ARTISTS
Choir of Winchester Cathedral
Waynflete Singers
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
David Hill

TRACKLISTING
PARRY
I was glad
Long since in Egypt's plenteous land
Blest pair of Sirens
Jerusalem (orch. Elgar)

BAIRSTOW
Blessed City, heavenly Salem

ELGAR
Great is the Lord, Op. 67
O hearken Thou
Give unto the Lord, Op. 74

STANFORD
Te Deum laudamus in B flat
Magnificat in B flat, Op. 10
Nunc dimittis in B flat, Op. 10

HADLEY
My beloved spake

Recorded in the splendidly lush acoustic of Winchester Cathedral, this popular Decca/Argo release is now restored to circulation at super-budget price. With such popular favourites as Parry's I was glad and Elgar's orchestration of Jerusalem it is sure to win a new audience, but there are also many other pieces for choir and orchestra here to be discovered.

'Finally Jerusalem itself comes as the culminating tableau, with the solidity of massed unison voices and the flaming chariots and swirling arrows of desire set ablaze in the orchestral score which Elgar wrote for it four years after Parry's death. [...] This is a sumptuous programme, and David Hill's by no means meagre forces present it with a fine sense of style and occasion, vividly recorded too. There is not only the splendour of sheer amplitude but also a spring in the rhythm (as in Stanford's Magnificat) and beauty of tone in the quieter passages such as the hymn from Parry's Judith.' Gramophone

ARTISTS:
Arleen Auger, soprano
Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra
Christopher Hogwood

TRACKLISTING
HAYDN
Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIb/2
Berenice che fai, Hob. XXIVa/10
Miseri noi! misera patria! - Funesto orror, Hob. XXIVa/7
Solo e pensoso, Hob. XXIVb/20
Son pietosa, son bonina, Hob. XXXII/1b

'The Handel and Haydn Society is America's oldest performing arts organization still in existence, having been founded in 1815 - a mere six years after the death of Haydn himself. With this recording of his arias and cantatas for solo soprano the society has done the musical world a great service: this is lovely music lovingly performed. It is almost a commonplace to say that Haydn has been consistently overshadowed by Mozart in the field of opera, but this has also meant the neglect of these quintessentially operatic miniatures. [...] Arleen Augér is superbly dramatic in the cantatas, gauging the emotional temperature perfectly and translating that into her voice through a subtle use of tone-colour and a commendably flexible approach to vibrato: drama without vocal histrionics. [...] I found this a most enjoyable recording, one I won't tire of hearing in a long time.' Gramophone

TRACKLISTING
Jeanie with the light brown hair
Beautiful Dreamer
If you've only got a moustache
Camptown Races
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
I've just come from the fountain
The Lord's Prayer
Shenandoah
Billy Boy
Go 'way from my window
Five Songs from 'Old American Songs' (arr. Copland): Simple Gifts · Ching-a-ring-Chaw · Long time ago · I bought me a cat · At the river · You're a grand old flag  
When Johnny comes marching home
God Bless America
I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier
Battle Hymn of the Republic

Quintessential mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne treats us to a program of great songs from The American Songbook - a veritable quilt of many-coloured delights. The arrangements range from delicate to lush and the mood ranges from racy fun to religiously uplifting. This CD, one of first Decca's releases on compact disc has been excerpted occasionally but, as an entity, has long been out of circulation, so it's good to have it back again - at super-budget price!

ARTISTS
Renate Holm, soprano · Werner Krenn, tenor
Orchester der Wiener Volksoper / Anton Paulik
Pilar Lorengar, soprano
Wiener Opernorchester / Walter Weller

TRACKLISTING
Highlights from:
The Merry Widow
Schön ist die Welt
The Land of Smiles
Paganini
Der Zarewitsch
Friederike
Der Graf von Luxemburg
Eva
Gypsy Love

ARTISTS
Singers of the Amsterdam Synagogue
(Chorus master: Antoon Krelage)
B. W. d Jong, schofar
Ger van Leeuwen

TRACKLISTING
The Great Feasts
The Three Feasts
Sabbath
Hanukah

The program on this CD is composed of various liturgical songs, arranged around four different themes within the Jewish year: the high festivals, the three main festivals, the Sabbath and Hanukah. It will be much sought-after.

