Joan Sutherland: Complete Decca Studio Recitals

Joan Sutherland

CD 1: Operatic Arias Scenes and arias from Lucia di Lammermoor, Ernani, I vespri siciliani, Linda di Chamounix Orchestre des Concerts du Conservatoire; Nello Santi; recorded April 1959 ****** CDs 2 & 3: The Art of the Prima Donna Arias from Artaxerxes, Samson, Norma, I puritani, Semiramide, La sonnambula, Faust, Roméo et Juliette, Otello, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, La traviata, Hamlet, Lakmé, Les Huguenots, and Rigoletto Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; recorded August 1960 ****** CDs 4 & 5: Command Performance Arias from Oberon, Le Cid, Dinorah, Pagliacci, I masnadieri, Luisa Miller, La cambiale di matrimonio, Beatrice di Tenda; songs - The Gypsy and the Bird, Parla!, Io non sono più, Ideale, Il bacio, La Serenata, Mattinata, Lo! here the gentle lark, The Last Rose of Summer, Scenes that are brightest may charm awhile, I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls, Home sweet home London Symphony Orchestra; Richard Bonynge (conductor & piano); recorded October-November 1962 ****** CDs 6 & 7: The Age of Bel Canto 6. Arias from La buona figliuola, Atalanta, Meraspe, Samson, Semele, Astarto, Artaxerxes, Rosina, Il re pastore, Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Angéla ou L'Atelier de Jean Cousin 7. Arias from Semiramide, La Muette de Portici, Der Freischütz, Beatrice di Tenda, Don Pasquale, Lucrezia Borgia, Attila, La straniera, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Arditi: Boléro with Marilyn Horne (mezzo), Richard Conrad (tenor), New Symphony Orchestra of London (CD 6); London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (CD 7); recorded June 1963 ****** CD 8: Joy to the World Joy to the World, It came upon a midnight clear, O holy night, O divine Redeemer, What Child is this?, Adeste fideles, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Good King Wenceslas, Hark! the herald angels sing, The Virgin's Slumber Song, Ave Maria, The Holly and the Ivy, Angels we have heard on high, Deck the hall The Ambrosian Singers, New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded May 1965 ****** CD 9: Noël Coward Album Songs from Conversation Piece, Bitter Sweet, Operette, After the Ball, Pacific 1860 Chorus and Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded July 1966 ****** CDs 10 & 11: Love Live Forever Songs from operetta: The Student Prince, The Boys from Syracuse, The Desert Song, Music in the Air, Rose Marie, The Only Girl, Show Boat, The Maid of the Mountains, Tom Jones, La Périchole, Chérubin, Der Vogelhändler, The Dubarry, Die geschiedene frau, Die spanische Nachtigall, Die Dollarprinzessin, Madame Pompadour, Der liebe Augustin, Eva, Ein Walzertraum, Der Opernball, Casanova, The Merry Widow, The King Steps Out, The Chocolate Soldier, Balalaika, Paganini Ambrosian Light Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded March & July 1966 ****** CD 12 & 13: Romantic French Arias Arias from Robinson Crusoé, Dinorah, Louise, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, Manon Lescaut, Fra Diavolo, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Cendrillon, Mireille, L'Étoile du Nord, Le Tribut de Zamora, Robert le Diable, Le Coeur et la Main, Les Noces de Jeannette, Faust, Vasco de Gama L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1969 ****** CD 14: Songs my Mother taught me Songs by Dvorák, Mendelssohn, Del Riego, Massenet, Gounod, Nelson, Delibes, LaForge, Juncker, Hahn, Abt, Grieg, Liszt, Delibes New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded August 1972 ****** CD 15: Operatic Duets Duets from La traviata, La Sonnambula, Linda di Chamounix, Otello, Aida Luciano Pavarotti (tenor); National Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1976 ****** CDs 16 & 17: Serate musicali Songs by Rossini, Leoncavallo, Donizetti, Respighi, Bellini, Verdi, Cimara, Ponchielli, Mascagni, Gounod, Godard, Massenet, Lalo, Thomas, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Bizet, Meyerbeer, Chaminade, Delibes, Hahn, Adam Richard Bonynge (piano), recorded June 1978 ****** CD 18: Wagner recital Arias from Rienzi, Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Die Walküre, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde National Philaharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge ****** CD 19: Mozart recital Arias from Il re pastore, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte; Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio, K418; Chi'io mi scordi di te... Non temer, amato bene, K505 National Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded November 1978 ****** CD 20: Bel canto arias Arias from Il castello di Kenilworth, Attila, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Betly, La Favorite, L'Africaine, Guillaume Tell, Il barbiere di Siviglia Orchestra of Welsh National Opera; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1985 ****** CD 21: Talking Pictures A tribute to films and Hollywood musicals English Chamber Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded April 1986 ****** CD 22: Romantic Trios Songs for soprano, horn and piano Songs by Denza, Panseron, Kreutzer, Nicolai, Proch, Skroup, Donizetti, Lachner, Kücken, Massenet, Berlioz Barry Tuckwell (horn), Richard Bonynge (piano), recorded October 1987 ****** CD 23: Rarities and first recordings Arias by Bononcini, Paisiello, Piccinni, Arne, and Handel (Acis and Galatea, Alcina) Philomusica of London; Granville Jones, Adrian Boult, Anthony Lewis; recorded 1958 and May/June 1959 Russian songs by Stravinsky, Cui & Gretchaninov Gliere: Concerto for Coloratura soprano London Symphony Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded May 1968 Donizetti: La Fille du régiment: Par le rang... Salut à la France Chorus and Orchestra of ther Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Richard Bonynge; recorded July 1967

Wholenote Discoveries - December 2011/January 2012
The late Joan Sutherland (1926-2010) was one of the outstanding sopranos of the last century and she was known to the millions who were never privileged to hear her live through her many Decca recordings of operas and recitals. She was a commanding figure in person but it was her voice alone that won her a devoted following. To honor her, Decca has assembled every one of her studio recitals and packaged them in this attractive set. Her husband, Richard Bonynge was progressively her pianist, coach and conductor. They married in 1954 and he directed her towards the baroque repertoire, the bel canto period and French works of the 19th century. The turning point in her career came on the evening of February 17, 1959 when she sang the title role in the first production at Covent Garden in 35 years of Lucia de Lammermoor. The performance was a well-deserved triumph for Sutherland and immediately her name was recognized in operatic circles around the world. She retired from the stage in 1990. Included in the 23 CDs are Art of the Prima Donna, Command Performance, Age of Bel Canto, The Noel Coward Album, Songs My Mother Taught Me, The Mozart Album, and many more. The albums date from 1959, Operatic Arias through to 1986, Talking Pictures – Songs from the Movies and finally from 1987, Romantic Trios for soprano, horn and piano, with Barry Tuckwell and Bonynge (all were born in Sydney… a nice ending to her recording career). The enclosed booklet contains full recording details and a short biography. Bruce Surtees
Decca pays tribute to Joan Sutherland - "La Stupenda" to her numerous fans - with a limited-edition 23-CD set of her complete studio recitals. Joan Sutherland shot to international fame in February1959 when she sang the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and a month later she recorded her first solo album in Paris for Decca - the start of an exclusive association that would last until her retirement from the operatic stage on 31 December 1990. This is the first time all of Joan Sutherland's studio recitals have been made available in a single collection and the set is released in time for what would have been the diva's 85th birthday on 7 November; October 10 marks the first anniversary of her death. The CDs are presented in sleeves with original cover art a 48-page booklet contains an appreciation of Joan Sutherland by opera wrter and critic George Hall.

Price: $99.98