Commented Discography of Bel Canto Operas
by RML

re:opera

---

Bellini Norma | I Puritani | La Sonnambula

Donizetti Anna Bolena | Don Pasquale | L’Elisir d’Amore | Lucia di Lammermoor Lucrezia Borgia | Maria Stuarda | Roberto Devereux

Rossini Il Barbiere di Siviglia | La Cenerentola | Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra Guglielmo Tell

L’Italiana in Algeri | Mosè in Egitto | Semiramide | Tancredi | Un Turco in Italia
Il Viaggio a Reims

 

~BELLINI

 

~Norma

1 - June Anderson (Norma), Daniela Barcellona (Adalgisa), Shin Young Hoon (Pollione), Ildar Abdrazakov (Oroveso), Coro del Festival Verdi, Orchestra Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi

2 - Joan Sutherland (Norma), Marilyn Horne (Adalgisa), John Alexander (Polllione), Richard Cross (Oroveso), London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Richard Bonynge

3 - Joan Sutherland (Norma), Montserrat Caballé (Adalgisa), Luciano Pavarotti (Pollione), Samuel Ramey (Oroveso), Orchestra and Chorus of the Welsh National Opera, Richard Bonynge

4 - Joan Sutherland (Norma), Tatiana Troyanos (Adalgisa), Francisco Ortiz (Pollione), Justino Diaz (Oroveso), Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and Chorus, Richard Bonynge

5 - Joan Sutherland (Norma), Margreta Elkins (Adalgisa), Ronald Stevens (Pollione), Clifford Grant (Oroveso), Australian Opera Chorus, Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra, Richard Bonynge

6 - Montserrat Caballé (Norma), Fiorenza Cossotto (Adalgisa), Plácido Domingo (Pollione), Ruggero Raimondi (Oroveso), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Felice Cillario

7 - Gina Cigna (Norma), Ebe Stignani (Adalgisa), Giovanni Breviario (Pollione), Tancredi Pasero (Oroveso), Orchestra e Coro della RAI, Torino, Vittorio Gui

8 - Edita Gruberová (Norma), Elina Garanca (Adalgisa), Aquiles Machado (Pollione), Alastair Miles (Oroveso), Vocal Ensemble Rastatt, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Friedrich Haider

9 - Edita Gruberová (Norma), Sonia Ganassi (Adalgisa), Zoran Todorovich (Pollione), Roberto Scandiuzzi (Oroveso), Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsorchester, Friedrich Haider

10 - Beverly Sills (Norma), Shirley Verrett (Adalgisa), Enrico di Giuseppe (Pollione), Paul Plishka (Oroveso), John Aldis Choir, New Philharmonia Orchestra, James Levine

11 - Renata Scotto (Norma), Tatiana Troyanos (Adalgisa), Giuseppe Giacomini (Pollione), Paul Plishka (Oroveso), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine

12- Renata Scotto (Norma), Margherita Renaldi (Adalgisa), Ermanno Mauro, Agostino Ferrin, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Firenze, Riccardo Muti

13 - Jane Eaglen (Norma), Eva Mei (Adalgisa), Vicenzo La Scola (Pollione), Dmitri Kavrakos (Oroveso), Coro e Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Riccardo Muti

14 - Montserrat Caballé (Norma), Josephine Veasey (Adalgisa), Jon Vickers (Pollione), Agostino Ferrin (Oroveso), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Reggio di Torino, Giuseppe Patanè

15 - Maria Callas (Norma), Ebe Stignani (Adalgisa), Mario Filippeschi (Pollione), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Oroveso), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro ala Scala, Milano, Tullio Serafin

16 - Maria Callas (Norma), Christa Ludwig (Adalgisa), Franco Corelli (Polione), Nicola Zaccaria (Oroveso), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, MilanoTullio Serafin

It wouldn’t be exaggerated to say that bel canto operas represent the precise moment of transition from Classicism to Romanticism in Italian opera. All the conventions of opera seria and opera buffa were being rethought in a very "rapid" process and the result was that roughly each new opera of the most important composers of the time had an immediate influence on the musical world. It is known how, for example, how Donizetti’s Anna Bolena had a fundamental role in the composition of Bellini’s Beatrice di Tenda. However, when the young composer from Catania completed his masterpiece, Norma, he really made something new.

Norma is probably the greatest bel canto opera and, as much as Mozart’s Idomeneo is the greatest opera seria, it took the genre to its limits - no wonder some of the greatest Romantic composers, such as Wagner and Chopin, admired this work, which opened a door to new possibilities of musical-dramatic expression. First of all, the very nature of expression intended by Bellini - a kind of melancholic and/or emotional atmosphere - and the means to convey it, especially a certain length of structure. Not only numbers were bigger and connected to other numbers forming large scenes, but the very "cell" of this structure - melody - was taken to its longest. I have the impression the idea of "neverending melody" may have occured to Wagner for the first time here.

Probably, the most important influence on Norma was Rossini’s Semiramide, premièred nine years before - at least, the only work before that to present musical drama in such a large scope. One only has to listen to the duets between Semiramide and Arsace to realize that. Nevertheless, it is almost certain that the decisive element in the creation of Norma was the talent of Giuditta Pasta. When Bellini wrote this opera, the idea was to highlight the prima donna’s intense dramatic powers.

The leading roles in Norma are extremely demanding - the title role being probably the most difficult in the entire operatic repertoire, since it requires the rare voice of soprano drammatico d’agilità, something more usually called "dramatic coloratura" today. It requires everything of a singer - an enormous range, complete control of coloratura, dynamics and of declamation and also a powerful voice. However, the role which has been posing more problems is Adalgisa, originally written for Giulia Grisi, the first Elvira in I Puritani - a lyric soprano. The tradition of casting operas with the four "basic" voices led this role to be taken by mezzo sopranos, which is particularly harmful - not only the part becomes more difficult, but also the idea that she should sound younger than Norma is lost. The first tenor to sing the role of Pollione was Domenico Donzelli, one of the first to produce top notes primarily on chest voice. Some authors say he would be called a baritone today, but this must be seen with great care. In those days, tenors would work basically on falsetto in higher tessitura - so, in comparison, Donzelli’s top notes should have sounded really darker. However, Pollione is a role that requires flexibility and dynamic refinement and this cannot be forgotten. In this context, the bass role, Oroveso, seems secondary, but the very reason why the role has no vocal pirouettes is that Bellini counted exactly on Vincenzo Negrini’s declamatory powers.

When the subject is Norma, it is impossible to avoid starting the discography speaking of the two more important exponents of the role in XXth century, Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. But one has to speak of Callas first. When verismo aesthetics evicted the bel canto tradition in early Italian Romantic opera, going to the theatre to see Norma would mean seeing a dramatic soprano who could be otherwise singing Turandot desperately trying to be a tempo in florid passages. It was Maria Callas who restored the correct stylistic approach to this role, showing that Norma needs both vocal weight and flexibility and above all the quality of Pasta - intensity of declamation - which is everything in this role. The kind of singing demanded here involves that every word in the text must be highlighted by means of dynamics, tempo and tone colouring in order to create the precise expressive effect. Alas, that has happened very rarely. But Callas had it all. There are many unofficial recordings of hers, but one should not concentrate on voice only but look for recordings where the sound allows for a complete musical experience - and, besides being complementary between themselves, Callas’s studio recordings are really interesting.

The first of them was made in 1954, when Callas was still in good voice, i.e., although there are some moments of unsteadiness, she is generally in command of her vocal production. The important thing is that the instrument itself - dark, ductile and slightly metallic - is the real thing for the role. Moreover, her ability to make it float whenever it is necessary is also of great help. From the interpretative point of view, Callas’s approach to the role was extremely emotional. As she does not settle limits for her expression, she always sounds convincing. Her Adalgisa here is Ebe Stignani, a veteran dramatic mezzo soprano. Here, it does not sound heavy at all and retains some beauty. She is not up to everything required from her, but does not spoil the fun. The tenor is routine and does not always display the best taste and the bass, despite his intelligence, is in worn voice. Tullio Serafin was an expert in this repertoire and his tempi are always sensible, but it is still "accompanying the singers" to some extent - some will find it positive, others will not. The edition is not immaculate - there are cuts, Casta Diva and the act II duet are transposed down and the score has been touched here and there.

Callas’s second studio recording, now on stereo, is quite a different affair. Although Serafin’s approach to the score and the quality of La Scala forces are consistent with the first performance, this one has a better cast, but the soprano was no longer in her best voice. It is not that the tone is ugly - it is not. It is only quite fragile - it gets incredibly unsteady under the minimal difficulty, generaly wobbling on the most exposed moments. However, considering that she did not have (and does not have) many rivals in the role, it is still quite a feat, and the interpretation itself had developed into a sharper and deeper one. Her Adalgisa is no more no less than Christa Ludwig, one of the most important singers of her generation. Many accuse her of being un-Italianate in the role, but I do think this is an advantage. Most Italian mezzos those days sang the role as if it was Azucena and Amneris. Ludwig never commits such a mistake. Her Adalgisa, due to the velvety tone, the brightness of her top notes and the gentle approach to chest voice, sounds young, sensuous and lovely. The contrast with Callas’s voice is quite telling - one easily sees the naïve younger woman and the bitter older one in these singers’ voices. It is important to remember - Ludwig was also in flexible voice for this recording and deals with her difficult part with relative ease. It was also most fortunate that Franco Corelli was in his best behaviour in this recording. His legato is really working here and he is less inclined to do the effects that disfigure most of his performances. Also, the lighter-handed approach makes his voice sound really beautiful. Nicola Zaccaria is a great Oroveso.

Four years later, Decca would challenge EMI with their first Norma, on stereo sound. The main element of this performance was the Australian soprano Joan Sutherland in the title role. Offering a voice of real power which was unable to get shrill or metallic, no matter how hard she tried, she caused real impression in the audiences, especially because her coloratura was incredibly easy and her trill is still the specimen used for examples. In this recording, she is in her youthful best and sings a really fuller edition (including some extra bars nobody dares to sing, in which she is wonderfully partnered by her Adalgisa) and Casta Diva in its original tonality. This efortlessness and her gentler interpretation makes for a more realistic high priestress. Many accuse Sutherland’s Norma of being indifferent, but this is insensible and insensitive. Although Sutherland had a placid dramatic temper, I think she quite successfuly adapted her roles to her manners. Her Norma is a dignified and self-contained woman who seems more remorseful than vindicative and, when she really throws protocol to the winds as (in In mia man), it is always a sensational dramatic turn. She is also really expressive in the closing scene, offering a chilling final top note. Her Adalgisa is the American mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne. If one has in mind her thick-toned later performances, one should forget that. In the beginning of her career, Horne had sung as a soprano and, by the time of this recording, it seemed she could do whatever she wanted of her voice. When she needs the brightness and lightness of a soprano voice, she has it; when she needs the extra resonance in low notes, she has it too. Moreover, her Adalgisa sounds young and is always dramatically right. No need to mention that her coloratura is superlativel. The male singers are not in this standard. John Alexander, although he is stylish, is light-voiced for the role of Pollione and, as a result, lacks spontaneity. As for Richard Cross’s Oroveso, one hardly notices he is there - his vocalism is too modest to cause an impression. Bonynge’s conducting, although there is nothing bad going on here, has nothing outstanding happening either. It lacks definition, in articulation, in tempo and in structural understanding, but Decca’s overlarge recorded sound might have something to do with it.

When Sutherland re-recorded this opera in studio, she was 58. Although it is impressive that she was still able to sing it, her voice had suffered many alterations meanwhile. Its purity and brightness had been gone and the sound tended to be throaty. However, I think her idea of taking her Norma to studio again was a response to some criticism made on her. The throaty quality is quite tamed and she concentrates more on producting clearer vowels. Although she has to lighten the tone for coloratura, her accomplishment in technical filigree is still amazing. How many people can sing Bello a me ritorna in such pace as she does? That said, the interpretation, although a bit more positive, is less natural too. One has the impression that the idea was to keep the tone as steady as possible and the rest took second place to it. I think it is understandable considering the circumstances, but it is not reason enough for someone to buy a second Norma. However, the rest of the cast offers that. First of all, although Montserrat Caballé was not at her most inspired, the very fact of her casting as Adalgisa automatically turns this into an important recording. For the first time, one understands what Grisi might have been in the role. The whole sound image of the duets changes and some passages gain new sense. Of course, Caballé brings many advantages, such as creamy tone, her famous legato and the legendary pianissimi. There is also Luciano Pavarotti’s Pollione, whose ease of tone, long experience with bel canto repertoire, clear diction and spontaneity really bring the role of Pollione to life. Last but not least, Samuel Ramey is a great Oroveso. Bonynge is very animated here and keeps the drama on high voltage, although his focus is still the vocal element. Decca’s recorded sound is quite an improvement on the first performance, although voices are recorded close to the microphones this time.