ARTISTS
Alicia de Larrocha, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

TRACKLISTING
ALBÉNIZ: Rapsodia española (arr. Cristóbal Halffter)
TURINA: Rapsodia sinfónica, Op. 66
MONTSALVATGE: Concerto Breve for Piano & Orchestra
SURINACH: Concerto for Piano & Orchestra

ARTISTS
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly

TRACKLISTING
RAVEL: Boléro
DEBUSSY: Sarabande (orch. Ravel) · Danse (orch. Ravel)
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

One of Riccardo Chailly's first recordings with the Concertgebouw, reissued at super-budget price and marking the conductor's glorious tenure with this magnificent orchestra, this disc provides a fascinating picture of Ravel the Orchestrator. For those after thrilling recordings of Boléro and Pictures at an Exhibition this is a self-recommending recording, but the rare gems by Debussy will also provide much delight.

'this is one of Decca's ripely brilliant Concertgebouw recordings, very full and powerful, and that comes out strikingly in the Mussorgsky' Gramophone

ARTISTS
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Jean Martinon

TRACKLISTING
HÉROLD
Zampa

BOIELDIEU
Le Calife de Bagdad
La Dame Blanche

ADAM
Si j'étais Roi

OFFENBACH
Le Mariage aux Lanternes
La Belle Hélène
Barbe-bleu
La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein
Orphée aux Enfers  

With this CD, you are in possession of two very special LP recordings which form one of the most sparkling collections of its kind. In short, you have a gem. The concert going public has, alas, been deprived of this once-popular overture repertoire for too long: classical music these days has become serious business, with little room for anything as frivolous as fun. But here we have nine little masterpieces of wit, fizzing with Gallic insouciance, under the incomparable direction of Jean Martinon. You are unlikely to hear these performances surpassed and their effect is as seductive as vintage champagne. (From the liner notes by Paul Westcott)

'Jean Martinon ... whips the orchestra into shape with the sheer energy of his conducting. All of these performances will set your pulse racing and toes tapping, from the élan of Hérold's Zampa to an absolutely wild account of the "can-can" finale to Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld ... He was one of those conductors whose emphasis on basic musical values of good rhythm, just balances, and faithful adherence to the score almost always yielded superior results, and despite the dated sonics his admirers will be very happy that these performances are now generally available.' ClassicsToday.com

ARTISTS
[Concerto No. 5]:
Alicia de Larrocha, piano
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta

[Concerto in D]:
Olli Mustonen, piano
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie
Jukka-Pekka Saraste

TRACKLISTING
BEETHOVEN
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
Concerto in D major for Piano & Orchestra (Arranged by the composer from the Violin Concerto, Op. 61)

ARTISTS
Wiener Philharmoniker
Horst Stein

TRACKLISTING
BRUCKNER
Symphony No. 6 in A major

WEBER
Overture: Der Beherrscher der Geister (The Ruler of the Spirits)
Overture: Abu Hassan      

ARTISTS
Boris Belkin, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Kirill Kondarshin [Concerto No. 1]
Rudolf Barshai [Concerto No. 2]
Walter Weller [Love for Three Oranges]

TRACKLISTING
PROKOFIEV
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19
Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63
Love for Three Oranges: Suite, Op. 33a

ARTISTS
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner

TRACKLISTING
CARISSIMI: Vittoria , mio core!
VIVALDI: Se il cor guerriero (Tito Manlio)
GLUCK: O del mio dolce ardor (Paride ed Elena)
GIORDANI: Caro mio ben
HANDEL: Dignare o Domine (Dettingen Te Deum)
VIVALDI: Orribile lo scempio (Tito Manlio)
CALDARA: Selve amiche (La costanza in amor vince l'inganno)
GLUCK: Che farò senza Euridice? (Orfeo ed Euridice)
HANDEL: Frondi tenere e belle - Ombra mai fù (Serse)
HANDEL: Sorge infausta (Orlando)
CALDARA: Come raggio di sol
DURANTE: Vergin, tutto amor
HANDEL: Chi sprezzando (Brockes Passion)
SCARLATTI: Già il sole dal Gange
ANONYMOUS: Nina
DURANTE: Daza, danza, fanciulla
CACCINI: Amarilli, mia bella
CESTI: Si mantiene il mio amor
STRADELLA: Pietà, Signore

