I browsed round WH Smith yesterday and ended up buying Classic FM magazine. On it is a CD. 'Essential Opera' they call it. I played it last night, and again this morning, and there is one track that stands out as sublimely beautiful - L'amour est un oiseau rebelle from Bizet's Carmen, sung by Maria Callas. Remember that this recording must be at least forty years old. I know they can do wonders with digital remastering these days, but they are still working on the raw, relatively, poor quality analogue recording. Yet, to hear the clarity of that voice - wow!
So, if you have £3.99 to spare, I suggest you get this magazine/CD, which also includes Verdi's Anvil Chorus, Chorus of Hebrew Slaves, Sempre Libera and Celeste Aida; Bizet's Pearl Fishers Duet; Puccini's Se come voi, E lucevan le stelle, Che gelida manina, and Vissi d'arte; Handel's Volate, amori; Beethoven's O War'ich schon mit dir vereint; Mozart's Un'aura amorosa; Delibes' Flower Duet and Leoncavallo's Vesti la giubba.
Bizarrely, although it claims to be Essential Opera, it omits anything by Wagner or Strauss, perhaps as being too taxing for the Classic FM listener. Still, I'm not claiming it to be the Best Opera Album in the World...Ever, but good VFM for �3.99.
Actually, looking on my CD shelves I have another CD called "Essential Opera" (my, these titles are imaginative...), (next to the Essential Music of England) and that contains no Wagner or Strauss. Mm. Strokes chin and wonders why that should be so.
