Ella

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Japan Only Release. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Ella, Music, Ella Fitzgerald, Jazz, Pop, Standards, Swing, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz
We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Notable Tribute
  • This is good, but I love Ella more than the folks trying to sing her
  • Great CD, especially for someone new to trad jazz
  • Should Be A Grammy Winner In 2008!
  • A fitting tribute to a true Lady of Song.
 We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000PA9Q3M
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

  1. A Tisket a Tasket - Natalie Cole
  2. Lullaby Of Birdland - Chaka Khan
  3. The Lady Is a Tramp - Queen Latifah
  4. Dream a Little Dream Of Me - Diana Krall
  5. (You'll Have To Swing It) Mr. Paganini - Natalie Cole
  6. Oh Lady Be Good! - Dianne Reeves
  7. Reaching For the Moon - Lizz Wright
  8. Blues In the Night - Ledisi
  9. Miss Otis Regrets - Linda Ronstadt
  10. Someone To Watch Over Me - Gladys Knight
  11. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - Etta James
  12. Angel Eyes - K.D. Lang
  13. Too Close For Comfort - Michael Buble
  14. You Are the Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
  15. Airmail Special - Nikki Yanofsky

Amazon.com

Covering songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald is a daunting endeavor, since only Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan challenge her place as the premier female jazz vocalist in history. But the late Fitzgerald inspired and influenced a wide array of talented acolytes--from Natalie Cole to k.d. lang to Dianne Reeves--many of whom gather on this spirited, Phil Ramone-produced tribute to partially benefit the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. Cole, backed by an eager gaggle of call-and-response male worshippers, breathes fun new life into the swingy "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," while Chaka Khan, showcasing the breadth of her range, delivers a transporting rendition of the enchanting jazz blues "Lullaby of Birdland." (The two also team up for a delicious scat-fest on "Mr. Paganini.") If lang is equally transfixing on the ballad "Angel Eyes," it's newcomer Ledisi who steals the show with "Blues in the Night," her expansive soprano often mimicking a muted or full-tilt trumpet, one of Fitzgerald's hallmarks. Performances from Etta James and Nikki Yanofsky also rivet, even if Diana Krall and Hank Jones's "Dream a Little Dream of Me" comes across as a little too sleepy, and Gladys Knight is probably not the best singer for "Someone to Watch Over Me." The album surprises with a live duet ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life") between Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, recorded at the 1977 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Although it seems tacked on, it doesn't grate nearly as much as Michael Bublé's "Too Close for Comfort," so slick it would put an eel to shame. Skip over that transgression, and turn to the antidote of Lizz Wright's sultry take on the melancholy "Reaching for the Moon," which plumbs emotional depths not even the ever-joyous Great Lady managed to attain. --Alanna Nash

Album Description

A star-studded album from legendary producer Phil Ramone pays tribute to one of the most celebrated female vocalists of all time, Ella Fitzgerald.

This CD includes performers such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, Queen Latifah, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Linda Ronstadt, Dianne Reeves and more.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Notable Tribute.......2007-07-16

This CD is a very good tribute to Ella. All the artists added thier own style without losing the essence of the performer they all admired.

4 out of 5 stars This is good, but I love Ella more than the folks trying to sing her.......2007-07-03

My favorite part of this collection was Ella and Stevie Wonder singing "Sunshine of my Life." The blend of their voices was amazing. If it possibly could have been done, I'd love to have seen the video of this performance.

Of the tributes, Ledisi's "Blues in the Night" blew me away. Her vocalese imitation of a trumpet was one of the best impressions I have ever heard.

I also liked hearing Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan in duet on "If you can't sing it, you'll have to swing it." Etta James' alto was definitely refreshing on "Wait til you hear from me." She's the only woman on the CD with a voice in the lower registers and definitely different from the other vocalists.

4 out of 5 stars Great CD, especially for someone new to trad jazz.......2007-06-27

This is the second CD I've purchased of music from Ella Fitzgerald's era. I have one CD of Dave Grusin pays Homage to Duke Ellington and I didn't like it at all. But this CD is great! It has a variety of vocalists who are tops in their field, mostly jazz but some rock (Linda Ronstadt and K.D. Laing). The orchestration and vocal stylings are all excellent with great variety. The selection of artists is about as good as good gets. Practically no one great was left out that I know of who sings in this genre. Buy it as a great introduction to this era.

5 out of 5 stars Should Be A Grammy Winner In 2008!.......2007-06-11

'We All Love Ella' is a first rate tribute to the First Lady Of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. While I agree with the previous reviewer on many points, I'll try to focus on the project as a whole. Verve must be commended for asembling such a formidible list of singers & musicians on this CD, and you can't help but feel good while listening to the various interpretations, which are all top rate. The one track which caught my attention from the start was the LONG OVERDUE DUET between Natalie Cole & Chaka Khan! The two divas' voices blend SO WELL on '(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (A.K.A. Mr.Paganini)', and I also love the arrangement of the song, which is long enough for Chaka & Natalie to sing & scat up a storm.

There are so many other highlights on 'We All Love Ella', BUT the failure to include songs by TWO prominent Ella disciples (Patti Austin & Dee Dee Bridgewater), was questionable (IMO). Both of these legendary singers recorded Ella tribute projects in the past ('Dear Ella' & 'For Ella' respectively!), and they could've shined on this new CD singing 'Our Love Is Here To Stay' & 'How High The Moon ?'. Both of these songs are Ella classics without question, but are absent on 'We All Love Ella'. Oh well, maybe Verve will cook up Volume 2 ?

All in all 'We Love Ella - Celebrating The First Lady Of Song' is a first rate tribute to an American Icon, and I applaud everyone involved for the great music...which is one of the finest 'tribute' projects in recent memory. I'd also like to thank Phil Ramone for NOT releasing a shabby collection of songs (most of those countless 'remake' CDs on Shanachie Records comes to mind!!). Obviously a lot of thought & time was invested in producing 'We All Love Ella', so I'd recommend it to jazz lovers everywhere.
Peace, SD
(of 'Chakasworld')

4 out of 5 stars A fitting tribute to a true Lady of Song........2007-06-05

Wikipendia: "Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century.

