Search - Verdi, Wagner, Bampton :: Rose Bampton Sings Verdy & Wagner

Beautiful singing from opera's Golden Era

pm444 | Okemos, MI USA | 12/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though hardly a household name, Rose Bampton made her Met debut in 1932 at the age of 23, and went on to sing there for 17 seasons. This CD contains over 70 minutes of arias from "Aida", "Lohengrin", "Tannhauser", and "Tristan und Isolde". Bampton's voice was well-suited to this demanding repertoire, not only in terms of being able to hit all the notes, but in the emotional involvement she shows. According to the notes, the unnamed orchestra was composed of "New York and Philadelphia's top players", conducted by Wilfrid Pelletier (Bampton's husband), and William Steinberg, who went on to become the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The recordings were made in 1940, but the sound is quite good for that time, with the main problem being periodic surface noises. Fortunately, the sound is not compromised by distortion in the upper ranges, nor is there the compressed, boxy sound that often limits the listener's enjoyment of other historic recordings. But the best part of this collection is the clarity and beauty of Bampton's voice, which equals or surpasses that of many of today's opera superstars. I find myself going back to Bampton as often as I do modern digital recordings simply to hear these arias sung with the sort of style and beauty that one does not often find in today's singers."

Superb voices and musicianship from a wondrous era!

Georgyn Geetlein Fest | Philadelphia, PA | 11/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listening to this amazing recording was comparable to studying voice once again at my prestigious conservatories. So many beautiful phrases are performed with such elegant diction, technique, and interpretation. Having studied and performed most of these roles under the guidance of Rose Bampton plus the watchful eye of Wilfrid Pelletier I was reminded of so many things I was taught and but have forgotten from these great artists. This recording is a must for the young opera singer both before and during their career! Georgyn Geetlein BM, MM, MM, DM"