Sutherland’s video from Sydney would be a "for fans only" performance, but, due to the lack of decent videos of this work, it turns into a necessary evil if one wants to see Norma. First of all, the staging, sceneries and costumes are incredibly ugly and amateurish. Some could also point that Sutherland was a bit old for her role, but that didn’t disturb me a lot - she deserved better hairdressing and make-up, though. She looks...funny here. Vocally, it is quite similar to her second studio recording, but her interpretation is sharper because she is on stage, of course. This Norma of hers seems to be concentrated more on "offended dignity" than anything else. Anyway, she is miles ahead of her colleagues. Margreta Elkins is a thick voiced Adalgisa. The only positive thing about her performance is how she can actually sing all the notes with such an unfavourable vocal placement. She looks as if taking part in a veteran performance of "Hair". What can one say about Ronald Steven’s Pollione without being rude? It is awful and his hair-cut looks as a tribute to the Beatles. The bass is quite harmless. Bonynge goes for excitement again and the recorded sound and image are very helpful.

Sutherland’s other video is unfortunately another "for fans only" affair. The recorded sound is problematic, favouring onstage events and prone to congestion when both leading ladies are singing together. Also, the production is ugly and uninteresting. Although Bonynge’s basic tempi and accents are apt enough, the recorded sound and the need to adapt to singers’ conveniences disfigure them. It was not a good day for Sutherland, she takes too much time to warm and, when she does, she does not reach real comfort. Her act 1 is impared by short breath and grey tone. Later, the voice gets round and more ductile, but low register is not completely functional throughout. Tatiana Troyanos is always an interesting Adalgisa, a bit timid in the low reaches that evening and affected by the prevailing shabbiness. Francisco Ortiz has a strong tenor, but the tone is not exactly pleasant and he is helplessly stentorian. Justino Diaz is in strong voice, but not at his most stylish.

Caballé’s Norma main virtue was to propose still another view of the role of the high priestress. Considering that she could find it without imitating Callas, Gencer or Sutherland, it is a great achievement of that Spanish soprano. I would call Caballé’s Norma quite Mediterranean - it is very sensuous and concentrates more on the private affairs than on the public ones. Conveyed through her creamy tone, exquisite pianissimi and pure legato, the character rather depicts a passionate and jealous woman. On the other hand, it is particularly nice the way she snarls in the confrontations with Pollione. As it was a very windy night in Orange, it is difficult speaking of acting, but the veils and capes floating all around made for beautiful scenes. Josephine Veasey’s style and voice are unsuited to Bellini and her coloratura is quite blurred. Jon Vickers brings energy and power to the role of Pollione, but he too is poorly acquainted with bel canto. He simpifies part of what he has to sing, but, differently from Veasey, his artistry is too special to be overlooked. Agostino Ferrin is a competent Oroveso. The recorded sound is too variable for comfort, especially when the choir is involved, and the wind interferes with the microphones now and then.

When Caballé took her glamourous Norma to studio, things turned out less interesting. Her voice is still very creamy and beautiful, but the extreme notes are less comfortable (the top ones a bit shrill and the low notes a bit guttural). There are minor imprecisions here and there, as much as in Orange, but, without the dramatic focus, this gets more noticeable. I do not like Fiorenza Cossotto’s Adalgisa. She exemplifies the "Amneris-like" approach. Moreover, her top notes are hard. Plácido Domingo is in healthy voice, although his passagework could be better handled. He is not very concerned too. Raimondi is miscast as Oroveso - his voice is both light and high for the role. However, the dull conducting of Cillario and the inacceptable recorded sound alone - dry, close and aggressive - make it a disappointing recording.

Although Beverly Sills is more immediately associated with lighter coloratura roles, she actually sang the role of Norma on stage during the 70's in places like Boston, New Jersey and San Diego, usually partnered by Tatiana Troyanos. Judging from the document of her live performance under Anton Guadagno from Hartford in 1972, the lightness of her soprano did not pose any problem for her audibility on her stage performances. In spite of the unusual girlish quality her voice might possess, the lower end of the tessitura causes her no trouble. Dramatic passages finds her operating really close to her limits, but the strain never impares her legato, the nimbleness of her coloratura and the clarity of her diction. Her understanding of dramatic situations and the spontaneity of her Italian declamation pay off in a particularly moving account of the role, not to mention the purity of tone and the sheer excitement of her absolutely clear divisions, especially in these fast tempi. Moreover, she is unusually restrained in decoration. How wise was the idea of casting Shirley Verrett as Adalgisa next to such a light-toned Norma is still subject of dispute. Although the mezzo-soprano is particularly subdued, avoiding the break into chest voice and handling her lines with softness, her instrument is by nature more imposing than that of the performance's prima donna. Some say that this prevents the perfect blending of their voices, but I am afraid the Tonmeister is to blame, on having each singer's voice recorded in compartimented perspective. Even in the most complex ensembles, one can clearly follow every individual line. Enrico di Giuseppe's tenor is spontaneous and, although the tone is rarely caressing, his lines are generally smoothly sung, but the tightness and edginess in his vocal production can be bothersome. He is also distinctively overparted - his low notes are often unsupported. Paul Plishka is in strong voice. This is certainly one of his best recorded performances. Although the young James Levine is not really attuned to early Romantic Italian style and often emplys bombastic accents more proper to Puccini than to Bellini, his rhythmic straightforwardness may be refreshing and his orchestra is in great shape. In the more intimate scene, he does try to relax, but the results might be rather awkward. The recorded sound could be more spacious, though. The edition is complete and there is no downward transposition in Casta Diva nor in the Norma/Adalgisa duets.

Six years taught Levine a lot of things. Although this is not yet Bellini, it is really less off the mark. His approach is still unrelaxed and much of the natural flow of the music is lost. Also, the recorded sound is artifficial - again on the aggressive side with singers recorded close and in advantage to the orchestra. Renata Scotto is the only Italian Norma recorded and she uses it to complete advantage. Her performance is the most dramatically alert in the discography. Her In mia man, where she alternately caresses and scorns, is particularly enlightening. However, this role was heavy for her voice and her top notes sound piercing and shrill. This nearly ruins her every lyric moment. Casta Diva is particularly bad (she sings it one tone lower, but not the duets with Adalgisa). In this context, the casting of Tatiana Troyanos is particularly perverse, since the American mezzo is in gleaming voice, offering powerful top notes and exciting coloratura throughout. Although she does not make her role a Verdian act, she is not fully at home with bel canto, showing rather unvaried tone colouring. Giuseppe Giacomini is a good Pollione - his voice is very dark, but rather flexible and he has natural musicianship. Unfortunately, Paul Plishka offers here uningratiating vocalism.

As a matter of fact, the whole spectrum of Scotto's Norma is shown in Muti's live performance from Florence. Although the sound image is a bit restricted, the theatre acoustics are faithfully caught, as well as the excitement of witnessing a truly legendary night at the opera. This is one of Renata Scotto's most impressive recorded performances. Here is a Norma who has everything - a splendid voice, the theatical intelligence and the temper. No other singer in this role offers this kind of expressive phrasing col testo - each note speaks in this recording, while the musicianly aspects are taken care with knowledge of style. Her partnership with Muti is admirable - the great conductor and his admirable soloist build together a memorable experience, rare in this repertoire. Margherita Rinaldi is a young-sounding vulnerable Adalgisa. Her bright pure soprano contrasts beautifully to Scotto's. Ermanno Mauro is far from that level, but his pleasant natural tenor at least does not spoil the show.

In digital recorded sound, Muti proves again to be the only major conductor dealing with the work on recordings (it is said that Karajan started to record it with Ricciarelli and Freni, but was unable to finish it). His reading of the score reveals many niceties and his rhythmic accuracy and sense of structure has the touch of Midas in many usually less attractive passages. Alas, his cast is below standard. Although she is really determined to do something nice of Norma, Jane Eaglen’s technique is not up to the task. It is not ugly in the ear, but it is tentative most of the time. The only advantage is her strict obedience to Muti’s instructions, but this is very poor compensation. Eva Mei’s bright lyric soprano as Adalgisa is the only pleasant performance here. Her voice is a bit small for her role, but due to her natural projection she defends herself most of the time. Her girlishness is really welcome too. One cannot say the same thing of Vicenzo La Scola’s meagre vocalism in the role of Pollione and Dmitri Kavrakos lacks firmnes as Oroveso. That performance may be found stereo on EMI and mono on Opera d’Oro in bargain price. It was recorded live in Ravenna with the Florentine forces.

It would be unfair to call Friedrich Haider's recording Gruberová's. Actually she is one of the strong features of a recording that deserves to appear in any short discography of this opera. Helped by excellent recorded sound (live, but one would never discover that unless he reads it on the CD cover), the Austrian conductor offers clarity and an undemonstrative way of showing the hidden niceties in the score which is most welcome. Also, he places extraordinary importance in the sounds coming from the pit. Therefore, singers are surrounded by orchestral sound in an almost Mozartian way. Thus, instrumental solos are given rare prominence, what makes scenes such as O rimembranza particularly effective. The only drawback of this thought-through approach is a certain lack of dramatic momentum in key moments, such as the closing scene. This sense of calculation can also be found in the performance's prima donna. Norma is a role Gruberová has patiently waited to add to her (long) repertoire. At 58, her voice has found the naturalness in its lower reaches so important for the role. Not that the voice has darken with age - on the contrary it is perfectly bright and pure as she had half her age. One could say she has cunningly learned to focus her tone down there to perfection. Because of that and her legendary ease with high tessitura and fioriture, her Norma sounds unusualy young. She does not display the theatrical authority of a Scotto or a Callas, but rather builds her performance from details as a Lieder singer (and her amazingly clear diction and articulation are key elements of that). This is particularly effective in the most intimate scenes. In the most outspoken moments, the unleashed radiance of her voice helps her to generate the necessary energy. In any rate, this is above all a refreshingly intelligent rendition of the role. However, that very feeling that everything is in control (except in the occasional moments where a certain Viennese affectation pervades) gives a somewhat detached sense to the performance as a whole. In any case, her musical accuracy and classical stylishness ensure that she belong to the list of important exponents of this difficult role. Having a mezzo Adalgisa in these circumstances is a bit confusing, but Elina Garanca is such a superlative singer that one easily dismisses this first impression. Her mezzo is even over the whole range - and her velvety voice is flexible and ductile, not to mention that her high register would make envious many a soprano. Aquiles Machado has a solid handsome voice that only tightens in the extreme high notes. He is also an elegant singer if not the most charismatic and creative (but how many Polliones are that?). Finally, Alastair Miles's firm bass is most welcome in the role of Oroveso.

Edita Gruberová takes again the role of the druidess in the video from the Bayerische Staatsoper. Although her audio recording shows her a bit more comfortable from the vocal point of view (the lower tessitura never allows her true command), the stage performance not only shows extra commitment to the dramatic situations but also an intelligent and original approach to the role. Here Norma is primarily a woman willing to find happiness trapped (as depicted by Jurgen Flimm's settings) by the social, religious and political circumstances. Only the discovery that her hopes of marital bliss with Pollione were vain throws her into tragical status. From this point-of-view, the singer cunningly uses Bello, a me ritorna to show her initial daydreaming state-of-mind. The fact that Gruberová's voice is still in splendid shape and puzzingly young-sounding is instrumental to her performance, but - ungracious as this may sound - the truth is that she looks too old for close-up video shooting, especially when showed next to children who actually seem to be her grandchildren. Although Sonia Ganassi is occasionally tested by the high-lying passages of her duets with Norma, she is nonetheless a most commendable Adalgisa, offering utterly stylish phrasing, strong technique and remarkable feeling for the text. Zoran Todorovich's tenor does not take very well to legato, especially in the upper part of his range and is a also a bit monochrome in his interpretation. It is also a pity that Roberto Scandiuzzi's bass is a bit woolly and not entirely even in the part of Oroveso. Friedrich Haider's conducting is consistent with his audio recording. Nightingale's warmer and more closely recorded orchestral sound, however, helped him to add interest to a performance running dangerously close to dramatic flatness. Jurgen Flimm's production at first seems stylized, but then military uniforms for the Romans and machine-guns are supposed to make us believe that the action has been updated to some contemporary East/West conflict. Should this be his intent, he should have developed that further. As it is, the stage and costume design are fortunately unobtrusive, while his stage direction is generally efficient.