The sequence of Italian operas on this recording take us from the birth of opera at the end of the sixteenth century to the first flowerings of the Classical period nearly 200 years later. The extraordinary power and agility of Dmitri Hvorostovsky's voice comes fully into its own on this recording, allowing for a richness and projection not always enjoyed in this rarefied area of the repertoire.

ARTISTS
Julia Varady, soprano
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, bass
Aldo Baldin, tenor
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Neville Marriner

TRACKLISTING
J.S. BACH
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht 'Coffee Cantata', BWV 211
Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet - Cantate Burlesque 'Peasant Cantata', BWV 212

Not all of Bach's Cantatas were written for Sunday service. Here is a pair of humorous offerings performed with great charisma by the husband-wife duo of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Julia Varady.

ARTISTS
Janet Baker, mezzo soprano
Robert Tear, tenor
John Shirley-Quirk, bass
Rachel Lord, oboe
George Malcolm, organ continuo
Philip Ledger, harpsichord continuo
St. Anthony Singers
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Neville Marriner

TRACKLISTING
J.S. BACH
Cantata No. 170 'Vergnügte Ruh' beliebte Seelenlust'
Cantata No. 82 'Ich habe genug'
Cantata No. 159 'Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem'

Long unavailable, these classic 1960s recordings of a trio of Bach cantatas have been restored to circulation, now at super-budget price.

Here's what two Amazon.com surfers had to say about these recordings:

'I have every reason in the world to be grateful for having encountered this wonderful CD over ten years ago now, when I was taking my first tentative steps into the vast ocean of classical music. First of all, this terrific triumvirate of cantatas revealed to me just what a feast of musical riches are to be found in this copious corpus of Bach's output, and secondly, they led me on to the glorious "sacred summits" of the master's settings of the St. Matthew and St. John Passions. For me at least, this is one of the granite cornerstones of my collection, and a fondly remembered musical milestone in my ongoing journey through the repertoire.'

'This is a MUST for anybody interested in Bach's cantatas! Recorded in the 1960s, this set remains one of the best Bach discs ever. Rarely have these cantatas been performed more convincingly and more movingly without sacrificing the beauty of the music.'

In a recent survey of Ich habe genug, Gramophone magazine was high in its praise of this recording and lamented its unavailability. Well, here it is, restored to circulation.

ARTISTS
Melos Ensemble of London

TRACKLISTING
HUMMEL
Septet in D minor, Op. 74
Quintet in E flat major, Op. 87
WEBER
Clarinet Quintet (Grand Quintetto) in B flat major, Op. 34

ARTISTS:
Vienna Philharmonia Quintet
Eduard Mrazek, piano [Schmidt]

TRACKLISTING:
BRUCKNER
String Quintet in F major
SCHMIDT
Piano Quintet in G major

ARTISTS
András Schiff, piano
Yuuko Shiokawa, violin
Boris Pergamenschikow, cello

TRACKLISTING
HAYDN
Piano Trio in E minor, H.12
Piano Trio in F sharp minor, H.26
Piano Trio in E major, H.28
Piano Trio in E flat major, H. 30

ARTISTS
András Schiff, piano
Yuuko Shiokawa, violin
Boris Pergamenschikow, cello

TRACKLISTING
HAYDN
Piano Trio in C major, H.27
Piano Trio in E flat minor, H.31
Piano Trio in A flat major, H.14
Piano Trio in E flat major, H.29

These wonderful performances of Haydn's Piano Trios - eight in all, across the two volumes - have long been unavailable. They were enthusiastically greeted by Richard Wigmore with the following words upon their first appearance and are now reissued at super-budget price:

