MET OPERA SERIES - 4 new sets on CD for the first time!

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HISTORIC BROADCASTS REMASTERED ON CD FROM THE MET ARCHIVES:
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT (1940), MIGNON (1945), CARMEN (1952) AND LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN (1955) – THE FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE OF PERFORMANCES BY SUCH ICONIC ARTISTS AS PIERRE MONTEUX, ROBERTA PETERS, EZIO PINZA, LILY PONS, FRITZ REINER, RISË STEVENS AND RICHARD TUCKER


Sony Classical, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera, adds to its acclaimed series of releases drawn from the illustrious Met archives with four multi-disc sets that represent the first official release on CD of these historic Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts, which date from 1940 to 1955. On November 1, 2011, Sony Classical issues complete live performances – freshly remastered from the original sources – of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment (1940), Ambroise Thomas's Mignon (1945), Bizet's Carmen (1952) and Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann (1955).

The four new CD sets star such legendary singers as Roberta Peters, Ezio Pinza, Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, and Richard Tucker, conducted by podium icons such as Fritz Reiner and Pierre Monteux. Sony Classical's series of releases from the Met archives – now totaling 24 titles on CD and DVD – has earned praise far and wide for making great vintage live performances available in the best possible sound. Encapsulating his enthusiastic anticipation of the must-have gems in this series, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times wrote: "The CDs that plumb the Met's archives are the big news. . . I'd better start making room on my shelves."

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