Album

Pilar Lorengar never achieved the fame and recognition of some of her Spanish peers, such as Victoria de los Angeles and Teresa Berganza; because of this, her singing is relatively unknown to contemporary listeners. Fortunately, anyone with interest can get to know this terrific soprano through The Art of Pilar Lorengar, Decca's two-disc retrospective featuring operatic excerpts and songs of Spanish composers. It is well worth the time; Lorengar had a gorgeous voice, and at its best her singing competes with anything on record. This is especially true of the purely lyrical excerpts on the album, such as "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" from Carmen and "Glück, das mir verbleib" from Korngold's Die tode Stadt, both of which would be tough to beat for sheer beauty of singing. "Dich, teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser, is an unexpected highlight; it really raises the roof. Some misfires include "Ach, ich fühls" from Mozart's The Magic Flute, which is rigid and unfeeling in its movement, and several of the Puccini arias, including "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from La bohème, which suffers from the same lack of dramatic impulse. The second disc, featuring songs and arias by Granados, Falla, and Turina, is rewarding; though she sometimes seems a step removed from the texts and dramatic contexts of the songs, her vocalism and native fluidity with the language help keep things interesting. Most of the selections are accompanied—magnificently and with great character—by Alicia de Larrocha at the piano. Fans of de Larrocha's who haven't heard her play these songs might want this recording for her alone.

© Allen Schrott, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Giacomo Puccini Composer La bohème (opera)...Act 1 Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
1	11.Mimi's Aria: Sí, mi chiamano Mimí	4:51			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer La Rondine (The Swallow; opera)...Act 1 Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
2	2.Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (Doretta's Dream Song)	2:48			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer Madama Butterfly (opera)...Act 2 Work Recorded 1966 6:41 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
3	2.Un bel dì verdremo	4:29			$0.99
4	22.Tu? tu? Piccolo Iddio!	2:12			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer Turandot (opera)...Act 3 Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
5	10.Tu che di gel sei cinta	2:25			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer Gianni Schicchi (opera) Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
6	9.O mio babbino caro	2:17			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer Suor Angelica (opera) Work Recorded 1978 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
7	15.Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morto	3:56			$0.99
Giacomo Puccini Composer Tosca (opera)...Act 2 Work Recorded 1978 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
8	12.Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore	3:13			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Rusalka, B.203, Op.114 (lyric fairy tale, opera)...Act 1 Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
9	6.Mesicku na nebi hlubokém (Song to the Moon)	6:15			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K.492 (opera buffa)...Act 3 Work Recorded 1971 Wiener Staatsopernorchester Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Walter Weller Conductor
10	10.Recitativo: E Susanna non vien!; 11.Aria: Dove sono i bei momenti	6:20			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K.620 (Singspiel)...Act 2 Work Recorded 1969 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Georg Solti Conductor
11	9a.Pamina's Aria: Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden	4:23			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Così fan tutte, K.588 (opera buffa)...Scene 11 Work Recorded 1973 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Georg Solti Conductor
12	14a.Recitative: Temerari! Sortite fuori di questo loco!; 14b.Fiordiligi's Aria: Come scoglio	4:27			$0.99
Gustave Charpentier Composer Louise, opera Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
13	Act 3. Aria: Depuis le jour	5:00			$0.99
Georges Bizet Composer Carmen (opéra-comique)...Act 3 Work Recorded 1966 Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Giuseppe Patane Conductor
14	9.Je dis qui rien ne m'épouvante (Michela's aria)	6:17			$0.99
Richard Strauss Composer Arabella, Op.79, TrV263 (lyrical comedy)...Act 1 Work Recorded 1971 Wiener Staatsopernorchester Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Walter Weller Conductor, Arleen Augér Voice
15	5.Er ist der Richtige, nicht für mich; 6.Aber der Richtige, wenn's einen gibt	7:25			$1.49
Richard Wagner Composer Tannhäuser (opera), WWV 70...Scene 1 Work Recorded 1971 Wiener Staatsopernorchester Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Walter Weller Conductor
16	2.Dich, teure Halle	3:21			$0.99
Erich Wolfgang Korngold Composer Die tote Stadt (The Dead City; opera), Op.12...Act 1 Work Recorded 1971 Wiener Staatsopernorchester Orchestra, Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Walter Weller Conductor
17	6.Glück, das mir verblieb (Marietta's Lied)	5:42			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Enrique Granados Composer Goyescas, opera, H. 65 Work Recorded 1978 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	15.Quejas o la Maja y el Ruisenor	6:53			$0.99
Enrique Granados Composer 12 Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136 Work Recorded 1977 25:57 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Alicia de Larrocha Piano
2	8.La maja de Goya	3:43			$0.99
3	1.Amor y odio	2:18			$0.99
4	7.El tra-la-là y el punteado	1:13			$0.49
5	4.El majo olvidado	2:57			$0.99
6	5.El majo tímido	0:55			$0.49
7	2.Callejo	1:27			$0.49
8	6.El mirar de la maja	2:48			$0.99
9	12.Las currutacas modestas	1:24			$0.49
10	3.El major discreto	1:38			$0.49
11	9.La maja dolorosa, número 1	2:24			$0.99
12	10.La maja dolorosa, número 2	2:11			$0.99
13	11.La maja dolorosa, número 3	2:59			$0.99
Enrique Granados Composer 7 Canciónes amatorias, H.24 Work Recorded 1977 13:51 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Alicia de Larrocha Piano
14	4.Mira que soy niña, iamor déjame!	2:56			$0.99
15	6.Iban al pinar	1:56			$0.49
16	2.Mañanica era	2:30			$0.99
17	5.No lloreis, ojuelos	1:17			$0.49
18	3.Llorad, corazón, que teneis razón	2:17			$0.99
19	7.Graci mía	2:55			$0.99
Manuel de Falla Composer La vida breve (opera), G.35/39...Act 1 Work Recorded 1978 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Ambrosian Singers Chorus/Choir, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Neil Jenkins Voice, John McCarthy Chorus/Choir Director
20	5.Vivan los que rien!	5:26			$0.99
Manuel de Falla Composer La vida breve (opera), G.35/39...Act 2 Work Recorded 1978 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Ambrosian Singers Chorus/Choir, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Neil Jenkins Voice, John McCarthy Chorus/Choir Director
21	3.Allí está! Riyendo, junto á esa mujer	4:33			$0.99
Joaquín Turina Composer Canto a Sevilla, song cycle for voice and orchestra, Op.37 Work Recorded 1983 19:36 Pilar Lorengar Soprano, Jesús López-Cobos Conductor, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Orchestra
22	2.Semana Santa	8:07			$1.49
23	3.Las fuentecitas del Parque	4:20			$0.99
24	5.El Fantasma	3:40			$0.99
25	6.La Giralda	3:29			$0.99