5 comments about Verdi: Aida / Millo, Domingo, Zajick, Morris, Ramey; Levine.

1. If there were any Aida today that could compare with the greats of the past such as Tebaldi and Milanov, it would be the American soprano Aprile Millo. Most Verdi operas after Verdi's early phase were no longer centered around the main soprano, and of course one would need an excellent cast to make the opera ring with life. This recording does not disappoint the listener in any way, and while conductors like Abbado and Muti know how to better conduct the score, Levine was too an excellent Verdian and delivers the score with passion and spontaneity. I would wish that the pacing of Verdi's score were somewhat faster, but there is so much lyricism and beauty in Levine's conducting that one could forget his shortcomings.
   
   The cast is nothing short of amazing. Domingo, in his 4th recording of Radames, makes a most passionate captain of the guard. He has lost some of the luster of his voice, and while his recording with Muti and Gwyneth Jones may have found him more passionate, he is certainly very involved here. He sings a very beautiful Celeste Aida, in my opinion.
   
   Dolora Zajick as Amneris is probably one of the best interpretations of the mezzo role. She is the prototype of the Verdian soprano, as can be seen in her Azucena, and she understands the bitch from inside out. I certainly would compare this artist with the greats of the past such as Cossotto, Barbieri, and Simionato, the great three Italian mezzos of the past who made a specialty out of this role. Brava!
   
   James Morris was the greatest Wotan in the Met during the 80's and 90's. There is no doubt that this amazing bass-baritone made a great Amonasro as well. I believe that his control of legato, as well as his excellent voice and his dynamics, make his Amonasro one of the better interpretations of the recent times, although one could wish that he were Leonard Warren, Cornell MacNeill, or Tito Gobbi.
   
   This, of course, brings me to the Aida, Aprile Millo. With a voice as large and beautiful (albeit not as flexible) as Tebaldi, more sensitive than Milanov, and much more even and consistent than Callas, I would say that Aprile Millo is the definitive Aida of our generation. I would say that Callas was better as an interpreter and Nilsson perhaps made something of this Italian role better than most of the natives, but Millo holds her own among these greats, and I would say that I recommend this recording to anyone who wants to listen to an Aida sung with the true kind of voice required for the role.
   
   Recommended!



2. This 1990 Aida captures what it sounded like to have a seat in the fifth row at the Met when the house regulars--Domingo, Millo, Zajick, and Morris--were on stage. There was probably no better seat to be had anywhere, yet one is aware that nobody is trying extra hard. Levin'es conducting is proficient and clipped, setting the whole tone for the performance.
   
   Aprile Millo has a timbre reminiscent of Tebaldi but with half the passion and a constant wobble--this is a superstar role and Millo was just a local star. Morris has not the slightest evideence of Verdi style, though his sound is commanding (he can't get Wotan out of his voice). Domingo is the best of the lot and is in fine voice, but he's phoning in his emotions. Sony's 24-bit sonics are very clear, if distant and lacking in impact.
   
   The reviewer above who laments that this was probably the last time that we'll hear Aida sung with the proper voices might be right. What's lacking is the passionate, committed Verdi tradition those voices must express. If that drawback doesn't bother you, this is at least a 4-star recording.
   
   (By the way, the generous excerpts CD, at 75 min., provides about half the opera.)



3. I am going to admit I made a mistake when I purchased this recording when it was first released-I read the reviews. As is often the case, the reviews were mixed and compared the recording to great recordings of this opera, and when I listened to it, it lacked something. I now believe it is because I did not listen to it before reading the reviews. As a result, it has stayed on my shelf for many years, and the only action it ever got was when I dusted it. Not too long ago I was in an AIDA mood, so I put the first recording of the opera I could find in the CD player. It was this recording and I realized I let it sit on the shelf too long. It really is a great recording.

   This recording was one of the first Metropolitan Opera and James Levine recordings for Sony. Probably the greatest strength of the recording is Levine's masterful handling of the orchestra. It should come as no surprise that the Met orchestra handles this score so well since AIDA is one of the most performed works at the Met and an opera as grand and powerful as AIDA is at home in such a large house. Placido Domingo is wonderful in the role of Radames, one of his signature roles. While Aprile Millo is not as strong an Aida as Leontyne Price, or my favorite Renata Tebaldi, she does an adequate job. I enjoy Dolora Zajick's Amneris very much. She seems to be able to handle the dignity of her role in a manner that is not pompous. While listeners love to hate her, there are moments when her voice is tender and one can feel sorry for her as the woman scorned. Samuel Ramey and James Morris add to the cast as well. Though Hei Kyung Hong's role is relatively small, her role is one of the opera's most beautiful parts and she handles it well. Lovers of the Saturday afternoon broadcasts from the Met will be familiar with the name Charles Anthony, a tenor who has played a number of comprimario roles at the Met. He too is included in this recording as a messenger.

