How long is Pagliacci?
Evi
high but neither I nor the seller know if it is highlights or the whole
opera - and I don't like highlights. The CD is 80 minutes long which is
normally a bit short for an opera but I wonder if Pagliacci is just a short
opera. I see that it is sometimes sold with another opera in Amazon but I'd
assumed that they were both just highlights from each.
The item is at:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2555868748
Looking at the Pagliacci CDs available in Amazon, I see that there doesn't
seem to be a full Corelli version available on CD (the one recommended in
this group). Is there another version you could recommend? Any views on the
opera in general? I've got a track on a compilation of Aureliano Pertile
singing Vesti la Giubba - ladles of melodrama but very enjoyable.
Evi
--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/evwool/
J.Venning
news:bj9d4u$gi0g7$1...@ID-165649.news.uni-berlin.de...
> I'm considering buying a Pagliacci CD on Ebay, if the price doesn't go too
> high but neither I nor the seller know if it is highlights or the whole
> opera - and I don't like highlights. The CD is 80 minutes long which is
> normally a bit short for an opera but I wonder if Pagliacci is just a
short
> opera. I see that it is sometimes sold with another opera in Amazon but
I'd
> assumed that they were both just highlights from each.
Yes, Pagliacci is a short opera. Tradition has it, that whenever it is
performed in a major opera house, Cavalleria Rusticana is also performed
together with it, though preceding it, thus the term "Cav & Pag". Buy it,
Evi! They are both very good "verismo" operas and worth the money you spend
on them. If you can't find a Corelli version, get the Del Monaco one.
J.
Elisa
>From: "Evi" evw...@ntlworld.com
>Date: 9/5/2003 12:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time
>Message-id: <bj9d4u$gi0g7$1...@ID-165649.news.uni-berlin.de>
>
>I'm considering buying a Pagliacci CD on Ebay, if the price doesn't go too
>high but neither I nor the seller know if it is highlights or the whole
>opera - and I don't like highlights. The CD is 80 minutes long which is
>normally a bit short for an opera but I wonder if Pagliacci is just a short
>opera. I see that it is sometimes sold with another opera in Amazon but I'd
>assumed that they were both just highlights from each.
Pagliacci is a short opera--the classic pairing is to put it with Cavalleria
Rusticana--I'm sure that's what you've seen on Amazon. Traditionally, it's
almost always performed with another opera. (I saw a review of a just-Pagliacci
recently, but it sounded like quite a cheat. ;) )
So, I don't see how your e-bay CD could be anything but the complete opera. (Of
course, obviously there could be 'traditional cuts' of a few measures. (I've
never understood why people do that sort of thing--simply a compulsive desire
to think that one can improve on genius?)
--
To reply directly, remove the obvious
Evi
"J.Venning" <Danis...@opera.com> wrote in message
news:3f583c11$0$424$edfa...@dread11.news.tele.dk...
Thanks John, that explains alot.
Evi
Evi
"Elisa" <rogue...@aol.comdiespam> wrote in message
news:20030905034235...@mb-m13.aol.com...
needed to fit the opera into a 2 hour time slot.
I wonder which other operas are shorties - apart from Cavalleria Rusticana.
Evi
Elisa
>Evi
Well, Puccini has three that fit into an evening. Group title is: 'Il
Trittico'--composed of Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicci. (I'm not
checking spellings, so don't trust them)
That collection has one hit tune--O Mio Babbino Caro, from Gianni Schicci--and
a lot of drama, horror, sentiment, comedy.
Ravel has two short ones. I have no idea if they'd fit into an evening
together, as far as the practicalities of casting go, and I'm not really
familiar with the music, although I love the librettos of both of them.
L'Enfant et les Sortileges, and L'Heure Espagnol.
Favorite lines:
"Fire warms the good child and burns the bad child'.
'WITHOUT a clock!'
Manuel de Falla wrote a beautiful one-CD opera, La Vida Breve.
Rossini's Signor Bruschino is a short one too--featuring the most hilarious
overture ever written. That is, unless I'm the only person who thinks that
turning the violin section into improvised percussion is funny. (Tap tap tap
tap tap tap--the score calls for the violinists to play their music stands with
the back of their bows.)
Jeffrey Meyer
--
Jeffrey
Andante teneramente
> >I wonder which other operas are shorties - apart from Cavalleria Rusticana.
> >Evi
>
> Well, Puccini has three that fit into an evening. Group title is: 'Il
> Trittico'--composed of Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicci. (I'm not
> checking spellings, so don't trust them)
> That collection has one hit tune--O Mio Babbino Caro, from Gianni Schicci--and
> a lot of drama, horror, sentiment, comedy.
>
> Ravel has two short ones. I have no idea if they'd fit into an evening
> together, as far as the practicalities of casting go, and I'm not really
> familiar with the music, although I love the librettos of both of them.
> L'Enfant et les Sortileges, and L'Heure Espagnol.
The parents who bring their children to "L'Enfant" possibly
consider "L'Heure" too frivolous for them.
But they both take only one CD, so they should fit in one
evening.
"Dido and Aeneas" by Purcell fits on one CD, but that may
be due to cuts.
"Erwartung" and "Gluckliche Hand" by Schoenberg don't take
more than one hour together (and unlike "Moses and Aaron"
I think they are beautiful).
"Il prigionero" by Dallapiccola takes less than an hour
to perform.
"A Florentine Tragedy" by Zemlinsky.
Regards
J.Venning
news:3F584E7...@icon.co.za...
> Well, that depends on the tenor. Usually about 5'8".
Oh. If she meant Pagliacci's, I'd say about 7".
J.
J.Venning
news:bj9jcb$dus$02$1...@news.t-online.com...
> The parents who bring their children to "L'Enfant" possibly
> consider "L'Heure" too frivolous for them.
> But they both take only one CD, so they should fit in one
> evening.
"Hansel & Gretel" is a short opera, but is never performed together with
another one to make the evening longer. The same goes for "Amahl and the
Night Visitors". This is probably so because the opera houses feel that they
have an obligation to ensure children go to bed in time. Here at the DRO,
they are performed in the afternoon.
J.
Elisa
<massive snips>
>"Dido and Aeneas" by Purcell fits on one CD, but that may
>be due to cuts.
>
That's something I was wondering about, recently. As I understand it, we have
one CD's worth of Dido and Aeneas music.
But I remember reading somewhere that musicologists feel that substantial
portions of the opera have been lost. (Solos for Aeneas, I believe.) Does
anyone know if that's an accepted view, or just one person's theory?
Elisa
<massive snips>
>"Hansel & Gretel" is a short opera, but is never performed together with
>another one to make the evening longer. The same goes for "Amahl and the
>Night Visitors". This is probably so because the opera houses feel that they
>have an obligation to ensure children go to bed in time. Here at the DRO,
>they are performed in the afternoon.
>J.
Hansel and Gretel isn't all that short, is it? I don't have any idea what the
act timings are, but it certainly feels full-length and satisfying to me.
Speaking of short ones that the opera house never puts with something else--how
about Salome? About 90 minutes, I think...but that'd sure be a hard act to
follow!
And back to Pagliacci, which started this thread--I just looked up Opera
Pacific's schedule,out of idle curiosity, nothing to do with this thread
(Southern California opera company) and lo and behold, they're doing a
double-bill of Pagliacci and a sung-and-danced Carmina Burana....
REG
"J.Venning" <Danis...@opera.com> wrote in message
news:3f58515f$0$445$edfa...@dread11.news.tele.dk...
Leonard Tillman
The measurement could have been of the blade that did her (and Silvio)
in.
Btw, they didn't mention whether it was stainless steel.
The silver-lining to the story's cloud:
Canio didn't pay much attention to Kosher tradition, or from then on,
the knife could never again be used with milk products. ("Fleishig".)
From: Rich...@hotmail.com (REG)
>J.
Best,
LT
"The Spelling-Queen's Flame -- Final Refuge of the Desperate, Helpless,
and Hopeless."
Operatunenity
If it's really good, not long enough. If it's bad it's too long. In short, it
lasts as long as it lasts. There's no accounting for timing.
Perhaps that's why Nedda fools around.
GRNDPADAVE
minutes shorter than CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA).
==G/P Dave
Mme. Boulanger
>Evi
>
The Old Maid and the Thief - Menotti
With care......
Mary
Mitchell Kaufman
> Speaking of short ones that the opera house never puts with something
> else--how about Salome? About 90 minutes, I think...but that'd sure be a
> hard act to follow!
Actually, the famous '49 Met broadcast of Salome with Ljuba Welitsch was
the second half of a twin bill with...Gianni Schicchi.
One of the strangest pairings of all time.
MK
pavane
"Elisa" <rogue...@aol.comdiespam> wrote in message
> ........
> And back to Pagliacci, which started this thread--I just looked up Opera
> Pacific's schedule,out of idle curiosity, nothing to do with this thread
> (Southern California opera company) and lo and behold, they're doing a
> double-bill of Pagliacci and a sung-and-danced Carmina Burana....
Interesting, so is the Orlando Opera. I wonder whether some
super-agency sets these things up; the pairing seems at the
very least rather bizarre.
pavane
Leonard Tillman
> sung-and-danced Carmina Burana....
A Met simulcast of the of the '90s was of Il Tabarro/Pagliacci. Not
too dissimilar, plot wise.
Leonard Tillman
From: bawdya...@aol.com (Mme. Boulanger)
>With care......
>Mary
Il Segreto di Susanna (Susanna's Secret), by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: 09/05/2003 9:49 AM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <7481-3F5...@storefull-2274.public.lawson.webtv.net>
>
>
>From: bawdya...@aol.com (Mme.=A0Boulanger)
>>I wonder which other operas are shorties -
>> apart from Cavalleria Rusticana. Evi
>
>>The Old Maid and the Thief - Menotti
>
>>With care......
>>Mary
>
>Il Segreto di Susanna (Susanna's Secret), by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
>
>Best,
>LT
A favorite of mine is Donizetti's orcaular ode to #39:
IL CAMPANELLO.
==G/P Dave
J.Venning
news:20030905121823...@mb-m21.aol.com...
> >>I wonder which other operas are shorties -
> >> apart from Cavalleria Rusticana. Evi
> >>The Old Maid and the Thief - Menotti
> >>With care......
> >>Mary
> >Il Segreto di Susanna (Susanna's Secret), by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
> >Best,
> >LT
> IL CAMPANELLO.
> ==G/P Dave
There is actually a whole load of "shorties", and here are some: Mozart's Il
Re Pastore, Der Schauspieldirektor, Bastien und Bastienne; Haydn's Il Mondo
della Luna.
La Serva Padrone, Il Segreto di Susanna, The Medium, The Bear, The Consul,
Amahl and the Night Visitors, etc., etc.
J.
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
opera (most commonly Canvalleria Rusticana) don't you? (Not sure
whether it's one act with two scenes or two acts, but it's definitely a
very short opera.)
Leonard Tillman
From: grndp...@aol.com (GRNDPADAVE)
>From: bawdya...@aol.com
> (Mme.Boulanger)
>Mary
>==G/P Dave
---------------
IIRC, also qualifying as "short", are Franchetti's "Germania", and
Mascagni's two little-known works, "Lodoletta" and "Iris".
They're made somewhat memorable by Caruso's having recorded an excerpt
from each early in his career.
Elizabeth Hubbell
As others here have already told you, Pagliacci is a "shortie";-). So
the one CD in this case will probably have the entire piece. There is,
though, one traditional cut/snip that most older sets make midway
through the Nedda/Silvio duet. Fortunately, I'm hearing that passage
complete more and more these days.
As for Pertile, he never recorded the entire work, sadly. He was famous
as a superbly gifted interpreter. Yes, he can be a bit hammy, even
unmusical on occasion. But he is not chary of soft singing either, and
when he pulls in for such moments, he can be deeply affecting, IMO. One
thing I find in him in particular is an incredible variety of shading.
Talk about vocal face!
Another tenor of the same generation and the same tradition did record
this complete: Francesco Merli. I find him almost as effective as a
communicator and a finer musician. This is a strong entry in the
discography, IMO, although it's not high fidelity, of course (listenable
enough, however).
Another set that really isn't quite so listenable, but arguably the most
authoritative of all, is the Antonio Paoli recording made via the
acoustic process in 1907. Although conducted by Carlo Sabajno, it was
supervised by the composer himself, the only set of which this is true.
What you're hearing here is what the composer approved. Some of the
singing here is certainly tremendously assured. The problem is
primitive sonics.
