Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)

La donna del Lago (1819)

Opera in two Acts to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola

based on The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott 

Elena – Katia Ricciarelli

Malcolm – Lucia Valentini-Terrani

Giacomo (James V of Scotland) disguised as Uberto – Dalmacio González

Rodrigo di Dhu – Dano Raffanti

Douglas D’Angus – Samuel Ramey

Albina – Cecilia Valdenassi

Serano – Oslavio Di Credico

Bertram – Antonio D’Uva

Prague Philharmonic Chorus

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Maurizio Pollini

Recorded August & September 1983 at Sala Pedrotti, Conservatory of Pesaro, Italy

Georges Bizet - Les Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers)

Georges BIZET (1838–1875)

Les Pêcheurs de Perles - Opera in three acts (1863)

 

Leila – Annick Massis

Nadir – Yasuharu Nakajima

Zurga – Luca Grassi

Nourabad – Luigi De Donato

Orchestra & Chorus: Teatro La Fenice di Venezia

Marcello Viotti

Recorded live:Teatro Malibran, Venice, April 2004

Nicolae Bretan - Luceafarul (The Evening Star)

Nicolae BRETAN (1887–1968)

Luceafărul (The Evening Star) - Opera in One Act, Prologue and Epilogue (1921)

Ionel Voineag (tenor) – The Evening Star; 

Bálint Szabó (bass) – Michael the Archangel; 

Elena Casian (mezzo) – The Lady-in-Waiting; 

Adriana Croitoru (soprano) – The King’s Daughter; 

Marius Budoiu (tenor) – The Mariner; 

Ioan Pojar (tenor) – The Page; Chorus,

 

Philharmonic Orchestra Transilvania, Cluj

Béla Hary

Recorded: September 1994, Cluj, Romania

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari - Il segreto di Susana

Ermanno WOLF-FERRARI  (1876-1948)

Il segreto di Susanna (1909)

Countess Susanna – Lidia Fridman (soprano)

Count Gil – Omar Montanari (baritone)

Sante – Guido Lamprecht (silent role)

Orchestra of the Berlin Opera Group

Felix Krieger

Recorded live, June 2022, Grosser Haus Konzerthaus, Berlin

Leos Janacek - The Cunning Little Vixen /MacKerras

Leos JANACEK (1854-1928)

The Cunning Little Vixen  (1923)

Libretto the composer himself adapted from a novella by Rudolf Těsnohlídek.

Lucia Popp (Vixen)

Dalibor Jedlicka (Gamekeeper)

Eva Randová (Fox)

Eva Zigmundova (Gamekeeper's wife)

Vladimir Krejcik (Schoolmaster)

Richard Novak (Priest)

Vaclav Zitek (Harasta, a tramp)

Beno Blachut (Pasek, innkeeper)

Ivana Mixova (Inkeeper's wife)

Libuse Marova (Lapak)

Gertrude Jahn (Cock)

Eva Hribikova (Frantik)

Zuzana Hudecova (Pepik)

Peter Saray (Frog/Grasshopper)

Miriam Ondraskova (Cricket)

Wiener Philharmoniker

Charles Mackerras

Recording location: Sofiensaal, Vienna, March 1981

Nicolae Bretan - Golem & Arald (Two Operas in One Act)

Nicolae BRETAN (1887-1968)

Golem, Opera in one act (1924)

Alexandru Agache (baritone) - Golem, The Man of Clay 

Tamás Daróczy (tenor) - Rabbi Löw, Golem’s Creator

Sandra Sandru (soprano) - Anna, Löw’s Grand-daughter

Dan Zancu (bass) - Baruch, Löw’s Disciple

Arald, Opera in one act (1939)

Dan Zancu (bass) - The Poet 

Alexandru Agache (baritone) - The Seer

Jonel Voineag (tenor) - Arald, King of the Avars 

Sandra Sandru (soprano) - Maria, Empress, Arald’s Beloved

 

Philharmonic Orchestra Moldova, Iasi

Cristian Mandeal

Golem and Arald were recorded in Romania, September 1987, Centenary of Bretan's birth.