With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, near faultless phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. She is widely considered to have been one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook...."
This is a heartfelt, loving tribute to the great singer for which Verve Records has gathered a top-notch group of genre-spanning artists and a legendary producer to create an album that genuinely pays tribute to its original subject.
"We All Love Ella" is produced by hit maker Phil Ramone and filled with passionate performances of classics made famous by Ella and sung by world-renowned singers and break-out stars Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Ledisi, Dianne Reeves, Linda Ronstadt and Lizz Wright.
Most of them are part of the so-called SERIAL COLLABORATORS, a new generation of musicians, who have all but abandoned their own musical endeavours in favour of hitching a ride in this kind of music projects, call them DUET or TRIBUTE albums.
Whether it's Diana Krall's tender "Dream A Little Dream", Natalie Cole's swingin' "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", k.d. lang's sultry "Angel Eyes" or the extraordinarily sassy and powerful "Blues in the Night" by newcomer Ledesi, the performances on "We All Love Ella" keenly display Fitzgerald's expansive musical range and show how her style influenced generations of musicians from all backgrounds
The woman herself, Ella, appears on the album.
In 1977, Stevie Wonder sat in with Ella during her performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. This impromptu collaboration yielded a charming duet on Stevie's classic "You are the Sunshine of my Life". This recording is released for the first time over on this tribute album!
Many are the guest musicians :Gerald Clayton (Piano), Billy Childs Trio (piano, arranger), Regina Carter (violin), Alan Broadbent(Piano), Christian McBride (bass), Dean Parks (Guitar), Tom Scott (Saxophone), Anthony Wilson (Guitar), just to name a few.
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All in one world, a great homage to the Great Lady of Song.
Enjoy
Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • the best of ella
  • Good, but not enough
  • "PERFECTION"
  • The most talented singer of our time!
  • The Best Singer in the world!!!!
 Pure Ella: The Very Best of Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000069ON
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Tracks:

  1. Mack The Knife
  2. Blue Skies
  3. A Tisket, A Tasket
  4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
  5. Misty
  6. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)
  7. Tea For Two
  8. Love Is Here To Stay
  9. Night And Day
  10. My Funny Valentine
  11. The Boy Fom Ipanema
  12. Too Marvelous For Words
  13. Take The 'A' Train
  14. Summertime
  15. How High The Moon
  16. All The Things You Are
  17. Over The Rainbow
  18. Oh, Lady, Be Good

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars the best of ella.......2007-01-17

great cd. i bought it as a gift for my mom and she loves it. i actually really like it too even though i had never heard much by ella before. a great variety of all of her best work and displays her voice so well.

3 out of 5 stars Good, but not enough.......2007-01-10

I really like Ella Fitzgerald. She was probably the greatest Jazz singer ever. This makes almost every song she sings nice, but I think this is not enough for a disc that aims to be the "very best" of Ella. Not all the songs in my opinion were the very best, there were many that were missing and some that are nice but not the best. Also the order sounds a little bit messy to me. In conclusion, I prefer other discs, but this one anyway is cheap and it's a cute introduction to the singer.

5 out of 5 stars "PERFECTION".......2006-11-12

Every track on this CD brought out Ella's
superiority of a vocal artist. I have been
blessed to have seen Ella live in concert
two times. Once as as solo performer at
Indiana University and the other performace
was in Chicago and the billing was titled
"Sinatra, Fitzgerald, & The Duke" I have been able
to relive these wonderful performances with this CD
"Pure Ella" By the way, there is now a performer in
Chicago who has her range and talent. Her name is Lisa
McClowry and she can be be seen live with Tom Linsk most
monday & thursdays at "The Red Head" in Chicago. Be there!
You will not regret it!!!

5 out of 5 stars The most talented singer of our time!.......2006-11-08

Just recently started getting into vocal jazz. I already own a few classic jazz compilations with a few of Ella's songs on them. The first time I heard her voice I was hooked! I escpecially loved her cover of Mack the Knife! im not going to spend time and try to write some pseudo-intellectual dribble. As I already stated, im fairly new to the classic/vocal jazz world so I wont waste anyones time pretending to know a lot about this genre. What I do know is Ella Fitzgewrald a musical goddess.

5 out of 5 stars The Best Singer in the world!!!!.......2005-06-22

This woman is the Best singer I've ever heard.I'm only 20 years old and I just looooove her music so much.
Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Bestof Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
  • Ella and Louis sing of life as we know it--and wow, how I appreciate the ride!!!
  • A Must-Have (in one form or another)--but think twice.
  • No,they cant take that away from me...
  • 'Your Daddy's rich and your Momma fine looking'
 Best Of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000047FO
Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

  1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
  2. Love Is Here To Stay
  3. The Nearness Of You
  4. Stars Fell On Alabama
  5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
  6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
  7. Autumn In New York
  8. Summertime
  9. Tenderly
  10. Stompin' At The Savoy
  11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
  12. I Wants To Stay Here
  13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
  14. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)

Amazon.com essential recording

Ella Fitzgerald's voice was satin to Louis Armstrong's sandpaper, but when you put them together on a single song, their chemistry was unimpeachable. This disc selects highlights from the three albums they made together at Verve (including their Porgy and Bess), and adds a spiffy live track from the Hollywood Bowl. Though they don't harmonize much (Armstrong's voice wasn't built for harmony), Ella's dignified swing and flashes of teasing wit play off Satchmo's gritty, good-humored roar symbiotically. The material is mostly lightweight Tin Pan Alley stuff (lots of Gershwin, plus the likes of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"), and they fly it like a kite. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bestof Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.......2007-01-11

AWESOME!!!! Bought this CD for my husband as Christmas gift. We were both astounded at how wonderful this duo, the music and the sound quality are. Recorded in the late 1950's, this music is still incredible, even after all these years! The songs are timeless, the execution by Armstrong and Fitzerald IMPECCABLE!

Highly recommend this one .... you won't be disappointed!

5 out of 5 stars Ella and Louis sing of life as we know it--and wow, how I appreciate the ride!!!.......2006-10-26

On this CD Ella and Louis Armstrong join forces to make an album that is pure magic. They've been lovingly teased as satin (Ella) and sandpaper (Louis, because of his gravelly voice); but no duo compares to them when they sing together. Louis and Ella obviously enjoyed making this recording; their voices are in excellent form and impart a certain sense of genuine happiness that is hard to find. Ella and Louis have voices that are rich, vibrant and full of electricity! This CD proves it.

