# 10 Favorite Opera (CD) Recordings



## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Three months ago, I was convinced that opera just wasn't for me. Now, ever since hearing the De Sabata/Callas/Di Stefano _Tosca_, I have become hooked on it and am developing a deep passion for it. But after dabbling in Puccini, Bellini, and Verdi, along with Mozart's 3 big ones and the entire Ring, I'm a bit overwhelmed as to where to go next. Yes, I've looked at the TC Top 100 Operas list and a few recordings, but I thought it'd be interesting if a few opera veterans woud be willing to give an eager newbie some of their personal recommendations. What I'm asking for (politely!) is a list of your 10 favorite opera recordings of all time. It doesn't have to be your 10 favorite _operas_, just what you believe are the greatest performances on record. Sound quality is irrelevant for me. Now, I must admit that my circumstances and plain 'ol practicality don't permit me to watch opera on DVD/YouTube or follow along with the libretto (I'll do the latter occasionally when I have the time commitment, but usually not). Thus, although it is probably to my detriment, I have only been listening as "pure music." So I'm asking for CD/audio recordings only (streaming is my exclusive mode of listening). Thank you so much! Looking forward to filling up my listening list for the foreseeable future


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I hope you don't mind if instead of posting all 10 now (or necessarily 10 total) I post what comes to mind. Since you are in to it as music, I can't think of a better one (both opera and recording) than this for sheer beauty. I have all the available commercial recordings of this opera and this one is by far my favorite.

After the success of his last opera was attributed to the libretto, Mascagni said, "I want a simple libretto, something almost insubstantial, so the opera will be judged entirely on its music." "The happy ending may never be in doubt, but what it lacks in dramatic tension is more than compensated for by the opera's glorious, irresistible music." (SOURCE)


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

1. Adriana Lecouvreur - Olivero/Corelli/Bastianini/Simionato - a classic
2. La Boheme - Shicoff/Cotrubas/Szchau/Allen
3. La Fanciulla del West - Tebaldi/Konya/Colzani
4. Mefistofele - Olivero/Campora/Hines - lacks perfect sound but the audience goes bonkers (Newark NJ)
5. Dialogues des Carmelites - Racette/Palmer/Bishop
6. Madama Butterfly - Scotto/Bergonzi/Panerai
7. Rigoletto - Berger/Warren/Peerce
8. Eugene Onegin - Focile/Hvorostovsky/Shicoff
9. Turandot - Corelli/Nilsson/Freni
10. Don Carlo - Hines/Tucker/Steber/Thebom/Bastianini
11. Otello - Vickers/Rysanek/Gobbi


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Here are some more of my very favorites (operas and recordings therefo).

I have all six commercial Martha recordings and this is my favorite.








There are two alternate releases with different covers that are much more affordable used.

I have every Sonnambula commercial recording (25 total) and this is my favorite (but I am biased towards the singer), so see *my second favorite here*. Many will say Callas is the best, so don't shy from her Sonnambula (there are several with Callas, I prefer *the studio for better sound*).









I don't have every Fidelio recording, but close. I have over two dozen. This is a great one (I prefer the sound track from the video over this studio recording with almost same cast).









Here is another good one:









And you should include an operetta. I really like this one a lot.









Looks like I have only 4 to go for a total of 10. Will try to do some more tomorrow.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Is this the start of the outcome of the poll already?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rogerx said:


> Is this the start of the outcome of the poll already?


He couldn't wait, but then I suppose he could look at the old polls.

But then I guess, neither could I.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

I have a strong bias towards singers of the past and up to a certain point vintage sound quality doesn't bother me. By the time they could make full recordings anyway, they were making them with decent enough sound quality so that it wasn't much of an issue. Would much rather listen to great voices is mediocre sound than mediocre voices in great sound. 
_Andrea Chenier_ Caniglia, Gigli, Bechi, Simionato, Taddei. Incredible silver age cast. It's tied for most well-cast opera recording I've ever heard (with 1928 Aida and Die Walkure acts I and II). Every single singer, from the lead roles to the bit parts, is great. Simionato and Taddei, all-stars a decade later, sing small roles. Sounds is excellent, does not sound like it's from 1940.

