Customer Reviews

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (Highlights)

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This highlights record of one of the best loved operas of Opera's great reformist Gluck is over all nice. All three main roles are sung by females, a great plus for those who do not like countertenors. What might disturb you is that this fact makes it a little harder to separate the voices from each other. On the other hand, the voices are very good here. Julia Hamari producing some lovely sound and varied colour to her Orfeo. Her "che faro..." is just as good as other singers on more expensive versions. Veronika Kincses and Maria Zempleni also does well in their roles. The orchestral playing is a little strangely recorded, sounding very dry (too dry for my taste) and the famous ballet close to the end has, I think, been shortened - I really don't see why, this is lovely music. One might also think that Lukacs' conducting is a little to modest in his search for the score's beauty. But those are small objections to a good recording.

Another thing to commend this record is the fact that it's a highlight record. If you're not very keen to this music, it usually bores you after an hour or so, but in this way you get the best and the listening is clean pleasure at very good price too.

This CD is largely a collection of choral and orchestral selections. There are relatively few of the famous arias from this opera. If this is what you want, the music is enjoyable and the performances are quite good for the most part. In one selection, the solo portion of a chorus is barely audible.