   My favorite AIDA is still the Tebaldi-Carlo Bergonzi recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan, but this recording is certainly worthwhile and a close second.




4. After a number of Aida recordings of the 70s and 80s that lacked a true spinto soprano Aida, Millo brings us back to the essence of the role. She does not always sound firm and stable but on the whole she is one of the finest Aidas I've heard. The voice has some qualities that remind me of Ricciarelli and Milanov, yet Millo is stronger than the former and less secure than the latter. Moreover, Millo understands the character and makes an interesting Aida.

   I expected an uninvolved and somewhat tired Domingo considering that this is his fourth studio recording of the role but he surprised me! He does something special with the ending of his big aria and generally sounds more relaxed than ever. I guess I belong to the ones who prefer the older Domingo. The rest of the cast is impressive, led by the famous Amneris of Zajik. Morris and Ramey are equally great.

   What I like most about this AIDA is the feeling of a live performance that it gives me. All artists do their best, and work as a team. They obviously benefited from their common stage experiences. Levine is grand and also cares about his soloists.

   Even if you own all the other famous Aida recordings, this one is certainly worth investigating. Instead of this expensive 3CD set, you can also consider the superb DVD of a MET performance with almost exactly the same cast.




5. If you want to experiece something great, you should have this recording. You can hear about Leontyne Price (great, of course), Milanov or even Caballé, but Millo is to die for. Besides her Dolora Zajick, amazing Amneris. Levine is extremely intense. Domingo not at his best (when he has been at his best? just a couple of times: Manon Lescaut live from the Met with Scotto on DVD).

No comments about Verdi: Simon Boccanegra.

2 comments about Bellini: I Puritani.

1. 
   
   It sometimes makes one wonder if the people who've reviewed a certain item, have ever actually listened to it.
   
   The Callas "vedovi" take it on me simply because I point out the flaws but hey, John Ardoin, a quite serious Callas admirer but knowledgeable enough to hear the problems, called this performance chaotic! I just happen to agree.
   
   Elvira, as heard on the Fonit Cetra and EMI studio recording is one of my favourite Callas roles. She made me sob with her first recording of Qui la voce. In Mexico however apart from some lovely moments, she fails to convince. I've been told that the Mexico performances were under rehearsed and judging from this and her Rigoletto, which is another all-over-the-place performance, I'm sure it's true. Picco in this case is also to blame for his support is far from ideal. Although struggling to lighten the voice throughout the performance, Callas sang many great top notes. The E-flat at the end of an otherwise touching mad scene however turns unruly as if she didn't know what she was doing.
   
   Di Stefano is in fine voice and sings with ardour. His voice in "a te o cara" as on the EMI recording shines. He and Callas however fail to impress in the third act duets, which sound rather routine. The rest of the cast is inadequate and forgettable. Under these circumstances, this is hardly a recommendable Puritani, particularly when the EMI recording with the excellent Serafin has Callas, Di Stefano in better shape with a good supporting cast is available. Sutherland's second studio is still the all-around most recommendable recording for its sound, complete score and outstanding cast while any Devia Elvira will give you probably the most Bellinian singing ever.
   
   In terms of sound by the way, the new archipel release offers probably the best.



2. Callas once performed a true vocal miracle: She sang Wagner's Brünnhilde and Bellini's Elvira in the same week! That's like letting Nilsson do Elvira and Sills Brünnhilde!!!! Impossible? Callas made it possible and conquered the world of opera! This is one of those recordings where Callas was caught in her fullest prime, the time where she was a true assoluta. This word fits no other soprano because neither Sills nor Sutherland nor anyone could do Puritani AND Walküre. She has brilliant moments, INCREDIBLE Ds, Es and more! Glittering coloratura, powerful drama! Not even the most fanatic Callas-basher will find a mistake in her singing here. And this recording also destroys the stupid prejudice that Callas was fine for the drama and not the technique. Her high notes, the burning, exquisite coloratura and the haunting pathos of "Qui la voce sua suave" where she alone brings out the madness, tragedy and the fear of this precious woman rank this as THE "I Puritani". Di Stefano sounds better than on the studio-recording he and Callas did later and is a real opponent for Pavarotti. Picco's conducting is fine, the sound-quality is great for a live-broadcast. The audience adores them. And so will you!

