Accordionist - Renato Borghetti

Advantages: Some great tracks, 26 songs for under £10!
Disadvantages: Some naff tracks!

...help dancing to – although if I played it at a Ciao meet disco, I’d probably be the only one on the dance floor! In my opinion, this one should have won, but at least I have it on CD now and can play it ad nauseum. I love the changes of pace in the song, the arrangement is very clever, but flows wonderfully throughout. Ah, bliss. CYPRUS Feeling Alive – Stelios Constantas Live = 3.5/10 CD = 5/10 Oh dear, it’s Renee and Renato. Well, it’s someone similar. This sounds like something out of the ‘70s. I have forgotten what Stelios actually looked like, but his singing conjures up unflattering images of sweaty fat blokes in bad clothes, who are trying far too hard to be alluring. The vocals are average, the lyrics are repetitive and cliched. So not great. Quite tempting to fast forward this one at times... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Caballe and Carreras are excellent
Disadvantages: Wixell not the best

...I am going to compare some performances of Tosca which retail around the same price and probably appeal to the same market. The recording with Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo and Renato Bruson and another Tosca recording with [what looks like on paper] a stellar cast - the remarkable Davis set with Carreras and Caballe. Scotto proves to be a more dramatic Tosca than Caballe, but Caballe sounds somewhat fresher. Just before this recording Caballe sang the role in Tokyo with an ageing Giuseppe di Stefano in a production originally meant for Maria Callas who should have returned to the stage after 8-9 years since her last live performance as Tosca at Covent Garden. That did not work out but the performances went ahead with Caballe who was more than equal to the role as a divaesque Tosca. Arguably the comparison with Scotto or Callas is... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful

Advantages: Domingo and Bruson are excellent
Disadvantages: Scotto is sometimes very bad indeed

...***Please note there are different versions of this performance available one through Classics for Pleasure at Emi and Emi classics with this one not having a libretto and perhaps (not sure on this one) even different remastering dates - might be worth checking the website of Emi just to be sure - i always go with the one with the libretto but if it is down to the price, the Classics for pleasure is nearly always cheaper *** I am going to compare two performances of Tosca which retail around the same price and probably appeal to the same market. This recording with Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo and Renato Bruson and another Tosca recording with [what looks like on paper] a stellar cast - the remarkable Davis set with Carreras and Caballe. Scotto proves to be a more dramatic Tosca than Caballe, but Caballe sounds somewhat fresher... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful