La Forza del Destino recommendations
August Helmbright
Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
August
mikri...@interramp.com
There are many recordings with specific virtues, but only one I know without
performance flaw: Decca/London studio recording with Tebaldi, del Monaco,
Simionato, et al. Unfortunately, the CD transfer is poor - far inferior to the
LP issue. However, it is worth the inconvenience of getting decent sound with
tone controls to hear those artists tear into *their* material.
Other performances offer one or another singer of particular merit or better
sound quality. They are too numerous to list.
Mike
Brian MacGilvray
August Helmbright wrote:
>
> Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
> Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
>
> August
The best sung Forza I've ever heard (and please forgive me, I don't know
the label) is with Tebaldi, Corelli, Bastianini, and Christoff. It's a
tape of an live Italian television broadcast from Naples (video is
available too). I think Capecchi is in it too. Good stuff.
Jan Arell
In article <4ngj01$e...@frazier.uoknor.edu>, alhe...@icnet.net says...
>
>Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
>Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
>
>August
>
La Forza. Martina Arroyo (correct spelling?), Carlo Bergonzi, Raimondi,
and Milnes are the principal singers.
Unfortunately I can´t, at the moment, remember the conductor; I´m sure
somebody else will in a short while.
Mid-priced, EMI.
To me the first reason for buying this recording -- well, the second; the
first is of course the music -- is Bergonzi. Having heard him here, I
understand why some people call him "The best Verdi tenor since
Bjoerling". I´m also very, very fond of Raimondis singing.
Actually, when listening to La Forza I usually skip the Gypsy scenes. The
"Hurray, we´re going to war
and then I´ll get a whore" chorus is awful
(Gee, I made a rhyming "translation" from Italian!!!)
Jan
Chuck * Peter
Big boy complains about Arroyo on a recording of Forza. I would
venture to say if Madame Arroyo were before the public today we would
all be hailing her as the saviour of Verdian singing. I myself have
always found her voice to be quite glamorous and a traet to listen to.
While she may not have been the most exciting artist she was always
very easy on the ears{ as opposed to the current Madame Sweet}
Just a thought
Peter Bez
mikri...@interramp.com
In Article<4ni4v8$n...@news.acns.nwu.edu>,
<b-macg...@nwu.edu@lulu.acns.nwu.edu> writes:
> August Helmbright wrote:
> >
> > Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
> > Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
> >
> > August
>
> The best sung Forza I've ever heard (and please forgive me, I don't know
> the label) is with Tebaldi, Corelli, Bastianini, and Christoff. It's a
> tape of an live Italian television broadcast from Naples (video is
> available too). I think Capecchi is in it too. Good stuff.
Cappecchi sings the Sacristan - very well, indeed. The performance is from
Florence and the video is available in two versions, one of which is
marginally watchable (see my web site http://www.webcom.com/mrichter/). Good,
yes. Up to the audio alternatives - not at all. Not in singing or sound
quality.
Mike
Frank Perlaki
I would like to suggest the 1977 RCA recording with:
Leontyn Price, Domingo, Milnes, Cosotto, Moll etc.
London Symphony, Levine cond.
Regards.
Frank
HenryFogel
I echo the recommendation of "Tannh," the Florence May Festival live
performance with Tebaldi, Del Monaco, and Mitropoulos. But "Tannh"
referred to it as 1954, and with Bastianini, and I don't believe that is
the case; I think it is a 1953 performance and, sadly, with Aldo Protti
instead of Bastianini. But even with the mediocre baritone Protti, this
performance is thrillingly sung by the young Tebaldi and Del Monaco,
conducted with fire from beginning to end, and well cast in the important
secondary roles too (Siepi, Barbieri). Del Monaco, who I find too
unrelentingly fierce on the commercial recording, sings here with
sensitivity and grace, and a true legato -- something Mitropoulos seemed
to be able to get out of him more than many conductors. And Tebaldi's
voice is just too right for this music, and too beautiful, for words to
describe. This performance has circulated on a number of labels -- the
Fonit Cetra and Foyer pressings are pretty good.
Henry Fogel
Tannh
There are several other FORZA recordings which must also be mentioned:
1. Florence May Festival 1954-Tebaldi/Del Monaco.Bastianinni-Mitropoulous
This is a great great performance
2) Met performancces on CD with Milanov from the 1950's. I believe there
are two separate ones and both are marvelous.
tannh
Carmen Z. Catoni
The video quality is poor and the staging is very conventional
(Christoff's beard is to die for!!!) but definitely a must have. Oralia
Dominguez (the Callas's Mexico Aida Amneris) is Preziosilla.
Even if it is only for Bergonzi's performance (although it has some other
assets) I wouild also recomend the EMI set of the early 70s.
HAPPY LISTENING!!!
Luis A. Catoni
Miami, Fl.
William Curley
RCA Tucker, Merrill, Price, Verett (?). THe voices,and the price. Both can't be beat. I'm not knowledgable enough to comment on the conducting (Schippers I believe)
Bill
In article <4ngj01$e...@frazier.uoknor.edu> alhe...@icnet.net (August Helmbright) writes:
Martin Cohn
On one's bothered to mention a recording with a soprano named Maria
Callas. She's partnered by DiStefano and a baritone who's well past
whatever he may have had in the first place. Tulio Serafim is the
conductor, I believe.
Fortunately, this EMI recording was made in the mid-to-late 50's when
Callas still had a voice. So you don't have to listen around her
shortcomings.
No one phrases Verdi like she does. Pace, Pace mio dio will break your
heart.
Martin cohn
Brian MacGilvray
mikri...@interramp.com wrote:
>
> In Article<4ni4v8$n...@news.acns.nwu.edu>,
> <b-macg...@nwu.edu@lulu.acns.nwu.edu> writes:
>
> > August Helmbright wrote:
> > >
> > > Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
> > >
> > > August
> >
> > the label) is with Tebaldi, Corelli, Bastianini, and Christoff. It's a
> > tape of an live Italian television broadcast from Naples (video is
> > available too). I think Capecchi is in it too. Good stuff.
>
> Cappecchi sings the Sacristan - very well, indeed. The performance is from
> Florence and the video is available in two versions, one of which is
> marginally watchable (see my web site http://www.webcom.com/mrichter/). Good,
> yes. Up to the audio alternatives - not at all. Not in singing or sound
> quality.
>
> Mike
No, the performance I'm talking about is definitely from Naples.
Bob Weinstein
Martin Cohn <Nac...@aol.com> wrote:
Unless there are two mid-50s Callas-Serafin-EMI "Forza" recordings,
the tenor was Richard Tucker, not DiStefano, and the baritone was
Carlo Tagliabue.
I like this recording a lot, although it is seriously abridged.
--
Bob Weinstein
bo...@panix.com
--
Bob Weinstein
bo...@panix.com
HenryFogel
>From: Martin Cohn <Nac...@aol.com>
>Date: 20 May 1996 05:21:16 GMT
>Message-ID: <4novgc$2...@news1.slip.net>
>On one's bothered to mention a recording with a soprano named Maria
>Callas. She's partnered by DiStefano and a baritone who's well past
>whatever he may have had in the first place. Tulio Serafim is the
>conductor, I believe.
Sorry, Martin, but the tenor in the callas recording is Richard Tucker --
in good voice but rather over-emotive. I am a huge Callas fan, and I do
love this Forza recording, but it would not be my first choice
recommendation for the opera. (The baritone, by the way, is Carlo
Tagliabue, who actually did have a fairly decent prime, but this ain't
it).
Henry Fogel
David Pickering
Excerpts from netnews.rec.music.opera: 20-May-96 Re: La Forza del
Destino re.. by Martin Co...@aol.com
> Callas. She's partnered by DiStefano and a baritone who's well past
> whatever he may have had in the first place. Tulio Serafim is the
> conductor, I believe.
The tenor on this recording was Richard Tucker not DiStefano and I
believe the baritone was Rolando Panerai (I'm writing this from the
university so I can't get up and look at the recording label). However
I concur that this is a great recording and Callas is one of the finest
Leonora's on record.