No comments about Carmen.

4 comments about Wagner: Tristan und Isolde.

1. While there are many excellent recordings of Tristan und Isolde available, this has to rank right up there with the best. Chilean bass Ramon Vinay has a rich baritone timbre to his voice, (he started his career as a baritone and finished as one as well), and he brings a maturity and masculinity as well as a level of passion to Tristan that has to be heard to be believed.
   Astrid Varnay is enjoying a bit of a renaissance since last year's issuance by Testament of the Decca Bayreuth live stereo recordings of 1955, and most deservedly so. She has a slight mezzo timbre to her voice, that gives it a richness and warmth lacking in the burnished steel of Birgit Nilsson, another great Isolde. Their duets are simply incandescent.
   Though this recording is in mono, the sound quality is extremely good and well balanced, especially for a live recording. This is an opportunity to hear to fantastic artists at the prime of their careers. Go for it!



2. When recordings of Tristan are mentioned, Astrid Varnay is a name that is mentioned in the great roster of Isoldes who make their careers on the role. However, because her discography is so short in terms of studio recordings, only the select few who search far and wide for her recordings to get to listen to her great reading of this very complex role. Her dark voice is also perfect for the role, the dark timbre seductive, the colours expressive, and the power excellent in contrasting the dynamics Herr Wagner wanted for a great Isolde...and a great one she truly is! Her first act is a combination of frustration, rage, pain, hurt, blinded love, and nobility. Her uttering of the phrase "Er sah mir in die Augen" is unrivaled, even by the Isoldes who have committed their interpretations in the larger labels. In many aspects, she betters her colleagues Martha Mödl and Birgit Nilsson in her projection of the first act Isolde. While Birgit Nilsson had a voice of steel, she hardly projected the love that Isolde felt while huring after Tristan's mockery. Martha Mödl, a thespian of the highest order, was a revelation in the role of Isolde, but she lacked the vocal security of Varnay, an aspect which is very important in perhaps what is the apex of the dramatic soprano repertoire. The second act is where Varnay truly shines in her lucid, languid, almost erotic reading of Isolde. Nilsson and Mödl do not have the requisite warmth which makes Isolde so seductive, and Varnay is a singer who has all the intelligence and the vocal prowess to make her Isolde a femme fatale in the truest sense of the word. Although Isolde does not appear much in the third Act, Varnay what music she has and the closing Liebestod with passion, pathos, and transfiguration...truly one of the few singers to achieve apotheosis in a role made legendary by great singers like Birgit Nilsson, Martha Mödl, Kirsten Flagstad, Helen Traubel, Gertrude Grob-Prandl, Helga Dernesch, and recently, Christine Brewer. This truly is one of the great Isoldes.
   
   But of course, this opera isn't called Tristan und Isolde for the Isolde alone. What makes the opera so difficult to perform are the many long exposed moments where the lead singers dominate through the four to five long hours they are onstage. The other most difficult role in this opera goes to Tristan, naturally, and Varnay is fortunate to have Ramon Vinay as her tenor. Ramon Vinay has a timbre touched with that tinge of baritonal darkness needed for Tristan. Only a few heldentenors today have the voice needed to sing Tristan, one of them being Ben Heppner, and they only had half the voice that some of the greatest Tristans such as Vickers had. Vickers, Melchior, and Windgassen are usually mentioned in history books as the greatest Tristans of all time, but history neglected the work of Ramon Vinay, a Chilean tenor with a sweet, dark voice with carrying power and an erotic timbre to make the role work. He is loving and erotic in Act II, and almost has this sexually-tinted angst in his voice in Act III. Definitely a great by-product of Wieland Wagner's excellent training. Gustav Neidlinger plays his sidekick, Kurwenal, and it is quite interesting to hear what one of the greatest Alberichs in recordings does with this role. He makes a rather sarcastic, intelligent interpretation of the role, and I find it rather endearing to see him in this role. Brangäne is played by Ira Malaniuk, a Bayreuth regular during the Neo-Bayreuth years who played the mezzo roles from Fricka to Waltraute to the Rheintöchters and Norns. A great artist in a role that wouldn't remove the memories of Christa Ludwig or Kerstin Meyer, but an excellent artist nonetheless. Perhaps one the most memorable singers who makes an appearance in this recording is the König Marke of Ludwig Weber. He has the vocal weight, the authority, and the sensitivity to give his monologue the necessary gravitas and the attention-holding pathos to make listeners hear what the King has to say. In short, he is noble, and he isn't boring.
   