_Cavalleria Rusticana_ Bruna Rasa, Gigli, Bechi, Simionato. Another amazing cast. Conducted by Mascagni himself. Tempi are sometimes a little slow for my taste, but hey, it was his opera. Excellent vocalism all the way through though. Bruna Rasa in particular is extremely moving. Her "io piango" from Voi lo sapete will knock your socks off.

_Werther_ Thill, Vallin, cond. Cohen. Beautiful performance. Thill brings off the character really well.

_La forza del destino_ Masini, Caniglia Tagliabue.

_La fanciulla del west_. Favorite opera here, so I have a couple that are in my top 10 for overall recordings.
a. 1953 live at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Eleanor Steber, Mario del Monaco, Giangiacomo Guelfi. Incredible singing. Steber and del Monaco are superlative, and Guelfi is excellent. One of the most exciting recordings I know.
b. 1958 Tebaldi, del Monaco, MacNeil. Del Monaco was the greatest Johnson of the century but for the fact that we have no recordings of Caruso. Some say Domingo, but he can't hold a candle in this role. The only negative to this otherwise great recording is that Ch'ella mi creda is taken way too fast.

_Aida_, Gainnini, Pertile, Inghilleri, Minghini Cattaneo. 1928 La Scala. Golden Age cast. Opera as it ought to be performed.

_Die Walkure_ Unfortunately, I only have recs for Acts I and II. Act I has Lehmann, Melchior, Emmanuel List, and act II has Hotter, Fuchs (criminally underrated soprano), Melchior, and Lehmann. Golden Age indeed.

1938 _Die Zauberflote_ Rosvaenge, Lemnitz, Berger, Strienz. cond. Beecham. Easily my favorite Magic Flute. For once, Tamino isn't an annoying little shrimp, and the queen of the night isn't just shrill.

_La Rondine_, Moffo, Barioni, de Palma, Sciutti, Sereni. Conducted by Molinari-Pradelli. Desert island recording. Perfect tempi, great singing, gorgeous score played by great orchestra. Prefer it to the de Sabata _Tosca_, but then I'm not much of a Callas fan.

Finally, there are a few live performances that have stand out parts that aren't overall among the very best:
1951 Aida, incredible Del Monaco, Oralia Dominguez, Taddei, Callas is undeniably very good here.
1951 Manon Lescaut, Petrella (another amazing and underrated soprano), Del Monaco are extremely fire up.
1953 Otello. Another great Petrella/Del Monaco collaboration.
1958 Norma, Cerquetti, Corelli.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)




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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)




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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Are we restricted to studio recordings. If so, I would go for (in no particular order)

Madama Butterfly - Callas, Gedda;Karajan
Norma - Callas, Ludwig, Corelli; Serafin
Der Rosenkavalier - Schwarzkopf, Ludwig; Karajan
Il Trovatore - Callas, Barbieri, Di Stefano, Panerai; Karajan
Rigoletto - Callas, Gobbi, Di Stefano; Serafin
Don Giovanni - Sutherland, Schwarzkopf, Sciutti, Wächter, Taddei; Giulini
Tosca - Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi; De Sabata
Falstaff - Gobbi, Schwarzkopf, Barbieri, Panerai; Karajan
Cavalleria Rusticana - Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai; Serafin
Un Ballo in Maschera - Callas, Barbieri, Di Stefano, Gobbi; Votto

However if live, once pirate, performances were permitted, then I'd have to include

Norma - Callas, Simionato, Del Monaco; Votto (La Scala 1955)
Lucia di Lammermoor - Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai; Karajan (Berlin 1955)
La Traviata - Callas, Valletti, Zanasi; Rescigno (Covent Garden 1958)
Anna Bolena - Callas, Simionato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni (La Scala 1957)
Medea - Callas, Beganza, Vickers; Rescigno (Dallas 1958)
La Sonnambula - Callas, Valletti, Modesti; Bernstein (La Scala 1955)
La Sonnambula - Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (Cologne 1957) - I find it impossible to choose between these two
Un Ballo in Maschera - Callas, Simionato, Di Stefano, Bastianini; Gavazzeni (La Scala 1957)


which wouldn't leave me much room for anything else.