Although the main role of Canio is a spinto at the lightest, IMO, five
relatively heavy lyrics have recorded it: Beniamino Gigli, Jussi
Bjoerling, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras. What
they all have in common are particularly simpatico -- beautiful, really
-- instruments. It's their aptness to the role that strikes me as
variable, frankly.
Gigli may have the most luscious sound of all, but I stand in a probable
minority in that I don't find his Canio a full success. The vocal
persona simply isn't mature enough, IMO. Moreover, Gigli had yet to
perform it on stage when this recording was made, and that shows to a
degree as well, IMO: fits of true inspiration alternate with moments of
listless emoting. Again, this is a highly subjective (and minority)
point of view.
Bjoerling shows surer musical command, but, although I find a number of
his "live" perfs before the '50s deeply moving, this '50s studio set
simply finds him too subdued as an interpreter, IMO (frustratingly, his
studio Cavalleria Rusticana made around the same time is a thoroughly
engaged and richly rewarding experience).
Pavarotti, like Gigli, displays too lightweight and immature a sound for
the role, IMO, without quite Gigli's technical resourcefulness.
Moreover, a similar lack of stage experience tells even more heavily here!
Carreras, too, has similar vocal problems, but, as an interpreter, he is
somewhat more convincing.
Di Stefano is a pleasant surprise. Yes, he too sports a "young" sound,
but he manages to project great depth and understanding throughout. A
thoughtful, richly felt reading under Maestro Tullio Serafin, this is
one of the more heartbreaking and convincing interpretations of the
role, IMO. In many respects, this is now my favorite recording of the
opera as a whole, since Di Stefano is not merely superbly conducted but
heard in an unusual five-star cast, each of whom, not just Di Stefano,
is heard in good form and thoroughly engaged in the drama: Maria Callas,
Tito Gobbi, Rolando Panerai, Nicola Monti. If compelled to pick just
one Pagliacci, this is the one I'd choose.
With the exception of Di Stefano, heavier voices suit the role better:
the young Richard Tucker (like Gigli, also recorded before doing it on
stage, but projecting more maturity and aptness in the role, IMO), Carlo
Bergonzi, Mario Del Monaco, Franco Corelli, Jon Vickers, Placido Domingo
and Vladimir Atlantov.
Of these, I find Corelli and Vickers the most compelling.
In the case of Corelli, it's rare having an interpreter that can combine
such a variety of heroic tone and of tenderness at one and the same
time. In this respect, he is a welcome throwback to Aureliano Pertile
and Francesco Merli. And his EMI Pagliacci happens to be an example of
fine audio engineering, unlike the old Merli set. Furthermore, strictly
as a voice, the sheer tone is among the most sumptuous and beautiful
you'll ever hear in this part, excelling in sheer quality even the
perfectly fine instruments of Pertile and Merli.
Jon Vickers may be the most overpowering of all, with a voice among the
very heaviest and the most powerful of all (only Del Monaco equals him
in this respect). Vickers is not quite as beautiful-sounding as a
Corelli or a Di Stefano, but he matches his mammoth sound with searing
interpretive gifts. He is heard in a "live" 1968 Pagliacci that was out
for a while on VAI (?still in print?). His Nedda is Joan Carlyle.
Finally, a curio: my favorite tenor, Richard Tauber, is available in a
ruthless English-translation adaptation, a film made in the 1930s.
Alternating dialogue and music, the whole piece is turned inside-out.
Not pretty. But Tauber, English translation or not, is simply riveting
throughout. A great actor. A great singer. A must-see, IMO. Of
course, it does not satisfy as a true representation of Leoncavallo's
masterpiece. But by the time one is wrung out by that final
play-within-a-play (in which much of the music is retained), I have to
wonder if I've ever seen a Canio more mercurial or more revelatory.
Having now left you thoroughly confused;-)
Cheers,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
Sometimed "genius" itself decided upon the cuts - even after the first
performance, and after the score had been sent to the publishers.
(Butterfly is a good example - there's quite a bit for Kate Pinkerton in
the first Riccordi edition which is never done today, and doesn't appear
in later published editions of the opera.)
Evi
This has got to be The Definitive Guide to Pagliacci. I love your phrase
'Vocal Face'. That is so perfect for describing how some singers make you
see their character and the action better than if you were watching them on
stage.
Evi
Leonard Tillman
"short"? 100 minutes? 90 minutes?
La Boheme and Tosca are each less than two hours, yet not considered as
"short" operas.
Elizabeth Hubbell
Leonard Tillman wrote:
> What's the time-limit (surely arbitrary) by which we define an opera as
> "short"? 100 minutes? 90 minutes?
>
> La Boheme and Tosca are each less than two hours, yet not considered as
> "short" operas.
I would say 90 minutes or less.
FWIW,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
OndineUno
that shitty thing is pure marinara-sauce crap. oo
Leonard Tillman
>Pagliacci is TOO long. There are perhaps 10
> minutes of good music;
Which 10 minutes would you select?
>the rest of that shitty thing is pure
> marinara-sauce crap. oo
Marina-sauce should never be combined with the other ingredients
you've mentioned. Julia Child would never approve.
Elisa
>Actually, the famous '49 Met broadcast of Salome with Ljuba Welitsch was
>the second half of a twin bill with...Gianni Schicchi.
>
>One of the strangest pairings of all time.
Thanks! I hadn't heard of that. Definitely as strange as you get.
Andre Storfer
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: 09/05/2003 3:09 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <l466b.175084$2x.4...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net>
Bingo !
And a 3-time MVP !
alexis du champignon
Far too long with Tucker singing it. "Vesti *huff* la *puff* giubba *wheeze*"
-Alexis Callas du Champignon
David7Gable
>be due to cuts.
No. The uncut Dido easily fits on a single CD . . .and it's in three acts!
-david gable
REG
man.
"Mitchell Kaufman" <forg...@iaint.disclosinit> wrote in message
news:1g0t68r.60qihptpcrrmN%forg...@iaint.disclosinit...
REG
Schicci...it's almost as bad as any Leoncavallo, imho. I went to lots of the
Bluebeards (one of Verett's very greatest roles) and only the first of the
GS.
"Leonard Tillman" <tapef...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:7479-3F5...@storefull-2274.public.lawson.webtv.net...