ARTISTS
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano ; London Symphony Orchestra / David Zinman (No. 1)
Olli Mustonen, piano ; Deutsche Kamerphilharmonie (No. 3)
András Schiff, piano; Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Nos. 4 & 7)
Alicia de Larrocha, piano; London Sinfonietta / David Zinman (No. 5)

TRACKLISTING
J.S. BACH
Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052
Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054
Concerto No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055
Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056
Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV 1058

Purists might squirm, but purists should think again. As Raymond Tuttle says in his background notes to this unique release, 'When purists complain about Bach played on the piano, they also need to be reminded that, as these five concertos were not written for the keyboard in the first place, one might argue that any performance at all is inauthentic. Fortunately, most of us don't have to worry about such matters and can enjoy Bach's second-hand inspirations, which are arguably superior to most composers' first-hand efforts!'

Besides that, the playing here is pure joy, and it allows the listener to delve into three decades of Bach playing, from 1965 (Ashkenazy's recording of the D minor Concerto, one of his first) to 1994 (Olli Mustonen's of the D major). Two specially wondrous moments are András Schiff's sheer unmitigated joyfulness for the first movement of the A major and Alicia de Larrocha's implacable slow movement for the F minor (used famously in the Woody Allen film Hannah and her Sisters).

'It was a stroke of genius to put together this collection of four great contemporary pianists doing a selection of the concertos. Schiff ... knows the key to Bach is pitching the playing between unmediated simplicity and lyric expressiveness ... Mustonen is typically dynamic and Alicia de Larrocha's interpretation is strongly controlled but obviously heartfelt' Sydney Star Observer

ARTISTS
Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano [Nocturne]
Orchestre de Paris / Daniel Barenboim
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Ernest Ansermet [Les Éolides]

TRACKLISTING
FRANCK
Rédemption
Nocturne
Le Chasseur Maudit
Psyché
Les Éolides

A wonderful collection of Franck tone poems, most of them drawn from Daniel Barenboim's now deleted recordings of these for Deutsche Grammophon, adding the wonderfully airborne Ansermet performance of Les Éolides. Try the sheer orchestral terror of Le Chasseur Maudit ('The Accursed Huntsman') or the blazing brass of Rédemption for sonic thrills, or revel in the extraordinary eroticism of Psyché - these wonderful works and recordings are long overdue for exhumation.

ARTISTS
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis  

TRACKLISTING
SIBELIUS
Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49  
Valse Triste, Op. 44
Karelia Suite, Op. 11
En Saga, Op. 9
Tapiola, Op. 112      

Surprisingly, given the synonymity between Colin Davis and Jean Sibelius, three of these recordings have never before been released on CD - Pohjola's Daughter, En Saga and the Karelia Suite. They are masterly performances and a great conspectus of the composer's output from the early opuses to his terrifying final testament, Tapiola.

10/10 recording ClassicsToday.com

'the perspectives are close, but thrillingly so, revealing every iota of color and textural interest. Just listen to the detail that Davis conjures in the big central development of Pohjola's Daughter, solo winds and harp especially, or to the menacing brass crescendos in En Saga (with the bass drum effectively but naturally in balance). These are magnificent performances all, the conductor and players totally inside the composer's special idiom. Even the relaxed but buoyant Karelia Suite has a very special "fairy tale" atmosphere that's entirely appropriate, full of freshness and innocent fun. In short, what you have here are Sibelius' three greatest tone poems (En Saga, Pohjola's Daughter, and Tapiola) in outstanding interpretations and great sound, along with two popular favorites done every bit as well. Need I say more?' 10/10 ClassicsToday.com

ARTISTS
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Kurt Masur

TRACKLISTING
BRAHMS
Hungarian Dances Nos. 1-21
Orchestrations by:
Johannes Brahms: Nos. 1, 3, 10
Johan Andreas Hallén: No. 2
Paul Juon: No. 4
Albert Parlow: Nos. 5, 6, 11-16, 18
Martin Schmeling: No. 7
Robert Schollum: Nos. 8, 9
Antonín Dvorák: Nos. 17, 19-21

ARTISTS
Ernest Rombout, oboe
Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra

TRACKLISTING
attrib. HAYDN: Oboe Concerto in C major, Hob. VIIg:C1
MOZART: Oboe Concerto in C major, KV314 (KV 285d)
HUMMEL: Introduction, Theme & Variations in F major for Oboe & Orchestra, Op. 102   

These peerless recordings of Oboe Concertos are despatched with beautiful clarity by Ernest Rombout both playing the oboe and directing the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra.

