Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / Perlea, Caballé

On this CD:

1. Lucrezia Borgia, opera
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Giuseppe Baratti, Vito Maria Brunetti, Montserrat Caballe, Robert El Hage, Ezio Flagello, Fernando Iacopucci, Alfredo Kraus, Ferruccio Mazzoli, Andrea Mineo
Conducted by Jonel Perlea

Tracks:

Prologue: Nella Fatal Di Rimini
Prologue: Nella Fatal Di Rimini
Prologue: Tranquillo Ei Posa
Prologue: Tranquillo Ei Posa
Prologue: Tranquillo Ei Posa
Prologue: Ciel! - Che Vegg'io?
Prologue: Di Pescatore Ignobile
Prologue: Gente Appressa - Io Ti Lascio
Prologue: Maffio Orsini, Signora, Son Io
Act I, Scene 1: Nel Veneto Corteggio
Act I, Scene 1: Viva! Evviva! Viva! Viva!
Act I, Scene 1: Addio, Gennaro.
Act I, Scene 2: Tutto Eseguisti?
Act I, Scene 2: CosTurbata?
Act I, Scene 2: Soli Noi Siamo.
Act I, Scene 2: E SAvverso A Gennaro
Act I, Scene 2: Trafitto Tosto Ei Sia
Act I, Scene 2: Guai Se Ti Sfugge Un Moto
Act I, Scene 2: Infelice! Il Veleno Bevesti
Act Ii, Scene 1: Rischiarata La Finestra
Act Ii, Scene 1: Sei Tu? - Son Io.
Act Ii, Scene 1: Onde A Lei Ti Mostri Grato
Act Ii, Scene 1: A Noi S'invola
Act Ii, Scene 2: Viva Il Madera!
Act Ii, Scene 2: Il Segreto Per Esser Felici
Act Ii, Scene 2: La Gioia De' Profani
Act Ii, Scene 2: Tu Pur Qui? Non Sei Fuggito?
Act Ii, Scene 2: M'odi, Ah! M'odi
Act Ii, Scene 2: Maffio Muore
Act Ii, Scene 2: Era Desso Il Figlio Mio

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Bel Canto Opera.......2005-06-22

Lucrezia Borgia was first produced in 1833, 18 months after Donizetti's comic masterpiece, L'elisir D'Amore. The music is quintessential bel canto, dominated by the title role, which needs a firebrand soprano to do it justice.
There are two studio recordings, this one made in 1965, and another one 12 years later with Joan Sutherland, Giacomo Aragall, Marilyn Horne, and Ingvar Wixell. While that is a stellar case, this recording is the benchmark.
Montserrat Caballe was 32 when she made this recording, shortly after she revived this opera in a concert production at Carnegie Hall, and was never in better voice. Shirley Verrett was one of the great mezzo-sopranos, and her performance in the trouser role of Orsini is just riveting. Enzo Flagello was a regular at the Met in the 1960s, and sings a robust and solid Alfonso.
But the revelation here is the soaring voice of the woefully under-recorded Spanish tenor Alfredo Kraus. He was a member of a rare and dying breed--a true "tenor di grazia", a high-flying lyric tenor able to spin a supple legato as well as hit the high Cs and Ds. With perfectly secure and seemingly effortless technique and wonderful phrasing, his duets with both Caballe and Verrett are simply magical. One realizes why many critics consider him one of the finest tenors of the 20th century. Listening to this opera will let you understand what bel canto truly means, and what all the excitement is about. If you enjoy bel canto opera, then this recording is a MUST HAVE.

Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / Perlea, Caballé

Average customer rating:

Incredibly wonderful
Lo mejor de Caballé
Musically rich and swiftly dramatic opera from Donizetti
Musically rich and swiftly dramatic opera from Donizetti
A Touching Tragic Bel Canto Opera

Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia / Perlea, Caballé
Gaetano Donizetti , Montserrat Caballé , Shirley Verrett , Alfredo Kraus , Ezio Flagello , Fernando Iacopucci , Giuseppe Baratti , Ferruccio Mazzoli , Andrea Mineo , Vito Maria Brunetti , and Robert El Hage
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Caballe, Montserrat | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003EPX
Release Date: 1989-09-29

Tracks:

Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Bella Venezia
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Nella fatal di Rimini
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Senti. La danza invitaci
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Tranquillo ei posa
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Com'e bello!
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Si voli il primo a cogliere
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Ciel!-Che vegg'io
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Di pescatore ignobile
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Gente appressa - io ti lascio
Lucrezia Borgia: Prologue - Maffio Orsini, signora, son io
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1- Scene 1 - Nel veneto corteggio
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1- Scene 1 - Viva! Evviva! Viva! Viva!
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1- Scene 1 - Addio, Gennaro.
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1- Scene 1 - Qui che fai?

Tracks:

Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Tutto eseguisti?
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Cosi turbata?
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Soli noi siamo
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - E si avverso a Gennaro
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Trafitto tosto ei sia
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Guai se ti sfugge un moto
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Infelice! Il Veleno bevesti
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 2 - Scene 1 - Rischiarata e la finestra
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 2 - Scene 1 - Sei tu? Son io
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 2 - Scene 1 - Onde a lei ti mostri grato
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 2 - Scene 1 - A noi s'invola
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Viva il Madera!
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Il segreto per esser felici
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - La gioia de' profani
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Tu pur qui? Non sei feggito?
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - M'odi, ah! m'odi
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Maffio muore
Lucrezia Borgia: Act 1 - Scene 2 - Era desso il figlio mio

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly wonderful.......2004-12-21

Firstly, I have to say, this was the first version of this opera I ever owned, and I fell in love with it instantly. The prologue actually has an additional "caballette" for Lucrezia sung here by Caballe wonderfully. For those who have the Sutherland recording, you will not be treated to this piece for it was not recorded, though I have no idea why as Sutherland could have sung it very well. However, we have Caballe doing it, and she is sublime.

Krauss is incredible, as usual, and he makes the part of Genaro really wonderful to listen to. He also looks the part of a hero, and in performance I am sure was wonderful.

Verrett is incredible. No, she is not Marilyn Horne, nor does she have any really overly shining embellishments (though she does end the prologue with a super high note equal to Caballe), yet, she does more than just lips service to the role, she is definitely exciting. The tempi are also different than when Bonynge conducts the Sutherland recording. The stretta of the Prologue excelerates in tempo, as it should, rather than just staying sort of dull and slow as in the Sutherland recording which adds greatly to the tention of the scene.

One finds this with all the strettas that end each act (especially in the Lucrezia/Gernaro duet ending act 1). I think the conductor really understands the purpose of the stretta in Bel Canto opera, and he masterfully handles it here. The increased speed may tax the singers somewhat, but one is NEVER aware of it in this recording, as they are all troupers and handle it with ease.

The opera closes with the famous scene for Caballe (after Genaro, her son, is dead). This version is published in some published scores, in others the trilling sections are not there (the Royal addition, which by the way contains the extra caballetta in the prologue which is not contained in other printed editions of the score, but has a slightly different version of this final aria, one that was sung by the great dramatic soprano of that day Therese Tietjens; the differences are interesting, but the aria is not simplified; were I conducting the work I would have the singer sing the version used by Tietjens then the more familiar version in the repeat).
I recommend this recording to anyone interested in this wonderfully dramatic and melodic opera. It is sad that it is neglected so, as in many ways it outshines the more famous Lucia.

All the singers are masterful, and the presentation holds together super well creating a "whole" rather than a collection of "favorite arias."

