Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy: My Favorite Moments from La Boheme

I bought this because I had to have the Flower Duet from Lakme, by Delibes. I had come across that track when watching a David Bowie movie about vampires. His costar Catherine DeNeuve played this on piano halfway through, and I saw the track details in the film credits, and also realised it was familiar to me from occasional forays into classical radio stations. It was when I was doing LP to CD conversions for customers that I found out that so much of my favourite "rock" music was actually classical, mainly Bach.This is the first classical music CD I have bought in ages, and it didn't disappoint. I had heard samples of Lakme, but had no interest in any other songs from that opera, so I choose this compilation. It has met my expectations. The Flower Duet is my preferred version, all other tracks seem to be good, but they just aren't yet as fixed in my musical/emotional memory/interface as yet. I may grow to love them. I may also get into banjo music. Either is equally likely (or not).There is an old saying that opera was not originally art, just a yard sport for lunatics. Hannibal Lector's addiction to it seems a bit suspicious in my mind. I would rather be punished for something I have done, not in anticipation of my expected iniquities. Opera still sounds a little too much like torture for my liking thus far. Perhaps this is why it appeals to the masochists of the upper classes?

This is one of the best compilations of stirring, exquisite music on the planet. I cannot think of a better opera CD in my collection. Take the time to enjoy Pavarotti (who could be better?) and friends such as Joan Sutherland who sing the standards better than anyone in the world. I have just worn this one out and need a new copy. It's that good.

What can you say? It’s Pavarotti it’s the best!

It is an unfortunate side effect of modern life that the traditional sources of a classical education are disappearing. Because many classical music radio stations have transformed into yet another commercial outlet of top 40 pap, access to classical music for the general public is generally limited to movies or television in the form of background music. These sources rarely credit their music, so most people are left wondering what is was they heard and enjoyed.I am known to enjoy classical music and my friends often ask me for listening suggestions.(What is wrong with the public schools? They should be teaching this.) Normally, I shy away from collections like "Adagios" or "The Art of Herbert von Karajan" as they generally show little thought in their organization. I do enjoy and would recommend this disk "Opera Made Easy", which I discovered...one afternoon.Opera is the most imposing of the classics for the novice. The usual [$$]to [$$]price tag of a double or triple CD can be intimidating when embarking into unknown territory.This collection contains many favorites from Italian Opera: Donizetti, Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini to name the largest contributors. Many are familiar to even the novice, like the Toreador Chorus from Bizet's Carmen. Some are found in today's television commercials, like Leo Delibes' Flower Duet. There are a couple of show stoppers here: Puccini's Nessun Dorma, performed by a Pavarotti in his prime and Robert Merrill's poignant performance of the Pagliacci Si puo? And who can resist the bubbly quartet Bella filiglia del'Amore from Rigoletto which is sung in style by Pavarotti, Sherill Milnes, Joan Sutherland, and Hugette Tourangeau.While this collection presents a pleasant introduction of Italian opera to the novice, the opera-aware will also enjoy these stirring performances. A great CD for a Sunday evening dinner with friends and family.