Customer Reviews

Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro / Te Kanawa, Popp, von Stade, Ramey, T. Allen, Moll, London Phil., Solti

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful recording of the opera, but EMI's set by Giulini is slightly better than this Solti (DECCA) set. Here is my comparision

Conductor: Advantage: DECCA! Both did a great job with keeping the music "fast paced" when needed and the score light. I rate Solti higher based soley on what he did with the overture.

Figaro: Advantage: EMI! I love Ramey, but Taddei has a much more commanding and comic presence. He is brilliant in the role, and is one of the greatest tenors of all time. Taddei's intrepretation of Figaro's Act I ending aria is worth the price alone. I have never heard the aria sung with such greatness.

Susanna: Advantage: EMI! Anna Moffo has got to be the best Susanna on record. She is lovely. When I hear her sing Susanna, I imagine- "this must be the Susanna Mozart pictured while writting the opera."

Count: Advantage: EMI! Wachter without a doubt holds the edge here.

Countess: Advantage: EVEN! This is where the tie falls. The DECCA set is worth it alone for the beautiful and stunning performance Kanawa gives, and Schwartzkopf gives the same type of performance on the EMI set. They are both two of the most wonderful sopranos in history.

Layout: Advantage: EMI! This is the biggest downfall of the DECCA set. Everything is lumped together, and most of the tracks are many minutes long. Le nozze di Figaro is a "number opera" and EMI has shorter tracks which make it much easier to skip the recititive if you wish to.

Sound: Advantage: DECCA! Although the Giulini stereo holds up and sounds just fine, better than fine-it sounds great, the Solti recording is briliant in its digital power.

Discs: Advantange: DECCA! The Giulini set had been knocked down to two discs because two arias have been discluded. I was going to say "non-descript" arias- but everything Mozart is amazing. These arias will not be missed though, they are sung by two of the more minor characters. However, it's Mozart and they are wonderful pieces, and the DECCA completeness is great.

For any fan of this opera, not getting both the Giulini and Solti recordings is foolish. I adore and listen to them both very frequently. This is the most brilliant opera ever composed...and both recordings shine. I recommend both, but place the EMI set ahead of the DECCA set.

Still, the DECCA set is an amazing recording and fully deserves FIVE STARS!

Also, the Giulini recording of Don Giovanni is often regarding as the "greatest opera recording ever." Don't waste time on others. I've bought about five other Giovanni recordings and sold them all to used cd stores- there's no point-this is the only one.

This is a recording that people either love or hold in contempt. I happen to be someone who favors this recording. How can a recording with a cast such as this possibly fail? Each of the major performers: Kiri Te Kanawa as the Countess, Frederica von Stade as Cherubino, Lucia Popp as Susanna, Thomas Allen the Count, and Samuel Ramey as Figaro are all known for their interpretations of these roles. Sir Georg Solti conducts the score with vigor and expertise.

Strengths of the recording start with the rousing version of the overture, an orchestral piece that can often be performed too slowly, but has vigor in this recording. Von Stade's renditions of "Non so Piu" in Act I and the well known "Voi Che Sapete" of Act II are excellent. Ramey's rendition of "Non Pui Andrai" where he celebrates Cherubino's decision to join the military is able to convey the humor of the scene. The finale of Act II is well done and the cast captures the craziness of the scene rather well. The Act III aria "Dove Sono" is Te Kanawa at her best. The Act III duet of the Countess and Susanna "Che Soave Zefiretto" (familiar to fans of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION as the song played over the prison p.a. system) sounds angelic. My only fault with the singing in this recording is that of the tenor role of Robert Tear as Don Basilio, but this may be due more to the fact that this is not all that great a role for a tenor.

The recording has a libretto and is marked according to the disc and track numbers. Unfortunately there is not a table of contents with page numbers, so following the libretto is not always easy.

So why do some people love this recording and others disdain it? Le NOZZE di FIGASRO is one of the most popular operas as well as one of the most recorded works in the classical repertoire. I think we tend to fall in love with the first recording we hear and judge all others based on our first impressions. Figaro is one of the operas that "we always remember our first love." Fans of other interpretations of Mozart may find earlier recordings superior, and since I enjoy them I will not argue the point, but this is certainly a great recording and brings this magnificent opera to life in a magical way.

"Lifeless" and "Computer Generated"??

It is obvious that that particular reviewer is a lifeless person. Perhaps he/she is a computer generated person - a robot. That's why he/she cannot hear the feelings that the artists exude in this recording.

This is a famous recording! Kanawa owned the role of the Countess for a decade. Unlike many other singers who sings a broad repertiore, Dame Kanawa chose to focus on a few characters during her long and illustrious career. This was the recording that made her extremely famous. Her Countess is sung with ravishing beauty. Lucia Popp is incredible as Susanna. Without doubt one of the best, if not the best on record. She literally sparkles with life.Fredrica's is a famous classic performance of Cherubino.Samuel Ramey and Sir Thomas Allen round up the all-star cast of this recording.And of course, Sir Georg Solti is in most thrilling and exciting form.

