| Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 5099921730825 Format: CD CD 1: The Early Recordings
GIUSEPPE VERDI 1813–1901: 1 Surta è la notte…Ernani! Ernani, involami (Ernani, Act I); 2 Era più calmo…Piangea cantando (Otello, Act IV); 3 Ave Maria (Otello, Act IV)
GIOACHINO ROSSINI 1792–1868: 4 Nacqui all’affano…Non più mesta (La Cenerentola, Act II)
PIETRO MASCAGNI 1863–1945:
5 Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Cavalleria rusticana)
ALFREDO CATALANI 1854–1893: 6 Ebben? ne andrò lontana (La Wally, Act I)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART 1756–1791: 7 Porgi, amor (Le nozze di Figaro, Act II)
RICHARD WAGNER 1813–1883: 8 Dich teure Halle (Tannhäuser, Act II); 9 Einsam in trüben Tagen (Lohengrin, Act I); Gianella Borelli mezzo-soprano (2); Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma / Giuseppe Morelli
MANUEL DE FALLA 1876–1946: La vida breve (Shaw); 10 Vivan los que rien! (Act I); 11 Alli está! Riyendo (Act II); Philharmonia Orchestra / Stanford Robinson
JOAQUÍN TURINA 1882–1949: 12 Saeta en formas de Salve (S. & J. Quintero); 13 Poema en forma de canciones (Campoamor) - III. Cantares; Philharmonia Orchestra / Walter Susskind
HEITOR VILLA-LOBOS 1887–1959: Bachianas brasileiras No.5; 14 I: Aria (Cantilena) (1938); 15 II: Dança (Martelo) (1945); Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française /
Heitor Villa-Lobos
CD 2: Great Italian Operas
GIACOMO PUCCINI 1858–1924: La bohème (Illica & Giacosa); 1 Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì (Act I); 2 O soave fanciulla (Act I); 3 Addio…D’onde lieta uscì (Act III); Jussi Björling tenor · Robert Merrill baritone (2)
RCA Victor Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham
VERDI: 4 Come in quest’ora bruna (Simon Boccanegra, Act I); Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma / Gabriele Santini
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO 1858-1919: 5 Quel fiamma…Hui! Stridono lassù (Pagliacci); RCA Victor Orchestra / Renato Cellini
PUCCINI: 6 Senza mamma (Suor Angelica); Orchestra del Teatro dell Opera di Roma / Tullio Serafin; 7 O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi); Orchestra del Teatro dell Opera di Roma / Gabriele Santini
ROSSINI: 8 Una voce poco fa (Il barbiere di Siviglia, Act I); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vittorio Gui
VERDI: La traviata (Piave); 9 Libiamo (Brindisi) (Act I); 10 È strano!…Ah, fors’è lui…Sempre libera (Act I); 11 Teneste la promessa…Addio del passato (Act III); Carlo del Monte tenor (9 & 10); Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma / Tullio Serafin
PUCCINI: Madama Butterfly (Illica & Giacosa); 12 Quanto cielo!…Ancora un passo or via (Act I); 13 Bimba dagli occhi (Act I); 14 Un bel dì vedremo (Act II); 15 Con onor muore (Act II); Jussi Björling tenor (13 & 15) · Mario Sereni baritone (12); Coro e Orchestra del Theatro dell’Opera di Roma /
Gabriele Santini
CD 3: Great French Operas
JULES MASSENET 1842-1912: Manon (Meilhac & Gille); 1 Allons !...Adieu, notre petite table (Act II) (O’Reilly); 2 Je marche sur tous les chemins…Obéissons (Act III) (O’Reilly); Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra-Comique; Pierre Monteux
CHARLES GOUNOD 1818-1893: Faust (Barbier & Carré); 3 Un bouquet !…Ô Dieu ! que de bijoux !...Ah ! je ris (Act III); 4 Il se fait tard !... Ô nuit d’amour (Act III); 5 Ah ! c’est la voix du bien-aimé !...Anges pur (Act V); Nicolai Gedda tenor (4 & 5) · Boris Christoff bass (4 & 5); Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra / André Cluytens
MASSENET: Werther (Blau, Milliet & Hartmann); 6 Werther ! Werther ! …Ces letters (Act III); 7 Va ! laisse couler mes larmes !...Les larmes qu’on ne pleure pas (Act III); Orchestre de Paris / Georges Prêtre
JACQUES OFFENBACH 1819-1880: 8 Elle a fui, la tourterelle (Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Act IV); Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire / André Cluytens
GEORGES BIZET 1838-1875: Carmen (Meilhac & Halévy); 9 Quand je vous aimerai ?...L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) (Act I); 10 Près des ramparts de Séville (Seguédille) (Act I); 11 Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Chanson bohème) (Act II); 12 Voyons, que j’essaie à mon tour (Act III); 13 C’est toi ! C’est moi ! (Act IV); Nicolai Gedda tenor (10 & 13); Denise Monteil soprano (11 & 12); Marcelle Croisier & Monique Linval mezzo-sopranos(11 & 12); Matrise, Chœurs et Orchestre National da la Radiodiffusion Française; Sir Thomas Beecham
