Discover - Opera - Naxos (USA) - NXS 8558196 - 636943819623

For 400 years, opera has illuminated the innermost recesses of human existence. Once the sport of kings and princes, it now provides the soundtrack of our lives, its best-loved tunes heard on football terraces, in films and advertisements, and even at the opera house. From Monteverdi's 'Orfeo' to Harrison Birtwistle's 'The Mask of Orpheus,' by the way of Handel and Mozart, Verdi and Wagner, Puccini and Stravinsky, Discover Opera surveys the entire history of this extravagant yet intimate art form. Along the way we encounter dueling composers, superstar castratos, abandoned heroines driven mad by passion and swashbuckling heroes striving for elusive high notes. There is love, there is murder, there are shepherds and nymphs, gypsies and queens, an earthquake and a poisonous snake. All play their part in the history of opera, the art form that brings together all the arts in a lavish combination of emotion and spectacle.

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Works Details

Vecchi, Orazio : L'Amfiparnaso :: Act 2. Scene 2. Vien'a qua

Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
Running Time: 2 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Form: Choral

Monteverdi, Claudio : L'Orfeo :: Toccata

Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
Running Time: 1 min. 55 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1607

Monteverdi, Claudio : L'Orfeo :: Act 1. Rosa del ciel

Performer: Alessandro Carmignani (Tenor)
Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
Running Time: 3 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1607

Monteverdi, Claudio : L'Orfeo :: Act 2. Ahi caso acerbo

Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
Running Time: 1 min. 42 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1607

Cavalli, Francesco : Calisto :: Act 3. Scene 7. Dolcissimi baci

Performers: Gianluca Doro (Countertenor); Gloria Banditelli (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
Running Time: 2 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1652

Purcell, Henry : Dido and Aeneas, Z 626 :: Act 3. Scene 2. Thy hand, Belinda; darkness shades me

Performer: Kym Amps (Soprano)
Ensemble: Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1689

Purcell, Henry : Dido and Aeneas, Z 626 :: Act 3. Scene 2. When I am laid in earth

Performer: Kym Amps (Soprano)
Ensemble: Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Running Time: 3 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1689

Handel, George Frideric : Rinaldo :: Act 2. Scene 4. Lascia ch'io pianga

Performer: Susanne Rydén (Soprano)
Conductor: Charles Medlam
Ensemble: London Baroque
Running Time: 3 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1711

Rameau, Jean-Philippe : Castor et Pollux, tragédie en musique :: Act 2. Scene 2. Tristes apprêts

Performer: Monica Whicher (Soprano)
Conductor: Kevin Mallon
Ensemble: Aradia Ensemble
Running Time: 5 min. 16 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1737

Gluck, Christoph Willibald : Orfeo :: Act 3. Scene 1. Che farò senza Euridic

Performer: Ann-Christine Biel (Voice)
Conductor: Arnold Östman
Running Time: 3 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 :: Act 4. Scene 10. Giunse al fin il moment

Performer: Judith Halász (Soprano)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Running Time: 4 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Written: 1786

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Don Giovanni :: Act 1. Scene 15. Fin ch'han dal vino

Performer: Bo Skovhus (Voice)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Running Time: 1 min. 28 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1787

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Don Giovanni :: Act 2. Scene 3. Deh, vieni alla finestra

Performer: Bo Skovhus (Voice)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Running Time: 1 min. 58 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1787

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620 :: Act 1. Scene 6. O zitt're nicht, mein lieber Sohn!

Performer: Hellen Kwon (Soprano)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Running Time: 4 min. 46 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1791

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Fidelio, Op. 72 :: Act 1. Scene 9. Abscheulicher! wo eilst du hin?

Performer: Edith Lienbacher (Soprano)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Notes: Composition written: 1804-06.
Running Time: 7 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1804-1806

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 :: Prelude

Conductor: Leif Segerstam
Running Time: 11 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Wagner, Richard : Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 :: Act 3. Scene 3. Mild und leise ('Liebestod')

Performer: Hedwig Fassbender (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Leif Segerstam
Running Time: 6 min. 41 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1857-1859

Rossini, Gioachino : La Cenerentola :: Act 1. Scene 3. Zitto, zitto, piano, piano

Performers: Patrizia Cigna (Soprano); Martina Borst (Mezzo Soprano); José Zapata (Tenor); Paolo Bordogna (Baritone)
Conductor: Alberto Zedda
Running Time: 5 min. 14 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1817

Donizetti, Gaetano : Lucia di Lammermoor :: Act 3. Scene 2. Ardon gli incensi

Performer: Luba Orgonasova (Soprano)
Conductor: Will Humburg
Running Time: 5 min. 22 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1835