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
OndineUno wrote:
>
> Pagliacci is TOO long. There are perhaps 10 minutes of good music; the rest of
> that shitty thing is pure marinara-sauce crap. oo
So YOU don't like it! That means no one else should? Some of the
posters here have a very extensive musical education - what are YOUR
credentials for making such a sweeping condemnation?
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
Elisa wrote:
>
> Mitchell Kaufman wrote:
>
> >Actually, the famous '49 Met broadcast of Salome with Ljuba Welitsch was
> >the second half of a twin bill with...Gianni Schicchi.
> >
> >One of the strangest pairings of all time.
>
> Thanks! I hadn't heard of that. Definitely as strange as you get.
Hows about "Bluebeard's Castle" followed by "Gianni Schicchi"? (L. A.
Opera's offering, a couple of seasons ago - talk about "weird"!)
Well-done, but decidedly a "strange pairing".
Dan
"Elisa" <rogue...@aol.comdiespam> wrote in message
> >I wonder which other operas are shorties - apart from Cavalleria
Rusticana.
> >Evi
>
> Trittico'--composed of Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicci. (I'm
not
> checking spellings, so don't trust them)
> That collection has one hit tune--O Mio Babbino Caro, from Gianni
Schicci--and
> a lot of drama, horror, sentiment, comedy.
>
I don't quite agree with that. Sure "hit" may be true, but Senza mamma is
superb and in the long run a better aria than Babbino. It is unfairly
neglected, and IMHO is on the same level as Un bel di.
Dan
Dan
> though, one traditional cut/snip that most older sets make midway
> through the Nedda/Silvio duet. Fortunately, I'm hearing that passage
> complete more and more these days.
>
I didn't know this. Does the Karajan DG recording have this cut in the duet?
It is a relatively old set, ie. 60s and Karajan is well-known for sometimes
ridiculous cuts in the score (Ballo, Don Carlo, etc.) though I'm not sure he
was doing that kind of stuff as early as that.
Dan
Elisa
>Date: 9/5/2003 9:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>Message-id: <p7d6b.170617$_V.3...@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>
Ah, I didn't quite make myself clear. I wasn't thinking of 'hit tune' as any
indication of worth--I was just addressing the fact that 'O Mio Babbino Caro'
is, well, a hit tune...in other words, probably familiar to anyone who's not
tone-deaf, (from advertisements, if nothing else.)
So, regardless of the worth of 'Senza Mamma' I don't think its possible to
refer to an 'unfairly neglected' hit tune. I'd never have dreamed of saying
that Il Trittico had only one worthy aria.
dtritter
not to be confused with the mushroom brain's vesti [barf] la [gag]
giubba [shit] .... and her odor lingers on.
dft
Elizabeth Hubbell
Regrettably, yes (and my own regrets that this inquiry somehow passed me
by for more than a week), there is the usual cut in this duet.
Karajan's two principals, Carlo Bergonzi and Joan Carlyle, are quite
fine, and with Panerai's always superb Silvio (he is also Silvio on the
towering Serafin set with Di Stefano/Callas) in the mix, one especially
regrets the traditional shorter version of the duet.
The first set that I know of to open up this cut is the 1967
DECCA/LONDON set under Lamberto Gardelli (the Karajan DG set comes from
1965). But the Gardelli recording has a rather ho-hum cast, IMHO, aside
from Merrill's Tonio.
In fact, none of the post-'67 sets made in the studio vie in general
artistic terms with the sets I spotlighted in my previous posting.
Of the uncut sets that are generally available, none come remotely up to
the level of the classic recordings out there.
You might, though, want to hear the scrupulously accurate and faithful
Riccardo Muti set with Jose Carreras, a heartfelt and insightful
lyric-tenor Canio, but ultimately unable to surmount the essentially
spinto qualities of the role (somehow Di Stefano, Carreras's possible
model, pretty much managed to!).
In addition to Carreras's occasional effortfulness in the Muti, we also
have to cope with Scotto's Nedda past its prime.
Personally, I'm not much of a Muti fan either. But he's acceptable
here, IMO. In fact, there are a few other recordings that he made that
are also not objectionable to me. I don't always dislike him. It's
just that I've never been really stirred by him either. I suppose I do
agree, after all, with those who sometimes find him overly rigid. My
failing? At any rate, I find Muti's the least objectionable of the
uncut Pagliaccis.
Offhand, if it's a choice between the Karajan or the Muti, I'd still
reluctantly opt for the Karajan, despite the cutting.
But my feeling is that if one is going to accept the cutting anyway, one
may as well go all the way and go for a reading that is utterly
compelling from beginning to end. Fine as the Karajan/Bergonzi
certainly is, it is the Corelli, the "live" Vickers and especially the
Di Stefano, not least because of the superb ensemble around him and
Serafin's complete mastery, that have me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Cheers,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
Leonard Tillman
Bjoerling/de los Angeles/Merrill/Warren
Corelli/Amara/Zanasi/Gobbi
Bjoerling/Moberg/Hallgren/Sundquist (in Swedish)
All others, great as they are, take a backseat to the above, IMO.
Best,
LT
Trolls hope and ultimately believe Goering's phrase,
"a lie repeated often enough becomes true"
-----------------------------
"The Spelling-Queen's Flame -- Final Refuge of the Desperate, Helpless,
Hopeless, Warped, and Stupid."
CHSIII
(with the oddity of having Aldo Protti sing the prologue, but then switch to
the role of Silvio, turning Tonio over to the veteran Afro Poli)
Leonard Tillman
Isn't there an edition of this same performance, but with Del
Monaco's Prologue substituted?
Premiereopera
>From: tapef...@webtv.net (Leonard Tillman)
>Date: 9/15/03 7:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <3253-3F6...@storefull-2272.public.lawson.webtv.net>
>
>From: ch...@adelphia.net (CHSIII)
>
>>Mario Del Monaco and Clara Petrella - 1952
>
>>(with the oddity of having Aldo Protti sing the
>> prologue, but then switch to the role of Silvio,
>> turning Tonio over to the veteran Afro Poli)
>
> Isn't there an edition of this same performance, but with Del
>Monaco's Prologue substituted?
No, this is a live performance from 1957, which we released on CD.
It was weird. The opera started with the opening scene, without the Prologue.
Then, after the Vesti la giubba, and probably an intermission, which was
customary in the 50's, the orchestra started playing the start of the opera,
which they had not played, and Del Moncao stepped before the curtain, and sang
the Prologue before the play within the play. Then the curtain went up, and he
resumed his role as Canio, and the opera ended.
