It"s rare for sampler albums to demonstrate originality, but Decca"s Giuseppe Verdi compilation honoring the 100th anniversary of the composer"s death in 1901 goes beyond putting a smorgasbord of Verdiana on your plate. Its lavishly illustrated 100-page book includes a potted bio of the composer and sections on each of his operas, along with Universal"s complete Verdi catalog (but no texts or translations). The discs contain samples from each opera, arranged in chronological order, featuring most of the top singers of the past 40 years. They"re all here, from the Three Tenors to their betters, like Jon Vickers, whose powerfully sung "Celeste Aida" is a demonstration of individuality at the service of character portrayal, and Carlo Bergonzi, whose two selections (arias from Giovanna del Arco and Les Vêspres siciliennes) are magnificent demonstrations of the true Verdi style. And this is not just another Great Hits compilation, for many of the operas are represented by rarely heard arias and ensemble pieces. The result: a neat introduction to Verdi"s glorious music for neophytes and a nice supplement for Verdians, who will discover new aspects to the Bard of romantic opera. --Dan Davis