The Opera Gala

The Opera Gala recital concert. Anna Netrebko (soprano), Elīna Garanča (mezzo-soprano), Ramón Vargas (tenor), and Lodovic Tézier (baritone) sing opera favorites for the 2007 Gala Concert at the Baden-Baden Festival. Here's the program:

1. Bellini  "Sinfonia"  from Norma

2. Bellini  "Mira, o Norma" from Norma

3. Donizetti "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore

4. Bellini "Or dove fuggo io mai?--Ah! per sempre io ti perdei--Bel sogno beato" from I Puritani

5. Bellini "Casta Diva--Ah, bello a me ritorna" from Norma

6. Rossini "Nacqui all'affanno e al pianto" from La Cenerentola

7. Verdi "È lui!...Desso!...L'Infante! from Don Carlo

8. Saint-Saëns "Bacchanale"  from Samson et Dalila

9. Delibes "Viens, Mallika--Dôme epais, le jasmin" from Lakmé

19. Bizet "Au fond du temple saint" from Les Pêcheurs de perles

11. Saint-Saëns "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson et Dalila

12. Verdi "Oh! fede nocgar potessi-Quanda le sere al placido" from Luisa Miller

13. Verdi "Felice ancor io son" (Morte di Rodrigo) from Don Carlo

14. Puccini "O soave fanciulla"  from La Bohème

15. Verdi "Un di, se ben rammentomi" from Rigoletto

16. Lehár "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß" from Giuditta

17. Rossini "La danza"

18. Ruperto Chapí "Al pensar en el dueño de mis amores" from Las hijas del Zebedeo

19. Bizet "Toreador Song" from Carmen

20. Verdi "Brindisi" or "The Toast" from La Traviata

Marco Armiliato conducts the SWR (Südwestrundfunk) Sinfonieorchester of Baden-Baden und Freiburg. Released 2008, disc has 5.1 PCM and 5.1 dts-HD sound. Grade: A+

Beautiful young singers. It's great to hear the 4 different voices instead of 3 tenors. Intelligent program gets slightly off the beaten path and gives us 20 numbers from 10 composers in 8 voice combinations. Everything sounds and looks so pretty in the elegant Baden-Baden palace! It's the perfect show for anyone who wants an introduction to the art of opera singing. And Netrebko wakes up the old guys with her "hot lips" encore.