The CD starts off with the charming and playful "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." The album then switches gears and goes into the more soulful love ballad entitled "Our Love Is Here To Stay." Sublime! Other great songs on this CD include "Stars Fell On Alabama;" "The Nearness Of You;" "Stompin' At The Savoy;" and "Tenderly." Louis performs great trumpet solos on songs including "Tenderly" and "Summertime" that make your heart melt. In fact, every song is special on this CD; I also admire their rendition of "Under A Blanket Of Blue."

The musical arrangements are very well done. These tracks feature several great opportunities for us to enjoy Armstrong's trumpet solos.

The liner notes impress me, too. There is an adaptation of an essay by William Ruhlmann who wrote the liner notes for The Complete Ella And Louis On Verve. There are beautiful photos of Ella and Louis; and you get the song credits, too. A nice plus!

Overall, the chemistry between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong makes for an experience that is truly in its own league. They enjoy their work and it shows. You will appreciate their energy and powerful renditions of these wonderful songs. I highly recommend this CD for fans of classic pop vocals and fans of both Ella and Louis. This is also a great budget priced CD for people who want to know if they will like this style of music.

Moreover, if you do like this CD I suggest you listen to the CD box set entitled The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong and another CD entitled Ella and Louis again. You can also try solo CDs by both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong; they produced great music individually as well. You truly can't go wrong with this classic CD; and I hope this CD brings you the same joy and thrills that Ella and Louis communicate when they perform these magnificent songs. ENJOY!!!

5 out of 5 stars A Must-Have (in one form or another)--but think twice........2006-10-14

With all due respect to some other reviewers, this is not "an album" made by Ella and Louis: it's a sampler comprising three Ella and Louis albums. Normally I would not even consider, say, a Sinatra anthology mixing three masterworks like "Only the Lonely," "In the Wee Small Hours," and "Come Fly with Me": each is a unique and integrally whole project. But I have the Ella and Louis LPs, so I picked up this compressed anthology to take some pressure off of the vinyl.

Like most "best-of" collections, it suffers a bit from uneven textures (the lush orchestration of "Summertime" seems like an intrusion on the intimate rapport established in the preceding numbers) and audio quality (variances in mics, mixing and engineering can be hard to disguise). So unless some of the tunes on this anthology seem absolutely essential, go with "Ella and Louis," if only for its more coherent, unified feel--like two supreme musical storytellers having an irresistable conversation in real time and in real space. (If you have a piano, imagine inviting both into your living room for the evening.)

Louis' meetings with Ella were his most successful collaborations with another major star (the Ellington get-together doesn't compare), and unfortunately I know of no extended, full-fidelity vinyl sessions featuring Pops with Bing Crosby. What's most noteworthy about their pairing is Ella's restrained deference to Louis, and Louis' passionate, animated trumpet solos (it was not unusual for him to "coast" at this stage of his career). The duets are at times a bit sloppy, or "under-rehearsed," especially following the trumpet solo, but the absence of polish is in this case all for the better. This is a recording about communication of the most "natural" sort, not about perfection or disciplined performance. To hear Pops singing unison, then in 3rds, with Ella on an up-tempo "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" defies description. Simply his presence is enough to showcase Ella's grace and set us up for the sound of surprise when it's Louis' turn to sing solo.

Recently I heard a Wynton Marsalis tribute to Louis at the Lincoln Center. As fluent and dazzling as Wynton was, his performance made me appreciate Louis all the more. Perhaps Leonard Bernstein hit it on the head in his musical essay about jazz, "What Is Jazz?" Alternating between Louis' vocals and trumpet playing, he pointed out the similarity between the two, noting the hint of "pain" intermingled with the joy, or the brilliance of the trumpet sound, as evidence of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, which might be said to be the essence of the blues itself. Fortunately, that sound is captured in virtually every note that Louis sings and plays on this recording.

5 out of 5 stars No,they cant take that away from me..........2006-07-14

Sixty odd years ago,over AFN,Europe,whistles and fade outs and sometimes only very feeble sounds of the devine trumpet or,the girlish , heavenly voice kept us hoping,kept us alive in the red quagmire.The thin ray of sunshine in the deep,dark well of the *paradise.No,they really cant take all this away.Yes , we will never meet again.Soon I would not be
able to remember the tunes I loved,but,thanks Heaven,we had the chance to hear them for so many years after THEY(and many others) left us.We may get sentimental,we may feel sorry for us,but we must be happy at heart,because thanks to vynils and CDs,they are still with us and the good old jazz can still be heard and enjoyed...
Mirko J. Stojnic oldtimer682005@yahoo.ca

5 out of 5 stars 'Your Daddy's rich and your Momma fine looking'.......2006-05-24

The two greats the one- and- only Satchmo and the one-and-only Ella get together and make music which makes the listener happy to be alive. As another Amazon reviewer has written one feels that they simply so much enjoy making music that their attitude is infectious. The way each one of them in his/her own way play with the lyric and the music is just a delight. They've got it , in the deepest way. And they give it to their listeners with such incredible swinging lilting grace( Ella) and raspy, gravelly, charm( Satchmo) that one just loves to listen.
I do not agree with the editorial review which says that this music is 'Tin-Pan alley frill" You have some of the great popular songs here including one which is arguably the greatest, " Summertime".
These are the songs:

1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
2. Love Is Here To Stay
3. The Nearness Of You
4. Stars Fell On Alabama
5. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. Autumn In New York
8. Summertime
9. Tenderly
10. Stompin' At The Savoy
11. Under A Blanket Of Blue
12. I Wants To Stay Here
13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
14. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
15. You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart

Enjoy.
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh"
  • Fantastic!
  • HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND
  • "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!
  • Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality
 The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Giacomo Puccini , Herbert von Karajan , Riccardo Chailly , Stephen Barlow , Tullio Serafin , Lorin Maazel , Sir Edward Downes , Giuseppe Patane , Zubin Mehta , Alberto Erede , John Mauceri , Plácido Domingo , José Carreras , Kiri Te Kanawa , John Alldis Choir , Luciano Pavarotti , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Bologna Community Theater Orchestra , Ettore Bastianini , Carlo Bergonzi , Renato Cesari , Fernando Corena , Cesare Siepi , Renata Tebaldi , Gianna D'Angelo , Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra , Franco Corelli , Alfredo Mariotti , Regine Crespin , Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden , London Symphony Orchestra , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra , Rome Opera House Orchestra , Pilar Lorengar , Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble , Mirella Freni , Rolando Panerai , Jussi Bjorling , Leontyne Price , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007OU1
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. Turnadot: Nessun Dorma!
  2. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
  3. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
  4. La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song
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  6. Madame Butterfly: Un Bel Di
  7. TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
  8. La rondine: Il Sogno Di Doretta
  9. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
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Amazon.com essential recording