 

Gian Carlo Menotti - The Old Maid and the Thief (Opera Buffa for Radio)

Gian Carlo MENOTTI (1911-2007)

The Old Maid and the Thief - Opera Buffa for Radio in 14 Scenes (1939)

Libretto by the composer

 

Natalie Arduino (mezzo-soprano)

Lynn Parr Mock (soprano)

Nicole Franklin (soprano)

Blake Davidson (baritone)

Jon Morehouse (narrator)

Lone Spring Arts Orchestra

Victoria Bond

Recorded at Northaven United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas, 26 February 2007

Georges Bizet & Charles Lecocq - Le docteur Miracle (Two Comic Operas in One Act)

Georges BIZET (1838-1875) 

Le docteur miracle, WD 2

Charles LECOCQ (1832-1918)

Le docteur miracle

Bernard Lefort (baritone)

Fanély Revoil (mezzo-soprano)

Claudine Collart (soprano)

Alexander Young (tenor)

Fanély Revoli (mezzo-soprano)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Stanford Robinson

The production was originally released at the BBC studios in London, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a distinguished French-speaking cast. Both operas were broadcast on British radio on February 7, 1954, and remained archived for decades until their careful remastering and commercial release on CD in 2019.

Ottorino Respighi - La bella dormente nel bosco (Sleeping Beauty)

Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879–1936)

La bella dormente nel bosco (Sleeping Beauty)

Musical fairy-tale in three acts (1921–1933)

Guillermo Dominguez (tenor)

Richard Haan (baritone)

Adriana Kohútková (soprano)

Denisa Slepkovska (mezzo-soprano)

Jana Valaskova (soprano)

Ivana Czakova (soprano)

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra

Slovak Philharmonic Chorus

Adriano

Recorded at the Concert Hall of the Slovak Radio

in Bratislava, from 8th to 20th June 1994.

Renée Fleming - Strauss Heroines

Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)

Strauss Heroines

Der Rosenkavalier - Monologue Scene (Act I)

Der Rosenkavalier - Trio And Finale (Act III)

Arabella - Duet (Act I)

Cappriccio

Renée Fleming (soprano)

Susan Graham (mezzo soprano)

Johannes Chum (tenor)

Walter Berry (bass-baritone)

Barbara Bonney (soprano)

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Christoph Eschenbach

Recorded at Wiener Musikverein, 15-19 December 1998

Pietro Mascagni - Zanetto (Opera in One Act)

Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)

Zanetto – Opera in One Act (1896)

Zanetto: Yajie Zhang (mezzo-soprano)

Silvia: Narine Yeghiyan (soprano)

Chor der Berliner Operngruppe 

Orchester der Berliner Operngruppe 

Felix Krieger

rec. live, 13 June 2022, Großer Saal, Berlin

Enrique Granados - Goyescas (Opera in three tableaux)

Enrique GRANADOS (1867-1916)

Goyescas – Opera in Three Tableaux (1915)

First performance on January 28, 1916 at the Metropolitan Opera

Nancy Fabiola Herrera (soprano)

Lidia Vinyes Curtis (mezzo soprano) 

Gustavo Peña (tenor)

José Antonio López (baritone)

BBC Singers

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Josep Pons

rec. live, Barbican, London, January 2018

Paul Hindemith - Cardillac (Opera in 3 Acts , Op.89)

Paul HINDEMITH (1865-1963)

Cardillac

Opera in three acts, Op.39

Text: Ferdinand Lion

First Version 1926

Evgeny Solodovnikov (bass)

Stephanie Houtzeel (mezzo-soprano)

Daniel Jenz (tenor)

Tomasz Konieczny (bass-baritone)

Wolfgang Bankl (bass)

Vera-Lotte Boecker (soprano)

Herbert Lippert (tenor)

Vienna State Opera Orchestra

Vienna State Opera Chorus

Vienna State Opera Stage Orchestra

Cornelius Meister

recording: Wiener Staatsoper 05/11/2022 (Live Recording)

Ethel Smyth - Der Wald (Opera in One Act)

Ethel SMYTH (1858-1944)

Der Wald (1899-1901)

Natalya Romaniw (soprano) – Röschen

Claire Barnett-Jones (mezzo-soprano) – Iolanthe

Robert Murray (tenor) – Heinrich

Andrew Shore (baritone) – A Pedlar

Morgan Pearse (baritone) – Count Rudolf   

Matthew Brook (bass) – Peter

Rebecca Lea (soprano) – A Youth

Andrew Rupp (baritone) – First Huntsman

BBC Singers

BBC Symphony Orchestra

John Andrews

rec. 2023, Studio 1, Maida Vale Studios, London

Georg Frederick Handel - Tamerlano (Opera in 3 Acts)

