Poema Brasileiro [Import]

1. Abismo De Rosas

2. Supimpa

3. Sons De Carrilhoes

4. Eu Te Amo

5. Poema Brasileiro

6. Naquele Tempo

7. Pegando O Trem

8. Noites Caiocas

9. Choro Pro Toniquinho

10. Rapaziada Do Bras

11. Favorita

12. Dr. Sabe Tudo

13. Ultimo Desejo

14. Confidencias

Tracks:

Vicarious Atonement
Tetragrammaton
Vermicide
Meccamputechture
Asilos Magdalena
Viscera Eyes
Day Of The Baphomets
El Ciervo Vulnerado

Customer Reviews:

TMV.......2007-07-05

Before you base your judgment of this CD soley in comparison to any of The Mars Volta albums you need to realize that it isn't a Mars Volta album. It is a Soundtrack for a film and Omar is even quoted by saying it is a reaction to the film. If you're a die-hard Omar fan then you'll love it. Rapid Fire Toll Booth is now one of my all time favorites and all the other songs sound great in my opinion.

I don't usually write reviews because it's so painful for me to read someone elses review especialy ones that contain the following examples. I only like their older stuff, they keep changing their style, the guitar player is too self induldgent,they should use the same producer as on their first album, there's too much ambience, there's too much guitar noodling, they've become snobs, they're not as good without the old drummer, they're progressive, they're experimental, they took a riff from some other band, I like them less with each album they put out,etc. That was in reference to all bands not just The Mars Volta.

That kinda review irritates me because it's a bunch of garbage. I wish those kinda people would just stick to their MTV lifestyles and leave the real music to those who are true fans and are more open minded. I don't know why it bugs me so much it's not like I'm defending them because I know them on some personal level it's just that some people just don't get it. I'm tired of everyone disecting the music and the musicians. All they want to do is entertain us, not create some sort of musical doctorine that should be discussed as though one was attending a seminar. As a musician I understand the need to experiment and branch out so the music making process doesn't become stale. Do you really want your favorite band to constantly repeat themselves and never evolve. People please I beg of you quit writing these cliche pointless reviews. As for me I'm through writting about this subject for as long as I live. Omar & Cedric have been making music for quite some time now. Let's allow the professionals to do their thing and the rest of you can either tune in or tune out.

They did it again.......2007-06-13

The Mars Volta puts out some of the most complex, thought-provoking, and lyrically charged music that I have heard in the last 10 years. The beauty of their style is that it can't be criticized, because they don't claim to be a part of any genre...it is simply music at its rawest core element.

In line with this description, Amputechture delivers just as much, if not more, than their previous offerings. It's style is unpredictable, yet captivating. The jazz influence can be heard in almost every track. Some songs verge on becoming monotonous, until a slight riff change or new vocal is thrown in at exactly the right moment, and makes it perfect.

Their total disregard for "what sells" and making chart-topping music is probably what keeps their music fresh and innovative. This is easily the best album of 2006 if you're into non-mainstream, real music. Otherwise, go buy Incubus/Maroon 5/Weezer or something.

These guys were "punk".......2007-06-13

Sounds like the singer got his nutz caught in a meat grinder. I love high pitched singers voices but this guy has to go. Music is o.k. but super wanky without enough substance to make it worth the while. Take 'em or leave 'em kids, you know where I stand.

Welcome back, Mars........2007-04-17

This album redeemed them for Frances.

A continuation of The Mars Volta's stunning innovation, while not straying too far from their classic style. There is a stunning new touch in this album: "Asilos Magdalena", a heart-wrenching, tragic, spanish ballad, as tonal as they come, with the strongest cadential points heard in any of the albums thus far.

The album is a continuous study of Cedric's impressive (awe-inspiring) range, the band's famous stepwise bass lines, super-rhythmic melodies set to abnormal meters, and beautifully incoherent (though barely dissonant) guitar riffs.

The lyrics continue to shock, strewn with raw physical imagery of both human and animal body parts (see: album title "amputechture", song titles "viscera eyes" and "vermicide", and cover art), and Christian-dogmatic references/commentary (see: song titles "vicarious atonement" and "day of the baphomets").

Deloused set our expectations high, but the true fan will not be disappointed in Amputechture.

Good Album.......2007-02-17

I like this recording very much. The Mars Volta has a fantastic approach to music making. They are creative with effects and have long jam sessions with very good playing. Like a modern, more heavy metal Pink Floyd, innovative and slow burning. Doesn't get boring or start sounding the same half way through the album.

Average customer rating:

TMV
Melodic sonic boom !
very cool
musicians from mars
The closest you will get to the best music ever invented.

Frances the Mute
The Mars Volta
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

De-Loused in the Comatorium
Amputechture
Tremulant
Scab Dates
Relationship of Command

ASIN: B0007GAEW6
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus: A. Sarcophagi/B. Umbilical Syllables/C. Facilis Descenus Averni/D. Con Safo
The Widow
L'Via L'Viaquez
Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore: A. Vade Mecum/B. Pour Another Icepick/C. Pisacis (Phra-Men-Ma)/D. Con Safo
Cassandra Geminni: A. Tarantism
Cassandra Geminni: B. Plant A Nail In The Navel Stream
Cassandra Geminni: C. Faminepulse
Cassandra Geminni: D. Multiple Spouse Wounds
Untitled
Cassandra Geminni: E. Sarcophagi
Cassandra Geminni: E. Sarcophagi
Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus: A. Sarcophagi

