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Compilation: Giangiacomo Guelfi
Guglielmo Tell, Lucia, Cavalleria, Tosca, Fanciulla, Carmen, Vespri, Attila, Trovatore, Aida & Nabucco
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Brooks, Quilico, Jobin, Bible, Smith; Rudel. New York, 1970
Donizetti: La Favorita
Verrett, Kraus, Elvira, Morris, Hendricks; Queler. 1975
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Peters, Campora, Guarrera, Densen; Moresco. 1974
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
M. Price, Burrows, Deutekom, Bryn-Jones, Ward, Robinson; Wisch. London, 1968
Spotlight: Emanuel List
From Our Collectors
Five-Star Reviews
Opera lovers share their discoveries from the catalogue.
You Should Meet This Isolde
“Although this performance is not complete (Act 3 is severely abridged) I would not want to be without it for the wonderful Isolde of Berit Lindholm. She has warmth, strength and femininity which make her a very compelling Isolde. She is an artist who should be much better known. Nuotio is less compelling as Tristan but quite good nonetheless. Minton and Cold are both very satisfying with strong solid vocalism and attractive timbres. Gielen conducts with feeling and it feels very organic. Good sound!”
Robert Calder
“It is worth noting, though I don’t have the specific reference, that with reference to Wagner’s obsession with Bellini and bel canto (the line, the ‘Melos’) one delightful pedantic old gent long ago regretted that this performance is in Italian because in his view it was the only one properly conducted — Vittorio Gui was one of the very great and among those great the greatest in the Bellini repertoire.So you may even be under-selling this recording,Panerai is very good, He had a longer voice than many other Italian baritones and was at one time engaged to record the lyric bass title role of Oberto in a radio recording of Verdi’s first opera. Some decades later he was on the live location recording of LA TRAVIATA aged 76, and perfectly able. His performances of lighter roles well up in the baritone voice mark him out as a considerable artist, showing up there a lightness of timbre quite distinct from what he produced in roles with a lower tessitura, as in Oberto, and of course here…”
A Defining Festival Performance--- As Good As It Gets!
“Of the dozen or so live performance recordings from Opera Depot, I believe this is the best!! For the most part, stereo sound quality rivals the best of the era's commercial releases. And the performance!!! Oh, my! Carreras is at his considerable best, gloriously singing a role that, unfortunately, was just one of those that shortened the peak of his career. Mirella Freni couldn't ever have been better than here; the same is true of Cappuccilli's Rodrigo. I only stop naming the cast because they are all tops! I can't recommend this recording too highly. Andy has produced a real winner here. All Verdi fans and fans of these great singers should avail themselves of this one asap.”
White Hot Performance in Very Good Sound!
“Magda Olivero was considered a goddess in this repertoire and here she shows why. Her voice is in great shape, smoldering with passion, believing every moment of the melodramatic plot. She was also a mistress of the messa di voce as shown in her death scene where she performs her lines in a half voice that is almost unbearably gripping. A classic portrayal!She is a assisted by a youngish Giuseppe Giacomini, sterling of voice and fully committed to the role. He and Olivero are an excellent team. I like that he sounds younger than she is; it makes sense for the plot and adds a sexual tension not often found in opera.The supporting cast is equally excellent. I wish the entire cast had been given. The bass who sings Cirillo, the servant in the first act, is unusually good. Ferruccio Scaglia leads his cast in an exciting reading of this wonderful, corny opera.The sound is mostly very good, the voices having sufficient presence throughout. There is some "ghosting" in the last act, but it's not too annoying. Lovers of verismo and this opera in particular will be thrilled with this performance (once available on the now defunct Bella Voce label).”
Wonderful Gluck
“I love this recording. I was expecting something rather old-fashioned and perhaps rather heavy, but in fact Kleiber conducts with great pace and energy, and the dances go at an incredible lick! For a performance given over 80 years ago it sounds remarkably up-to-date to me. Konetzni is great in the title role, passionate and moving with some glorious top notes. The rest of the cast does a good job too, and I think the quality of the recording is good for 1937.”
Hard to surpass
“An outstanding performance from all concerned. Vickers, whom I saw many times as Parsifal, has never been surpassed. Hotter is even finer than on the Philips 1962 Bayreuth version. Neidlinger probably the best Klingsor I've ever heard. Stewart, perhaps a bit subdued in the 1st act is magnificent in the 3rd. Perhaps Ericson is not quite in the same class as the men but she's still extremely good only showing she's almost (but no quite) at the end of her tether in the climactic moments of the 2nd act (as are nearly all mezzos who sing this soprano role). The chorus is stunning and over all the conducting of Knappertsbusch sounding perfectly natural with the wonderful Bayreuth orchestra. Recording quality is superb. 5 stars+.”
BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!
“This is insanely fun! Like listening to your high school production of The Mikado…if your high school had world class singers. I don’t imagine a piano reduction would suit many composers, but it does Donizetti no particular harm. I’ve always liked Ramey, and he’s great here. Liked Galvany, too—this is better than the studio Sutherland/Ramey!In my opinion, of course.”
Matthieu DEGOTT
“Excellente interprétation. Gedda et Eda-Pierre sont sensationnels. Elle trille comme personne ne l'a fait, et tout son chant illumine la soirée. Bruson ne maîtrise pas le français, mais quelle voix!”
James Mertins
“This was one of the great performances from Solti during his time at the ROH, it showed the company had the goods. This performance is better than the later recording with Solti on Decca.”
Amazing Verrett
“Amazing renditions, some of them really rare treasures, like the famous Florence Carmen with Corelli.....Anyway in the Ballo in Maschera from La Scala, she is not singing Ulrica, but Obratzova does;)”
A great performance caught on the wing
“This performance is so exciting. Solti at his absolute best in the Sixties galvanising all at Covent Garden, as those of us old enough to have been there well remember. And what a cast - all in their absolute prime, and singing as if their lives depended on it. I am transported right back to those golden days.”
Superb performance, highly recommended
“This is in every way a superb performance, definitely one of the best ever of a difficult and frequently misunderstood opera. The crowning glory is undoubtedly Vishnevskaya's historic Leonore. In 1957, her voice was quite a bit lighter than one usually expects in this role: compared to singers such as Flagstad, Nilsson, and Norman, she sounds much less like an Isolde and more like a Donna Anna, with all the top and bottom notes very firmly in place. The result is a performance of Fidelio that anchors the opera in the late 18th/early 19th centuries instead of turning it (wrongly, I think) into a proto-Wagnerian music drama. Vishnevskaya's interpretation is entirely convincing: the yearning, the anxiety, the heroic devotion to a just cause are all there, and the character comes to life as she rarely does elsewhere. The rest of the cast is also very good, if not quite on the same exalted level; in particular, Nelepp is an excellent Florestan. Melik-Pashayev's taut, dramatic reading is splendid. Unfortunately, the studio recording emphasizes the voices and doesn't do full justice to the orchestra, but this is a minor cavil. The Russian translation isn't a problem at all (I know the libretto more or less by heart anyway!) -- the drama is so vividly brought to life that you won't need to follow every word (I suspect that a Russian speaker probably could as the diction sounds excellent throughout, but I am not a very good judge of that). If this recording were in German, it would be universally recognized as a classic.”
A Rysanek Rarity
“At a time when the discovery of new Leonie Rysanek recordings has become increasingly rare, this is a real find. Leonie was not fond of the concert stage and of being aware of her audience, but here she is inspired to great heights of beauty, power and emotion in the first Scene of Tannhauser Act 2, starting with a brilliant Dich teure Halle, then the final scene of Walkure Act1, again in primeform, radiant, feminine and totally involved. Tenor (Giselbert) Wolfgang Kassel more than holds his own, providing less vivid, but strong and musical support. The unnamed conductor is full-blooded and exciting. The sound is a little dim - four stars might be on the generous side - and benefits from a treble lift, but the voices in this in-house recording are well caught. I wouldn't want to be without this performance.”
roger bryson
“As a young regular opera goer this Frau was aseminal experience. Solti was well establishedat the Garden, but this was his finest hour...thefire brand Hungarian conducting an unknownStrauss epic.The house was crackling withexcitement, as the orchestra and cast gave theperformance of their lives.I came out reeling ,and decided to embark on a singing career,inspired by Donald MccIntyres magnificentBarak. How good to have this record.”
Fredback
“I still have not received the shipment and it consisted of inserts for the food the fidelio with Jones and king that I boughtI Do not wish to wait any longer so please send them on my email....thanks...Please confirm”
Sills in her glory
“The exquisite artistry of Beverly Sills is on full display. The usual City Opera choice for Violetta was Patricia Brooks but here we can experience Sills' elegant, feminine take on the role, a miracle of vocal grace and limpid expression. If forced to live with just this Violetta I would have no complaints. John Stewart's appealingly plangent tenor makes for a decent Alfredo and Dominic Cossa is but an average Germont. Julius Rudel leads sympathetically and restores the pizzicato accompaniment to Dei miei bollenti spirit. All the standard cuts are in effect. The sound, presumably taken from the audience, is of almost broadcast quality.”
Nothing like a live performance to test greatness!
