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It’s probably never been easier to access the world of opera on CD. Now EMI are making 21 of their classic opera titles available at mid price and there are some wonderful treasures to be had. Where to start? With Mozart, perhaps. Here are two classic recordings of ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘Cosi fan tutte’ respectively, boasting fantastic casts which today could hardly be equalled let alone bettered. The ‘Cosi’ is Bohm’s from 1962 with a mouthwatering lineup: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Alfredo Kraus and Walter Berry among others. For sheer ‘goosebump’ territory sample this recording of the famous Trio - the balance and blend of voices is just astonishing.
Or how about that other Mozart favourite ‘Don Giovanni’? Here is a recording that has previously eluded me I must admit. Carlo Maria Giulini is the conductor and we have Schwarzkopf (Donna Elvira) and a very young Dame Joan Sutherland (Donna Anna) together with the likes of Eberhard Wachter (Don Giovanni), Giuseppe Taddei (Leporello) and Luigi Alva (Don Ottavio). Just sample the overture to get the point. Right from the start you’re aware that a master conductor and orchestra are in charge and that everything is going to be just right. And so it is. A couple of examples will have to suffice. Dame Joan is a virulent Donna Anna, not the sort of lady one would like to fall foul of. Her rendition of ‘Or sai chi l’onore’ is quite simply phenomenal with top notes that would have probably pinned you to your seat in the opera house. Mention should be made too of the Commendatore, the mighty Gottlob Frick who arrives to summon the Don down into the reaches of hell.
With a host of other treasures (including the 1953 Callas ‘Tosca’ and Klemperer ‘Fidelio’ plus some new comers such as Domingo’s ‘Tristan’) this is a perfect opportunity to acquire an opera collection.