~ new opera & vocal CDs...
~ new opera & vocal CDs...
"For the Stars"
Costello
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Though an admitted pop novice, Anne Sofie von Otter couldn't have
picked a better confederate than Elvis Costello, an artist whose
taste in songs has seldom been tainted by trend.
"Chants of Camino De Santiago"
Amadis Ensemble
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This record will transport you into a different world of sound and
spirit: simpler, purer, more tranquil and serene. The program
consists of chants from the 12th to the 15th centuries and includes
several Sephardic songs--some quite dancelike, some rather mournful.
"French Arias"
Roberto Alagna
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Roberto Alagna is without peer among contemporary tenors in the
French repertory, as this excellent collection of staples, sprinkled
with rarities, demonstrates. He has the right blend of sweetness for
the lyric selections and exciting vocal heft for those requiring
more muscle.
"Falstaff-Complete Opera"
Giuseppe Verdi
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In honor of the Verdi centenary year, John Eliot Gardiner has
recorded a new period-instrument account of the master's farewell
comic masterpiece, "Falstaff." It's the first Verdi opera recording
undertaken by Sir John (Gardiner, that is).
"Allegri-Miserere; Mundy-Vox Patris caelestis; Palestrina-Missa Papae
Marcelli"
Gregorio Allegri
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The Tallis Scholars' first release on their own Gimell label has
been remastered and offers three masterpieces of the golden age of
Renaissance music.
"Sings Verdi Opera Arias"
Thomas Hampson
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Thomas Hampson is one of our most admired baritones, expert in
lieder and a range of operatic roles, primarily from the German and
French repertories. So it's something of a surprise to find him
featured on a disc of Verdi's brilliant high-baritone arias.
"Six Songs from the Arabian/Three Auden Songs"
Hans Werner Henze
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"Songs from the Arabian" come wholly--text and music--from the pen
of the composer, Hans Werner Henze, who was inspired to write them
after hearing an Ian Bostridge performance of his "Auden Songs."
"Angels Hide Their Faces"
Dawn Upshaw
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Soprano Dawn Upshaw's programs are always interesting, and this
one's a beauty: one of Bach's most heartfelt cantatas, flanked by
songs and arias of Purcell.
TWO NEW RENEE FLEMING RELEASES
Renee Fleming's mastery of a wide repertory extends to the
more rarefied world of song in her recital of music exemplifying
themes of the night. "Night Songs" also represents a marvelous
partnership with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Meanwhile, highlights
from the soprano's very first complete opera recording--"Rosmonda
d'Inghilterra," another of Donizetti's tragic settings of English
history--have been rereleased on Opera Rara.
"Night Songs"
Renee Fleming
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"Sings Rosmonda D'Inghilterra" Renee Fleming Our price: $16.99 | You save: $1.98 ...available here
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
"Russell Watson--The Voice"
Russell Watson
Our price: $12.58 | You save: $5.39
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Russell Watson's story is a classic rags-to-riches fairy tale: the
former welder, after years of singing in pubs and clubs, traveled
from Salford, his hometown, to London and was promptly signed by one
of the most important classical labels in the world.
DOUBLE TAKE
"St. Matthew Passion (enhanced CD with full autograph score)"
J.S. Bach
Our price: $48.42 | You save: $2.55
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It's been more than three decades since Nikolaus Harnoncourt's
milestone first recording of the "St. Matthew Passion." His new
traversal of the mighty work is rich in insights gleaned during the
intervening years.
CLASSICAL BARGAINS
Looking for classical bargains? Try Amazon.com's Music Outlet,
where you'll find thousands of classical discs at prices you'll
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Classical CDs: Under $7
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Opera CDs: $7-$10 ...available here
Opera & Vocal Cutouts ...available here
The late, great American choral conductor Robert Shaw (1916-1999) made
forty-one recordings for Telarc during his tenure as Music Director (and later
Music Director Emeritus) of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Leading the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus (which he founded in 1967, the
year he became Music Director of the ASO) and the expanded Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra Chorus (created in 1970), he recorded a variety of large
sacred and secular masterworks for chorus and orchestra, including his final
Telarc recording—the Dvorak Stabat Mater—completed in 1998 just months
before his death. Great Choral Classics
NEW AND NOTABLE
"Mahler: Symphony no 8/Chailly, Eaglen, Ziesak, et al"
Gustav Mahler
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Riccardo Chailly steers ahead with his Mahler cycle in his account of the composer's most operatic of symphonies: the Eighth, or "Symphony of a Thousand." Featuring one of the world's foremost Mahler orchestras, this recording also numbers Jane Eaglen and Ben Heppner among its roster of soloists.
