I generate my Recommended CD files from a database I keep on my music. My recommendations come from first hand experience as every CD I recommend I actually own. For any list of recommendations some "ground rules" have to be established so that the recommendations are meaningful and people will know what they are looking at.

I also think it's important to make sure that recommended recordings are actually available. This essentially means that if it isn't out on CD, it isn't available. I find that many people give recommendations from their LP library, and this isn't very useful since no one can actually purchase the recording. If people want to make recommendations as to what recordings to look out for that may be released in the future, then that may be best handled in a separate list. A similar situation exists with respect to tapes.

It is also very important to give complete information with each suggestion including timing, precise label and catalog number, SPARS if known and all performers/parts.

The following list was originally distributed on rec.music.classical and started with a Paul Korenhof book called something like "The 100 Most Beautiful Operas" in which he also gives recommendations as to recordings. The list is not current, so a bit of research may be needed to identify availability and catalog numbers (See a recent issue of Opus). In addition to the original Korenhof list, contributions were made by some of the rec.music.classical regulars (e.g., Jon Alan Conrad who is a contributing opera critic for the NY Times) as well as some published information by the opera critic Charles Osborne. This list was originally prepared by Bart Gerritse based on input from all comtributors.

The recordings were selected the recordings using the following criteria:

1. If on a constant high level, his favourite version
2. If his favourite has serious flaws, then the second, etc.
3. All must be (have been) available on CD.

I have collected the responses on this list. Major contributors are Jon Conrad, Vinh Nguyen and Charles Osborne (posted by Alak Chakravorty).