You'll find it hard to find another recording that can rival this classic recording. Giulini's Figaro is another classic. But the annoying thing is that there are some cuts made in the opera. Yes, they are minor cuts but Mozart die-hards would want every second of Mozart's lovely music included.

Detractors - eat your hearts out. This recording has already gone down the hall of fame as a classic recording with a Grammy Award in 1983 and magnificent accolades from the Penguin Guide and Gramophone, not to mention countless others.

Solti knows how to handle Mozart. Great cast (some of whom have interpreted these parts in major opera houses). Von Stade has been a famous Cherubino (I've heard she's retired the role). Thomas Allen and Te Kanawa are Count & Countess, with fine readings. Lucia Popp sounds young and girlish, and Samuel Ramey...well, I'm a fan so I'm very biased. Includes 2 rarely recorded arias for smaller parts. Small roles nicely distinguished; in fact, I like this recording in part because the voices do not all sound so similar that you can't tell them apart. When Te Kanawa and Popp are pretnding to be each other, they shade their voices well. It's a fine recording; I've had this one for 5 years and I still love to play it.

This is, to date, the best modern Figaro. It has won plaudits from critics and music fans ever since its first release and the praises lauded are still justified in many ways. Perhaps the most urgent reason for any newcomer to Figaro to reach for this set is the star-studded cast -- one of the best ever assembled on records. All the main protagonists were in their vocal prime at the time of the recording and they worked in close rapport in ensembles. The major glory of the cast is undoubtedly Kiri Te Kanawa's countess, creamy and sappy in tone, masterly in phrasing. Her disarming vulnerability and warmth of feeling defy criticisms. Yet, Kiri's lovely portrayal, happily, does not overshadow her fellow protagonists. Lucia Popp is a characterful, nimble and appealing Susanna, perhaps the best on records and her Act IV aria is matchless in vocal glamour and feeling. Frederica von Stade also brings great qualities to Cherubino and the character she projects is bubbly, impetuous and lovable. Thomas Allen, the Don Giovanni of his time, shows us amply that Count Almaviva is dramatically the cousin of the Don. He is both suave and menacing. Ramey does not really bring out Figaro's scheming and crafty side, yet his youthful sounding bass and sensuality make him a credible lover worthy of Popp's Susanna. The supporting roles, led by Kurt Moll's remarkable Bartolo, complete a cast one could dream of at the time. My reasons for giving the set only four stars are Solti's conducting and the quality of the recording. Solti is no doubt a dynamic and charismatic presence. He adopted extreme speeds placed great emphasis on the dramatic impetus of the score and these work well for the tensions and conflicts in the great Act II finale. Yet one cannot help feeling that, in his eagerness to bring out a blazing and intensifying drama, Solti misses out the warmth, gaiety, humour and above all, the humanity of the masterpiece. The full, reverberant recording, so favoured by producers in the early digital era, is another point that demands serious reassessment -- the sound is often at odds with the intimate household spirit of the opera and the story seems to take place in a no-man's land. Despite these reservations, this Figaro is unmissable for its superlative cast, with the best Mozarteans of the day in the principal roles. For a good idea of how the opera should be conducted and recorded, you are suggested to turn to Erich Kleiber's classic 1956 Decca recording (the cast of singers from the Vienna State Opera's famed ensemble are remarkable too) ---- indeed both the old and modern Decca recordings are complementary.

Although I love classical music, I'm not an especially big fan of opera. But, every once in a while I find something truly enjoyable in this genre. I bought this 3-CD version of Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" ("The Marriage of Figaro" ) based upon the recommendation of a friend who thought it would help me gain a greater appreciation for opera. Did it ever! In every way, this is a beautifully performed version of this great Mozart masterpiece. The music, as performed by the late Sir Georg Solti and London Symphony Orchestra, is stunningly brilliant, as are the soloists. Dame Kiri te Kanawa gives another absolutely superb performance as Countess Almaviva. Samuel Ramey, in his role as Figaro, sings with tremendous vitality and freshness, as do Thomas Allen (Count Almaviva,) and Lucia Popp (Susanna.)

This 3-disc set comes with a booklet containing very well written liner notes and the opera's complete libretto, all translated into four languages - English, Italian, German and French. The London label should be commended for this; the booklet has been for me a tremendous help in understanding and enjoying "Figaro."

This is one opera I've truly enjoyed, and will continue to savor - over and over again!

This is one of my favorite versions of Figaro for several reasons. First of all, Frederica von Stade is the greatest Cherubino ever and Kiri te Kanawa the greatest Countess, and to hear them together is a thrill. Samuel Ramey is a deep, fun, and strong Figaro, while Lucia Popp is a very good Susanna- her voice is amazingly clear. Thomas Allen is a bit snarly at times as the Count, but good nonetheless. The only other problem was the Marcellina of Jane Berbie, who sounded rather strange for some reason. Solti's conducting was splendid, so all in all I enjoyed this cd a lot.