Based on Maurizio Biondi's new edition made from the autograph scores, Fabio Biondi, with the help of his wonderful period instrument orchestra, offers the most thought-through performance of Norma. A specialist in baroque music, Biondi concentrates on stylish phrasing, re-thinking embellishment and alternative notes and giving true meaning to something most conductors would consider mere accompaniment. His concern with orchestral colour is particularly welcome; in the most extrovert moments, there is real sense of forward movement and energy, while the most most lyric episodes are wrapped in warm and expressive sound. Rarely the closing scene has sounded so moving as in this recording. My only doubt regards the intrusive use of the fortepiano, as in the act II finale. When June Anderson recorded this role, her upper register had already lost its juice, and the sound is wiry, piercing and not entirely firm. Her attempts to produce mezza voce are often shrill and flat too. On the other hand, her low register is completely developed and she still retains her ease with fioriture, dealing with some difficult passages without any effort. However, it is Anderson's unnafected and emotionally honest impersonation which deserves pride of place. As she does not turn it into a diva act, her Norma goes straight to the heart and, by the end of her touching performance, you will have entirely forgotten vocal failures of any kind. As Adalgisa, Daniela Barcellona displays a full rich flexible mezzo soprano even on a wide range. One could rightly point out that it is altogether too imposing a voice for a young naïve character, but Barcellona brings her character to life with the help of her musicianly phrasing, skillful use of declamation and tonal variety. Shin Young Hoon's tenor is too tense and bottled up in the higher reaches. He is incapable of true legato and the tone is not really attractive. As he does not try to do anything really bold, his performance is not really vulgar and stays within the levels of acceptability. Ildar Abdrazakov's bass is too short on both ends and tends to disappear in ensembles. The production is not really imaginative, but still elegant and functional. Costumes are appealing, but the make-up is exaggerated: Pollione looks as a zombie! The stage direction is effective, and both leading ladies' dramatic talents are taken advantage of. Finally, the recorded sound is excellent, offering perfect balance between voices and orchestra.

top

~I Puritani

1 - Joan Sutherland (Elvira), Pierre Duval (Arturo), Renato Capecchi (Riccardo), Ezio Flagello (Giorgio), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Richard Bonynge

2 - Joan Sutherland (Elvira), Luciano Pavarotti (Arturo), Piero Cappuccilli (Riccardo), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Giorgio), Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge

3 - Mariella Devia (Elvira), William Matteuzzi (Arturo), Cristopher Robertson (Riccardo), Paolo Washington (Giorgio), Teatro Massimo di Catania, Richard Bonynge

4 - Edita Gruberová (Elvira), Justin Lavender (Arturo), Ettore Kim (Riccardo), Francesco Ellero d’Artegna (Giorgio), Münchner Rundfunk, Fabio Luisi

5 - Montserrat Caballé (Elvira), Alfredo Kraus (Arturo), Matteo Manuguerra (Riccardo), Agostino Ferrin (Giorgio), Philharmonia, Riccardo Muti

6 - Beverly Sills (Elvira), Nicolai Gedda (Arturo), Louis Quilico (Riccardo), Paul Plishka (Giorgio), London Philharmonic, Julius Rudel

7 - Maria Callas (Elvira), Giuseppe di Stefano (Arturo), Rolando Panerai (Riccardo), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, La Scala, Tullio Serafin

 

top

~La Sonnambula

1 - Maria Callas (Aminda), Eugenia Ratti (Lisa), Cesare Valletti (Elvino), Giuseppe Modesti (Rodolfo), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milano, Leonard Bernstein

2 - Joan Sutherland (Amina), Sylvia Stahlmann (Lisa), Nicola Monti (Elvino), Fernando Corena (Rodolfo), Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Richard Bonynge

3 - Joan Sutherland (Amina), Isobel Buchanan (Lisa), Luciano Pavarotti (Elvino), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Rodolfo), London Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge

4 - Eva Mei (Amina), Gemma Bertagnolli (Lisa), Josep Bros (Elvino), Giacomo Prestia (Rodolfo), Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Daniel Oren

5 - Natalie Dessay (Amina), Jaël Azzaretti (Lisa), Francesco Meli (Elvino), Carlo Colombara (Rodolfo), Orchestre et Choeur de l'Opéra de Lyon, Evangelino Pidò

6 - Mariella Devia (Amina), Elisabetta Battaglia (Lisa), Luca Canonici (Elvino), Alessandro Verducci (Rodolfo), Coro Città di Como, Orchestra Sinfonica di Piacenza, Marcello Viotti

7 - Edita Gruberová (Amina), Dawn Kotoski (Lisa), Josep Bros (Elvino), Roberto Scandiuzzi (Rodolfo), Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Marcello Viotti

8 - Maria Callas (Amina), Eugenia Ratti (Lisa), Nicola Monti (Elvino), Nicola Zaccaria (Rodolfo), Coro e Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano, Antonino Votto

8 - Luba Orgonasová (Amina), Dilber (Lisa), Raúl Gimenez (Elvino), Francesco Ellero d’Artegna, The Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra and Choir, Alberto Zedda.

Bellini and Felice Romani, on the commision of Milan’s Teatro Carcano (in the same season when Donizetti’s Anna Bolena was premièred), had settled their minds in order to create an operas based on Victor Hugo’s Hernani. However, censorship forced them to change their mind. Scribe’s vaudeville "La Sonnambule", a play completely free from political problems, was found. As it was a last minute solution, they had to work really fast and couldn’t dream about the success the piece was going to find.

As it is, La Sonnambula is one of the most elegiac operatic works ever written, with its buccolic atmosphere and melancholic melodism and very discrete action. As one could have expected, the success of a performance of this opera depends on the skills of the tenor and the soprano taking the roles of Elvino and Amina, although the bass has its share of importance and, for theatre’s sake, Lisa should be convincingly cast too. It is funny that both Anna Bolena and La Sonnambula’s original performances shared the same prima donna and primo tenore - Giuditta Pasta and Giovanni Rubini, since their writing for those legendary singers couldn’t be more different. Pasta was the first Norma and the only thing to remind us that here is the consistent use of low register. As for Rubini, Bellini took full advantage of the particularly high range of his voice. He could sing notes above high c with rare ease. Because of that, the tessitura is fiendishly high. As a matter of fact, most performances suffer lots of downward transposition, which can be harmful to Bellini’s original harmonic thoughts.

Bonynge’s Florence recording is considered a classic and it has serious reasons for that - the most noticeable one is Joan Sutherland in her prime in one of her very best roles. The artlessness of her performance matching exactly the naïveté and congeniality of Amina. Moreover, Sutherland’s singing here is simply miraculous - the cabaletta of Come per me sereno sets unsurpassed standards - rarely coloratura has been sung with such effortlessness and musicianship. Of course, Bonynge takes advantage of that to go for some very fast tempi few other sopranos would dare to try. Sylvia Stahlmann’s Lisa is built with a very fragile tone, but is has a certain blasé quality that works somehow for Lisa. The problems start with Nicola Monti’s Elvino, in his second recording. His voice is incredibly smaller than Sutherland’s and, although he is sensitive and has decent mezza voce, mezzo forte sounds like very loud for him. Of course, the role is very difficult and he deals with the intricacies of his part very honestly - he does what he can with serenity. Fernando Corena’s Rodolfo is witty enough, but his voice lacks low notes and some nobility. The Maggio Musicale forces do a good job and Bonynge keeps it animated enough, but knows how to relax for the more lyric moments. I only think that Sutherland being placed so far from the microphone (quite understandably) creates a weird halo around her voice and maker her low notes to sound a bit pale.

Almost 20 years later, Sutherland and Bonynge decided to give Sonnambula another try. It is remarklable that Sutherland, in 1980, was still in top form for the role. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages. First, good news: the diction is clearer, the low notes are richer and she is better recorded. However, the exuberant technical show-off of 1962 gave place to a skilled careful technical display. Worse of all: the most important passage of her role, Ah, non credea mirarti, is now sung without pathos and this is something one cannot overlook. Pavarotti is singing beautifully and makes of Elvino a handsomer character. However, to achieve this, he indulges in transposition in his arias and duets. Isobel Buchanan is an excellent Lisa, but Nicolai Ghiaurov seems misplaced in bel canto. His singing is good enough, of course, but he sounds 'foreign' to my ears. Bonynge’s conducting here is more concerned about giving operational space to his singers, but the digital recorded sound is helpful indeed. The final scene here ends with Sutherland singing alone.

Taken from a performance at the Concertgebouw in 1992, the Naxos bargain-priced performance is attractive indeed. Everything is in very good level, although the performance is not revelatory in any sense. Luba Orgonasova’s rich soprano fulfills Bellini’s writing with relative ease, but not with enough poise when the demands are very hard on her. I think that, basically, it has to do with the fact that, although she is expressive and ellegant most of the time, her approach is not intrinsically bel canto-ist. The voice acquires a Slavic metal in some top notes, low notes tend to lack spontaneity and her interpretation sometimes has more to do with Lieder than with bel canto. I was going to write "just compare her with Callas to see why", but that seemed unfair. Maybe what I am trying to say is: if the voice and technique were a bit more Italianate, this would have been very close to perfection. Predictably, Ah, non credea mirarti is exquisitely sung. Dilber’s Lisa is very good and Ellero d’Artegna’s Rodolfo is decent enough, although not memorable. Raúl Gimenez has the control of the high tessitura and the ease with mezza voce at his side. The voice is a bit pinched to my ears, but he is sensitive and sings with unfailing good taste. Zedda tends to be a bit rhythmically square, but he has a good orchestra, warmly recorded.

top

~DONIZETTI

~Anna Bolena

1 - Edita Gruberová (Anna), Delores Ziegler (Giovanna), Josep Bros (Riccardo), Stefano Palatchi (Enrico), Hungarian RTV, Elio Boncompagni

2 - Joan Sutherland (Anna), Suzanna Mentzer (Giovanna), Jerry Hadley (Riccardo), Samuel Ramey (Enrico), Welsh National Opera, Richard Bonynge

3 - Beverly Sills (Anna), Shirley Verrett (Giovanna), Stuart Burrows (Riccardo), Paul Plishka (Enrico), London Symphony, Julius Rudel

4 - Maria Callas (Anna), Giulietta Simionato (Giovanna), Gianni Raimondi (Riccardo), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Enrico), La Scala, Gianandrea Gavvazzeni

5 - Leyla Gencer (Anna), Giulietta Simionato (Giovanna), Aldo Bertocci (Riccardo), Plinio Clabassi (Enrico), Sinfonica della RAI di Milano, Gianandrea Gavazzeni

Anna Bolena was the opera that made Donizetti’s name as a first rate operatic composer It was his first work to be performed outside Italy and its creation has lots to do with the Teatro Carcano in Milan, which decided to offer a splendid season in 1830/31, offering the first performances both of Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Donizetti’s Anna Bolena. For both works, they had the sensational team involving librettist Felice Romani, prima donna Giuditta Pasta and tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini.

Besides being a turning point in Donizetti’s career, Anna Bolena is also part of an important moment of operatic history. Due to the great success of this work, the tradition of the "lieto finale" in opera seria was forever broken. Although it was not the first opera to have a tragic ending (one can never forget Rossini’s Semiramide, for example), it certainly was the first Italian work to find such popular favour in opting for a sad ending. We must remember that Mozart and Varesco opted for a happy ending to Idomeneo (different from the original tragédie lyrique in which the work was inspired, in which Idamante dies) and that Rossini had to write an optional happy end to Trancredi, just to name a few examples. The whole style of Donizettian opera was established in this work, including the sophisticated mad scenes, where the most important motivic references are re-exposed to the audience. If we take into consideration that such scenes, as shown in this opera and Bellini’s Sonnambula, have set a pattern still to be found in works such as Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Götterdämmerung and R.Strauss’ Salome, one can see the importance of the musical-dramatic revolutions made here.

In many ways, this opera startled its first audiences - Donizetti was breaking with all the Rossinian classic "symmetric" patterns (including ensembles where singers had different thematic material) most of all. The work has a fresh dramatic quality and one can forgive Donizetti’s interrupting the flow of events in act III with the tenor big aria: he had to please his famous singers, to whom he owed part of the success of the première. As said above, the first Bolena was Giuditta Pasta, the most powerful singing actress of her generation. Donizetti had her advice on writing her part and it takes profit of her every vocal and dramatic talents. The closing scene of this opera is one of the most exquisite in bel canto repertoire. I must add that Donizetti’s gift to depict tragic atmosphere and contrasting feelings was at its best in these pages. The role of Giovanna Seymour was first taken by Elisa Orlandi, who later in her career shifted to the title role. Eventually, the part started to be given to mezzo sopranos, which is again complicate, since it involves some really high notes. The tenor part of Riccardo is incredibly difficult to cast, since its first exponent, Rubini, was famous for his ease with stratospheric tessitura and florid phrasing. However, one should not forget that the bass part is of utmost importance too: it requires a powerful voice with good extreme notes, flexibility and declamatory part. The breeches role of Smeton, meant for a contralto, is also important, although his arias are sometime cut.

The La Scala performance is taken from a broadcast and, although the sound has no distortions, singers get off-mike sometimes and the image could be more clear too. The singer one generally compares to Pasta is obviously Callas and the raison d’être of this performance is the Greek diva in one of her very best recordings. She is in beautiful voice - even the in alts are warmer than usually. Her command of coloratura and dynamics is astonishing and she gives real life to the text. Also, her Anna is more believable for being so regal - dignified but full of strength. In the role of Seymour, Giulietta Simionato is also in strong voice, with clean divisions and powerful chest notes. However, she sounds too commanding as the lady-in-waiting of the queen. As a matter of fact, I think she sounds a bit matronly and that does not got with the character portrayed in the opera. In the heavily cut edition adopted here, the role of Percy is simplified. Nevertheless, Gianni Raimondi is in very beautiful voice and displays smooth phrasing. It is a pity that Nicola Rossi-Lemeni is in such woolly unfocused voice. Not for one moment, he suggest the character devised by Donizetti and Romani.