Lo mejor de Caballé.......2004-04-26

Con este rol a Montserrat Caballé se le abrieron las puertas de todos los grandes teatros del mundo como nueva superestrella de la ópera.
El disco de RCA nos presenta a Montserrat en estado de gracia, su voz suena muy fresca y en toda su amplitud. Perfecta para Donizetti, gran control del aire, legato impecable y fraseo belcantista. Es sin duda la mejor Lucrezia de la discografia, superando ampliamente a Sutherland.
Shirley Verret muy joven tambien entrega un Mafio Orsini de antologia, su voz fresca y a la vez oscura se presta para las agilidades y juventud del personaje, lo mismo su interpretacion.
Alfredo Kraus es le gran cantante de siempre, muy estilista y cuidado. Por su Parte Flagello sea quizá la parte mas débil del elenco, con una voz poco atractiva pero convincente en su parte pese a todo.
Los puntos en contra o mejorables de esta grabacion son varios. Primero que nada Caballé, gran cantante pero que se ve tentada a abusar de sus recursos, como el pianissimo sostenido hasta el ultimo aliento en el final del primer acto, impactante, sí, pero innecesario. Adolesce del trino belcantista que el papel de Lucrezia requiere en varias partes. Esto si bien la sigue manteniendo en alto novel le perjudica en el estilo. Es poco convincente estilisticamente una soprano belcantista sin trino.
Su interpretacion muchas veces se vuelve superficial y esto es un defecto que conservara durante toda su carrera.
Para mi gusto personal la grabacion hubiese sido mejor si en lugar de Alfredo Kraus hubiese estado Alain Vanzo que fue quien acompañó a Caballé en la presentacion en el Carnegie Hall. Kraus suena mas limpio y quizá mas cuidado pero Alain Vanzo posee una voz mas bella y mucho mas atractiva, ademas de una gran tecnica y estilo. Su interpretacion es mucho mas convincente y suena menos frigido que Kraus.
A pesar de esto sigue siendo una magnifica grabacion.
Disfrutenla.

Musically rich and swiftly dramatic opera from Donizetti.......2003-08-19

Even though a somewhat neglected masterpiece, the opera LUCREZIA BORGIA (La Scala, Milan, 1833), from Gaetano Donizetti, will never fail to please audiciences around the world, because Lucrezia is an alluringly melodramatic character.

This digitally remastered CD (1989) from the original recording of the opera in May 1966, in RCA Italiana Studios, Rome, is a jewel to treasure for those interested in good "bel canto" music.

Monserrat Caballé (soprano) give us an accurate and sweet-sounding performance as Lucrezia. Alfredo Kraus (tenor, with his delicious turns of phrase & mournful tone) is outstanding as Gennaro (Lucrezia's son from a previous marriage who is ignorant of his mother identity).

Shirley Verrett (mezzo-soprano) as Maffio Orsini ( young nobleman, friend of Gennaro) is very good in the melodious & cheerful aria: "Il segreto per esser felice" (The secret to be happy/for happiness)(CD 2, Track 13). Although, Marilyn Horne, in my opinion, is the best for this role.

Difficult to resist. Musically rich and swiftly dramatic. Donizetti at his best.

Musically rich and swiftly dramatic opera from Donizetti.......2003-08-19

This digitally remastered CD (1989) from the original recording of the opera in May 1966, in RCA Italiana Studios, Rome, is a jewel to treasure for those interested in good "bel canto" music.

Difficult to resist. Musically rich and swiftly dramatic. Donizetti at his best.

A Touching Tragic Bel Canto Opera.......2002-11-04

Donizetti was the leading bel canto opera composer. His melodies, cadenzas, roulades, choruses and lyrical arias were breathtaking and dramatic for their time. Among his famous operas, are of course, Lucia Di Lammermoor, Elisir D'Amore and the three Tudor queen operas, Maria Stuarda, Anna Bolena and Roberto Devereaux. But Lucrezia Borgia is a rare opera that has recently resurfaced. It is the fictitious account of the historic and controversial 16th century Renaissance noblewoman, Lucrezia Borgia, who, as history tell us, was accused of infidelity by a power-seeking Venetian lord. Lucrezia Borgia (a role that requires a dramatic and coloratura soprano) carries the whole opera with excellence, especially by the diva, Montserrat Caballe who was part of the effort to revive bel canto operas. Lucrezia's son, with another man, is unaware that a masked woman at a festival is truly his mother. When she begins to spend time with him, Lucrezia's husband, by then her fourth, begins to suspect infidelity. These suspicions are further motivated when Lucrezia's enemies who seek power in Venice slander her name by cutting of the B in Borgia at the sign post of her palace, leaving Orgia or "orgy" in Italian. Lucrezia extracts her revenge by inviting her son and his friends (her enemies) to a banquet. Dark, funereal music predicts a tragic outcome. There is a brindisi with a touch of irony (they are going to drink poison and die). But nevertheless, in the true tragic tradition, Lucrezia's revenge backfires. It is her son who drinks the poison and dies in her arms, and only then does he learn that Lucrezia is his mother. The dramatic aria that follows, sung by Lucrezia, beginning with her melodramatic exclamation "E Sperto!" "He's dead!", is full of high scales and descending depths of sadness. This is a great opera, although I'm quite sure there are superior singers to Caballe's performance here. Try any of the following sopranos (considering they sung the role) Renee Fleming, Joan Sutherland, Maria Callas, Beverly Sills. A Five Star Opera.

