Giuseppe Verdi

Review: From Un ballo in maschera: Alzati!... Eri tu che macchavi quell'anima - from Ernani: Gran Dio!... Oh de' verd'anni miei - from Macbeth: Pieta, rispetto, amore - from Nabucco: Dio di Guida! - from Otello: Vanne, la tua meta...Credo in un Dio crudel - from Rigoletto: Cortigiani, vil razza dannata - from La traviata: Di Provenza il mar, il suol - from Il trovatore: Tutto e deserto...Il balen del suo sorriso.

Songlist: Eri tu che macchavi quell'anima , Gran Dio!... Oh de' verd'anni miei, Pieta, rispetto, amore, Dio di Guida!, Vanne, la tua meta...Credo in un Dio crudel, Cortigiani, vil razza dannata, Di Provenza il mar, il suol, Tutto e deserto...Il balen del suo sorriso

Voicing: Baritone
Style: Opera

5038b | Songbook & CD $24.95 | Solo Baritone Voices

Review: Cantolopera is a series that proposes a totally new way to approach the great opera repertoire: versions for voice and piano of the most famous arias, accompanied by a compact disc containing the corresponding orchestral bases, recorded with a 130-piece orchestra, to allow the professional, the student and the opera fan to practice, as well as a version sung by an established artist for reference. Each volume contains the lyrics of the arias plus a short summary and background information on the 'Compagnia d'Opera Italiana' Orchestra and the performers.

Songlist: Ernani! Ernani, involami, Tacea la notte placida, Caro nome che il mio cor, Addio, del passato, D'amor sull'ali rosee, La Vergine degli Angeli, Merce, dilette amiche, Morro, ma prima in grazia

Voicing: Soprano
Style: Opera

8565b | Songbook & CD $24.95 | Solo Soprano Voices

Review: Includes a CD with a full performance with orchestra, as well as a fully-orchestrated accompaniment track. Contains the lyrics of the arias, plus a short plot summary and background information on the orchestra and the performers.

Songlist: Ancho'io dischiuso un giorno, Ben io t'invenni, Ecco l'orrido campo, Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa, O cieli azzurri, Qui Radam?s verr?!, Salgo gia del trono aurato, Tu che le vanita conoscesti del mondo, Vieni! t'affretta! Or tutti sorgete, Nel di della vittoria

Voicing: Soprano
Style: Contemporary Christian

5529b | Songbook & CD $29.95 | Solo Soprano Voices

Review: Cantolopera is a series that proposes a totally new way to approach the great opera repertoire: versions for voice and piano of the most famous arias, accompanied by a compact disc containing the corresponding orchestral bases, recorded with a 130-piece orchestra, to allow the professional, the student and the opera fan to practice, as well as a version sung by an established artist for reference. Each volume contains the lyrics of the arias plus a short summary and background information on the 'Compagnia d'Opera Italiana' Orchestra and the performers.

Songlist: Celeste Aida (Aida), Esultate! (Otello), Dio! mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali (Otello), Di quella pira (Il Trovatore), Parmi veder le lagrime (Rigoletto), Questa o quella (Rigoletto), La donna e mobile (Rigoletto), Di' tu se fedele (Un ballo in maschera), Quando le sere al placido (Luisa Miller), Ah, la paterna mano (Macbeth)

Voicing: Tenor
Style: Opera

8585b | Songbook & CD $24.95 | Solo Opera Singers

Review: Includes a CD with a full performance with orchestra, as well as a fully-orchestrated accompaniment track. Contains the lyrics of the arias, plus a short plot summary and background information on the orchestra and the performers.

Songlist: Merce, Diletti amici, Come rugiada al cepite, O tu, che l'alma adora, La mia letizia infondere, o mio castel paterno, Lunge da lei per me non v'ha diletto!, De' meiei bollenti spiriti, Ah si, ben mio, Di quella pira, Forse la soglia attinse, Ma se m'e forza perderti, O inferno!...Amelia Qui!, Sento awampar nell'anima, cielo pietoso, rendila, Dal lbabbro il canto estasiato vola

Voicing: Tenor
Style: Opera

5530b | Songbook & CD $29.95 | Solo Tenor Voices

Review: Cantolopera is an exceptional series of book/CD packs from Ricordi that offers a fresh approach to great opera repertoire. The books include versions for voice and piano of the world's most famous arias. The CDs feature two versions of each aria: one with a 130-piece orchestra providing accompaniments to allow the professional, student or opera fan to practice, and another sung by an established artist for reference. Each volume contains the lyrics of the arias, plus a short plot summary and background information on the orchestra and the performers.

Songlist: Attila, Don Carlo, Ernani, I vespri sicillani, Macbeth, Nabucco, Simon Boccanegra

Voicing: Bass
Style: Opera

5107b | Songbook & CD $29.95 | Solo Bass Voices

Review: Verdi's select output of choral music is little known, but contains much of the dramatic boldness and harmonic invention of his operatic choruses. The Pater Noster is an unusual and interesting work of moderate difficulty, ranging in mood from meditative, devotional stillness to dramatic contrasts of a more extrovert nature. This scholarly edition has been carefully prepared by Judith Blezzard, and includes a keyboard reduction for rehearsal purposes and an English singing translation by Professor Brian Trowell.

40561b | Songbook $11.50 | SATB

Review: Having given his lifetime experience and mastery to the great repertory of the choral literature, Robert Shaw addresses one of the greatest challenges of all-Verdi's greatest choral masterwork, the Requiem. Combining a succession of thrilling solo arias, duets and ensembles with some of the most inspiring writing for chorus, the great Italian master produced a unique tribute to the memory of one whom he regarded as a virtual saint: poet and novelist Alexander Manzoni. Balancing the devotional with the theatrical requires the utmost care, but care must also be taken to involve the listener in a continually unfolding drama. Robert Shaw, his expert singers, chorus, and orchestra, have achieved this. But there is more to offer on this superb album. Shaw has set down his interpretation of some of the best-known choruses from five of Verdi's major works - Macbeth, Don Carlo, Otello, Aida and especially, the well-loved Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco.

Songlist: Disc One:, Requiem & Kyrie, Dies irae, 1. Dies irae, 2. Tuba mirum, 3. Mors stupebit, 4. Liber scriptus, 5. Quid sum miser, 6. Rex tremendae, 7. Recordare, 8. Ingemisco, 9. Confutatis, 10. Lacrimosa, Offertory, Sanctus, Disc Two:, Agnus Dei , Lux aeterna, Libera me, 1. Libera me, 2. Dies irae, 3. Requiem aeternam, 4. Libera me, Operatic Choruses:, "Spuntato ecco" from Don Carlos, "Patria oppressa!" from Macbeth, "Fuoco di gioia" from Otello, "Va pensiero" from Nabucco, "Gloria all'Egitto" from Aida

7535c | 2 CDs $15.98

Review: The UNM performers were joined by an Italian guest conductor, Stefano Vignati, and soloists Ilaria De Francesco, soprano; Laura Brioli, mezzo soprano; Gian Luca Pasolini, tenor; and Mirco Palazzi, bass. "We record all our performances for archival purposes, but because of the special guest artists and the combination of the chorus and concert choir, we used eight microphones to capture the event. The sound quality is exceptional, especially for a live performance," Ellingboe said.

Songlist: Requiem et Kyrie, Dies Irae: , -Dies irae, -Tuba mirum, -Liber scriptus, -Quid sum, miser!, -Rex tremendae, -Recordare, -Ingemisco, -Confutatis, -Lacrymosa, CD 2:, Domine Jesu, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Lux aeterna , Libera me

8857c | 2 CDs $16.95