Amazon.com

If one needed further proof of the contemporary revival/reassessment of the ambitiously overwrought sensibilities once so reviled in '70s rock, this aggressively mindbending second album by the Mars Volta offers it up in spades. Band mainstays Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala insist that labels like "prog" don't interest them, and that this is emphatically not a "sequel" to 2003's De-Loused in the Comatorium. What it is was thematically inspired by a stranger's diary allegedly found by late bandmate Jeremy Ward, the basis for an expansive, often amorphous musical head-trip that brews psychedelia, trance, hard-rock and free-jazz into a daunting new whole. The dozen tracks here represent but five "songs" proper, though the band's disdain for conventional track banding inspire it to sound more like a stream-of-consciousness soundscape from Can--or a dark, lyrically inventive, if decidedly troubled corner of their ids. On the "Umbilical Syllables" portion of "Cygnus.." and "The Widow" Bixler-Zavala invokes the wailing, Led Zeppelin II & III spirit of Robert Plant set against a feverish, swirling melange that's anything but the blues. The vocalist coaxes "L' Via l'Viaquez" en Espanol, while his band indulges its space-mambo conceits with an evocative spirit that recalls Latin Playboys at their most mischievous. It's an album that loops back on itself in a haunting ellipse--and one whose boundless ambition makes Pink Floyd sound like three-chord bar punters by comparison. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

TMV.......2007-07-05

Melodic sonic boom !.......2007-06-08

If you want to hear some amazing song structures, melodies and all around great rock musicians Jon Theodore to Omar Gonzalez and even John Fruscante, get this album. Once you get through the few dead spots and few moments of senseless noise, this will be placed in your heavy rotation of favorite music. Cedric Bixler is one of the most amazing modern rock singers out there today.

very cool.......2007-03-08

i reviewed de loused in the comatorium and thought this deserved a review as well. the mars volta is so different from most other music out there and the first time i heard them i was hooked. i would suggest listening to some tracks before buying because the vocals aren't for everyone. i once heard someone say, "the vocals are like nails on a chalkboard", and i will admit they are not for everyone. i personally took to them and consider TMV one of my favorites these days.

musicians from mars.......2007-02-20

Put together Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew", Led Zeppelin's "II" and "III", and King Crimson's "In The Court of King Crimson", and you get "Frances The Mute". My favorite Mars Volta album so far, but all of them are amazing. Could be very very strange for listeners who never listened to this kind of music. To me, this album resembles "Bitchs Brew" alot (not just in the music itself, but the way it was received by the public - you either hate it or love it).

The closest you will get to the best music ever invented........2007-02-15

The Mars Volta has an uncanny way of taking old rock styles, jazz, even metal in some light, and making it new, better and more amazing than it could've ever gotten without them. They have brought Pink Floyd back together metaphorically speaking, as well as led-zeppelin, countless jazz bands, and anything else holy in music except for a low voice and brought it to the public. Ever instrument played is played to its fullest in some form or another, and even the computerized parts tie it all together. This album is a monument to what is good in music, and its a damn shame they had to take it all apart for "Amputechture."

Average customer rating:

Love it
Valio la pena to buy this cd.lol
HE'S BACK!
Just off 5 stars
Not as good as his 3 previous salsa albums

Valio la Pena
Marc Anthony
Manufacturer: Sony International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Amar Sin Mentiras
Libre
Sigo Siendo Yo: Grandes Exitos
Contra la Corriente
Todo a Su Tiempo

ASIN: B0002IQNV0
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Valio La Pena
Escapemonos
Ahora Quien
Tu Amor Me Hace Bien
Volando Entre Tus Brazos
Amigo
Se Esfuma Tu Amor
Lamento Borincano

Amazon.com

Singer/songwriter Marc Anthony gets back to the basics here, rewarding his main fanbase by recording salsa versions of the Spanish-language pop ballads on his Amar sin Mentiras CD. Beyond "Lamento Borincano," the old folk-salsa standard by the legendary Puerto Rican songwriter Rafael Hernandez, there isn't anything new. The other seven tracks are simply horn-fueled and percussion heavy retakes. But even those who already have Amar can find new juice here. Valio La Pena vibrates with new sonic urgency as Anthony describes the risks sometimes necessary in finding romantic happiness. The pop version of "Ahora Quien" was dramatic and anthemic. Here, it's speeded up and filled out with melodic pianos and horns. Even "Escapemonos," the tepid duet with actress/singer Jennifer Lopez, gets a recharge in the salsa version thanks to percolating percussions. Anthony's strength is his strong, plaintive vocals. On ballads he's ok, but it's in fiery salsa tunes where the music and the vocals really complement each other. Did we really need two Anthony CDs? Probably not, but his hardcore salsa fans will appreciate the extra effort. --Ramiro Burr

Customer Reviews:

Love it.......2007-03-28

One of the reasons I'm such a big fan of Marc Anthony is that he's able to sing with such feeling. With this CD he does it again. Valio la Pena is the kind of album you either want to dance to or sing. Or both. Marc and his band put their all into this album and the end result is a fantastic CD from el rey de salsa. Enjoy.

Valio la pena to buy this cd.lol.......2007-02-25

This is a great cd from marc anthony.I love the song "se esfuma tu amor".I have all of marc anthony songs in my ipod.He is the best.

HE'S BACK!.......2006-11-21

After acouple of questionables albums Marc Anthony the best modern day salsero is back and i cant be any happier as i live and die by this mans golden voice and unlike victor manuelle he can get away with this salsa/bolero style of salsa.Tu amor me haces bien being the best song of the album and the rest is just as good i gave it 4 stars b/c at the start of the album it was a smooth start but it got choppy by the end, the landing was rough but it was good enough to give it four stars.

Just off 5 stars.......2006-07-31

Marc Anthony is excellent as always. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is that I was disappointed to find out that the album contains "salsa" versions of the songs played on the radio such as Ahora Quien. The version I heard on the radio is more of a ballad style as is Tu Amor me Hace Bien. Since I prefer the slower versions there was a bit of a disappointment for me since I still have to buy the slower versions. Other than that I love the album.

Not as good as his 3 previous salsa albums.......2006-05-19

*** stars - can't change the above!

Valio is a rearrangement of some of the songs of Amar sin Mentiras. And it definitely has the feeling of an afterthought.

While it is a pretty decent salsa album (albeit brief), it is simply not in the class of his other three salsa CD's, Todo a su Tiempo, Contra la Corriente, and especially, Libre. The arrangements are standard competent rather than thorougly innovative and unique as were the older ones.

