Operatic ensembles at their best from The Magic Flute, Un ballo in maschera, Carmen, and Die Meistersinger. Among the many artists heard are Victoria de los Ángeles, René Kollo, Shirley Verrett, Nicolai Gedda, and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
Four Operatic Quintets
Bizet - Carmen, act II - The quintet, ca. 1917.
Playlist
“Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!” from The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Nicolai Gedda, tenor; Walter Berry, bass-baritone; Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano; Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano; Marta Höffgen, contralto; Philharmonia Orchestra; Otto Klemperer, conductor
(London 1964. EMI 5 67386 2)
“Nous avons en tête une affaire” from Carmen by Georges Bizet
Victoria de los Ángeles, soprano; Denise Monteil, soprano; Marcelle Croisier, mezzo-soprano; Jean-Christophe Benoît, baritone; Michel Hamel, tenor; French National Radio Orchestra; Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor
(Paris 1958. EMI CDC 7 49242 2)
“E’ scherzo od è follia” from Un ballo en maschera by Giuseppe Verdi
Shirley Verrett, soprano; Carlo Bergonzi, tenor; Ezio Flagello, bass; Ferruccio Mazzoli, bass; Reri Grist, soprano; RCA Italiana Orchestra and Chorus; Erich Leinsdorf, conductor
(Rome 1966. RCA VICTOR 6645‐2‐RG)
“Die elige Morgentraum-Deutweise” from Die Meistersinger by Richard Wagner
Helen Donath, soprano; Ruth Hesse, mezzo-soprano; Theo Adam, bass-baritone; René Kollo, tenor; Peter Schreier, tenor; Staatskapelle Dresden; Herbert Von Karajan, conductor
(Dresden 1970. EMI 5 67152 2)