ARTISTS
Françoise Pollet, soprano; Choeur de Radio France; Orchestre National de France / Charles Dutoit [Stabat Mater]
Sylvia Greenberg, soprano; Gösta Winbergh, tenor; Choeur de la Radio Suisse Romande; Choeur Pro Arte de Lausanne; L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande / Jesús López-Cobos [Gloria; Te Deum]

TRACKLISTING
POULENC
Stabat Mater for soprano, mixed chorus & orchestra
Gloria for soprano, mixed chorus & orchestra
BIZET
Te Deum for soprano, tenor, chorus & orchestra

Few more radiant expressions of choral singing exist than the opening of Poulenc's Stabat Mater, with Dutoit's fine recording here restored to circulation and coupled with López-Cobos conducting the energetic Gloria, also famous for its soprano solo. The coupling appears for the first time on CD: Bizet's Te Deum, the original LP coupling for the Gloria is a student work of the composer and is a rumbustious, thoroughly enjoyable choral/orchestral romp; moreover it is the only recording of the Te Deum currently available.

ARTISTS
Beaux Arts Trio
Walter Trampler, viola

TRACKLISTING
DVORÁK
Piano Quartets Nos. 1 & 2

These 1970s recordings make their first appearance on CD in this compilation and are masterfully performed by the Beaux Arts Trio and Walter Trampler. Dvorák's two piano quartets have lain in the shade of his glorious Op. 81 Piano Quintet, but where this composer's chamber music is concerned, beautiful surprises await the listener who steps off the beaten path. The music is rich and colourful and the performers capture the full range of sonority these works offer.

ARTISTS
The Choir & Orchestra of Clare College, Cambridge
John Rutter

TRACKLISTING
King Jesus hath a garden
Up! Good Christian folk, and listen.
Gabriel's message
Donkey Carol
Wexford Carol
Cradle Song
Child in the Manger
Mary's Lullaby
Ding Dong! Merrily on high
Quelle est cette odeur agreeable?
I saw a maiden
In dulci jubilo
In the bleak mid-winter
I saw three ships
The noble stem of Jesse
The Crown of Roses
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Omnis mundus jocundetur
Wassail Song
The Holly and the Ivy

Few Christmas records capture the 'holiday' element of this festive season as breezily and delightfully as this recording. Of course, John Rutter's arrangements - and own compositions - have that very trademark quality of breeziness and an 'openness' to the choral/instrumental writing, but these beautiful recordings, made in the chapel of Clare College, too have an endearing dual quality of coolness and warmth. For some time now absent from the Decca catalogue, these recordings are now reissued at super-budget price.

'An outstanding collection, this Decca reissue is first choice!' Penguin Guide to Compact Discs

ARTISTS
Luigi Alva, tenor
New Symphony Orchestra of London
Iller Pattacini

TRACKLISTING
[1] Granada
[2] Ay-Ay-Ay
[3] Valencia
[4] Estrellita
[5] Sin tu amor
[6] Toledo
[7] Princesita
[8] El trust de los tenorios
[9] Te quiero, dijiste muñequita Linda
[10] La partida
[11] Amapola
[12] Sevilla

Complete on CD for the first time! An outstanding Peruvian tenor from a generation before Juan Diego Florez. Peruvian-born Luigi Alva (born Lima 10 April 1927) first appeared in his native Lima in 1949 and made his European debut in 1954 when he sang Alfredo at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan. In 1957 he appeared in Edinburgh in Il matrimonio segreto and was a regular in Milan, where he also sang in some contemporary pieces including Luciano Chailly's Una domanda di matrimonio .

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Luigi Alva appeared regularly in a number of important opera houses including Covent Garden, Chicago, and New York's Met. Luigi Alva participated in the Decca recording of L'Italiana in Algeri with Teresa Berganza under the direction of Silvio Varviso, and achieved great distinction for his Rossini and Mozart interpretations.

