Search - Giacomo Meyerbeer, Richard [Classical] Wagner, Giacomo Puccini :: The Greatest Tenors of the Century

One CD too many. Decent value, though

J. Lindström | Stockholm, Sweden | 12/20/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This collection is worth buying for CD 1 alone (and for the low price, of course). Peter Anders was new to me but is marvellous in the Prize Song from Meistersinger. Amazon has got it all wrong on track 6, which features none other than the incomparable Alfredo Kraus singing the Kleinzach aria from Hoffman like few other tenors - at the age of 67 (!). You won't believe what you hear.The rest of the first CD is equally good stuff, mixing all kinds of tenor voices from the lightest (Schreier, Wunderlich) to the heaviest (Corelli, Del Monaco, Vickers).CD 2, however, is a sad story. "The 3 tenors" get two tracks each to deliver their usual bland performances, and the rest of the tracks are mostly rather odd choices, even when sung by otherwise fine tenors like Kollo and Araiza. Perhaps Jerry Hadley does the finest performance in "Che gelida manina". I don't care much for Alagna or Schicoff.Regarding the selection, perhaps the record should be called "Some Tenors of the Century". If DG had given "the 3" one track each and left out Luigi Alva and Araiza, we could have had Melchior, Björling, Gigli and Gedda, to name but a few.Anyway, there you have it: put CD 1 into your player, press "REPEAT" and just leave it there."

Where else can you get Caruso and Pavorotti on the same CD?

Rosomax | 09/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't buy this online, but needless to say it is one of the best Tenor CD's I own. I am still in the process of trying to locate a recording of "M'appari tutt' amor" by von Flotow from the Opera Martha. If anyone knows where I could get this, that would be great! This is a great buy for two CD's."