Ordinarily, it pays to be wary of collections such as these, which often promise a lot but deliver a mishmash of disconnected excerpts. This disc, however, is something of an exception: you really do get just about all of Puccini's best arias, which is possible, because he didn't write so many operas that choosing the best moments becomes a matter of the producer's personal taste. Also, Puccini's operas are so popular that every major label has excellent complete recordings of all of them, so in making this compilation it was possible to cast from strength: all the singers here are fine. In fact, the only proviso that needs to be made before you rush out and add this disc to your collection is that it's wrong to assume that all of Puccini's best tunes lie in his arias. The opening 10 minutes of any one of his operas will tell you that's not true. So by all means enjoy this disc--then start sampling the operas complete. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh".......2005-11-08

"Quando m'en vo" is not omitted from this CD; it is just called "Musetta's waltz song." It is the same aria.

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic!.......2003-10-14

This is one of the first opera CDs I ever got. It's wonderful for just about any body;from the newbies like me or the opera fanatics. I especially like 'In Questa Reggia'. Buy it now!!

5 out of 5 stars HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.......2003-09-04

The Ultimate Puccini Collection features some of Puccini's most arias and will appeal to even the most ardent operaphobes.

A great listening experience featuring some of the greatest opera performers of all time.

3 out of 5 stars "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!.......2002-06-13

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality.......2002-02-18

I love opera! I love Puccini! Not only is the vocalism important to me, but the quality of the recording as well. I enjoy my hi-tech sound system. I like to feel as if I am sitting in the front row of the first balcony when I listen to opera. This CD is excellent! The vocalists were well chosen. The technical performances are eloquent and emotional, as Puccini should be. However, the quality of the recording is not very good. No matter how you adjust your sound system, the recording is a bit tinny and as a result, the emotional high points of the arias are not as vibrant as they could be if the recording were of better quality. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Puccini and who is not as finicky as I!
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • I Love Ella in Paris!
  • A Best Seller in Heaven
  • The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems
  • I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!
  • new ella fitzgerald fan
 Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Sinatra Sings Cole Porter

ASIN: B0000047EG
Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

  1. All Through The Night
  2. Anything Goes
  3. Miss Otis Regrets
  4. Too Darn Hot
  5. In The Still Of The Night
  6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
  7. Do I Love You?
  8. I'm Always True To You In My Fashion
  9. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
  10. Just One Of Those Things
  11. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
  12. All Of You
  13. Begin The Begiune
  14. Get Out Of Town
  15. I Am In Love
  16. From This Moment On

Tracks:

  1. I Love Paris
  2. You Do Something To Me
  3. Ridin' High
  4. Easy To Love
  5. It's All Right With Me
  6. Why Can't You Behave?
  7. What Is This Thing Called Love?
  8. You're The Top
  9. Love For Sale
  10. It's De-Lovely
  11. Night And Day
  12. Ace In The Hole
  13. So In Love
  14. I've Got You Under My Skin
  15. I Concentrate On You
  16. Don't Fence Me In
  17. You're The Top (Alternative Take)
  18. I Concentrate On You (Alternative Take)
  19. Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (Alternative Take)

Amazon.com

Long considered a jewel in Verve Records' very impressive crown, Fitzgerald's songbook collections of various composers--a series that was started by the success of this set--are all wonderful, but her natural wit and intelligence was at its most perfect with Cole Porter's erudite, urbane songs. While not as scat-oriented as her small group outings, these Porter sets offer her most realized pop performances. Also, the gold remastering does a fine job of bringing out the nuances in the arrangements, making this a treasure for the serious collector and the casual listener alike. A true American music gem. --Skip Heller

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I Love Ella in Paris!.......2007-01-30

I received this CD for Christmas. I never listened to
another Christmas carol after this started playing.
This not only has Ella's great vocals, but it has songs
that everyone, at least everyone of my age, knows
and loves. On a trip to Paris we listened
to it every evening in our apartment while sipping our wine and watching
the barges glide down the Seine. When Ella sang "I Love
Paris", that did it for my friend. She bought it as soon as she got back home.

5 out of 5 stars A Best Seller in Heaven.......2007-01-06

The de-lightful-est! The de-lovely-est! It doesn't get better than this!

Vaishali, Naples, FL

5 out of 5 stars The First Lady of Song Sings Cole Porter Gems.......2006-12-13

"In Ella Fitzgerald there is a basic purity of sound and of style; she sings truly and she sings honestly. She is the Hemingway of the singers. Is there another singer alive today whose work, like Hemingway, is so basic and simple on the surface and yet so meaningful? There are none, of course. In the jargon Hemingway loves so well, today it is Ella, the champion, against the field." ~ Norman Granz ~

"What it is we recognize and enjoy as distinctively "Cole Porter" in Cole Porter lyric? Actually there are many great things in Porter lyrics and this gives them a continuing charm by always giving us something new to discover. But there is a key trait or quality that is paramount in a Porter lyric. It is intelligence that is the reigning force in Porter, putting all his facts, facilities and philosophies into the right balance to make good entertainment. And that, after all, is his purpose." ~ Fred Lounsberry ~

This two-CD-set presents the very best of Cole Porter songs as interpreted by the legendary songbird, Ella Fitzgerald at her best, and arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman so remarkably wonderful. It's one of the best-ever Songbook series she recorded. This set offers a compilation of the most popular Cole Porter gems from stage shows and motion pictures from 1929 thru 1954, except for one track, "Miss Otis Regrets," which is neither from stage nor screen.

Cole Porter was one of the few great songwriters who can creatively write a song by himself and didn't need a songwriting partner. He was at par with Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser in that category. In these recordings, his songs really shine through with Ella Fitzgerald's beautiful interpretations, from "Begin The Beguine," "Do I Love You" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" to "You Do Something To Me," "Easy To Love" and "I Concentrate On You."

This is essential not only to all Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter fans, but also to anyone who loves the Songbook series.