Average customer rating:

what a gift
Fantastic!
Paul Pena CD Review
interesting....but dated
Incredible

New Train
Paul Pena
Manufacturer: Hybrid Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Genghis Blues
Genghis Blues
Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey
Back Tuva Future
Tuva: Voices From the Center of Asia

ASIN: B00004Y6R1
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Gonna Move
New Train
Jet Airliner
Wait On What You Want
Venutian Lady
Cosmic Mirror
Let's Move And Groove Together
Indian Boy
A Bit Of All Right
Taking Your Love Down

Amazon.com

Paul Pena should have been a star. Maybe he would have been if this album had been released in 1973, when it was recorded. Instead, it's taken 27 years for this brilliant collection of Pena's songwriting to see air. Well, except for two of its numbers: "Jet Airliner" was such a big hit for Steve Miller it sustained the blind singer-guitarist through the lean years, and "Gonna Move" has become a favorite of R&B bands. But the best tracks are numbers like "Let's Move and Groove Together," on which Pena makes like Marvin Gaye--his husky voice working the magic of eros. Or "Cosmic Mirror," which recalls nothing less than Hendrix's "Machine Gun," testifying to Pena's brawny-toned guitar virtuosity. (He also outplays Miller's version of "Jet Airliner" with Clapton-like bends and vibrato.) If spirituals and country are your bag, Pena captures a seeker's fervor in the title track's freedom prayer and turns "Venutian Lady" into a tripped-out reflection of hippie-era Nashville. The good news is that now Pena may get his shot. He's making a new album, and this time there will be no waiting. -- Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

what a gift.......2006-07-20

Anyone truly interested in and educated about rock/soul/r&b music will be glad to own this cd. Warning... it will be lost on someone who is looking for an album full of big hooks and snappy radio hits. Technology like the web and XM radio leads true music lovers into material like this which was never mainstreamed yet deserves to be heard and enjoyed. I purchased this cd after learning about Paul in Genghis Blues. As child of the 70's and big big Steve Miller fan I was shocked to learn that Paul had written Jet Airliner, one of the biggest radio hits of the 70's. Frankly the two versions are not even comparable. Steve made the song into a monster rock radio hit while the original is a 5 minute plus r&b jam. Every song on this cd is worth enjoying. His lyrics are very personal and autobiographical, his guitar playing is simply outstanding. If you have seen Genghis Blues and combine what you saw of Paul's talent and spirit with what you hear on this cd you cant help but become a fan. Bottom line, this guy should have been a star and deserved a much longer, smoother, happier ride. Rest in Peace, Paul.

Fantastic! .......2006-03-17

I was not sure what to expect when I ordered this, but I so loved Genghis Blues that I had to hear it. This is an amazing album. These songs are all winners. What a gift it is, and such a shame there will not be more to come.

Paul Pena CD Review.......2006-03-16

I read about this Album and artist in the Rolling Stone magazine. He had played with some of the groups that I like and I thought it might be interesting to see what he had done on his own. It's a good CD, but it wasn't really what I had expected. I listen to it occasionally as a break from the regular CD's I play more regu- larly. It was kind of a nice addition to my collection.

interesting....but dated.......2006-02-27

bought this based on reviews. i don't regret it, but it honestly is quite dated. he's a great singer and there are a couple of great tracks on this (especially, the much better original version of jet airliner that was ruined by steve miller later on), but several of them are forgettable. if you are into early 70's soul (especially non-mainstream), I would check this out. don't buy it however thinking that it is the masterpiece that most reviews claim it is.

Incredible.......2006-02-19

I recently purchased this album - months after reading about Pena's death. What a shame that this album was on the shelves for 27 years before finally being released in 2000. Incredible album! Had it been released in 1973, Pena surely could have cut some more beautiful music - a great loss to all. Too bad Pena never got a chance to cut additional albums. Pena kinda reminds me of Rory Gallagher - great musician, but completely off the radar screen. You should purchase "New Train" to hear Pena's wide range - you will not be disappointed.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Fritz Kreisler: Concerto for Violin

Average customer rating:

THE Best 4 Seasons I've Heard
Inspirational Recording
A great piece of work
Juicy, sumptuous and especially Dramatic
Reply to Nutmegger

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Fritz Kreisler: Concerto for Violin
Joanna Jenner , Ping-How Liang , Melissa Meell , Adela Pena , and Todd Phillips
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Similar Items:

Violin Romances
Sibelius/Tchaikovsky: Violinkonzerte
Paganini for Two / Gil Shaham, Goran Sollscher
Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos
Dvorák For Two: Works For Violin & Piano

ASIN: B000001GME
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

The 4 Seasons: Spring - Concerto In E Major, Op.8, No.1, RV 269: 1. Allegro
The 4 Seasons: Spring - Concerto In E Major, Op.8, No.1, RV 269: 2. Largo e pianissimo sempre
The 4 Seasons: Spring - Concerto In E Major, Op.8, No.1, RV 269: 3. Danza pastorale: Allegro
The 4 Seasons: Summer - Concerto In G Minor, Op.8, No.2, RV 315: 1. Allegro non molto
The 4 Seasons: Summer - Concerto In G Minor, Op.8, No.2, RV 315: 2. Adagio - Presto
The 4 Seasons: Summer - Concerto In G Minor, Op.8, No.2, RV 315: 3. Presto
The 4 Seasons: Autumn - Concerto In F Major, Op.8, No.3 Rv 293: 1. Allegro
The 4 Seasons: Autumn - Concerto In F Major, Op.8, No.3 Rv 293: 2. Adagio molto
The 4 Seasons: Autumn - Concerto In F Major, Op.8, No.3 Rv 293: 3. Allegro
The 4 Seasons: Winter - Concerto In F Minor, Op.8, No.4, RV 297: 1. Allegro non molto
The 4 Seasons: Winter - Concerto In F Minor, Op.8, No.4, RV 297: 2. Largo
The 4 Seasons: Winter - Concerto In F Minor, Op.8, No.4, RV 297: 3. Allegro
Concerto For Violin: Allegro moderato e maestoso
Concerto For Violin: Andante doloroso
Concerto For Violin: Allegro assai

Customer Reviews:

THE Best 4 Seasons I've Heard.......2007-07-15

This is beautiful from start to finish. The vitality and color really captures the spirit of Vivaldi/Four Seasons.

