CD 1: HANDEL & MOZART ARIAS

HANDEL
1. Ev’ry valley shall be exalted (Messiah)
   John Aler tenor
   Toronto Symphony Orchestra / Andrew Davis
   
   
2. Ombra mai fu (Serse)
   Fritz Wunderlich tenor
   Bayerisches Staatsorchester / Hans Müller-Kray
   
   
3. Where’er you walk (Semele)
   John Mark Ainsley tenor
   London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis



4. Love sounds th’alarm (Acis and Galatea)
   Ian Bostridge tenor
   Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Harry Bicket



5. Vani sono i lamenti...Svegliatevi nel core (Giulio Cesare in Egitto)
   Placido Domingo tenor
   National Philharmonic Orchestra / Eugene Kohn
   
   
MOZART
6. Fuor del mar (Idomeneo)
   Placido Domingo tenor
   Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Eugene Kohn
   
   
7. Hier soll ich dich (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
   Leopold Simoneau tenor
   Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham



8. Konstanze! Konstanze!...O wie ängstlich
   (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
   Fritz Wunderlich tenor
   Berliner Symphoniker / Berislav Klobucar



9. Frisch zum Kampfe! (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
   Placido Domingo tenor
   Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Eugene Kohn



10. Wenn der Freude Tränen fliessen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
    Leopold Simoneau tenor
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Thomas Beecham
    
    
11. Dalla sua pace (Don Giovanni)
    Luigi Alva tenor
    Philharmonia Orchestra / Carlo Maria Giulini
    
    
12. Il mio tesoro (Don Giovanni)
    Luigi Alva tenor
    Philharmonia Orchestra / Carlo Maria Giulini
    
    
13. Un’ aura amorosa (Così fan tutte)
    
    
14. In qual fiero contrasto…Tradito, schernito (Così fan tutte)
    Alfredo Kraus tenor
    Philharmonia Orchestra / Karl Böhm
    
    
15. Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (Die Zauberflöte)
    Fritz Wunderlich tenor
    Berliner Symphoniker / Berislav Klobucar
    
    
16. Ah, se fosse intorno al trono (La clemenza di Tito)
    Placido Domingo tenor
    Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Eugene Kohn
    

VERDI
1. O figli, o figli miei!...Ah, la paterna mano (Macbeth)
   José Carreras tenor
   New Philharmonia Orchestra / Riccardo Muti



2. Oh, tutto di navicelle...Ella in poter del barbero...Cara patria (Attila)
   Placido Domingo tenor
   Ambrosian Opera Chorus
   National Philharmonic Orchestra / Eugene Kohn



3. Oh! fede negar potessi ...Quando le sere (Luisa Miller)
   Franco Corelli tenor
   New Philharmonia Orchestra / Franco Ferraris



4. Questa o quella (Rigoletto)



5. Ella mi fu rapita!...Parmi veder le lagrime (Rigoletto)



6. La donna è mobile (Rigoletto)
   Alfredo Kraus tenor
   Philharmonia Orchestra / Julius Rudel



7. Ah sì, ben mio (Il trovatore)



8. Di quella pira (Il trovatore)
   Franco Corelli tenor
   Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
   Thomas Schippers



9. Lunge da lei...De’ miei bollenti spiriti...O mio rimorso (La traviata)
   Rolando Villazón tenor
   Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Marcello Viotti



10. Di’ tu se fedele (Un ballo in maschera)
    Nicolai Gedda tenor
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
    Giuseppe Patané



11. Forse la soglia attinse...Ma se m’è forza perderti
    (Un ballo in maschera)
    Placido Domingo tenor
    New Philharmonia Orchestra / Riccardo Muti



12. La vita è inferno...O tu che in seno agli angeli
    (La forza del destino)
    Carlo Bergonzi tenor
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lamberto Gardelli



13. Io l’ho perduta...Io la vidi (Don Carlo)
    José Carreras tenor
    Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan



14. Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste Aida (Aida)
    Placido Domingo tenor
    New Philharmonia Orchestra / Riccardo Muti



15. Ingemisco (Requiem)
    Luciano Pavarotti tenor
    Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Riccardo Muti



