The Yellow Guide: Opera [BOX SET]

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Alban Berg (Composer), Hector Berlioz (Composer), Georges Bizet (Composer), Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Ruggero Leoncavallo (Composer), Pietro Mascagni (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Jacques Offenbach (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Henry Purcell (Composer), Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Johann II Strauss (Composer), Richard Strauss (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Giuseppe Verdi (Composer), Richard Wagner (Composer), Carl Maria von Weber (Composer), Carlo Maria Giulini (Conductor), Carlos Kleiber (Conductor)

Product Details

• Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini, Carlos Kleiber
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg, Hector Berlioz, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, et al.
• Audio CD (April 14, 1998)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B00000613S
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #320,416 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended because of competing products, November 30, 2003

By	Judge Knott "judge_knott" (Upper West Side, NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This product fails because there are several others on the market at half the price that are nearly as good or just as good.

"The Yellow Guide to Opera" is an excellent collection of 42 opera tracks that would please the ear of any novice or early-intermediate opera fan. In fact, the collection of tracks is to be commended for its richness and variety, including for example Russian composers. The sound quality is excellent, too.

The included booklet, however, is a real turkey, and seems to have been including for the purpose of getting you to buy more Deutsche Grammophon CDs. (Shame on them!)

Now let's talk competition. On Amazon.com, you can find two outstanding collections for under $20 each (these collections, each comprised of 2 CDs, are called "The Best Opera Album in the World Ever" by Virgin and "The #1 Opera Album" by Decca). These two do not come with an accompanying booklet, but their selection of tracks is outstanding and of very high sound quality. But the best one available, in my humble opinion, is put out by Naxos and is called "The A to Z of Opera." This one comes with a smart, thick, useful booklet, and two lovely CDs. Like the Deutsche Grammophon product, the Naxos collection scoots off the beaten path a little bit and scoops up some gems usually not found on this type of collection.

So, in brief, "The Yellow Guide to Opera" is a very pleasing collection of opera music, but its booklet is a dud and there are very fine, very similar collections to be had for half the price. I recommend the Naxos product.