Joan Sutherland: The Operas 1959-1970

Joan Sutherland's complete opera recordings are being released in two separate boxes. The first collection, which includes recordings from 1959 to 1970, contains an early example of her Mozart interpretations: Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni" (under Carlo Maria Giulini, 1959). In the same year, a recording of Handel's "Alcina" in historical performance practice was made together with Fritz Wunderlich in Cologne (Cappella Coloniensis conducted by Ferdinand Leitner). There is also the first of two recordings of "Lucia di Lammermoor" (John Pritchard) as well as Gounod's "Faust", Bellini's "Norma", Rossini's "Semiramide", Delibes' "Lakmé" and Meyerbeer's "Huguenots" (all conducted by Richard Bonynge). No Sutherland edition would be complete without rarities, however, and this box contains highlights from Graun's "Montezuma" and Bononcini's "Griselda".

Tracklisting

CDs 1-2                HANDEL: Alcina

CD 3                      HANDEL: Acis and Galatea

CDs 4-6                MOZART: Don Giovanni

CDs 7-8                VERDI: Rigoletto

CDs 9-10              DONIZETTI: Lucia di Lammermoor

CDs 11-13            HANDEL: Alcina

CDs 14-15            BELLINI: La sonnambula (1962 analogue recording)

CDs 16-17            VERDI: La traviata

CDs 18-19            BIZET: Carmen

CDs 20-22            BELLINI: I puritani (1963 recording)

CD 23                    HANDEL: Giulio Cesare (excerpts)

CDs 24-26            BELLINI: Norma (1964 analogue recording)

CDs 27-29            ROSSINI: Semiramide

CDs 30-31            BELLINI: Beatrice di Tenda

CDs 32-34            GOUNOD: Faust

CD 35                    BONONCINI: Griselda (excerpts)

CD 36                    GRAUN: Montezuma (excerpts)

CDs 37-38            DONIZETTI: La Fille du Régiment

CDs 39-40            DELIBES: Lakmé

CDs 41-43            MOZART: Don Giovanni

CDs 44-47            MEYERBEER: Les Huguenots

CDs 48-49            DONIZETTI: L’Élisir d’amore