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SANTA says, "I hate to give them away!" They're as much a part of Christmas as plum pudding. Give lucky friends DECCA Records. ..... 1946 DECCA Records Ad, A4616.
$10.99
This Item is an original Magazine ad, taken from a vintage magazine of the year indicated. The ad is suitable for framing and displaying in your home or office. The scan of this item was taken through plastic film, however it is an accurate representation of the item. The nominal size is 10.5 inches by 14 inches.

World's Strictest Parents Ep 109
$1.99

So Far
$17.49
I bought this album on a whim and boy am I glad I did!
Susan Egan is one of the best singers I have ever heard. She has complete control over her voice, injects every song with emotion and knows exactly what to do with regards to phrasing. She can sound sweet and innocent on "Much More" and "It Might As Well Be Spring" then sultry on "Sooner or Later" and melancholy on "Maybe This Time".
There are a nice variety of songs here that are delivered in such a way that they can be heard time and time again.

Puccini - Madam Butterfly / Cheryl Barker, PO, Yves Abel [in English]
$31.98
I did not think I would enjoy or play this Butterfly as much as I have. Somehow operas sung in English, even those originally composed in English, seem a little bit silly compared to those sung in Italian, French, and German and even Czech and Russian. Butterfly, however, transfers well to English. Just two years after its 1904 premier, the libretto was translated into English and performed with much success, particularly in the United States. After several years, however, the use of an English libretto stopped and this Butterfly is the only commercial recording currently available.

Any performance of Butterfly is critically dependent on the excellence of its title character, and Australian soprano Cheryl Barker is up to the task. She has improved her technique over the years, and, with little doubt, is underrated by those who have failed to adjust opinions fixed some time ago. The Amazon editorial review by Robert Levine is quite correct in saying that Barker sounds under strain in this recording but quite incorrect in saying that she never sounds pretty. In fact, she mostly sings very well and sounds very pretty indeed. However, there are some moments, particularly when Butterfly herself is under strain, in which Barker's voice becomes harsh. The most critical of these times is in the final aria, just before Butterfly's suicide. Barker can and has sung this aria superbly; unfortunately, she does not do it here.

The final aria is the dramatic peak of Madama Butterfly, and I suspect that Barker's lapse in it may have colored Mr. Levine's opinion of the whole recording. Overall, however, Barker's performance is very moving and more than good enough to give English speaking lovers of Madama Butterfly an understanding of the opera that otherwise might be lost in translation.