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## Palimpsests (Feb 16, 2020)

A very personal list, largely determined by my favourite operas as well as favourite operatic artists:

Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro - Taddei/Moffo/Schwarzkopf/Waechter/Cossotto/Giulini (EMI, 1959)

Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro - Blankenburg/Freni/Gencer/Bacquier/Mathis/Varviso (Glyndebourne, 1962, live)

Mozart: Cosi fan tutte - Jurinac/Howland/Lewis/Bruscantini/Rothmuller/Quensel/Fritz Busch (Glyndebourne, 1951, live) 

Mozart: Cosi fan tutte - Schwarzkopf/Merriman/Alva/Panerai/Calabrese/Sciutti/Cantelli (Piccola Scala, Milan, 1956, live)

Mozart: Die Zauberflote - Wunderlich/Lear/Fischer-Dieskau/Crass/Peters/Bohm (DG, 1964) 

Mozart: La clemenza di Tito - Baker/Burrows/Minton/Popp/Von Stade/Lloyd/Davis (Philips, 1976)

Verdi: La traviata - Callas/Valletti/Zanasi/Rescigno (Covent Garden, 1958, live)

Verdi: Il trovatore - Callas/Di Stefano/Panerai/Barbieri/Karajan (EMI/La Scala, 1956)

Verdi: Falstaff - Stabile/Biasini/Borgioli/Somigli/Oltrabella/Cravcenco/Toscanini (Salzburg, 1937, live) 

Verdi: Falstaff - Gobbi/Panerai/Schwarzkopf/Merriman/Alva/Moffo/Barbieri/Karajan (EMI, 1956)


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Ah yes. That Cavalleria was definitely special. Don't forget Bechi's "Il cavallo scalpita. "


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

*Taking into account the different exchange rate between US and Canadian selections -

(10 US selections = 22 CDN)...*









Maria Callas Remastered: The Complete Studio Recordings (1949-1969)

Works

Bellini: I Puritani
Bellini: La Sonnambula
Bellini: Norma
Bizet: Carmen
Cherubini: Medea
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Puccini: La Bohème
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Puccini: Tosca
Puccini: Turandot
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia
Verdi: Aida
Verdi: Il Trovatore
Verdi: La forza del destino
Verdi: La Traviata
Verdi: Rigoletto
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera

There is a vibrantly active thread which discusses the contents which can be found here -

New MARIA CALLAS box set......

It was started in July of 2014 and currently runs to 317 (and counting) pages.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

vivalagentenuova said:


> I have a strong bias towards singers of the past and up to a certain point vintage sound quality doesn't bother me. By the time they could make full recordings anyway, they were making them with decent enough sound quality so that it wasn't much of an issue. Would much rather listen to great voices is mediocre sound than mediocre voices in great sound.
> _Andrea Chenier_ Caniglia, Gigli, Bechi, Simionato, Taddei. Incredible silver age cast. It's tied for most well-cast opera recording I've ever heard (with 1928 Aida and Die Walkure acts I and II). Every single singer, from the lead roles to the bit parts, is great. Simionato and Taddei, all-stars a decade later, sing small roles. Sounds is excellent, does not sound like it's from 1940.
> 
> _Cavalleria Rusticana_ Bruna Rasa, Gigli, Bechi, Simionato. Another amazing cast. Conducted by Mascagni himself. Tempi are sometimes a little slow for my taste, but hey, it was his opera. Excellent vocalism all the way through though. Bruna Rasa in particular is extremely moving. Her "io piango" from Voi lo sapete will knock your socks off.
> ...


Some of the pre-1940's vocalists mentioned within this really first-rate post are conveniently located within this easily accessible thread -

Historic Opera Singers - Arias, Duets, and Ensembles of the Day Calendar...


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Thanks so much, everyone! This was just what I was looking for. Planning on painstakingly working my way through all the recommendations above. Today I heard _L'amico Fritz_ and really liked it. Roberto Alagna's voice was right up my alley.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Two not to miss.