ARTISTS
Kathleen Ferrier, contralto
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult

TRACKLISTING
J.S. BACH
[1] Qui sedes Mass in B minor, BWV 232
[2] Grief for sin St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
[3] All is fulfilled St John Passion, BWV 245
[4] Agnus Dei Mass in B minor, BWV 232

HANDEL
[5] Return, O God of Hosts! Samson
[6] O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion Messiah
[7] Father of Heaven Judas Maccabaeus
[8] He was despised Messiah

The first ever international release on CD of this remarkable stereo version of the last recording Kathleen Ferrier ever made: favourite arias by Bach and Handel. Another major event in the rediscovery of this remarkable and deeply touching artist.

Kathleen Ferrier's short but distinguished career was captured on record by Decca, and in the 51 years since her untimely death (in October 1953) her precious legacy has come to be regarded as something unique and unmatched in the history of singing.

Much sought-after in a wide variety of repertory from Lieder by Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, Brahms and Mahler, Kathleen Ferrier was also much in demand for the Bach Passions and Handel oratorios. This recital of Bach and Handel arias was recorded on 7 & 8 October 1952 and originally appeared as a mono LP; it was Kathleen Ferrier's last recording.

None of Kathleen Ferrier's recordings were made in stereo and with the great advances made in recording techniques during the 1950s and the advent of stereo it was decided to attempt to make a stereo version of the Bach and Handel recital. This took place on 19 February 1960 when the same forces as on the original LP assembled to re-record the orchestral parts: Sir Adrian Boult and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A detailed description of the painstaking process is explained by the producer for the recording, James Walker, in the October 1960 edition of Gramophone and the same issue praises the results in a review in the same edition of the magazine:

"... the daunting task of synchronising old and new accompaniments has been carried out with undoubted success and for that all concerned deserve to be congratulated."

The back of the original LP sleeve carries endorsements on this stereo version from Winifred Ferrier, sister of Kathleen, Sir Adrian Boult, and John Culshaw (then head of A & R at Decca), and the back of the LP, as with other releases in the CLASSIC RECITALS series, is reproduced with these endorsements.

ARTISTS
Gwyneth Jones, soprano
Wiener Opernorchester
Argeo Quadri

TRACKLISTING
[1] BEETHOVEN Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin? (Leonore) Fidelio
[2] CHERUBINI Dei tuoi figli la madre tu vedi (Medea) Medea
[3] WAGNER Johohoe! Traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an (Senta) Der fliegende Holländer
[4] BEETHOVEN Ah! Perfido, Op. 65 -- Concert aria
[5] VERDI Vanne, lasciami ... D'amor sull'ali rosee (Leonora) Il trovatore
[6] VERDI Pace, pace mio Dio! (Leonora) La forza del destino

First international release on CD of this March 1966 recital - a wonderful reminder of this much-loved artist's early talent in several key roles.

This release in CLASSIC RECITALS features the outstanding Welsh dramatic soprano - one of the World's most beloved Wagnerians - in highly dramatic scenes from the operas of Verdi, Beethoven and Cherubini - as well as Wagner .

Born in Pontnewydd, Wales on 7 November 1936, Gwyneth Jones studied at London's Royal College of Music and various music conservatories in Europe. Her first appearances were as a mezzo-soprano in 1962 in Zurich and the following year she joined the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She quickly established herself as a dramatic and compelling interpreter of a wide variety of roles including Beethoven's Leonore (heard on this disc) and it was with this role that she made her Royal Opera debut.

ARTISTS
Birgit Nilsson, soprano
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Argeo Quadri

TRACKLISTING
VERDI
[1] Ambizioso spirto ... Vieni! t'affretta! ... Or tutti sorgete (Lady Macbeth) Macbeth
[2] La luce langue Nabucco
[3] Una macchia è qui tutt'ora Nabucco
[4] Ben io t'invenni ... Anch'io dischiuso ... Salgo già (Abigaille) Nabucco
[5] Sono giunta ... Madre, pietosa Vergine (Leonora) La forza del destino
[6] Pace, pace mio Dio! Don Carlo
[7] O don fatale (Eboli) Don Carlo

First international release on CD of the outstanding Swedish dramatic soprano in a truly thrilling recital of great moments from Verdi's most determined heroines.

