Customer Reviews

Zarzuela Arias & Duets

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3 star:		(1)
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This is a must have if you are not familiar with zarzuela (Madrid's response to Vienna's operetta). It's a nice combination of arias sung by Caballe in beautiful voice and joined by her husband tenor Bernabe Marti for the duets. The CD comes with translations for non Spanish speaking which will greatly improve your satisfaction.
Caballe is in as beautful voice as ever and feels at home with this non very taxing repertoire. She doesn't overindulge in her other times frequent "floatiness" and is very expressive throughout. Thogh sometimes when some coloratura is needed she tends to drop the consonants blurring her enunciation of the words. We are used to this from her opera recordings though she's not as bad as Sutherland.
Marti is a nice tenor but is not in the same league as Caballe. That's why he never got star recognition though he made a few recordings whith his wife, like Bellini's "Il Pirata". His is a lyrical tenor, a little throaty but with nice projection of the sound. He sounds a little strained over the "passagio" but hits all the notes. More importantly, he compensates for his lack of vocal lustre with burning impersonations of his characters. Passionate and burning in some, tender and caressing in others. In this respect is better than his wife who is a little more doll like hidding behind her vocal resources. So I specially enjoyed the many and varied duets in this recording.
Strongly recommended.

I know so little about zarzuela that I'm just pitiful! However, I enjoy this CD, and play it about once a week. I am among those who believe that Bernabe Marti is underrated, perhaps because of inevitable comparisons with the goddess to whom he is married. His voice is lovely. I agree with another reviewer who bemoans the lack of Caballe material on DVD. There is no excuse really, as there are tons of video material out there. I guess we'll have to wait until she has passed from the Earth. Too bad.

Great recording
Great music selection, Great orchestration

Every thing is what I was looking for.
I wish you had the same subjects in DVD
Thank you

Do you like beautiful music? Do you like sumptuously gorgeous new melodies ? Do you sing? Are you fond of listening to great voices, if for no other reason than to be inspired by? ...by a resplendent, opulent voice? Well then what are you waiting for?

I have only seen this legend perform once, in Bellini's "Norma". I can honestly say that I was not interested in opera until I saw her in that.
It's the one outdoors at night; and a fresh breeze piped up just about dusk, too late to cancel...so on with the show, satin robes billowing like clouds...and Madame Caballe's voice soaring, circling, diving to grasp her prey with gentle talons and whisk away to her lair- all around shuddering with awe.

If you are a singer, a soprano or tenor, even,I dare say you may catch yourself gazing obliquely heavenward, with glassy stare, thrilled by the soto voce so easily lit upon top A...only then to hear her leap up, up, two whole steps; lungs, long since, normally emptied alight on C and there warble with the most beautiful vibrato you ever heard, and when nearly out of breath, maintain the same pitch, and close with a new, even prettier vibrato.
Just reading this long sentence , possibly, made you gasp for air.

You deserve to inspire yourself...by perhaps THE greatest soprano of our generation. I'm afraid if Stradivarius had heard her, he'd have gone back and smashed his latest creation.

Later Post Script : this is one I listen to often - not so often as to tire of it; but more often than my others. That is a good sign. This is not a non-descript audio CD to "get to later"...this is one you will treasure. I still amaze at her bell like clarity; yet with emotive expression that you feel as well as hear. You will discover as I have, why this woman deserves the title, "Diva of this generation"
And the Zarzuelas featured - what glorious melodies, and exemplary orchestration. Her husband is just great. I only wish I could sing like him. In my dreams...or maybe even in Glory Land?

A privilege to hear this wonderful voice in these native, for her, works.

I like zarzuelas, but I was a bit bored with this one. It has up's and down's.