Barber Vanessa CO Mitropoulos/Steber/Gedda/Elias Beethoven Fidelio PK,VN,CO Klemperer/Ludwig/Vickers/Frick Bellini La Sonnambula PK Votto/Callas/Zaccaria/Cossoto/Monti CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Bellini Norma PK,VN,CO Serafin/Callas/Corelli/Ludwig VN Serafin/Callas/Del Monaco/Stignani Bellini I Puritani PK,VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Berg Wozzeck PK Abbado/Grundheber/Behrens JC,CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Lear Berg Lulu PK Boulez/Stratas/Minton CO Bohm/Lear Berlioz Les Troyens PK,VN,CO Davis/Vickers/Veasey Berlioz Benvenuto… CO,PD Davis/Gedda/Massard/Eda-Pierre Bernstein West Side Story CO Original Cast Recording Bizet Carmen PK,JC Solti/Troyanos/Domingo/van Dam VN /Victoria de los Angeles CO Pretre/Callas/Gedda/Massard Boito Mefistofele PK Rudel/Treigle/Domingo/Caballe Britten Peter Grimes PK Davis/Vickers/Harper JC,CO Britten/Pears/Watson Britten The Prodigal… PK Britten/Pears/Shirley-Quirk Britten The Turn of… JC Davis Britten Billy Budd CO Britten/Pears/Glossop/Langdon Britten Death in Venice CO Bedford/Pears/Shirley-Quirk Britten A Midsummer… CO Britten/Deller/Harwood/Brannigan Charpentier Louise PK Pretre/Cotrubas/Domingo/Berbie Cilea Adriana Lec… PK Capuana/Tebaldi/Del Monaco D'Albert Tiefland EB (Acanta) Debussy Pelléas et… PK Dutoit/Alliot-Lugaz/Henry CO Ensermet/Maurane/Spoorenberg Delibes Lakme PK,VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Bacquier/Vanzo Donizetti L'Elisir… VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Cossa CO Molinari-Pradelli/Gueden/diStefano Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia PK Perlea/Caballe/Flagello/Kraus VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arragall/Horne Donizetti Lucia di… PK,VN Karajan/Callas/Di Stefano/Panerai VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti/Milnes Donizetti La Fille du… PK Campanella/Anderson/Kraus VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Donizetti Don Pasquale PK Sabajno/Badini/Schipa/Poli CO Kertesz/Sciutti/Corena/Oncina Donizetti Anna Bolena VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Hadley CO Varviso/Suliotis/Ghiaurov/Horne Donizetti Mary Stuarda VN Bonynge/Sutherland/Pavarotti Donizetti Roberto Dev… VN Rudel/Caballe/Carreras Dvořák Rusalka PK Neuman/Novak/Benackova Enesco Oedipe PK Foster/Van Dam/Bacquier/Gedda Erkel Bank Ban PK Forencsik/Solyom-Nagy/Komlossy/Reti Falla La Vide Breve PK Fruhbeck de Burgos/De Los Angeles Gershwin Porgy and Bess PK Rattle/White/Haymon JC DeMain CO Maazel/White/Mitchell Giordano Andrea Chenier PK Gavazeni/Del Monaco/Tebaldi CO Levine/Scotto/Domingo/Milnes Glinka A life for… PK Markevich/Christoff/Stich-Randall Gluck Orfeo ed… PK Gardiner/Von Otter/Hendricks CO de Froment/Gedda/Verrett/Moffo ??? JC Solti/Horne Gluck Iphigénie… PK Gardiner/Montague/Allen/Aler Gounod Roméo et… PK,VN Plasson/Kraus/Malfitano/Van Dam Gounod Faust VN,CO Cluytens/de los Angeles/Gedda Handel Flavio PK Jacobs/Gall/Ragin/Lootens Handel Tamerlano PK Gardiner/Ragin/Robson/Argenta Handel Giulio Cesare CO Bohm/Fischer-Dieskau/Seefried Humperdinck Hansel und… PK Tate/Von Otter/Bonney/Lipovsek CO Eichorn/Donath/Moffo/Ludwig Humperdinck Konigskinder PK Walberg/Dallapozza/Donath/Prey Janáček Jenufa PK,VN Mackerras/Soderstrom/Randova Janáček The Cunning… PK Mackerras/Popp/Randova/Marova Janáček From the… PK Mackerras/Zahradnicek/Zidek/Zitek Lehar Lustige Witwe VN Matacic/Schwarzkopf/Gedda/Weachter CO,JC Ackermann/Schwarzkopf/Kunz Leoncavallo Pagliacci PK Cellini/Bjorling/De Los Angeles CO Serafin/diStefano/Callas/Gobbi Lortzing Der wildschutz PK Heger/Prey/Litz/Wunderlich Lully Atys PK Christie/De Mey/Laurens/Mellon Mascagni Cavalleria… PK Santini/De Los Angeles/Corelli JC Karajan JC /Tebaldi/Bjorling CO Serafin/Callas/diStefano/Panerai Massenet Manon PK,VN Monteux/De Los Angeles/Legay/Dens VN Plasson/Cotrubas/Krauss/Quilico CO Rudel/Sills/Gedda Massenet Esclarmonde PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Tourangeau