   This performance is recorded by Eugene Jochum, known by many collectors as a superior Brucknerian. His long, arching melodies are sustained with the perfect combination of tension and lyricism which make him such a compelling Wagner conductor in the ranks of Knappertsbusch and Kleiber, and while he doesn't have the epic insights of Wilhelm Furtwängler in the score, he certainly pulls it off better than many conductors like Solti and Karajan. A romantic reading of the pentultimate romantic work.
   
   The unmentioned star in this recording, of course, is the producer Wieland Wagner, who played a key role in transforming the greatest Wagnerians of his day into the most magnetic singing artists in the history of German musical theater. Hey was the key figure in transforming Birgit Nilsson's Isolde into something that is truly memorable and bringing the passion and love in Varnay's Brünnhilde and the epicness in Martha Mödl's Kundry. If it weren't for him, Bayreuth would probably not be the historic icon that it is today, and I would say that he is the man who changed the history of Wagnerian theater and production.



3. I was riven with intellectual, as well as erotic longing, during Act III. It dumbfounded me that I could so long for a man who was a creature of imagination conjured by the collaboration of Richard Wagner and Ramon Vinay. The colossal suffering of Tristan, as essayed by Vinay, so moved my womanly heart... Also, Varnay, often eclipsed by Nilsson, was a voluptuous Isolde. She was able to summon the steel for the warrior Brunnhilde, but she was also able to soften into the femininity of Isolde and the Brunnhilde of Gotterdammerung. Her "mezzo"-touched dramatic soprano imbued a warmth and luxury to these roles. In my opinion, this recording ties with the Flagstad/Suthaus recording as the greatest of all Tristan und Isolde 's on record.



4. The only recording available of the great Astrid Varnay as Isolde. Buy it if you are a Wagnerian!

5 comments about Gounod - Roméo et Juliette / Alagna, Gheorghiu, van Dam, Keenlyside, Capitole de Toulouse, Plasson.

1. This would be a much better recording, if not for the _extreme_
   liberties taken by the recording engineers -- always -- given AG's voice
   and the difference between her in performance and studio recordings.
   What one hears here is not what a performance is like, and should be better, but isn't because there is also the issue of her musicality and her substantial deviations from the score. AG has been called an "average" soprano, not without good reason, and has gotten by largely because of her looks, silly dramatic flair onstage, and other non-musical qualities.
   I am also sorry to say that her reputation among serious long-term observers-critics is not good. (cf. operachic.typepad.com etc etc etc)
   AG's musical life is one of the few situations where ad-hominem issues
   are relevant, I would argue; not least, her gross unprofessionalism.
   (what I found most repugnant was her very demeaning and insulting comments about the very popular blind tenor....) Please note that I was an
   unqualified (and uninformed) admirer of the singer for several years, until I started to pay attention to more knowledgeable observor-critics, and also saw her serious human failings firsthand. (which are also better-known than I, by serious observors!)



2. Gounod's music in 'Romeo et Juliette' is sugary, as the Amazon reviewer says, but here Alagna and Gheorghiu connect so tenderly that you feel like a voyeur intruding on their intimacy. Alagna scales his voice down considerably in the duets, and Gheorghiu matches his perfect French pronunciation--they are merged in the language of love. No ohter recording has quite this gentleness (in my student days Freni and Corelli were the Met's standard Romeo and Juliet, and their presence made the work Italiante, a showpiece for gorgeous vocals).
   
   Plasson and his Toulouse forces sound fine, as does EMI's recording. Alagna reverts to his habit of pushing his voice in solo arias, and Gheorghiu is by nature too hard-edged for Juliet--her waltz aria is attacked a bit fiercely when ideally it should melt on the tongue. But when they sing together, these flaws disappear, and we get to be carried away by their love and Gounod's angelic melodies.



3. ABOUT THIS RECORDING:
   
   Roberto Alagna [Roméo] ** Angela Gheorghiu [Juliette] ** José van Dam [FrIAR Laurent] ** Marie-Ange Todorovitch [Stéphano] ** Simon Keenlyside [Mercutio] ** Alain Fondary [Capulet] ** Claire Larcher [Gertrude] ** Daniel Galvez Vallejo [Tybalt] ** Guy Flechter [Benvolio] ** Didier Henry [Pâris] ** Till Fecnher [Grégorio] ** Alain Vernhes [The Duke] ** Chœur et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse ** Michel Plasson
   
