The Opera Series
EMI Classics – The Home of Opera offers mid-price treasures from the world’s greatest opera catalogue. This collection presents some of the most important and admired recordings of complete operas produced by EMI Classics and its sister label Virgin Classics over the last 60 years. Many of these recordings are the greatest opera recordings in the classical catalogue. With an unrivalled catalogue of over 450 complete opera recordings produced over the last 60 years – and an illustrious succession of artists that today includes such names as Angela Gheorghiu, Natalie Dessay, Joyce DiDonato, Roberto Alagna, Antonio Pappano and Alan Curtis.
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Mozart: Don Giovanni, K527
RecommendedJoan Sutherland (Donna Anna), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Donna Elvira), Eberhard Wächter (Don Giovanni), Giuseppe Taddei (Leporello), Gottlob Frick (Il Commendatore), Luigi Alva (Don Ottavio), Piero Cappuccilli (Masetto), Graziella Sciutti (Zerlina), Heinrich Schmidt (harpsichord)
Philharmonia...
On CD the classic Giulini EMI set, lovingly remastered, sets the standard by which all other recordings have come to be judged. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, as Elvira, emerges as a dominant figure... —
Awards:
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Presto Favourites, Recommended Recording
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Building a Library, July 2018, Also recommended
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Massenet: Manon
RecommendedAngela Gheorghiu (Manon), Roberto Alagna (Des Grieux), Earle Patriarco (Lescaut), José van Dam (Comte des Grieux)
Orchestre Symphonique et Chœurs de la Monnaie, Antonio Pappano
In Act 1 Gheorghiu instantly establishes the heroine as a vivacious, wilful character with a great sense of fun and her singing is both imaginative and technically flawless...while Alagna, always... —
Awards:
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Building a Library, December 2000, First Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2001, Winner - Opera
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Building a Library, March 2018, First Choice
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Special offer. Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges
RecommendedGabriel Bacquier (Le Roi de Trèfle), Jean-Luc Viala (Le Prince), Georges Gautier (Truffaldino), Catherine Dubosc (Ninette), Jules Bastin (Cusinière), Michèle Lagrange (Fata Morgana), Hélène Perraguin (La Princesse Clarice), Vincent Le Texier (Léandre), Didier Henry (Pantalon/Farfarello/Le Maitre...
Awards:
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Gramophone Awards, 1990, Recording of the Year
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Gramophone Awards, 1990, Winner - Opera
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Special offer. Bizet: Carmen
RecommendedJulia Migenes (Carmen), Plácido Domingo (Don José), Ruggero Raimondi (Escamillo), Faith Esham (Micaëla), Susan Daniel (Mercédès), Lilian Watson (Frasquita), François Le Roux (Moralès), John Paul Bogart (Zuniga)
Choeurs et Maîtrise de Radio France & Orchestre National de France, Lorin Maazel
Awards:
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Grammy Awards, 27th Awards (1984), Best Opera Recording
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Puccini: La Rondine
RecommendedAngela Gheorghiu (Magda/Anna), Roberto Alagna (Ruggero/Roberto), William Matteuzzi (Prunier), Inva Mula (Lisette), Alberto Renaldi (Rambaldo)
London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano
An almost ideal account of Puccini's least-performed mature work, with both Alagna and Gheorghiu at their peak. Valuable extras from Alagna in Le Villi, too. —
Awards:
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Gramophone Awards, 1997, Recording of the Year
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Special offer. Britten: The Turn of the Screw
RecommendedJoan Rodgers (Governess), Ian Bostridge (Prologue/Peter Quint), Jane Henschel (Mrs Grose), Vivian Tierney (Miss Jessel), Julian Leang (Miles), Caroline Wise (Flora)
Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding
This performance captures the sense of dislocation essential to this chilling ghost story —
Awards:
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Building a Library, November 2013, First Choice
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Gramophone Magazine, October 2002, Editor's Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2003, Winner - Opera
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Wagner: Tannhäuser
RecommendedJane Eaglen (Elisabeth), Waltraud Meier (Venus), Rene Pape (Hermann, Landgraaf von Thuringen), Peter Seiffert (Tannhauser), Thomas Hampson (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Gunnar Gudbjornsson (Walther von der Vogelweide), Hanno Muller-Brachman (Biterolf), Stephan Rugamer (Heinrich der Schreiber), Alfred...
Awards:
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Grammy Awards, 45th Awards (2002), Best Opera Recording
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Special offer. Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Roberto Alagna (Hoffmann), José Van Dam (Lindorf/Coppélius/Dapertutto/Dr Miracle), Natalie Dessay (Olympia), Sumi Jo (Giulietta), Leontina Vaduva (Antonia), Catherine Dubosc (Nicklausse / La Muse)
Choeur et Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon, Kent Nagano
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Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72
RecommendedChrista Ludwig (Leonore), Jon Vickers (Florestan), Walter Berry (Don Pizarro), Gottlob Frick (Rocco), Ingeborg Hallstein (Marzelline), Gerhard Unger (Jaquino), Franz Crass (Don Fernando)
Philharmonia Chorus & Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Whilst I love the dramatic energy of Karajan’s (thrilling but rough-round-the-edges) 1962 Fidelio, Ludwig sounds more secure in terms of diction and intonation on this studio recording from... —
Awards:
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Presto Favourites, Christa Ludwig - Our Top 10 Recordings
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Verdi: La Traviata
Maria Callas (Violetta), Giuseppe di Stefano (Alfredo), Ettore Bastianini (Giorgio), Silvana Zanolli (Flora), Luisa Mandelli (Annina), Giuseppe Zampieri (Gastone), Arturo La Porta (Baron Douphol), Antonio Zerbini (Marchese d'Obigny), Silvio Maionica (Dottore Grenvil)
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro...
Awards:
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Record Review, 19th October 2019, Also Recommended
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