Donizetti - Lucrezia Borgia / Caballé · Vanzo · Paskalis · Perlea

Average customer rating:

Great but there is an even greater Lucrezia...
Caballe triumphant in "Lucrezia Borgia" revival
A legendary debut!
FABULOUS PERFORMANCE
An "emotional typhoon"

Donizetti - Lucrezia Borgia / Caballé · Vanzo · Paskalis · Perlea
Gaetano Donizetti , Jonel Perlea , Montserrat Caballé , Alain Vanzo , Kostas Paskalis , Jane Berbié , Arnold Voketaitis , L.D. Clements , Adib Fazah , Mauro Lampi , Vern Shinall , Jerold Siena , and William Wiederanders
Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Donizetti: Roberto Devereux

ASIN: B00000K0W2
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

Prologue: Prelude
Prologue: Bella Venezia! (Gennaro)
Prologue: Nella fatal di Rimini
Prologue: Tranquillo ei posa (Lucrezia)
Prologue: Com'e bello! (Lucrezia, Alfonso)
Prologue: Ciel! ... Che vegg'io? (Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Prologue: Da pescatore ignobile (Gennaro, Lucrezia)
Prologue: Piangete per me? (Gennaro, Lucrezia)
Prologue: Gente appressa. Io ti lasciao (Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Prologue: Maffio Orsini, signora, son io (Gennaro, Lucrezia)
Lucrezia Borgia: Nel veneto corteggio (Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Vieni, la mia vendetta (Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Qualunque sia l'evento (Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Addio, Gennaro (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Qui che fai?

Tracks:

Lucrezia Borgia: Tutto esequisti? (Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Cosi turbata? (Alfonso, Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Un temerario osava tests, di giorno (Alfonso, Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Soli noi siamo. Che chiedeste? (Alfonso, Lucrezia)
Lucrezia Borgia: E si avverso a Gennaro (Lucrezia, Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Oh! A te bada, a te tesso (Lucrezia, Alfonso)
Lucrezia Borgia: Trafitto tosto ei sia (Alfonso, Lucrezia)
Lucrezia Borgia: Della Duchessa ai prieghi (Alfonso, Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Guai se ti sfugge un moto (Lucrezia, Alfonso, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Or via, mesciamo (Alfonso, Gennaro, Lucrezia)
Lucrezia Borgia: Rischiarata e la finestra
Lucrezia Borgia: Dei tu?... Son io. Venir non vuoi (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Minacciata e la mia vita (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Onde a lei ti mostri grato (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Va, se vuoi (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Stolti! Ei corre alla Negroni
Lucrezia Borgia: Viva il Madera! (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Marrano di Castiglia!
Lucrezia Borgia: Pace, pace per ora (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Il segreto per esser felici
Lucrezia Borgia: La gioia de'profani (Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Tu pur qui? Non sei fuggito? (Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: M'odi, ah! m'odi, io non t'imploro (Lucrezia, Gennaro)
Lucrezia Borgia: Maffio muore (Gennaro, Lucrezia)
Lucrezia Borgia: Ah! madre, so ognor lontano (Gennaro, Cucrezia, Alfonso)

Customer Reviews:

Great but there is an even greater Lucrezia..........2005-10-24

And that is Caballe five years later at her La Scala debut! I'm not complaining, I loved this Carnegie Hall performance and I'm sure it brings back sweet memories to people who attended it but I find Caballe sounds a bit too girlish. She is stunning but I felt this Lucrezia needs to mature a bit and that she did. This is already evident in her studio recording just a year later where she is the perfect, patrician Lucrezia. On the other hand I really liked the urgency and spontaneity of this evening. I can also hear a slight anxiety and she even takes an additional breath in "m'odi ah m'odi", which is rather unusual for her but it's all because she's transforming from a talented young soprano into a legend. She doesn't show off her top notes as she did at La Scala but is nevertheless exciting.