Often, I just go "WHOA" at music that speaks to me, which I've done on practically every single track here.

Inspirational Recording.......2007-07-14

Like many others, I have loved the Four Seasons so much over time, that I've played it to death. It had become so farmiliar that it was actually somewhat irritating. Listening to this recording changed all that for me. To use a tired phrase, it was like hearing the piece for the first time. The performance is precise, yet passionate. The orchestration may be considered by some to be a little thin, but that is made up for by the exillerating clarity. Finally, the technical quality of this recording is extraudinary. One more tired phrase, if you'll permit me, it's like sitting front row center at a live performance. Buy it! You'll love it!!

A great piece of work.......2006-05-24

I don't pretend to understand all the nuances of classical music. But as a listener I really enjoy it. That said, this piece by Gil is a fantastic piece. I have heard several other "Four Season" recordings, and since I have listened to this one, there are no equals (to me anyway).

Juicy, sumptuous and especially Dramatic.......2006-04-29

Of the myriad of modern-instrument Vivaldi Seasons recordings available, this Gil Shaham recording is just about as good as it gets. Perhaps it eclipses previous recordings by Nigel Kennedy and the Decca recording with Marriner. Shaham scores points over all his modern-instrument rivals with a true spirit of collaboration with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as if their playing were taking them on a voyage into Vivaldi's picturesque world. Their playing is always fresh-sounding, youthful, alert and spontaneous, and rhythms are well-sprung.

Throughout this performance, we hear how Shaham and Orpheus give their all in bringing out the very best in Vivaldi's score. The spirit that pervades the whole performances beguiles us from the first, positive bars of the Spring concerto, where we can truly feel the embrace of Spring's awakening. Summer is given a suitably dramatic performance, and one can feel the Orpheus players revelling in the ferocity of the summer storm that ravages the land, complete with Shaham's poignant commentaries, especially when portraying the hapless shepherd farmer who loses his corn to the summer storm. Autumn has a suitably rustic atmosphere, with Shaham doing double-duty as tipsy drunkard and fleeing beast during the fiercely vigorous hunting finale. And Winter allows us to feel the true contrasts, with Shaham's technical brilliance in the outer movements contrasting with the sheer lyricism of the slow movement, while the Orpheus playwers ably evoke the cold, bleak atmosphere of the sonnet. The DG recording is clear and beautifully balanced, and the Kreisler concerto makes an unusual and controversial fill-up, together with the bonus CD-Rom of the Winter video. Yet I would have liked there to be the bonus CD of Shaham talking about the music and introducing each concerto, as it would have been more illuminating.

All told, this superb CD should stand as a fresh, artistic success of a modern-instrument Vivaldi Seasons, due to the performers' ability to engage themselves with Vivaldi's soundworld. There is always rhythmic control and you feel that the sense of structure is there. Perhaps this should be the modern-instrument equivalent of Trevor Pinnock's equally celebrated version...

Reply to Nutmegger.......2005-10-14

I've listened to this cd many times, and have enjoyed each time more and more. I also listened while reading the score, and I have to point out that Gil has actually ad libbed a LOT in this recording. To me, it sounds like he was attempting to add a bit of romanticism to an early classical concerto. Some may think that's sacriledge, but I myself think it's a clear indication of the man's ingeniuity and sheer mastery of what you consider 'too much perfection'. I'm sorry, but that seems a bit absurd to me. I've heard people complain about Karajan's interpretations as being too beautiful, but never about someone being too perfect. Honestly, I think your initial reaction was right on. I encourage you to re-examine....hopefully, not while you're doing laundry. :-)

Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis

Average customer rating:

Stellar Singing
From still waters to fireworks in baroque singing - Duets sung exquisitely
Supreme Handel Duets Lack Dramatic Context But Still Lovely
A feast
A sumptuous feast of Handel

Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis
George Frideric Handel , Patricia Ciofi , Joyce Di Donato , Alan Curtis , and Il Complesso Barocco
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Sandrine Piau - Handel Opera Seria
Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm
Handel: Radamisto
Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD]
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

ASIN: B0001CTKD0
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Caro Amico Amplesso!
Scherzano Sul Tuo Volto
Non Ti Basto, Consorte/Io T'abbraccio
Mio Diletto, Che Pensi?/Sol Per Te, Bell'idol Mio
Per Le Porte Del Tormento
Del Destin Non MI Lagno/Caro, Tu M'accendi
Amarilli?/Amarilli? Oh Dei! Che Vuoi?
Vivo Senz'alma, O Bella
Finche Prendi
Perfidi! Ite Di Poro/Se Mai Piu Saro Geloso
Macedoni Guerrieri/Se Mai Turbo Il Tuo Riposo
Sinfonia To Act 3
Gran Pena E Gelosia!
Lode Agli Dei/Se Mai Turbo Il Tuo Riposo
Alma Mia, Dolce Ristoro
Ricordati, Mio Ben
Addio, Mio Caro Bene

Amazon.com

In baroque opera, the spotlight was usually reserved for the bravura arias, designed to show off the singers' brilliant coloratura and skill in improvising ornamentation. The ensembles, on the other hand, were left to languish in the shadows. This record aims to right that wrong in a program of 17 duets drawn from 13 mostly unfamiliar Handel operas. In an attempt to create some cohesion, these primarily short selections are arranged under the heading "Love and Jealousy," with love predominating and usually prevailing. If the title sounds a bit gimmicky, never mind: the music's the thing and it is wonderful. Expressed with Handel's inimitable dramatic intensity and deeply felt inwardness, it encompasses every amorous emotion from tenderness, ardent protestation and rapturous joy to fear of loss, anguish and mournful farewell, using an infinite variety of form, texture and character. Some duets begin with a recitative; the voices separate and unite, conversing, interweaving, joining in imitation or harmony. The orchestra, a period-instrument group of soloists, provides introductions, interludes and postludes which set mood and atmosphere and contribute greatly to contrast and diversity. The performances are splendid. The two singers prove that the duet is as fertile a vehicle for virtuosic display as any aria, and they find plenty of opportunities for ornamentation in the da capos. Their voices can blend and merge as well as remain distinctly individual in timbre and color, and they succeed in creating, or at least suggesting, situations and personalities even in the shortest selections. The playing is impeccable: rhythmically crisp and pungent, texturally transparent, and very expressive. The only cavil is that the selections often follow each other without a pause, making it difficult to be sure where one ends and the next begins. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Stellar Singing.......2007-01-04

