Product Description

Many of opera's best loved arias, duets and choruses in performance from La Scala, Milan, La Fenice, Venice, The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Arena di Verona and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

An extraordinary compilation performed by the superstars of opera including Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Jon Vickers, Eva Marton, Janet Baker, Maria Ewing, and many more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103179 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-09-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 83 minutes

Amazon.com
Most opera "greatest hits" collections involve the usual musical suspects; this compilation from La Scala (Milan), Covent Garden (London), Glyndebourne (England), La Fenice (Venice), and Arena di Verona (Italy), while unavoidably uneven, does have more hits than misses. The most memorable excerpts? John Rawnsley's rousing "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville; Shirley Verrett and Jon Vickers in a fiery Samson et Dalila duet; La Scala Chorus's touching "Va pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco; and Nicola Martinucci, who gives "Nessun Dorma," the familiar aria from Puccini's Turandot, quite a workout. With other excerpts from Carmen, La Traviata, Tosca, Orfeo ed Euridice, Aida, Gianni Schicci, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, La Boheme, and Madama Butterfly, this 95-minute compilation has "smash hits" missing, but if there's a market for familiar choice cuts sung by some big, some not-so-big names, then Opera Hits is the ticket. --Kevin Filipski

Customer Reviews

Kabaivanska's Butterfly
On the cover picture there is a small portrait of Raina Kabaivanska as Butterfly. Strangely why she is not even mentioned among the singers.Her performance is one of the greatest moments on this DVD.You could not imagine more beautiful Butterlfy than Kabaivanska. Fan Site: www.rainafan.tk