Legendary Performances of Caballé [Box Set] [Box set]

Vincenzo Bellini (Composer), Francesco Cilea (Composer), Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Richard [1] Strauss (Composer), Armando Gatto (Conductor), Gianfranco Masini (Conductor), Gianfranco Rivoli (Conductor), Giuseppe Patanè (Conductor), Jonel Perlea (Conductor), Wolfgang Rennert (Conductor), French Radio Orchestra (Orchestra), Turin Orchestra of Teatro Regio (Orchestra), Rome RAI Orchestra (Orchestra), San Carlo Theater Orchestra (Naples) (Orchestra), Spanish Radio & Television Orchestra (Orchestra), Adib Fazah (Performer), Agostino Ferrin (Performer), Alain Vanzo (Performer), Antonio Leval (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Adib Fazah, Agostino Ferrin, Alain Vanzo, Antonio Leval
• Orchestra: French Radio Orchestra, Turin Orchestra of Teatro Regio, Rome RAI Orchestra, San Carlo Theater Orchestra (Naples), Spanish Radio & Television Orchestra
• Conductor: Armando Gatto, Gianfranco Masini, Gianfranco Rivoli, Giuseppe Patanč, Jonel Perlea, et al.
• Composer: Vincenzo Bellini, Francesco Cilea, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Richard [1] Strauss
• Audio CD (October 16, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 14
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Bravissimo
• ASIN: B000W4KSY2
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,807 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Seven complete operas starring the magnificent Montserrat Caballé - great live opera recordings at budget price in one space-saving set!

Exciting live recordings taped 1965-1975!

Along with Maria Callas ("La Divina"), and Joan Sutherland ("La Stupenda"), Montserrat Caballé (b. 1933) took her place as one of the Big Three sopranos of the second half of the 20th century.

When Caballé made her New York debut in 1965, she was instantly heralded as "La Superba," a sure sign she had reached the pinnacle of diva fame. Caballé was especially noted for her pure legato, effortless phrasing, and ability to float soft high notes of breathtaking beauty. Her generosity and down-to earth humor have endeared her to her fans. In 1987, she astonished classical and pop fans alike by recording a duet of the song Barcelona with the rock star Freddie Mercury of the rock group Queen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LA DIVA AT HER BEST & ALMOST FREE, April 1, 2008

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Bartolome Mesa Gil "TOLO" (Malaga, SPAIN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Legendary Performances of Caballé [Box Set] (Audio CD)

This is truly a bargain for anyone wanting to explore the great art of Montserrat Caballé. Made in China by the American company Allegro, the package looks as cheap as the price. But what is inside is what really counts and that is absolutely magnificent. Seven complete operas captured live in variable but mainly very good sound, from the Lucrezia Borgia of 1965 at Carnegie Hall, that made her an overnight superstar (a truly amazing performance, pure bel canto) to the Naples Gemma di Vergy of 1975. A very good survey of her best decade, when the Caballé sound had no rival in the world, it saves for posterity some of her best roles, including her legendary Norma of Orange (1974), apart from her Arabella (Rome, 1973), Salome (Rome, 1971), Adriana Lecouvreur (Paris, 1975) and Butterfly (Madrid, 1968). Many collectors may have some of these performances (they have been released previously by several labels at fullprice) and I had all of them. But for the price this is a neat way of having a great sample of Caballé's art in a very small space (14 CDs on clear sleeves and a thin but cute booklet). Tho you still have to look elsewhere for the Parisina of Canegie Hall (1974), an amazing performance, pure magic, that have to be heard to be beleived. Unfortunately in the Norma of Orange her breathtaking "Dormono entrambi" scene is missing, as it is in all previous pirate issues, a mistake of the original release that all the following ones have copied! Fortunately, there is a recording on film of this Orange performance (regarded by Caballé herself as the best of her entire career and available on DVD) which is absolutely complete. In any case, a must for anyone interested in great singing. And at this price you have to be mad to let it pass.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 7000 stars for for the operas. 2 stars for the booklet, August 17, 2009

By 

Claudia N. Davidsen "Claudia Davidsen" (Ruskin, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Legendary Performances of Caballé [Box Set] (Audio CD)

This is an update of an earlier review. I continue to love all the performances in this 7-opera box set, and find myself returning to it frequently--sometimes to cherry pick, but sometimes to listen to an entire work. Caballe fans will love this for the early performances, ranging from 1965 - 1975. The Lucrezia Borgia is the 1965 Carnegie Hall performance. The audience went berserk and for good cause. If you are a real sentimental romanticist, you will appreciate the Butterfly with Bernabe Marti. The Norma is the historic 1974 Orange performance. Adriana Lecouvreur: Adriana's Maurizio is Placido Domingo. The booklet, however, is a POC! The "...rare historic photos...": there are precisely none. There are few photos, and nothing special. The more I look at that booklet, the less I like it.

Regarding Lucrezia: Played it this morning. Bless her heart, Madame's stage scream at the end is so real that my husband ran in to see which finger I had cut off. Yeah. He thought it was me.

I still like this set for driving music. You can cover a lot of road with this one set.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caballe's Lucrezia 'full of such sweet poison', June 4, 2008

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Gerard Fagan (Dublin Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Legendary Performances of Caballé [Box Set] (Audio CD)

Monserrat Caballe in her performance of Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia' intimates very quickly what all the fuss was about.She is instantly cast as queen of bel canto in Donizetti's fiendishly difficult role and is well flanked by Alain Vanzo as her fly-blow Gennaro. One is left at the end lamenting that she has too much german repertoire to sing. Leave german to the germans is what I say and let Caballe concentrate on what she does best. Viva L'Ítalia!