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| Various Artists |
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| Works by Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini, Bernstein and others, sung by Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, etc. |
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| 1 Turandot, opera: Nessun dorma - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |
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| 2 Carmen, opera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra |
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| 3 Rigoletto, opera: Quasta o quella - Villazon, Rolando |
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| 4 La Traviata, opera: È strano! è strano! - Ah, fors'è lui - Follie! - Sempre libera - Pirgu, Saimir |
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| 5 Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492: Voi che sapete - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |
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| 6 Plaisir d'amour, for voice & piano (or orchestra) - Wordsworth, Barry |
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| 7 Samson et Dalila, opera in 3 acts, Op. 47: Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix - SWR Baden-Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra |
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| 8 L'elisir d'amore, opera: Una furtiva lagrima - Pavarotti, Luciano |
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| 9 Don Giovanni, opera, K. 527: Là ci darem la mano - Weigle, Sebastian |
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| 10 Carmen, opera: La fleur que tu m'avais jetée - Prague Philharmonic Orchestra |
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| 11 West Side Story, musical: One Hand, One Heart - Te Kanawa, Kiri |
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| 12 Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön - Wunderlich, Fritz |
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| 13 Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Un bel dì vedremo - Sinopoli, Giuseppe |
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| 14 Luisa Miller, opera: Oh! fede negar potessi - Quando le sere al placido - Villazon, Rolando |
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| 15 Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492: Giunse alfin il momento - Deh, vieni, non tardar - Rattle, Simon |
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| 16 Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles), operetta in 3 acts (revision of 'Die gelbe Jacke'): Dein ist mein ganzes Herz - London Symphony Orchestra |
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| 17 Les contes d'Hoffmann, opera in 4 acts: Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour - Ozawa, Seiji |
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Album Review
"Classical Love Songs" is a compilation album that delivers exactly what its title implies, and it does so beautifully. It's notable for a number of admirable attributes. Most importantly, the quality of the singing is superlative. Deutsche Grammophon has culled some of the finest vocal performances from its catalog of compete operas and vocal recitals. It's difficult to single out individuals for special praise, since all the tracks feature top-notch singers, most of them recognized superstars, at the top of their game. The sound quality is excellent; all but three of the tracks were recorded digitally, and those are skillfully remastered, so there is never a sense of listening to a historic but sonically inferior performance. The album offers a nice diversity of material; most of the selections come from the standard operatic repertoire, but there is also "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story and Martini's eighteenth century song "Plaisir D'Amour." There is a good combination of solos and duets. The themes are varied, too; some are conventional love songs to be sung to one's beloved, some are laments of disappointed lovers, some are songs of seduction, and some are contemplative reflections on love. The accompanying booklet clearly identifies the performances from which the excerpts were taken, so listeners looking for more can locate the sources' recordings. The quality of the performances and the high production standards make this an album that should appeal to seasoned opera fans, as well as casual listeners looking for a sampling of romantic vocal music. ~ Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide
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