Dave
dp...@andrew.cmu.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists
elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
--Calvin & Hobbes
Heavyweight
alhe...@icnet.net (August
>Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
>Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
>
>August
one of the all-time great
recordings of this opera is with leontyne price, shirley verrett, giorgio tozzi, etc.
a thrilling experience, all the way!!
cheers,
c
jor...@ibm.net
>Helmbright) wrote:
>>Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
>>Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
>>
>>August
Nobody seems to like anything past the 80's (they may be right). But if you look for a modern recording and good singing try Freni, Domingo, Zancanaro with La Scala forces conducted by Muti. Quite listenable for me, and the sound is terrific.
Saludos.jorge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jorge Espinosa I. ---- Santiago de Chile ---- jor...@ibm.net
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald C. Young
In article <WCURLEY.96...@billsun.lehman.com>, wcu...@billsun.lehman.com (William Curley) says:
>
>RCA Tucker, Merrill, Price, Verett (?). THe voices,and the price. Both can't be beat. I'm not knowledgable enough to comment on the conducting (Schippers
>
far than any other FORZA which I have heard for reasons which I can't
explain. I just like it.
Gerald C. Young
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alrod
In article <4ngj01$e...@frazier.uoknor.edu> August Helmbright
>Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La
Forza del
>Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference.
Thanks.
>
>August
I'll go along with the group consensus on the Tebaldi/delMonaco
on London as first choice, followed by Price/Tucker on RCA,
with special mention for Callas/Tucker on EMI, the Rodzinski
broadcast and the Naples video. This does not exhaust the field
of great performances of Forza.
There is also Cetra's 1941 recording with Caniglia, Stignani,
Masini (Domingo's vocal role model), Tagliabue (much younger
than with Callas) and Pasero, Marinuzzi conducting.
There is also a Florence broadcast floating around somewhere
with Tebaldi, Barbieri, di Stefano, Guelfi and Neri, Santini
conducting.
And the loudest recordings ever made of the tenor-baritone
duets are on Myto with Corelli and Guelfi attempting to
obliterate each other. And these guys were supposed to be
friends? Artistry, debatable. Fun, oh boy.
Regards,
Alrod
nfnA...@gnn.com
Brno is a vry nce cty, but we ddn't get a chance to spnd mch tme thre....Thre
are mny twns in Czechoslovakia without vwels, but Brno is the lrgest one of thm all.
-- Art Buchwald
William Kasimer
>Nobody seems to like anything past the 80's (they may be right). But if
>you look for a modern recording and good singing try Freni, Domingo,
>Zancanaro with La Scala forces conducted by Muti. Quite listenable for me,
>and the sound is terrific.
Has EMI remastered this? I hope so; I bought it when it first came out
around 1988 or so, and the sound quality was absolutely appalling - dry
as dust, metallic, absolutely unkind to the voices. It was one of the
worst modern recordings I've ever heard.
Bill
--
William Kasimer (wk...@netcom.com)
GiampaoloLomi
mikri...@interramp.com wrote:
>In Article<4ni4v8$n...@news.acns.nwu.edu>,
><b-macg...@nwu.edu@lulu.acns.nwu.edu> writes:
>> August Helmbright wrote:
>> >
>> > Could anyone please suggest your favorite recording of La Forza del
>> > Destino. Please explain why, to give some frame of reference. Thanks.
>> >
>> > August
>>
>> The best sung Forza I've ever heard (and please forgive me, I don't know
>> the label) is with Tebaldi, Corelli, Bastianini, and Christoff. It's a
>> tape of an live Italian television broadcast from Naples (video is
>> available too). I think Capecchi is in it too. Good stuff.
>Cappecchi sings the Sacristan - very well, indeed. The performance is from
>Florence and the video is available in two versions, one of which is
>marginally watchable (see my web site http://www.webcom.com/mrichter/). Good,
>yes. Up to the audio alternatives - not at all. Not in singing or sound
>quality.
The Forza del Destino broadcasted and televised from Napoli on 1958 is
uudoubtfully the best performance ever done (at least the one we can
recoll of our time).
It was televised life fron San Carlo by RAI (italian TV) still in the
beguinning of life transmission. RAI started in Italy in 1953.
