Customer Reviews

Prima Voce Treasury of Opera, Vol. 1 [Box Set]

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This is one of those rare bargains that one dreams about. I discovered it while browsing and I could not believe that one could have six disks for less than the normal cost of two. Nor is this an economy issue, transferred from what I assume is original pirate recordings along the lines of Gala and Opera d'Oro and even Myto. The transfers are clean and the collection is nonpareil. In all transfers I miss texts. But the music itself is glorious, the selection intelligent, and the artists the stars of the opera world. Unlike other collections arranged in chronological order, these use a simple alphabetic sequence of operas, so one can follow in one's own libretto or score more easily. The recordings appear to bridge the two world wars. If this is indeed volume one, I cannot wait for two.

The English just know how to do things in good taste and I must say, the elements of this Prima Voce collection have been carefully selected and arranged. Arias are grouped so that you have two or three from the same opera together. This is a sensible arrangement and each singer selected for those particular arias is one who sings it very well and in a unique way. I had already been collecting single singer albums from Prima Voce when I discovered this Treasury compilation and wish now I had bought it first, because you get a good sampling of all the great singers in their catalog and will hear artists of whom you may not have been aware. From this Treasury collection you will hear singers that especially please your ear and then you might buy albums just of them. For me, this set confirmed those choices of favorites such as Claudia Muzio and Tito Schipa. Best of all, the six CDs make for a pleasing listening experience as a whole. I listen to them while I drive. There aren't any bad performances here and quite frankly there are few contemporary artists that can match or top these. It's a great way to establish an historical foundation for your recordings if you are building a collection of singers.

As it happened, I bought Vol. 2 of this collection before Vol. 1, and everything I said in my review of Vol. 2 applies equally here. The breadth and depth of the operas and the singers are incredible, and the price for 6 CDs is an amazing bargain. The sound is remarkable, especially considering that some of the recordings are nearly 100 years old, though most are from the 20s and 30s. Highly recommended, whether you are new to opera or a seasoned veteran!

The Prima Voce Treasury of Opera Vol 1 contains arias and a few duets from operas A- M ( Adriana Lecouvreur- Manon)sung by singers of the first half of the 20th Century. Vol 2 continues with excerpts from operas M-Z ( Manon Lescaut - Die Zauberflote).All the tracks are taken from the Nimbus Prima Voce catalogue, using their controversial re-recording technique, which many people dislike for the over reverberant sound.Personally, I find the transfers more acceptable than the strident, edgy transfers of some other companies.

Opinion about any compilation of this sort is a personal matter. I find the choice of singers predictable and unimaginative and at times rather strange: Lauri-Volpi is not a representative Don Jose nor Faust for example.Overall though the standard of singing is very high.

The accompanying booklet contains well written potted biographies of the singers featured on the CDs.

This compilation is a very good primer of great singing from the past for someone starting out in this field but not for anyone who is already steeped in historic recordings, except perhaps to listen to in the car, which is what I bought it and Vol2 for.

I have both volumes so this review if for volumes one AND two.

The selections are just terrific. Sound quality is quite good considering the age of some of the numbers. You will be introduced to a broad spectrum of artists and composers which is great for a novice like myself. In number after number I am hooked and taken to another dimension by the music. Great singers from the past like Gigli, Bjorling and Ponselle are featured plying their art.

Nimbus records should be commended for producing these volumes at such a reasonable price. Magnificient music. Truly opera is a unique art form.

This is a wonderful recording of some of the best singers of the 20th century. I would highly recommend it to any opera lovers.