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO is my favorite opera. This recording, led by the late, great Sir Georg Solti, does full justice to the beauty and humanity of the opera itself. Samuel Ramey is a good-hearted Figaro who sings with superb musicality and line; he makes his music sound so elegant. Although for me Bryn Terfel will always BE Figaro (he was the first one I ever heard/saw in the role, and even now I always think of the FIGARO overture as "Bryn's music"), Ramey's performance here is a fine alternative; there is, after all, more than one way to be Figaro. Lucia Popp is an expert Susanna, with a silvery soprano voice. Thomas Allen's Count Almaviva is magnificently sung and characterized. This Count is an aging aristocrat who is secretly afraid of losing both his social power and his power over women. This is perfectly summed up in his rendition of "Vedro, mentrio sospiro." Before that, his emotional insecurity is hinted at in the "Crudel, perche finora" duet with Susanna. Yet Allen's Count also has dignity and enough moral sense to beg the Countess' forgiveness at the end of the opera. Frederica von Stade is simply perfect as Cherubino: her mezzo-soprano is lush yet so pure that she doesn't even have to affect a "young" voice to be utterly convincing as a lovesick boy. But Kiri te Kanawa as a sad yet basically fun-loving Countess (remember that she and the spirited Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA are the same woman!) is the vocal star of the recording. She is in glorious voice; her arias, "Porgi, amor" and "Dove sono," are two high points of the whole performance. Interaction between the characters is effectively managed in this recording (listen especially to Allen and Te Kanawa in their Act II scene), capturing the drama as well as the beauty of Mozart's great opera. The Solti FIGARO is an opera recording that will surely achieve "classic" status, if it hasn't already.

Wow. Talk about a lot of talent in a single performance. This recording of Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro is one of the best you'll ever find. The only other I can think of that is as good is the Claudio Abbado recording with Cecilia Bartoli as Cherubino. This recording is well-done as far as sound and the strong cast makes it very valuable. Kiri Te Kanawa, a Mozart singer of the highest calibre, makes a truly memorable and human Countess, whose situation we truly sympathize with. Te Kanawa has a rich melodic voice of angelic beauty. Not only does she truly capture the spirit of the Countess, she is a lesson for all sopranos singing the role. It was her debut role. The Countess is perhaps the most noble character other than Figaro in the opera. She has been temporarily jilted by her husband the Count because he has the hots for Figaro's fiancee Susannah. The Count, a bit of a jerk, is a dominant and blatantly male figure who did'nt even bother to realize that he desired his best friends' wife. Very ungrateful considering that in the prequel The Barber of Seville by Rossini Figaro had helped him win the hand of the Countess. The role of the philandering Count is played by Thomas Allen in a great performance.

The cast also includes Samuel Ramey as Figaro. Ramey had sung Figaro (or dubbed the voice) in the 1984 Amadeus film. He is not famous for this role. Samuel Ramey is best remembered for his villains and devilish characters- the Devil in Mephistopheles and Faust, the four villains in Tales Of Hoffman and Scarpia in Tosca. But as the noble Figaro, he is deliviring a good job. His baritone or bass voice becomes very healing rather than intense or frightening. Kurt Moll is in here too as Bartolo and is doing a funny performance. Lucia Popp sings Susanna with aplomb. Her voice is always beautiful to hear and she puts a lot of effort in her performances, plus she is well-known. Frederica Van Strade sings the trouser role of Cherubino, which was a trademark of hers. She is sensational. This is the recording to have of Mozart's comedy about human flaws, love and the crazy going-ons in a single day in the villa of a Count who learns his lesson by the end of the day. Based on Beamarchais social satire Figaro.

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO is my favorite opera. This recording, led by the late, great Sir Georg Solti, does full justice to the beauty and humanity of the opera itself. Samuel Ramey is a good-hearted Figaro who sings with superb musicality and line; he makes his music sound so elegant. Although for me Bryn Terfel will always BE Figaro (he was the first one I ever heard/saw in the role, and even now I always think of the FIGARO overture as "Bryn's music"), Ramey's performance here is a fine alternative; there is, after all, more than one way to be Figaro. Lucia Popp is an expert Susanna, with a silvery soprano voice. Thomas Allen's Count Almaviva is magnificently sung and characterized. This Count is an aging aristocrat who is secretly afraid of losing both his social power and his power over women. This is perfectly summed up in singing of "Crudel, perche finora" (his duet with Susanna) and of his aria, "Vedro, mentr'io sospiro." Yet Allen's Count also has dignity and enough moral sense to beg the Countess' forgiveness at the end of the opera. Frederica von Stade is simply perfect as Cherubino: her mezzo-soprano is lush yet so pure that she doesn't even have to affect a "young" voice to be utterly convincing as a lovesick boy. But Kiri te Kanawa as a sad yet basically fun-loving Countess (remember that she and the spirited Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA are the same woman!) is the vocal star of the recording. She is in glorious voice; her arias, "Porgi, amor" and "Dove sono," are two high points of the whole performance. Interaction between the characters is effectively managed (listen especially to Allen and Te Kanawa in their Act II scene), capturing the drama as well as the beauty of Mozart's great opera. The Solti FIGARO is an opera recording that will surely achieve "classic" status, if it hasn't already.