(-) For Spagnoli, Antonacci, with Accardo on a rare podium
346335
This is a live recording of Rossini's 'Messa di Gloria' in 1992. The work has very few recordings. I must say that I did not succeed in purchasing this CD, but only managed to view its entirety as recorded on Youtube (as video).
Accardo seldom conducts, and he is reasonably good in Rossini's rarely performed piece. The tempi are a bit slow, but in the main, he brings out the drama very well, especially in the 'Gloria in excelsis'.
The soloists (with solo parts to sing) are tenors Robert Gambill and Francisco Araiza, soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci and bass baritone Pietro Spagnoli.
Needless to say, in 1992, Ms. Antonacci was barely 30 years old, and Spagnoli in his early 30's. I had a hard time recognising Mr. Spagnoli in the video, but he sang really well in this live performance. His last bass aria Quoniam tu solis sanctum really throws clear light on the great operatic career ahead of him!
A bit on the green side is the young Anna Caterina Antonacci, but she too sings impeccably, if her Laudamus Te is not as suave as Sumi Jo for Marriner (also recorded in 1992, but in Studio).
So you'd notice that in 1992 there were two Rossini 'Messa di Gloria' recordings - this live one conducted by Accardo, and studio one by Neville Marriner.
While the bass part and the soprano part are ideally sung in this Accardo's live performance, the two tenors are less than ideal, alas.
Francisco Araiza also sung in Marriner's studio recording. Here, however, he sung the 'opposite' tenor parts than in that studio recording, and the result is quite disastrous, as his solo aria Gratias witnessed what singing heavy repertoire of Wagner did to his voice, especially in Rossini. The high notes at the end of his Gratias agimus tibi cracked one after the other, and as this is a live performance, there is simply no escape. As indeed, in the swapped tenor part for Marriner, there are also signs of vocal wear in the Qui tollis peccata, though in a studio recording, one can always re-do and re-make by different takes.
As the other tenor (singing the solo Qui tollis peccata), Robert Gambill really fared no better than Francisco Araiza. The battling with the high notes are heroic, but not entirely successful. Gambill's problem, however, is not a worn out voice, but lack of vocal range.
Indeed, Rossini's 'Messa di Gloria' is real challenge for Rossini tenors. It is not a surprise that Juan Diego Florez had not, to-date, recorded its tenor parts in entirety.
290685
A good historical read on the progression of the tour. Bike technology sure has changed over the year. Amazing on how even these guys were basically doping back in those days! Some of the current riders need to read this. I guess one will do anything to win the tour.
1782268
This DVD concert recording divides into two parts which may also be related to each other as the extensive sleeve note suggests. The link is that the vocal items are all substitute arias for operas and that the Prague Symphony (symphony 38) performed here was written between two great operas - The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni and it therefore has certain operatic characteristics.

Writing substitute arias for particular singers due to perform a role in one of Mozart's operas was a regular practice of the time as it allowed these performers to shine in their special way. For this reason all the arias were written specifically with certain performers in mind.

Needless to say, Bartoli surmounts all such problems with apparent ease and is rewarded with enthusiastic applause. It would be a good idea to watch the bonus film first because it gives a fascinating and informative insight into these arias explaining why they were written and for whom. This documentary is in the form of a discussion between Harnoncourt and Bartoli with each point amply illustrated by way of rehearsal out-takes. It will surely enhance any viewer's appreciation of the concert.

The performance of the symphony is on an epic scale and spans a full 37 minutes - largely because of observing repeats rather than because of unduly slow speeds. The Concentus Musicus Orchestra of Vienna play on original style instruments and with telling results here. The performance is very dramatic with every opportunity taken to allow the timpani and brass to hit or bite home with great impact. The lower strings are also given prominence and add great weight to the sound. The link with the dramatic world of Don Giovanni is made clear here. This is the last of Mozart's 3 movement symphonies and in Germany it is known as the symphony `without a minuet'. This powerful performance makes such a lighter movement completely unnecessary.

I have enjoyed Harnoncourt's performances of a wide range of music over the years. He always has a strong point of view and as such he is not always approved of, nor does it always work for me. This disc, however, is a powerful statement from a strong musical mind who has studied Mozart's music in great detail for a long time. It should therefore be considered seriously.

The recording quality is excellent and typical of Brian Large. There are clear un-distracting visuals plus good DTS sound. There are also filming notes supplied on the disc for those with a technical interest.