A very unusual, but interesting, conception.
Ed
http://www.premiereopera.com for the best opera on CD, VIDEO, CD-ROM
Leonard Tillman
>From: tapef...@webtv.net (Leonard
> Tillman)
<From: ch...@adelphia.net (CHSIII)
Not unlike some of the era's opera films, in which the order of scenes
often differed from the standard stage-versons', - not to mention cuts
of dialogue and recitatives, etc.
It makes less sense dramatically, as Canio in any case is much less
the Observer of the action than Tonio (or any of the other
protagonists), who though a prime-contributor to the ensuing action, is
a sort of "outsider", thus fit to be our host, as it were.
An even better choice, had Leoncavallo considered it, might have been
Beppe/Arlecchino, for a Prologue to the audience and any form of
"stepping out of character".
>Ed
http://www.premiereopera.com for the best opera on CD, VIDEO, CD-ROM
Best,
Elizabeth Hubbell
Leonard Tillman wrote:
> Though the cuts were not restored, the three sets I've liked best are:
>
> Bjoerling/de los Angeles/Merrill/Warren
Beautifully sung, but I don't find Bjoerling as compelling or as engaged
here as he clearly is in the contemporaneous Cavalleria set, IMO.
>
> Corelli/Amara/Zanasi/Gobbi
No question. Very special.
>
> Bjoerling/Moberg/Hallgren/Sundquist (in Swedish)
I find the rest of the cast here too uneven. What can I say? I guess
I'm incorrigible. Even Bjoerling, exciting as he is here, is
surprisingly effortful in spots, IMO. Not like him and a bit
disconcerting, I find. A really strong vibrato sometimes (not a real
wobble, thank goodness, which I doubt he ever had) and some pitch
problems even. Weird. When at his best here, though, he's greater than
on the star-studded studio set -- again, IMO.
One wishes there were a Bjoerling Pagliacci out there that would split
the difference. In the face of a superb Manrico, a superb
Gustavo/Riccardo, Duca (w/Warren, '45), Romeo, Rodolfo (w/Sayao, '48),
Turriddu -- the absence of a similarly ideal Canio is frustrating, IMO.
>
> All others, great as they are, take a backseat to the above, IMO.
Truly, if one includes the not quite spinto Bjoerling here, then I'm
sincerely curious as to your take on the (inadvertently?) absent -- but
even more exciting, IMO (in this role anyway) -- Di Stefano. Please?
Thanks.
Incorrigible as ever,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
Leonard Tillman
>[from Geof. Riggs; not Eliz. H., my better half]
>Leonard Tillman wrote:
"Though the cuts were not restored, the three sets I've liked best are:
"Bjoerling/de los Angeles/Merrill/Warren "
>Beautifully sung, but I don't find Bjoerling as
> compelling or as engaged here as he clearly
> is in the contemporaneous Cavalleria set, >IMO.
I considered his performances equally moving and gorgeously sung
(originally packed as an RCA double-set). A couple of points to
consider:
Some listeners found the fact of Bjoerling's "Nordicness", - what they
considered a "cold" vocal/acting style, - something of a flaw in this
repertory when compared with the Martinellis, Gigli's, and di Stefanos.
I never really perceived him as any less "Italianate" than the
aforementioned, in regard to vocal warmth and a definite intensity of
his own kind.
Also, the character Turiddu's emotion and expressivity are of a
different sort from Canio's. The latter is somewhat older, it seems, -
a potentially more violent and bitter man (not without ample reason, as
it turns out).
Turiddu seems the less-intense of the two; a youth led by his
instincts into a game he cannot win - the "other side" of the
human-quadrangle. I found Bjoerling more than up to the task,
dramatically, in each opera.
"Corelli/Amara/Zanasi/Gobbi "
>No question. Very special.
Gets greater with every listening.
"Bjoerling/Moberg/Hallgren/Sundquist (in Swedish) "
>I find the rest of the cast here too uneven.
I liked the leads, finding them first-rate, though otherwise not
well-known outside of Sweden. Sundquist's Tonio, in particular, was
Bjoerling-worthy.
> What can I say? I guess I'm incorrigible. Even
> Bjoerling, exciting as he is here, is
> surprisingly effortful in spots, IMO. Not like >him and a bit
disconcerting, I find. A really
> strong vibrato sometimes (not a real wobble,
> thank goodness, which I doubt he ever had) >and some pitch problems
even. Weird. When
>at his best here, though, he's greater than on
> the star-studded studio set -- again, IMO.
I'll try to find these flaws, at my next listening of this CD. Some
pitch problems *may* be due to the transfer-process, but I tend to make
allowance for them - for maximum enjoyment.
>One wishes there were a Bjoerling Pagliacci
> out there that would split the difference. In the >face of a superb
Manrico, a superb
> Gustavo/Riccardo, Duca (w/Warren, '45),
> Romeo, Rodolfo (w/Sayao, '48), Turriddu --
> the absence of a similarly ideal Canio is
> frustrating, IMO.
I enjoyed both Canios as much as any of his other recorded roles. --
No small compliment, that. :) Absolute perfection isn't likely enough
to reasonably expect it. Should it occur, - it's an incredible surprise
and bonus. Some of these favorites have come *mighty close*!
" All others, great as they are, take a backseat to the above, IMO.
"
>Truly, if one includes the not quite spinto
> Bjoerling here, then I'm sincerely curious as
> to your take on the (inadvertently?) absent --
> but even more exciting, IMO (in this role
> anyway) -- Di Stefano. Please? Thanks.
For one thing, I'd reverse your descripions:
Bjoerling is, to me, the ultimate of Spinto-tenors, never to be
equalled. Sayao, recalling him, had the same impression;
Di Stefano, I have always considered one of the most beautiful-toned of
pure Lyric-tenors - lured into heavier roles that may have hastened his
vocal decline, whatwith a less-than-solid technique to rely upon (not to
compare with Bjoerling's, Peerce's, Bergonzi's, or Tucker's that
virtually never failed them).
As for GDS' performances in these "Twin" operas' commercial sets, -
they were among the best to be found, his slightly too-youthful sound as
Canio notwithstanding.
In a live performance of Cavalleria, he let loose with even more
emotion, - but the rest of the cast was uneven by comparison. I don't
recall their names at the moment.
