Fernando Cortez-Complete Opera

G. Spontini (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 26, 1999)
• Label: Hardy
• ASIN: B00002S8EV
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #783,333 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. Sinfonia

2. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. O Iberia mia

3. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. Quel Dio delle tempeste

4. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. Del fatal sacrifizio

5. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. O mio prence

6. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. Empio ministro d' implacabil Dio

7. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 1. Perduti siam

8. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Un agguato fatale a noi fu teso

9. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. O miei fidi seguaci

10. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Alvaro e' in vita ancor

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Della gloria il riposo

2. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. O tu cui cieca sorte

3. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. O figli al dio per cui scintilla

4. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Ballo nazionale messicano

5. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Qual dissennato terror

6. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 2. Voliam di gloria in gloria

7. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 3. Ad infiammar nostra audacia

8. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 3. O patria mia

9. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 3. Ah! dunque invano...

10. Fernand Cortez ou la conquete de Mexique, opera: Act 3. O re de' miei destini

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Renata sings Spontini, December 9, 1999

By 

Botond Szentmártoni (Budapest - Hungary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fernando Cortez-Complete Opera (Audio CD)

Renata Tebaldi, one of the few real artists, is now can be heard in a very interesting and special role, not from her basic repertire. Her voice, as always, is pure and secure, as beautiful as it can be, and very dramatic as well. This time the melodies is not so well known, but Renata sings them so naturally, that one may feel, "I have heard it yet". The whole performance is very nice and effective, nice arias and great finales. A few pictures in the booklet and really good sound restoring. A "MUST" for any Tebaldi fans, and for the lovers of "opera rara".

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spontini's FERNANDO CORTEZ: opera rara worth listening, April 27, 2000

By 

J. E. ASENCIO-NEGRON "9th Earl of Darquet" (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fernando Cortez-Complete Opera (Audio CD)

La Vestale (The Vestal Virgin, 1807) brought Spontini overnight success and fame in Paris (we must kept I mind that he was supported by Napoleon's wife Josephine at this time). It was succeeded by other eloquent and grandiose operatic accomplishments: Fernando Cortez (1809), and Olympie (1819, his posterior revisions were more highly successful than the initial performance).

The adventurousness and rich orchestration (he was indeed a master of special effects in opéras preceding Giacomo Meyerbeer) of these & subsequent operas were highly regarded and were the basis for the creation of the theatrical illusion of space and distance.

As a historical remark, I want to point out that the Fernando Cortez that is portrayed in this Grand-Opéra is historically incorrect. He did not spared the lives of native mexicans (i.e. Aztecs) in the time of Montezuma, early in the 16th century, out of love for Amazily, the mexican princess (heroine). Cortez almost killed them all looking for gold/silver like other "conquistadores". Nevertheless, this production of 1951 at the San Carlo Theater (Naples, Italy) was very successful and highly acclaimed by the public.

Renata Tebaldi showed us the appealing beauty of her unique voice through the delicacy of her bel canto technique as the princess Amazily, particularly on the second-act aria: "Non ho più che un desio" (I have only one desire), which is very moving, and it is exquisitely performed by her.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Renata sings Spontini, December 9, 1999

By 

Botond Szentmártoni (Budapest - Hungary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fernando Cortez-Complete Opera (Audio CD)

Renata Tebaldi, one of the few real artists, is now can be heard in a very interesting and special role, that is not from her basic repertire. Her voice, as always, is pure and secure, and as beautiful as it can be, and her style is very dramatic and full of passion. This time the melodies are not so well known, but Renata sings them so naturally, that one may feel them familiar. The whole performance is effective, containing nice arias and great finales. A few pictures in the booklet and really good sound restoring. A 'MUST' for any Tebaldi fans, and for the lovers of 'opera rara'.