This compilation is designed to continue Naxos's "A-Z"
compilation series. This has so far consisted of two genre sets, one devoted
to
Classical Music generally and one to
Opera, and three sets devoted to types of performer (
Conductors,
Pianists and
String
Players). They are excellent starters for those who are just beginning
an interest in the development of these aspects of music and performance,
though they are perhaps less likely to be of great interest to anyone who
frequents a review website such as this.
Compiling an issue like this is positively begging for brickbats of the
"Why on earth is So-and-So included when Such-and-Such is
missing?" sort. I cannot deny wanting to fling a few myself,
particularly on behalf of earlier singers - are Erich Kunz, Suzanne Danco,
Lily Pons, Mado Robin and Hermann Uhde (admittedly all fine singers) worthy
of inclusion when Pol Plançon, Fernando De Lucia, Lilli Lehmann, Francesco
Tamagno and Adelina Patti are missing? Decisions about inclusion cannot but
be influenced by the personal predilections of the compiler, and in the case
of the present issue the choice was also restricted by what Naxos had
already issued - all tracks are taken from previous Naxos CDs; there is no
completely new material at all. Having said all this, however, it would be
very difficult to make a convincing case against the inclusion of the vast
majority of the singers, and for the neophyte this set provides pretty well
as comprehensive an introduction to singing in the first half of the
twentieth century as could be fitted onto four well-filled CDs. On the
whole, David Patmore has made a very good job of the selection of singers,
and in the great majority of cases I thought that the choice of example was
an excellent introduction to the particular singer. Purchase of this set
also allows access to a website which includes a huge number of tracks from
other Naxos CDs to supplement the selection although none of the missing
singers I listed above is present. The quality of the transfers is extremely
high; many are by Mark Obert-Thorn and Ward Marston, which is recommendation
enough.
For me, the big attraction of the set is the booklet - though
"booklet" hardly does justice to it: it is thicker than the CD
box. Its 856 pages provide articles on 300 singers who recorded, including
all those on my list of the "missing". The format is essentially
the same for each singer: a small photograph, dates and a list of career
highlights, a list of selected recordings and a biography with a final
paragraph which gives a brief analysis of the career and style. This is a
very useful source of basic information and, as far as I have been able to
tell from a sampling, commendably accurate.
To review this set fully would require a small book, and would be
essentially unnecessary. For anyone who wants on overview of this period, it
is self-recommending, especially at the very cheap price of around £15 on
the internet; the booklet alone is worth that.
Paul Steinson
List of Singers featured
Anderson, Marian
Angeles, Victoria de los
Bastianini,
Ettore
Battistini,
Mattia
Berger, Erna
Bjorling, Jussi
Breviario,
Giovanni
Callas, Maria
Callegari, Giordano
Caniglia, Maria
Carena, Maria
Caruso,
Enrico
Chaliapin, Feodor
Christoff, Boris
Cigna, Gina
Cottone,
Salvatore
Dal
Monte, Toti
Danco, Suzanne
Dansereau, Jean
Del Monaco,
Mario
Della Casa,
Lisa
Di Stefano, Giuseppe
Favero, Mafalda
Ferrier, Kathleen
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich
Flagstad, Kirsten
Frick,
Gottlob
Galli-Curci,
Amelita
Garden, Mary
Gigli, Beniamino
Gobbi, Tito
Guarrera,
Frank
Gueden,
Hilde
Hayward, Thomas
Hotter, Hans
Jurinac, Sena
Klose,
Margarete
Kunz,
Erich
Lapitino, Francis
Lauri-Volpi, Giacomo
Lehmann,
Lotte
Leider, Frida
Ludwig, Christa
Martinelli, Giovanni
McCormack, John
Melba,
Nellie
Melchior, Lauritz
Merli, Francesco
Merrill, Robert
Milanov,
Zinka
Modl,
Martha
Nilsson, Birgit
Olivero, Magda
Pagliughi, Lina
Pasero,
Tancredi
Patzak, Julius
Pertile, Aureliano
Pons, Lily
Ponselle,
Rosa
Rethberg,
Elisabeth
Robin, Mado
Ronald, Landon
Rosvaenge, Helge
Rysanek,
Leonie
Sayao, Bidu
Schipa, Tito
Schumann, Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf,
Elisabeth
Scott,
Norman
Seefried, Irmgard
Simionato, Giulietta
Simoneau,
Leopold
Stabile,
Mariano
Stich-Randall, Teresa
Stignani, Ebe
Stracciari,
Riccardo
Supervia,
Conchita
Tauber, Richard
Tebaldi, Renata
Tetrazzini,
Luisa
Teyte, Maggie
Thill, Georges
Tibbett, Lawrence
Tucker, Richard
Uhde,
Hermann
Varnay,
Astrid
Votipka, Thelma
Welitsch, Ljuba
Track Listings
CD 1
1. Mon Coeur S'ouvre a Ta Vox - Marion Anderson/Studio
Orchestra
2. Vien, Leonora - Ettore Bastianini/Giulietta Simionato/Fiorentino Maggio
Musicale Orchestra
3. Oh, De'verd'anni Miei - Mattia Battistini/Rosa
Ponselle/Studio Orchestra
4. Letzte Rose - Erna Berger/Berlin State Opera Orchestra
5. Che Gelida Manina! - various
6. Vissi D'arte - Maria Callas/Milan La Scala Orchestra
7. Pace, Pace Mio Dio! - various
8. Questa O Quella - Enrico Caruso/Salvatore Cottone
9. Against the Cruel Crags, 'Song of the Viking Guest' -
Feodor Chaliapin/Studio Orchestra
10. Il Lacerato Spirito - various
11. Deh! Non Volerli Vittime - various
12. Spargi D'amaro Pianto - various
13. Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio - various
14. Er Ist Der Richtige Nicht Fur Mich - Lisa Della Casa/Hilde
Gueden/Vienna Philharmonic Orch.
15. Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!...Celeste Aida - various
16. The Death of Margherita: L'altra Notte in Fondo Al Mare -
Mafalda Favero/Mila La Scala Orchestra
17. Che Faro Senza Euridice - Kathleen Ferrier/London Symphony
Orchestra
18. Ich Hab' Ein Gluhend Messer - Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau/Philharmonia Orchestra
CD 2
1. Mild Und Leise Wie Er Lachelt - various
2. Hat Man Nicht Auch Gold Beineben - Gottlob Frick/Martha Modl/Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra
3. Ah! Tardai Troppo...O Luce Di Quest Anima - Amelita Galli-Curci/Studio
Orchestra
4. Depuis Le Jour - Jean Dansereau/Mary Garden
5. Donna Non Vidi Mai - Beniamino Gigli/Studio Orchestra
6. Si Puo Si Puo - Tito Gobbi/Milan La Scala Orchestra
7. Der Alte Sturm, Die Alte Muh! - Hans Hotter/Margarete Klose/Berlin
State Opera Orch.
8. Cavatina: Porgi, Amor - various
9. Ach, Wie So Herrlich Zu Schau'n - Erich Kunz/Philharmonia
Orchestra
10. Un Di All'azzurro Spazio - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi/Milan La Scala
Orchestra
11. Die Zeit, Die Ist Ein Sonderbar Ding - Lotte Lehmann/Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra
12. Isolde! Tristan!...Doch Es Rachte - various
13. Allons!...Il Le Faut!...Adieu, Notre Petite Table - Victoria de los
Angeles/Paris Opera-Comique Orchestra
14. Then You'll Remember Me - John McCormack/Studio Orchestra
15. Apri La Tua Finestra - Francis Lapitino/Giovanni Martinelli
16. Ah! Je Ris De Me Voir - Nellie Melba/Landon Ronald
17. Eri Tu Che Macchiavi Quell'anima - various
18. D'amor Sull'ali Rosee - various
19. Abscheulicher! Wo Eilst Du Hin - Gottlob Frick/Martha Modl/Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra
CD 3
1. Die Trommel Geruhet - Birgit Nilsson/Philharmonia Orchestra
2. Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta - various
3. Caro Nome Che Il Mio Cor - Lina Pagliughi/Italian Broadcasting
Authority Orchestra
4. Von Der Jugend - Julius Patzak/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
5. Ah, Si Ben Mio...Di Quella Pira - various
6. Chi Mi Frena in Tal Momento - various
7. Ernani! Ernani, Involami - Mattia Battistini/Rosa Ponselle/Studio
Orchestra
8. Einsam in Truben Tagen - various
9. Ou Va La Jeune Indoue? 'Bell Song' - Mado Robin/Paris
Opera-Comique Orchestra
10. Du Bist Meine Sonne - various
11. Dich, Teure Halle, 'Elisabeth's Greeting' -
Leonie Rysanek/Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
12. O Soave Fanciulla - various
13. Una Furtiva Lagrima - Tito Schipa/Victor Orchestra
14. Wie Mein Ahnl Zwanzig Jahr - Elisabeth Schumann/Vienna State Opera
Orchestra
15. Come Scoglio Immoto Resta - various
16. The Prologue: Sein Wir Wieder Gut - Irmgard Seefried/Philharmonia
Orchestra
17. O Mio Fernando - various
18. Un'aura Amorosa Del Nostro Tesoro - various
19. Ho Da Fare Un Dramma Buffo - Mariano Stabile/Milan La scala
Chorus/Milan La Scala Orch.
CD 4
1. Mir Ist Die Ehre Widerfahren - various
2. Mira, O Norma...Cedi, Deh Cedi!...Si, Fino All'ore Estreme -
various
3. Alla Vita Che T'arride - various
4. Voi, Che Sapete Che Cosa È Amor - various
5. Gern Hab' Ich Die Frau'n Gekusst - Richard Tauber/Studio
Orchestra
6. Ritorna Vincitor! - various
7. Io Son Titania, 'Polonaise' - Luisa Tetrazzini/Victor
Orchestra
8. Le Spectre De La Rose - Maggie Teyte/London Symphony Orchestra
9. Toute Mon Ame Est La!...Pourquoi Me Revelier - Georges Thill/Paris
National Opera Orchestra
10. Credo in Un Dio Crudel, 'Iago's Credo' - Lawrence
Tibbett/New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
11. La Vita E Inferno...O Tu Che in Seno Agli Angeli - various
12. Du Wilde Seherin! Wie Willst Du Doch - various
13. Ah! Du Wolltest Mich Nicht Deinen Mund Kussen Lassen, Jochanaan! -
Ljuba Welitsch/New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