The other Gavazzeni performance is, in some aspects, even more impressive than the La Scala one. First of all, the recorded sound, at least in the edition I listened to, is clearer (the performances were made live in a radio studio), but, most of all, there is Leyla Gencer in the title role. Even if Callas sets highest standards for the role, Gencer matches all of them and arguably even betters them. She owes nothing in dramatic insight to Callas, and offers a voice not only more evenly produced but also exquisite in tone. Her Al dolce guidami is a showcase of niceties - a delivery of the text as good as Callas’s, a mastery in coloratura as good as Sutherland’s and pianissimi as floating as Caballé’s - the famous trills in the finale, however, are to be completed in your imagination. Giulietta Simionato is a bit more focused as Seymour here, but Bertocci is disappointing as Percy and Plinio Clabassi, although he has a good notion of what kind of man Henry VIII is, lacks the vocal possibilities of accomplishing his views.

It is generally said that it is a pity Sutherland took the part of Bolena so late (1987) to the studio. However, I find this date quite favourable in other every sense to this recording, but for Sutherland. Bonynge was already a seasoned conductor and his "flaccid" older style of conducting is not here anymore. He offers really animated pace and a more sophisticated feeling for orchestral sounds. His balance of voice and woodwind in Al dolce guidami is exemplary. Also, the forces of the Welsh National Opera are in very good shape here. Although Decca’s recorded sound favours singers’ voices, the orchestra is rich and full all the same. The cast is excellent. Suzanne Mentzer offers here probably her best recorded performance. The sound is youthful, distinctive and she deals with panache with top notes and coloratura. Also, Jerry Hadley, who is not the most stylish Donizettian one could imagine, is in impressive voice and is so fearless about his (very) high notes and passagework that one cannot help praising what he does here. I don’t want to sound repetitive, but it is the best thing I have ever heard from him on studio. He is also very sensitive to the dramatic situations and phrases cleanly. Only a couple of emphasis sound Verdian here and there, but it is entirely forgivable considering the advantages he brings to the part. Most of all, Samuel Ramey is impressive as Henry VIII. There is nothing to highlight in his performance - it is uniformly excellent in all aspects. The secondary roles are all very well taken, Bernadette Manca di Nissa deserving special mention to her pleasant and firmly sung Smeton. Alas, the title role is below these impressive standards. Although she is more specific about her pronunciation and her coloratura and in alt’s are still the real thing, Sutherland no longer could offer the kind of vocal "sculpting" the part asks for. This is more noticeable in a role unsuited to her temper. One cannot help thinking that Ann Boleyn is the tragic heroine par excellence - as depicted in this opera, it is a proud wronged woman who defies death in a very courageous way. She lives only extreme situations during the whole opera and Sutherland is basically too "sweet" the whole time. I think that, in this stage of her career, she had to opt for producting steady sounds instead of working with a full range of tone colouring. In the events, she constantly calls less attention that her partners throughout. The situations gets more serious in cantilena than in cabaletta, since the tone is not as pleasant and steady as it used to be. The closing scene particularly lacks pathos, alas. The edition is complete.

top

~Don Pasquale

1 - Eva Mei (Norina), Frank Lopardo (Ernesto), Thomas Allen (Malatesta), Renato Bruson (Pasquale), Münchner Rundfunk, Roberto Abbado

2 - Graziella Sciuti (Norina), Juan Oncina (Ernesto), Tom Krause (Malatesta), Fernando Corena (Pasquale), Wiener Staatsoper, István Kértesz

3 - Mirella Freni (Norina), Gösta Winbergh (Ernesto), Leo Nucci (Malatesta), Sesto Bruscantini (Pasquale), Philharmonia, Riccardo Muti

4 - Lucia Popp (Norina), Francisco Araiza (Ernesto), Bernd Weikl (Malatesta), Evgeny Nesterenko (Pasquale), Bayerische Staatsrundfunk, Heinz Wallberg

top

~L’Elisir d’Amore

1 - Joan Sutherland (Adina), Luciano Pavarotti (Nemorino), Dominic Cossa (Belcore), Spiro Malas (Dulcamara), English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge

2 - Barbara Bonney (Adina), Gösta Winbergh (Nemorino), Bernd Weikl (Belcore), Rolando Panerai (Dulcamara), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Gabriele Ferro

3 - Kathleen Battle (Adina), Luciano Pavarotti (Nemorino), Leo Nucci (Belcore), Enzo Dara (Dulcamara), Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

4 - Kathleen Battle (Adina), Luciano Pavarotti (Nemorino), Juan Pons (Belcore), Enzo Dara (Dulcamara), Metropolitan Opera, James Levine

5 - Hilde Güden (Adina), Giuseppe di Stefano (Nemorino), Renato Capecchi (Belcore), Fernando Corena (Dulcamara), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Francesco Mollinari-Pradelli

6 - Mirella Freni (Adina), Nicolai Gedda (Nemorino), Mario Sereni (Belcore), Renato Capecchi (Dulcamara), Opera di Roma, Francesco Mollinari-Pradelli

7 - Judith Blegen (Adina), Luciano Pavarotti (Nemorino), Brent Ellis (Belcore), Sesto Bruscantini (Dulcamara), Metropolitan Opera, Nicola Rescigno

7 - Angela Gheorghiu (Adina), Roberto Alagna (Nemorino), Roberto Scaltriti (Belcore), Simone Alaimo (Dulcamara), Opéra de Lyon, Evangelino Pidò

8 - Ileana Cotrubas (Adina), Plácido Domingo (Nemorino), Ingvar Wixell (Belcore), Geraint Evans (Dulcamara), Covent Garden, John Pritchard

9 - Katia Ricciarelli (Adina), José Carreras (Nemorino), Leo Nucci (Belcore), Domenico Trimarchi (Dulcamara), Orchestra della RAI, Claudio Scimone

10 - Mariella Devia (Adina), Roberto Alagna (Nemorino), Pietro Spagoli (Belcore), Bruno Praticò (Dulcamara), English Chamber Orchestra, Marcello Viotti

11 - Lucia Popp (Adina), Petr Dvorsky (Nemorino), Bernd Weikl (Belcore), Evgeny Nesterenko (Dulcamara), Bayerische Staatsoper, Heinz Wallberg

One of the finest comic operas in the repertoire, L'Elisir d'Amore displays not only one of Donizetti's richest scores but also a first-rate libretto by Felice Romani, based on Eugène Scribe's play Le Philtre. It was premièred at the Teatro Cannobiana, Milan, in May 12th 1832 with Sabine Heinefetter as Adina, Giambattista Genero as Nemorino, Henri-Bernard Dabadie as Belcore and the famous buffo Giuseppe Frezzolini as Dulcamara. Although the cast was not considered satisfying by Donizetti, the work met with great success and remained so to our days. The rich melodic inspiration, the contrasted dance rhythms, the thorough musical characterization, the perfect comedy timing and the colourful orchestration are reason enough for that.

Probably because it contains the most famous aria for tenor in operatic repertoire, the haunting Una furtiva lagrima, Caruso's "hallmark" piece, this opera has became a vehicle for lyric tenors and every star tenor in this Fach has a recording of this piece - from Feruccio Tagliavini to Roberto Alagna.

Few recordings in the discography feature a really complete text, since it has become traditional to trim the strette of some numbers - Belcore's Come Paride vezzoso, the Adina-Nemorino duets Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera and Esulti pur la barbara in act I and the quartett Dell'elisir mirabile (sometimes entirely cut), the second verse of Adina's Prendi, per me sei libero and the bits of the finale ultimo.

Bonynge's recording is a reference for most collectors - not only is it the first to use the complete edition (although Adina's big aria is replaced by an aria for Malibran written by her husband). The performance is animated enough, although the recording by Decca is a bit too grand for this cozy story. It features the young Luciano Pavarotti in one of his signature roles. Joan Sutherland is certainly at ease in this repertoire and sings the part in the grand manner - sometimes too grand for the circumstances. Cosa and Malas are entirely reliable if unmemorable.

Gabriele Ferro seems to be essentially concerned about showing the excellence of Donizetti's orchestra. No other performance is so keen on bringing out hidden niceties in the score. The Maggio Musicale orchestra is in splendid shape and fizzes beautifully in Ferro's fast tempi. In order to achieve the outstanding level clarity, the Tonmeister plays a bit too much with buttons, but the results are certainly plasing and refreshing. As Adina, Barbara Bonney - in glittering voice - no only is a delight to the ears, but also characterful and charming. Alas, the same canot be said of Gösta Winbergh, who is trying too hard to sound Italianate. The result is a bit effortful and unsubtle. Bernd Weikl's tone is so bright and warm and his phrasing so smooth that one cannot help understanding why he produces such a flashing effect in the village girls. On the other hand, Rolando Panerai's raw if powerful voice, with its off-pitch effects, may be bothersome to most listeners.

Levine has never been a specialist in bel canto operas: although this performance is largely entertaining and animated, it has more than a touch of heavy-handiness. The sound of the orchestra is a bit too fat for this work (the cymbals are really too loud!), the conductor's beat is a bit emphatic, the choir is too eupeptic (laughs and cheering included) and the recorded sound could be a bit more focused. Kathleen Battle is one of the lightest-voiced Adinas in recording, but she sings with so much energy and spirit that she ends on sounding more engaged than most richer-voiced sopranos. Although there is a soft accent to her Italian, she really knows what she is singing about (the sense of story-telling in her first cavatina is admirable, for example) and is at ease in this almost all-Italian cast. Although Luciano Pavarotti's voice is not as homogeneous as in Bonynge's recording, he is even more characterful in this recording. Thanks to his exemplary word pointing and sense of humour, his Nemorino is far more believable than in any other recording. He also softens beautifully for Una furtiva lagrima. Leo Nucci is in rougher-voiced than in his previous recording, but is also funnier in his portrayal of Belcore as the archetypal macho. Enzo Dara takes many liberties in his performance as Dulcamara, but he certainly is funny and displays an unproblematic voice.

Evangelino Pidò conducts an entertaining performance, sprightly and, even when tempi are on the fast side, everybody seems to be having fun. He knows how to play the comedy effects in the score as few other conductors. Probably because it is connected with a charming production set in the 1940's (available on DVD), the feel of the theatre is intense and the orchestra, warmly recorded, reflects the stage action faithfully. I have a slight problem with Angela Gheorghiu's Adina. The tone is rather dusky, especially in the lower reaches, and the sound is not really Italianate (the vowels neither). As it is, although she is really accomplished (both vocally and interpretatively), this Adina sounds a bit lacking lightness to my ears, unlike her acting in the video, which conveys the flirtatious and teazing aspects of the character in a way the voice alone does not do. Roberto Alagna's second try as Nemorino shows the French tenor in slightly less flexible voice, but the sound is pleasing enough and it sounds as if he really had a good time during the recordings. Some may found he tries a bit too hard to sound amiable, but maybe this impression is due to the fact that the lightness of his characterization does not match a voice which sounded then a tone or two darker than it used to be. Roberto Scaltriti's Belcore and Simone Alaimo's Dulcamara are quite firmer-toned and younger-sounding than most his rivals and are splendidly characterful with their idiomatic Italian.

Pritchard's recording often lacks forward movement, the orchestra seems a bit straight-jacked and the recording could have a bit more space. Ileana Cotrubas is an unsmiling Adina, often unconcerned. She phrases with classical poise and the voice is appealing, but one could expect more of an artist of her level. Although one might think Plácido Domingo's voice is too large for the role of Nemorino, he sings it with utmost grace, stylishness and charm. There are moments in which the tone could be a bit mellower, but the voice is so handsome and easy that one is ready to forgive him for anything. Ingvar Wixell is a characterful Belcore, if a bit heavy and rough. Geraint Evans's voice is often uningratiating and unyielding, but he seems to know all the tricks for a buffo part - and that is especially admirable for a non-native speaker.