Massenet Werther PK Plasson/Trotanos/Kraus/Manuguerra VN Davis/von Stade/Carreras CO Pretre/Gedda/De Los Angeles Massenet Thais VN Etchevery/Doria/Vanzo/Massard Menotti The Consul CO Engel/Neway Meyerbeer L'Africaine CO Perisson/Verrett/Domingo Meyerbeer Les Huguenots VN,CO Bonynge/Sutherland/Arroyo Meyerbeer Le Prophete VN Lewis/Horne/McCracken/Scotto Moussorgski Boris Godounov PK Cluytens/Christoff/Alexieva CO Dobrowen/Christoff/Gedda Moussorgski Khovanschina PK Abbado/Haugland/Atlantov/Popov Monteverdi La Favola d'… PK Corboz/Tappy/Schwartz/Staempfli Monteverdi Incoronazione.. PK Jacobs/Borst/Laurens/Larmore Mozart Entfuehrung… CO,JC Bohm/Auger/Schreier Mozart Idomeneo PK,JC Gardiner/Rolfe Johnson/Von Otter CO Davis/Shirley/Davies Mozart Le Nozze di… PK,VN Giulini/Taddei/Moffo/Wachter CO Kleiber,E/Gueden/Siepi/Della Casa Mozart Don Giovanni PK Haitink/Allen/Vaness/Lewis VN,CO Guilini/Waechter/Schwarzkopf/Taddei Mozart Cosi fan Tutte PK,VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Merriman JC Leinsdorff JC Solti JC Haitink VN,CO Boehm/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig Mozart La Clemenza… PK Kertesz/Krenn/Berganza/Casula JC Davis JC Gardiner Mozart Die Zauberflote PK Levine/Cotrubas/Tappy/Boesch VN,CO Klemperer/Janowitz/Putz/Popp Nicolai Die Lustige… PK Heger/Frick/Gutstein/Engen Offenbach Orphee… PK Plasson/Rhodes/Mesple/Senechal Offenbach Les Contes… PK Cambreling/Shicoff/Murray/Serra VN,JC Bonynge/Domingo/Sutherland CO Cluytens/Gedda/d'Angelo Offenbach La Belle Helene VN,SM Plasson/Norman/Aler/Bacquier Offenbach La Grande-Duch. NH Pepusch The Beggar's… CO Austin/Noble/Prietto/Lipton Pfitzner Palestrina PK Kubelik/Ridderbusch/Weikl Ponchielli La Gioconda VN Bartoletti/Caballe/Pavarotti CO,JC Gardelli/Tebaldi/Bergonzi/Horne Prokofieff Amour des… PK Nagano/Bacquier/Viala/Perraguin JC (Melodia, 60s) Puccini La Boheme PK,VN,CO Beecham/De Los Angeles/Bjorling VN,CO Karajan/Freni/Pavarotti Puccini Tosca PK,VN,CO De Sabata/Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi Puccini Madama But… PK,CO Barbirolli/Scotto/Bergonzi VN Gavazzeni/De los Angeles/Di Stefano Puccini La Rondine PK,CO Molinari-Pradelli/Moffo/Barioni VN Maazel/Te Kanawa/Domingo/Nicolesco Puccini La Fanciulla… PK,CO Mehta/Neblett/Domingo/Milnes Puccini Turandot PK Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Corelli VN,CO,JC Mehta/Sutherland/Pavarotti CO Molinari-Pradelli/Nilsson/Bjorling Puccini Manon Lescaut VN Sinopoli/Freni/Domingo/Bruson CO Bartoletti/Domingo/Caballe Purcell Dido and Aeneas PK Leppard/Norman/Allen CO Lewis/Baker/Herincx Ravel L' Heure… PK Maazel/Berbie/Giraudeau/Bacquier CO Ensermet/Danco Ravel L' Enfant… PK Maazel/Ogeas/Collard/Berbie CO Ensermet/Wend/Danco Rimski-Korsakov Shnegourochka PK Fedosejev/Archipova/Vedernikov Rossini L' Italiana… PK,CO Varviso/Berganza/Alva/Corena VN /Horne Rossini Il Barbiere… PK Marriner/Allen/Baltsa/Araiza CO Galliera/Callas/Gobbi/Alva Rossini Semiramide PK Bonynge/Sutherland/Horne Rossini Il Viaggio… PK Abbado/Gasdia/Terrani/Cuberli Rossini La Cenerentola CO de Fabritiis/Simionato/Benelli Rossini Guilaumme Tell VN,CO Gardelli/Caballe/Gedda/Bacquier Saint-Saëns Samson et… PK Pretre/Gorr/Vickers/Blanc VN Patane/Ludwig/King Schreker Der ferne Klang (Marco Polo) Schreker Die Schatzgraeber (Cappriccio) Schreker Die Gezeichneten (Marco Polo) Schubert Fierrabras PK Abbado/Holl/Mattila/Hampson Shostakovich The Nose PK Rosjdestvenski/Achimov/Belich Shostakovich Lady Macbeth… BH GR Rostropovich/Vishnesvskya Smetana The Bartered… PK Kempe/Lorengar/Wunderlich/Frick CO Chalabala/Tikalova/Zidek Sondheim Sweeney Todd CO Original Cast Recording Strauss, J Die Fledermaus PK Karajan/Kmentt/Gueden/Koth VN Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Streich/Gedda CO Krauss/Lipp/Gueden/Berry Strauss, J The Gypsy Baron CO Ackermann/Gedda/Schwarzkopf/Kunz Strauss, R Elektra PK,CO Solti/Resnik/Nilsson/Collier Strauss, R Salome VN,JC Leinsdorf/Caballe/Lewis/Resnik VN,CO