   This is the last recording of Gounod's Romeo Et Juliette we are likely to see. From 2000-2001, this also is the soundtrack to the film version. The Shakespearean classic tale of doomed love and the power it had to reconcile two feuding families in Renaissance Verona, Italy was a moving theatrical work of opera earlier in the 20th century and most especially in the 19th century. Traditionally, the voices of Romeo and Juliet have been sung by lighter, lyric voices trained in the art of French opera, particularly the operas of Gounod. In a 60's recording we find a young Franco Corelli and Mirella Freni as the lovers and to me, these two have most convincingly sung the lovers with flawless vocal technique and dramatic abilities. In a mid 90's recording you have Placido Domingo and Ruth Anne Sweson. Another winner as Domingo and Swenson get into character and have the lyricism and French style so suited to the opera. This recording, however, thanks to the efforts of Plasson's Gaellic conducting and dramatic treatment of the score and the dramatic, vibrant and beautiful voices of the leads, we get another winner.
   
   All opera lovers with the inside scoop know that Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are real-life husband and wife. Singing the famous lovers Romeo and Juliette must have been a pleasure for them and a piece of cake. Their commitment to each other and to themselves as artists is evident and their chemistry is electric. I'm not a learned opera scholar or voice coach but I have to say they sound amazing and they really get into character, with perhaps just slightly more emphasis on the voice. They make beautiful music together. The duets in this opera are plenty and they are unbelievably beautiful, erotic, seductive, enchanting. The Balcony Scene Duet (O Leve Toi Soleil) and the Hymn To Night later on -after Juliet forgives Romeo for killing Tybald (Va Je Te Pardonne) are all exquisitely and dramatically sung. It is as if they are singing Puccini duets. Yes, Alagna and Gheorghiu sing with self-consciously dramatic voices and since we are living in a time where studio recordings no longer rely on natural voice alone, we can miss out on some natural singing that has passion. But for some reason, these two do have the passion in the voices and they sing with faultless musicianship and dramatic power. Gheorghiu is a consummate artist and sings all her roles well but her Juliette is a weird sort of scenario: Maria Callas singing Juliet in a big dramatic way but with some vulnerability and sweetness. I don't care for Gheorghiu especially for the reason she sounds like an unbeatable Maria Callas imitator. Alagna sings great but he is obviously influenced and nearly imitating Franco Corelli and another scenario: Pavarotti as Romeo ? He sings like Pavarotti at times. I don't like this recording more than the Domingo/Swenson version though. I feel Domingo and Swenson genuinely want to act more than just sing beautifully. But this one is lovely too.
   
   Jose Van Dam sings Friar Laurence. He is amazing. The voice has not aged or gotten worse. It is rich, deep and saintly for the part. He has done a number of roles over the years and each time gets into character. Van Dam is still a terrific bass-baritone, able to sing such diverse repertoire as Mozart and Verdi. This is one of his best roles on recording. Simon Keenlyside, another Mozartian tenor, sings with great gusto and bravura as Mercutio. We genuinely feel for his tragic fate and he is not just a silly goofball. He's a tragic idealist/dreamer.
   
   Great cast, strong performances, great music.



4. Amazon's professional reviewer wrote, "Gheorghiu, with her grainy, textured soprano, is not the chirpy soubrette who too frequently is cast in this role". That is absolutely true, largely because the role of Juliette was re-written by Gounod to make her into a chirpy character. (Admittedly, her chirpy life goes hideously wrong. It is the descent of this blithe spirit into tragedy that gives the tale its epic stature, For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.) Gounod had a Jones for what he perceived to be epic literary drama: Faust, Mereille, Romeo and Juliet. When he was writing this opera, he portrayed his Juliette in very dramatic terms. Fortunately, in my opinion at least, the soprano who was to premiere the part told him firmly that he had it all wrong. At her prompting, he tossed out some heavy material from the back end of the opera and loaded Juliette's waltz song--that essential distillation of chirpy joy--onto the front.
   
   Gheorghiu is not really bad as Juliette. She's just wrong, irretrievably, unquestionably wrong. Her assault on the diamond-bright waltz is likely the most leaden misfire on record, She is not a lot better in some other places.
   
   Alagna has a smallish voice. He offers a retiring, small-scale, inoffensive Romeo. For those of you who consider Romeo to be a retiring, small-scale, inoffensive character, Alagna is just the man for you. He is not the man for me.
   