>Incorrigible as ever,
>Geoffrey Riggs
>www.operacast.com
Best,
Jerome Bibuld
Nothing comes close to the Gigli-Caniglia- Basiola Victor Red Seal of the
1930s. They turned it into an LP, then a tape. I'd love to get it on CD or
DVD.
It certainly is my all time favorite recording.
Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Irak. Morgen die ganze Welt!
Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!
(Was 11 September 2001 Kristalnacht or the date of the Reichstag fire?)
Fraternally,
Jerome Bibuld
gens una sumus
HenryFogel
>Date: 9/15/03 10:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <_Tu9b.4921$Kt4...@nwrdny02.gnilink.net>
There is something to be said for all the above, and for the Di Stefano - but
I'd agree that if I had to choose one, it would be Corelli's EMI set. One of
its real assets is the conducting of Lovro von Matacic.
Henry Fogel
Leonard Tillman
>Heil Dubya!
>Nothing comes close to the Gigli-Caniglia-
> Basiola Victor Red Seal of the 1930s. They
> turned it into an LP, then a tape. I'd love to
> get it on CD or DVD.
>It certainly is my all time favorite recording.
You mentioned Caniglia, - was this set released around the time of
mine, which starred Iva Pacetti as Nedda, with the same male leads?
Best,
LT
"Tell a big enough lie, keep repeating it, and people will eventually
come to believe it," -- said by Josef Goebbels; believed and practiced
by his various apostles then and since.
-------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Tillman
>There is something to be said for all the
> above, and for the Di Stefano - but I'd agree
> that if I had to choose one, it would be
> Corelli's EMI set. One of its real assets is the
> conducting of Lovro von Matacic.
> Henry Fogel
I'm told there is also a video of Corelli in this great role. I
don't know who else is featured, but it should be more than worth
acquiring.
Premiereopera
>Date: 9/16/03 3:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <4637-3F6...@storefull-2278.public.lawson.webtv.net>
>
>
>>There is something to be said for all the
>> above, and for the Di Stefano - but I'd agree
>> that if I had to choose one, it would be
>> Corelli's EMI set. One of its real assets is the
>> conducting of Lovro von Matacic.
>> Henry Fogel
>
> I'm told there is also a video of Corelli in this great role. I
>don't know who else is featured, but it should be more than worth
>acquiring.
>
>Best,
>LT
It's been around for years. We were the first to release it on video. It was
fairly early in Corelli's career, 1954. He hair is grey to make him look older.
It's black and white, but excellent quality.
Ed
http://www.premiereopera.com for the best opera on VIDEO, CD, CD-ROM
Ancona21
<< I'm told there is also a video of Corelli in this great role. I
don't know who else is featured, >>
Tito Gobbi, Mafalda Micheluzzi, Lino Puglisi, Mario Carlin.
Ancona
Elizabeth Hubbell
Leonard Tillman wrote:
> Some listeners found the fact of Bjoerling's "Nordicness", - what they
> considered a "cold" vocal/acting style, - something of a flaw in this
> repertory when compared with the Martinellis, Gigli's, and di Stefanos.
> I never really perceived him as any less "Italianate" than the
> aforementioned, in regard to vocal warmth and a definite intensity of
> his own kind.
>
> Also, the character Turiddu's emotion and expressivity are of a
> different sort from Canio's. The latter is somewhat older, it seems, -
> a potentially more violent and bitter man (not without ample reason, as
> it turns out).
>
> Turiddu seems the less-intense of the two; a youth led by his
> instincts into a game he cannot win - the "other side" of the
> human-quadrangle. I found Bjoerling more than up to the task,
> dramatically, in each opera.
I agree concerning the difference between the two roles.
Just now I put on a sequence from the Bjoerling/Milanov Cavalleria and
deliberately closed my eyes to see how readily I could conjure up in my
mind a stage picture complete with the facial expressions of the
artists. I found it quite easy -- and yes, the callow, entrapped,
exasperated but fatally engaging Turriddu is very different from the
brooding artist that Canio is. Nevertheless, I honestly believe there
is a spontaneity that Bjoerling invests in Turriddu that projects as a
"picture" through purely aural means. I simply don't "hear" the same
vivid picture in his Canio -- or I hear it intermittently. Yes, it
could well be a function of the differences between the two characters.
And that very difference, IMO, makes Turriddu a better fit for Bjoerling.
>
>>One wishes there were a Bjoerling Pagliacci
>>out there that would split the difference. In the >face of a superb
>
> Manrico, a superb
>
>>Gustavo/Riccardo, Duca (w/Warren, '45),
>>Romeo, Rodolfo (w/Sayao, '48), Turriddu --
>>the absence of a similarly ideal Canio is
>>frustrating, IMO.
>
>
> I enjoyed both Canios as much as any of his other recorded roles. --
> No small compliment, that. :) Absolute perfection isn't likely enough
> to reasonably expect it. Should it occur, - it's an incredible surprise
> and bonus. Some of these favorites have come *mighty close*!
Personally, I find his '39 Manrico practically there, as well as his
Romeo and his _45_ Duca.
>
> " All others, great as they are, take a backseat to the above, IMO.
> "
>
>
>>Truly, if one includes the not quite spinto
>>Bjoerling here, then I'm sincerely curious as
>>to your take on the (inadvertently?) absent --
>>but even more exciting, IMO (in this role
>>anyway) -- Di Stefano. Please? Thanks.
>
>
> For one thing, I'd reverse your descripions:
> Bjoerling is, to me, the ultimate of Spinto-tenors, never to be
> equalled. Sayao, recalling him, had the same impression;
>
> Di Stefano, I have always considered one of the most beautiful-toned of
> pure Lyric-tenors - lured into heavier roles that may have hastened his
> vocal decline, whatwith a less-than-solid technique to rely upon (not to
> compare with Bjoerling's, Peerce's, Bergonzi's, or Tucker's that
> virtually never failed them).
Please excuse my having been unclear.
I did not mean to imply that either one is heavier than the other.
Rather, since we were considering the virtues of one lirico spinto,
Bjoerling, I thought it fair that we consider one other, Di Stefano --
who, IMHO, may be more successful at Canio than Bjoerling is (but then
I'm a thoroughgoing eccentric anyway, since I find that the Gigli Canio,
lusciously sung as it is, lacks requisite depth/gravitas, IMO).