Vanzo is one of the most elegant tenors and this recording proves how neglected this stylish singer was. He's got the legato, the thrust and the phrasing to make a great Gennaro, at least equal to Kraus. His warm voice blends in magnificently with Caballe's. Berbie's Orsini has got an attitude that reminded me of Oscar in Ballo in Maschera. Paskalis is at times a bit rough and I'd expect Don Alfonso to be slightly more noble-sounding but considering his character, an occasional snarl seems appropriate.

Perlea made cuts, most notably the spectacular finale which is disappointing but the NY audience hasn't got a clue about the opera's score anyway so it doesn't affect them. His conducting I found a bit indifferent but the singing is good enough to compensate.

On the whole, a beautiful, legendary performance. Bel canto would never be the same after this night.

Caballe triumphant in "Lucrezia Borgia" revival.......2005-06-27

Source: Live performance recorded at New York's Carnegie Hall, April 20, 1965.

Sound: On the whole, good to very good. Some voices occasionally slide away a little bit, but that is the nature of live recordings. I find the orchestral sound to be pleasing, if not as icily precise as some digitally-oriented enthusiasts might wish. The audience is generally well-behaved, inflicting very few annoying grunts and coughs. Premature applause floods over the final bars of the performance. Opera d'Oro is often a crapshoot with regard to sound. This recording is a winner.

Text: No score is conveniently available to me, but from the boasting about the completeness of Sutherland's "Lucrezia Borgia," I deduce that this version comes with cuts. I don't especially care. There is plenty here to enjoy.

Documentation: No libretto. The plot is very briefly summarized. There is an offhand reference to a triumph by Caballe, but nothing about any other performer. The orchestra is not identified. Fairly unusually for Od'O, the track lists identify characters who are singing and provide track timings.

Format: Disk 1, Prologue and Act I, Scene one, 52:43. Disk 2, Act I, Scene two and Act II, 65:02.

Forty years ago, the world of opera that lay between "Die Zauberfloete" and "Rigoletto" was a forgotten wasteland to a degree that is hard to credit today. "Lucia," "Il barbiere" and 'L'elisir" were the regular repertory works. "Normas" were scattered here and there, along with some dutifully offered "Fidelios" and a few tentative "Sonnambulas." I remember Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in which poor old Milton Cross struggled manfully to justify presentations of such moldy oldies as "Ernani" and "The Daughter of the Regiment." This performance of "Lucrezia Borgia" is one of the landmarks in the reclamation of the lost world of bel canto. It yielded a new repertory and a new soprano, one who could be mentioned in the same breath with Callas and Sutherland.

"Lucrezia Borgia" is a prima donna opera and Montserrat Caballe is very much that first lady. Caballe was wonderfully equipped with a lovely voice, warm tone and awesome technical skills, all brilliantly on display in this recording. She also offered an intensity and edge in this performance that sometimes eluded her in subsequent recordings. The Caballe legend is that she entered Carnegie Hall an unknown and came out a star. The tale may be a little shaky in the harsh light of objective fact, but this recording demonstrates that there is some truth in it.

It is my impression that special care was taken to present both the soprano and the opera in polished form, hence one of the all-too rare appearances of Alain Vanzo, the excellent but scandalously under-recorded and under-appreciated French tenor. Vanzo was in fine form, singing with admirable authority, elegance and tone.

As the record of a significant occasion and for hugely impressive singing from the soprano and tenor, this set fully deserves a five star recommendation.