Claudio Scimone's performance is certainly idiomatic - he finds the right balance between animation and spontaneity which makes the overall atmosphere charming and light. Although his orchestra is a bit dry in tone and phrasing (it could have also been more closely recorded), it is clear and alert enough. The Italian choir has plenty of zest without resorting to obtrusive effects. Katia Ricciarelli's tone is on the heavy side for Adina, but she aptly scales it down (with some hardness involved), makes wonderful use of her native language and has more than hint of sexiness in her warm soprano. In honeyed voice, José Carreras sings with such purposefulness that he ends on making Nemorino a romantic hero. A beautiful performance. Leo Nucci is a powerful and funny Belcore, while Domenico Trimarchi is in his element in the role of Dulcamara.

top

~Lucia di Lammermoor

1 - Patrizia Ciofi (Lucie), Alexandru Badea (Edgard), Nicolas Rivenq (Henri), Jae-Jun Lee (Raymond), Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Maurizio Benini

2 - Joan Sutherland (Lucia), Luciano Pavarotti (Edgardo), Sherril Milnes (Enrico), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Raimondo), Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Richard Bonynge

3 - Edita Gruberová (Lucia), Neil Shicoff (Edgardo), Alexandru Agache (Enrico), Alastair Miles (Raimondo), Ambrosian Singers, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Bonynge

4 - Joan Sutherland (Lucia), Alfredo Kraus (Edgardo), Pablo Elvira (Enrico), Paul Plishka (Raimondo), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Richard Bonynge

5 - Joan Sutherland (Lucia), Richard Greager (Edgardo), Malcolm Donnelly, Enrico), Clifford Grant (Raimondo), Sydney Opera House, Bonynge

6 - Maria Callas (Lucia), Giuseppe di Stefano (Edgardo), Rolando Panerai (Enrico), Nicola Zaccaria (Raimondo), Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milano, Berlin RIAS SO, Herbert von Karajan

7 - Roberta Peters (Lucia), Jan Peerce (Edgardo), Philip Maero (Enrico), Giorgio Tozzi (Raimondo), Coro ed Orchestra dell'Opera di Roma, Erich Leinsdorf

8 - Montserrat Caballé (Lucia), José Carreras (Edgardo), Vicente Sardinero (Enrico), Samuel Ramey (Raimondo), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Jésus Lopez-Cobos

9 - Andrea Rost (Lucia), Bruce Ford (Edgardo), Anthony Michaels-Moore (Enrico), Alastair Miles (Raimondo), Hannover Band, Charles MacKerras

10 - Cheryl Studer (Lucia), Plácido Domingo (Edgardo), Juan Pons (Enrico), Samuel Ramey (Raimondo), London Symphony, Ion Marin

11 - Natalie Dessay (Lucie), Roberto Alagna (Edgard), Ludovic Tézier (Henri), Nicolas Cavalier (Raymond), Opéra de Lyon, Evangelino Pidò

12 - Anna Moffo (Lucia), Carlo Bergonzi (Edgardo), Mario Sereni (Enrico), Ezio Flagello (Raimondo), Coro ed Orchestra della RCA Italiana, Georges Prêtre

13 - Joan Sutherland (Lucia), Renato Cioni (Edgardo), Robert Merrill (Enrico), Cesare Siepi (Raimondo), Coro ed Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, John Pritchard

14 - Mariella Devia (Lucia), Vincenzo La Scola (Edgardo), Renato Bruson (Enrico), Carlo Colombara (Raimondo), Coro ed Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Milano, Stefano Ranzani

15 - Edita Gruberová (Lucia), Alfredo Kraus (Edgardo), Renato Bruson (Enrico), Robert Lloyd (Raimondo), Ambrosian Opera Corus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicola Rescigno

16 - Beverly Sills (Lucia), Carlo Bergonzi (Edgardo), Piero Cappuccilli (Enrico), Justino Díaz (Raimondo), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Schippers

17 - Maria Callas (Lucia), Giuseppe di Stefano (Edgardo), Tito Gobbi (Enrico), Raffaele Arié (Raimondo), Coro ed Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tullio Serafin

18 - Maria Callas (Lucia), Ferruccio Tagliavini (Edgardo), Piero Cappuccilli (Enrico), Bernard Ladysz (Raimondo), Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, Tullio Serafin

Lucia is probably the most famous opera by Donizetti, at least among his tragic works. Its success with audiences started at the première in Naples in 1835. One of the reasons for its popularity was Walter Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor, on which Cammarano based his libretto. Scott was a popular writer those days and Scotland was the perfect scenery for Romantic imagination. The opera established a pattern of the tragic opera around the sad events involving an innocent victim who eventually dies at the end of the work. In order to illustrate this atmosphere, Donizetti was at his most inspired and this is probably the work where his melodic invention was at its peak. Also, he gave free reins to his creativity here, generously using solo instruments to characterize the principal scenes of the opera - such as the harp, to evoke the fountain in Lucia’s entrance scene, the flute to illustrate Edgard in Lucia’s delirious fantasy and the cello for Edgard’s vision of Lucia in his dying scene. By the way, the mad scene was originally composed for a glass harmonica - but the composer gave up the exotic idea before the première. Also, the two most famous numbers of the work belong to the anthologic moments of the history of opera - Lucia’s Mad Scene, with its many atmosphere (and tonal) shifting, and the closing scene for the tenor.

In the première (both in Naples and in Paris), Fanny Tacchinardi-Persiani took the title role. Her voice was a light lyric soprano and her repertoire was centered in Mozart - she was a noted Donna Anna. Donizetti also wrote for her the title roles in Rosmonda d’Inghilterra and in Pia de Tolomei. The first Edgard was the famous French tenor, Gilbert Duprez, whose hallmark was the top notes in chest voice. To take profit of it, Donizetti wrote him lots of climatic high notes, especially in the end of numbers, which was not usual those days (since top notes in head voice were not that powerful).

Lucia has some problems of edition. First of all, as this opera has been for ages the natural locus for the ambitious soprano leggiero, the score had been slowly altered to fit her abilities. First of all, lots of transposition had been employed to allow every number to end in alt. As Charles Mackerras said, as a result of it, most people grew used to listen to the opera almost entirely on G - which is harmful to Donizetti sophisticated harmonic structure. Also, the mad scene has been disfigured by the insertion of an enormous cadenza with flute created probably by Teresa Brambilla, the first Gilda in Rigoletto and made widespread by Marchesi and her pupils, such as Nellie Melba, which has little purpose in the scene. Sadly, 99% performances of the opera keep this aberration. Also, until the 60’s, two important scenes of the opera used to be cut - the Raimondo/Lucia scene in act II and the first scene in act III where Enrico challenges Edgardo to a duel.

In the first half of XXth century, Lucia had been transformed in a vehicle for circus coloratura display. And we are indebted to Callas for having showed the world that this was an opera to be taken seriously. If we ignore pirate recordings, there are three recordings of her famous impersonation of the bride of Lammermoor. The most famous of them is the second - made live in Berlin. It is deservedly called a historical performance. And the circumstances require some objectivity in dealing with it. First of all, the recorded sound is less than optimal, although it is not by all means bad. It basically affects the two main things in the recording - the soprano and the conductor. The microphones are not kind to her voice and do not capture the orchestral sounds as rich as they seem to have been at the event. Anyway, this is a Lucia for those who have always been suspicious about Donizetti. As a matter of fact, the overall approach seems to be rather early-Verdi sometimes, but that’s all for the best. Except for some piercingly shrill top notes, Callas was in good voice and her coloratura and trills are amazingly natural and expressive. Her voice is not naturally suited to the role - being too large for it - but she adapts it beautifully - notice how gentle is her handling of low notes and dynamics. Her sensitive and nuanced portrayal of the character is fascinating, painted with a wide tonal palette, including some unbelievable pianissimi - not to mention her intelligent word pointing. The wedding scene is particularly effective - all facial expressions conveyed in the tone. The only thing missing here is sweetness of tone, which is essential to a role that must not sound tragic, but rather touching - as Tacchinardi-Persiani must have sounded. In spite of all that, the favourite with the Berliner audience was Giuseppe di Stefano, who was in superlative voice and in sensitive mood. His use of mezza voce is exemplary, even if his manners tend to be emphatic in a Puccinian way now and then. His dramatic voltage was very high that night and he snarls wonderfully in the wedding scene. Nevertheless, he is a bit free about pitch there. This disfigured a bit the sextett. Thank God it was encored- the second time really superior to the first one. Rolando Panerai’s vocal production does not make one think of bel canto, but it’s undeniably exciting. He was working at 100% that evening and produces some very exciting top notes. Nicola Zaccaria was also in beautiful voice. All of them respond dramatically to each other creating some memorable scenes. Karajan’s conducting is fascinating. He tends to choose slower tempi, but fills them with sensational orchestral sounds. The strings sing together with the singers and his usual ease in highlighting the Hauptstimme brings some revelatory quality to ensembles.

Lucia was also Joan Sutherland’s most famous role. There are four official recordings of her in the catalogue - two audios and two videos. The most famous of them is the second audio, made in 1971. Sutherland’s Lucia’s hallmark was the ease with which she dealt with the part. Again, the voice is a rather large one for the role, but the role suited her temper, since Sutherland always felt more comfortable with gentler parts. Here, the voice was between her earlier brighter voiced phase and the throatier period that followed. She is a bit more connected to the text here and offers the excitement of a sensational voice totally at home with everything she has to do. Because of that, Sutherland can deal with faster tempi and that is a positive feature. Interpretatively, it is rather bland. On the other hand, Pavarotti’s Edgardo is quite endearing. He is in fresh voice and sings with ardour and commitment. His closing scene is sensitively sung. Sherrill Milnes is not anyone’s idea of a specialist in bel canto, but he sings forcefully and paints, albeit with large brushstrokes, a believable Henry. Ghiaurov is not in this interpretative level - so his lack of acquaintance with style is more obvious. Conducting and recorded sound follow the "decent" standard set by Bonynge and Decca.

Bonynge would take Lucia to the studios for a second time. This performance, helped by the LSO rich orchestral sound and Teldec's spacious recorded sound, finds the conductor in more animated spirit: the most dramatic scenes (such as the Wolf Crag's, here aided by sonic effects) sometimes sound over the top for Donizetti, lacking a bit polish. However, the conductor is - as ever - supportive to his cast, giving them all the operating space they need to display their vocal and expressive ideas. In her second studio recording, Edita Gruberová displays rounder tone and more interpretative variety than before, although some may be bothered by under-the-note attack now and then. Her Lucia sounds rightly young and gentle, but spirited enough for the more outspoken moments. Helped by her clarity of diction and complete technical control (including the famous pianissmo in alt), she builds a superb Mad Scene - her use of coloratura so expressive that one almost gets reconciled with the Bambrilla cadence with flute. Neil Shicoff is no bel canto tenor - he tends to be overemphatic and lachrimose and operates in a narrow tonal palette, but he is in healthy voice and, when some hotbloodness is necessary (as in the wedding scene), he produces a flashing impression. Alexandru Agache is a powerful firm-toned Enrico who never misses an opportunity to impress the listener. Sample his use of aspiration and the top notes in the cabaletta to his opening aria to get the picture. Alastair Miles is an elegant Raimondo, a bit light-toned for the role, who knows how to shape a Donizettian phrase, especially when anouncing Lucia's madness for the wedding's guests.

MacKerras’ recording is essential for Donizettians. Not only his edition is the cleanest and most faithful available, but he brings real insight to his performance, the wedding scene particularly powerful. The idea of using period instruments seemed to be a nice idea, but the recorded sound does not help it - it is incredibly vague and favourable to drums and trumpets. The result is that sometimes some chords get out of the frame so loud that you have to play with volume button. Also, the recording favours singers and all the point of taking profit of period instruments’ colourful tone is lost. Andrea Rost sings well as Lucia, but she is sleepwalking interpretatively and vocally is indifferent - the tone being particularly hard in top notes (by the way, the whole cast sings only those originally written in the score). Bruce Ford, on the other hand, is a light and pleasant Edgard - his closing scene is particularly beautiful. Anthony Michaels-Moore and Alastair Miles are stylish and convincing as Henry and Raymond, the first particularly pleasing of tone, although generalized in expression.

The La Scala video offers, to start with, a beautiful staging, with rich sceneries and costumes and sensitve stage direction. Its main feature is definitely Mariella Devia’s Lucia, wonderfully sung and performed. Her rich lyric soprano has beauty of tone, flexibility, pianissimi, trills in reserve and is used in the most stylish way. It has a Mozartian grace coupled with a fullness and loveliness that make her irresistible. Her Mad Scene is exemplary - sang in an intimate way that makes it especially believable. Vicenzo La Scola is a small scaled Edgard and Bruson was past his best as Henry, his difficulty with legato particularly bothersome. Ranzani’s conducting is competent and La Scala orchestra and choir are in very good shape.

For the Parisian revival of 1839, Donizetti re-arranged a great deal of the score of the opera. Everything was made to accomodate the French text, the role of Alisa disappeared and Regnava nel silenzio is replaced by a more light-hearted aria from Rosmonda d’Inghilterra among other things. Weird as it may seem, the opera works particularly well in French language. The first recording available, live from Martina Franca, is quite decent, with the charming Patrizia Ciofi in the title role. Her voice is simply made for it and her naturality in French language, perfect technique, exquisite tone and expressive phrasing are joined by a certain sensuousness that makes the role even more interesting. Alexandru Badea has some impressive top notes as Edgard, but sounds stressed most of the time. Nicolas Rivenq, the French singer in the cast, is a decent Henry. Benini’s conducting is effective and animated.