For me, Bjoerling and Di Stefano are roughly comparable in vocal weight
and so ought to be considered together.
>
> As for GDS' performances in these "Twin" operas' commercial sets, -
> they were among the best to be found, his slightly too-youthful sound as
> Canio notwithstanding.
There is where I both agree and must confess cluelessness as to how come
Bjoerling's similarly "youthful" _sound_ can somehow pass muster if the
"youthful" sound picture of Di Stefano ultimately doesn't.
While there's no question that Di Stefano applies a "youthful" color to
the role that may not be altogether ideal, granted, I still find that
the degree of sheer emotional depth he brings to the _way_ he reads the
role compensates -- to a significant degree, IMO -- for that.
Similarly, you feel that a similar level of engagement compensates for
the "youthful" persona heard in Bjoerling. That's fine. What each
listener brings out of an artist's rendition is that listener's own
clear right.
I am still honestly curious, though, as to what it is you hear in
Bjoerling's reading that projects enough depth to compensate for _his_
"youthful" sound picture. Or -- please be frank -- does the Bjoerling
sound not project that "youthful" a picture to you after all?
>
> In a live performance of Cavalleria, he let loose with even more
> emotion, - but the rest of the cast was uneven by comparison. I don't
> recall their names at the moment.
Simionato is his Santuzza -- one of the most vivid partnerships I've yet
heard! -- from 1955, I believe?
Cheers,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: 09/16/2003 5:54 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <1xM9b.1110$U6....@nwrdny03.gnilink.net>
The Bjoerling / De los Angeles / Warren / Merrill / Franke PAGLIACCI is my
favorite for the following reasons:
(1) It conveys the brightness and gaiety against which the tragedy is set.
This is accomplished by Cellini's swift and animated conducting and the
sumptuous chousl work by the Robert Shaw Chorale.
(2) Leonard Warren's Prologo is simply the most sumptuous. He links it to
"Pari siamo" (RIGOLETTO) by the beautiful top note he hits at the end. It is
smoothly sung. Rigoletto and Tonio are both misshapen jesters. But there is
little to gain sympathy for Leoncavallo's combination of Scarpia and Iago.
(3) De los Angeles is the most sympathetic Nedda. We have to feel that she,
like Giorgetta (In TABARRO) is trapped in a loveless marriage. De los Angeles
makes more of the Bird Song than any other.
(4) Merrill is superb as Silvio. This role is weak in nearly all the other
recordings. (I like Rolando Panerai, but his voice is watery against the
oleaginous tones of Merrill). In no ther recording do I find the Nedda /
Silvio duet so winsome.
(5) Paul Franke was the Met's own version of Piero de Palma. My dad, no opera
fan, loved Franke's rendition of the serenade. Leoncavallo
play-within-the-play is brilliantly.
(6) Saving the best for last, Bjoerling's Canio exhibits both dignity and
passion. This is a role which has found nearly every tenor on his best
behavior: Corelli, DiStefano, Tucker, Del Monaco are all marvelous. But
Bjoerling I think trumps them all by giving an Otello-like performance --
plangent in tone but with no sobs. A prince among tenors.
By the way, I happen to like -- musically -- the Carreras / Muti recording. It
is uncut but dramatically unmoving.
The Domingo / Milnes recording is hampered by Nello Santi's weak direction.
Callas / Di Stefano / Gobbi is fine -- even Serafin os more energietic than was
his wont -- but it is diminished by, imho, Panerai's unconvincing Silvio.
Bjoerling's tones for me convey a warm and aristocratic glow. A superb singer
and an uncanny and unhammy Canio.
==G/P Dave
Leonard Tillman
<< I'm told there is also a video of Corelli in this great role. I don't
know who else is featured, >>
>Tito Gobbi, Mafalda Micheluzzi, Lino Puglisi,
> Mario Carlin.
Probably the same performance I have on LPs (HRE 413-3).
Leonard Tillman
[....]
>[GR] Truly, if one includes the not quite spinto
> Bjoerling here, then I'm sincerely curious as
> to your take on the (inadvertently?) absent --
> but even more exciting, IMO (in this role
> anyway) -- Di Stefano. Please? Thanks.
" For one thing, I'd reverse your descripions: Bjoerling is,
to me, the ultimate of Spinto-tenors, never to be equalled. Sayao,
recalling him, had the same impression;
" Di Stefano, I have always considered one of the most beautiful-toned
of pure Lyric-tenors - lured into heavier roles that may have hastened
his vocal decline, whatwith a less-than-solid technique to rely upon
(not to compare with Bjoerling's, Peerce's, Bergonzi's, or Tucker's that
virtually never failed them). "
------------------------
>Please excuse my having been unclear.
>I did not mean to imply that either one is
> heavier than the other. Rather, since we were
> considering the virtues of one lirico spinto,
> Bjoerling, I thought it fair that we consider one
> other, Di Stefano -- who, IMHO, may be more
> successful at Canio than Bjoerling is (but then
> I'm a thoroughgoing eccentric anyway, since I
> find that the Gigli Canio, lusciously sung as it
> is, lacks requisite depth/gravitas, IMO).
The problem with Gigli, if any to be found, is the *attempt* to
simulate these expected qualities, - imparting instead, an impression of
artifice. -- A trait of which Tucker had later been accused, at times.
Whether somewhat true or not - to some ears - these were still among the
great Canios in total effect, as well as for being long-treasured in
memories of the tenors' most avid fans..
>For me, Bjoerling and Di Stefano are roughly
> comparable in vocal weight and so ought to
> be considered together.
As I mentioned, the Bjoerling sound, though no "darker", is the
heavier and more forceful.
In "Si Pel Ciel" with Merrill, he showed the makings of a sensational
Spinto Otello.
Di Stefano, for all his near-equal vocal beauty, didn't have that
effect, even when paired with the lighter baritone (than Merrill's) of
Gobbi, who did not overpower him as would Merrill, no matter how the
latter might have "tempered" his tremendous sound in partnering a
lighter tenor.
" As for GDS' performances in these "Twin" operas' commercial
sets, - they were among the best to be found, his slightly too-youthful
sound as Canio notwithstanding. "
>There is where I both agree and must confess
> cluelessness as to how come Bjoerling's
> similarly "youthful" _sound_ can somehow
> pass muster if the "youthful" sound picture of
> Di Stefano ultimately doesn't.
