Joan Hammond – Italian, Czech and Russian Opera / LP

ASD 302

Product Details:

• Label: His Master's Voice
• Catalog Number: ASD 302
• Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
• Country: UK
• Released: 1959
• Genre: Classical

Overview

Joan Hammond – Italian, Czech and Russian Opera showcases the remarkable vocal artistry of Joan Hammond, a renowned soprano, performing some of the most powerful arias from Italian, Czech, and Russian operas. The album features a selection of iconic roles from operatic masterpieces by Puccini, Mascagni, Smetana, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák. Accompanied by the prestigious Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Walter Susskind, Hammond’s voice soars through both the emotional depth and technical complexity of these celebrated compositions.

This album includes timeless excerpts such as the haunting "Easter Hymn" from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, the dramatic "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot, and the poignant "La Mamma Morta" from Giordano's Andrea Chénier. From the rich Czech opera The Bartered Bride to the Russian grandeur of Eugene Onegin, this LP offers a captivating selection that will delight opera aficionados and casual listeners alike.

Track Listing:

Side A:

1. Madama Butterfly - "Ancora Un Passo Or Via" (Butterfly's Entrance)
   Composer: Giacomo Puccini
   Act: 1

2. Manon Lescaut - "Sola Parduta, Abbandonata"
   Composer: Giacomo Puccini
   Act: 4

3. Turandot - "In Questa Reggia"
   Composer: Giacomo Puccini
   Act: 2

4. Andrea Chénier - "La Mamma Morta"
   Composer: Umberto Giordano
   Act: 3

5. Cavalleria Rusticana - "Regina Coeli (Inneggiamo, Il Signor)" (Easter Hymn)
   Composer: Pietro Mascagni

Side B:

1. The Bartered Bride - "Ah ! Bitterness !" (Marenka's Romance)
   Composer: Bedřich Smetana
   Act: 3

2. Dalibor - "Do I Live?"
   Composer: Bedřich Smetana

3. Eugene Onegin - "Oh, What Shall I Do Now ?"
   Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
   Act: 2

4. Rusalka - "Gods of the Lake"
   Composer: Antonín Dvořák
   Act: 3

5. Queen of Spades - "'Twill Soon Be Midnight Now"
   Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
   Act: 3

Key Credits:

• Artist: Joan Hammond (Soprano)
• Composers: Giacomo Puccini, Umberto Giordano, Pietro Mascagni, Bedřich Smetana, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák
• Conductor: Walter Susskind
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
• Sleeve Notes: Malcolm Rayment

Box #151