I personally have enjoyed this very much but some may find the symphony rather heavy-weight. For just that reason it is probably best to err on the side of caution for purposes of this Amazon review and suggest a 4 star rating overall. Worth bearing in mind however, that enthusiastic Harnoncourt or Bartoli fans would probably rate it at 5 stars.
2841117
I realize that the text was translated from Italian but it's kind of rough going.  The author uses a lot of flowery expressions as he narrates Tazio's racing career.  Sometimes the years aren't mentioned so one must assume that everything is chronological There's nothing about the man other than his racing exploits.  What he did from 1939 to 1946 isn't even mentioned.  The pictures are really great.  He's such an interesting fellow that I would like to read more about the man.
1528227
A powerfully played and recorded account, with a similar interpretative approach to the earlier SACDs in the series. The total timing is under 66 minutes, the Adagio comes in at 13'26, which should give some indication that this isn't a performance that will necessarily appeal to devotees of, say, Furtwangler's 1954 Lucerne Festival performance with the Philharmonia.

I say 'necessarily' as I like both performances very much, despite the differences. The first movement and scherzo here are urgently played with great impetus, not quite with the same emphasis on grandeur as one might find with older fine accounts from Karajan, Fricsay and Boehm. The phrasing is less smooth (string playing often with more aggression than normal), the tempi quicker but the whole seems to relate the work firmly with the other symphonies rather than treating it as a separate interpretative entity to be blasted out in a totally different way - here it all sounds wholly Beethovenian.

Such is the detail of the excellent recording (I listened in stereo via a Stax earspeaker system; the multichannel layer is 5.0) that instrumental lines appear clearer than in any other recording I know, though I listened at a slightly higher than normal level. The acoustic is perfect as well and this must be well up to the standards of this cycle and BIS in general.

The slow movement is not the quickest recorded by a long way and the movement's spirit (as we would normally understand it) is maintained - but occasionally one wonders if one is listening to an Andante rather than an Adagio. Still I felt this was true to the composer's intentions and sounds even more authentic than some other HIP versions.

The Finale opens superbly with great intensity and sweep, and there's a great bass recitative - though I felt the tenor soloist was slightly small scale. Similarly after a fine 'fife and drums' episode the 'pursuit' orchestral tutti which follows didn't quite take off as I thought (and hoped) it would. Other performances like Karajan in 1961 really do make the spine tingle here. But these are the only flaws as the Minnesota Chorale sing superbly as do the female soloists.

