Under the legendary Bruno Walter, here are scenes from a most exciting "Forza del Destino" featuring Stella Roman, Ezio Pinza, Lawrence Tibbett, Frederick Jagel, and Salvatore Baccaloni. We were most fortunate that during World War Two we were still able to assemble a great cast, lacking some artists unable to come here. It is a wonderful era in opera history, and I think this performance exemplifies the period.  (72 min.)

Highlights from a 1938 Berlin performance of Strauss' "A Night in Venice," featuring the superb Marcel Wittrisch as Caramello and a cast including Karl Schmitt-Walter (Herzog), Carla Spletter (Anna), Rosl Seegers (Ciboletta), and Margarethe Arndt-Ober ( Agricola). The conductor is Heinrich Steiner.   (64 min.)

Teresa Stich-Randall had an illustrious career, and I am sure she did some fine singing, but these arias from Puritani,Ernani, and Traviata always were part of what we called a "party tape." I guess it is the lack of vibrato that drives us to hysteria...but you figure it out. i just do not understand it. (25 min.)

  Act three of the Freni/Domingo Fedora, followed by some scenes featuring Ferruccio Tagliavini and Pia Tassinari. This is such beautiful and emotional music.  (69 min.)

The first part of the Freni/Domingo Fedora and then highlights from a commercial recording of the opera with Gilda Dalla Rizza (pictured) and Antonio Melandri.  (73 min.)

Three samples from Piotr Beczala's new album!!!!

I hope you like this compilation of 10 sopranos singing Odabella's entrance aria and cabaletta from Verdi's "Attila."In order,they are:

Antonietta Stella, Dimitra Theodossiou, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Mara Zampieri, Marie Krikorian, Caterina Mancini, Marilyn Zschau, Angeles Gulin, Linda Strummer, and Marisa Galvany.   (67 min.)

 The great Mario del Monaco sang his first Otello in Buenos Aires in 1952.The conductor is Antonino Votto. The late Delia Rigal sings Desdemona, and the role of Iago (who became an Otello years later) is sung by Carlos Guichandut. The Cassio is Eugenio Valori and the Emilia is Emma Brizzio.  (71 min.)

One of the legendary Maria Callas performances. This Tosca from Mexico 1952 is conducted by Guido Picco. Giuseppe Di Stefano is the Cavaradossi and Piero Campolonghi is the Scarpia   (72 min.)

 This is SOME VOICE!!!! Kipnis sings scenes from  Seraglio, Simon Boccanegra, Don Carlo, Meistersinger, Parsifal (with Fritz Wolff) and then three Russian folk songs,followed by the Brahms "Vier ernste Gesange" and then Brahms' "Von ewige liebe" and finally Schubert's "Erlkonig" "Heidenroslein" and "Ungeduld."     (72 minutes)