>While there's no question that Di Stefano
> applies a "youthful" color to the role that may
> not be altogether ideal, granted, I still find that
> the degree of sheer emotional depth he
> brings to the _way_ he reads the role
> compensates -- to a significant degree, IMO --
> for that.
>Similarly, you feel that a similar level of
> engagement compensates for the "youthful"
> persona heard in Bjoerling. That's fine. What
> each listener brings out of an artist's rendition
> is that listener's own clear right.
Such perceptions, aside from being an individual's right, are also
inevitable. We likely can never experience input identically. Too many
variables, both genetic and acquired.
This is true, even of identical biological twins, some pairs of whom
have been tested clinically, and demonstrating results - expected and
otherwise.
> I am still honestly curious, though, as to
> what it is you hear in Bjoerling's reading that
> projects enough depth to compensate for
> _his_ "youthful" sound picture. Or -- please be
> frank -- does the Bjoerling sound not project
> that "youthful" a picture to you after all?
It does, but being - to me - heavier in tone and a bit more solemn
than GDS', the impression is of a more mature and bitter Canio.
This touches on the possibility that the role should perhaps have not
been written for a tenor, at all!
Surely, Leoncavallo had his reasons, no doubt including the
vocal-category's eternal popularity for leading roles. Yet, a Verdi
baritone might have been a closer portrayer for this character-type, a
la Renato or Rigoletto.
Someone mentioned to me that the composer had once briefly intended
to write Tonio's role for a Bass (!).
(re: di Stefano)
" In a live performance of Cavalleria, he let loose with even
more emotion, - but the rest of the cast was uneven by comparison. I
don't recall their names at the moment. "
>Simionato is his Santuzza -- one of the most
> vivid partnerships I've yet heard! -- from 1955,
> I believe?
That's the one!
And I retract my earlier comment, as Gian-Giacomo Guelfi was a fine,
properly enraged Alfio.
>Geoffrey Riggs
>www.operacast.com
LT
Premiereopera
>From: tapef...@webtv.net (Leonard Tillman)
>Message-id: <18587-3F6...@storefull-2277.public.lawson.webtv.net>
>
>
><< I'm told there is also a video of Corelli in this great role. I don't
>know who else is featured, >>
>
>>Tito Gobbi, Mafalda Micheluzzi, Lino Puglisi,
>> Mario Carlin.
>
> Probably the same performance I have on LPs (HRE 413-3).
>
>Best,
>LT
Yup, good ol' HRE. But you can't see the performance on LPs!!
Ed
Elizabeth Hubbell
Premiereopera wrote:
With artists as vivid as Corelli and Gobbi, you can;-)
Cheers,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
Elizabeth Hubbell
Leonard Tillman wrote:
And in fact, myself and my twin brother Charles, my "partner in crime"
at Operacast.com, are practically Exhibit A in this regard: With all
Wagner's personal contradictions, I continue to find the psychological
probing in Wagner's musical characterizations perennially fascinating as
examples of compelling genius that need gifted interpreters as well as
solid musicians to truly explore (I know, I know, split infinitive; so
what?;-). Charles, OTOH, cannot abide Wagner -- save for Meistersinger.
It may have been partly my fault, since I put a lot of Wagner on the
phonograph when we were growing up, and the poor man may have simply o'd'd.
Cheers,
Geoffrey Riggs
www.operacast.com
Leonard Tillman
>It may have been partly my fault, since I put a
> lot of Wagner on the phonograph when we
> were growing up, and the poor man may have >simply o'd'd.
Raising the question, - if there exists the fundamental receptivity,
whether for Wagner, Debussy, or Berg, *can* one OD? I'd believe not.
Perhaps a period of "recuperation" would be in order, but there'd be no
permanent aversion.
>Cheers,
>Geoffrey Riggs
>www.operacast.com
Erik Arnesen
It's from the 60's, and the beginning of Pavaraotti's golden period.
I also have the Björling/del Angeles recording. The quality of the
singers are perfect, of course, and Björling is my favorite singer of
all time.
But what makes the Pavarotti-recording better is actually the choir.
They are actually a bit flat on the Din-Don chorus (propably because
it's an old recording), and it disturbs me alot that some bars of the
score has been removed in the 1. scene (I have checked in my original
score), and that scene is very important to me!
They are very equal, but there are some few differences here and there
that makes the Pavarotti-recording a more total experience.
Commspkmn
Merli, in particular, gives a magnificent performance, both vocally and
interpretively. He is one of the most intense Canios I've heard on record.
There's a real sense of theater to the whole enterprise.
Best,
Ken
GRNDPADAVE
>Date: 09/17/2003 8:56 AM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <c06ba49c.0309...@posting.google.com>
It is intriguing that there *are* measures cut in PAGLIACCI.
My suspicion is that these cuts were made by Leoncavallo himself going back to
a recording made around 1909.
I think the RCA (now EMI and beautifully remastered) recording reverted to
Leoncavallo's original version in having Tonio rather than Canio emit the
famous final words: "La commedia e finita!"
In relistening to thisrecording I was struck by Warren's magnificent tone. His
(interpolated) top notes in the Prolog may have occasioned Richard Tucker's
remark to the effect that Warren was indeed a tenor.
Now Bjoerling, thought of sometimes as dour, is so bright and ebullient in the
first scene. Listen to how he couples his voice to the bright flute solos.
Cellini is quite sprightly and gives the score a rhythmicsnap such as Toscanini
might have provided at the 1892 world premiere.
By the way the casting is so lavish that it extends to George Cehanovsky making
a brief appearance as "Peasant I".
Anyone who loves this opera, even to the extent of preferring another recording
of it, ought at least to borrow this one.
==G/P Dave
David Melnick
It was my first complete Pagliacci, on nine 78 rpm discs,
bought right after seeing Del Monaco sing the role in '52.
Not to beat a dead horse, but we never thought that kind
of drive and intensity would largely disappear from
the operatic stage.
donpaolo
the work. After I heard DelM, Tucker & DiS, I found that these gents
eclipsed the rather coldly detached Bjoerling. Canio has every reason to
show Italian emotion & let out a sob or two. As far as being "hammy" this
is, after all, a traveling provincial troupe, so it would be rather fitting.
Agree with your assessment of Warren & Merrill; both just about perfect in
their roles. Too bad LW never commercially recorded Falstaff w/Merrill as
Ford - another great collaboration.
DonPaolo
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