Opera CDs and MP3s of live performances

Excellent Performance in Excellent Sound!

“This performance of Hoffmanns Erzählungen reflects the time in which it was recorded. There are cuts must conductors wouldn't allow today, yet also some passages that are traditionally trimmed now that are played in full. Schock is heard at his freshest as Hoffmann. It was a role he must've sung a lot as he made two querschnitt records with different singers and sang the title role for the German soundtrack on the famous Beecham film. His four ladies are each distinctive and very accomplished. Lipp sings an enchanting Olympia, her coloratura precise and clean. Mödl stands out as one of the few singers who actually makes something of Giulietta. Her Barcarolle with Von Ilosvay smolders with temptation. Trötschel is a lovely Antonia. She just makes it to the C# at the end of the trio, but expires on an excellent trill. In her two words in the Epilogue Jansen makes clear Stella's disgust with Hoffmann.Welitsch (no relation to Ljuba by the way) is superb as the four villains. His Diamond Aria stands out for its seductive legato and ringing high Gs. Kassek is funny as the four servants, Rohr sings with distinction as Crespel. Szenkár conducts a remarkably fluent performance. This is the best sound I've ever heard for this recording, far superior to Gebhart's noisy mastering from two decades ago.If you love Hoffmann, get this!”

Wonderful Faust

“Just briefly, this is a beautiful performance of Faust. Kiri is wonderful as M and Burrows is also perfect as Faust. The sound is great for a live performance. Mackerras leads a very musical production. Do not hesitate to buy this set.”

Kevin Dunn

“This is an astonishing recording. Every element of the performance is first-rate, and the result is a radiant "Parsifal" in which the balance between musical and dramatic expression is achieved to near perfection.”

A keeper!!

“A wonderfully exciting telling of Mussorgsky’s epic tale (in, I believe, Rimsky’s orchestration) from everyone involved! Satanowski leans into the music with rhythmic incisiveness but no loss of lyricism. From comprimarios up, everyone sings gorgeously, and the casting is particularly sensitive to the colors of differing bass voices. Ghiaurov is marvelous (if one tick below his absolute dramatic best), and special kudos to the full-blooded vocalism of Fassbaender, Atlantov, Kovats, and Mazurok. A keeper!!”

Alfredo

“Yes, the sound is excellent. And what a refulgent dream cast! Lorengar, Cosotto, Tagliavini, Guelfi, Zaccaria, Molinari-Pradelli at the helm. As far as I know, this is the only available recording. Not to be missed!!!!!!!!!!!”

Mike Scott Rohan

“I heard Mackerras conduct all the other operas at one time or another, including the production premiere of Siegfried. I thought he was exceptionally good, vivid, plenty of weight but always more flexible and at the service of the scene than Goodall’s tempi allowed. A less distinctive vision, perhaps, so he was underrated; but his other Wagner work, including his Meistersinger DVD, confirms his standing. He also, of course, made an LP of Gotterdammerung excerpts with Remedios and Hunter, for CFP.Goodall’s tempi for his unfinished WNO Ring, incidentally, were much closer to Mackerras and indeed Solti.”

Anonymous

“Unbelievable...a super-high-voltage performance beyond my expectation. If you love Strauss' Elektra, do not miss this version!not only three sopranos' great singing, but also Christopher Keene' sharp conducting and the superior orchestra (Syracuse Sym?) are quite impressive.”

A WONDERFUL OFFENBACH'S "LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN" SUNG IN GERMAN

“A great live performance of Jacques Offenbach's "Les contes d'Hoffmann" sung in German, featuring a starry cast, orchestra and conductor! The first name of the fine tenor who sings Hoffmann is Waldemar, not Waldeman... Highly recommended!”

Gene in LA

“I had the good fortune to see the New York City Opera’s production in L.A., with Norman Bailey as Sachs, Johanna Meier as Eva and the great, greatly-missed John Alexander as Walther. Julius Rudel conducted. I believe NYCO was borrowing the English National Opera production, done in Andrew Porter’s English as The Mastersinger. It was quite possibly the greatest single opera performance I’ve ever seen.”

