Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Puccini Divas Album

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The voices on this album can only be described as "gorgeous." All the cuts are outstanding and the music literally soars with passion. Fleming, Leontyne Price, Chiara, and all the divas evoke the grand emotions that great arias should inspire in the listener. The selections were obviously chosen to present a thrilling compendium of Puccini's best loved arias. We heard just a couple of selections at a friend's home and I immediately purchased the CD for our music library.

Pucccini is too splenderous to be dismissed a merely an acquired taste, and he is, of course, a great among other greats. This is a fantastic CD. Many -- but not all the greatest divas are here. However, of one the very best divas is not cited on the cover. It is the immaculate diva Elisabetta Scanno, who sings the Quando Me N'vo (Musetta's Waltz) from La Bohème. With two great baritones, another colaratura, and a magnificent opera orchestra, this is the most magnificent version of Quando Me N'vo I have ever heard.

This is a soulful offering from Amazon. It is a fantastic rendition of many of opera's most stirring arias.

When I see an opera I always hope for a high "chill factor". That's the way I describe that moment when the singing and music are so beautiful that I get goose bumps and maybe even a tear in the eye. This disc has many of these moments. It's absolutely fantastic. I knew from the first listening that it was going to be one of my favorites. I would highly recommend it. Having seen most of these operas performed in the past, I didn't feel that I was missing anything by hearing the music out of context. I don't have time to sit and listen to a complete opera when I'm at home so I appreciate being able to listen to all my favorite parts.

The performances on this CD really are truly extraordinary. If you love sopranos (or are a soprano) this would be a great CD for you. A nice little excerpting of Puccini's more popular arias.

That being said, I really think a piece of music by a great composer is best enjoyed in its entirety, and these excerpts lose much of their impact when removed from the opera as a whole, especially when surrounded by other similar pieces. It gets a bit tiresome listening to all that wailing and swooping for 73 minutes.

A great CD if you can't get enough of sopranos singing Puccini arias. If you are a fan of the music, spring for the more complete opera CDs or better yet, go see your favorite Puccini opera somewhere.