CD 4: Popular Songs & Zarzuela Arias
FELIX MENDELSSOHN 1809–1847: 1 Auf Flügeln des Gesanges Op.34, No.2 (Heine)
EDVARD GRIEG 1843–1897: 2 Ich liebe dich Op.5 No.3 (Andersen trnsl. Holstein)
JOHANNES BRAHMS 1833–1897: 3 Wiegenlied Op.49 No.4 (Scherer)
ANTONÍN DVORÁK 1841–1904: 4 Als die alte Mutter Op.55 No.4 (Heyduk)
JEAN-PAUL MARTINI 1741–1816: 5 Plaisir d’amour (Florian)
REYNALDO HAHN 1875–1947: 6 L’Enamourée (de Banville)
LÉO DELIBES 1836–1891: 7 Les filles de Cadix (de Musset)
Traditional arr. Stanford 1852–1924: 8 An Irish Lullaby (Graves)
GENI SADERO 1886–1961: 9 Era la vo (Sicilian lullaby)
SEBASTIÁN IRADIER 1809–1865: 10 La paloma
JAYME OVALLE 1894–1955: 11 Azulão (Bandeira)
PABLO LUNA 1880–1942: 12 De España vengo (El niño judío)
RUPERTO CHAPÍ 1851–1909: 13 Carceleras (Las hijas del Zebedeo); Sinfonia of London / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
JERÓNIMO GIMÉNEZ 1854–1923: La tempranica; 14 Zapateado; 15 Canción de la tempranica
CHAPÍ: 16 Canción de Pastora (La patria chica); 17 Canción de la gitana (La chavala)
FEDERICO CHUECA 1846–1908; JOAQUÍN VALVERDE 1846–1910:La gran vía; 18 Tango de la menegilda; 19 Chotís del eliseo madrilène
JOSÉ SERRANO 1873–1941: 20 Romanza de Gloria (Los de Aragón); 21 Canción de la gitana (La alegría del batallón); 22 Escena lírica (Los claveles)
VICENTE LLEÓ 1870–1922: 23 Couplets babilónicos (La corte del Faraón)
FERNÁNDEZ CABALLERO 1835–1906: 24 Romanza de Pilar (Gigantes y cabezudos)
FRANCISCO BARBIERI 1823–1894: 25 Canción de Paloma (El barberillo de Lavapiés); Coro de Cámara del Real (15 & 19); Profesores de la Orquesta Nacional de España; Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
CD 5: Chants d’Auvergne; arr, Joseph Canteloube 1879–1957: Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux / Jean-Pierre Jacquillat
CD 6: Art Songs and Lieder
MAURICE RAVEL 1875–1937: 1 La Flûte enchantée (Shéhérazade)
HENRI DUPARC 1848–1933: 2 L’Invitation au voyage; Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire /
Georges Prêtre
CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1862–1918: Fêtes galantes (1er recueil); 3 En sourdine; 4 Fantoches; 5 Clair de lune
HAHN: 6 Trois jours de vendange; 7 Le Rossignol des lilas
GABRIEL FAURÉ 1845–1924: 8 Tristesse, Op.6, No.2; 9 Au bord de l’eau Op.8, No.1; 10 Les Roses d’Ispahan Op.39, No.4; 11 Toujours (No.2 de Trois Poèmes d’un jour Op.21); Gonzalo Soriano piano
ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI 1660–1725: 12 Le violette
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL 1685–1759: 13 O! had I Jubal’s lyre (Joshua)
FRANZ SCHUBERT 1797–1828: 14 Der Tod und das Mädchen D531; 15 Wohin? (No.2 from Die schöne Müllerin, D795); 16 An die Musik D547
BRAHMS: 17 Dein blaues Auge Op.59, No.8; 18 Vergebliches Ständchen Op.84, No.4; Gerald Moore piano
HENRY PURCELL 1659–1695: 19 Let us wander (arr. Moffat); 20 Lost is my quiet (arr. Moffat)
JOSEPH HAYDN 1732–1809: 21 Schlaf in deiner engen Kammer
JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH 1735–1782: 22 Ah! lamenta, oh bella Irene
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770–1827: Irish Songs
23 Oh! would I were bu;t that sweet linnet WoO154, No.9; 24 He promised me at parting WoO154, No.12; 25 They bid me slight my Dermot dear WoO152, No.18
DVORÁK: 26 Möglichkeit Op.38, No.1; 27 Der Apfel Op.38, No.2
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY 1840–1893: 28 Schottische Ballade Op.46, No.2; Dietrich-Fischer Dieskau baritone; Eduard Drolc violin (21, 23 & 25); Irmgard Poppen cello (21, 23 & 25); Gerald Moore piano
BRAHMS: 29 Sapphische Ode Op.94, No.4
MOZART: 30 La Partenza K436; Elisabeth Schwarzkopf soprano (30) · Dietrich Fischer Dieskau baritone (30)
Gerald Moore piano
CD 7: Songs of Spain
FALLA: 1 El sombrero de tres picos – Introduction; Philharmonia Orchestra with Chorus / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
El amor brujo; 2 Canción del amor dolido; 3 Canción del fuego fatuo; 4 Danza del juego de amor; 5 Final: Las campanas del amanecer; Philharmonia Orchestra / Carlo Maria Giulini
Siete canciones populares españolas: 6 El paño moruno; 7 Seguidilla murciana; 8 Asturiana; 9 Jota; 10 Nana; 11 Canción; 12 Polo; Gonzalo Soriano piano