Fidelio with Solti live from London

“This recording is a very rare example for a recording of Fidelio under the baton of Sir Georg Solti. For Solti fans a must have!! The singers are all well and teh orchestra plays fine.”

Daniel Zara

“If you forget about it being Wagner, you can enjoy this as a wonderfully tuneful, very dramatic, robustly sung Italianate 5-acter. The less than state-of-the-present-art sound somehow adds a certain attractive clunky panache to the proceedings, a sort of street-band oompah. All the singers sound at high peak, with Di Stefano especially stentorian, rock-steady, and full out.”

Don't miss this one

“Talk about an on night at LaScala! A breathtaking performance with Caballe at the top of her unmatched form (see Andy's comment), and Carreras - well, performances like his on this night don't come around very often.”

John Stanton

“La Wally is Catalani's most famous opera, highly regarded by Toscanini.It's discography is small with one studio recording and a number of live performances of which this one is arguably the most satisfying.Magna Olivero is La Wally. Here at the age of 61 her voice seems undiminished. Her plangent sound vibrates with feeling giving a compelling picture of the untamed Wally. Her Hagenbach is the admirable Amadeo Zambon sounding uncannily like a young Mario del Monaco. The top notes burnished and resonant. The Gellner, Silvano Carroli with his warm Italinate voice completes this admirable trio of leading singers.The two great basses Zaccaria and Foiani in minor roles contribute considerably to this fine recording.An oddity: Hagenbach's music in the final scene is marred by the damaging loss of half his aria: "M'hai salvato" which is then given as a bonus!The sound is very good.”

Joseph Brand

“This is as fine a Tristan as is possible. Following it with a full orchestral score one is amazed, firstly, by the accuracy of all concerned. The drama in Shuard’s interpretation draws you in to the character immediately, the narration and curse quite hair raising, the Liebestod ineffably lovely and moving. Dowd sings his role magnificently rising to all the challenges. Encouraged by the thrilling conducting of Davis the passage in act two when the two lovers rush into each other’s arms is overwhelming – I don’t think I’ve ever heard better. Add to that near perfect renditions of Brangaene, Kurwenal, Marke and the shepherd and the playing of the BBCSO and very good recording quality this is unmissable.”

Phenomenal Arabella

“It’s difficult to say what you will love more in this unique live recording: the wonderful cast, the ideal conducting of Clemens Krauss or the perfection of the orchestra. You will remain with an unique regret: to not have been there….”

Wonderful

“A fantastic opera of Verdi and a fantastic casting !!!!! What an happiness hearing those great singers in the best of their art of singing and of acting. All are really wonderful. Thank you to the Liceo of Barcelona for offering a so beautiful production, thank you for that recording. Delightful.”

Nicholas Allen

“The greatest, most deeply conceived Isolde I ever heard, every syllable crysal clear - in itself worth five stars. strange how she has become reognised so soon after her death, I sppose she got a bit eclipsed by Nilsson. OF course Nilsson was unique, voicewise, but Varnay has it over hr every tme for drama, clarity and utter thrill. Another fine performance from Opera Depot - thankyou.”

Great Cast.

“The sound is a little distant at times , but perfectly good enough to enjoy the performance. Well worth hearing this great cast. A pity the performance wasn't captured in its entirety.”

LA RONDINE - Portland 1971

“This previously unknown recording is a most welcome addition to the list of recordings of LA RONDINE. Mary Costa brings superb vocalism and perfectly expresses Magda's changing emotions. Ruggero is sung by Giuseppe Campora, in particularly strong voice. The rest of the cast is quite good, also the pacing. This must have been a joy to watch.”