I must admit that, before becoming a dedicated Joyce DiDonato fan, I probably wouldn't have purchased a CD of Handel duets, or any Baroque duets for that matter. Like other reviewers have observed, the duets are performed out of dramatic context. I also prefer the full opera, particularly when it comes to Handel.

In the case of this CD, who cares? This is literally some of the loveliest Baroque ensemble singing I have ever heard. The pairing of Joyce DiDonato with Patrizia Ciofi was a stroke of brilliance. Their voices match perfectly. Their intonation is spot on, all the time. Their ornamentations, particularly the da capo ornamentations, are intelligently selected and brilliantly executed. The balance is just right between the singers and the chamber musicians.

I have a big thanks to give to Virgin Veritas and these two wonderful artists for this CD. It will get lots of play in my home.

Highly recommended.

From still waters to fireworks in baroque singing - Duets sung exquisitely.......2005-11-28

Handel was a master of his medium - his music paints with elegance and soul-stirring emotion upon the canvas of the human heart. His duets often exhibit particular indebtedness to Steffani (truly a genius of duet writing), and they are gorgeous duets indeed!

I note that some other reviewers quibble with a) duets only on this recording; and b) a sense of disjointedness.

Addressing both of those issues, let's admit that any recital disc is going to give some disjointedness in the absolute and literal sense. To take a portion of an opera out of its setting and perform it separately is a sort of amputation, be it an album of arias OR an album of duets. Should singers then avoid putting out solo recordings of Handel arias? I find no reason to come to THAT conclusion - and for the same reason, I have no quarrel at all with the recording of an album of Handel duets.

Of course, to enjoy Handel to the fullest degree, do get full recordings as well... but even in Handel's time, singers would pull specific bits of their roles out of context, perform them separately... so it's a time-honoured practice! Let us simply enjoy the high standard of the music without worrying about context in any recording of arias, duets, trios, or operatic scenes.

Handel's duets vary so much in their shape, melodies, harmonies, rhythms - there's plenty of variety. It comes down to a question of the singers involved having suitable voices, singing appropriately for the style, the playing of the orchestra, and the particular variety of duets chosen.

On all points, this album scores highly! Both Ms Ciofi and Ms Di Donato have beautiful voices, clearly trained in baroque singing, and they have equally clearly put in a lot of work to achieve a lovely blend and similar approach within these duets. What a joy to hear gifted singers perform these duets with such intelligence, emotional involvement and lovely, lovely tone!

This recording is a favourite of mine - not just because I perform many of the duets on this CD with another soprano, but because I am genuinely delighted to hear appropriately performed Handel singing in a duet album. I've found fault with some other duet albums because I consider them under-rehearsed, insufficiently blended, and inappropriately embellished - but this album shows none of those faults, and I am very happy to recommend it highly and without reservation. Beautiful singing, beautiful works - you can scarcely wish for more!

Supreme Handel Duets Lack Dramatic Context But Still Lovely.......2005-01-08

I was fortunate to see and hear Renée Fleming and the astounding David Daniels sing "Io t'abbraccio" together in the magnificent Stephen Wadsworth production of Handel's "Rodelinda" at the Metropolitan Opera last week. There is nothing here that can match the ethereal quality and overwhelming melancholy of that duet performance, but sometimes this recording comes pretty close under the masterful baton of Alan Curtis. Soprano Patrizia Ciofi and mezzo-soprano Joyce Di Donato blend quite well together with Ciofi's often fiery coloratura floating easily over the verses and Di Donato's contrasting darker, fuller tone.

It's a nice idea to make a disc of just Handel duets but also a bit risky since they usually represent the major dramatic highpoints of his operas, mostly coming at the end of an act or of the entire opera. Given that fact, one would think there would be plenty of exhausting dramatic fireworks by providing one duet after another. In fact, the higher profile duets, such as the aforementioned "Io t'abbraccio" and the equally famous "Scherzano sul tup volto" from "Rinaldo", feel a bit lackluster probably because their gorgeous music crowns the end of scenes full of tension and drama. The joy in hearing two characters sing together, especially after hearing each of them express their individual sentiments, acts as a catharsis. But here the duets become lovely moments partially robbed of their dramatic impact because the organic synthesis of character and music is lost. Certainly it's not easy to deliver a recital containing only music that Handel devised for key dramatic moments. Yet, it more often does work here perhaps because there are a treasure trove of little-known gems such as "Caro, tu m'accendi" from "Faramondo", "Se mai turbo il tuo riposo" from "Poro" and "Alma mia, dolce ristoro" from "Admeto". The performances really become more like chamber music pieces, almost understated and always tasteful. Toward that end, the singing is expressive and stylish as Ciofi and Di Donato play lovers who quarrel and console in these duets. Together they bring this recording to a consistently high level regardless of the dramatic shortcomings, and their emotional availability makes their unified voices all the more resonant as they get lost in each other.

A feast .......2004-09-28

The programme maybe disjointed, but it doesn't matter, because the singing is some of the most glorious I have EVER heard. A shining feast of articulation, phrasings and harmonies, heavenly executed by Ms Ciofi and Ms Di Donato.

Just buy it for an unparalleled vocal chord experience; marvel at the singing. Any other considerations are entirely oblivious.

