The first volume of 'The People's Guide to Opera' is the super-heavyweight of opera compilations, weighing-in at an impressive nine hours of operatic favorites on eight CDs. Dozens of the most dasdardly and delicious opera characters, a score of the finest singers of the last fifty years and a bunch of the best performances committed to disc in a long time all make this the ideal set for those keen to get to grips with the operatic voice. It also makes for an ideal sparring-partner for those already well acquainted with opera boxes.
The People's Guide to Opera I
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Format: 8CD Boxed Set
Our Price: $45.00
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Callas, Caballé, Kraus, Corelli and co. pull no punches here, focusing their peerless techniques and stunning musicianship on the utterly bizarre array of characters that only opera can provide.
There's Mozart's flighty maids, flirting cross-dressers, conniving servants, and devilish Dons. Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini supply the great heroines, sleep-walking, loving, murdering and charming their way through life. Verdi and Wagner provide love and death, gods and monsters, common sense, and still manage to turn tragedy into redemption - no easy task this.
Naturally, Puccini is a big presence with his diverse band of Bohemians, Cowboys, butterflies and the rest. The great operatic lovers are all here, too: Isolde lamenting her Tristan, Carmen, resolute hands on hips (not really lamenting that much), Senta saving her flying Dutchman and Aida suffocating joyfully with her man, Radames. Who ever said opera was boring?
And that's only round 1!
Round 2 follows soon. Watch this space...