1. Go to You-tube and watch Neil Shicoff become Lensky in "Kuda, kuda" from _Eugene Onegin_. Unbelievable and heartbreaking.
2.Plug in the "Poker Scene" with Renata Tebaldi/Colzani from _La Fanciulla del West_ with Colzani. Totally spectacular.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Thanks so much, everyone! This was just what I was looking for. Planning on painstakingly working my way through all the recommendations above. Today I heard _L'amico Fritz_ and really liked it. Roberto Alagna's voice was right up my alley.


Sorry, no contest for the famous Freni / Pavarotti recording.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Rogerx said:


> Most definitely yes to this Butterfly. I'm listening to it as we speak. It has given me countless hours of pleasure over about 25 years.


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## damianjb1 (Jan 1, 2016)

Here's a few to start with.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

damianjb1 said:


> Rogerx said:
> 
> 
> > Most definitely yes to this Butterfly. I'm listening to it as we speak. It has given me countless hours of pleasure over about 25 years.
> ...


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

1. Mozart - _Le nozze di Figaro_ - Jacobs
2. Vinci - _Artaserse_ - Fasolis
3. Wagner - _Der Ring des Nibelungen_ - Solti
4. Mozart - _Don Giovanni_ - Giulini
5. Mozart - _Die Zauberflöte_ - Solti (1st)
6. Mussorgsky - _Boris Godunov_ - Gergiev
7. Salieri - _Les Danaïdes_ - Rousset 
8. Verdi - _Il Trovatore_ - Giulini
9. Bizet - _Carmen_ - Prétre
10. Rossini - _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_ - Patané
11. Strauss - _Die Frau Ohne Schatten_ - Solti
12. Strauss - _Der Rosenkavalier_ - Karajan

* Added two because Strauss is my latest obsession.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Three months ago, I was convinced that opera just wasn't for me. Now, ever since hearing the De Sabata/Callas/Di Stefano _Tosca_, I have become hooked on it and am developing a deep passion for it. But after dabbling in Puccini, Bellini, and Verdi, along with Mozart's 3 big ones and the entire Ring, I'm a bit overwhelmed as to where to go next. Yes, I've looked at the TC Top 100 Operas list and a few recordings, but I thought it'd be interesting if a few opera veterans woud be willing to give an eager newbie some of their personal recommendations. What I'm asking for (politely!) is a list of your 10 favorite opera recordings of all time. It doesn't have to be your 10 favorite _operas_, just what you believe are the greatest performances on record. Sound quality is irrelevant for me. Now, I must admit that my circumstances and plain 'ol practicality don't permit me to watch opera on DVD/YouTube or follow along with the libretto (I'll do the latter occasionally when I have the time commitment, but usually not). Thus, although it is probably to my detriment, I have only been listening as "pure music." So I'm asking for CD/audio recordings only (streaming is my exclusive mode of listening). Thank you so much! Looking forward to filling up my listening list for the foreseeable future


If you like the Callas _Tosca_ you have to get her _Carmen_ and the 1952 _La Gioconda_. I consider the '52 _Gioconda_ to be her single greatest performance on disc. It's completely awe-inspiring.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

These are peerless:

Bellini: *Norma* - Callas, Simionato/Votto La Scala DIVINA ($$) or PRISTINE ($$$)
Mozart: *Don Giovanni* - Sutherland, Schwarzkopf/Giulini WARNER
Puccini: *Tosca* - Callas, Di Stefano/De Sabata WARNER 
Wagner: *Der Ring des Nibelungen* - Nilsson, Windgassen/Solti DECCA

Plus these personal choices:

Bellini: *La Sonnambula* - Callas, Monti/Votto Köln DIVINA 
Cherubini: *Medea* - Callas, Penno/Bernstein La Scala. ARSVOCALIS 
Donizetti: *Lucia di Lammermoor* - Callas, Di Stefano/Votto Berlin DIVINA 
Donizetti: *Anna Bolena* - Callas, Simionato/Gavazzeni La Scala DIVINA
Mascagni: *Cavalleria Rusticana* - Callas, Di Stefano/Serafin EMI/TOSHIBA (through ARSVOCALIS)
Verdi: *Macbeth* - Callas, Mascherini/Gui La Scala ARSVOCALIS
Verdi: *La Traviata* - Callas, Valetti/Rescigno Covent Garden ARSVOCALIS