Birgit Nilsson was born in Karup, Sweden, in 1918. Her early career was based mainly at the Royal Opera in Stockholm where her repertory included many Italian roles and Verdi's Lady Macbeth was one of those with which she had early success.

Although her enduring reputation rests with her interpretations of the great Wagner roles - Brünnhilde and Isolde, as well as Strauss's Salome and Elektra - all interpretations captured on record by Decca in the legendary recordings made with Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic in the 1960s, this Verdi recital made in 1962 is an excellent reminder of her prowess as a powerful and dramatic Verdi interpreter. This is the first time the entire original recital has appeared on CD as an international release.

ARTISTS
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor
Wiener Opernorchester
Edward Downes

TRACKLISTING
VERDI
[1] Oh! fede negar potessi ... Quando le sere al placido (Rodolfo) Luisa Miller
[2] Ah sì, ch'io senta ancora ... Dal più remoto esilio (Jacopo) I due Foscari
[3] Forse la soglia attinse ... Ma se m'è forza perderti (Riccardo) Un ballo in maschera
[4] O figli ... Ah, la paterna mano (Macduff) Macbeth

DONIZETTI
[5] Tombe degli avi miei ... Fra poco a me ricovero (Edgardo) Lucia di Lammermoor
[6] Inosservato, penetrava ... Angelo casto e bel (Duca) Il duca d'Alba
[7] Spirto gentil (Fernando) La favorita
[8] Deserto in terra (Dom Sébastien) Dom Sébastien

The great Luciano Pavarotti's first complete solo recital from 1968! The world's favourite tenor in gloriously youthful voice and singing his beloved Verdi and Donizetti.

ARTISTS
Sylvia Sass, soprano
London Symphony Orchestra
Lamberto Gardelli

TRACKLISTING
PUCCINI
[1] In questa reggia (Turandot) Turandot
[2] Vissi d'arte (Tosca) Tosca
[3] In quelle trine morbide (Manon) Manon Lescaut
[4] Sola, perduta, abbandonata Madama Butterfly
[5] Un bel dì, vedremo (Cio-cio-san) Madama Butterfly

VERDI
[6] Ritorna vincitor! (Aida) Aida
[7] Una macchia è qui tutt'ora (Lady Macbeth) Macbeth
[8] O madre, dal cielo ...Se vano, se vano è il pregare (Giselda) I Lombardi alla prima crociata

First ever release on CD! An outstandingly dramatic Hungarian soprano in high points of Grand Opera. Released following many requests sent to the Decca website.

"The very first phrases of the opening aria ["In questa reggia] command attention and let you know that something rather special has arrived on the scene ... it becomes quite clear that here is an exceptional singer, distinctive in timbre, distinguished in artistry ... the voice glitters rather than soothes, shines rather than warms ... the Lady Macbeth ... is superb." Gramophone September 1977

When this LP first appeared in 1977 Decca was sufficiently impressed with Sylvia Sass's vocal talents to herald her as "Opera's Sensational New Star" on the front of the LP cover! In view of the positive critical reaction to the recital this was certainly justified.

Sass was born in Budapest on 21 July 1951 and studied at the Liszt Academy, joining the Budapest State Opera in 1972. Her early roles included Giselda in Verdi's I Lombardi - a role she recorded under Lamberto Gardelli for Philips (she also appears in the Philips recording of Stiffelio - also with Gardelli), and in which she appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, when the Budapest State Opera production came to London. She also appeared with Scottish Opera in 1975 as Desdemona. At the New York Met in 1977 she made her debut as Tosca.

In addition to this 1977 debut recital which showcases Sass in a number of roles with which she was so closely identified, she also sang the role of Judith in a complete Bluebeard's Castle with Sir Georg Solti, and also under his direction she recorded Donna Elvira in his first complete Don Giovanni.