   An earlier Amazon reviewer stated his dislike for people who are forever praising singers of the past. Alagna is clearly his singer of today. For him, the main theme of this opera is "Roberto Alagna; singing Romeo, Nemorino, Don José, Werther, Edgardo ... he is teaching a new way to sing, with the heart in the hands." Well, yeah, okay, everybody has the right to an opinion, however misguided. I am one of those who praise singers of the past. I do this not because I dislike the present, but because many singers of the past are better and some cases vastly better than those of today, and it is of tenors in the French-Italian repertory that this is most particularly true. I except Domingo and the young Pavarotti, whom I consider members of an earlier generation. Oh, I remember well the thrill of discovering those two back in the 1960s. Believe me, I'd love to re-experience that sort of excitement, to find a new Caruso, Gigli, Lauri-Volpi, Thill, Björling, Vanzo, diStefano, Del Monaco, Corelli or Bergonzi whom I could praise to the stars...! But, alas, all I've got is Alagna, whom I can praise as better than Bocelli. Slightly.
   
   As for the rest of this set, the sound is up to date, if a little distant. The supporting rôles are filled by singers who are perfectly competent, perfectly authentic and perfectly forgettable. The orchestra sounds fine, but the conducting seems largely without such bite as even this sugary opera demands.
   
   This recording of "Romeo et Juliette" is certainly not bad, but equally certainly, it is not terribly good.



5. Let's start with the positive aspects of this CD-it's very complete, informative, has a CD-ROM feature, and it looks good on your CD shelf. The singers also have acceptable French and Alagna absolutely soars! But annoyingly, the accompanying book provides the libretto with a translation that is not lined up with the French. How hard is it to line up the translation??
   Being a coloratura soprano myself, I was particularly interested in Gheorghiu's interpretation of Juliette's waltz "Je veux vivre". In fact, I bought this recording to aid my learning of the role, but in my opinion, Angela completely murders this aria. Was she even reading the music? Her voice is sluggish and exhibits an unflattering vibrato, not to mention the completely overdone slurring. Granted, as a major opera star I suppose she is allowed to take liberties with the music, but thoroughly ignoring rests and articulation does not fly in my book. In addition, where is the youthfulness of Juliette in Angela's portrayal? Saying all this, I do appreciate the inclusion of the often cut Poison Aria at the end, but if you are a soprano looking for a role model, this would not be my first choice.

1 comments about Donizetti - La Romanzesca e l'uomo nero / Scano, B. Frod, P.A. Kelly, Spagnoli, Praticò, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Parry.

1. Once again, Opera Rara has succeeded in breathing life and vitality into one of the most obscure of Donizettiana. This one-act farsa, which originally had spoken dialogue between the musical numbers, is as delightful and rollicking as any of Donizetti's comedies. We don't know the full plot, however, because the spoken dialogue has long since been lost. This did not diminish my enjoyment of the opera at at all, however. A satire of the 19th-century obsession with romanticism, the work centers on Antonia, a spoiled girl who is disappointed with her too-normal life and wishes it were more romantic. She becomes infatuated with a "man in black" a disguised barber named Filidoro, who is willing to pander to her propensity to live in a fantasy world to further his own designs. Elisabetta Scano as Antonia is in lovely voice, handling the coloratura deftly and portraying the character of a gullible young girl very believably. As Filidoro, Pietro Spagnoli is equally delightful in his duet with Scano, as well as the rondo-finale in which both singers participate. I found myself playing these numbers over and over. There is also a delightful trio in which Tommaso, Filidoro's uncle and accomplice, gives an amusing lecture on what 'sentiment' means. Bruno Pratico, Bruce Ford, Adriana Cicogna, and Paul Austin Kelly round out a luxurious cast for such a slender work. David Parry capably conducts the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and keeps up a brisk and lively pace throughout. Fully 1/2 of the thickness of the jewel-box case is taken up by a copious booklet, which contains not only the obligatory synopsis and Italian-English libretto, but a scrupulous, thorough, and interesting historical account of the opera. Jeremy Commons provides a fascinating look at La Romanzesca, including the revelation that the opera's has been incorrect in every academic source since its premiere! (The opera has been traditionally called "La Romanziera"). In addition, the source play is identified for the first time in this essay. A detailed account of the work's slim performance history is also given. I am always amazed at the care and time that goes into Opera Rara's booklets. Since vinyl disappeared as a recording medium, reduced case space has forced record companies to offer only the briefest of essays (I assume this is true, anyway), and some don't even include a libretto. Opera Rara's excellent booklets are a welcome exception to this rule. The sound is better than many of Opera Rara's earlier recordings, and I didn't find myself having to turn the volume up to enjoy it. I highly recommend this sparkling little work to anyone, novice listener and bel canto aficionado alike.

3 comments about Pelléas et Mélisande.

