Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera: Act I. La ran la lera...Largo al factotum
2. Faust, opera: Act. II. Ô sainte médaille...Avant de quitter ces lieux
3. Hérodiade, opera in 4 acts: Act II. Ce breuvage...Vision fugitive
4. Les Pêcheurs de perles, opera in 3 acts: Act I. C'est toi...Au fond du temple saint
5. Hamlet, opera in 5 acts: Act. V. La fatigue alourdit mes pas...Comme une pâle fleur
6. Don Carlo, opera: Act II. Écoute!...Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes
7. Don Carlo, opera: Act IV. C'est mon jour suprême
8. Il Trovatore, opera: Act II. Tout est désert...Son regard
9. Macbeth, opera: Act III. Ove son io?...Vada in fiamme
10. Macbeth, opera: Act IV. Perfidi! All'anglo contro me...Pietà, rispetto, amore
11. La Traviata, opera: Act II. Di Provenza il mar, il suol
12. Falstaff, opera: Act II. È sogno? O realtà?
13. Komm du schönes Fischermädchen (Guide au bord), song for voice & piano
14. Der Garten des Herzens, song for voice & piano
15. Lied des venezianischen Gondoliers, song for voice & piano ('Mina')
16. Le lazzarone ('Au bord des flots d'Azure'), cabaret song for voice & piano (Péchés de vieillesse, book 2)
17. L'ultimo ricordo, song for baritone & piano (Péchés de vieillesse, book 1), QR iv/19

Disc 2:

1. Die tote Stadt (The Dead City), opera, Op. 12: Act II. Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen
2. Euryanthe, opera, J. 291, (Op. 81): Act II. Wo berg' ich mich?...So weih' ich mich den Rachgewalten
3. Tannhäuser, opera, WWV 70: Act III. Wie Todesahnung...O du mein holder Abendstern
4. Gruß (Greeting), song for voice & piano, Op. 48/1
5. Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48: Im wunderschönen Monat Mai
6. Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48: Aus meinen Tränen sprießen
7. Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48: Die Rose, die Lilie
8. Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48: Ich will meine Seele tauchen
9. Dichterliebe, song cycle for voice & piano, Op. 48: Ich grolle nicht
10. Winterreise, song cycle for voice & piano, D. 911 (Op. 89): Gute Nacht
11. Winterreise, song cycle for voice & piano, D. 911 (Op. 89): Die Post
12. Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder, song for voice & piano (or orchestra) in F major (Rückert Lieder No. 1)
13. Ich atmet' einen linden Duft, song for voice & piano (or orchestra) in D major (Rückert Lieder No. 2)
14. Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, song for voice & piano (or orchestra) (Rückert Lieder No. 3)
15. Das Lied von der Erde, for alto (or baritone), tenor & orchestra: Von der Schönheit
16. Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), operetta: Act I. O Vaterland, du machst bei Tag
17. Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron), operetta (RV 511): Act I. Als flotter Geist
18. Gräfin Mariza (Countess Maritza), operetta: Act I. Komm, Zigány
19. An Old Song Re-sung, song for voice & piano (Poems by John Masefield No. 1), A. 56
20. At Dawning for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 29
21. Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, for voice & piano
22. Beautiful Dreamer, for voice & piano

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7121 in Music
• Brand: Thomas
• Released on: 2005-04-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Album Description
Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews

An Homage to a Great Artist
EMI is wisely creating a series of recordings to gather the moments of artists that showcase the very reasons they become so highly regarded. Usually these collections are produced late in careers or even posthumously, but in the case of THE VERY BEST OF THOMAS HAMPSON the artist is still one of the more active and premiere singers of our day. Yet while he doesn't still perform all of these inclusions, it is wonderful to have excerpts from various successful recordings to remind us of the artistry that Hampson represents.

The two disc set includes arias from operas: Rossini's 'Il barbière di Siviglia', von Weber's 'Euryanthe', Gounod's 'Faust', Massenet's 'Hérodiade', Bizet's 'Les Pêcheurs de perles' (in duet with Placido Domingo), Thomas' 'Hamlet', Verdi's 'Don Carlo', 'Il Travatore', 'Macbeth', 'La Traviata', and 'Falstaff', Korngold's 'Die Tote Stadt', and Wagner's 'Tannhäuser'.

But the rewards of a Hampson recording must include his impeccable career as a lieder stylist and on this recording are excerpts from Schumann's 'Dichterliebe', Schubert's 'Winterreise', Mahler's 'Rückert Lieder' and 'Das Lied von der Erde', as well as songs by Meyerbeer, Rossini, Grieg, Kalman, and Lehar. And very importantly there are examples of American songs that Hampson has always emphasized in his recitals. Works by Stephen Foster, and two extraordinary works with the brilliant accompanist Armen Guzelimian - 'An Old Song Re-sung' by Griffes and 'At Dawning' by Charles Wakefield Cadman - round out this fine survey.

Not usually a collector of such 'recombinations', for this listener this album is so very fine that it deserves the attention of all those who appreciate the artistry of Thomas Hampson - then and now. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

SImply Untrue
The previous review is simply a gross falsification. I have been an obsessed opera fan for a long time, and Thomas Hampson is a truly special singer. He is not the possesor of the largest or most interesting voice, which he will tell you and indeed says so all the time. His commitment to text, his willingness to search out parts to fit his voice, and his dedication to art song make im invaluable to Americans as a ture Troubador. His light Baritone was ideally suited to Figaro and to Valentin and the art song he loves. He must stretch to sing Verdi, where his voice sounds dry and small but many singers have chanced Verdi at their peril, and his innate ablity to inhabit a song, here evidenced in Di Provenza overcomes fact that it is out of his fach. You misinformed opinion of Hampson is mean and strangly bitter. I love Opera, but I do not love every singer, which doesn't mean I debase their very artistic existance. I have seen Hampson live, and have loved him (in Thias) and somewhat disliked him (in Simon Boccanegra) As for him being pretentious, somwetimes I find him mannered, but always charming. SOmetimes Intellectualism can appear pretentious, but surely you wont hold an opera singer to the charge that he must be unintellectual. what a vitriolic review, please buy this Cd, it merits repeated listening to a true American SINGER,

superb vocals
Mr.Hampson really gets the chance to showcase his wonderful baritone voice in this "Best of" collection which includes excellent selections from his various other CDs. I like the diversity of the selections featuring operatic arias,works from classical composers, and folk songs. For Thomas hampson fans, as well as fans of the baritone voice, this CD is for them.