(sorry, I have 11, but I can't give any of them)
Please note: most of these are live recordings (labels like Arsvocalis, Divina, Pristine). Warner and Decca and EMI are studio recordings.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Bellini: Norma - Callas, Del Monaco, Simionato, Zaccaria; Votto (1955, live)
Verdi: La Forza del Destino - Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Protti, Siepi, Barbieri; Mitropolous (1953, live)
Verdi: La Traviata - Callas, Di Stefano, Bastianini; Giulini (1955, live)
Puccini: Turandot - Nilsson, Corelli, Moffo, Giaiotti; Stokowski (1961, live)
Puccini: La Fanciulla del West - Tebaldi, Del Monaco, MacNiel, Tozzi; Capuana (1958)
Massenet: Werther - Thill, Vallin, Féraldy; Cohen (1931)
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess - Warfield, Price, Calloway; Smallens (1952, live)
Cherubini: Medea - Callas, Vickers, Berganza, Zaccaria; Rescigno (1958, live)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde - Suthaus, Flagstad, Thebom, Fischer-Dieskau; Furtwangler (1952)
Wagner: Tannhäuser - Flagstad, Thorberg, Melchior, Janssen, List; Leinsdorf (1941, live)

Others

Verdi: Il Trovatore - Corelli, Price, Siomionato, Bastianini; Karajan (1962, live)
Verdi: Aida - Callas, del Monaco, Dominguez, Taddei; de Fabritis (1952, live)
Strauss: Salome - Behrens, van Dam, Baltsa, Böhm; Karajan (1978)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena - Callas, Simiomato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni (1957, live)
Puccini: Tosca - Callas, di Stefano, Gobbi; de Sabata (1953)

A number of the recordings above have less than ideal sound quality, but the drama of these performances is thrilling. Opera at it's exhilarating best.


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## Ofekaaa (Mar 7, 2020)

1. Lucia di Lammermoor- Pavarotti Sutherland 
2.Turandot - Nilsson Corelli 
3. The barber of Seville - Gedda, Sils, Milnes
4.Don carlo - Corelli, Rysanek (live)
5.Lohengrin - King, Januwitz , Kubelik
6. Die walkure - King, Nilsson, Böhm (live)
7. Rigoletto - Sutherland Pavarotti 
8.Carmen - corelli, freni , Price
9.Aida - Nilsson Corelli Mehta
10.La boheme- Pavarotti Freni.


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## Ulfilas (Mar 5, 2020)

*10 Favourite Opera Recordings*

I was just thinking about this the other day!

My choices aren't the usual ones, but they come closest to perfection to me (I'm a repetiteur and coach myself).

In no particular order:

Puccini: Tosca. Caballe, Carreras, Wixell; Colin Davis (Philips)

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice. Bernarda Fink; Rene Jacobs (Harmonia Mundi)

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde. Mitchinson, Gray, Howell; Reginald Goodall (Eloquence)

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Organasova, Olsen, Hauptmann. Gardiner (Arkiv/DG)

Verdi: La Traviata. Scotto, Raimondi, Bastianini. Antonino Votto (DG)

Berg: Wozzeck. Iversen, Mahnke. Sebastian Weigle (Oehms)

Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten. Studer, Schwarz, Kollo. Wolfgang Sawallisch (EMI)

Beethoven: Fidelio. Behrens, King, Moll. Karl Böhm (Orfeo d'Or)

Bizet: Carmen. Michel, Jobin. Andre Cluytens (EMI)

and finally a box set recommendation:

Mozart: 4 Operas - Arnold Östman, Drottningholm Theatre Orchestra (L'Oiseau-Lyre)

Hopefully there's something in there for you to enjoy!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Ulfilas said:


> I was just thinking about this the other day!
> 
> My choices aren't the usual ones, but they come closest to perfection to me (I'm a repetiteur and coach myself).
> 
> ...


And you though...................... I am going to join the forum


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## Ulfilas (Mar 5, 2020)

Pure coïncidence.


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