Most Emotional Opera Melodies

You might search by diva instead of by opera. All the greats have compilation albums that will feature some of the most impressive arias from the canon.

-Maria Callas
-Elizabeth Schwarzkopf
-Marilyn Horne
-Renee Fleming
-Cecilia Bartoli
-Countless others

You might also go for some Schubert or Schumann lieder. Not the uber-Romantic Wagnerian fat lady stuff at all (indeed, not opera), but absolutely gorgeous nonetheless. Kathleen Battle has a wonderful voice (and a serious 'tude)

Mozartrules ...

Wasn't Rigoletto at the Met sensational? We went this past Saturday and absolutely loved it. The only bummer was that we thought that Placido Domingo would be appearing ... as the web-site would lead you to believe. Lo and behold, he does appear ... but he is the conductor!

Fortunately, Villazon and Netrebeko performed as though they are opera's new royalty.

To my earlier list, add:

Anna Moffo "Arias From Faust, etc" on RCA Living Stereo Series ... get the SACD hybrid.

Regards, Rich

Just for fun, here is a list of operas (LPs) that I got from a sale a while back. They smell musty, but the records and boxes are in good shape. Maybe there is a keeper or two.
Flotow: Martha, Erna Berger
Gypsy Baron. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (ooo...familiar name!)
Handel: Israel in Egypt
Missa Solemnis, Schwarzkopf
Norma, Sutherland
Don Pasquale, Donizetti
Bach, Mass in B Minor, Friederike Sailer
Samual Barber, Vanessa (Metropolitan Opera)
Berlioz, Romeo and Juliet, Boston Symphony
Thousand and One Nights, Herbert Ernst Groh
Rossini, The Barber of Seville, Victoria De Los Angeles
Teatro Alla Scala, Un Ballo in Maschera (Big Box!)
Offenbach, La Periehole, Regine Crespin
Lucia Di Lammermoor, Sutherland (stereo)
I Puritani, Sutherland, also stereo
Suor Angelica, Marilyn Horne
La Forza Del Destino, Warren Elias Tozzi
Gilbert and Sullivan, Iolanthe
Gilbert and Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance, Carte Opera Co.
Teatro alla Scala, Lucia Di Lammermoor
Offenbach, The Tales of Hoffman, Gedda D'Angelo
Gypsy Love, Herbert Ernst Groh
Haydn, Cacelien-Messe, Maria Stader
Charpentier, Louise, Beverly Sills
Now I really feel dumb. I can't tell if I'm typing the name of the opera, or the singer, in some cases. Anyway, I'd be interested in knowing if there is some common thread to these operas. I say that because there is also a box that appears to be every speech given by the leaders of the Third Reich between 1914 and 1939. That one is called Deutschlands Weg in die Diktatur. Any pearls in the list?

The common thread seems to be that they're well-loved works performed by some legendary singers (Schwartzkopf, Sutherland, De Los Angeles, Horne, Warren, Gedda, et al.). There don't figure to be too many duds in this group of albums, and I'd say it's well worth your while to go through them and see what strikes your fancy. There could actually be some real gems here.

Woah. When was the compilation of Hilter's speeches made? There's nothing particularly fascist about your collection, don't worry :)