Beverly Sills - The Great Recordings

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Beverly Sills - The Great Recordings

	Release Date: 05/11/2004 Label: Deutsche Grammophon Catalog #: 000246902 Spars Code: ADD Composer: Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss, Jules Massenet, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Jacques Offenbach, Franz Lehár, Rudolf Sieczynski, Gioachino Rossini, Douglas Moore Performer: Nicolai Gedda, Heather Begg, Richard Van Allan, Paul Plishka, Beverly Sills, Shirley Verrett, James Levine, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Kenneth MacDonald Conductor: Julius Rudel, Jussi Jalas, Aldo Ceccato, Sir Charles Mackerras, James Levine, Emerson Buckley Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, Ambrosian Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra Number of Discs: 2 Recorded in: Stereo Length: 2 Hours 2 Mins.	List Price: $17.98 CD $14.99 In Stock On sale!

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Notes & Reviews	Back to Top

This 2-CD set, slightly more than two hours of music, presents arias and scenes from Beverly Sills' recordings made between 1959 (Baby Doe) and 1975 (Barbiere)--most are taken from the years 1968-73. She began to sing Elisabetta I in Devereux in October, 1969, and by early '71 the role had begun to take its toll on her voice--and it's remarkable how easy it is to tell what was recorded pre- and post-Devereux just by listening carefully from track to track. The bottom line, of course, is that regardless of when she recorded, Sills always was a great artist who brought intelligence and sensitivity to any role she sang, and so everything here is worth hearing, and hearing more than once--well, "Contro un cor" is a bit thorny and the "Mira o Norma" is not very "bel" canto, with Shirley Verrett's Adalgisa more interesting than persuasive. But among the rest, the "Capuleti" aria from '68, though overembellished, is beautiful beyond description, with high notes floated almost supernaturally; her Manon is wholly satisfying and her Antonia (in Hoffmann) is stunning, though a bit rough vocally, with Norman Treigle as a phenomenally sinister Dr. Miracle and Julius Rudel conducting up a storm; "Vorrei spiegarvi, O Dio" and Strauss' "Amor" are simply ravishing; "Martern aller Arten" is a whiz-bang lesson in Mozartian coloratura; and the Devereux final scene (from 1969) is tragically exhausting in its depth of characterization and feeling. Oh yes--the aria from Robert le diable is a knockout. If you don't own at least half of these selections on other recordings, go out and buy this. --Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com


Works on This Recording			Back to Top

1.	I puritani: Son vergin vezzosa "Polacca" by Vincenzo Bellini
	Performer: Nicolai Gedda (Tenor), Heather Begg (Mezzo Soprano), Richard Van Allan (Bass), Paul Plishka (Bass), Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1835; Italy	Date of Recording: 08/1973 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 5 Minutes 55 Secs.


2.	I Capuleti e i Montecchi: Oh, quante volte by Vincenzo Bellini
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Jussi Jalas Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Volksoper Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1830; Italy	Date of Recording: 06/1968 Venue: Mozart Hall, Concert Hall, Vienna Length: 9 Minutes 43 Secs.

	Notes: This selection begins with "Eccomi..."


3.	Norma: Mira, o Norma by Vincenzo Bellini
	Performer: Shirley Verrett (Mezzo Soprano), James Levine (), New Philharmonia Orchestra (), Beverly Sills (Soprano) Period: Romantic Written: 1831; Italy	Date of Recording: 08/1973 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 8 Minutes 32 Secs.


4.	Attila: Santo di patria...A lor che i forti...Da te questo by Giuseppe Verdi
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Aldo Ceccato Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Chorus Period: Romantic Written: 1846; Italy	Date of Recording: 08/1974 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 7 Minutes 9 Secs.


5.	Roberto Devereux: Che m'apporti by Gaetano Donizetti
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano), Kenneth MacDonald (Tenor) Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus Period: Romantic Written: 1837; Italy	Date of Recording: 06/1969 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 3 Minutes 29 Secs.


6.	Roberto Devereux: Quel sangue by Gaetano Donizetti
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus Period: Romantic Written: 1837; Italy	Date of Recording: 06/1969 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 5 Minutes 32 Secs.


7.	Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio, K 418 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Aldo Ceccato Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Classical Written: 1783; Vienna, Austria	Date of Recording: 08/1970 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 23 Secs.


8.	Lieder (6), Op. 68: no 5, Amor by Richard Strauss
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Aldo Ceccato Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1918; Germany	Date of Recording: 08/1970 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.


9.	Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K 384: Martern aller Arten by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Aldo Ceccato Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Classical Written: 1782; Vienna, Austria	Date of Recording: 08/1970 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 8 Minutes 10 Secs.


10.	La traviata: Ah, fors' è lui...Sempre libera by Giuseppe Verdi
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Aldo Ceccato Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1853; Italy	Date of Recording: 07/1971 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 12 Minutes 34 Secs.


11.	Manon: Regardez-moi by Jules Massenet
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: New Philharmonia Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1883-1884; France	Date of Recording: 07/1970 Venue: All Saints' Church, London, England Length: 2 Minutes 36 Secs.


12.	Manon: Toi! Vous!...N'est ce plus ma main by Jules Massenet
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano), Nicolai Gedda (Tenor) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1883-1884; France	Date of Recording: 07/1970 Venue: All Saints' Church, London, England Length: 8 Minutes 48 Secs.


13.	Robert le Diable: Robert, toi que j'aime by Giacomo Meyerbeer
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1831; France	Date of Recording: 05/1969 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 7 Minutes 10 Secs.


14.	Les contes d'Hoffmann: Ne chanteras plus? by Jacques Offenbach
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1881; Paris, France	Date of Recording: 07/1972 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 5 Minutes 0 Secs.


15.	Les contes d'Hoffmann: Cher enfant que j'appelle by Jacques Offenbach
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1881; Paris, France	Date of Recording: 07/1972 Venue: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London Length: 4 Minutes 7 Secs.


16.	Giuditta: Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss by Franz Lehár
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1934; Vienna, Austria	Date of Recording: 05/1971 Venue: Fairfield Halls, Croydon, England Length: 5 Minutes 20 Secs.


17.	Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume by Rudolf Sieczynski
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Julius Rudel Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: Romantic	Date of Recording: 05/1971 Venue: Fairfield Halls, Croydon, England Length: 5 Minutes 7 Secs.


18.	Il barbiere di Siviglia: Contro un cor by Gioachino Rossini
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano), Nicolai Gedda (Tenor) Conductor: James Levine Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Period: Romantic Written: 1816; Italy	Date of Recording: 05/1975 Venue: All Saints' Church, Tooting, London Length: 7 Minutes 37 Secs.


19.	The Ballad of Baby Doe: Horace! ... through the changing by Douglas Moore
	Performer: Beverly Sills (Soprano) Conductor: Emerson Buckley Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Period: 20th Century Written: 1956; USA	Date of Recording: 06/1969 Venue: New York City Length: 4 Minutes 17 Secs.

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