classical music: Thomas Hampson

classical music: Thomas Hampson

classical music:

Thomas Hampson

Vaughan Williams: The Collector's Edition

Benjamin Luxon, Brian Etheridge, ...

EMI Classics, 2008

Great Value, Fine Performances
For lovers of Ralph Vaughan Williams' music, the prospect of obtaining most of his works on 30 CDs for $50 or less should be irresistible. It's a great way to fill in the gaps in your collection, or to become acquainted with RVW's less familiar works. Among the ...

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde [Hybrid SACD]

Thomas Hampson, Gustav Mahler, ...

San Francisco Sym, 2008

Great Emotional Recording
I have listened to the Levine/Berlin, Kleiber/Vienna, and Davis/LSO recordings before listening to this one, and I have to say that MTT gets us the most emotional Mahler yet. I think one of the problems that MTT avoids is "yelling." Everything in this interpretation is ...

Nixon in China

Thomas Hampson

Nonesuch, 1990

An Opera about Nixon
John Adams never was any better than on this fantastic opera. It is absolutely spectacular. I even went to see it played in Paris I think 15 years ago. He manages to integrate his minimalist approach into this masterpiece of modern music.

The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever!

Ernest Blanc, Robert Massard, ...

Angel Records, 1999

Great for the amateur Opera listener
As a long time armchair Opera listener I'm shocked that I hadn't come across this album until recently. I'm not really an Opera connoisseur so my review is based on just the fact that I love Opera, but mostly by listening to arias or occasionally going to the Opera. ...

Mendelssohn: Elijah / Shaw, Bonney, Quivar, Hadley, Hampson, Atlanta Symphony (Sung in English)

Thomas Hampson, Thomas Paul, ...

Telarc, 1995

Very excellent, especially the choral work
Having sung in this oratorio many times (both the contralto, and the soprano solo parts) I was very familiar with the work. What hit me first in this recording was the WORDS were not the same as those I had sung so many times. It was sort of a jolt. Instantly, that ...

A Mozart Gala from Salzburg

Netrebko

Deutsche Grammophon, 2008

A good though forgettable concert
As soon as it came out I bought it and I felt a bit disappointed. Even though the singers are quite good, each and every one of them sing just one aria and in many cases you are expecting to listen to another one sung by the same artist. But that does not happen, they ...

Verdi - La Traviata

Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon

Deutsche Grammophon, 2006

Comparisons are always unfair..............
....but at times they can't be avoided. Every new star evokes memories of the past...Anna Netrebko has frequently been compared to Maria Callas, and I will go ahead and provoke the anger of some by stating up front that Anna is better than Callas was the best day she ...

The Opera Album

Maria Callas, Placido Domingo

EMI Classics, 2002

Nessun dorma!
This set of two CDs is a great way to listen to some highlights from many different operas when you aren't in the mood to listen to a full opera. Many of your favorite arias are here, such as Nessun Dorma, Habanera, Non piu andrai etc. But what I liked most about it is ...

Massenet - Thaïs / Fleming, Hampson, Sabbatini, Shkosa, Vidal, Devellereau, Cals, Yves Abel

Jules Massenet, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, ...

Decca, 2000

A welcome addition to Massenet....
Look, this production may not appeal to everyone, but it's welcome nonetheless. Fleming has a lush voice, which may not be exactly suited to the role (see the DVD, which is only fabulous, but without the stunning vocalizing of Fleming). My take on this is what could it ...

Best Carols 100
Gareth Morrell, Hermann Prey, ...

EMI Classics, 2007

2007 release in the Best Classics 100 series, 100 Best Carols is the perfect Christmas release-- six CDs of the most famous carols, all time for the price of one full-priced disc! Among the vocal groups found on this release are the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, the Taverner Choir, the Bach Choir, and the Wiener Sangerknaben, while star ...

Mahler: Lieder

Walton Groenroos, Thomas Hampson

Philips, 2007

Beautiful and tragic Lieder recital
If you are having a bad day and you're feeling depressed, you might not want to reach for this DVD. This recital of Mahler's beautiful but often tragic song cycles with orchestral accompaniment might just drive you over the edge. I'd prescribe Mozart for those days. ...

Verdi - Don Carlos (Original French Version) / Pappano, Alagna, Hampson, Theatre du Chatelet

José van Dam, Roberto Alagna

Kultur Video, 2003

Excellent modern video of Verdi's grandest opera
Verdi's Don Carlos was originally meant to be a French grand opera, replete with a ballet. He revised the opera several times. One version eliminates the first act altogether. The version performed at the Met is the "1886" version, which restores the original first ...

Baby Sleep

Thomas Hampson, Eric Leviennois, ...

Erato, 1997

My girls listen to this every night
My girls (ages 3 & 5) have a hard time winding down at night. We have a regular bedtime routine (bath, snack, teeth brushing, books, hugs), but they still take forever to settle down and sleep. Adding this CD to the bedtime routine has really helped.

Verdi: La Traviata

Giuseppe Verdi, Carlo Rizzi, ...

Deutsche Grammophon, 2005

Verdi: La Traviata
While hearing Verdi's La Traviata is almost always pleasant, this recording captures the magic combination of beautiful melodies, strong individual voices and most importantly the dynamism between Netrebko and Villazon. So often opera librettos challenge even the most ...

John Adams - The Death of Klinghoffer / Nagano, The Orchestra of the Opera de Lyon

John Adams, Janice Felty, ...

Nonesuch, 1992

No heroes, only pawns....
The Death Of Klinghoffer by John Adams is to my mind one of the great musical and dramatic works of the last 25 years. I heard it in Brooklyn and in San Francisco live in its first outings, and having now heard the cd's for the 1000th time, I am still blown away by the ...