A collector's item.

5 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!.......2006-09-02

I love this cd so much that at least one of them (it is a 2-cd set) are in my cd changer at ALL times. This is truly one of the best investments in music I have EVER made and I am so glad I bought it!!! This has to be one of the best ella cds out there...PERIOD.

4 out of 5 stars new ella fitzgerald fan.......2006-07-03

I never listened to this type of music before. I am a Jewel fan & had saw that this was her favorite cd, so I decided to give it a try. I am very impressed. Great cd!
Ella at Duke's Place
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Another Pinnacle
  • This is Different
  • Excellent
  • The Duke and the First Lady of Song - a dream team
  • Strong Chemistry
 Ella at Duke's Place
Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000004718
Release Date: 1996-02-27

Tracks:

  1. Something To Live For
  2. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (AKA 'Passion')
  3. Passion Flower
  4. I Like The Sunrise
  5. Azure
  6. Imagine My Frustration
  7. Duke's Place (AKA 'C-Jam Blues')
  8. Brown-Skin Gal (In The Calico Gown)
  9. What Am I Here For?
  10. Cotton Tail

Amazon.com essential recording

Ella Fitzgerald made some of her greatest recordings with Duke Ellington and his band, including the extensive three-CD Ellington Songbook and the eight-CD Cote d'Azur Concerts. This session from 1965 is an excellent place to begin listening to the relationship, a self-contained set that joins Fitzgerald with the Duke and his still-great band. The brilliance of Fitzgerald's voice is apparent even when placed amid such great Ellingtonians as altoist Johnny Hodges and trumpeters Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson. She and Hodges are perfectly matched on subtle Billy Strayhorn tunes like "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" and "Passion Flower." --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Another Pinnacle.......2007-02-03

Before hearing this summit meeting, I was prepared to call "Blue Rose" (see review) one of Duke's 3-4 greatest albums and certainly the most underrated. My 40-year-long ignorance about this consummate encounter between Duke and Ella tells me "Blue Rose" has competition in the underrated category.

This is Ellington at full strength (before the loss of Johnny Hodges) and Ella, too (before some of the wavering vibrato of the 1970s). Above all, it's a session that captures every delicate shade and hue of the exquisitely beautiful, albeit often challenging, music of Billy Strayhorn. There's no fooling around during this session, no jam session looseness, no programming to meet general consumer approval (starting the session with "Something to Live For" and "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" is in itself indicative of the seriousness of this project).

As respectful as this date is, there are fine moments by some of the Ellington stars--Hodges, Gonsalves, Cootie, Jimmy Hamilton, even Duke's piano. And to the usual brain trust of Duke and Stray, add the arranging talents of the wonderful Jimmy Jones (accompanist for Sarah, then Nancy Wilson). Ellingtonphiles will appreciate the inimitable orchestral colors and textures along with the absence of haste and sloppiness while at the same time discovering a more "personal" Ellington and Ella than on the 50s Songbook.

Anyone new to the pair might wish to save this one for later and start instead with the Duke-Ella Cote d'Azure date, where there's more scattin' and jammin'. And if you want to hear Ella singing the greatest C-Jam Blues/Duke's Place (the titles are always used interchangeably) of all time, there's only one recording worth considering: "Bluella."

5 out of 5 stars This is Different.......2005-10-22

This 1965 recording is quite different from the 1957 Songbook meeting as it sounds like it was thoroughly rehearsed. This is a paradox, in my opinion, since the typical looseness of Duke's band is absent, resulting in a more rigid and mechanical performance. On the other hand, the band doesn't run over Ella as they often did on the Songbook. This is probably want Norman Granz was looking for the first time around when Duke, according to legend, showed up unprepared. I strongly prefer the Songbook though, in spite of its problems.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2004-03-26

Despite the fact that this is not one of Ella or Duke's best known albums, it is defintely one of the best. Ella was at perhaps her absoltue peak vocally when this was recorded in 1965, and I doubt that there is a living vocalist who could re-create many moments in the album. But it's not just about a wonderful voice; Ella puts a lot of soul and feeling into these songs. Her "Something to Live For" is so poignant that it is impossible to listen to it without being moved. The two "Flower" songs are excellent, expoliting her rich lower register to create intense longing and desire. "Sunrise" is again touching, the First Lady sings it with just the right blend of sadness and hope for a better day. "Azure" is awesome, especially after the full band drops out, leaving just Ella and Duke on piano to noodle around. "Frustration" is fun, with Ella wailing her heart out. "Duke's Place" is a also great, showing that Duke and Ella could do wonders with just two notes. "Brown Skin Gal in the Calico Gown" starts out as a soft, yearning ballad, and then becomes a flag-waving swinger. "What Am I Here For?" is sung by Ella with her tongue-in-cheek, like "How dare you leave me alone with nothing to look forward to?!" ;-) And finally, the closing "Cottontail" is unforgettable; it is truly one of the greatest vocal improvisations preserved on record.

Well, that's about it. Can you tell I liked this CD? :-P

5 out of 5 stars The Duke and the First Lady of Song - a dream team.......2004-01-04

This is a musical reunion of Ella and Duke in 1965 since they created their monumental 1957 "Ella Sings Duke Ellington" album. The 1965 album brought back the musicians who made the 1957 album special and you can see that Ella is having a ball and in some cases, she reaches an intense emotionality very rarely associated with her, like my favorite Ellington tune "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing." The key charts exploited her lower registers and she langoured in its vast richness. And as in the 1957 album, where rumours of under-rehearsals were rife, the 1965 album did nothing to dissipate those rumours. In songs like "Azure", one can sense that there was no rehearsal -- more like an extended jam session with Gonsalves trading obbligatos with Ella. Ella herself was at her loosest best where she playfully pushed her voice to exciting improvisatory limits. Highly recommended. Next to Count Basie, I think Ella is happiest when she works with the Duke. And can't anyone ever eclipse Ella's "Caravan"?