"Prayers - Ravel, Mozart, Rossini, Gounod, et al/Sumi Jo"
Maurice Ravel
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A rather odd song assembly, to be sure, but this anthology on the theme of contemplative music places the silky, gorgeously focused voice of soprano Sumi Jo center stage, which is reason enough to take notice. James Conlon conducts, and Susan Graham also sings (in a selection from Bernstein's "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue").
"Prokofiev: Love for Three Oranges/Gergiev, et al"
Sergei Prokofiev
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Sergei Prokofiev made the creation of operas a paramount concern throughout his career, despite an unrelenting series of crushing disappointments and botched productions. Each opera has a highly distinctive character, and one of the best-known remains his delightfully iconoclastic "Love for Three Oranges," from the composer's early period of self-imposed exile. After a long absence from the catalog, this new addition by Gergiev and the Kirov forces is entirely welcome.
"Tavener: Total Eclipse, Agraphon/Goodwin, Rozario, et al"
John Kenneth Tavener
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Two world premiere recordings of John Tavener's music appear here, in the composer's second collaboration with Paul Goodwin and the Academy of Ancient Music. The centerpiece is "Total Eclipse," Tavener's intense musical illustration of the conversion of St. Paul, which marries baroque with modern and exotic instrumentation.
"Verdi: Jerusalem/Luisi, Merscheriakova, Giordani, et al"
Giuseppe Verdi
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Written as a revision of the early "I Lombardi" for the Paris Opera, "Jerusalem" is the first example of Verdi's assimilation of French opera idioms into his work. This is its first digital studio recording.
"Ellis Island"
The Irish Tenors
order here It wasn't long ago that the Irish Tenors exploded on the scene with their debut album of Irish standards, winning a very warm welcome for their heartfelt, loving renditions of beloved songs from the Emerald Isle. Now they're back--in their second release with the new lineup of Anthony Kearns, Ronan Tynan, and Finbar Wright. "Ellis Island" pays homage to the immigrant experience with such stirring melodies as "Nearer My God to Thee," "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," and many more.
"Sancte Deus - A Journey through the Renaissance/Higginbottom"
Thomas Tallis
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Take a journey through Renaissance music in this lovely compilation, with Edward Higginbotham leading the Choir of New College, Oxford. It offers a taste of Tallis, Byrd, Victoria, Josquin, and more.
"Vienna Choir Boys - Amazing Grace"
Traditional
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The legendary Vienna Choir Boys was founded as an institution half a millennium ago, and a number of famous musicians have been alumni of this almost peerless ensemble through the centuries. On their latest release, the VCB go international, singing a blend of traditional folk melodies from around the world.
FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS: BOSTRIDGE SINGS BACH
"Ich habe genug" ("It is enough")--one of J.S. Bach's best-known cantatas--conveys the peace and poignant serenity of faith, even in this bittersweet longing for the end, "I look forward to my death." Written for bass, the cantata acquires a sensuous touch in tenor Ian Bostridge's performance that is rarely encountered in Bach interpretation. Download this aria for free in our newly revamped digital downloads area.
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SEE HOW THE FATES THEIR GIFTS ALLOT: GILBERT & SULLIVAN VIDEOS
The beloved operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan live on in community productions as well as on video. The most comprehensive series, from Opera World, collects 12 shows in performances filmed for television in the 1980s, and many of them are available in English-subtitled versions that will help you keep up with Gilbert's intricate lyrics.
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VICTOR BORGE
The recent passing of Victor Borge reminds us how laugh-out-loud funny the Danish pianist could be when spoofing the usually serious world of classical music. The live performance captured in "The Best of Victor Borge, Acts One and Two" includes some of his most memorable moments, including Phonetic Punctuation, the Timid Page Turner, and a Liszt rhapsody for two pianists--played on one piano!
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See more Victor Borge
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SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT: NEW MUSIC
Looking for recordings from classical music's vanguard? Check out our listing of recommended New-Music releases. You'll find the latest and best discs from some of today's most intriguing composers.
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USED & COLLECTIBLE MUSIC
Amazon.com Music now features used and collectible CDs on detail pages for new items. You'll find a box like the one at left on the detail page for any CD offered by a Marketplace seller. With each listing, we offer the name and a rating for each seller to help you make informed purchasing decisions, and all these items are Amazon.com Payments enabled, so you can safely and securely purchase them with a credit card. Our used inventory has grown dramatically, so visit Amazon.com Music and explore.
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Leon Botstein/American Symphony Orchestra
Two Song Cycles for Vocal Quartet
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Von Otter and Elvis Costello?