Ciofi also sang the title role at the Lyon Opera, available on DVD, but released on CDs with Natalie Dessay in the title role. Evangelino Pidò offers an expert reading of the score, beautifully played and sung by the Lyon forces. Although he still retains his top notes, Roberto Alagna’s tenor was made to sound effortful and unfocused. Ludovic Tézier is an excellent Henry.

top

~Lucrezia Borgia

1 - Joan Sutherland (Lucrezia), Marilyn Horne (Orsini), Giacomo Aragall (Gennaro), Ingvar Wixell (Alfonso), National Philharmonic, Richard Bonynge

2 - Montserrat Caballé (Lucrezia), Shirley Verrett (Orsini), Alfredo Kraus (Gennaro), Ezio Flagello (Alfonso), RCA Italiana, Jonel Perlea

Lucrezia Borgia is a forgotten jewel in the Italian lyric repertoire. Its directness and theatricality makes it one of the most modern operas of its genre. First of all, there is no romantic plot going on here - the "closer" we get to it is the symbiotic relationship of the tenor and the mezzo-en-travesti role, the best friends Gennaro and Orsini. Also, very few arias interrupt the action - most part of the work consists of brilliantly orchestrated recitatives and ensembles. However, the opera still retains one of the most beautiful arias in the repertoire, Lucrezia’s Com’è bello.

More than once, Lucrezia has been called the most Verdian of Donizetti operas and there are many reasons for that. First of all, the libretto, by Felice Romani, was based on a Victor Hugo play. As the theme, a daughter of a pope portrayed as a murderer, was bound to arouse problems with censorship, Romani was very careful about it - so any excess was eliminated. Also, the prima donna to whom the title role was written, Henriette Méric-Lalande, has something to do with the austerity of the writing for soprano. When she premièred this role, in 1833, she was already suffering from vocal decline - so Donizetti eschewed coloratura display and kept the tessitura noticeably lower. All for the best - since the role gained dramatic credibility with that. Only in the last scene, he couldn’t resist to her insistence to have a big aria. So, the gripping and elaborate Era desso mio figlio was composed. Later, when the work was staged in 1840 at La Scala with Frezzolini in the title role, this aria was exchanged for a death scene for the tenor, while the prima donna got a cabaletta for Com’è bello in compensation. The breeches role of Maffio Orsini, Gennaro’s inseparable friend, was written for the most legendary contralto of all times, Marietta Brambilla. Her "couplets" Il segretto per essere felice has been a favourite among mezzo sopranos and contraltos, most notably Ernestine Schumann-Heink. The tenor role was premiered by Francesco Pedrazzi, who was not very famous. Later when the opera became more popular, especially when Grisi took the role, and more important tenors started to sing it, Donizetti composed some insertion arias for the last act.

The opera that made Montserrat Caballé a famous singer was Lucrezia Borgia and, accordingly, this was her first complete operatic recording, under the same conductor of the legendary New York performance - Jonel Perlea. It is fashionable to say that the NY pirate is the real thing and the studio is a regrettable enterprise. However, this opinion could not be sillier. This recording is of utmost importance for Donizettians. First of all, Caballé was in her youthful best, with silken voice, heavenly pianissimi and apt coloratura. Reviewers have accused her of blandness, but this is prejudiced opinion. Romani’s and Donizetti’s Lucrezia is not a tigress psycopath, but a worldweary woman who sees in her son the last opportunity for redemption. In this sense, Caballé’s performance could not be more accurate. She is all restrained emotion when dealing with his son, her jealous husband and even when she poisons her enemies (I second her option of not making it a hysterical scene - after all, bad girls always sound very in control of the situation when they kill their enemies - at least in movies...). Only when she realizes she has just poisoned her only son, her self-control is lost and it is an unforgettable dramatic moment when Caballé unleashes all her powers for a heartbraking final aria, where Donizetti’s coloratura is masterly used for dramatic purpose. Although the role of Orsini is a bit low for Shirley Verrett, her voice is simply irresistible here. It is so fresh that one cannot help seeing the exuberant young gentleman she is portraying here. However, Alfredo Kraus is arguably the most exciting thing here. His performance is simply perfect in any standard. His voice is also in its more rounded and flowing. Ezio Flagello could be more incisive, but his voice is impressive enough. The second roles are beautifully taken and the chorus and the orchestral playing are very good. Perlea’s conducting is animated enough in a generalized way - a Muti would have done wonders with this score, even if Perlea does not spoil the fun. He opted for the Méric-Lalande finale, but kept the cabaletta to Com’è bello. The recorded sound, slightly favourable to voices, is clear enough.

Bonynge’s recording from 1977 has both finali - the Méric-Lalande and the dying scene for the tenor - linked to each other. In the title role, there is Joan Sutherland, already in her throaty-voiced days. This is harmful in two ways - not only is the text made to sound unclear, but also there is nothing attractive about her voice here. Of course, she copes admirably with the difficulties imposed by Donizetti, but the result is dull and comparisons with Caballé are very unflattering for the Australian soprano. It was not a good recording for Marilyn Horne either - she seems uncomfortable with her part and, although her coloratura is impressive, the tone is not solid enough and she ends on sounding a bit matronly - a fatal mistake in this role. On the other hand, Giacomo Aragall, although not as utterly stylish as Kraus, displays a handsome voice and musicianship as Gennaro. His dying scene is a wonderful document of a neglected great singer. Ingvar Wixell’s Alfonso is the exact opposite of Flagello’s - he is incisive enough, but his tone lacks grandeur. Bonynge lacks a bit backbone - concentrating too much on singers and, again, most of the music-dramatic niceties of the score are lost.

top

~Maria Stuarda

1 - Joan Sutherland (Maria), Huguette Tourangeau (Elisabetta), Luciano Pavarotti (Leicester), Roger Soyer (Talbot), James Morris (Cecil), Teatro Communale di Bologna, Richard Bonynge

2 - Beverly Sills (Maria), Eileen Farrell (Elisabetta), Stuart Burrows (Leicester), Louis Quilico (Talbot), Christian du Plessis (Cecil), London Philharmonic, Aldo Ceccato

3 - Edita Gruberová (Maria), Agnes Balsa (Elisabetta), Francisco Araiza (Leicester), Francesco Ellero d’Artegna (Talbot), Simone Alaimo (Cecil), Münchner Rundfunk, Giuseppe Patanè

4 - Edita Gruberová (Maria), Carmen Oprisanu (Elisabetta), Octávio Arévalo (Leicester), Duccio dal Monte (Talbot), Marcin Bronikowski (Cecil), Münchner Rundfunk, Marcello Viotti

 

Probably because of Schiller’s play, on which this opera was based, Maria Stuarda has has some success with audiences. Although it has some of the best moments among Donizetti’s production, such as the confrontation of the two queens, Elisabeth’s pronunciation of Mary’s death penalty and the haunting closing scene, the work is actually short on the melodism for which Donizetti is so famous. On the other hand, theatrically speaking the work could not be more accomplished. It has perfect timing and the musicial characterization of the three leading roles is splendid. The most melodic role is the tenor, since he is the archetypal romantic hero. Mary’s allure is portrayed in long high-lying vocalization, while Elisabetta deals with lower tessitura and more irregular phrasing. Although Mary is supposed to be the most sympathetic role in the opera, the character of Elizabeth is the most irresistible one, even if it would be even more fully developed in Roberto Devereux. It is understandable all the fascination produced by this role, depicting the probably most powerful woman ever in History, especially in days where women were usually confined into household activity.

Of course, the creation of Maria Stuarda was very complex. Romani foresaw the high level of trouble with censorship the libretto would arise and gave up. So, the young Giuseppe Baldari took the challenge to adapt Andrea Maffei’s translation of Schiller. The first Stuarda was to be Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis, famous for her temper and dramatic voice, and the first Elisabetta was intended for Anna del Sere. However, they hated each other and, in the dress rehearsal, in the confrontation scene, they ended on exchanging blows. The whole thing was too much and King Ferdinand II of Naples ordered the performances to be cancelled, especially because his wife was related to the Stuarts. The opera had to be adapted into a new work, called Buondelmonte. One year later, in 1835, however, the opera would have its real first performance at La Scala, due to the advocacy of the most famour singer of her generation, Maria Malibran. She simply fell in love with the work and insisted to play the leading part. However, Malibran was rather a mezzo-soprano (moreover, she was not in her best voice) and it resulted in some adaptation: a symphony was composed, a new duet for Maria and Leicester was to be inserted in act I, besides all the alteration in Maria’s lines to suit Malibran’s talents, especially embellishments. Malibran challenged the censorship and decided to sing the "cut" passages (including Mary’s insult to Elisabeth) and, as a result of it, the show was called off after a few performances.

Also, the opera was originally in two acts. The three acts version was devised in 1865 and has kept to be used. The problem of the editions available - since the Naples and Milan versions were not definitive and a certain Paris score published by Gérard in the decade of 1850 used to be the safer - was solved only in 1991, when Ricordi published the revised edition based on the newly found autograph.

Bonynge’s recording has some peculiarities about the edition. Although there is no overture here, many of the Malibran alterations were included in the Gérard edition. Also, tonalities have been transposed in order to produce more contast between the roles of the two queens, what is a completely ill-advised idea. The result of this is that Sutherland sings higher keys while Tourangeau sings lower ones. Nevertheless, Sutherland is in top form in this recording, offering dazzling technique and some touching moments. She even goes for the most exciting insult of vil bastarda in the discography. Although Tourangeau produces some formidable low notes (sometimes, she sounds like a tenor) and is histrionic enough, the effect is too weird and goes against many of Donizetti ideas. On the other hand, Luciano Pavarotti is in crystalline voice and sings with amazing grace throughout. The secondary roles include James Morris and Roger Soyer. Bonynge’s conducting is good enough, although there are some minor problems in the orchestra and there is nothing like an "approach" going on the podium.

Patanè’s recording, based again in the Gérard score, is a clinical view of the score. The tempi lack excitement throughout and the recorded sound has the orchestra too backward. It is a pity for it is a fine orchestra. The raison d’être of this recording is, of course, the cast. This is one of Edita Gruberová’s best performances commited to disc - especially to those who generally dislike her. It seems she was determined to prove she does not scoop at all. Her attack is impressively dead on the note throughout and she was in fabulous voice - pianissimi, puntature, fioriture, trills - everything is exquisitely accomplished, while Gruberová’s expressive and dignified interpretation is beguiling. Agnes Baltsa’s voice is a bit unfocused in this recording. Her best moment is her portrayal of Elizabeth’s indignation in the confrontation scene. In the rest, one just keeps wondering how better it would be if she really was in good shape. It is really a pity that Francisco Araiza is also a bit unfocused whenever he has to sing forte, because, other than this, he offers a beautiful performance. An example of it is his act I duet with Gruberová, where he matches her in everything she does.

Gruberová’s second recording, made live in Munich with the same orchestra of the previous one, has advantages and disadvantages. Let’s speek of the plus side: the edition is the best available and Panni is, by far, the best conductor in this discography, showing feeling not only for soloists, but looking at the score as a whole. Alas, there is the minus side: the cast is less compelling than in the former recording. Although Gruberová is still in healthy voice at this stage of her career, she is not up to the level of her previous recording. She indulges in under the note coloration, for example, and some of her in alts sound raw by now. However, she is more incisive dramatically, exploring chest register in a way she did not use to before. She is still the most interesting member of the cast. Despite an attractive voice, Carmen Oprisanu lacks charisma in the role of Elisabetta. Moreover, her coloratura is not as exuberant as it should and she has some problems with low notes. Octávio Arévalo is too light of tone for his role. The recorded sound is natural, as usual in the Nightingale label.

top

~Roberto Devereux

1 - Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Elisabetta), Ildiko Kómlosi (Sara), Giuseppe Sabbatini (Roberto), Roberto Servile (Nottingham), Orchestra e coro del Teatro San Carlo, Napoli, Alain Guingal

2 - Edita Gruberová (Elisabetta), Delores Ziegler (Sara), Don Bernardini (Roberto), Ettore Kim (Nottingham), Choeurs de l'Opéra du Rhin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Friedrich Haider

3 - Beverly Sills (Elisabetta), Beverly Wolff (Sara), Robert Ilosfavy (Roberto), Peter Glossop (Nottingham), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Mackerras

 

Written in 1837 and première at the Teatro San Carlo, in Naples, Roberto Devereux is Donizettí's 57th opera. The excellent (if historically adventurous) libreto by Salvatore Cammarano allows Donizetti to create one of his more efficient operas. Not only the composer was at the top of his melodical inspiration, but also found the right balance between theatre and music in order to create a continuously exciting musical drama where not a bar is wasted. The role of Elisabetta was created by Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis, a dramatic soprano for whom he had already created the part of Maria Stuarda, among other roles. The other singers at the première were Almerinda Granchi as Sara (for whose Fenena Verdi wrote the romanza Oh, dischiuso è il firmamento in Nabucco), Giovanni Basadona as Roberto (for whom Donizetti wrote tenor parts in Sancia di Castiglia, Fausta and Imelda de' Lambertazzi) and Paolo Barroilhet (the first Alfonso XI in La Favorite, Eustachio in L'Assedio di Calais and Camões in Don Sébastien) as Nottingham.