Solti/Nilsson/Hoffman/Stolze VN Karajan/Behrens/Bohme/Baltsa JC Sinopoli/Studer Strauss, R Der Rosen… PK Kleiber, E/Reining/Weber/Jurinac VN,CO Karajan/Schwarzkopf/Ludwig JC Solti Strauss, R Die Frau… PK Sawallisch/Kollo/Studer/Schwarz VN Solti/Varady/Domingo/Behrens CO Bohm/Hopf/Rysanek/Scoeffler Strauss, R Arabella PK Sawallisch/Berry/Schmidt/Varady VN Tate/Te Kanawa CO Solti/Della Casa/London/Gueden Stravinsky Oedipus Rex CO Solti/Pears/Meyer/McCowen Stravinsky Rake's Progress CO Stravinsky/Young/Raskin/Reardon JC Atherton/Langridge Tippett The Midsummer.. CO Davis/Carlyle/Remedios Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin CO Rostropovich/Masurok/Vishnevskaya Tchaikovsky The Queen… PK Tchakarov/Ochman/Konsoelov Verdi Ernani CO Schippers/Price/Bergonzi/Sereni Verdi Nabucco CO Gardelli/Suliotis/Gobbi Verdi Luisa Miller CO Cleva/Moffo/Bergonzi/MacNeil Verdi Macbeth PK,CO Leinsdorf/Warren/Rysanek/Hines JC Muti Verdi Rigoletto PK Solti/Merrill/Moffo/Kraus JC Kubelik/F-D/Bergonzi/Scotto/Cossotto VN Serafin/Gobbi/Callas/Di Stefano CO Cellini/Warren/Berger/Peerce Verdi Il Trovatore PK,CO Cellini/Bjorling/Milanov/Warren VN Mehta/Price/Domingo/Cosotto Verdi La Traviata PK Ghione/Callas/Kraus/Sereni CO Pritchard/Sutherland/Bergonzi Verdi Simon Bocc… PK,CO Abbado/Cappuccilli/Freni/Ghiaurov Verdi Un Ballo… PK,VN,CO Leinsdorf/Price/Bergonzi/Merrill VN Solti/M. Price/Pavarotti/Bruson Verdi La Forza… PK,VN,CO Schippers/Price/Tucker/Merrill VN Levine/Price/Domingo/Milness/Cosotto Verdi Don Carlos PK,CO Giulini/Domingo/Caballe/Verrett VN Abbado/Domingo/Riciarelli/Terrini/Nuci Verdi Aïda PK,JC Perlea/Milanov/Barbieri/Bjorling VN,JC Solti/Price/Vickers/Gorr JC Muti/Caballe/Cossotto/Domingo CO,JC Serafin/Tucker/Callas/Barbieri Verdi Otello PK,CO Serafin/Vickers/Gobbi/Andreolli JC,CO Toscanini/Vinay JC Karajan JC,VN Levine/Domingo/Scotto/Milnes Verdi Falstaff PK,CO Karajan/Gobbi/Alva/Panerai VN Giulini/Bruson Wagner Der fliegende.. PK,CO Klemperer/Adam/Silja/Talvela Wagner Lohengrin PK,CO Kempe/Thomas/Grummer/Frick VN Solti/Domingo/Norman JC Kubelik/Janowitz/King Wagner Tristan… PK Bohm/Windgassen/Talvela/Nilsson CO Karajan/Vickers/Dernesch Wagner Meistersinger.. PK Karajan/Edelmann/Dalberg/Kunz JC,CO Karajan/Donath/Kollo/Adam VN Jochum/Fisher-Dieskau/Ligendza/Lagger Wagner Der Ring… PK, VN Solti/Nilsson/Windgassen CO Karajan CO Bohm Wagner Die Walkure PK Leinsdorf/Nilsson/Brouwenstijn JC Solti (as above) Wagner Tannhäuser CO VN Sinopoli/Domingo/Studer/Baltsa/Salminen Wagner Parsifal PK Solti/Dieskau/Hotter/Frick CO Knappertbusch/Thomas/London Weill Aufstieg und… CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Saverbaum Dreigroschen… CO Bruckner-Ruggeberg/Lenya/Schellow Initials in the third column indicate that the recording following the initials is considered to be very good (often even the best) by the owner of these initials. In case of PK, it also indicates that this opera was in the original list. If no recording follows the initials this means this opera is one of the most beautiful 100 operas, or simply that it's a very beautiful opera, in the opinion of the owner of the initials.

EB Eric E. Bowles JC Jon Conrad PD Peter DeLafosse NH Nadine S Harris BH Bill McHenry SM Scott Marley VN Vinh Nguyen CO Charles Osborne PK Paul Korenhof GR Gavin Ramsay

Paul Korenhof is the author of the list as in the original posting. He is chief-editor of "Opera Skala", as far as I know the only full-color magazine on Opera in the Netherlands, and of "Luister", the leading magazine on classical music.

For operas where there is no JC, Jon Conrad agrees with PK (at least that the recording PK picks is good; there is no recording obviously better, in JC's opinion) "Die Zauberflote" is the only exception on this (as far as becomes clear from JC's postings).

The CO recommendations come from a list, similar to Korenhof's. Alak Chakravorty posted it. He got it from a book from 1983 by Charles Osborne. Obviously no recordings from after 1983 are included.