The Very Best of Kiri Te Kanawa

After the Covent Garden Nozze di Figaro, an international career was assured. With a carefully chosen repertoire that included the principal soprano roles of Mozart, as well as a number of Verdi, Puccini and Richard Strauss heroines, Kiri went on to triumph in the major opera houses of the world. She first appeared at the Salzburg Festival in 1979 and became a regular and much-loved performer at Glyndebourne, a venue for which she has a particularly strong affection, and in 1981 Kiri was chosen to sing at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in St Paul's Cathedral, an event seen by a world-wide television audience estimated at more than 600 million people. Not surprisingly, her vibrant but creamy voice, together with her attractive stage presence, made her an ideal interpreter of the main Richard Strauss roles, and it was not long before she was singing the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, a part with which she scored a particular success. After a number of popular Italian and French arias, Kiriis heard in this programme in the Marschallin's Act I monologue, 'Da geht er hin', as well as in arias from several other German operas, including Wagner's Tannhäuser, Der Freischutz by Weber and Korngold's unjustly neglected romantic masterpiece Die tote Stadt. As a brief reminder of Kiri's achievements on the concert stage, the first CD closes with three orchestral songs by the French composers Ravel and Duparc, all of which show off the lustrous beauty of her voice to full advantage. In addition to opera and so-called serious music however, Kiri is also a great enthusiast for the lighter repertoire, including folk music and the songs of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley. When performing this material, she uses the warm, lower part of her rich voice to give idiomatic performances of songs by some of America's greatest composers of popular music, such as George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. Also heard here are Franz Gruber's familiar Christmas carol 'Silent Night' and a number of traditional British folk songs. These are followed by two Maori songs, in which Kiri is joined by a group of Maori singers and a number of specialist musicians who together capture the authentic style of these fascinating pieces.

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Works Details

Puccini, Giacomo : Turandot :: Signore, ascolta!

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung
Notes: Composition written: 1926.
Running Time: 2 min. 44 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1926

Francesco Cilèa (1866 - 1950) : Adriana Lecouvreur :: Ecco

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung
Running Time: 3 min. 21 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1902

Giordano, Umberto : Andrea Chénier :: La mamma morta

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung
Notes: Composition written: 1896.
Running Time: 5 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1896

Verdi, Giuseppe : La traviata :: Attendo, attendo... Addio, del passato

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung
Notes: Composition written: 1853.
Running Time: 3 min. 51 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1853

Massenet, Jules : Manon :: Je marche sur tous les chemins... Obéissons quand leur voix appelle

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jeffrey Tate
Running Time: 5 min. 6 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1882-1883

Charpentier, Gustave : Louise :: Depuis le jour

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jeffrey Tate
Running Time: 5 min. 7 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1887-1896

Offenbach, Jacques : Les Contes d'Hoffmann :: Elle a fui, la tourterelle!

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jeffrey Tate
Running Time: 5 min. 21 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta

Bizet, Georges : The Pearl Fishers, opera :: Me voilà seule... Comme autrefois

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jeffrey Tate
Running Time: 6 min. 46 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1863

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus : Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620 :: Ach, ich fühl's

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Julius Rudel
Running Time: 4 min. 7 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1791

Wagner, Richard : Tannhäuser :: Dich, teure Halle

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Julius Rudel
Running Time: 3 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1843-1865

Weber, Carl Maria von : Der Freischütz :: Wie nahte mir der Schlummer... Leise, leise, fromme Weise

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Julius Rudel
Running Time: 7 min. 38 sec.
Period Time: Classical
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1817-1821

Strauss, Richard : Der Rosenkavalier :: Da geht er hin, der aufgeblas'ne schlechte Kerl

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Bernard Haitink
Running Time: 5 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1909-1910

Korngold, Erich Wolfgang : Die tote Stadt :: Glück, das mir verblieb

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Julius Rudel
Notes: Composition written: 1920.
Running Time: 5 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1920

Ravel, Maurice : Shéhérazade, poems (3) for soprano (or tenor) & orchestra (or piano) :: 2. La Flûte enchantée

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John Pritchard
Notes: Composition written: 1903.
Running Time: 2 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1903

Duparc, Henri : L'invitation au voyage

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John Pritchard
Running Time: 4 min. 49 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1870

Duparc, Henri : Le manoir de Rosemonde

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John Pritchard
Running Time: 2 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1879

Gershwin, George : George White's Scandals of 1924

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John McGlinn
Running Time: 3 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1924

Gershwin, George : Goldwyn Follies

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John McGlinn
Running Time: 2 min. 48 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1937

Gershwin, George : Girl Crazy

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John McGlinn
Running Time: 4 min. 35 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1930

Gershwin, George : Porgy and Bess

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: John McGlinn
Running Time: 2 min. 44 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1935

Kern, Jerome : Long ago

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Running Time: 2 min. 55 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Kern, Jerome : A Fine Romance, song (from the film "Swing Time")

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Running Time: 2 min. 51 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1936

Kern, Jerome : Music in the Air

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Running Time: 3 min. 3 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Berlin, Irving : Follow the Fleet

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 2 min. 8 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1936

Berlin, Irving : Music Box Revue

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 3 min. 46 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1924

Berlin, Irving : Annie Get Your Gun

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 2 min. 41 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Written: 1946

Porter, Cole : Ridin' high, song (from "Red, Hot and Blue")

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Peter Matz
Running Time: 3 min. 8 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Porter, Cole : I've got you under my skin, song (from the film "Born to Dance")

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Peter Matz
Running Time: 3 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Porter, Cole : Every time we say goodbye, song (from "Seven Lively Arts")

Performers: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano); Don Lusher (Trombone)
Conductor: Peter Matz
Running Time: 3 min. 37 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Porter, Cole : True love, song (from "High Society")

Performers: Jim Hughes (Harmonica); Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Peter Matz
Running Time: 3 min. 37 sec.
Period Time: Modern

Kent, Walter : I'll Be Home for Christmas

Performers: Laurie Holloway (Piano); Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 2 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Christmas
Written: 1953

Gruber, Franz : Silent Night

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Jonathan Tunick
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 2 min. 55 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Choral
Written: 1818

Martin, Easthope (Frederick John) : Come to the Fair

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Running Time: 3 min. sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Form: Vocal

Traditional, Irish : The Last Rose of Summer, folk song

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Running Time: 3 min. 33 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance

Traditional, Scottish : The Keel Row

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Running Time: 1 min. 43 sec.

Traditional, Scottish : Comin' Thro' the Rye

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Running Time: 1 min. 39 sec.

Traditional, English : Greensleeves, folk song

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Notes: Composition written: 1600.
Running Time: 3 min. 35 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Form: Vocal
Written: 1600

Traditional, Irish : Londonderry Air (Danny Boy), folk song

Performer: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Douglas Gamley
Ensemble: Members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra Lon
Running Time: 4 min. 37 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Form: Vocal
Written: by 1855

Traditional : Hoki Hoki Tonu Mai, Maori song

Performers: Doug Jane (Programming); Graeme Myhre (Programming); Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Conductor: Carl Doy
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 3 min. 53 sec.

Traditional : Po Ata Rau (Now is the Hour), Maori song

Performers: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano); Doug Jane (Programming); Graeme Myhre (Programming)
Conductor: Carl Doy
Ensemble: Abbey Road Ensemble
Running Time: 3 min. 45 sec.

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