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The Classic Recitals series goes from strength to strength, with Decca's seemingly endless vaults of great classical vocal recitals. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING The glorious spanish soprano in a recital of German opera and operetta arias recorded in the Sofiensaal in Vienna. Spanish soprano Pilar Lorengar was born in Zaragoza on 16 January 1928 and died in Berlin on 2 June 1996. Her early success was in singing traditional zarzuelas in Spain. Her operatic career began to flourish during the late 1950s when she began to appear in all the important opera houses and where she achieved special distinction for her interpretations of Mozart. However, she presented a breadth of operatic repertory that included many Puccini roles and several of the important Wagnerian roles -- notably Elsa and Eva. It was the Deutsche Oper in Berlin where she first appeared in 1958 that became very much her operatic 'home', and she appeared in that house for over thirty years. Although her 'official' discography is not large it amply demonstrates the superb lyrical qualities of her voice and her stylish interpretative gifts, clearly demonstrated in the selection of operatic arias and the handful of operetta numbers included here. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING A new Classic Recital from Renata Tebaldi in response to countless requests through the Decca website. Then reissue features glorious singing from the great soprano in spectacular arias from popular Italian operas, recorded in London in 1964. Two releases in Classic Recitals have already been devoted to Renata Tebaldi - one an early compilation programme and the other a programme of opera duets with Franco Corelli. These two titles are among the most popular in the series so far, and since the death of Renata Tebaldi in late 2004 there have been many more requests to release another CD in this series. Renata Tebaldi was born in Pesaro on 1 February 1922 and made her debut at Rovigo in Mefistofele (as Elena) in May 1944. One of her earliest and most enduring roles was that of Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème which she first sang in Parma in January 1945 and which would feature in her repertory until 1970. At New York's Metropolitan Opera, where she first appeared in 1955, Tebaldi performed all of her stage roles and it was in that house that she gave her final stage appearances as Desdemona (in Verdi's Otello ) under the baton of James Levine in January 1973. Renata Tebaldi's farewell recital would be on home ground when she bade farewell to her public at La Scala, on 23 May 1976. She died on 19 December 2004. Renata Tebaldi's catalogue of recordings for Decca began with a recital disc, made in 1949. Over the next twenty years she would go on to record twenty-seven complete opera recordings of twenty-two roles. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING A fondly remembered soprano sings popular arias by Verdi and Puccini, for the first time on CD. There have been many requests to reissue this recital of Verdi and Puccini arias by Fecilia Weathers and this is the first time it has appeared complete on CD. Felicia Weathers was born in St Louis on 13 August 1937 and studied voice at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. After further studies in Europe she made her opera debut in Kiel in 1961 and her first appearance at the Hamburg State Opera in 1963. From 1966-70 she was a member of the Hamburg State Opera. Other major appearances include a Metropolitan Opera debut in 1965 and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1970. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING Decca presents this complete recital on CD for the first time, a timely reminder of the great Welsh tenor and outstanding Mozartian. Welsh tenor Stuart Burrows was born at Pontypridd on 7 February 1933. He studied in Wales and made his opera debut in Nabucco with Welsh National Opera in 1963. His Covent Garden debut was as Beppe ( Pagliacci ) in 1967; the same year he made his American debut with the San Francisco Opera. Other important debuts followed with Tamino ( Die Zauberflöte ) at the Vienna State Opera in 1971 and New York Met in 1972. Mozart was always an important part of Stuart Burrows's repertory and in Solti's 1969 recording of Die Zauberflöte he sang the role of Tamino. He participated in a number of other Decca recordings and this all-Mozart recital displays his stylish interpretations of a selection of Mozart arias to perfection. It is released at the start of the Mozart Anniversary year and appears as the original complete programme for the first time on CD. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING Complete on CD for the first time, this is the only recital Fischer-Dieskau recorded for Decca and it showcases the art of the great German baritone in rare Mozart and Haydn. The distinguished German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau celebrated his 80th birthday on 28 May 2005. Fischer-Dieskau's career started in 1947 when he sang in Ein deutsches Requiem at Freiburg, and in 1948 his opera career began in his native Berlin when he sang Posa ( Don Carlos ). Fischer-Dieskau is one of the greatest interpreters of lieder and has recorded a huge amount of this repertory (mainly for DG). His operatic roles are equally numerous and his range of repertory extends from Mozart roles through to twentieth-century pieces such as Hindemith's Mathis, Berg's Wozzeck, Henze's Mittenhofer (a role he created), and Reimann's Lear. Fischer-Dieskau also sang in the world premiere of Britten's War Requiem and the subsequent Decca recording; he also recorded Britten's Songs and Proverbs of William Blake (with Britten as pianist). While a large number of Fischer-Dieskau's recordings are on DG he has participated in a number of other important recordings for Decca: Das Lied von der Erde (Bernstein); Die Zauberflöte (Solti); Tosca (Maazel); Shostakovich Symphony 14 (Haitink) and Michelangelo Sonnets (Ashkenazy); several Verdi and Wagner operas. |
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ARTISTS TRACKLISTING Swiss bass Fernando Corena was born in Geneva on 22 December 1916 and died at Lugano on 26 November 1984. After studying in Milan he made his debut in 1937 and during World War 2 he remained in Zurich. After the war he made his debut as Varlaam at Trieste. After a series of appearances in Italy he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1954 as Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Appearances in England followed and Covent Garden saw him as Dr Bartolo (in Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia) in 1960 & 1969. It was the buffo repertory that Corena came to specialise in and he made numerous appearances in many important houses throughout Europe and further afield. This recital includes several arias from Rossini's comic buffo roles in which Corena was outstanding. It also includes many well-loved Italian and French arias as well as some fascinating rarities. |
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