Customer Reviews

The Movies Go To The Opera: Great Operatic Melodies featured in

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I only listen to opera and classical music every once in awhile. I discovered this recording, however, and found my most favorite opera recording of all time. I think the reason for this is that I don't know opera well enough to appreciate any opera's entire score. It would be like buying a Broadway show album when you only knew and liked one tune in the whole show. Wasted. All of these selections I know, however, because they were each the crowning moment of its opera. Further, the filmmakers who chose these pieces chose them for movies that I typically love. I've never played this for anyone who didn't like it. I did, however, mention it to a music professor one time who was appalled that anyone would buy a "best of" compilation when they could own every single opera in its entirety instead. He was fiend of a different nature.

This is a wonderful collection. No matter how many times I listen to it, I get something different from it. For me the most beautiful and awe inspiring is the Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana). It brings tears to my eyes it is so beautiful.

Movies notwithstanding, this CD offers a wonderful introduction to opera for the newcomer. It also contains sterling performances of the arias by well known artists. Nessun Dorma and Au Fond du Temps are my special favorites. I highly reccommend it to all opera lovers and all would be opera fans.

I BOUGHT THIS CD SOMETIME AGO WHEN I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OPERA. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CD'S OUT WHEN CONSIDERING TRYING TO TURN YOUNG PEOPLE ON TO THE ARTS, ANYONE WHO LISTENS TO THIS WILL DEFINETLY HAVE AT LEAST ONE FAVORITE.

I've long been an opera fan, so you might expect me to sneer at a compilation. Not so! For opera fans, this is a "stroll down memory lane," offering some lovely jewels from well-loved operas. For those new to opera, this is a wonderful introduction. Even if you don't know the language or the story, you will be utterly transported by several of these arias.

Just to whet your appetite, here are a few tidbits about some of my favorites on this CD:

­- The angelic duet from Lakmé is about a sacred river in India whose banks are overflowing with fragrant spring flowers.

- In the duet from Les Pecheurs de Perles (Pearl Fishers), two men who are best friends sing rapturously about falling in love at first sight with a beautiful woman; for each it was an almost mystical experience. When they realize they are in love with the SAME woman, they are alarmed, and vow to not let anything destroy their friendship.

­- "Quando m'en vo" from La Bohème is really funny because a woman is bragging loudly about how popular she is, to make an ex-boyfriend jealous. (It works, and she wins him back.)

­- The second aria from La Bohème--Mimi's dying words to her lover Rodolfo and her dear friends--is beautiful and touching. However, you should also hear the glorious songs that Mimi and Rudolfo sing when they first fall in love! (Those are not in this collection.)

­- The dreamy and mysterious "Nessun Dorma" is sung by a man who eagerly anticipates being married to a beautiful princess the next day, but who may very well be put to death instead. His fate hangs in the balance as all the residents of ancient Peking stay awake all night, trying to discover his secret.

Of course, the only way to really know what opera is about is to go to a live performance, where you not only hear the glorious music but also enjoy the entertaining story, costumes, sets, and action. Good bets at first are operas by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi, and Rossini--hold off on Wagner for a while! ....

For what it's meant to do, I would give this CD full marks (5 stars).

I've long been an opera fan, so you might expect me to sneer at a compilation. Not so! For opera fans, this is a "stroll down memory lane," offering some lovely jewels from well-loved operas. For those new to opera, this is a wonderful introduction. Even if you don't know the language or the story, you will be utterly transported by several of these arias.

Just to whet your appetite, here are a few tidbits about some of my favorites on this CD:

­- The angelic duet from Lakmé is about a sacred river in India whose banks are overflowing with fragrant spring flowers.

- In the duet from Les Pecheurs de Perles (Pearl Fishers), two men who are best friends sing rapturously about falling in love at first sight with a beautiful woman; for each it was an almost mystical experience. When they realize they are in love with the SAME woman, they are alarmed, and vow to not let anything destroy their friendship.

­- "Quando m'en vo" from La Bohème is really funny because a woman is bragging loudly about how popular she is, to make an ex-boyfriend jealous. (It works, and she wins him back.)