Andy

“I read his article in Opera News in which he justified his withdrawal by siting his religious misgivings. I have to say that I don’t believe a word of it. He withdrew because in 1973 there was no way he could cope with the tessitura. Richard Cassilly told me that he was offered the cover of this production (he sang in earlier performances.) Initially he thought that the offer was an insult, but his agent convinced him to take it stating that there was no way Vickers would go through with it. A smart move…I mean no disrespect to Mr. Vickers who is one of my favorite singers and in the end I applaud him for realizing his limitations.”

The most nuanced, singable, intelligent RHEINGOLD I have ever heard

“Andy (who runs OperaDepot) suggested, in his review, that this recording shows that Ferdinand Frantz may be "one of the finest Wotan's of the 20th Century". Andy is WRONG. In fact, this recording shows that Ferdinand Frantz is UNQUESTIONABLY THE VERY finest Wotan of the 20th Century. The only other possible candidate for the title would be Hans Hotter, and Frantz is better than Hotter in several ways: Frantz' voice is sharper, the tone more resonant and penetrating than Hotter's, his vibrato is tighter and more consistent, and most of all, Franz has more personal discipline--Hotter's performances tend to be quirky, he lets his personality in, so that his Wotan is more Hotter's character than Wagner's. In contrast, Frantz is so faithful and honest that some critics accused him of lacking imagination. In fact he has deep imagination, but less inappropriate flashiness. As another reviewer said, the other singers are all so fantastic that there's really no point in describing them all individually here. I'll just mention the two giants: in other recordings, the characters often seem one-dimensional--Fasolt wants Freia, that's all, and Fafner want's gold, that's all--but here both Gottlob Frick and Josef Greindl act with unusual subtlety and nuance. Both are willing to sing SOFTLY when appropriate. Finally, Schuchter does an excellent job, his conducting is very smart, and he does not drag in the slow seections as many otoher conductors do.Zero flaws. The best.”

Callas at mid-period best

“If you've not listened to Maria Meneghini Callas in a long while, her hollow, 'potatoes in mouth' placement will take some mental adjustment. Even so, this is an authoritative portrayal of Norma, one that brooks no objections and does full justice to the role's considerable demands (when she and Ebe Stignani join in ascending staccati it's a delight to the ear). Callas was on fire for this RAI broadcast and seems to inspire everyone else to their best behavior. That goes double for Mario del Monaco, a normally brash artist who modifies his usual, flood-like outpouring to provide a burnished, disciplined Pollione.Stignani needs no prodding. Aptly sounding younger than her Norma, she makes capital of Adalgisa's every utterance. The usually forgettable Act I cavatina is here a high point of the performance. Stignani gets her high notes by the skin of her teeth but that's a minor quibble, and she and Callas make beautiful music together. Giuseppe Modesti, an estimable if not distinctive artist, is here at his noblest as Oroveso. Tullio Serafin conducts with majesty. The sound is excellent.”

A deep and dark Macbeth

“Taddei's great performance with serious intubating tones,very deep and credible. Amy Shuard very penetrating, versatile, with many harmonics exceptionally in "La luce langue". Previtali, with the exception of some irregularities in the first act, led well with the support and highlighting of the moments of tension. Almost good sound considering it was live.Thank a lot again Operadepot!”

Dream cast! Good sound.

“Absolutely superb from beginning to end! Price's Donna Anna is beyond belief! Not a weak link in the cast. Von K. leads a spirited performance and Wunderlich manages to stir the Viennese audience enough that they demand and get the just-as-good encore of Il Mio Tesoro. I have obtained several superb performances of various works from Opera Depot. THIS tops the list!”

Pears at his best.

“Great performance. Cross is very good better here than on the Decca recording but the best performance of this role is Sylvia Fisher and strangely Leyla Gencer although in Italian. Pears at his best and nice to hear a young Denis Dowling.”

This is a GLORIOUS Ring!

