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Alfredo Kraus - The Very Best Of (2005) (Lossless)

EAC Rip | 2CD | FLAC - Log - Cue | Scans | Release: 2005 | 657 MB

Genre: Opera | Label: EMI

Alfredo Kraus remained an EMI Classics artist throughout most of his career. It is for that reason that this compilation extends from the early 1960s (two arias from Cosi, as conducted by Karl Bohm) up to a live recording from December 1987 ("Una furtiva lagrima" from L'Elisir d'amore and "Salut! demeure chaste et pure" from Faust). Kraus, who was born on September 24, 1927 in the Canary Islands, was 60 at the time, and hardly less of fresh of voice than he was in the Cosi recording. Kraus was a lyric tenor who never sounded juvenile. In lighter bel canto roles such as Ernesto (Don Pasquale) a more youthful vocal persona would have been more appropriate, perhaps, but in the heavier ones, such as Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Arturo (I puritani), Kraus's power, maturity, and masculinity were welcomed ? no tenorino here. His bright, trumpeting voice and exciting high notes were tempered by a sunny suavity. On the other hand, he could be a rather bland interpreter. Given his excellence in the French repertoire, in particular, it is tempting to go as far back as Georges Thill when looking for comparisons. Kraus died in 1999.

Most of these selections are taken from Kraus's complete recordings; the exceptions are the two indicated above from 1987, which were recorded at this Paris Opera. (Frankly, it is a shame that Kraus left commercial recordings of neither L'Elisir nor Faust.) This means that Kraus is joined by excellent singers, including Montserrat Caballe in I Puritani, Renata Scotto in La boheme and La traviata, and Beverly Sills in Rigoletto and Don Pasquale. The selections have been chosen well, although, as with the other releases, there are some untidy fade-in and fade-outs. With the exception of Cosi, the engineering remains bright and shiny. This is an excellent compilation, and for those who are less familiar with Kraus than with the "Three Tenors," this might whet their appetite for more.

Tracklist:

CD1

01. MOZART-Un'aura amorosa (Cosi fan tutte, Act I)

02. MOZART- In qual fiero contrasto...Tradito, schernito (Cosi fan tutte, Act II)

03. BELLINI - A te, o cara (I puritani, Act II)

04. BELLINI - Son gia lontani (I puritani, Act III)

05. BELLINI - Vieni fra queste braccia (I puritani, Act III)

06. DONIZETTI - Una furtiva lagrima (L'elisir d'amore, Act III)

07. DONIZETTI - Povero Ernesto!...Cerchero lontana terra...E se fia che ad altro oggetto (Don Pasquale, Act III)

08. DONIZETTI - Com' e gentil (Don Pasquale, Act III)

09. DONIZETTI - Tornami a dir (Don Pasquale, Act III)

10. DONIZETTI - Qui di sposa... Verranno a te (Lucia di Lamermoor, Act. I)

11. DONIZETTI - Tombe degli avi miei... fra poco a me ricovero (Lucia di Lamermoor, Act III)

12. DONIZETTI - Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali (Lucia di Lamermoor, Act III)

13. VERDI - Un di felice (La traviata, Act I)

14. VERDI - Lunga da lei... De' miei bollenti spiriti... Oh, mio rimoso (La traviata, Act II)

CD2

01. VERDI - Questo o quella (Rigoletto, Act I)

02. VERDI - E il sol dell'anima (Rigoletto, Act I)

03. VERDI - Ella mi fu rapita! ... Parmi veder le lagrime (Rigoletto, Act II)

04. VERDI - La donna e mobile (Rigoletto, Act II)

05. VERDI - Un di, se ben rammentomi... bella figlia dell'amore (Rigoletto, Act III)

06. PUCCINI - Che gelida manina (La Boheme, Act I)

07. PUCCINI - O soave faciulla (La Boheme, Act I)

08. PUCCINI - In un coupe?... O Mimi, tu piu non torni (La Boheme, Act IV)

09. AUBER - Amis, la matinee est belle (La Muette de Portici, Act II)

10. MASSENET - En fermant les yeux (Manon, Act II)

11. MASSENET - Je suis seul... Ah! fuyez, douce image (Manon, Act III)

12. MASSENET - Toute mon ame est la! Pourquoi me reveiller (Werther, Act III)

13. GOUNOD - Ange adorable (Romeo et Juliette, Act I)

14. GOUNOD - L'amour, l'amour... Ah! leve-toi, soleil! (Romeo et Juliette, Act II)

15. GOUNOD - Quel trouble inconnu me penetre... Salut! demeure chaste et pure (Fa...

16. DONIZETTI - Ah! mes amis... Pour mon ame (La fille de regiment, Act II)

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