Editorial Reviews

With 40 tracks of operatic favorites, this double-disc album is a festival of hits. There are famous arias: Rodolfo's "Che gelida manina" from Bohème (Luciano Pavarotti) and Mimi's reply, "Mi chiamano" (Angela Gheorghiu); Madame Butterfly's "Un bel di" (Mirella Freni); and Cavaradossi's "E lecuvan le stelle" from Tosca (Placido Domingo). There are famous choruses: "Va pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco, the "Bridal Chorus" from Wagner's Lohengrin, and the "Anvil Chorus" from Trovatore. And there are great moments for the orchestra, too: Bizet's Overture to Carmen, Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," and the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. You'll find celebrated voices from the past -- Jussi Björling in Fedora's "Amor ti vieta" and Joan Sutherland in the "Flower Duet" from Lakme -- as well as latter-day stars: Cecilia Bartoli in Mozart's "Voi che sapete" from the Marriage of Figaro and Andrea Bocelli in Leoncavallo's "Mattinata." Decca wasted no space with this compilation. Every selection is an operatic gem, culled from the catalogue of one of classical music's foremost record labels. But how should such a hit parade end? With Pavarotti, of course, singing "Nessun dorma" for all it's worth. EJ Johnson, Barnes & Noble

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