“I have listened to Rheingold, Walkure, and Act I of Siegfried, the Sword Forging Song. Every serious Wagnerian should have this Ring on CD, for several good reasons. The sound quality is excellent, it is in crystal clear monophonic audio with a very good mastering. Knappertsbusch is at the peak of his powers, and his interpretation in Bayreuth in 1958 exceeds the already high bar from the two previous seasons. The principals are in uniformly marvelous voice, Hans Hotter as Wotan/Wanderer, Astrid Varnay as Brunnhilde, and Wolfgang Windgassen as a strong, virile Siegfried. I have this performance on the Walhall release, and the sound quality here seems better to my ears. Before I slip this mortal coil, I would love to hear a contemporary Bayreuth Ring that rivals this recording, but I am afraid this level of operatic magic is once in a lifetime.”

Death in Venice World Premiere Cast Snape Maltings 1973

“A great performance, in fine sound, of Britten's final opera as he originally conceived it. As Aschenbach, his last major role, Peter Pears is magnificent. His singing of the first-act recitative 'I have always kept a close watch over my development' clearly evokes Aschenbach's initial introspective irresolution. It is a key passage, which an uncertain and terminally ill Britten later dropped, except as an option (it does not feature in the Decca studio recording of 1974). John Shirley-Quirk's singing of a number of sardonic minor characters is protean and Stuart Bedford's conducting is predictably apt. Highly recommended.”

Robert

“A wonderfull performance. Adam, Crass and Janowitz at their best, Schreier less moderate than under Karajan, Kozub very interesting, more on the \""Heldentenor\"" side than sweeter Konya or Kollo. The biggest surprise for me was the beauty and precision Leib gave to Beckmesser (only the \""blüh und wachs\"" beyond his powers). And Sawallisch proves that he is one of the greatest \""Kapellmeister\"" (giving more weight to craftmenship and wisdom than to geniality).”

...And that Immolation...

“...would probably be either of these recordings:NDR Sinfoniorchester - Hans Knappertsbusch (1963) OROrchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin - Heinrich Hollreiser (1964).Can anyone clarify???”

Excellent Sound! Gwyneth Jones in her early years, already huge voice and excellent coloratura.

“When they said that Gwyneth Jones could have been a legendary Verdi singer if she did not go the path of Wagner/Strauss... documents like these prove it. I have the same performance, bought from another source, which sounded very bad and there were missing parts (eg. Jones' coloratura at the brindisi were missing) so I tell you this one is best. Thank you for this gem!”

Chad Marcel

“Magical RING from Karajan and Company. My first RING was Karajan's studio version. After all these years, it was wonderful to hear the corresponding live performances. They're even more compelling than the studio counterparts.”

A worthy performance to add to your collection.

“McNeil is a very good Boccanegra, if not quite in the same class as Gobbi or Taddei. The men are all good, but the revelation for me was Cossutta: in this performance he sounds a bit like Bergonzi, but with easier high notes. I bought this for Ligabue and I find her the weakest of the performers here. Her voice is right for this Verdi role and her basic sound is big and round, but it tends to spread on high notes if she doesn't prepare for them. I was, frankly, disappointed, but Previtali's conducting, a superb performance by Carlo Cossutta, McNeil in a role he didn't record commercially and the excellent broadcast (?) sound make this a keeper.I commend Opera Depot for offering recordings by wonderful singers who were under-recorded. My favorites are: Labo, Olivero, Ligabue, Cerquetti, Viorica Cortez, Ilosfalvy, Prevedi, and the controversial James McCracken.”

Excellent. Was thinking of attending

“Excellent. Was thinking of attending when it was first announced. I'm a huge Resnik fan and she doesn't disappoint. Add King and Borkh at the top of their game under Solti and you get one truly memorable Frau. I'd have wanted the sound to be as memorable but it more than puts the excitement across”

Extraordinary Concert

“Behrens, King, and Adam all in top form here. We all know about these artists’ achievements in German rep. So you’ll be amazed by Behrens’s Desdemona in selections from Verdi’s Otello. Her voice is as ethereal as Renee or Kiri in this role.”