Verdi, Giuseppe : Rigoletto :: Prelude

Conductor: Alexander Rahbari
Running Time: 2 min. 2 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1851

Verdi, Giuseppe : Rigoletto :: Act 3. Scene 3. Bella figlia dell'amore

Performers: Yordy Ramiro (Voice); Jitka Saparova (Voice); Alida Ferrarini (Soprano); Eduard Tumagian (Baritone)
Conductor: Alexander Rahbari
Running Time: 4 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1851

Verdi, Giuseppe : Falstaff :: Act 3. Scene 2. Facciamo il parentado - Tutto nel mondo è burla

Performers: Domenico Trimarchi (Bass Baritone); Roberto Servile (Baritone)
Running Time: 3 min. 26 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1893

Puccini, Giacomo : Madama Butterfly :: Act 1. Vogliatemi bene

Performer: Miriam Gauci (Soprano)
Conductor: Alexander Rahbari
Notes: Composition written: 1904.
Running Time: 7 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1904

Berlioz, Hector : Les Troyens, opera, H. 133a :: Act 5. Scene 2. Adieu, fière cité

Performer: Michelle DeYoung (Mezzo-Soprano)
Conductor: Colin Davis
Notes: Composition written: 1858.
Running Time: 3 min. 52 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1858

Bizet, Georges : Carmen, opera :: Prelude

Conductor: Alexander Rahbari
Running Time: 3 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1873-1874

Bizet, Georges : Carmen, opera :: Act 4. Scene 2. Viva!

Performers: Graciela Alperyn (Mezzo Soprano); Giorgio Lamberti (Tenor)
Conductor: Alexander Rahbari
Running Time: 3 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1873-1874

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Eugen Onegin :: Act 1. Scene 2. Tatyana's Letter Scene

Performer: Marina Meshcheriakova (Voice)
Conductor: Michael Halász
Running Time: 10 min. 55 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1877-1878

Debussy, Claude : Pelléas et Mélisande, opera in 5 acts, L. 88 :: Act 4. Scene 1. A room in the castle

Performers: Gerard Theruel (Voice); Mireille Delunsch (Soprano)
Conductor: Jean-Claude Casadesus
Running Time: 3 min. 5 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1893-1902

Berg, Alban : Wozzeck, opera, Op. 7 :: Act 3. Scene 2. Forest path by a pool

Performers: Katarina Dalayman (Soprano); Carl Falkman (Voice)
Conductor: Leif Segerstam
Running Time: 5 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1917-1922

Janácek, Leos : Jenufa :: Act 3. Scene 11

Performers: Frank Barr (Bass); Gabriela Benackova (Voice); Wieslaw Ochman (Tenor); Leonie Rysanek (Soprano)
Conductor: Hugh Ross
Running Time: 4 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1894-1903

Bartók, Béla : Bluebeard's Castle, Op. 11/Sz 48 :: Blue

Performers: Péter Fried (Voice); Cornelia Kallisch (Mezzo Soprano)
Conductor: Peter Eötvös
Running Time: 6 min. 42 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1911

Stravinsky, Igor : Oedipus rex :: Prologue (opening)

Performer: Martyn Hill (Tenor)
Conductor: Robert Craft
Running Time: 4 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1927

Britten, Benjamin : Peter Grimes :: 1. Dawn (Peter Grimes, interlude at th

Conductor: Steuart Bedford
Running Time: 3 min. 13 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1944

Britten, Benjamin : Peter Grimes :: Act 1. Scene 2. Now the Great Bear and Pleiades

Performers: Alison Buchanan (Soprano); Jill Grove (Mezzo Soprano); Glenn Winslade (Tenor); Anthony Michaels-Moore (Baritone); Christopher Gillett (Tenor); Sally Matthews (Soprano)
Conductor: Colin Davis
Running Time: 3 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1945

Adams, John : I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky :: Act 2. One last look at the angel in

Performers: Kimako Trotman (Baritone); Martina Mühlpointner (Soprano)
Conductor: Klaus Simon
Running Time: 2 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Written: 1995

Birtwistle, Harrison : The Mask of Orpheus, opera :: Act 3. Scene 2. Third Song of Magic (a) -

Performers: Jean Rigby (Mezzo Soprano); Jon Garrison (Tenor); Anne-Marie Owens (Mezzo-soprano)
Conductor: Andrew Davis
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1973-1983

Birtwistle, Harrison : The Mask of Orpheus, opera :: Eurydice Puppet / Eurydice Singer

Performers: Jon Garrison (Tenor); Jean Rigby (Mezzo Soprano); Anne-Marie Owens (Mezzo-soprano)
Conductor: Andrew Davis
Running Time: 2 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1973-1983

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