­- The second aria from La Bohème--Mimi's dying words to her lover Rodolfo and her dear friends--is beautiful and touching. However, you should also hear the glorious songs that Mimi and Rudolfo sing when they first fall in love! (Those are not in this collection.)

­- The dreamy and mysterious "Nessun Dorma" is sung by a man who eagerly anticipates being married to a beautiful princess the next day, but who may very well be put to death instead. His fate hangs in the balance as all the residents of ancient Peking stay awake all night, trying to discover his secret.

Of course, the only way to really know what opera is about is to go to a live performance, where you not only hear the glorious music but also enjoy the entertaining story, costumes, sets, and action. Good bets at first are operas by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi, and Rossini--hold off on Wagner for a while! Before going, be sure to get an overview of the story, e.g. on the Metropolitan Opera's Web site: ...

For what it's meant to do, I would give this CD full marks (5 stars).

I'm not a diehard opera fan. That means I can't sit through the no or low musical sections. After all, opera is a visual art as well as an aural one, and there's alot of low energy periods where one would have to be watching it live to avoid slipping into a coma. If that. I tend to like the arias and the duets. These are the bill of fare on this album, with a healthy portion of brain glue added by each piece's tie-in with a major motion picture. For instance, a favorite picture of mine is the Australian production of "Gallipoli", which depicts the carnage inflicted on Aussie and Kiwi troopers doing the Queen's dirty work with wave after wave of direct frontal infantry assaults against Turkish heavily fortified breastworks and murdurous interlocking fields of fire of many heavy machine gun positions and pre-sited mortar batteries. There is a certain eerie and sad scene depicting a couple of young Aussie junior officers, boys really, in the tent of a superior on the night before the early morning attack. The viewer has the superior vision of recorded history, while these apple cheeks have no inkling of the mailed fist that will hammer them down in a few hours. The older officer puts a platter on the crank up Victrola, and for most of us, we get our first introduction to the haunting strains of "Au Fond du Temple Saint" from the French opera "Pêcheurs de Perles". I'm sure a portion of the haunting and eerie qualities stem from my total lack of french language skills. That piece will forever be associated with the bloodbath at Gallipoli Peninsula, at least as far as my brain goes. And so it goes with many of the other pieces of music in this collection. From "Apocolypse Now" is included the best piece of music to attack an enemy by, "Ride of the Valkyries" from the famous AirMobile copter assault, an attack scene that redefined cinematic battle sequencing forever. Everyone should recognise at least one musical movie slice here.
Tie ins include Raging Bull, Fatal Attraction, and Someone to Watch Over Me.

The Movies Go To The Opera (EMI 1988 CD): Opera is no stranger to Hollywood. Bits and pieces of Opera have been used in films all the way back to the piano players who performed live in from of silent pictures. Not only does Hollywood continue to use Opera in their films but they chose the finest recordings to use in those film. In 1988, EMI released this CD with some of the most amazing performances of Opera that were used in recent popular movies. The cover they chose for the album resembles those used by companies whose albums always ended up in the $1 bin and because of that cover the album had a rather rocky birth. However, it didn't take long for the word of mouth about the quality of the CD to spread worldwide. This is an amazing CD. This is so good that those who have never bought an `Opera' album in their lives were checking this one out, and loving it. Not only is this a Masterpiece release, it is a historical album for its effect of spreading classical music into the homes and hearts of new audiences for the genre.
This CD deserves Six Stars.

I didn't know you could "wear out" a CD, but I have, so I've ordered another copy. Unlike many reviewers, I AM an opera fan--this is a great compilation, even for us die-hard opera lovers. Although I also love listening to complete operas (I probably have 75+ of them), sometimes I just want to hear the "good stuff". This is the CD I put on when I have to do housework or some other activity where I need to get "fired up".

This CD will make an opera lover out of anyone. It features the great arias--all of which have been featured in movies. So many of these tunes are familiar but when they are heard with the great opera stars like Maria Callas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Pavorotti, etc. they are truly moving and very easy to listen to. I'm a rock and roller, but I find myself listening to this CD over and over.