Charles MacKerras leads a stylish, comfortably-paced but dramatic account of this eventful opera. The recorded sound is natural and has a theatrical perspective. Singers are recorded with plenty of air around them and the orchestra has a clear and rich sound. As Queen Elizabeth I, Beverly Sills works from a voice which is basically too light for the role, but in mint condition those days. Her ease in an enormous range, tone colouring and in coloratura is amazing, but some may point out that all those talents are used in a rather showy manner, especially the reprise of caballette. Her interpretation is also made in capital letters, with some snarling effects, which sound incoherent with her basically girly voice. In order to deal with it, she tends to put some pressure in her voice during the most outspoken passages, giving it a metallic edge. All in all, this is an impressive performance of a legendary singer in her prime. Beverly Wolff is a stylish Sara, with her fruity sensuous mezzo soprano and exciting vocalism. Robert Ilosfavy also displays interesting vocalism, with his easy, full and handsome tenor. He is a bit phlegmatic interpretatively speaking, but pleasing and unexaggerated all the way. On the other hand, Peter Glossop is an animated Nottingham, although his vocal production is a bit unpolished for this kind of opera

It seems that Friedrich Haider has built his performance trying to round some edges and make it less Italianate and more elegant an opera, which is an interesting if less theatrical view. The advantage is that one can savour the beauty of Donizetti's score taken with pride of place. Edita Gruberová has a far more substantial voice than Beverly Sills, but is still young-sounding for the role. Naturally she compensates that with her sophisticated interpretation and musicianship. Compared to Sills, her approach is less obiously Italianate and more subtle, as one would expect of a singer used to deal with Mozart and R. Strauss. Her voice is at its best and she excels in her control of dynamic effects and the clarity of her diction. Delores Ziegler's mezzo is less appealing than Beverly Wolff, but she is more varied in interpretation. Don Bernardini is a reliable Roberto, technically fluent, stylish and expressive. Ettore Kim's dark-toned Nottingham is a bit gloomy and unvaried.

The video from Naples is an excellent oportunity to see this rarely staged opera. The production is glamourous, with exquisite sceneries and costumes, but the acting is rather conventional. Alexandrina Pedatschanska's is the kind of voice one would more readily associate with this opera. Her powerful steely soprano may not be to everyone's taste and she is far more economic with decoration than her rivals. Her approach to the role is similarly less sophisticated, with very little dynamic variety to start with. Ildiko Komlosi's fruity dark mezzo soprano is less immediately sensuous than Beverly Wolff's or Delores Ziegler's, but stands the competition with her heroic exciting manners. Giuseppe Sabbatini is the kind of plangent fervourous tenors one usually expects to find in this kind of repertoire. He has his lachrimous moments, but is generally stylish and animated. Roberto Servile is a far more varied and believable Nottingham than his rivals.

 

top

~ROSSINI

 

~Il Barbiere di Siviglia

1 - Teresa Berganza (Rosina), Luigi Alva (Almaviva), Hermann Prey (Figaro), Paolo Montarsolo (Basilio), Enzo Dara (Bartolo), London Symphony, Claudio Abbado

2 - Kathleen Battle (Rosina), Frank Lopardo (Almaviva), Plácido Domingo (Figaro), Ruggero Raimondi (Basilio), Lucio Gallo (Bartolo), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado

3 - Marilyn Horne (Rosina), Paolo Barbacini (Almaviva), Leo Nucci (Figaro), Samuel Ramey (Basilio), Enzo Dara (Bartolo), La Scala, Riccardo Chailly

4 - Maria Callas (Rosina), Luigi Alva (Almaviva), Tito Gobbi (Figaro), Nicola Zaccaria (Basilio), Fritz Ollendorf (Bartolo), Philharmonia, Alceo Galliera

5 - Victoria de los Angeles (Rosina), Luigi Alva (Almaviva), Sesto Bruscantini (Figaro), Carlo Cava (Basilio), Ian Wallace (Bartolo), Royal Philharmonic, Vittorio Gui

6 - Beverly Sills (Rosina), Nicolai Gedda (Almaviva), Sherrill Milnes (Figaro), Ruggero Raimondi (Basilio), Renato Capecchi (Bartolo), London Symphony, James Levine

7 - Agnes Baltsa (Rosina), Francisco Araiza (Almaviva), Thomas Allen (Figaro), Robert Lloyd (Basilio), Domenico Trimarchi (Bartolo), Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner

8 - Cecilia Bartoli (Rosina), William Matteuzzi (Almaviva), Leo Nucci (Figaro), Paata Burchuladze (Basilio), Enrico Fissore (Bartolo), Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Giuseppe Patanè

9 - Teresa Berganza (Rosina), Ugo Benelli (Almaviva), Manuel Ausensi (Figaro), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Basilio), Fernando Corena (Bartolo), Orchestra Rossini di Napoli, Silvio Varviso

10 - Kathleen Battle (Rosina), Rockwell Blake (Almaviva), Leo Nucci (Figaro), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Basilio), Enzo Dara (Bartolo), Metropolitan Opera House, Ralf Weikert

11 - Jennifer Larmore (Rosina), Richard Croft (Almaviva), Richard Malis (Figaro), Simone Alaimo (Basilio), Renato Capecchi (Bartolo), De Nederlandse Opera, Alberto Zedda

12 - Jennifer Larmore (Rosina), Raúl Gimenez (Almaviva), Hakan Hagegard (Figaro), Samuel Ramey (Basilio), Alessandro Corbelli (Bartolo), Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Jesus Lopez-Cobos

13 - Suzanne Mentzer (Rosina), Jerry Hadley (Almaviva), Thomas Hampson (Figaro), Samuel Ramey (Basilio), Bruno Praticò (Bartolo), Orchestra della Toscana, Gianluigi Gelmetti

14 - Sonia Ganassi (Rosina), Ramón Vargas (Almaviva), Roberto Servile (Figaro), Franco de Grandis (Basilio), Angelo Romero (Bartolo), Failoni Chamber Orchestra, Will Humburg

top

~La Cenerentola

1 - Teresa Berganza (Angelina), Luigi Alva (Ramiro), Renato Capecchi (Dandini), Paolo Montarsolo (Magnifico), London Symphony, Claudio Abbado

2 - Frederica von Stade (Angelina), Francisco Araiza (Ramiro), Claudio Desderi (Dandini), Paolo Montarsolo (Magnifico), La Scala, Claudio Abbado

3 - Ann Murray (Angelina), Francisco Araiza (Ramiro), Gino Quilico (Dandini), Walter Berry (Magnifico), Wiener Philharmoniker, Riccardo Chailly

4 - Cecilia Bartoli (Angelina), William Matteuzzi (Ramiro), Alessandro Corbelli (Dandini), Enzo Dara (Magnifico), Teatro Communale di Bologna, Riccardo Chailly

5 - Cecilia Bartoli (Angelina), Raúl Gimenez (Ramiro), Alessandro Corbelli (Dandini), Enzo Dara (Magnifico), Houston Symphony, Cristoph Eschenbach

6 - Giulietta Simionato (Angelina), Ugo Benelli (Ramiro), Sesto Bruscantini (Dandini), Paolo Montasolo (Magnifico), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Oliviero de Fabritiis

7 - Lucia Valentini-Terrani (Angelina), Francisco Araiza (Ramiro), Domenico Trimarchi (Dandini), Enzo Dara (Magnifico), Capella Coloniensis, Gabriele Ferro

8 - Marina de Gabarain (Angelina), Juan Oncina (Ramiro), Sesto Bruscantini (Dandini), Ian Wallace (Magnifico), Glyndenbourne Festival, Vittorio Gui

9 - Agnes Baltsa (Angelina), Francisco Araiza (Ramiro), Simone Alaimo (Dandini), Ruggero Raimondi (Magnifico), Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner

10 - Jennifer Larmore (Angelina), Raúl Gimenez (Ramiro), Gino Quilico (Dandini), Alessandro Corbelli (Magnifico), Covent Garden, Carlo Rizzi

top

~Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra

1 - Montserrat Caballé (Elisabetta), Valerie Masterson (Matilde), José Carreras (Leicester), Ugo Benelli (Norfolk), Philharmonia, Masini

top

~Guglielmo Tell

1 - Mirella Freni (Matilde), Luciano Pavarotti (Arnoldo), Sherrill Milnes (Tell), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Furst), National Philharmonic, Riccardo Chailly

2 - Montserrat Caballé (Mathilde), Nicolai Gedda (Arnold), Gabriel Bacquier (Tell), Kolos Kováts (Furst), Royal Philharmonic, Lamberto Gardelli

3 - Cheryl Studer (Matilde), Chris Merritt (Arnoldo), Giorgio Zancanaro (Tell), Giorgio Surjan (Furst), La Scala, Riccardo Muti

top

~L’Italiana in Algeri

1 - Agnes Baltsa (Isabella), Frank Lopardo (Lindoro), Enzo Dara (Taddeo), Ruggero Raimondi (Mustafa), Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado

2 - Lucia Valentini-Terrani (Isabella), Francisco Araiza (Lindoro), Enzo Dara (Taddeo), Wladimiro Ganzarolli (Mustafà), Capella Coloniensis, Gabriele Ferro

3 - Giulietta Simionato (Isabella), Cesare Valetti (Lindoro), Marcello Cortis (Taddeo), Mario Petri (Mustafà), La Scala, Carlo Maria Giulini

4 - Jennifer Larmore (Isabella), Raul Gimenez (Lindoro), Alessandro Corbelli (Taddeo), John del Carlo (Mustafà), Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Jesus Lopez-Cobos

5 - Marilyn Horne (Isabella), Ernesto Palácio (Lindoro), Domenico Trimarchi (Taddeo), Samuel Ramey (Mustafà), I Solisti Veneti, Claudio Scimone

6 - Teresa Berganza (Isabella), Luigi Alva (Lindoro), Rolando Panerai (Taddeo), Fernando Corena (Mustafà), Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Silvio Varviso

7 - Doris Soffel (Isabella), Robert Gambill (Lindoro), Enric Serra (Taddeo), Günther von Kannen (Mustafà), Stuttgart Rundfunk, Ralf Weikert

 

top

~Mosè in Egitto

1 - June Anderson (Elcia), Zehava Gal (Amaltea), Salvatore Fisichella (Aronne), Ernesto Palácio (Osiride), Siegmund Nimsgern (Faraone), Ruggero Raimondi (Mosè), Philharmonia, Claudio Scimone

~Semiramide

1 - Joan Sutherland (Semiramide), Marilyn Horne (Arsace), John Serge (Idreno), Joseph Rouleau (Assur), London Symphony, Richard Bonynge

2 - June Anderson (Semiramide), Marilyn Horne (Arsace), Stanford Olsen (Idreno), Samuel Ramey (Assur), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Conlon

3 - Cheryl Studer (Semiramide), Jennifer Larmore (Arsace), Frank Lopardo (Idreno), Samuel Ramey (Assur), Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Ion Marin

4 - Edita Gruberová (Semiramide), Bernadette Manca di Nissa (Arsace), Juan Diego Florez (Idreno), Ildebrando d’Arcangello (Assur), Wiener Konzertchor, Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, Marcello Panni

Semiramide is probably the larger scale work among bel canto operas, not only in length but in forces involved. Its most accomplished feature is the way Rossini puts florid writing in the service of drama. This was also his last work written for the Italian stages and quite sui generis in his production. Because of his association with the Teatro San Carlo, in Naples, the most avant-garde in Italy these days, the works composed for the Neapolitan audiences were quite particular - they generally had no overtures, recitativi secchi, among other things. However, Semiramide was commisioned by Venice’s La Fenice and the result of it is that, although having to fit back to some practices he had abandoned to please Venetian audiences, he did stick to some new features. As a consequence, Semiramide is a perfect blended of a dying and a newly born traditions. As it is, the work has a monumental scale, with much more participation of the chorus than usual in an Italian opera those days, no recitativo secco and a clear preference for ensembles instead of arias. Its libretto, based on a tragedy by Voltaire, is also very nice, with a proto-Freudian plot and some "mass commotion" scenes, most of all the appearance of the ghost of King Nino in a public ceremony. Because of all this forecasting of Romantic features, the work does echo some later operas - Verdi's Macbeth is the one which more readily comes to my mind. The first performance was in 1823 and the opera soon became an international success. It has also the quality of appearing in different litterary works - Balzac’s La Peau de Chagrin and Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White, for example.

This opera also is incredibly hard to cast, since all its main roles are impressibly difficult to sing. The title role was written for one of the most famous singers of her age and also Mrs.Rossini, Isabella Colbran. As it is, the role is probably one of the most difficult of the repertoire. I haven seen lighter sopranos singing Norma, but they prefer not to touch Semiramide. The role requires an enormous range and is particularly insistent on lower tessitura, a complete control of coloratura and power to sing above very loud ensembles (including all the other soloists, the chorus and a big orchestra). Dramatically, it is the sort of thing that demands a flashy temperament all the time. The first Arsace was sung by contralto Rosa Mariani and, since its tessitura is rather low, few mezzo sopranos have ventured to sing it. The virtuosistic demands are even more fearsome than for the prima donna. There is a small role for a lyric soprano, that of the Princess Azema. Since Voltaire’s play had no room for a tenor, the role of Idreno was created, but the first tenor to sing it, John Sinclair understandably couldn’t deal with the part (cuts had to be provided) - it is an impossible role after all. The range involves some visits to notes above top c and stays high quite longer than "normal" tenors usually can deal with. The bass role of Assur, originally taken by Fillippo Galli is one of a series of great bass roles that demand everything of a singer.

