The Vocal Masterworks series: Solo recital albums from the rich Sony Classical past

60783 - Available on CD

"O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi  wav (1,191k) | real audio

Sony Classical is proud to present the next four titles in the new Vocal Masterworks series. This mid-price line features critically acclaimed recordings from vocal powerhouses and opera stars from the rich Sony Classical past. Remastered from original sources for optimal sound quality, the series includes contemporary stylish cover design featuring photos of the artist at the time the recording was made, and song and aria texts in the original language with English translations.

In the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, CBS Masterworks recorded solo recital albums with a number of opera stars, many at the height of their careers, that are both important recorded documents and regularly requested for reissue. Fans of Ileana Cotrubas will delight in this recording of favorite opera arias of Mozart, Puccini, Verdi and more by the excellent soprano. Many selections are making their first compact disc release!

"In the studio it was difficult for me to remember to pay attention to the microphone. My world of imagination went beyond it -- I sang always without thinking of it. I was always identifying with the part, singing with this incredible pleasure, off in another world -- in a way, a kind of ecstasy. But I couldn't do it another way, even if it did cause trouble for the sound engineers."

--Ileana Cotrubas (from the CD booklet notes)