Katia Ricciarelli & José Carreras in Concert [Import]

Christoph Willibald Gluck (Composer), Luigi Cherubini (Composer), Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Vincenzo Bellini (Composer), Saverio Mercadante (Composer), Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Giuseppe Verdi (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Paolo Tosti (Composer), Agustin Lara (Composer), Martin Katz (Performer), Katia Ricciarelli (Performer), José Carreras (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Martin Katz, Katia Ricciarelli, José Carreras
• Composer: Christoph Willibald Gluck, Luigi Cherubini, Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Saverio Mercadante, et al.
• Audio CD (February 23, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Gala
• ASIN: B00005K8HH
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,092 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Paride ed Elena, opera in 5 acts, Wq. 39: Act 1. O del mio dolce ardor

2. Faniska, opera in 3 acts: Qual arribil soggiorno!... Da un dolore atroce oppressa

3. La pietra del paragone, opera: Act 2. Quel'alme pupille

4. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Ciel pietoso, in sì crudo momento

5. Il Giuramento, opera: Act. 2 Fu celeste quel contento

6. Il Giuramento, opera: Act 3. Là posa. Bella ancora

7. Il Giuramento, opera: Act 3. Duet: L'adorava qual s'adora

8. Le duc d'Albe (Il duca d'Alba), opera: Act 3. Angelo casto e bel

9. I due Foscari, opera: Act 1. No... mi lasciate...

10. Poliuto, opera: Act 3. Duet: Ah! Fuggi da morte orribil cotanto...

11. La bohème, opera: Act 1. Duet: O soave fanciulla

12. L'Alba separa dalla luce l'ombra, for voice & piano (or orchestra)

13. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Chi il beg sogno di Doretta

14. Granada, for voice & orchestra (with chorus ad lib)

15. Tosca, opera: Act 2. Vissi d'arte

Editorial Reviews

In Concert (CD Album) by Katia Ricciarelli & Jose Carreras - Arias and Scenes from Il giuramento, La straniera, Tosca a.o. - - Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1787) Paride Ed Elena - Luigi Cherubini (1760 - 1842) Faniska - Gioacchino Rossini (1792 - 1861) La Pietra Del Paragone, Act II - Vicenzo Bellini (1801 - 1835) La Straniera - Saverio Mercadante (1795 - 1870) Il Giuramentao - Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848) Il Duca D'Alba - Giuseppe Verdie (1813 - 1901) I Due Foscari - Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848) Poliuto - Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) La Bohème - Paolo Tosti (1846 - 1916) L'Alba separa della luce l'ombra - Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) La Rondine - Agustin Lara (1900 - 1969) Granada - Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) Tosca - Martin Katz (piano) - Liberty, Kansas and Miami, Florida 21 & 23 October 1975 - Total Playing Time: 76.07

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars two mega-stars in their glorious young prime, July 1, 2011

By 

Rosomax (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Katia Ricciarelli & José Carreras in Concert (Audio CD)

This is a compilation of actually two recitals in 1975 and 1976. The sound is consistent. It's not first rate, but it has been edited by Gala, so coughing and other noises don't intrude into performances. After each number there are applause, but that's pretty much all we hear of the audience.
The singing itself though is beyond compare. Both singers were at their youthful prime, they have performed and recorded together by that point, and they have an easy rapport and their interpretative instincts are spot-on.
What amazed me is the difficulty of the programme itself. While the artists do perform a couple of "staples", the bulk of it is consists of numbers rarely performed in recital settings. In fact, some of the excerpts they picked are from operas seldom recorded or performed altogether, like Rossini's "La pietra del paragone", Bellini's "La Straniera", Verdi's "I Due Foscari" or Mercadante's "Il Giuramento".
As "wow" things go, Carreras sings "Angelo Casto e Bel" from Donizzetti's "Il Duca d'Alba" with an optional high C at the end, and Ricciarelli manages to sound like two different people singing such different Puccini's roles as "Tosca" and "La Rondine".
Their duets are the highlight of this CD. I don't think I heard a more ardent passionate "O Soave Fanciulla" ever (and that duet IS recorded and performed many a time).
Both singers have switched to much heavier repertoire in the 80's, some argue that this caused vocal issues for them. (I, for one, enjoyed Ricciarelli's Aida and Carreras's Don Jose just as much as any lyric stuff they did, but that's a matter of opinion). This CD, though, is a great testament of their early sound, and with their studio recordings from that era being precious few, I would easily recommend it to any opera fan.