Nevertheless, this recording falls well short of being an ideal performance. "Lucrezia Borgia" is not a two-singer opera. The composer provided good stuff for the seconda donna and the baritone. The second lady has a pants part, the tunefully indiscreet Mafio Orsini, Lucrezia's enemy. The baritone portrays that enduring operatic staple, her jealous husband. Jane Barbie is Orsini, and Kostas Paskalis, the husband. Barbie and Paskalis are prime examples of the sort of people absolutely vital to any opera company. They are the ones who have the music, the words and the staging down pat. They are the ones who are expected to keep the piece going when chaos overwhelms everything else. You might describe them as operatic utility infielders. Competence and professionalism they had, but they came up short on brilliance. From the positioning and structure of Orsini's music, it is clear that the seconda donna is supposed to shine. She has, in fact, an opportunity to dominate at least two scenes. Barbie, misses both opportunities. After her big number in the prologue, she earns that grim thing, a round of polite, half-hearted applause. So, too, with Paskalis. He struts and frets without incurring any particular notice. The rest of the cast, even less discernable than Barbie and Paskalis, are mowed down by poison in job lots.

Donizetti handles this tale of Renaissance revenge with predictable style, grace and musicality. The opera sounds good, no question of that. Donizetti's plot, however, has wandered away from his comparatively genteel customary haunts into craggy Verdian uplands. Donizetti extracts beauty from his libretto. Verdi, on the other hand, would politely have thanked the librettist for this present text as a first draft and then have made the poor hack's life a misery by incessant demands for stronger situations. What a meal Verdi would have made of this, what an in-your-face opera!

A legendary debut!.......2005-04-01

Like one of the comments above, I too have always wondered how Caballe sang for 9 years in Europe and yet had to wait for her American debut to get "the big break". Was Europe tone deaf for all those years? In essence, Caballe, in this performance especially, has it all: beauty of tone, dramatic impact, phenomenal breath control, beautiful pianissimo. Everyone has already said it in the previous reviews. Alan Vanzo, who has to be one of the most underrated tenors of his time, is outstanding. Technique to match that of Caballe's, unstrained from piano to forte. The two of them make this an absolute "must have". I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been in the audience at that performance and to have heard such a beautiful voice, unheralded and virtually unknown. We are ever in debt to Opera d'oro for this release. I hope they find some other blockbusters hidden in their vaults!

FABULOUS PERFORMANCE.......2002-11-22

This is truly one of the greatest bargains available. Opera D'Oro has released many live performances, some of them very valuable, and some of them actually in decent sound, but this is one of their best. Caballe's Carnegie Hall, as well as American, debut, has always been somewhat of a legend. Here one can actually hear why. This performance easily surpasses her studio one. The sheer beauty of voice, her legato, coloratura, heavenly pianissimi, sense of line, and identification with the role are incredible. Her opening "Come e bello" brings the house down, and she actually gets better and better as the night progresses. A must have.
As if this were not enough the Gennaro of Alain Vanzo, much under recorded, especially in bel canto, is nearly as revelatory. The other singers don't quite match up but are quite fine. Perlea conducts excellently as usual. Good sound considering th source. Highly recommended. Could even be your sole Lucrezia Brogia.

An "emotional typhoon".......2002-04-24

First of all, we all must express gratitude to Opera d'Oro for releasing this live recording on their label. Heretofore, it was evidently very hard to find, as stated in the Rough Guide to Opera. To pay so little for such a legendary performance- what a steal.

There are always drawbacks to listening to live recordings versus studio recordings, not the least of which is the person in the audience that feels the need to cough at the most dramatic moments(!) However, live recordings can lend an immediacy that is often missing from studio recordings, and this is the case here. You literally here the audience shift from a tepid, unenthusiastic response in the beginning to roaring applause by the opera's end.

As for Caballe, she blows you away with her arsenal of pianissimi and filati. Caballe is known for her sweet, creamy tone, but she is also capable of great drama, as she expresses in the climatic final scene, where she lifts to the stratosphere.

Of course, Caballe isn't the only star on the stage. Barbie gives a sweet rendition of the organ-grinder-sounding tune "Il Segreto per Esser Felici."