Various Composers - Scottish Overtures [Gibson-The Scottish National Orchestra] 

Now here's a nice little disc of Overtures around the theme of 'Scotland', which mixes the familiar [Mendelssohn], with the less well known [Arnold & MacCunn], more discs should be produced like this, i'm sure that there are many unknown works lasting roughly 10 minutes that you could throw on a compilation, Composers that would have a hard time having their big works known more, would find it easier having a shorter work heard.

Alexander Gibson was a Scottish Conductor, he passed away 165 years ago, and this disc was recorded in 1981, Chandos Records are a wonderful disc label, making many innovative recordings, this is one of their very earliest discs, right at the beginning of the digital era, the photo on the front cover [by Derek Foss] is very good, a picture of a couple of Red Highland cows on Loch Slapin, Scotland, lovely blues and greens in the picture, it's the lettering which is ingenious, covering all the works, and all the Composers in one central box.heard.

I must admit i liked the Verdi Ballet music the best, this is a work i have never heard before, and i certainly like it a lot.

Here's Edward Downes playing the opening of the Verdi piece on YouTube.

Various Composers - French Soprano Opera Arias [Pollet/Diederich-Orchestre Philharmonique De Montpellier]

I can't find much information about Francoise Pollet, apart from she's French, and is now 60.

This is a lovely recital, every time i play it i really enjoy it, one of the good things about this disc is the fact it has some less known arias on it, when you dig deeper beyond the obvious, you find some treasureable arias in the French repertoire.

The arias i found most enlightening were 2, 4-5, & 7-10, with track 9, the Verdi aria from Don Carlos 'Toi qui sais le neant des choses de ce monde', sung by Elizabeth to be the most satisfying and enlightening.

It begins with a long orchestral introduction [about two and a half minutes], starting with soft horns that grow louder into full brass [0:00-0:35], the same horns/brass return, but now are accompanied by the violins [0:59+], a lovely start to the Aria, which sets the scene so well, Elizabeth sings of all nature in the garden might sing of her love for Don Carlos [6:49-7:47],

Beaux jardins espagnols [Fine Spanish gardens]

a l'heure pale et sombre [now pale and dark]

Si Carlos doit encore [If Carlos once again]

s'arreter sous votre ombre [were to stop in your shade]

Que vos fleurs [May all your flowers]

vos gazons, vos fontaines [lawns, and fountains]

Chantent vos souvenirs [Sing your memories]

avec toutes leurs voix [with all their voices]

There's a climax at Chantent [Sing], very powerful, the Aria is nice and varied, lots of different things to enjoy.

Here's Kiri Te Kanawa singing this Aria on YouTube.

Various Composers - Soprano Opera Arias [Vaduva/Domingo-Philharmonia Orchestra]

I bought this disc ages ago, and only just now got round to listening to it, this is one of my quirky habits, buy a disc and put it in my collection, two or three years later i listen to it!.

Leontina Vaduva is Romanian, she hits the big 50 at the end of this year, this is a nice collection of mainly 'hits', there's nothing spectacular about her voice, it's a very nice Soprano, she isn't a superstar, maybe at the top of her voice it quivers somewhat, what may be seen as a 'warble' to some, i think she's very listenable.

The Aria that really 'got' to me this time was track 12 'Teneste La Promessa...Addio Del Passato', i've certainly heard this done better, starting with the lovely quiet tremolo strings, which the solo violin plays the main Traviata theme over, and then Violetta/Vaduva reads the letter in singspiel over this [0:00-0:51], there's an enchanting oboe solo that introduces the main Aria [1:44-1:55], the Aria is a beautiful tune, Violetta sings goodbye to her past happy life, she can feel herself dying, and reminisces on Alfredo's love, which once comforted her.

Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti

[Adieu, sweet happy dreams of the past]

A tragic Opera scene, but Operas are either about Love or Death, or both!.

Here's Angela Gheorghiu singing this Aria on YouTube.

Various Composers - Italian Soprano Opera Arias [Netrebko/Abbado-Mahler Chamber Orchestra]

The Russian Soprano Anna Netrebko is nearly 40! [38], and here i was thinking she was in her twenties, well she looks good for her age, and on the front cover of the booklet she looks stunning [photograph by Clive Arrowsmith].

I must admit that Netrebko has a 'dark' Soprano voice, maybe leaning towards a Mezzo Soprano, on this disc we get only 6 Arias, but they are long-ish sections of Operas.

I really enjoyed her Willow Song/Ave Maria from Verdi's Otello, but most of all i was touched by her Amina in Bellini's La Sonnambula, in some ways it's the clarinets that steal the show, their long luscious lines caress and soothe, while Amina's heart breaks, the clarinets come to life [track 3, 1:14-1:38], closely joined by the flute, but it's in the main Aria that they weave their full magic [track 4, 1:17+], while Amina laments,

Passasti al par d'amore [You faded like love itself]

che un giorno sol duro [which lasted but for a day]

potria novel vigore [maybe my tears]

il pianto mio recarti [will revive you]

ma ravvivar i'amore [but they will never]

il pianto mio non puo [revive love]

A lovely touching Aria, and of course a happy ending around the corner, certainly Bellini has a way of using solo instruments in the Orchestra to powerful effect.

Here she is on YouTube, singing the Bellini Aria from La Sonnambula.

Verdi - 'Heroines' Soprano Opera Arias [Gheorghiu/Chailly-Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppe Verdi]

The Romanian Soprano Angela Gheorghiu must be one of the most famous Divas performing today, she has a very distinctive 'fruity' voice, no doubt from her Eastern European dialect, plus she's got the looks to go along with her talent.

This is a nice collection of Arias, entitled 'Verdi Heroines', Chailly is very much an Opera Conductor, and of course the Italian Orchestra with Verdi's name to it is ideal.

I enjoyed tracks/Arias 2, 4-5 & 9, especially track 5, the aria 'Tacea La Notte Placida' [The Calm Night Was Silent] from Il Trovatore [The Troubadour], the Aria is a discussion between Leonore and Ines, where Leonore recounts her meeting the dark stranger Manrico at a jousting contest, and eventually being serenaded by him beneath her window late at night, the best bits of the Aria are the two chorus's by Leonore [2:47-3:27 & 4:11-5:30], that both break out into a waltz/song,

dolci s'udiro e flebili [when the sweet plaintive sound]

gli accordi d'un liuto [of chords from a lute was heard]

e versi melanconici [and a troubadour]

un trovator canto [sang melancholy verses]

gioia provai che agli angeli [the joy i felt was such]

solo e provar concesso! [as only the angels are allowed!]

al core, al guardo estatico [to my heart, to my ecstatic gaze]

la terra un ciel sembro! [the earth seemed a heaven!]

Gheorghiu/Leonore works her way up into an ecsatic desire of love and passion, an Aria that goes waltzing around your brain long after it's finished, Verdi certainly had a way with marrying words and music.

Here she is singing this Aria on YouTube.