A sumptuous feast of Handel.......2004-08-04

Alan Curtis has here chosen to bring to life some of the more memorable duets of Handel's many operas. Quite apart from chewing over some of the more well-known operas he has chosen some duets from Silla, Sosarme (Per le porte del tormento), Faramondo, Atalanta, Poro and Muzio Scevola, few of which have had decent recordings in the last number of years.

His band is small, one player per part, withe the resultant effect rather to make the duets seems like chamber music. There is a danger in that with duets such as Io t'abbraccio (end of Act 2 Rodelinda) taken out of context that the dramatic moment of the music would be lost. However, by arranging the duets in a sequence (as Curtis writes in the notes) from love's joy through self-doubt and jealousy, back to undying love, the duets out of context sound superb.

Both singers, Patrizia Ciofi (Soprano) and Joyce di Donato (Mezzo) sound thoroughly at home in the idiom of baroque opera, and in fact their cadenzas and ornamentation are delightfully understated, rather than the sort of shrieking 'I can go higher still' of some more lauded performers. I look forward to Curtis' forthcoming recordings of Lotario, Rodelinda and Radamisto, if these performers are to be retained.

In short this is a delightful enterprise showing the genious of Handel in dealing with the most basic of human emotions - love and jealousy. Well done Alan Curtis!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Singing
Perfect
I'm a listener, not a critic or singer
Nice Timbre, Well Balanced voice, Dramatic, but.....
The Denyce Graves CD I was waiting for

Denyce Graves - Voce di Donna
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Georges Bizet , George Frideric Handel , Francesco Cilea , Henry Purcell , Amilcare Ponchielli , Gaetano Donizetti , Samuel Barber , Pietro Mascagni , Camille Saint-Saëns , Jules Massenet , Maurizio Barbacini , and Denyce Graves
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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French Opera Arias - Denyce Graves
American Anthem
Angels Watching over Me
The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style
Kaleidoscope

ASIN: B00000JMH2
Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

Carmen: Quand je vous aimerai?... L'amour est un oiseau rebelle - (Habanera)
Carmen: Pres des remparts de Seville - (Seguidilla)
Orfeo ed Euridice: Ahime!...Che faro senza Euridice?
La Gioconda: Voce di donna
Adriana Lecouvreur: Acerba volutta
Dido and Aeneas: Thy hand, Belinda... When I Am Laid In Earth
Amadigi di Gaula: D' un sventurato amante...Pena tiranna
La Favorite: Fia dunque vero...O mio Fernando!
VANESSA: Must The Winter Come So Soon
Vavalleria rusticana: Voi lo sapete
Werther: Werther, Werther! - (Air des lettres)
Werther: Va! Laisse couler mes larmes
Samson et Dalila: Printemps qui commence
Samson et Dalila: Samson...Amour! Viensaider ma faiblesse!

Amazon.com

This isn't mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves's first solo disc (she has previously released a compilation of romantic opera heroines), but it's definitely her most impressive. Like many beginning recording artists, she hasn't always been able to project her stage electricity into the microphone, but with such a sumptuous voice, one doesn't always mind. Here, though, there's not a dull moment in two choice arias each from roles Graves has sung often onstage: her signature role of Carmen and her almost-as-famous Dalila. There's also a fairly promising preview of the Charlotte from Werther, which she'll sing with Andrea Bocelli in October 1999 in Detroit, though one senses she still has work to do in learning to act with her voice. Two baroque-period selections, an aria from Handel's Amadigi and Purcell's famous "When I Am Laid in Earth" from Dido and Aeneas, suffer from imprecise diction and messy ornaments. But the aria in which Graves sounds most emotionally present is, oddly enough, "Must the Winter Come So Soon" from Barber's Vanessa. Her vivid reading reminds you of what happens onstage with her and hopefully what's to come on recordings. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Singing.......2005-10-01

Ms. Graves' voice is so warm. The sound is so impressive!!! There has been debate on whether or not she is truly a mezzo-soprano. Some critics feel that she is a true contralto with an extended upper range. The role of Dalila, is also considered borderline mezzo-soprano and contralto. Anyway, her voice has total ring in every tone. The rich sound that she produces is totally even from her bottom register to her top. The baroque selections need to be maybe a little lighter and more pure, but I am not that petty. I just believe that she is absolutely wonderful!!! Brava Ms. Graves!!!

Perfect.......2005-09-27

There is nothing I can say other than this is the perfect recording. Denyce Graves has chosen arias that we don't always get to hear and I thank her for doing so, she breathes live into the old standards from "Carmen" and introduces us to arias that will undoubtably become new favorites. Denyce's voice is absolutely fabulous, it's powerful yet calm and perfectly refined, I can say nothing bad about her voice or this recording.

I'm a listener, not a critic or singer.......2005-03-23

Unlike the other reviewers here, I'm an amateur piano player, and ocassionally listen to classical music. Several years ago while flipping, I came across Ms. Graves. I was totally blown away. I introduced her to my father who is an avid fan of the opera before he passed on.
While vocal crisis is a terrible thing for any singer to suffer (and I do worry about Ms Graves too), just step aside and listen to her render these time tested works for just a moment. Perhaps like me, you'll end up continually repeating this album on your iPod for hours on end. The final two tracks from Samson and Delilah makes your hair stand on end and your knees weak.

Nice Timbre, Well Balanced voice, Dramatic, but............2004-01-10

Denyce Graves has a lot of potential in this Album "Voce Di Donna". These are some of the most interesting Operas of it's time. They have stood the test of time. And such emotional airas as from Vanessa's Opera, when she sings the role of Erika in "Must the winter come so soon" is something. But other songs as I noticed in "Acerba Volutta" When she comes to substaining the high A6 note, she sounds as though she had to push her voice a little. And the same in "O mio Fernando" The A6 sounds more pushed at the end. In "Pres des remparts de Seville", the B6 sounds somewhat thin, but otherwise, she performs it very well. Denyce Graves has a lot of potential, but she should perform airas and in Operas as to her vocal comfort. Pushing the voice often isn't a good thing, as can lead to vocal Crisis. But nontheless, this is a good Opera Album. I can't wait till she puts out another CD.