5 out of 5 stars Strong Chemistry.......2000-03-11

Ella Fitzgerald is one of the worlds Greatest Vocalist ever.her voice is Diamond.together with One of The Greatest Teachers of Music Mr.Duke Ellington this disc is a must have.the Pairing of the two is Music History.her voice and the band are pure magic.you feel Admiration&genius on both parts.a strong chemistry.together they hit the right note.
Love, Ella
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Love, Ella
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Manufacturer: Verve
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    2. Sweet and Hot
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    ASIN: B000Q364LK
    Release Date: 2007-06-05

    Tracks:

    1. A-Tisket, A-Tasket
    2. Lullaby Of Birdland
    3. The Lady Is a Tramp
    4. Dream a Little Dream Of Me
    5. (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (a.k.a. Mr. Paganini
    6. Oh, Lady Be Good!
    7. Reaching For the Moon
    8. Blues In the Night
    9. Miss Otis Regrets
    10. Someone To Watch Over Me
    11. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
    12. Angel Eyes
    13. Too Close For Comfort
    14. Airmail Special
    The Best of the Song Books
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Ella burns up the track as she and these songs become one
    • There is no one like Ella
    • great songs and great singing, but not jazz exactly
    • Ella
    • Wonderful!
    		 The Best of the Song Books
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Manufacturer: Verve
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000046R2
    Release Date: 1993-09-21

    Tracks:

    1. Something's Gotta Give
    2. Love Is Here To Stay
    3. Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered
    4. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
    5. The Lady Is A Tramp
    6. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
    7. Miss Otis Regrets
    8. 'S Wonderful
    9. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
    10. Love For Sale
    11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
    12. Midnight Sun
    13. Hooray For Love
    14. Why Was I Born?
    15. Cotton Tail
    16. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

    Amazon.com

    Trying to cull a single-CD "Best of" from the 16-CD set of The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books may seem like a daunting task, but it's also foolproof. The complete set is a monument to the century's greatest songs and, arguably, its greatest singer, and this selection is a series of gems programmed to simulate a Fitzgerald performance, carefully sequencing joyous uptempo swingers and moving ballads. Recorded between 1956 and 1964, Fitzgerald's finest years, the CD includes arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Buddy Bregman, as well as a superb rendering of "I've Got It Bad" with the Ellington orchestra and Johnny Hodges. Balancing the orchestral settings are some intimate small-group performances, including a witty rendition of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" and Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." This is an ideal introduction to the "Song Books," a selection so good it will appeal to owners of the box sets. --Stuart Broomer

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Ella burns up the track as she and these songs become one.......2007-07-04

    Ella Fitzgerald turned out numerous song books at a time when her voice was quite possibly at its peak. This CD attempts to cover the very best of the numbers from all her song books. Although no single CD can truly do that; this CD comes pretty close and every number is a huge hit.

    The CD track set starts with "Something's Gotta Give;" and Ella sings this with all her might as she swings brightly. The musical arrangement bolsters Ella's vocals wonderfully for this relentlessly upbeat number. "Something's Gotta Give" provides a strong start for this album. "Our Love Is Here To Stay" features Ella massaging this immortal Gershwin tune. Ella swings gently for this romantic tune and the musicians accompany Ella to perfection. The horns really shine in this Nelson Riddle arrangement, too.

    "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" features Ella singing rarely heard additional verses; her voice is rich, warm and vibrant. The slow tempo and piano work well as Ella swings very gently to make "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" a rare gem shining brightly! "The Lady Is A Tramp" gives us a change of pace; Ella sings a beautiful opening verse slow and sweet before this number takes off and Ella takes flight! The vivacious arrangement by Buddy Bregman reflects great judgment that enhances "The Lady Is A Tramp."

    "Miss Otis Regrets" showcases Cole Porter's talent; and when Ella sings "Miss Otis Regrets" she infuses it with such understanding that Ella's rendition is THE ultimate interpretation of this melancholy ballad. The piano playing by Paul Smith never misses a note, either. I believe you will appreciate "Miss Otis Regrets." "S'Wonderful" changes the pace once again as Ella sings a relentlessly upbeat song. "S'Wonderful" glows when Ella interprets it with her unique sense of style; and Ella swings very well for this number. In addition, "Love For Sale" has Ella singing extra verses yet again--what a treat that is! "Love For Sale" sports a grand arrangement by Buddy Bregman as Ella sings of a young woman who wants her men to pay her for romantic time alone with her. "Love For Sale" has melancholy lyrics but the beautiful arrangement and interpretation makes this a very special number. The arrangement gradually gets louder for a crescendo effect--love it!

    "They Can't Take That Away From Me" receives careful treatment from Ella as she sings this with panache and excellent diction. Nelson Riddle's arrangement does quite the trick, too. "Midnight Sun" uses the percussion well; and Ella massages the lyrics as only she could to sing this romantic ballad so very well. "Cotton Tail" has Ella scatting and jamming her heart out; she puts all her might into this jazzy, breakneck Duke Ellington number. Stuff Smith really does it well on that violin, too!

    The CD ends with "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" by Cole Porter. Buddy Bregman delivers a heavenly arrangement as Ella sings with great sensitivity, grace and confidence. "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is some strong ending for this album!

    The liner notes include a commentary style essay by Geoffrey Mark Fidelman and you get all the song credits with their recording dates as well.

    Ella Fitzgerald turned out so many superlative song books that it's not truly possible to create a single CD "best of the song books" album. Too much is omitted; I would have preferred a two CD set for this effort. However, I will give this CD five stars anyway because the high level of quality control impresses me to no end. The quality of the sound is excellent; Phil Schaap did a great job of remastering these songs.

    I highly recommend this CD for Ella Fitzgerald fans and for people who want a quick overview of the song book albums Ella recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. People who enjoy classic pop vocals with an occasional jazzy twist would do well to get this album, too.

    Thank you forever, Ella Fitzgerald!!!

    5 out of 5 stars There is no one like Ella.......2007-01-30

    This collection shows, once more, why Ella reigns supreme. As usual, Ella delievrs each song in such an heartfelt, intense, personal way. The accompnaiments on this album are superb as well.

    4 out of 5 stars great songs and great singing, but not jazz exactly.......2006-10-11

    These Tin Pan Alley songs are the primary source of the jazz standards played by bop instrumentalists; I decided to listen to them in their original settings since I've heard so many improvisations over the chord changes to them. My impression is that the original songs aren't jazz exactly. These cuts do swing at times, but mostly they come off pretty straight, square, and old-fashioned; they belong to that bygone era of American popular culture before rock and roll, to the style of Crosby and Sinatra.

