Various Composers - 'Con Amore' Italian Soprano Opera Arias [Swenson/Rudel-London Symphony Orchestra]

Here's a nice little Opera Aria recital, without a Rossini in sight!, i love these compilations with a theme / programme to it, in this case it's Italian Composers, Swenson isn't the greatest i must admit, but she's very good, had this disc since 2001, and it got a fair play in it's early years, been a little neglected recently, but it's good to hear this again, i don't seem to listen to Opera Arias enough.

Ruth Ann Swenson is American, she's now 55, and she recorded this disc in 1998, the photo is a nice one [by Alex Newhall], nice and sharp, pastel colours, and really good lettering down the right side, so ten Arias in all, although there's 14 tracks, so four are split up into sections, i rubbed on letter transfers A-J to help me see where i am.

Well i guess it's the usual suspects here, the most famous Arias, i certainly enjoyed the Bellini items, he has a certain way with adding wonderful instruments, almost like having a Concerto movement at times, and 'tracks' A-E & J were my favourites, but the Aria that really touched me the most was track 7 / E 'Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi' from Puccini's La Boheme, whatever you think of Puccini, his simple melodies, his simple stories too, there's no doubt that he can move you with his music, this is one of the most touching Arias of his, after Rudolfo introduces himself to Mimi in his Aria, he asks her to tell him about her, and this is the cue for her Aria, she starts hesitatingly, and maybe a bit monotonous at first, but the lyricism soon flows, and those high notes on words of magic / love / spring [1:03-1:24], she then sings of the first rays of April's sunshine, like a kiss are hers [2:50-3:47], the high notes Swenson hits are thrilling, and also about the gentle perfume of her flowers [4:01-4:19], the whole Aria is full of heart tugs galore, you can't fail to be moved. 

Here's on Swenson singing Mimi's Aria on YouTube.

Various Composers - Overtures & Intermezzi [Varviso-Staatskapelle Dresden] 

What an excellently compiled disc this is, a really well chosen programme, a lovely mix of different composers, and some very well chosen works, this is not like some compilations by Karajan / Marriner etc, that bring together a bunch of different performances recorded at different times, but this is a planned recital, all recorded together for this disc especially, some real thought has gone into it, the works were composed roughly around the same time, the first half of the disc is dedicated to Italian Composers, and the second half to French Composers, i love the way it mixes some very well known works, with some rarer items, the end product is more than the sum of its parts.

Silvio Varviso is a Swiss Conductor, he was born in 1924, and died nearly 6 years ago in 2006, he recorded this disc in 1983, the front cover picture [by Vulvio Roiter] is strange, i think it's of a mummer at the Carnival of Venice, yes Venice does get snow, but i don't think at Easter when the Carnival is, i guess this is a bird man, it's actually a really good shot, i like the lace wings, the black of the guy in stark contrast to the white of the snow, the lettering is excellent also, listing all the Composers, a great idea visually.

There was so much good stuff on here, one after another i was wowed at the inventiveness of so many great Composers, the military / brass in the Rossini Thieving Magpie, the Ponchielli Dance Of The Hours is a favourite of mine on this disc, and the different sections are thrilling, the Mascagni Intermezzi is something i would love to have played at my funeral!, and the Saint-Saens Bacchanale is full of Eastern flair and wonder, but very surprisingly the piece that really got to me was the Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut, a piece that on previous listenings hadn't truly caught my attention, it starts off very low key, almost like a String Quartet, Cello and Viola playing a duet, but when it opens up [1:15-1:48], the whole thing explodes into a sad refrain that only Puccini knows how to do, and then the strings swoon [1:48+], it's a glorious moment, Puccini really knows how to tug those heartstrings, and also he knows how to brings the piece down into a lovely refrain after a forte [3:04+], and even further along there's a cherishable moment of denouement on the refrained violins [3:29-3:46], Puccini certainly knows how to bring things to a close, the closing thoughts of this short piece are expertly done [4:01+], wow! a nice new favourite.

Here's Pablo Varela conducting Puccini's Manon Lescaut Intermezzo on YouTube.

Various Composers - 'Diva' Soprano Opera Arias [Gheorghiu/ Various Conductors & Orchestras]

I only mentioned Angela Gheorghiu a week ago in some Verdi arias [27th March 2010], here she is again in a compilation album of arias, this is not a cheap 'best of', but rather a well chosen collection, with a booklet having full texts and translations, and a short synopsis of each aria, plus the colour scheme on the booklet is pleasing.

Most of the recordings are studio, but there are 3 live tracks, and only the last [and probably most famous] has clapping at the end, which rounds off a nice collection, bravo!.

A few of these arias i was not familiar with, track/aria 12 for example 'Vissi D'Arte' [I Lived For Art], i've heard it before, but i've never really listened to it, taken from Puccini's Opera Tosca, Gheorghiu plays the leading lady Tosca, who is forced to choose by the Chief of Police, Scarpia, between allowing her lover Cavaradossi to die, or satisfying Scarpia's own desire for her, in a prayer to God, she's asks why?, after a holy life she has led, why does she have to make such a choice.

Puccini has a real knack for stirring up emotions, for placing his characters in noble situations, where the human chooses the divine, the aria rises and falls, it tugs at the heartstrings, not to mention there's a couple of great tunes in there, she sings of some of the things she has done in her life [1:22-1:41],

Sempre con fe sincera [Ever in pure faith]

diedi fiori agli altar [i brought flowers to the altar]

The penultimate forte she cries in anguish, why? [2:32-2:46]

Perche, perche, Signore? [Why, why, oh Lord?]

It's thrillingly powerful and heart-wrenching, Gheorghiu cuts to your soul, you get sucked in to the plot and the character, you feel you're a part of her crying out, what a wonderful aria, and Gheorghiu has all the emotion and passion you could wish for.

Here's Angela Gheorghiu singing 'Vissi D'Arte' on YouTube.