The Denyce Graves CD I was waiting for.......2001-07-24

A much superior offering to her Heroines of French Romantic Opera offering, I feel. Her voice rings beautifully. You won't find yourself listening only to her as Carmen. She'll pull you in with the rest of the arias also.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Sound Quality, Beautiful Price, Beautiful Music
At last! Pena's work is avaliable
Perfect for the connoiseur or newcomer to flamenco
Profound Gems Are Around For Our Pleasure

Fabulous Flamenco/La Gitarra Flamenca
Paco Peña
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Art of Paco Pena
Flamenco on Fire
Sabor Flamenco
Flamenco Guitar Music of Ramon Montoya & Nino Ricardo

ASIN: B0002F0MCY
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Ronde
Sevillanas
Palmas y Guitarra
Tientos de la Bah
Clara Fuenta
Zorongo
Mantilla y Peina
Milonga
Por la Lagunilla
Rumbeando la Milonga
Alcazaba
Madros
Olor de Albahca
Entre Limoneros
Puerta Tierra
Ayer y Hoy
Leyenda
Repiqueteos Flamencos
Farolillos de Feria
Caireles

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Sound Quality, Beautiful Price, Beautiful Music.......2007-02-13

I totally agree with the other reviewers and won't say more on the music contained on this CD - it is simply the most beautiful PURE solo guitar flamenco I have ever heard!

I just wanted to comment and say that the sound quality on this CD is simply unbelievable. I am picky when it comes to sound, and own a 5,000+ pair of speakers. Whenever I want to show off my speakers capability to somebody, I put on this CD. The hand clapping, the guitar, and the clicking of the castanets are so incredibly rich in detail and vibrant in color that they often startle people who think there somebody is playing music in the room.

It doesn't matter if you are new to flamenco, or a long-time fan - get this gem of a CD jam-packed with 80 minutes of ingenious flamenco guitar.

At last! Pena's work is avaliable.......2006-10-26

When I first got into Flamenco guitar I was told Paco Pena was among the best
and most underappreciated. He's a professor of Flamencology in Holland I think. At the time I heard about him you couldn't get much of his stuff on CD at all... so its great to hear this master doing what he does best, Traditional Flamenco

Perfect for the connoiseur or newcomer to flamenco.......2005-07-12

This beautiful CD makes for a wonderful introduction to the world of flamenco music. If you are already a fan, this will make a wonderful addition to your collection, showcasing traditional flamenco at its best. The guitar work is exquisite--Paco Pena is truly a master of the instrument. Nearly every song is a winner, IMHO. Although, easily worth a much higher price (Flamenco is an underated genre in the US) this 100-minute CD (a re-release comprising of 2 vinyl LPs) rings in at considerably less than an average pop CD.

Profound Gems Are Around For Our Pleasure.......2004-09-01

The complexity and beauty of the guitar is brilliantly displayed here by Paco Pena. Todays guitarists of the rock genre need to reflect and listen with great care at the musicianship and personal flair of Paco Pena. Flamenco has always been exquisite yet never so beautiful as this CD release. This is a gem!

I am not a guitarist but if I was I would forever lay my guitar to rest knowing that total masters of the difficult cypress wood instrument Jose Feliciano, Birelli Lagrene, Paco de Lucia and Paco Pena were in recital.

This CD set is a remastering of 1975 and 1977 album releases of "Fabulous Flamenco" and "La Gitarra Flamenca".

I am very surprised at the price of this CD set. Under $10.00. Are you kidding me?

A fine release to melt away conversation and urns of wine.

Average customer rating:

not for casual fans
Wank fest in your face.
Not as good as it could have been
Someone Stop Omar!
Brilliant, Surreal, Progressive

Scab Dates
The Mars Volta
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000BLI3IY
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

abrasions mount the timpani
take the veil cerpin taxt a) gust of mutts b) and ghosted pouts
caviglia
concertina
haruspex
cicatriz a) pt I b) pt II c) pt III d) pt IV

Customer Reviews:

not for casual fans.......2007-01-10

this is not the place to start if you are new to the mars volta, i own every mars volta release including the Live EP (not including tremulant ep) and i love this cd, omar occasionally tests my resolve to love this cd, but the songs recorded at concerts are incredible, my favorite song is concertina which is absolutely incredible, take the veil cerpin taxt is another great, TMV really shines on cicatriz where they spend about half an hour improving, if you love TMV as much as i do this is a must

Wank fest in your face........2006-10-20

I am a huge Mars fan, but this is just bore. I was really looking forward to a cd representive of their live shows, but this is a horrible excuse for a live album from anyone especially from Mars Volta.
I am all for experimentation, but if you look at the liner notes there are a ton of non-band members jerkin' off on this after the original recording and personally coming from a recording and engineering backround it is not creative or good. It seems like a bad painting.
Save your money and buy bootleg of their actual live show.

Not as good as it could have been.......2006-05-12

I am a huge fan of The Mars Volta. I have also see them live twice, so I think I can speak with a little bit of confidence about this album.

First of all, I don't think it's entirely fair or accurate to refer to this album as 'live'. I agree with other reviewers when they say that this is not really a faithful document of what the band sounds like live. Don't be misled into thinking that this is what you will get if you go and see the band in concert. It would be more accurate to refer to this as a musical experiment that contains some live material. This pales in comparison to what The Mars Volta can actually deliver in a live setting.

For one thing,there is very little actual live music on here. Most of the CD is taken up by the random noises between songs, which despite disappointing. Secondly, just as the CD is starting to warm up,'Cicatriz' cuts out, to be replaced by a sort of sound collage. It doesn't quite work, but it's interesting nonetheless.

If you're looking for an accurate picture of what The Mars Volta can offer, this is definitely not a good place to start. Look for their two (full-length) fantastic studio releases instead. If you're already a fan, you'll probably be interested to hear Volta push the envelope even further. Prepare to be challenged by one of the most interesting bands around. Just don't expect to be fully satisfied.