16. Niun mi tema (Otello)
    Placido Domingo tenor
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
    John Barker
    

PUCCINI
1. Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut)
   Charles Craig tenor
   Orchestra / Michael Collins
   
   
2. Che gelida manina (La bohème)
   Roberto Alagna tenor
   Philharmonia Orchestra / Antonio Pappano
   
   
3. Recondita armonia (Tosca)
   Placido Domingo tenor
   National Philharmonic Orchestra / Eugene Kohn
   
   
4. E lucevan le stelle (Tosca)
   Franco Corelli tenor
   Philharmonia Orchestra / Franco Ferraris
   
   
5. Addio, fiorito asil (Madama Butterfly)
   Jussi Björling tenor • Mario Sereni baritone
   Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma / Gabriele Santini



6. Firenze è come un albero fiorito (Gianni Schicchi)
   Roberto Alagna tenor
   London Symphony Orchestra / Antonio Pappano
   
   
7. Una parola sola...Or son sei mesi (La fanciulla del West)
   
   
8. Ch’ella mi creda libero (La fanciulla del West)
   Giuseppe di Stefano tenor
   Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano / Antonino Votto
   
   
9. Nessun dorma (Turandot)
   José Carreras tenor
   Rhine Opera Chorus · Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra
   Alain Lombard
   
   
GIORDANO
10. Colpito...Un dì all’azzuro spazio (Andrea Chénier)
    
    
11. Legray!...Andrea Chénier!...Sì, fui soldato (Andrea Chénier)



12. Come un bel dì di maggio (Andrea Chénier)
    Franco Corelli tenor • Antonietta Stella soprano (11)
    Mario Sereni & Paolo Pedani baritones (11)
    Giuseppi Modesti bass (11)
    Orchestra del Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma / Gabriele Santini
    
    
13. Amor ti vieta (Fedora)
    Beniamino Gigli tenor
    Orchestra / Umberto Berretoni


CILEA
14. È la solita storia (L’Arlesiana)
    Rolando Villazón tenor
    Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Marcello Viotti
    
    
MASCAGNI
15. Intanto amici...Viva il vino spumeggiante (Cavalleria rusticana)
    
    
16. Mamma, quel vino è generoso (Cavalleria rusticana)
    Adriana Lazzarini mezzo-soprano (15)
    Corinna Vozza mezzo-soprano (16)
    Franco Corelli tenor
    Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
    Gabriele Santini
    
    
17. O amore, o bella luce del core (L’amico Fritz)
    Luciano Pavarotti tenor
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
    Gianandrea Gavazzeni
    
    
LEONCAVALLO
18. Recitar!...Vesti la giubba (Pagliacci)
    José Carreras tenor
    Philharmonia Orchestra / Riccardo Muti
    

VIVALDI
1. All’armi, o guerrieri! (Il giustino)
   Leonardo de Lisi tenor
   Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis
   
   
BELLINI
2. A te, o cara (I puritani)
   Franco Corelli tenor
   Philharmonia Orchestra / Franco Ferraris



3. Meco all’altar di Venere...Me protegge, me difende (Norma)
   Franco Corelli & Piero de Palma tenors
   Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano /
   Tullio Serafin


ROSSINI
4. Ecco ridente in cielo (Il barbiere di Siviglia)
   Luigi Alva tenor
   Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vittorio Gui
   
   
5. Cujus animam (Stabat Mater)
   Robert Gambill tenor
   Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Riccardo Muti



6. Domine Deus (Petite Messe solennelle) arr. Mingardo
   Franco Corelli tenor
   Orchestra / Raffaele Mingardo


DONIZETTI
7. Favorita del Re!...Spirto gentil (La favorita)
   Franco Corelli tenor
   Philharmonia Orchestra / Franco Ferraris



8. Com’è gentil (Don Pasquale)
   Alfredo Kraus tenor
   Ambrosian Opera Chorus
   London Symphony Orchestra / Sarah Caldwell
   
   
9. Quanto è bella (L’elisir d’amore)
   
   
10. Una furtiva lagrima (L’elisir d’amore)
    Nicolai Gedda tenor
    Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
    Francesco Molinari Pradelli



