Puccini: Turandot (Highlights) / Karajan, Domingo

Gottfried Hornik (Performer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Vienna Boys' Choir (Performer), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Performer), Wiener Sängerknaben (Performer), Barbara Hendricks (Performer), Katia Ricciarelli (Performer), Heinz Zednik (Performer), Plácido Domingo (Performer), Francisco Zaraiza (Performer), Piero de Palma (Performer), Ruggero Raimondi (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gottfried Hornik, Vienna Boys' Choir, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Sängerknaben, Barbara Hendricks, et al.
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Giacomo Puccini
• Audio CD (June 16, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GG2
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,296 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Turandot, opera: Act I: Gria la cote!

2. Turandot, opera: Act I: Perché tarda la luna?

3. Turandot, opera: Act I: La sui monti dell'Est

4. Turandot, opera: Act I: O giovinetto! Grazia!

5. Turandot, opera: Act I: La grazia Principessa!/O divina bellezza

6. Turandot, opera: Act I: Signore ascolta!

7. Turandot, opera: Act I: Non piangere Liu!

8. Turandot, opera: Act I: Ah! Per l'ultima volta!

9. Turandot, opera: Act II: In questa Reggia

10. Turandot, opera: Act II: Straniero ascolta/Si! Rinasce!

11. Turandot, opera: Act II: Guizza al pari di fiamma/Si Principessa!

12. Turandot, opera: Act II: Gelo che ti da foco/La mia vittoria

13. Turandot, opera: Act II: Figlio del Cielo

14. Turandot, opera: Act II: No no Principessa altera!

15. Turandot, opera: Act II: Ai tuoi piedi ci prostriam

16. Turandot, opera: Act III: Nessun dorma!

17. Turandot, opera: Act III: Quel nome!/Tanto amore segreto/Tu che di gel sei cinta

18. Turandot, opera: Act III: C'era negli occhi tuoi

19. Turandot, opera: Act III: Diecimila anni

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart wrenching!, July 5, 2002

By 

Robert L. Berkowitz (Natick, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Puccini: Turandot (Highlights) / Karajan, Domingo (Audio CD)

I purchased this recording to get another perspective on some of the famous arias from Turandot. I had already owned the famous highlights recording with Sutherland, Pavarotti and Caballe, and had become thoroughly enamored with the opera through that recording.

In particular, I look to the end of the first act, beginning with "Non piangere, Liu", and also "Nessun Dorma", as my primary highlights by which to make comparisons. This recording with Domingo compares very favorably to the Pavarotti disc. In fact, I prefer Domingo's Nessun Dorma over Pavarotti's. Domingo's voice has more color and more expressiveness. Pavarotti holds that last high B for a thrillingly long time, and that is his primary advantage, but Domingo pulls at my heart in a way that Pavarotti does not.

Regarding the end of the first act, the tempo on this disc is slower than on the Sutherland, Pavarotti, etc. disc. Here Karajan is responsible for providing the increased dramatic tension. When the famous three gongs sound indicating that Calaf will take on Turandont's challenge, I crumple. I will sometimes listen to this disc and compare it to the other Turandot highlight disc. I find both of them to be emotionally compelling and yet they are significantly different. I am glad to own both of them.

This highlights disc has the advantage of having all three riddles, while the other highlights disc only has the last riddle. Yet it doesn't have a libretto with translation. For that reason, I would want to own the other highlights disc (or a complete opera with full libretto) before buying this disc.