Carlos Kleiber and Otello at La Scala

“I own lots of Otellos so I have to admit I bought this mainly to hear Kleiber conduct this opera. He does Verdi proud. He makes you feel you’ve never heard this music before! It is magical, thrilling and moving. Domingo, Freni, Cappuccilli give their all. Freni is totally superb. Beautiful tone, touching and Cappuccilli as Iago is as you would want Iago to be, a scheming madman with a voice to match. Inotherwords, a great recording despite Domingos raspy top! It is a new treasure. Sound excellent.”

Varnay as Kundry

“This document of Astrid Varnay‘s Kundry is a must! I never heard a better 2nd Act! Varnay is perfect in every thinkable way; her portrayal of Kundry is unique and not to miss! Jess Thomas is in brilliant form as Parsifal. Hans Hotter a authority as Gurnemanz. Neidlinger beyond critics as Klingsor. Theo Adam slightly disappointed me as rough throated Amfortas. The Flowermaiden are a collection of first class opera soloists as they were only possible at Bayreuth in former times.I love this recording!”

Superb Performance - Terrible Sound

“Performance (with some cuts) is absolutely riveting. The sound, however, even for those days, is absolutely execrable. One has to listen through its deficiencies to really appreciate this great performance.Opera Depot doesn't tell you about the cuts until AFTER you've bought this set. The poor sound quality is a known given due to the fact so many of these pirate recordings have totally variable sound quality.But be warned on this one.Steve”

Revelatory

“A fresh unvarnished performance cleaned of high Romantic excess. Swift tempi and transparent textures are part of a flexible woven fabric. The voices are prominent and with excellent diction though Braun and Treptow are both lighter voiced though rarely seem to be vocally overwhelmed due to Kleiber’s sense of balance. The sound is good for the era especially in FLAC.”

A wonderful tribute to a great artist

“Richard Cassilly had an eclectic career spanning Verdi, Wagner, Britten, Stravinsky and many other composers. A unique voice and a terrific actor. His performances were visually thrilling and this comes through in his vocal interpretations. I heard him live singing Siegmund at age 68 and the voice was still strong and exciting.”

Confessions

“I have two things to confess, neither to my credit: first, I’ve always found Porgi Amor a bit dull. Secondly, I’ve never heard Margaret Price. How did I miss her? What a lovely, creamy soprano. I even enjoyed Porgi Amor, this time around.”

Boyd Cathey

“This excellent performance of LOHENGRIN comes from apparently an air check of a performance given in Stockholm, at the Royal Opera House, January 29, 1966 (the Opera Depot flyer lists "Royal Opera House, Covent Garden," but I wonder if that is a misprint?). In any case, it is a spectacular performance in excellent sound, and, to my knowledge it has only appeared, briefly in the past, on the Ponto label (which I think no longer available).As might be imagined, Nicolai Gedda is a principle reason to acquire this set, and he does not disappoint at all. In fact, he is simply magnificent. His "In fernem Land, " of course, is a true high point, but elsewhere he is a real model of how a lyrical Lohengrin should sound, portraying the knights' feelings and views through superb streams of gorgeous music.But then there is Aase Nordmo-Lovberg as Elsa, and artist not that familiar to me (although she sang at Bayreuth). Her voice reminds me a bit of Elisabeth Grummer, with its shimmering, silverly tone. She does extremely well.And the rest of the cast is strong, in particular Barbro Ericson's Ortrud and Bengt Rundgren's Heinrich and Rolf Jupither's Teleramund.Thus, this is a treasurable performance, superb in every way.”

Interesting recording of Lucrezia Borgia

“Very good singers in all roles. I liked Henry Price as Gennaro, nice lyric tenor. He was a great surprise for me, because it was the first time I heard him. Orchestra and chorus of NYCO are excellent. A nice addition to my collection.”

