Renata Scotto - Italian Opera Arias

Giacomo Puccini (Artist), Alfredo Catalani (Artist), Francesco Cilea (Artist), Pietro Mascagni (Artist), Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (Artist), Lorin Maazel (Artist), Eve Queler (Artist), Gianandrea Gavazzeni (Artist), Sir John Pritchard (Artist), James Levine (Artist), Renata Scotto (Artist), Elena Obraztsova (Artist), Renato Bruson (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000C28Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,798 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Scotto, Renata
  • #95 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > Q to T

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally Moving, and Musically Riveting, January 25, 2000

By 

Gapare Pacchierrotti (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Renata Scotto - Italian Opera Arias (Audio CD)

I was deeply impressed with this CD, not only for the singing of the artist, Renata Scotto, but for the musical and dramatic truth she brings to this music. Verismo, meaning "true to life" is often screamed, shouted, and even yelled ( Scotto herself at times did all three ), but here it is sung, really sung. I have never heard a more sympathetic rendition of "Senza Mamma" in all my life! One feels the spirit of the dead child is there at the words "se qui, se qui." Some of the music is not great music in anyway -- most of that by Cilea -- but when performed as it is here, with a sensitive orchestra more intent on sharing a feeling than simply being loud, and a great performer, one is nearly convinced they are hearing great music.

Whatever Scotto's vocal flaws, and she had many, she was a performer of truth, complete involvement, and sincerety. This recording shows what a wonderful experience can be brought to the listener when such a combination is achieved.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If she could only be cloned . . ., January 14, 2000

By 

K. King "Stitchinguy" (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Renata Scotto - Italian Opera Arias (Audio CD)

Let me say this: I hated Scotto's voice when I was an all-knowing young voice student 20 years ago. I even saw her in the house in two different roles and thought she was dreadful. Then a Butterfly of hers had me in tears for two hours *after* the opera ended! This album shows her at her verismo best. How stupid the follies of youth, to not know what I was watching and hearing: a diva of the old school, for whom voice and theater were one. Not a singer out there today with their name in lights can hold a candle to La Scotto--no matter how much their publicists or opera house management would have you believe otherwise. Listen to this lady, to her pathos and hartbreak, triumph and tears, for this album shows it all. Renata Scotto is superb in this disc.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as it gets, December 10, 1999

By 

J. Luis Juarez Echenique "pepechenique" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Renata Scotto - Italian Opera Arias (Audio CD)

Renata Scotto is one of the Century's greatest sopranos. Very few singers can communicate emotion like she can, whatever she sings rings true, whatever she sings is honest and deeply felt. In these sad days of mediocre artists, Renata Scotto will remind you of an era of larger-than-life personalities, when sopranos were really Divas.