MOZART - COSI FAN TUTTE - KARJAN EMI
PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW SO I CAN IMPROVE MY REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE!!!
When critics line up the best available recordings of Mozart's superb comic opera "Così fan tutte" two recordings are almost invariably up there, Karl Böhm's second recording from ... Read review
A review by operalover2000 on Mozart: Così fan tutte April 5th, 2008
Author's product rating:
Originality
Groundbreaking
Lyrics
Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
Value for Money
Satisfactory
Advantages:
One of the finest casts ever
Disadvantages:
Mono Sound, that's all
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
MOZART - COSI FAN TUTTE - KARJAN EMI PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW SO I CAN IMPROVE MY REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE!!! When critics line up the best available recordings of Mozart's superb comic opera "Così fan tutte" two recordings are almost invariably up there, Karl Böhm's second recording from 1962 (EMI - Stereo) and Herbert von Karajan's recording from 1954 (EMI - Mono). The remarkable Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is present in both recording as the charming Fiordiligi. I prefer her fresher voice in 1954 but she, like the other artists in the Böhm recording, benefit from the fresh stereo sound. One of the glories of the gramophone is Schwarzkopf, Merriman and Bruscantini in "Soave sia il vento" - simply breathtaking as regards phrasing, beauty of tone and the organic feeling to the ensemble. Giuseppe Taddei (Böhm) and Rolando Panerai (Karajan) had long brilliant careers, sharing somewhat similar repertoires, and are equally magnificent in the baritone role of Guglielmo (Panerai has the more vivid voice). Ferrando is a beautiful tenor role featuring the famous aria "Un'aura amorosa del nostro tesoro". Alfredo Kraus has a more distinctive voice than Simoneau but they both make the high-lying music sound easy. In some ways Simoneau is the most beautiful Mozart tenor I have heard on record. Listen to "Una bella serenata" for one instance. Merriman (Karajan) has a more distinctive voice than Ludwig (Böhm). Bruscantini (Karajan) is superior to Berry as who is rather heavy sounding and cannot phrase with such elegance as Alfonso I feel it is very fitting that the Karajan set has become one of the "Great Recordings of the Century". This set is a very good introduction to the opera, or perhaps as an accompaniment to another set (Perhaps a version with modern sound). Highly recommended
Disc: 1 1. Sinfonia/Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus 2. La Mia Dorabella Capace Non E - Rolando Panerai 3. Cessate Di Scherzar - Rolando Panerai 4. E La Fede Delle Femmine - Rolando Panerai 5. Scioccherie Di Poeti! - Rolando Panerai 6. Una Bella Serenata - Rolando Panerai 7. Ah, Guarda, Sorella - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 8. Mi Par Che Stamattina - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 9. Barbaro Fato!...Vorrei Dir, E Cor Non Ho - Sesto Bruscantini 10. Stelle! Per Carita, Signor Alfonso - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 11. Sento, Oddio, che Questo Piede - Various Artists 12. O Cielo, Questo E Il Tamburo Funesto - Various Artists 13. Bella Vita Militar! - Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus 14. Non V'e Piu Tempo - Various Artists 15. Muoio D'affano!...Di Scrivermi Ogni Giorno - Various Artists 16. Oh, Di, come Veloce Se Ne Va Quella Barca! - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 17. Soave Sia Il Vento - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 18. Quante Smorfie...Quante Buffonerie! - Sesto Bruscantini 19. Che Vita Maledetta - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 20. Ah, Scostati!...Smanie Implacabili Che M'agitate - Nan Merriman 21. Signora Dorabella, Signora Fiordiligi - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 22. In Uomini, In Soldati Sperare Fedelta? - Lisa Otto 23. Despinetta!...Chi Batte? - Lisa Otto 24. Alla Bella Despinetta - Various Artists 25. Oh, Ciel! Mirate: Uomini In Cosa Nostra - Various Artists 26. Come Scoglio Immoto Resta - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 27. Ah, Non Partite! - Various Artists 28. Non Siate Ritrosi - Rolando Panerai 29. E Voi Ridete? - Rolando Panerai 30. E Avete Ancora Coraggio Di Fiatar? - Rolando Panerai 31. un'aura Amorosa Del Nostro Tesoro - Leopold Simoneau 32. E Come Credi Che L'affar Finira? - Lisa Otto Disc: 2 1. Ah, Che Tutto In Un Momento - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 2. Si Mora, Si, Si Mora - Various Artists 3. Eccovi Il Medico - Various Artists 4. Dove Son? Che Loco E Questo? - Various Artists 5. Dammi Un Bacio, O Mio Tesoro - Various Artists 6. Andate La, Che Siete Due Bizzarre Ragazze! - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 7. Una Donna A Quindici Anni - Lisa Otto 8. Sorella, Cosa Dici? - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 9. Prendero Quel Brunettino - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 10. Secondate, Aurette Amiche - Rolando Panerai 11. Cos'e Tal Mascherata? - Various Artists 12. La Mano A Me Date - Various Artists 13. Oh, che Bella Giornata! - Various Artists 14. Il Core Vi Dono - Rolando Panerai 15. Ei Parte...Senti...Ah No! - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 16. Per Pieta, Ben Mio, Perdona - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 17. Amico, Abbiamo Vinto! - Leopold Simoneau 18. Donne Mie, La Fate A Tanti A Tanti - Rolando Panerai 19. In Qual Fiero Contrasto - Leopold Simoneau 20. Tradito, Schernito - Leopold Simoneau 21. Bravo, Questa E Costanza - Rolando Panerai Disc: 3 1. Ora Vedo Che Siete Una Donna Di Garbo - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 2. E Amore Un Ladroncello - Nan Merriman 3. Come Tutto Congiura - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 4. Fra Gli Amplessi In Pochi Istanti - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf 5. Ah, Poveretto Me, Cosa Ho Veduto! - Rolando Panerai 6. Tutti Accusan Le Donne - Rolando Panerai 7. Vittoria Padroncini! - Various Artists 8. Fate Presto, O Cari Amici - Lisa Otto 9. Benedetti I Doppi Coniugi - Various Artists 10. E Nel Tuo, Nel Mio Bicchiero - Various Artists 11. Bella Vita Militar! - Various Artists 12. Bella Vita Militar! - Various Artists 13. Sani E Salvi Agli Amplessi Amorosi - Various Artists 14. No, Signor, Non E Un Notaio - Various Artists 15. Ah, Signor, Son Rea Di Morte - Various Artists 16. A Voi S'inchina, Bella Damina - Various Artists 17. Fortunato L'uom Che Prende - Various Artists
Advantages: One of the best Ferrando's on disc Disadvantages: Overpriced
...looking for a library addition for yourself, I would recommend the Schwarzkopf/Ludwig recording under Karl Bohm, or if you prefer something more modern sounding (I know that Schwarzkopf can be an acquired taste?), go for the Amanda Roocroft/Rosa Manion recording under John Eliot Gardiner, which is roughly contemporary with the recording I?m reviewing here (both of these other recordings are available at around the £25 mark).
IS IT GOOD VALUE?
Hell no. My final words on the subject.
IS IT WORTH BORROWING FROM THE LIBRARY?
I?d never say any recording of anything WASN?T worth borrowing from the library. It?s an interesting early career bit of Renee Fleming, an equally interesting bit of late career Solti, and a why isn?t he the ?fourth tenor? bit of singing from Frank Lopardo.
SUMMING UP
If you need a Cosifantutte in your record...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Some Excellent powerful songs Disadvantages: Some songs that I don't understand
...classical track in your life I would recommend this one, you will not be disappointed.
Track 2: Adagio for Strings – Barber
From Platoon and The Elephant Man
This is a very moving, but sombre track. This is also an excellent piece of music that gives across a feeling of complete sadness and could bring people to tears I would imagine.
Track 3: Un’Aura Amorosa from CosiFanTutte – Mozart
From My Left Foot
This is an opera track that to me seems to be bringing across a feeling of achievement and accomplishment, as I cannot understand the lyrics I can’t make out what it is really trying to say.