The video in two cassette was edited with RAI agreement last year by
Hardy of MIlan, completely remastered with magnificent result. Since I
had the occasion of buyn in Los Angeles two yeras ago a pirate copy I
can assure that this version result totalli different. We can very
well distinguish the faces of the singers and listen to a very goo
audio.
The singers where, Renata Tebaldi, Ettore Bastianini, Franco Corelli,
Oralia Dominguez, Boris Christoff conducted bi F.Molinari Pradelli.
As far as know the only official remastered videotape is only
available in PAL system, so far.
This is form me the best Forza del Destino
The worse is the one conducted by Levine in the Metropolitan NY, with
L.Price, G.Giacomini, L.Nucci, B.Giaiotti, I.Jones, E. Fissore, in
1984, where Mrs L.Price looks like a transvestite and sing with a
basso voice.
Giampaolo Lomi
GiampaoloLomi
David
Despite the fact that there are quite a number of recordings of FORZA,
none of them is terribly satisfactory. The Callas recording is heavily
cut and features several mediocre singers. Tebaldi's phrasing and
intonation are disappointing in her recording, while her Alvaro, Del
Monaco, sings loudly and insensitively throughout. Milanov, Di Stefano,
and Warren were all past their prime when they recorded their Forza,
from which, moreover, one of the three great tenor/baritone duets is
cut. The first Price recording is decent enough. She's in great voice,
as is everybody else in the cast, but her tenor, Richard Tucker is well
past his prime. The later Price recording features fast but monochrome
conducting from Levine, while she herself is past her prime. On the
other hand , you do get Domingo and Milnes in luscious voice with
Price/Levine. The Muti recording is very well conducted indeed,
although it's a shade too fast, and Domingo sounds good, although not at
his best, but Freni is well past her prime and should never have sung
the role of Leonora in the first place, while Zancanaro (Carlo) has an
ugly vibrato and forces throughout. These are the only recordings I
know, and I can't recommend any of them! (I also have a bootleg of the
original St. Petersburg version of FORZA, but it is not terribly well
sung, either, despite the intrinsic interest in hearing this version.)
Brian MacGilvray
I would suggest listening to the Italian broadcast from Naples (Tebaldi,
Corelli, Bastianini, Christoff) before you claim none of the available
recordings is satisfactory. If that's not satisfactory Verdi I don't know
what is.
Marcello Tava
GiampaoloLomi wrote:
>
> The worse is the one conducted by Levine in the Metropolitan NY, with
> L.Price, G.Giacomini, L.Nucci, B.Giaiotti, I.Jones, E. Fissore, in
> 1984, where Mrs L.Price looks like a transvestite and sing with a
> basso voice.
>
> Giampaolo Lomi
I have not heard this recording yet, but the idea that a
soprano can sing with a basso voice is really fascinating!
I go to buy a copy. Now!
Marcello.
dtri...@bway.net
The repeated assessment of "prime" in this posting suggests an official
of the United States Department of Agriculture grading beef and is
decidedly unhelpful, not to mention vocally and historically inaccurate
to a listener who would like to know what Forza is all about vocally. I
would like to know precisely what he considers to have been the prime
years of the singers he casually dismisses, all fresh in my live and
recorded memory. Since Leonard Warren was not yet 50 at his death, and
the Forza recording was made some 6 years earlier, just what were his
"prime" years...we could go on, but this encapsulated nonsense hardly
merits exploration.
dft
William Kasimer
In article <31B003...@bway.net>,
dtri...@bway.net <dtri...@bway.net> wrote:
>Since Leonard Warren was not yet 50 at his death, and
>the Forza recording was made some 6 years earlier, just what were his
>"prime" years...
Judging from his records, I'd say that his "prime" was in the
mid-1940's. The recordings I've heard after about 1950 aren't bad by any
means (certainly in comparison to what we tolerate currently), but to my
ears a wobble crept into the voice (particularly the middle - the top
remained spectacular), with a seeming loss of focus. For sheer vocalism,
his best that I've heard is a Rangoni from 1943 - but that's not a role
for which people remember Warren, is it?