Ah, la mia lista...

Time again for the Regent Theatre's annual 24 hour secondhand book sale. In the past I've hung around until late at night but I guess I must be getting old: I swooped in this afternoon, picked up a healthy stack of records, and departed while it was still daylight. This year's haul (the best yet):

Leontyne Price: Prima Donna. Volume 3. "Great Soprano Arias from Gluck to Poulenc". The latter name was the hook for me, though I bought this as much as anything else for the fabulous mock-Mucha cover art.

Anna Russell Sings?; Anna Russell Sings! Again?; Anna Russell in Darkest Africa. I love Anna Russell. Most of the contents of  these records I've heard before, but haven't owned till now. I have a semi-signed copy of her autobiography somewhere too.

Mirella Freni: Recital - Puccini & Verdi. Can you believe until now I haven't owned a single solo recording by Mirella?

Roberta Peters: Famous Operatic Arias. Just for you, Michael.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in Songs You Love. Because it's Elisabeth. And because several of them are Songs I Love.

Operatic Recital by Eileen Farrell. I love Eileen's Puccini LP which I bought a couple of sales ago; when I saw that this one included "Adieu, forêts" I was sold.

Kirsten Flagstad: Bach & Handel Recital. This is not repertoire I immediately associate with Kirsten Flagstad, whom I've liked a lot in the little I've heard of her — I'm intrigued. Especially by the prospect of her Semele in "O sleep".

Grace Bumbry singt Grosse Arien der Internationalen Oper. There's nothing here which isn't in the pink boxed set but I just wanted this one for its adorable cover, Gracie in her pearls looking ready for church.

Janet Baker & Gerald Moore : A Pageant of English Son 1597 - 1961. You just know it's going to be good.

Berganza Sings Rossini. Ditto.

Milanov: Operatic Arias. I've never actually heard a single note of Zinka Milanov so I thought it was about time I stopped feeling ashamed and did something about that.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Sings Mozart Operatic Arias. I ended up with two copies of this in the pile and in the end chose the one with the prettier cover. (You might have noticed a recurring theme here.)

Gladys Swarthout: Chausson's Poeme de l'amour et de la mer & A French Song Recital. Everything else I selected based on artist, but this one I bought on account of the Chausson. I love Jessye's recording of it so I'm interested to hear another. And the French Song Recital includes a few Poulenc songs, always a bonus.

Régine Crespin: Italian Operatic Arias. Available on CD, one of those I've picked up and put back a dozen times. A 50c LP is rather easier to say yes to.

Kiri in Concert. Kiri recorded live in New Zealand and Australia, 1965-66. There are excerpts here from a couple of farewell concerts and from her performances at the Mobil Song Quest and the Sun Aria Contest, both of which she won of course. The notes on the back include these marvellous words: "Kiri, now studying at the London Opera Centre, is from all accounts making excellent progress, and informed observers consider she has great potential in the field of opera." You think?

When in the world will I ever find the time to listen to all of these?

Comments

[Barbara]

You are such a comfort to me, the only person I know who overdoes more than I do. If I am retired I can go completely out of control. Elisabeth's Mozart is eye opening.

[Sarah]

I figure when they price everything at fifty cents, overdoing it is pretty much mandatory.