"A-Z of Opera".(Brief Article)(Review)

"A-Z of Opera" [] Various artists and conductors. Naxos 8.55037-38

Naxos's "A-Z of Opera" advertises itself as "the ideal companion for exploring the world of opera"; certainly, it's a decent start. The 2 CDs, with their two and a quarter hours of music, cover the ground from Acis and Galatea to Zauberflote, or, more accurately, from Monteverdi to Korngold, with excerpts drawn from the company's catalogue. (Most of the twentieth century and all of American opera are ignored.) There are few big names among the singers -- Naxos is not a star-driven label -- but the performances are never less than honorable. Standouts are Ingrid Kertesi in "Laschia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo and Luba Orgonasova in Puritani's "Qui la voce."

Some may quibble over certain of the selections: in choosing five works to represent the entire Verdi oeuvre, one might well light on the triumph march from Aida (though having it trail off halfway through is jarring, to say the least), but Ford's "E sogno o realta," from Falstaff, probably wouldn't make too many "top-five" lists for the composer. There is a perceptible Italian bias -- only two Wagner excerpts to five Puccinis, for example -- but on the whole the CDs offer ...