Anna Moffo - The Complete RCA Recital Albums

Anna Moffo is, in my opinion, the most underrated soprano of the 20th century. She's remembered for her physical beauty but considered something of a musical lightweight compared to contemporaries like Callas and Sutherland. Her vocal breakdown in the late 60's was so well-documented and devastating that it's pretty much the only thing people remember about her ("Oh, Anna Moffo? Yeah, beautiful voice, but that vocal crisis she had..."). It's true that her demanding schedule and natural but rather raw technique led to the early end of a promising career, but for the 15 or so years she was in her prime, we got some of the most beautiful recordings ever made of the soprano voice.This collection is simply a stunning tribute to her artistry. It's not actually "complete"--there are some later recital recordings which are missing (most notably a mid-1970's album which included a lot of Puccini and Verdi). But the remastering is exquisite. Even the two more "pop" oriented albums included are delightful (though I'm less fond of the duet album with the slightly ludicrous Sergio Franchi than the solo recordings). But sometimes I think her foray into "legit" musical theater and operetta helped contribute to her reputation as a less serious singer than she really was. Her Verdi album is a revelation. Her voice may not have been large enough to handle the complete operas, but she manages to inject a note of both fragility and sexiness that is simply lacking in most recordings.The crowning jewel, however, is the album she recorded with Leopold Stokowski in the mid 1960's which includes, among other songs, selections from Canteloube's "Songs of the Auvergne" and makes me wish she had recorded the complete work. Her recording of Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" from the same album is my absolute favorite recording of the human voice.It's rare to hear her recordings from after her vocal crisis but included in this box set is a collection of arias from French opera recorded in the mid 1970's. And it's an unpopular opinion but I really don't think it's that bad. There are a couple arias I wouldn't have recommended recording--mostly girlish coloratura arias like Ophelie's mad scene or "Je veux vivre." The middle register is rough and the voice has lost its shimmer. But she was still musical and still capable of producing some beautiful sounds. I personally think "Depuis le jour" in particular is lovely, though I may be in the minority.

Better than I remember...I'm enjoying the art of Anna Moffo in a terrific and varied program.Anna Moffo, a lyric soprano with agility, emerged at the very beginning of the 1960s when the giant voices would reign supreme.Somewhat underrated she never the less has a good output of recordings almost impossible to find happening today.A beautiful warm lyric and a stunning woman she was extremely formidable on stage.I owned many of these on LP..I think they sound even better with this re mastering.

This is a wonderful set that captures all the great beauty, charm and emotional feeling that Moffo's voice could bring to these great works. The beauty and musicality and lyricism of her singing is exquisite. That she was also very beautiful woman and a great actress was just icing on the cake. I am only sorry that for some reason they didn't include her sections from the La Juive highlights lp she recorded with Tucker and Arroyo.

RCA did a fantastic job restoring the glorious sound of Anna Moffo, one of the most beautiful voices in world. What a joy to listen to such wonderful music. I was a bit too young to enjoy her at the time of her prime but with this wonderful set you can have that pleasure forever. Thank you RCA and than you Ms. Moffo, Beautiful music, I totally recommend this set.

I had been waiting years for the CD release of the Anna Moffo / Sergio Franchi LP "THE DREAM DUET" and was delighted to acquire eleven other albums that I had previously never heard. WOW . . . in her younger years Anna Moffo was a terrific soprano and it is a treat to explore each album in this set.

Great car listening even though many of the arias are performed better by other artists, e.g., listen to performances of Cara Nome by Joan Sutherland and Nadine Sierra

Anna Moffo was a very rare and special gifted singer. She was the first operasinger i heard as a child. I was very fascinated - and I still am.I am happy, that this opertunity to hear her again is possible - thank you Anna Moffo

I love all of these CDs. It was very clever of someone to make the sleeves for the CDs look like the original phonograph records and to keep the programs in tact. I think this was a fabulous purchase!