Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias

Carl Maria von Weber (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Richard Wagner (Composer), Richard Strauss (Composer), Erich Wolfgang Korngold (Composer), Julius Rudel (Conductor), London Philharmonia Orchestra (Orchestra), Kiri Te Kanawa (Performer), Andrew Shulman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa, Andrew Shulman
• Orchestra: London Philharmonia Orchestra
• Conductor: Julius Rudel
• Composer: Carl Maria von Weber, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Erich Wolfgang Korngold
• Audio CD (October 14, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002RYR
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,789 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #37 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Sopranos

Track Listings

1. Der Freischutz, Act 3: Und Ob Die Wolke

2. Der Freischutz, Act 3: Wie Nahte Mir...Leise, Leise

3. Die Zauberflote, Act 2: Ach, Ich Fuhl's

4. Tannhauser, Act 3: Allmacht'ge Jungfrau

5. Tannhauser, Act 2: Dich, Teure Halle

6. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg, Act 3: O Sachs, Mein Freund

7. Die Walkure, Act 1: Du Bist Der Lenz

8. Ariadne Auf Naxos: Es Gibt Ein Reich

9. Die Agyptische Helena, Act 2: Zweite Brautnacht

10. Daphne, Closing scene: Ich Komme...

11. Die Tote Stadt, Act 1: Gluck, Das Mir Verblieb

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "the most exquisite rose", July 23, 2007

By 

Mr John Haueisen (WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias (Audio CD)

Whether you love the voice and outstanding singing ability of Kiri Te Kanawa, or if you just love beautiful opera music very well-sung, you will be dazzled by this album.

I didn't know Kiri had ever sung Wagner. Her "Dich, teure Halle" from Tannhauser surpasses any of the great opera divas I've ever heard perform it.

Her singing, and the excellent orchestral music here have made me want to go out and buy my first copy of Strauss' "Daphne," and also Korngold's "Die tote Stadt." The music here is just that inspiring.

For me, the biggest highlight on this CD was Kiri's performance of Strauss' "Es gibt ein Reich" from Ariadne auf Naxos. For those of you familiar with this, hearing Kiri's "Du wirst mich befreien" is like watching the most exquisite rose you can imagine, burst into glorious bloom. It's never been sung better!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dame Kiri still at her best, September 27, 2008

By 

Ralph Moore "Ralph operaphile" (Bishop's Stortford, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias (Audio CD)

Despite the relatively late date of this recital, recorded in late 1996 and early 1997, we find Kiri Te Kanawa's voice still in excellent condition; the top notes pure and plangent, the lower register, following her earlier work on strengthening it after some criticism, capable of doing justice to "Totenreich" in the "Ariadne" aria. As always with Dame Kiri, there is some hoarseness and discoloration on the "ee" vowel in the middle of the voice and there is perhaps some very slight loosening of the vibrato (ignore the complaint of "Lost way Ludwig" in the Spanish review), but neither of these things in any way spoils my enjoyment or admiration; this is as good a recital as Deborah Voigt's "Obsessions"(see my review) and ample proof of Dame Kiri's versatility. There is no question whether she can do justice to the Wagner arias: the voice soars as it should and makes me wonder why she didn't take on more Wagner on stage. In any case, perhaps that was wise, as she has preserved her voice wonderfully and, like Renee Fleming, found her true love and metier in Richard Strauss, whose music was made for just such a voice as hers - which also explains why Fleming has inherited her mantle as today's pre-eminent Strauss lyric soprano, singing the same roles which Te Tanawa essays here.

Some complain that both Te Kanawa and Fleming are too careful in their singing; with both singers I simply hear scrupulous musicianship and care for the beauty of line. As much as I enjoy the Weber and the Wagner, the Strauss arias are the glory of this set, particularly the rapturous apotheosis of Daphne which forms the concluding scene of the opera. The orchestral playing here is as beautiful as the singing; indeed the Philharmonia play divinely under Julius Rudel. The recital ends with a glorious account of Korngold's famous "Glueck, das mir verblieb", sung as serenely and beguilingly as any singer before or since. Not just for Te Kanawa's fans, this disc is a great survey of German opera over a hundred and fifty years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleases my ear and speaks to my heart., September 23, 2010

By 

Evelyn Getchell "Evie" (Gulf Coast of Florida) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias (Audio CD)

I am not a musicologist or an expert on opera. I only know what pleases my ear and speaks to my heart and this beautiful recording does both. Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias is exquisite. Listening to these arias I know that Kiri's voice was made for the German language.

I enjoy everything in this compilation but I particularly love the Richard Strauss selections from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and DAPHNE.

It's nice to be able to reach for Kiri Te Kanawa - German Opera Arias when I want to hear the German language sung as beautifully as only sung by the great Kiri Te Kanawa.