11. Tombe degli avi miei…Fra poco a me ricovero (Lucia di Lammermoor)
    
    
12. Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali (Lucia di Lammermoor)
    Alfredo Kraus tenor
    Robert Lloyd bass (12) • Ambrosian Opera Chorus (12)
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Nicola Rescigno
    
    
BOITO
13. Dai campi, dai prati (Mefistofele)
    Peter Seiffert tenor
    Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin / Heinz Wallberg
    
    
PONCHIELLI
14. Cielo e mar (La Gioconda)
    Franco Corelli tenor
    Philharmonia Orchestra / Franco Ferraris
    
    
GUERRERO
15. Mi aldea (Los gavilanes)
    Placido Domingo tenor
    Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid / Manuel Moreno-Buendía
    
    
SOROZÁBAL
16. No puede ser (La taberna del puerto)
    Rolando Villazón tenor
    Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid / Placido Domingo
    

MEYERBEER
1. Pays merveilleux...O paradis (L’Africaine)
   José Carreras tenor
   Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
   Jacques Delacôte
   
   
DONIZETTI

2. Ah ! mes amis, quel jour de fête...Pour mon âme
   (La Fille du régiment)
   Rockwell Blake tenor
   Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo / Patrick Fournillier


HALÉVY

3. Rachel, quand du Seigneur (La Juive)
   José Carreras tenor
   Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
   Jacques Delacôte


ROSSINI

4. Asile héréditaire (Guillaume Tell)
   Nicolai Gedda tenor
   Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lamberto Gardelli



5. Que les destins prospères (Le Comte Ory)
   Rockwell Blake tenor
   Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo / Patrick Fournillier


ADAM
6. Mes amis, écoutez l’histoire (Le Postillon de Lonjumeau)
   John Aler tenor
   Chorale Jean Laforge
   Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo / Thomas Fulton


MASSENET
7. Je suis seul...Ah! fuyez, douce image (Manon)
   Alfredo Kraus tenor
   Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
   Michel Plasson



8. Ah ! tout est bien fini !... souverain, ô juge, ô père (Le Cid)
   José Carreras tenor
   Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
   Jacques Delacôte



9. Traduire...Pourquoi me réveiller (Werther)
   Roberto Alagna tenor
   London Symphony Orchestra / Antonio Pappano


GOUNOD
10. L’amour ! L’amour...Ah ! Lève-toi, soleil ! (Roméo et Juliette)
    Roberto Alagna tenor
    Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse / Michel Plasson



11. Quel trouble inconnu...Salut, demeure chaste et pure (Faust)
    Christine Rice mezzo-soprano, Roger Vignoles piano


LALO
12. Puisqu’on ne peut fléchir...Vainement, ma bien aimée (Le Roi d’Ys)
    Beniamino Gigli tenor
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
    Rainaldo Zamboni


THOMAS
13. Adieu, Mignon, courage (Mignon)



14. Elle ne croyait pas (Mignon)
    Nicolai Gedda tenor
    Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Français /
    Georges Prêtre


BIZET
15. La fleur que tu m’avais jetée (Carmen)
    Jon Vickers tenor
    Orchestra of the Théâtre National de l’Opéra
    Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos



16. Je crois entendre encore (Les Pêcheurs de perles)
    Alain Vanzo tenor
    Orchestre du Théâtre National de l’Opéra de Paris
    Georges Prêtre


OFFENBACH
17. Va, pour Kleinzach (Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
    Nicolai Gedda & Andre Mallabrera tenors
    Chœurs René Duclos
    Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
    André Cluytens



18. Au Mont Ida (La Belle Hélène)
    Roberto Alagna tenor
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden /
    Richard Armstrong

TCHAIKOVSKY
1. Chto nasha zhizhn? Igra! (The Queen of Spades)
   Nicolai Gedda tenor
   Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra / Gika Zdravkovitch
   
