Opera has entrenched itself in popular consciousness thanks to the much publicised concerts of The Three Tenors, outdoor stagings of such operatic blockbusters as Aida and Turandot, opera concerts in the park, not to mention their ready incorporation into television advertisements - be it a British Airways aircraft floating in the clouds to the Lakme Flower Duet or an Italian mamma making a steaming pasta sauce to the sounds of the Anvil Chorus from Verdi's Il Trovatore. What's important is these defining moments in opera - tear-jerkers many - speak a universal language. Perhaps the public at large doesn't know about Turandot's riddles and Calaf's dilemma, but they would be hard pressed not to recognise "Nessun dorma". This collection, then, brings together those operatic apexes without the words - just the tunes, gloriously played by orchestra. An extremely popular CD at full price, this now returns by popular demand to the catalogue - and at super-budget price.