    I don't mean to say that these aren't good renditions, only that they aren't what I was expecting. (Connoisseurs of this genre won't find me very helpful, then.) If you like old-time songs from the big band era you will love this album. Fitzgerald was a consummate master of this kind of music, and I really admire her singing here. But if, like me, you hear this disc with hard bop renditions of these tunes in your ears, if you know them because you've heard Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins playing them, you almost won't even recognize them as presented here. The jazz instrumentalists who improvised over these tunes made them into something very different.

    4 out of 5 stars Ella.......2006-03-15

    Ella. In this world of 36 Mafia do I have to say more.

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful!.......2005-12-07

    Since I discovered Ella & Louis my "musical life" has never been the same. This is the kind of music that makes me wonder how I could have lived so long without. Ella's voice is magic. All of the Best of Verve Songbooks CDs are pure magic. If you like old-fashioned jazz, and you like great voices, you should buy at least 4 or 5 of Ella and/or Louis Armstrong's CDs. Just listen to the audio samples on Amazon.com, and you will find out why, in case you don't know how great they were. These guys were fantastic artists. They should have had 500 more years to live on this planet, and make it a better place with their voices.
    The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever!
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Latter-day also-rans
    • A well-sung compilation
    • This cant be the best
    • TRUE OPERA LOVERS CANNOT POSSIBLY LIKE THIS!
    • Even if you Hate Complilations, Get This One
    		 The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever!

    Manufacturer: Angel Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000084JD
    Release Date: 1999-07-27

    Tracks:

    1. La Traviata: Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici (Brindisi) (Atto I) - Alfredo Kraus
    2. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum (Atto I) - Thomas Hampton
    3. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina (Atto I) - Roberto Alagna
    4. La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi (Atto I) - Mirella Freni
    5. L'amico Fritz: Suzel, Bon Di (Cherry Duet) (First Part) (Atto II) - Bernard Haitink
    6. Nabucco: Va, Pensiero (Chorus Of Hebrew Slaves) (Atto III) - Bernard Haitink
    7. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile (Atto III) - Roberto Alagna
    8. Lakme: Viens, Mallika (Flower Duet) (Acte I) - Mady Mesple
    9. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Victoria De Los Angeles
    10. Tosca: Recondita Armonia (Atto I) - Placido Domingo
    11. Tosca: Vissi D'arte (Atto II) - Maria Callas
    12. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle (Atto III) - Placido Domingo
    13. Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco: Respiro Appena ... Lo Son L'umile Ancella (Atto I) - Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
    14. Les Pecheurs De Perles: Au Fond Du Temple Saint (Acte I) - Nicolai Gedda
    15. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non Piu Andrai (Atto I) - Thomas Allen
    16. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete (Atto II) - Ann Murray
    17. Le Nozze Di Figaro: E Susanna Non Vien!...Dove Sono (Atto III) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
    18. Martha: M'appari (Ach So Fromm) (Akt III) - Roberto Alagna
    19. Tristan Und Isolde: Mild Und Leise (Liebestod) (Akt III) - Helga Dernesch

    Tracks:

    1. Aida: Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida (Atto I) - Placido Domingo
    2. Il Trovatore: Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie (Anvil Chorus) (Atto II) - Bernard Haitink
    3. Samson Et Dalila: Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix (Acte II) - Maria Callas
    4. Carmen: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle (Habanera) - Victoria De Los Angeles
    5. Carmen: Votre Toast (Toreador's Song) (Acte II) - Maria Callas
    6. Carmen: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee (Acte III) - Roberto Alagna
    7. Les Contes D'Hoffman: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle) (Acte II) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
    8. Andrea Chenier: La Mamma Morta (Atto III) - Maria Callas
    9. Pagliacci: Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba (Atto I) - Jose Carreras
    10. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremo (Atto II) - Renata Scotto
    11. Cosi Fan Tutte: Soave Sia Il Vento (Atto I) - Margaret Marshall
    12. La Rondine: Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta (Atto I) - Montserrat Caballe
    13. Die Zauberflote: Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja (Akt I) - Walter Berry
    14. Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache (Akt II) - Edita Gruberova
    15. Rusalka: Song To The Moon (Act I) - Lucia Popp
    16. La Wally: Ebben? Ne Andro Iontana (Atto I) - Maria Callas
    17. Werther: Toute Mon Ame Est La!...Pourquoi Me Reveiller? (Acte III) - Roberto Alagna
    18. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! (Atto I) - Montserrat Caballe
    19. Turandot: Nessun Dorma (Atto III) - Jose Carreras

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars Latter-day also-rans.......2007-05-28

    There will always be arguments for this or that singer, but this title is absurd. I didn't see a single Jussi Bjoerling, George London, Leonard Warren, or Zinka Milanov, and only one mention of Del Monaco. These were singers. Bjoerling and London were in a class by themselves. I saw all of these folks live on stage. London and Del Monaco had stage presence you don't get now. Di Stefano, Kirsten, de los Angeles should be on any best list. Play any tenor aria by any tenor; then play Bjoerling's. Play any bass/baritone aria by any singer; then play London's. Jussi and George will knock your socks off. They sang everything in every language. Tebaldi and Pavarotti sang only Italian, much easier.

    4 out of 5 stars A well-sung compilation.......2003-09-15

    Compilations usually receive negative feedback from experienced opera listeners. However, this compilation by no means should be only welcomed by opera listeners, it should be welcomed by all music listeners. This CD is a great one to own for a first time opera listener. Also, for the person who wants to listen to opera once in a while and who does not want to buy a myriad of CD's in order to have the same amount of arias as this CD has. Eighty-percent of the singers are high-quality singers in this CD and the orchestras along with their respective conductors, do justice to the songs. All of the arias in this CD are what we in the field call, standard repertoire, and therefore are a good source for a beginning musician to help him or her listen to phrasing, colour, dynamics, language etc. I certainly recommend it, without a doubt.

    1 out of 5 stars This cant be the best.......2003-04-20

    Elisa from Italy is absolutely right--well, the present generation may not be able to listen the golden oldies and the grand masters in person but it is still true that the past masters far surpassed the new. De Stefano had a magnetic voice, but listen to Gigli singing Puccini's La boheme and you will melt away, though it is v v v difficult to get hold of his mono recordings, even in CD. I disagree with Elisa only on one point: Tebaldi is good, but Victoria de Los angeles' Mimi is better. And the indulgent Thomas Beecham is my favourite conductor of this opera, way ahead of Toscannini, but De Stefano's Boheme is worth keeping and listening to again and again....

