Eleonor Steber, Nicolai Gedda, Rosalind Elias, Giorgia Tozzi, Regina Resnik, George Cehanovsky, Robert Nagy - Barber - Vanessa

Facts

Barber - Vanessa Music Price: $23.98 As of Jan 2 22:39 EST (details)

Artist(s)	Eleonor Steber, Nicolai Gedda, Rosalind Elias, Giorgia Tozzi, Regina Resnik, George Cehanovsky and Robert Nagy
Studio	RCA
Release Date	February 13, 1990
UPC Code	078635789928
Buy this item	$23.98 at Amazon.com As of Jan 2 22:39 EST (details) 2 Audio CD, Usually ships in 24 hours,

Tracks

1. Act I: Potage crème aux perles
2. Act I: No, I cannot understand
3. Act I: Must the winter come so soon?
4. Act I: Listen!...They are here...
5. Act I: Do not utter a word, Anatol
6. Act I: Yes, I believe I shall love you
7. Act I: Who are you?
8. Act II: And then? - He Made me drink
9. Act II: No, you are not as good a skater
10. Act II: "Under the willow tree..."
11. Act II: Erika, I am so happy
12. Act II: Our arms entwined
13. Act II: Did you hear her?
14. Act II: Outside this house the world has changed
15. Act II: Orchestral Interlude - Hymn

1. Act III: The Count and Countess d'Albany
2. Act III: I should never have been a doctor
3. Act III: Here you are!
4. Act III: At last I found you
5. Act III: Nothing to worry about
6. Act IV, Scene 1: Why did no one warn me?
7. Act IV, Scene 1: Why must the greatest sorrows
8. Act IV, Scene 1: There, look!
9. Act IV, Scene 1: Anatol, tell me the truth!
10. Act IV, Scene 1: Take me away
11. Act IV, Scene 1: Grandmother! - Yes, Erika
12. Act IV, Scene 1: Intermezzo
13. Act IV, Scene 2: By the time we arrive
14. Act IV, Scene 2: And you, my friend
15. Act IV, Scene 2: To leave, to break (Quintet)
16. Act IV, Scene 2: Goodbye, Erika

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User Reviews

"It is a long winter here..."

... has got to be the loveliest aria ever for a mezzo. Elias convinces me the opera should be called "Erika." January 23, 2003

THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPERA

If you want to leave for a while very well known operas, then you'd hear this one. The only reasons are: Barber, Steber, Gedda, Elias, Tozzi, Resnik, the MET and Mitropoulos. I think I do not have to say anything more November 6, 2002

Someone Revived It!

As an addendum to my previous review, I'm pleased to say that the Washington Opera revived Vanessa this year. I haven't seen the production, but my sister raved about it. Maybe this will give new life to this amazing work! October 29, 2002

Someone Revive This....Soon!

This may be one of the greatest American operas of all time. It is shocking that a work of this quality isn't more widely performed. It is a vocal showcase.

Vanessa suffers perhaps from a bit overwrought libretto. Menotti is guilty of his usual excesses. But Barber more than makes up for this in the sweep of his melodies. Musically, the piece is tonal, but harmonically adventureous. Interestingly, some of the piece calls to mind composers such as Bernard Herrmann or Miklas Rosza...high praise indeed for dramatic music in my mind. The final quintet at the end of the fourth act is rapturous. I find myself listening to it again and again.

The performance is as close to perfect as a composer could wish for. Steber is brilliant as Vanessa and Rosalind Elias is a moving Ericka. Mitropoulos conducts with sweep and power.

I wish opera companies would revive this work. It really deserves it. June 24, 2002

A Masterpiece!

A truly gorgeous recording. What amazed me the most is the perfect diction of each performer. What a lesson for singers young and old! Barber's score is hauntingly beautiful.The cast is, without exception, brilliant Why isn't this work done at the Metropolitan on a regular basis? April 30, 2002

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