Someone Stop Omar!.......2006-05-10

O.K., Take the Veil and Concertina own, but that's it. Those are the two good reasons to listen to this album, that and the beginning of Ciatriz. Ciatriz I thought was a bit too long on the album at 13 minutes... and they drag it out to over 40 on this one. Most of that ridiculous run time is Omar screwing around with noise, and isn't really music. The same goes for the other "songs" which fill the rest of the album.

Can someone please talk some sense into Omar? The recording, mixing and performance on Take the Veil is so damned good I would love to hear a bunch of other songs from that performance or similar ones, but all I get is 2 other tracks (one of which is now unlistenable) and a bunch of random sound manipulation.

Not to mention that none of the tracks are from Frances, the album they were touring behind. I'd say they were just joking around trying to piss us off except that some real passion has obviously gone into writing and performing these songs. Either I'm completely missing the point or Omar's just... gone completely mad.

Brilliant, Surreal, Progressive.......2006-04-26

On the subject of Mars Volta there are really only two different opinions. One side of fence hears them for the first time and are blown away. They absolutely love Mars; they think that they are an amazing mix of progressive rock, Latin flare, and screeching hair raising vocals that are reminiscent of a rock generation gone by. They love the lyrics that mix surrealism, pragmatism, and on eerie grunge. The others of you, well the others of you won't get it. But that's ok because if you do fall in the first group, you should run out and buy this album immediately. For you others, well go on listening to Maroon 5 on the radio. So what is so special about this album you ask? To start it's new Mars music which for any fan is reason enough. But more specifically this album is the first taste of live Volta music. Those who haven't been lucky enough to witness a live concert will surely realize upon listening to this album that Mars is even more amazing when they have a spontaneous environment to work with. This album is technically a live show, but Omar, acting as producer once again, has noticeably mixed, edited, and added here and there. There have been some who call this album overly produced because of the added "noise" and ambiance. To those I just say bah because if Mars Volta as a band listened to the feedback of you people who want easier and nicer music to listen to then they surely wouldn't be the band they are today. This is not your vision guys, just listen to it and have fun....if it's too much for you then listen to something tamer, like the above mentioned alternative. As is, this album will absolutely remind you why it is you listen to music in the first place. There are parts in this album that are more powerful and more deeply thought provoking then pretty much anything else that is brought to the market today. If you have never heard Mars Volta before this will be a good opportunity to learn about what makes them so special. It's not something that you can necessarily explain, at least not with my spotty writing ability, but it is a difference you will hear from the very first track on to the fantastic finale. And if you are a fan of this band, then well I expect that you already own the album and have listened to it more then anything else in your collection. It is not easy to digest but it has more substance then pretty much anything else out there.

Average customer rating:

Incredible
A fine disk of selections from Rossini operas by one of the premier mezzo-sopranos
Best CD by Bartoli!
Stunning
This is my favorite Cecilia Bartoli recording.

Cecilia Bartoli - Rossini Heroines
Gioachino Rossini , Cecilia Bartoli , Ion Marin , and La Fenice Theater Orchestra & Chorus
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000004202
Release Date: 1992-03-10

Tracks:

Rossini Heroines: Riedi al soglio - Zelmira
Rossini Heroines: Ah, non potrian resistere - Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo
Rossini Heroines: Giusto ciel, in tal periglio - Maometto II
Rossini Heroines: Tanti affetti in tal momento - La donna del lago
Rossini Heroines: Quant'e grato all'alma mia - Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
Rossini Heroines: Fellon, la pena avrai - Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
Rossini Heroines: Ah! che invan su questo ciglio - Maometto II
Rossini Heroines: Serena i vaghi rai... Bel raggio lusinghier - Semiramide

Customer Reviews:

Incredible.......2006-04-06

This is my favorite Bartoli recording. Her rich mezzo-soprano voice feels custom-made for Rossini. I own this CD-it's my second copy, I wore out the first one!

If you are browsing here in search of your first Cecilia Bartoli CD, this is it. It's one of the CDs I can't live without.

5+ stars!

A fine disk of selections from Rossini operas by one of the premier mezzo-sopranos.......2005-12-30

Bartoli is one of the premier mezzo-sopranos currently singing. This music shows off her vocal flexibility and emotional range quite well. Rossini is the right kind of composer for her musical gifts because he allows the voice to sing beautifully and without pushing it to extremes. Bartoli displays her dynamic range, from a whisper to a full forte while maintaining a singing tone. Her range from low notes to high soprano notes is quite impressive and delights the listeners (as she and the composer fully intend).

Here she sings numbers from various Rossini operas with full orchestral accompaniment and some chorus to provide context. However, the point is much less the drama than the vocal display the selection allows Bartoli.

The notes provided that describe each of the works is very helpful as are the supplied lyrics and English translation.

This is a very pleasurable disk and one you can listen to many times and still find new delights. The only thing that I find the least bit difficult is when Bartoli resorts to aspirating vowels (putting an "h" on each note of the vowel) in runs and melismas. She doesn't do it all the time, but it is jarring for me when she does. It is really a flaw, but a minor one given all her great gifts and talents. It just gets in the way, however.

That being said, I still recommend the disk and say, ENJOY! Learn to love opera and it will enhance your life. Really, it will!

Best CD by Bartoli!.......2001-09-04

The most enjoyable Bartoli CD for me was "Potrait".
Other than that, this is one of the enjoyable CDs from Her.
Money worthy CD with Belcanto Style.

Stunning.......1999-02-24

Everything about this CD is perfect. The music is great, her singing incredible, the production just right. This one will grow on you and sound fresh or different 5 years down the line. Warning: this recording got me into opera!

This is my favorite Cecilia Bartoli recording........1998-10-11

This artist's voice is hypnotic and compelling, very rich and expressive. I recommend this recording even for those who are not opera fans, as I am not. If you enjoy exquisite sound, you should hear this recording-a treat for the connosseur of any type of vocal music. I am presently on my second copy of this recording-I wore the first one out. My personal favorite is track 3, Giusto Ciel...

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