Apart from the slight caveats about the finale I recommend this, even if you're not collecting Vanska's cycle - it probably won't replace your favourite Choral Symphony recording but it does offer something genuinely new and convincing in Beethoven interpretation - which these days is not easy.
381458
For those of us who really know little about racing but in our way love the sport this is a great introduction.  I'll never do a race but l'm anxious to watch more of them even on a local level.  As an aside, he gave good pictures of some of the clowns who threaten innocent users of local bike trails.
4836430
A nice recap of the hey-day of international rallying. Lots of good footage of the Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta, Lancia Stratos and the Peugeot 205 T16. Also has some interesting information on the lesser-known road-racing Group B cars like the Ferrari 288 GTO.
2348457
I grew up in the Chicago area, and I would hear Tony Accardo's name in the news from time to time, so when I found this book I was interested in knowing about the man that I heard about. Roemer a former FBI agent in Chicago , dealt with Accardo and the whole Outfit in Chicago. Roemer has given us a novel that gives us some insight in the the life of Accardo from being a bodyguard for Al Capone to his rise of the boss of the Outfit. It is a good read, but Accardo was a mobster who never spent a night in jail, and avoided the limelight, so how much is really known about him? Accardo wasn't a fool that is why he stayed at the top for so long and watched the others who came after him such as Sam Giancanna, be more flamboyant and go down the tubes. The book shows him to be a fair person, but it also shows us how he could resort to violence and order killings when he thought they were necessary. I feel if you are a fan of organized crime books, this is a must for you to read, and it will be a welcome change of pace than reading another book about some New York family
3786855
I loved the history of the Tour de France and how WWll affected it. And i liked the history of Italy around Florence and his childhood at the turn of the century (no indoor plumbing). Mario may be one of the greatest racers of all time. Saving all those people is very inspirational. A book for serious bike riders and history buffs. Tragic and wonderful at the same time.
3959095
It is impossible to expect an unimaginative or uninvolved performance from Concerto Italiano. Alessandrini and his 2 marvelous divas perform both Stabat Maters with white-hot passion and fervour. Gemma Bertagnolli and Sara Mingardo nead not fear comparisons with anyone, both of them have great voices and know very well what they are singing. Even  the recent Bonney/Scholl recording on DECCA comes in second place to this OPUS111 offering.
3312599
When we watch the Olympics we see all the glamor.  This book shows what it really takes to be a world class competitor.  Anderson and Low were given unprecedented access to the Chinese gymnasts and we are the lucky ones who are thus given an
insiders view of the extremely hard word and dedication that it takes.  They are wonderful photographers who have once again given the world a great book.
4642283
This hard-to-get book, written in German, is filled with photos of Wolfgang von Trips and his racing career. Even though you may not be able to read the language, it is worth the price for the photos if you are a von Trips fan!
4503061
After hearing afew interviews on the authors website I decided to get the book, over all rating is superb for this book but the thing I want to comment most on is Dale, Jr.'s Pepsi/Firecracker 400 win. It didn't mention much about how that race was FIXED other than Michael Waltrip and Elliot Sadler saying they "WEREN'T going to pass him!", but the passing 5 cars alone part made me watch it online again. Dale certainly didn't have a completely unrestricted NASCAR engine since he didn't go 230 mph alone. But he definitely had an unrestricted 'crate motor' that made no more hp than the CUP engines make while restricted, that's the only way you can sling shot by people at WUSStona and WUSSadega since the WUSSplate creates zero throttle response.
4167250
Wonderful book with all the ins and outs of this game changer Formula 1 car built with Italian passion for speed, design and style. Could do with some extra attention to details - some usually small errors - but the book as a whole is  wonderful, making me relive those wonderful years
927008
This DVD has actually been available for a couple of months and parts are already being televised on Speed channel. This is a great way to gain insight into a driver's life. The interviews with his family and the old photos are terrific. You realize that Tony had a passion for all things racing since he was a baby. His generous spirit in regards to his charitable works is admirable. I would love to see more of these DVDs of other drivers. FYI-Dale Earnhardt Jr's DVD is being released by the same company around February 2004.
1958903
Motorsport has always been more than just a battle between drivers; for the manufacturers, success on the race track is reflected in improved sales in the commercial arena.  This is why the major companies pour millions of the dollars into their factory teams, some more successfully than others.  One of the greatest battles between manufacturers was in the 60's, as Ford took on Ferrari in endurance sportscar racing. The pinnacle of sportscar racing is the 24 hour race at Le Mans, in France.  It was here that Ford took on Ferrari at their own game, and won.  "Go Like Hell" is the story of this battle, which was years in the making.

Opening with a prologue based on the disastrous 1955 Le Mans, the reader is introduced to the perils of motorsport, and then to the major personalities that drove the battle between Ford and Ferrari - the drivers and more importantly, the bosses - Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II.  Spurred on by Ferrari's rebuff of a potential purchase of his "Prancing Horse" stable, Ford would goad his minions to success at Le Mans, the ultimate, for a racer such as Ferrari, poke in the eye.  Key to Ford's success was the management of the development process of the mighty GT40, undoubtedly one of the best looking sportscars of all time.  However, the GT40 was not a work of a moment, and Ford would have endure failure after failure for years before finally triumphing in 1966.  Ferrari, in the meantime, was a much more political environment which created its own problems.

Credit must go to A J Baime for creating such an engaging and enthralling account of the history of both Ford and Ferrari, on and off the track, leading to the battles at Le Mans from 1964 to 1966.  The author doesn't get bogged down in technological detail, and the focus is as much about the personalities as it is the mighty racing machines.  Carroll Shelby, John Wyer, and Ken Miles were all key to the success of Ford, just as John Surtees and Phil Hill were vital to Ferrari.  But each organisation had its failings as is recounted by the author, and notably, two of the drivers that were critical to Ferrari's success, Hill and later Surtees, were driven out by its politics, while Ken Miles had his own issues with team management, which was clearly apparent at the conclusion of the 1966 Le Mans.

"Go Like Hell" is simply exhilarating reading.  All car and motorsport enthusiasts, even those whose interests lie more in single-seater racing or off-road racing, will thoroughly enjoy this book.
176438
For any true Ferraristi, this is a must have book. A very rare 'limited edition' English and Italian language version by Doug Nye can sell for five to six hundred dollars. There are too many pictures to count, spec sheets, technical drawings and blueprints of the cars raced and a complete race results section, This is really the Bible of Enzo Ferrari's racing with Alfa Romeo between the years of 1929 and 1939. Expensive but a rare treasure for those who care.