1. This may be my favorite recording of Pelleas as a combination of sound and performance quality. As to the recorded sound, even though it is a mono recording (although stereo recording had already been developed in 1956 when the recording was made, it, unfortunately, was not yet being used by EMI for recordings in France), it is full bodied and spacious with a particularly clear and natural rendition of the voices, more so in this respect than Ansermet's stereo recording. In otherwords, apart from it not being in stereo, I do not find that its overall level of fidelity is inferior or limited.
   As to the performance, I find Cluytens even more atmospheric and attuned to the emotions of the characters than the aforementioned Ansermet, fine as it is, and the singing of the nearly all french cast is more idiomatic, distinctive and penetrating. Jacques Jansen may no longer convey the youthful radiance of Pelleas to the degree that he was able to do fifteen years earlier in his classic recording with Desormiere, but the nuances and vividness of his portrayal are acute, surpassing that of Camille Maurane in the Ansermet. Also, I find the Melisande of Victoria de Los Angeles a very effective combination of vocal beauty and expressiveness. However, for me the preminent performance in this recording is that of Gerard Souzay as Golaud. No one else, not even Jose Van Dam in the Karajan recording, has conveyed the same combination of vocal beauty and exquisite clarity of enunciation with both nuance and range of characterization. With Souzay's Golaud, all aspects of the character in its complexity, the sensitivity, tenderness, rage and anguish come across in a truly natural and compelling fashion.
   Unfortunately, this classic recording comes with a premium price tag, but for a true lover of this great and unique work, it should be worth it.



2. If you are a fan of Claude Debussy's music or of opera in general, you have, of course, come across recordings of PELLEAS ET MELISANDE before. The version with Elizabeth Soderstrom and George Shirley is worthwhile, mainly because of Pierre Boulez's clear, sharpy dramatic conducting and the Claudio Abbado version with Maria Ewing and Jose Van Dam is outstanding in its singers and conducting.
   However, long unavailable, the 1956 recording on the Testament label is the one which you should purchase, for its overall interpretation, its unsurpassed singers and the gorgeous work of the all-important orchestra.

   Everyone involved in this wonderful set of three CD's, is completely familiar with the French language and with French music. This is not a tight, overly nasal, small, pinched sound as so many people think French is. From the very opening measures, we hear this lush music sung perfectly. If you have never heard PELLEAS ET MELISANDE and think of opera as being a series of choruses and arias strung together by an um-pah-pah accompaniment, sit back and let Debussy's totally original composition wash over you.

   Victoria De Los Angeles is far and away the finest interpreter of 'Melisande' I've ever heard. She is always a naive, innocent, mysterious, sensual girl/woman. Gerard Souzay is nothing short of magnificent as her husband, 'Golaud'-both frightening and strangely touched by 'Melisande.' Jacques Jansen is a strong 'Pelleas'--a perfect romantic foil to De Los Angeles.

   Andre Cluytens gets wonderful playing from the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise, the sound on this historic set is terrific and from beginning to end, this version does just what Debussy and his librettist, Maurice Maeterlinck wanted: it casts a spell on the listener. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.




3. This is a mesmerizing recording of Debussy's uniquely-atmospheric opera that immerses listeners in its misty sonic ripples. Though not the obvious first choice, Cluytens's set deserves special attention. What follows is Ann Midgette's eloquence praise in the New York Times (Aug 10, 2001): "Cluytens's 1956 document, mono though it is, has two factors in its favor: it is idiomatically French, and you can drink the voices. Anyone who thinks French singing is about small, tight sounds needs to hear Gerard Souzay's breathtaking, enveloping Golaud or Pierre Froumenty's Arkel or Jeannine Collard as a radiant Genevieve. Jacques Jansen, the Pelleas in Roger Desormiere's classic...recording of the opera 15 years earlier, is a little rough around the edges. But few can touch Victoria de los Angeles, the one nonnative in the cast, as an unusual, idiosyncratic and sheerly beautiful Melisande...Leading the French Radio Orchestra, Cluytens creates an environment as dense and profound as Maeterlinck's forest but with a kind of joyful lushness." I suspect this reissue will not be around for very long. Get it while you can.

No comments about Auber: Les diamants de la couronne (The Crown Diamonds).

5 comments about Wagner - Parsifal / Knappertsbusch.

1. I never appreciated Amfortas until I heard George London here. If a pneumatic drill or jackhammer could sing, this is what it would sound like.



2. There are many 5 star reviews here and I would agree with those assessments. I have MANY recordings of this Opera and like many of them, but this one is truly special: the excitement of a live performance (at Bayreuth), very execellent sound, great cast and chorus, and great conducting. I am totally moved by this recording.
   
