COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Decca
WORKS: La Fleur que tu m'avais jetée
PERFORMER: Placido Domingo, Various orchestras and conductors
CATALOGUE NO: 421 890-2 DA ADD/DDD Reissue
Domingo's artistry is graphically illustrated on this CD. Excerpts from three hugely contrasting operas (Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Carmen and Lohengrin) demonstrate the breadth of roles the tenor can undertake. He is in superb form for the closing scene of Hoffman and 'La Fleur que tu m'avais jetée' is strongly sung. The Lohengrin greatly benefits from the experienced handling of Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic. But Domingo brings to the role an urgency which is whole-hearted. I derived much pleasure from the two CDs of mixed excerpts. In 'Opera Gala!' Corelli sings 'E lucevan le stelle' from Tosca with expert precision, Bjorling gives a resolute account of 'Amor ti vieta' from Fedora, and Elena Suliotis breathes fire and brimstone into an aria from Nabucco. 'Favourite Italian Opera' has a gorgeous rendering of the 'Celeste Aida' by Carlo Bergonzi, a divine 'O mio babbino caro' from Renata Tebaldi, and ends with Pavarotti belting out 'Nessum Dorma' as he alone knows how. Alasdair Steven