A special edition to mark the 10th anniversary of the passing of one of the most beloved singers of all time – the incomparable Renata Tebaldi. This set marks the FIRST EVER comprehensive overview of Tebaldi’s important recorded legacy. It includes her complete opera recordings as well as opera and song recitals.

This Italian soprano has been a favourite of opera lovers from her first recordings in 1947. An exclusive artist with Decca for her entire career, Tebaldi has left a tremendous legacy of complete operas, arias and songs with stellar colleagues including Luciano Pavarotti, Mario del Monaco, Giulietta Simionato, Ettore Bastianini and more.

This set includes Tebaldi’s complete opera recordings (two versions for La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Aida), as well as her only recording of Verdi’s Requiem (1951), conducted by Victor de Sabata. Tebaldi so loved her live performance of Verdi’s Requiem, fifty years after the composer’s death, that it was played during her funeral at her request.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Renata Tebaldi was the great rival to Maria Callas. While the latter’s strengths lay in her superb dramatic skills and fiery temperament, Tebaldi’s attributes – exquisite beauty of tone and subtle musicianship – provided the perfect foil. Over 50 years later, they still cast a shadow over their successors and continue to fascinate new generations of opera lovers.

This limited edition comes in a ‘lift off lid’ box with a substantial booklet containing an authoritative biography by George Hall, and rare photographs from the Decca archives.

Contents:
CDs 1- 2
Puccini: La Bohème
1952 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 3-4
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
1951 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 5-6
Puccini: Tosca
1951 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 7-8
Verdi: Aida
1952 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 9-10
Puccini: Manon Lescaut
1954 recording (Francesco Molinari-Pradelli)

CDs 11-12
Verdi: La traviata
1954 recording (Francesco Molinari-Pradelli)

CDs 13-14
Verdi: Otello
1954 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 15-16
Puccini: Turandot
1955 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 17-19
Verdi: La forza del destino
1955 recording (Francesco Molinari-Pradelli)

CDs 20-21
Giordano: Andrea Chénier
1957 recording (Gianandrea Gavazzeni)

CD 22
Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana
1957 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 23-24
Boito: Mefistofele
1958 recording (Tullio Serafin)

CDs 25-26
Puccini: La fanciulla del West
1958 recording (Franco Capuana)

CDs 27-28
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
1958 recording (Tullio Serafin)

CDs 29-30
Puccini: La Bohème
1959 recording (Tullio Serafin)

CDs 31-32
Puccini: Tosca
1959 recording (Francesco Molinari-Pradelli)

CDs 33-34
Verdi: Il trovatore
1956 recording (Alberto Erede)

CDs 35-36
Verdi: Aida
1959 recording (Herbert von Karajan)

CDs 37-38
Verdi: Otello
1961 recording (Herbert von Karajan)

CDs 39-40
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur
1961 recording (Franco Capuana)

CDs 41-43
Puccini: Il trittico
1962 recording (Lamberto Gardelli)

CDs 44-46
Verdi: Don Carlo
1965 recording (Sir Georg Solti)

CDs 47-49
Ponchielli: La Gioconda
1967 recording (Lamberto Gardelli)

CDs 50-51
Catalani: La Wally
1968 recording (Fausto Cleva)

CDs 52-53
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera
1970 recording (Bruno Bartoletti)

RECITALS & OTHER RECORDINGS
CD 54
Arias (1949 & 1955) - Alberto Erede

CDs 55-56
Songs & Arias (1956, 1957) - Giorgio Favaretto (piano)

CD 57
Arias (1964) - Oliviero de Fabritiis

CD 58
Arias & Songs (1969) - Richard Bonynge

CD 59
Arias (1969) - Anton Guadagno

CD 60
A Christmas Festival (1971) - Anton Guadagno

CD 61
Italian Songs (1972) - Richard Bonynge (piano)

CD 62
Duets (1972) - Franco Corelli (tenor) / Anton Guadagno

CD 63
Songs & Arias (1973) - Richard Bonynge

CD 64
Rarities (1957 & 1968) -  Solti / Karajan / Cleva

CDs 65-66
Verdi: Messa Da Requiem (1951) – Victor de Sabata [First International Release]