Classical

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Polygram Records

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Polygram Records

Unlike other Zauberflötes of the mono era, Ferenc Fricsay's 1953 recording includes the dialogue, albeit spoken by actors rather than the singers. The prize assumptions here are Fischer- Dieskau's youthful, engaging Papageno, Haefliger's intelligent Tamino, Rita Streich's effortless Queen of the Night, and Lisa Otto's touching Pamina. Fricsay's tight-knit pacing doesn't hurt either. On balance, this is the finest of this short-lived conductor's Mozart opera recordings. --Jed Distler

Release Date: 1994-10-11, Audio CD, Decca

One can hardly find words to express the elevated artistry of the American soloist Linda Wetherill with her Bristish accompanist Antony Saunders. Their creative and spontaneous art results from 5 years of work together to achieve thoroughly thought and engaging renditions with an improvisational aspect, never leaving the meaning and precision of the composer’s written will. Tantallizingly and with humerous exchanges, they brought their rich and atmospheric music to life without error and exactly together, behind and through, in a program that totally convinced and seduced the public, giving much enjoyment to their listeners.

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Release Date: 1994-11-22, Audio CD, Polygram Records

Cavalli, remembered now as an opera composer, spent his entire career on staff at San Marco in Venice and wrote a lot of sacred music. The Missa Concertata is more lightly scored than Gabrieli's music for San Marco of 50 years earlier: it uses eight voices with only two violins, three trombones, and continuo. The writing is similarly light and clear, the quick triple-time bits are occasionally repetitive, but the contemplative sections are truly lovely-- especially the falling suspensions of the Crucifixus and the Agnus Dei's old-style polyphony. Peter Holman and his fine musicians perform one-singer-per-par t; while they don't reconstruct a whole service with chant and readings, they do interpose some beautiful instrumental canzonas and solo motets as would have been done in... Less

Release Date: 1990-05-08, Audio CD, EMI References

Release Date: 1995-12-12, Audio CD, Thorofon

Release Date: 1995-05-23, Audio CD, Vox (Classical)

Release Date: 2001-11-27, Audio CD, Dorian Recordings

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Angel Records

Release Date: 1989-05-26, Audio CD, RCA

The Magic Flute is, for many, the embodiment of musical perfection, as dazzlingly perfect as the esoteric pyramids and symmetries that populate the composer's paean to Masonic philosophy. As so often with Mozart, beneath the sublime lurks darker subtexts--here, themes of sexuality, slavery, and vengeance. Sir Colin Davis conducts the incomparable Staatskapelle Dresden, with Peter Schreier's charming Tamina rescuing Margaret Price's lovely Pamina. --Joshua Cody

For golden-throated singing, it would be hard to top this classic recording, featuring two great divas at the height of their powers; for a working definition of the term bel canto, just listen to Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne as they make coloratura magic. Never mind the male singers in this recording, though; they're adequate, but, then, they're not the point. Sutherland's Semiramide is a tad maternal in her character, but the singing makes up for any shortcomings there, while Horne is clearly having the time of her life as the warrior Arsace. Richard Bonynge conducts optimally for his singers. For many years this was the only recording available of this tuneful if slightly static opera, and for the quality of its singing it's still the first choice. Unfortunately, there are... Less

Among recordings of Mozart's Magic Flute that omit the spoken dialogue, Herbert von Karajan's 1950 Vienna Philharmonic traversal stands out for its tightly knit vocal ensembles and outstanding cast. Irmgard Seefried's silvery Pamina complements the lyrical flexibility that Anton Dermota brings to Tamino; Erich Kunz is a bubbly, yet dignified, Papageno; and Ludwig Weber imbues Sarastro's arias with gorgeous, sustained tones. At the other end of the pitch spectrum, Wilma Lipp effortlessly negotiates the Queen of the Night's stratospheric turf. The sonics are a tad overresonant and diffuse, yet it's clear that Karajan could make the temperamental Vienna Philharmonic of that period play better than their norm for conductors who were more famous at the time. Klemperer's stereo EMI... Less

Release Date: 1989-06-12, Audio CD, Delta

Release Date: 1991-03-08, Audio CD, London

City of Gold illuminates the grandeur of Jerusalem and celebrates King David's ascension to the city with the sound of the harp woven together with orchestrations fro violin, oboe, English horn, clarinet, cello, and percussion. Sunita's interpretations of this timelesss collection create an instrumental magic enhanced by some of today's most talented studio and concert musicians. THese include violinist Tracy Silverman of the Turtle Island String Quartet and the members of the ensemble Vida. The combined chamber ensemble has created a monument to Jerusalem's 3,000th anniversary and a testament of passionate inspirational music.

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CHORALS The Chorals are an arrangement for violin of one of the Solos for Voice in Songbooks following Paul Zukofsky's suggestion to make a continuous music of disparate elements, single tones, unisons, and beatings. The Solo in Songbooks had been composed by placing a transparent staff of a special design over nine of Erik Satie's posthumously published Douze Chorales. The design of the staff was such as to give equal space for each chromatic tone. Thus its five lines were not equidistant, those representing a minor third being closer together than those representing a major third. Rubbings were made. When notes were not in the proper position for naturals, flats, or sharps, they were microtonally between these. For the Chorals the staff is again conventional, and accidentals, flat... Less