   
2. Kuda, kuda (Eugene Onegin)
   Rolando Villazón tenor
   Münchner Rundfunkorchester / Michel Plasson


BEETHOVEN

3. Gott! Welch Dunkel hier (Fidelio)
   Jon Vickers tenor
   Berliner Philharmoniker / Herbert von Karajan


FLOTOW

4. Ach, so fromm (Martha)
   Fritz Wunderlich tenor
   Berliner Symphoniker / Berislav Klobucar


WEBER
5. Nein, länger reag’ ich nicht...Durch die Wälder (Der Freischütz)
   Rudolf Schock tenor
   Berliner Philharmoniker / Joseph Keilberth


LORTZING
6. Vater, Mutter, Schwestern, Brüder (Undine)
   Peter Schreier tenor
   Berlin Symphony Orchestra / Robert Heger


GOLDMARK
7. Magische Töne (Die Königen von Saba)
   Nicolai Gedda tenor
   Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper München /
   Heinrich Bender


LEHÁR
8. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Das Land des Lächelns)
   Fritz Wunderlich tenor
   Orchestra / Carl Michalski



9. Gern hab’ ich die Frau’n geküßt (Paganini)
   Nicolai Gedda tenor
   Bayerisches Symphonie-Orchester / Willy Boskovsky


JOHANN STRAUSS II
10. Als flotter Geist...Ja, das alles auf Ehr’ (Der Zigeunerbaron)
    Peter Seiffert tenor
    Wiener Opernball-Orchester (Mitgleider der Wiener Volksoper)
    Peter Falk


WAGNER
11. Dir töne Lob! (Tannhäuser)
    Klaus König tenor
    Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks / Bernard Haitink



12. In fernem Land (Lohengrin)
    Nicolai Gedda tenor
    Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper München / Heinrich Bender



13. Mein lieber Schwan (Lohengrin)
    Rudolf Schock tenor
    Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks Hamburg /
    Wilhelm Schüchter



14. Morgenlicht leuchtend im rosigem Schein
    (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)
    Ben Heppner tenor
    Bernd Weikl baritone • Kurt Moll bass • Cheryl Studer soprano
    Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper • Bayerisches Staatsorchester
    Wolfgang Sawallisch



15. Winterstürme, wichen dem Wonnemond (Die Walküre)
    Peter Seiffert tenor
    Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
    Heinz Wallberg



16. Was am besten er kann...Nothung! Nothung! (Siegfried)
    Siegfried Jerusalem & Peter Haage tenors
    Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks / Bernard Haitink

100 BEST TENOR ARIAS is another release in EMI’s highly successful 100 BEST series. This 6 CD set contains a collection of 100 tenor arias from opera, oratorio and sacred classics performed by some of the world’s finest singers.

The programme covers arias from all the best-loved operas in the repertoire, from Handel’s Serse and Semele through Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, Verdi’s Rigoletto and Aida, Puccini’s Tosca and Turandot to Gounod’s Faust and Roméo et Juliette, and ends with extracts from Wagner’s Ring.

Also included are famous arias from oratorios and sacred works such as Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Petite Messe solennelle, and Verdi’s moving Requiem, as well as arias from all the most popular French operas, CD 3 includes items from the original French versions of works that are also widely known in their Italian translations, such as Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Donizetti’s La Fille du régiment. Operetta is represented on CD 6 by two of the most popular arias by Franz Lehár: ‘Dein ist mein ganzes Herz’ (Das Land des Lächelns) and ‘Gern hab’ ich die Frau’n geküßt’ (Paganini) as well as one by Johann Strauss II: ‘Als flotter Geist...Ja, das alles auf Ehr’’ (Der Zigeunerbaron). Spanish zarzuela is also included with two items on CD 4: ‘Mi aldea’ (Los gavilanes) by Guerrero and ‘No puede ser’ (La taberna del puerto) by Sorozábal.

The singers include the greatest names of the present and the past, headed by the iconic three tenors Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras. The stars of today are represented by singers such as Rolando Villazón, Roberto Alagna and Ian Bostridge, while Wagner is sung by Klaus König, Peter Seiffert, Ben Heppner and Siegfried Jerusalem among others. The older generation of singers include Nicolai Gedda, Alfredo Kraus, Giuseppe di Stefano, Carlo Bergonzi and Luigi Alva, as well as two of the most famous tenors of all time: Jussi Björling and Beniamino Gigli.