Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra present a gripping recording of Samuel Barber's 'Vanessa', the Pulitzer Prize-winning American opera of love, longing, and illusion. In Barber's atmospheric, emotionally charged score, echoes of Verdi, Puccini, and Hitchcock-era Hollywood intertwine with a distinctly modern American voice. This performance brings together an exceptional cast, including Nicole Heaston, J'Nai Bridges, Matthew Polenzani, Susan Graham, and Thomas Hampson, who illuminate Gian Carlo Menotti's haunting tale of desire across generations. Recorded live in concert, this release captures Vanessa's sweeping romanticism and psychological depth with vivid orchestral colour and extraordinary vocal artistry. A landmark addition to the contemporary operatic discography, it reveals why Vanessa remains one of the 20th century's most compelling operas.
Disc 1
1. Introduction (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
2. Potage CrŠme Aux Perles (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
3. No, I Cannot Understand (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
4. Must the Winter Come So Soon? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
5. Listen!...They Are Here (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
6. Do Not Utter a Word, Anatol (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
7. Yes, I Believe I Shall Love You (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
8. Who Are You? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
9. And Then? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
10. No, You Are Not As Good a Skater As Your Father Was (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
11. Under the Willow Tree Two Doves Cry (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
12. Erika, I Am So Happy (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
13. Did You Hear Her? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
14. Help, Help! Save Me from Their Talk (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
15. Outside This House the World Has Changed (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
16. Hurry, Now! (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
17. In Morning Light Let Us Rejoice (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
Disc 2
1. The Count and the Countess D'Albany (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
2. I Should Never Have Been a Doctor, Nicholas (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
3. Here You Are! (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
4. At Last I've Found You (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
5. Love Has a Bitter Core, Vanessa (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
6. Nothing to Worry About (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
7. Why Did No-one Warn Me? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
8. Why Must the Greatest Sorrows Come from Those We Most Love? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
9. There, Look! (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
10. On the Path to the Lake (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
11. Anatol, Tell Me the Truth! (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
12. Grandmother! (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
13. Intermezzo (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
14. By the Time We Arrive in Paris the New House Should Be Ready (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
15. For Ev'ry Love There Is a Last Farewell (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
16. And You, My Friend, What Are You Mumbling About? (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
17. Erika, Before I Leave You Must Tell Me the Truth About That Night (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
18. To Leave, to Break, to Find, to Keep (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
19. Goodbye, Be Happy, Aunt Vanessa (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
20. No, I Must Never Say That Name Again (Samuel Barber) - Various Performers
