Customer Reviews

Opera Without Words

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Opera fans will enjoy this collection of celebrated arias without vocals for rest and relaxation. From the thrilling "March of the Toreadors" to the plaintive "Madame Butterfly" this CD is a great background for easy listening, romantic dinners, or just the drive to and from work. Even people who don't like opera can enjoy this one.

This wonderful CD, is a collection of some 23 arias, drawn from the works of such maestros as Pietro Mascagni, Guiseppe Verdi, and Engelbert Humperdinck (no, the German composer...sorry, I couldn't resist!). All of the tunes sound excellent, performed to perfection by Russian-American conductor and arranger Andre Kostelanetz and his orchestra. Overall, I found this to be a real treat to listen to, with lively arias that will not send any passionate music fan to sleep. I especially loved Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, Verdi's Celeste Aida, and of course Bizet's March of the Toreadors.

So, if you like could orchestral music, then I must say that you will like this CD. I love it and give it my highest recommendations!

In the back cover of song list, "Celeste Aida" is printed BEFORE "La donna e mobile", while in the song list inside, there is no such song. In reality, the disk does have a "Celeste Aida", but it's number 14, as the list in Amazon.com. This "Celeste Aida" has the complete tune compared to that of "Verdi Without Words".

The music is marvellous.

For someone that isn't too keen on Opera, I really enjoyed this CD. As a choreographer, having famous operatic themes without lyrics is such a blessing. The only criticism I have about the CD is that the volume level isn't consistent throughout, and for some of the songs it is extremely low. I had to constantly adjust the volume from one song to the next, even within one track.

Kostelanetz has a real flair for this kind of material, and his orchestras are first-class. The Bizet aria alone (from "The Pearl Fishers") is worth the price of this enjoyable CD. Does it supplant the vocal originals? Of course not, but if you are looking for instrumental arrangements, you'll not do better than this.

This CD is great for listening and, perhaps, for singing along a few passages (e.g. "..la speranza!") but NOT for actual singing practice. The tempi, while sweeping and engaging, can easilty throw you off, particularly the omissions of certain phrases or simply jumping to ba-boom conclusion. For those who like the music minus singing, it offers instruments taking up the voice parts. The order of the tracks is listed incorrectly, so you'll have to make your own list to paste on the back of this CD. Don't even think of turning on your metronome, just enjoy the music. Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffmann is the best piece.

Great cd. I love opera, but sometimes it's nice without the singing too.
Beautiful orchestration.

I LOVE THE MUSIC OF OPERA BUT I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO JUST CAN'T
ENJOY THE SINGING. THIS IS A WONDERFUL CD. I HAVE ALL THE
"OPERA WITHOUT WORDS" CDS LISTED WITH AMAZON.COM AND WISH I COULD FIND MORE. THESE ARE A GOD SENT FOR ME. I LISTEN TO THEM
EVERDAY ALONG WITH THE OTHER CLASSICAL MUSIC I HAVE. THEY ARE TRULY MY FAVORITES. THIS IS A SPECIAL CD, ONE I AM SO GLAD TO HAVE FOUND...

The orchestra information on the CD does not match that on the Amazon website. Only item 22 seems to be by the New York Philharmonic. Items 1-7 which the website says are by that orchestra are by the Andre Kostelanetz Orchestra and items 11-21 have no orchestra name, but seem to be by the Andre Kostelanetz Orchestra. OK as background music.

The songs were ones that I like and I'm not sorry I bought it but I have better versions of the same music. This CD is better than average but I would not give it as a gift if I had it in mind for someone else.