   If you are only getting one recording, this is the one to get. Or, put this one on the top of your list of many recordings (which I would recommend).



3. I'm often skeptical of rave reviews and generally end up feeling disappointed once I have a chance to listen. This recording is an exception. The sound is excellent for an older recording and the performance is spectacular. In fact, I just can't stop listening to these four CDs of Wagner's Parsifal. Knappertsbush does a fine job conducting the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. The cast is phenomenal. Just put the CD in your stereo, sit back and close your eyes, and you're transported to the wonderful sound of the Bayreuth opera house. I've been recommending this recording to all my Wagner-loving friends. What a find!



4. Someone will shoot me for saying this, but I think this is not the best Parsifal around. If we are merely speaking about the Bayreuth Parsifals, you can get a better one with a superior cast, once again conducted by Knappertbusch sans the plodding tempos and the added sleepiness. The last Parsifal has Jon Vickers as Parsifal with the cast featured here. I could never stand this one for the plodding tempos, despite Irene Dalis and Jess Thomas' amazing portrayal of their rolls. The 1964 Parsifal may be on mono, but it is without a doubt an excellent Parsifal, and Knappertbusch's chosen tempo for his last Parsifal transcends the earthly plain into something ethereal. But honestly, I wouldn't look to Knappertsbusch if I were to find a great Parsifal. For such a feat, I would look to Karajan or Kubelik for the greatest conducted Parsifals. I would understand the nods of assent I receive when I mention Kubelik, for his recording of Parsifal is a masterpiece that has an almost hypnotic quality to it. Add to that James King's magnificent Parsifal, Kurt Moll's superlative Gurnemanz, Yvonne Minton's superbly sung and seductive Kundry, and Matti Salminen's amazing Titurel, and you have a winner. The first act is revealing, the second act, triumphant, and the third act is transcendent...almost repentant. The sound is great too, being one of those neglected studio recordings that were vaulted due to its being overshadowed by Karajan's magnificent achievement on disc. Some people might call me controversial for praising Karajan's Parsifal, but I think that beyond the surface beauty, there is something spiritual about it. You also have the Berliner Philharmoniker playing, and their superb brass and strings enhance the beauty of the score even more. Another merit to that is the amazing cast. You have Kurt Moll as Gurnemanz, Peter Hofmann as Parsifal, Vejzovic as Kundry, and Jose Van Dam as Amfortas. Hofmann might be considered controversial due to his faulty technique, but I must say that among the great heldentenors who have sung this role, no one has a tone as beautiful as Hofmann's. The only drawback to his voice is the somewhat faulty technique he uses. Another downside that others would point out is Dunja Vejzovic's Kundry. You know what? I think she is a magnificent Kundry. Her voice has the perfect dramatic ping for it. It's seductive where it's needed, and tired...almost longing where she is too. If I were to buy a first Parsifal, I would certainly go for Karajan's, and please...don't miss out Kubelik's.



5. How do you pick among the growing list of Knappertsbusch readings of this opera from Bayreuth?
   
   Knappertsbusch practically owned the Grail Domain at Bayreuth through the 50s and the first half of the 60s. It was his favourite venue, where he could work, unseen by the audience, in his shirtsleeves under the unique Bayreuth hood that hid him from sight. Any or all of his performances (and more and more of them seem to pop up on disc all the time) are worth hearing.
   
   This one from 1962 sits high on the list. There is a magnificent Gurnemanz from the great Hans Hotter, an impressive Amfortas from Thomas Stewart and a truly malign Klingsor from Neidlinger. Jess Thomas could be a very good actor on stage (I've never seen a Walther who looked more as though he was making up his Prize Song as he went along in Sachs's workshop in Act 3 of Meistersinger). The voice, though, could be a bit tight in its production for my taste. The weak link, and a crucial one, in this performance was Irene Dalis. She's just not a patch on the white-hot Marha Modl in Kna's 1951 performance.
   
   Ah yes. There's the rub. That 1951 performance is something very special. Wagner did not call Parsifal an opera: he called it a Stage Dedication Play. And, at the festival that re-opened Bayreuth after the War, that's exactly what Kanppertsbusch gave us. Even slower speeds, even more intense concentration. And with a cast that always matches, often betters that of '62.
   
   The one thing this recording does have over that older one is the sound, the most accurate representation you'll hear in your living room of the unique Bayreuth sound. And remember, this was the one piece that Wagner wrote with the experience of that sound in his mind. For that as well as for a great (though not the greatest) interpretation, this recording is well worth trying.