Excellent Il Trovatore

“I'm a littele bit embarrassed because according to the Metropolitan Archive this performance took place in the Met with the following cast: Il TrovatoreMetropolitan Opera House, Sat, March 18, 1944 Matinee BroadcastIl Trovatore (221)Giuseppe Verdi | Salvatore CammaranoManrico Kurt BaumLeonora Zinka MilanovCount Di Luna Leonard WarrenAzucena Margaret HarshawFerrando Nicola MosconaInes Maxine StellmanRuiz Lodovico OlivieroGypsy John BakerConductor Cesare Sodero And beacuse it is a typical MET cast from that ages and the sound quality is also much better as with other performances from Mexico City I'm inclined to agree with the MET Archive. The performance itself is excellent with the greatest singers of that era. Zinka Milanov sings with amazing beauty and empathy, Margaret Harshaw's dramatic expressiveness and wonderful high voices, Kurt Baum's expressive tenor and Warren's radiant Luna give us a won derful experience. The choir is also strong and the performance is well-conducted (probably by Sodero). A performance which we are always happy to listen.”

Exciting

“A really entertaining performance, with Bergonzi on wonderful form after a bit of warm up in Act I. Cruz-Romo is a marvelous Maddalena, her voice the right weight and texture for the role (better than some of the commercially recorded competition). I had to hit repeat for the ""Ora soave" duet in Act II, they were so good together. Manuguerra is also exactly on point, and there are some good supporting performances as well. I wonder where this performance took place; but anyway, it's well worth hearing.”

Fantastic “Rape of Lucretia”

“Here we have a live performance with an outstanding cast and, more importantly (in my view), a conductor who drives the music forward with even greater force than Britten. The stars of this show are obviously Jon Vickers as the Male Chorus (the only Britten role he ever sang other than Grimes), Patricia Rideout as Lucretia, and the great Allan Monk as Tarquinius. The drawback is that it is recorded from the audience, which recesses the voices somewhat even as it gives a natural “space” around the voices, and is in mono.But what a great performance it is! Lively in every respect, sung and acted splendidly, and conducted with a tautness ever greater than Britten’s own version. And once you get used to the sound, it isn’t bad at all; in fact, if anything, the orchestra is recorded with an almost 3D effect, with both the upper-range instruments (strings and winds) and percussion practically leaping out of the speakers at you.See my full review at https://artmusiclounge.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/fantastic-rape-of-lucretia-with-vickers-rideout/”

FINE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE IN GOOD SOUND

“The New York City Opera’s 1970 production of this opera was a legendary showpiece for Beverly Sills, then at her vocal prime. I saw Sills during this run and find this recording an accurate document of the singer’s powers. In addition to spectacular coloratura, she added a keen dramatic sense to her scenes with Roberto, showing both feline playfulness that could at a moment shift to frightening authority. But a strength of the performance is the strong sense of ensemble. While Sills is the star, she is supported by a strong and dramatically committed supporting cast. Placido Domingo, then a relative newcomer, adds the golden tone of his young voice to Roberto and earns a generous ovation for his final-act cavatina. Susanne Marsee vividly puts across the dilemma of Sara. the hero’s other woman, a position that she knows will bring down the wrath of the jealous queen on them both. And I’d call out the outstanding work of Canadian baritone Louis Quilico in the role of Nottingham: he brings a mellow, tuneful timbre to the early scenes, where he is Roberto’s most devoted supporter. Once his pal’s affair with his wife comes out, Quilico adds a Verdian intensity to his vindictive actions that recalls Renato in “Masked Ball,” a similar role that the baritone also sang with success. The sound quality is quite good for both voices and orchestra, especially in the composer’s brooding orchestral preludes to scenes.”

Great Performance

“This is absolutely terrific. I am happy with my purchase, but just one problem. I have usually bought CDs from you but because it was sold out, I got the MP3. Unfortunately it will not play the chapters continuously. How may I correct this problem on my computer?”