Description: Two CD collection featuring the finest voices in Opera performing the most beautiful arias by the classic composers. An aria is a self-contained piece for vocals with orchestral accompaniment and this collection gathers together arias that will touch your heart and relax your soul as you are lifted by their beautiful melodies. 40 tracks including solos from Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Jennifer Lamore, William Christie, Marcello Viotti and many others. WEA. 2008.
Description: Superlatives don't do justice to this priceless and incomparable collection of duets by opera's two most charismatic singers, whose interpretations are brimming with nuance only the truly gifted could capture. However pleasing Cecilia Bartoli's renditions of Cherubino and others in Mozart Arias, the depth of Susanna's emotional life that Bartoli conveys has yet to be even imagined by other sopranos, as she rips through opera's boundaries, creating her very own Fach and threatening the jobs of soubrettes the world over. Once she and Bryn Terfel draw you into their world of stellar, multidimensional creations, there's no escape from pleasure; in their talented hands, recitative becomes as interesting as any aria. The duo's inherent charm overcomes Bartoli's difficulties with German and the dramatic Terfel's with coloratura; however, their sincere attempts to meet these challenges are most endearing. --Barbara Eisner Bayer
Description: The new faces of opera present opera favorites in a glamorous live concert recording: Anna Netrebko, Elına Garanca, Ramón Vargas and the highly acclaimed young French baritone Ludovic Tézier sing a wide range of Italian and French opera arias This recording features highlights from three gala concerts at Baden-Baden's Festspielhaus - surely the hottest event of the summer! What's more, the third concert will be broadcast live on television and be a part of a documentary film directed by Robert Dornhelm, setting new standards for classical-music films. The release date for the complete documentary DVD is scheduled for 2009. The CD features the four young stars performing duets and the popular quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore" from Rigoletto. Other highlights include Delibes' famous flower duet from Lakmé for which Anna and Elı-na are the heaven-sent dream team! (Remember the British Airways TV spot with this music?!) It's like having Christmas and Easter on one day to catch these young stars in a single concert program, since they are all in great demand at international opera houses and concert halls. Tickets for all three concerts were sold out in just a few days.
