Operas... Any fans?


Hi all,
I'm starting to get into Opera (I actually have season tickets to the Opera de Montreal)...

I would like to find some well recorded and well interpreted opera on CDs. The only problem is that I find that most CDs I purchased have a poor recording (or they sound like they were recorded from the 250th row).

Does anyone have any suggestion as to what opera CDs I should try getting (or any better labels than other ones)?

By the way, I am looking for complete operas or CDs with multiple opera passages (sorry, I don't know any better english words).

So in short, I'm looking for must have CDs...

So far the operas I really liked were:

Madama Butterfly
Rigoletto
Turandot
Lakmé
Carmen

Any of the above operas or any other operas worth while listenning would be appreciated...

Thanks ahead
lgregoir

Showing 1 response by sjpin

Another good guide is the Metropolitan Opera's Guide to Recorded Opera. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but you may be able to pick up a copy on eBay or Half.com. The guide only covers operas recorded prior to the early 90s, but covers most of the classic recordings. While everyone one has there own personal taste, if you get one of operas the book recommends, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

As a final note, if you can't find a specific opera you're looking for, try Amazon UK or Tower UK. I have picked up some great recordings that are no longer available in the US.