Georg Frederick HANDEL (1685-1739)

Tamerlano HWV 18

Dramma per musica in tre atti

Libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym

Henri Ledroit (Tamerlano)

John Elwes (Bajazet)

Miecke van der Sluis (Asteria)

Rene Jacobs (Andronico)

Isabelle Poulenard (Irene)

Gregor Reinhart (Leone)

La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy

On Baroque Instruments

Jean-Claude Malgoire

Recorded in 1985. Released in 1997

Umberto Giordano - Marcella (Opera)

Umberto GIORDANO (1867-1948)

Marcella (1907)

Idillio moderno in 3 episodi

Libretto: Henri Cain, Edouard Adenis, Lorenzo Stecchetti

Marcella: Serena Daolio (Soprano)

Giorgio: Danilo Formaggia (Tenor)

Drasco: Pierluigi Dilengite (Baritone) 

Clara: Natalizia Carone (Soprano)

Raimonda: Angelica Girardi (Soprano)

Eliana: Mara D’Antini (Soprano)

Lea: Maria Rosa Rondinelli (Soprano) 

Vernier: Marcello Rosiello (Baritone)

Barthelemy: Giovanni Coletta (Tenor)

Flament: Graziano De Pace (Baritone)

Slovak Chamber Choir 

Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia

Manlio Benzi 

Recorded Live at Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca, Italy - August 2007

Michael Tippett - New Year (Opera in Three Acts)

Michael TIPPETT (1905-1998)

New Year

Opera in Three acts (1989)

Libretto by the composer

Rhian Lois, Jo Ann (Soprano)

Ross Ramgobin, Donny (Baritone)

Susan Bickley, Nan (Mezzo soprano)

Roland Wood, Merlin (Baritone)

Robert Murray, Pelegrin (Tenor)

Rachel Nicholls, Regan (Soprano)

Alan Oke, Presenter (Tenor)

BBC Singers

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Martyn Brabbins

rec. 2024, City Halls, Glasgow, UK

Claudio Monteverdi - L'Orfeo (Favola in Musica)

Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567–1643)

L’Orfeo (1607)

Ensemble Lundabarock:

Orfeo – Johan Linderoth (tenor)

La Musica, Proserpina – Kristina Hellgren (soprano)

Euridice, Ninfa 1 – Christine Nonbo Andersen (soprano)

Messaggiera – Maria Forsström (mezzo-soprano)

Speranza, Pastore 1 – Anna Zander (mezzo-soprano)

Pastore 2, Apollo – Adam Riis (tenor)

Spirito infernale 2, Pastore 3 – Daniel Åberg (baritone)

Caronte – Steffen Bruun (bass)

Plutone, Pastore 4 – Karl Peter Eriksson (baritone)

Ninfa 2 – Ann-Margret Nyberg (soprano)

Spirito infernale 1 – Rasmus Gravers Nielsen (tenor)

Spirito infernale 3 – Staffan Alveteg (bass)

Hedvig von Schantz (soprano)

Staffan Solén (tenor)

Petter Östberg (tenor)

All the singers, except Johan Linderoth and Steffen Bruun, also sing in the choir.

Höör Barock; Ensemble Altapunta

Fredrik Malmberg (organ)

rec. Eslövs Church, Sweden July/August 2019. 

Josef Foerster - Eva (Opera in Three Acts)

Josef Bohuslav FOERSTER (1859-1951)

Eva 

Opera in Three Acts (1899)

Iveta Jirikova (soprano) - Eva

Kostyantyn Andreyev (tenor) - Manek  

Denisa Hamarova (mezzo) - Mesjanovka (his mother)

Igor Tarasov (baritone) - Samko

Elizabeth Batton (mezzo) - Zuzka

Roland Davitt (baritone) - Rubac: 

Wexford Festival Opera Chorus

Lubomir Matl

Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra

Jaroslav Kyzlink

rec. live, Theatre Royal, Wexford, Ireland, 24, 27, 30 October 2004