Although Montserrat Caballé was the most persistent advocate of this opera (her pirate from Aix-en-Provence is a jewel), we owe to Joan Sutherland the re-birth of the work in XXth century. The first official recording accordingly featured the Australian diva. She was in her best vocal shape around the mid 60’s, but, although she has lots of fun singing such difficult music, the role is ill-suited to her temperament. As a result, she sings it as if it was a lyric coloratura role when, as a matter of fact, this is a dramatic coloratura role - requiring some di forza vocalization. Under these circumstances, Marilyn Horne has all the opportunities to steal the show with her immaculate technique and expressive usage of the text. Tenor John Serge has very little to sing, since his part is reduced to comprimario. In any case, his tone is really ugly. Joseph Rouleau is also below standard as Assur. Unfortunately, Bonynge is not also the man for his task. This requires a much firmer pulse than his rather col canto approach which works somehow for Bellini and Donizetti. However, the most serious problem is the edition, shamelessly cut (including the culminating event of the story in the finale ultimo).

When the Metropolitan Opera decided to stage this most monumental of works in the 90’s, the complete edition of the Rossini Foundantion already existed. So, although it is a video recorded live in the theatre, the edition is the complete one. It is most amazing that these singers were up to deal with the greater effort involved. Also, the Semiramide and the Assur are charismatic singing actors and provide some exciting scenes. The production is traditionally "historic" and extravagant and, if the lighting was a bit more effective, it could be even more impressive than it is. Although the title role is a bit heavy for June Anderson, she gives her heart and soul to the part and copes admirably with what she has to do. That said, the tone tends to be tense in the most outspoken moments and she disappears sometimes in low notes. Considering the size of the Met, those shortcomings are understandable and she deserves all the praises for such an engaging performance. Marilyn Horne was in the end of her operatic career and the voice is predictably nasal and guttural at the same time. One can see her effort with more outspoken passages (although the coloratura is always impressive). She is in her element in the lyric moments, where her natural expression and understanding of the text provide the necessary emotionalism. Stanford Olsen is simply my favourite Rossinian tenor. No other tenor so aptly found a compromise between the mixed voice Rossini liked so much and the chest tones modern audiences cannot part with. His ease with the highest notes and accomplishment in coloratura are only matched by his unfailing good taste and beauty of tone. Samuel Ramey is, of course, THE Rossinian bass. No-one before or after him reaches his impressive standards. Unfortunately, James Conlon does not show complete understanding of style. His performance tends to be slow and lacking in rhythmic definition. This is particularly harmful in this of all operas, and those not fully acquainted with bel canto operas may feel rightly bored by the end of the proceedings. The recorded sound is excellent.

Deutsche Grammophon scored very high when it took Semiramide to the studio. It is an admirable performance to its minimal elements. Under the advice of Sutherland and Caballé, jugendlich dramatisch Cheryl Studer decided to deal with bel canto repertoire. Her positive Queen of the Night, Donna Anna and Konstanze had already shown that this could be really interesting, but her results surpassed the expectations. Although the role is a bit low for her, the natural power and brilliancy of her voice allow her to fulfill the demands made on her without ever forcing the tone. Her coloratura, although not in the Sutherland/Horne superhuman levels, is completely reliable and she has beautiful trills. However, her experience in Lieder repertoire shows beautifully in the way she gives life to the text. It is not a Maria Callas 100% adrenalin performance - Studer works rather from details. In Serbami ognor, she fills her voice with seduction and her final duet with Arsace is simply chilling. The sound of her voice when she discovers that her fiancé is not only her son, but he also knows that she mudered his father, is incredibly poignant. Jennifer Larmore is not in this interpretative level, but she offers such richness of tone and powerful coloratura that one cannot help delighting in what she does. Also, she never forgets she is playing a male role and sounds convincing even in the reading of the letter. Frank Lopardo is in wonderful shape and sings a forceful Idreno. His fearless approach to his role is very exciting and he is also convincingly ardent in his scenes with Julia Faulkner’s fruity Azema. Again, Samuel Ramey is the supreme Assur. The cast also counts with Jan-Hendrik Rootering in the best performance I have ever heard from him in the role of Oroe. Ion Marin’s approach to the score is taken from the Romantic point-of-view. It has the orchestra in the centre of the events, playing exhilaratingly. It is really nice to see such fizzing duets with Studer and Larmore coping admirably with the extra fast speeds. The London Philharmonic is responding accordingly and the recorded sound is excellent. Some may say it is too much for Rossini, but I think that they are misssing an important point about this great Italian composer.

Marcello Panni's recording has been made live in concert version in Vienna. Although the CDs have been released by Nightingale, it seems that the ORF's Tonmeister was in charge. This might explain the spacious natural sound picture - the soloists' voices are faithfully if not artifficially closely recorded. Granted a very good orchestra, the conductor presides over a transparent and animated performance. I should say, though, that this opera requires a bit more gravitas, especially in public scenes (when more substantial choral forces would certainly be more helpful). As a result, some crucial dramatic moments sound relatively tame - especially the confrontation between Semiramide and Assur in Act 2. The conductor is not to blame alone, though: the cast is almost invariably made of singers light-voiced for their roles. Despite her technical mastery, musicianship and intelligence, Edita Gruberová's soprano is indeniably in the light side for her role. The accompanying booklet to the CDs deemed it even important to address this issue, on explaining that, following the practice of adapting the writing of a role to a particular singer's voice, Rossini's notes have been adapted here and there to fit into Gruberová's range. This is not problematic per se - the rewriting is most efficient and even discrete and only her wish to compensate the absence of a low range with extra in alts is a bit bothersome. The snag is precisely that the lighter and higher vocalità featured here does not truly evoke the Semiramide from Voltaire's tragedy. In the public scenes, Gruberová might sound even girlish instead of creating the necessary imperious impression. In her altercations with Assur, she sounds upset rather than furious and her scenes with Arsace are more coquettish than seductive. Her Arsace is the characterful Italian contralto Bernadette Manca di Nissa. Hers is a most pleasant and expressive voice, but the demands made on her by Rossini sometimes take her to her limits. She generally keeps everything within the boundaries of acceptability, but one would like more impetuosity in this role. It must be said that Panni offers her some very fast tempi, what is remarkable considering that this was recorded live. The blending of her voice with the prima donna's is not 100% smooth - the soprano's bright tones tend to overshadow her darker voice entirely. Nevertheless, their act II duet is extremely graceful. Juan Diego Flórez copes very well with the impossible demands made on him but cannot compete with Frank Lopardo in variety of tone in Ion Marin's studio recording. Ildebrando d'Arcangelo makes a more than fair stab at the difficult part of Assur. He fearlessly plunges into the intrincacies of his part and, if he cannot vie for Samuel Ramey's immaculate vocalità, he never cheats in his runs, his rivals in dramatic imagination.

 

top

~Tancredi

1 - Eva Mei (Amenaide), Vesselina Kasarowa (Tancredi), Ramón Vargas (Argirio), Harry Peeters (Orbazzano), Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Roberto Abbado

2 - Maria Bayo (Amenaide), Bernadette Manca di Nissa (Tancredi), Raúl Gimenez (Argirio), Ildebrando d’Arcangelo (Orbazzano), Stuttgart Rundfunk, Gianluigi Gelmetti

3 - Sumi Jo (Amenaide), Ewa Podles (Tancredi), Stanford Olsen (Argirio), Roberto Servile (Orbazzano), Collegium Instrumentale Brugensis, Alberto Zedda

Ferro's performance, in period instruments, abounds in clarity if [at expense] of forward movement and true excitement. The euphonious approach becomes the exquisite-voiced leading ladies here cast. Lella Cuberli's creamy, crystalline, fully flexible soprano moves along with poise and sensitivity. Although Fiorenza Cossotto's coloratura has a hint of aspiration, her natural solid and forceful mezzo, charisma and strong personality evoke the straightforwardness of the lovelorn warrior without any hint of tomboyishness usually find in the type of contralto usually found in this repertoire. Also, Helga-Müller-Mollinari is a gentle and sweet Isaura. As Argirio, Werner Hollweg copes well with the difficult tessitura and divisions, but the tone is helplessly nasal. Ample and rich as it is, Nicola Ghiuselev's bass is quite foreign to bel canto.

top

~Un Turco in Italia

1 - Montserrat Caballé (Fiorilla), Jane Berbié (Zaida), Ernesto Palácio (Narciso), Enzo Dara (Geronio), Samuel Ramey (Selim), National Philharmonic, Riccardo Chailly

2 - Cecilia Bartoli (Fiorilla), Laura Polverelli (Zaida), Ramón Vargas (Narciso), Alessandro Corbelli (Geronio), Michele Pertusi (Selim), La Scala, Riccardo Chailly

3 - Maria Callas (Fiorilla), Jolanda Gardino (Zaida), Nicolai Gedda (Narciso), Franco Calabrese (Geronio), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Selim), La Scala, Gianandrea Gavazzeni

4 - Sumi Jo (Fiorilla), Susanne Mentzer (Zaida), Raúl Gimenez (Narciso), Enrico Fissore (Geronio), Simone Alaimo (Selim), Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner

top

~Il Viaggio a Reims

1 - Cecilia Gasdia (Corinna), Katia Ricciarelli (Madama Cortese), Lella Cuberli (Contessa di Folleville), Lucia Valentini-Terrani (Marchesa Melibea), Edoardo Gimenez (Cavalier Belfiore), Francisco Araiza (Conte di Libenskof), Enzo Dara (Barone di Trombonok), Leo Nucci (Don Alvaro), Samuel Ramey (Lord Sidney), Ruggero Raimondi (Don Profondo), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado

2- Sylvia McNair (Corina), Cheryl Studer (Madama Cortese), Luciana Serra (Contessa di Folleville), Lucia Valentini-Terrani (Marchesa Melibea), Raúl Gimenez (Cavalier Belfiore), William Matteuzzi (Conte di Libenskof), Enzo Dara (Barone di Trombonok), Lucio Gallo (Don Alvaro), Samuel Ramey (Lord Sidney), Ruggero Raimondi (Don Profondo), Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado

Il Viagio a Reims was a kind of extravagance composed for the coronation of Charles X, performed in Paris in 1825 featuring a cast including Giuditta Pasta and Domenico Donzelli. It was performed only a few times and then the composer himself recommended that the work should not be presented again (on the grounds that a cast like the original one would never be found again). He cannibalized the opera, using roughly half of it in Le Comte Ory. The work hadn’t survived until a group of scholars using newly found material in Italy, France and Austria re-built the score and it was performed again for the first time in the 1984 in Pesaro.

It is characteristic of Rossinian sense of humour that the characters of the opera, a group of aristocrats obliged to halt at a spa called The Golden Lily, actually never arrive in Reims for the coronation. Musically, it is a work of deep interest, since it is but for Semiramide the last work he composed in Italy. Rossini’s inspiration was at its best and imaginative numbers follow each other, including a sensational concertato for 14 voices.

The now historic perfomance in Pesaro was recorded by DG, featuring a sensational cast. However, sad as it is, the recorded sound is unacceptably unfocused and messy. In the famous concertato, one can barely make out contrasting solo parts (one only has to remember Norrington’s beautiful performance of this number in a gala in New York with Deborah Voigt, Frederica von Stade, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Marilyn Horne, Chris Merritt, Samuel Ramey et al to see how manifold the piece is). Luckily, Abbado re-recorded the work for Sony, live in the Berlin Philharmonie, and the better engineering offered now is reason enough to prefer the second recording.

Recorded sound aside, the performances are quite equivalent in quality and personal taste would decide about this and that singer. I think Cecilia Gasdia fuller toned Corinna more pleasant than the ever musical Sylvia McNair, but Gasdia is pratically impossible to hear in the offstage aria, while McNair is far away, but her voice is well captured by the microphones. Both Studer and Ricciarelli are lovely as Madama Cortese, one more focused, the other more idiomatic. However, Luciana Serra, even displaying a less imposing instrument than Lella Cuberli, is more sparkling as the Countess of Folleville. Lucia Valentini-Terrani is delightful in both performances, but is better partnered by Francisco Araiza, in sensational voice, than by William Matteuzzi (who plays a minor role on DG). When it comes to the Gimenez tenors, I think Raúl has more imagination, in spite of a more congested vocal production. Gallo is lighter toned and more spontaneous than Nucci; Dara is excellent in both occasions, but Raimondi was in better voice in Italy, though. However, the jewel of both performances is definitely Samuel Ramey’s Lord Sidney, an impressive vocal display in any standard. Both orchestras are wonderful and Abbado is consistent with himself in both events.

top

 

 

re:opera

homepage