XAVIER MONTSALVATGE 1912–2002: Cinco canciones negras (1946); 13 Cuba dentro de un piano (Alberti); 14 Chévre (Guillén); 15 Punto de habanera (Lujan); 16 Canción de cuna para dormer a un negrito (Valdes); 17 Canto negro (Guillén); Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire; Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Canciones Sefardíes arr. Manuel Valls 1920–1984: 18 La rosa enflorece; 19 Ven querida; 20 Adió, querida; 21 Durme, durme, hermozo hijico; 22 Paxaro d’hermosura; 23 Avrix, mi galanica; 24 Irme quiero, la mi madre; 25 Ya viene el cativo; 26 Yo m’enamori d’un aire; 27 Una matica de ruda; Jean-Claude Gérard flute · Oscar Ghiglia guitar
Canciones populares españolas arr. Federico Garcia Lorca 1899–1936: 28 Anda, jaleo; 29 Los cuatro muleros; 30 Las tres hojas; 31 Los mozos de Monleón; 32 Las morillas de Jaén; 33 Sevillanas del siglo XVIII; Miguel Zanetti piano
EDUARDO TOLDRÁ 1895–1962: 34 Cançó de grumet (A l’ombra del Leidoner); Gonzalo Soriano piano
ENRIQUE GRANADOS 1867–1916: Colección de tonadillas, escritas en estilo antiguo (Periquet); 35 2 Callejeo; 36 7 El tra la la y el punteado
JESÚS GURIDI 1886–1961: 37 Jota (Seis canciones castellanas, No.5); Gerald Moore piano
GRANADOS: 38 La maja y el ruiseñor (Goyescas); New Philharmonia Orchestra / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
VALVERDE: 39 Clavelitos! (Cadenas)
JOAQUÍN NIN 1879–1949: 40 Granadina (Cantos populares españolas, No.7); Gerald Moore piano
MÁS BARRERA 1870–1938 · RAFAEL CALLEJA 1874–1938: 41 Adiós, Granada (Cases) (arr. Victoria de los Angeles); Victoria de los Angeles guitar
GRANADOS: Canciones amatorias (Traditional); 42 Iban al pinar; 43 Gracia mía; Alicia de Larrocha piano Gramophone Magazine June 2010: 250 Greatest Recordings of All Time
Debussy/Faure Melodies: The entirely musical and natural art of De los Angeles caught in Debussy and Faure.
The distinguished Spanish soprano Victoria de los Angeles (1923-2005) was one of the best-loved classical singers of the second half of the 20th century. With a voice of exceptional beauty, she sang a wide range of operatic roles, a surprisingly large repertoire of German and French songs as well as the music of her native Spain, which she always included in her concerts. She made many recordings for EMI, with whom she had an exclusive contract for the major part of her career, and this collection brings together some of the finest of her recorded performances.
Each of the 7 CDs covers a separate part of the singer’s repertory, beginning with her early recordings of operatic arias, Spanish songs and Bachianas brasileiras No.5, for which the composer Villa Lobos specially chose de los Angeles for his authoritative recording in 1956. Among the items on CD 1 are two arias from Falla’s opera La vida breve, in which the singer caused a sensation in the UK when she first sang it on the BBC in 1948.
CD 2 covers Italian opera and includes de los Angeles’ exquisite Mimì from a famous recording of La bohème under Sir Thomas Beecham. Her partner in La bohème, the inimitable Jussi Björling, also appears with her in Pagliacci and Madama Butterfly, and the disc ends with de los Angeles as Violetta in La traviata.
CD 3 is devoted to French opera, including Massenet’s Manon and Gounod’s Faust and concludes with a generous selection from Bizet’s Carmen featuring Nicolai Gedda as Don José and conducted by Beecham.
CD 4 begins with a selection of popular songs with German, French, English, Italian and Spanish words, performed in orchestral arrangements by Douglas Gamley. These are followed by an attractive group of arias from zarzuelas, the Spanish form of light opera.
CD 5 is devoted entirely to a selection of Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne.
CD 6 begins with French Art Songs, followed by duets with the German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau covering compositions by Purcell, Haydn, J. C. Bach, Beethoven, Dvorák and Tchaikovsky. It concludes with two pieces recorded live at the concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 20 February 1968 in which de los Angeles performed with Fischer-Dieskau and the soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf to pay homage to that doyen of accompanists, Gerald Moore.
CD 7 is devoted to music of Spain, which was never absent from the singer’s recitals, and to which her audiences looked forward with special anticipation. Near the end of the disc she is heard accompanying herself on the guitar in the song ‘Adiós, Granada’, which she often performed as the final encore at her recitals. The programme ends with two songs by Granados recorded live at a recital at Hunter College, New York, in 1971 in which the accompanist is the Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha. |