Strauss, R: (Der) Rosenkavalier

Advantages: Great sampler, excellent recording.
Disadvantages: Not quite as memorable as being there in person.

...Strauß I introduced to Vienna in the late 1820s, 1830s and early 1840s. The CD then also features a selection of Polkas from all three of the Straußes, with Johann Strauß II's Electro-magnetische Polka and Electrofor-Polka being performed for the first time. The bonus CD, which contains encores of Josef Strauß' "Ohne Sorgen", Johann Strauß' "An der schönen blauen Donau" - better known to us of course as the "Blue Danube Waltz", followed up by the Radetzkymarsch, which is a rousing bombastic military march, which often have tears welling in the eyes of the fervent Austrian patriot. The sound quality is exceptional, but that is only to be expected of a fully Digital (DDD) recording of this concert. The technical set-up for the concert is rumoured to take days rather than hours and the quality of the recording is exceptional. The CD inlay case... Read review

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Advantages: Virtuosic operatic vocalism, unusual repertoire, mad scenes...
Disadvantages: Fleming's voice is maybe not best suited for this...

...the phrase - I hate you with the notes A B C a simple melodic line which can be full of musical expression in itself. But in bel canto, you are going to find this kind of phrase: I hate you ACBDCEDFG# AGFEDCBA A C E A C E A with lots of ornamentation... fast runs, arpeggios, you name it - these singers will do it. It is a real virtuosic tour de force. Performers: Renée Fleming is the soprano soloist on this disc. She was born in 1959 in America and has developed a world class career singing at the major world opera houses, enjoying a particularly close relationship with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her voice is regarded as mainly lyrical, and her biggest successes have been in works from that part of the operatic repertoire, such as "Der Rosenkavalier... Read review

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Advantages: everything
Disadvantages: nothing

...Rossini Largo al factotum (Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1816)) Giacomo Puccini Che gelida manina (Bohème (highlights)) Vissi d'arte (Tosca) Nessun dorma (Turandot) O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi) Robert Prizeman Voca me Gabriel Faure In paradisum (Requiem Op.48) Paul McCartney Celebration (Standing Stone) Carl Orff O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov The Flight of the Bumble-bee Johann II Strauss An der schonen, blauen Donau, Op.314 Edvard Hagerup Grieg Allegro molto moderato (Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16) George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (1924) jazzband version Gustav Holst The Planets: Jupiter - excerpt Sergei Prokofiev Montagues and Capulets (Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64) Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso (Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op.23) 1812 - Festival Overture... Read review

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