Track 4: The Blue Danube, Waltz OP.314 – Johann Strauss II
From 2001 – A Space Odyseey
This is a well known song for a well known film by a well known composer, this song bring across a feeling of grace as in the film it is used, if I...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: A large selection of great tracks Disadvantages: Just a couple of bad ones thrown in, but it all really depends on your taste
...underscored by music written many years earlier. The pieces of this album are pieces that you can enjoy again and again. They are the best examples of pieces written for films in recent years, as well as some of the great pieces that were wrote by classical masters.
So the pieces themselves. Well first I will give you a list of all the pieces there are on each CD, and after that I will tell you which pieces I think are the best.
Disc 1
1. Gladiator - Gladiator Suite (Zimmer/Gerrard/Badelt)
2. The Girl With The Pearl Earring - Griet's Theme (Alexandre Desplat)
3. American Beauty - Any Other Name (Thomas Newman)
4. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring - The Fellowship (Howard Shore)
5. Closer - Soave Sia Il Vento (CosìFanTutte) (Mozart) Carol Vaness (Soprano)
6. William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Best Cinema Classics... Ever, The (Epic Themes From Classic Movies) - Various Artists
Product details
Title: Mozart: Così fan tutte
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
Main Performer: Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Soprano); Léopold Simoneau (Tenor); Lisa Otto (Soprano); Nan Merriman (Mezzo soprano); Rolando Panerai (Baritone)
Label / Distributor: Great Recordings of the Century / EMI
Pieces in Set: 3
Running Time: 3 hours 37 minutes
Genre(s): Stage works
Location of Recording: Kingsway Hall (13.06.1954) & EMI Studio No 1, Abbey Road
Producer: Walter Legge
Stereo: Mono
SPAR Code: ADD
EAN: 724356706422
Catalogue Number: 567064
Work 1
Work Title: Così fan tutte, K588
Excerpt(s): 1. Overture 2. ACT 1 - La mia Dorabella 3. Fuor' la spada; È la fede delle femmine 4. Scioccherie di poeti!; Una bella serenata 5. Ah guarda, sorella 6. Vorrei dir 7. Sento, o Dio 8. Al fato dan legge 9. Bella vita militar! 10. Di scrivermi ogni giorno 11. Soave sia il vento 12. Smanie implacabili 13. In uomini, in soldati 14. Alla bella Despinetta 15. Temerari! Sortite fuori di questo loco!; Come scoglio 16. Non siate ritrosi 17. Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo (alternative aria for No. 16) 18. E voi ridete? 19. Un' aura amorosa 20. Ah, che tutta in momento 21. Dove son? Che loco è questo? 22. ACT 2 - Andate là; Una donna a quindici anni 23. Sorella, cosa dici?; Prenderò quel brunettino 24. Secondate, aurette amiche 25. La mano a me date 26. Il core vi dono 27. Barbara! Perchè fuggi?; Ah, lo veggio 28. Ei parte...senti; Per pietà, ben mio 29. Donne mie, la fate a tanti 30. In qual fiero contrasto; Tradito, schernito dal perfido cor 31. È amore un ladroncello 32. Fra gli amplessi 33. Tutti accusan le donne 34. Richiamati, da regio contrordine 35. Fortunato l'uom che prende (Finale). 36. Harmoniemusik 37. Ich bitte, schonste Damen...O seid nicht (1Akt)
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
Genre: Stage works
Date Written: 1790
Date Recorded: 1954
Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra / Ensemble: Chorus
Orchestra / Ensemble: Philharmonia Orchestra
Main Performer: Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Soprano), Léopold Simoneau (Tenor), Lisa Otto (Soprano), Nan Merriman (Mezzo soprano), Rolando Panerai (Baritone), Sesto Bruscantini (Baritone)
Opera Part(s): Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Fiordiligi), Léopold Simoneau (Ferrando), Lisa Otto (Despina), Nan Merriman (Dorabella), Rolando Panerai (Guglielmo), Sesto Bruscantini (Don Alfonso)
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