    1 out of 5 stars TRUE OPERA LOVERS CANNOT POSSIBLY LIKE THIS!.......2002-11-27

    True opera lovers (I won't say "experts" 'cos I dislike the word) cannot possibly like this ... ! Apart from Callas, here there is none of the greatest artists! Callas may be great in Carmen but nobody can beat RENATA TEBALDI and her angel-like voice in all of Puccini's operas or in GIORDANO's Andrea Chénier. No Carreras can beat MARIO DEL MONACO in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, or Verdi's Otello. And finally, NO ALAGNA, or PAVAROTTI, or LICITRA, or whatever CHEAP TENOR or CROOK can ever beat the greatest tenor of all times: GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO!
    Come on! You can't like crook Pavarotti once you have heard Giuseppe Di Stefano!! You can't like ... connductor Riccardo Muti if you have listened to Arturo Toscanini!!
    True opera lovers, especially lovers of Puccini, go for the Immortal, the Sublime, the Beautiful in opera: GO FOR GIUSEPPE DI STEFANO!
    Go hear his performance of "E lucevan le stelle" as in EMI Callas/Di Stefano "Tosca" or "Che Gelida manina" always as in EMI Callas/Di Stefano "La Boéme" and you'll know what I mean.

    5 out of 5 stars Even if you Hate Complilations, Get This One.......2002-06-21

    This is a marvelous collection of better known arias and duets in Opera. The singers are those famous for setting, and raising, the bar in their field and for their times: Renata Scotto, Maria Callas, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti. If you are only somewhat familiar with opera, these recordings give you the highest feeling of what an aria or duet can sound like when sung and interpreted at its best. If you are already familiar with these songs, then you will appreciate this collection all the more for having gathered them in one place. I play both discs all the time. I've especially appreciated being able to compare vocal qualities side by side, so to speak, as Maria Callas can be heard next to Mirella Freni and Victoria de los Angeles. Even if you are not familiar with these singers, this is the way to meet them. Maria Callas has a much darker, back of the throat tone. Mirella Freni is pure, clear and light floating up in the higher notes. You can almost visualize the singers as they place the notes in their throats and set them out in the air to vibrate.
    Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald
    • no one like Ella...
    • Oh Lady Be Good is BETTER Than Good!
    • MUST HAVE!!!!
    • The Best of the Best....
    		 Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Manufacturer: Polygram Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000004711
    Release Date: 1996-01-30

    Tracks:

    1. Fascinating Rhythm
    2. 'S Wonderful
    3. Someone to Watch over Me
    4. He Loves and She Loves
    5. Oh, Lady, Be Good!
    6. A Foggy Day
    7. How Long Has This Been Going On?
    8. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
    9. But for Me
    10. My One & Only
    11. I've Got a Crush on You
    12. Nice Work if You Can Get It
    13. The Man I Love
    14. Funny Face
    15. Embraceable You
    16. They Can't Take That Away From Me
    17. I Got Rhythm

    Amazon.com essential recording

    Ella recorded five LPs' worth of Gershwin tunes for her songbook series, which was frankly a little much, so this single disc skims the cream. These songs are the ur-texts of American pre-war pop, straightforward love songs made to flow off a singer's tongue, and here they're in the hands of a master. Nelson Riddle's arrangements tend toward the soupy side--the bombastic string sections are distinctly nonjazz--but Ella, as always, sings with absolute taste and authority. She doesn't seem to be living inside the lyrics the way she does with, say, the Cole Porter songbook, but the simplicity of the Gershwins' melodies and sentiments let her get across some gently nuanced, technically exquisite singing. --Douglas Wolk

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Oh, Lady, Be Good! Best of the Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald.......2007-01-09

    I love Ella and I love Gershwin. They're both great! The musical arrangements by Nelson Riddle are another story. They take away from Ella's beautiful voice and misinterpret Gershwin beautiful music. You get over it after a few listenings however and the music is still enjoyable. I guess it's a product of the era it was made in.

    4 out of 5 stars no one like Ella..........2004-08-18

    frankly, there's no one out there i'd rather hear sing gershwin than ella fitzgerald, and this is an excellent compilation of ella singing some gershwin classics.

    however, i was initially disappointed by this cd b/c i'd been searching for an album the showcased ella as opposed to the songs themselves. the highlights of this album are gershwin's songs (and ella does them sweet justice), but if you want a simple collection of ella at her best, in my opinion this isn't it.

    5 out of 5 stars Oh Lady Be Good is BETTER Than Good!.......2003-07-11

    For those who want to hear Ella weave her magic in crisp, sparkling STEREO this is one of the VERY best of her many CDs. On this one she performs a unique, slow-tempo "Oh Lady Be Good" (that's right, SLOW and MELLOW as you've never heard it before and as only she could do it - and this alone is worth the price of admission). All the other top Gershwin goodies ("A Foggy Day", "But not For Me", "The Man I Love", etc.) are enhanced by Nelson Riddle's incomparable arrangements recorded in magnificent wrap-around sound that puts you right in front row center. So buckle up. This is a thrill-ride you'll want to experience again and again and again!

    5 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE!!!!.......2002-10-13

    Anyone who enjoys Ella Fitzgerald has to have this album in their collection. Every since I bought it, it's played on a continual basis on my stereo system.You'll appreciate this album as one her her greatest.

    5 out of 5 stars The Best of the Best...........2002-09-22

    Ella's voice is part of my childhood. She and George Gershwin played my lullabies. Not a bad introduction to music. Even now when I can't sleep I bring her back and let her sing in my head. Was there ever anything as lovely as Ella's voice? Everything falls away except the for the pure magic of her voice, the orchestra soaring...
    This CD comes as close to the old "Ella Sings Gershwin" LP my parents had that I have found. Only "Clap a'Yo Hands" is missing. These are songs you love to listen to and love to sing. All my life I'll be grateful that Ella taught me how to sing! How can you not sing when you hear "Someone to Watch Over Me"? "The Man I Love"? How sweet is "I've Got a Crush on You"? I feel like I've just found buried treasure! I've got more Ella recordings that anything else in my collection, but like the CD itself says, "The Best of the Best of the Best of the Best." It's fabulous to have the all these amazing songs on one CD.
    I just got myself a great present. You should get one too!

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