“This is a marvelous house recording! The singers a top notch and so is the conductor. The level of accuracy with these parts while still maintaining a high level or artistry. Just sensational. This a a very good marker for why these singers were great and an excellent telling of this great opera.”
"ANTONIETTA STELLA"
“Antonietta Stella was one of the finest sopranos of her generation and matched, for instance, Mirella Freni, Renata Scotto and Montserrat Caballe'. Unfortunately, she was underrated and overlooked by the great recording companies. This is a great compilation featuring and starring Antonietta Stella at her best. Highly recommended!”
Kibelik’s Masterful Meistersinger
“I’ll leave it to the experts to rank Kubelik’s Meistersinger in the pantheon of available Meistersingers on record, but in my opinion, this is the best I’ve heard to date. And for a live recording, the sound quality is exceptionally good. I don’t often think of Kubelik when I thing Wagner, but this recording has changed my mind!”
Mary Stuart at the London Coliseum
“I saw this performance and it was one of the greatest experiences in my life. Although Dame Janet was the big name, Pauline Tinsley was on top form (is she ever anything else!) as Queen Elizabeth 1st and WAS queen Elizabeth! She was nervous, twitched at her pearls and gave an absolutely stunning performance. That is not in any way to belittle the Mary of Dame Janet Baker. She sang the role wonderfully and brought tears to your eyes with the pathos of her singing and acting! The highlight of the opera was the confrontation of the two queens, where Mary calls Elizabeth "The daughter of a whore and a vile bastard" You will never hear the likes of this again!”
Raves for this production in the theatre
“Opera Depot is offering the 1977 broadcast of a production that opened in 1975. Here are some comments culled from a discussion elsewhere of the 1975 opening: —“This was the first non-Wieland Wagner Parsifal at Bayreuth since the re-opening in 1951. This production was filmed for Video release in 1981.”— “I saw this production the following year. As a piece of stagecraft, it was stunning—I still cannot get over (or work out) how they achieved the scenic transformations, all in full view of the audience. I did work out the spear throw by free-framing the video—it was still pure magic in the theatre!”—“A good old Wolfgang Wagner production. Those were the days when the Bayreuth Festival was still worth its name and fame.”In other words Bayreuth hadn’t yet sunk as low as the 2004 production of Parsifal directed by Christoph Schlingensief. Suffice it to say that, during the final pages of the opera, a video of maggots feasting on carrion was projected on a screen for all to see. Tenor Endrik Wottrich, the Parsifal that year, was so revolted by the production—and by Bayreuth’s willingness to sponsor it—that he refused to return for the second season in 2005. (I’ve always been amazed that Boulez, who was the conductor in 2004 & 2005, would consent to work with a mountebank like Schlingensief after working on opera productions staged by Wieland Wagner, Patrice Chéreau, and Peter Stein.)”
Brian Morgan
“In 1966, Anja Silja recorded excerpts, in German translation, of \""Tosca,\"" for Decca, under Lorin Maazel. However, the only time the singing-actress sang the opera on-stage was in 1975, in Italian, in a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle.This reviewer has heard many performances of \""Tosca,\"" and this \""live\"" recording is one of the most exciting of his experience. Mme Silja, devoid of a \""beautiful\"" voice, is almost intolerably intense as the diva of the title, and we can be grateful to Opera Depot for publishing this set.The remainder of the cast are very fine, and the conducting of the late, underrated Klauspeter Seibel is first-rate.”
Interesting and well sung
“A good performance with an interesting cast. Beverly Sills is the big star here, giving a furious rendition of Donna Anna’s quest for revenge. In “Non mi dir” she shows soft, sweet tones, following with crisp coloratura, earning her the night’s biggest ovation. Sills sang Donna Anna a number of times in 1966, notably in her unofficial Met debut at one of the opera’s summer outdoor concerts. Three weeks after this performance came her breakout performance as Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare at the NY City Opera. It’s a pity that she recorded so little of the Handel/Mozart repertory and so soon set them aside for showier bel canto roles. The rest of the cast deserves credit, Lucine Amara, a Met opera workhorse and understudy, brings a stout professional approach to a role she sang often. Luis (aka “Luigi”) Alva, also an old hand at his role, likewise charms the audience with his gallant rendering of this high-flying music. Sesto Bruscantini, an expert at the basso buffo repertory, is a superb Leporello. Interestingly, the quality of his voice here is more that of a baritone than a bass. In the Catalogue Aria, when he sings the repeated phrase “È la grande maestosa” (“The big women [the Don says] are ‘majestic’.”), one can hear the top of his voice opening up like a Verdi baritone. (Bruscantini in fact essayed Rigoletto and Germont around the time of this recording.) Mario Petri, the Don Giovanni, is by contrast no better than good. Respected by European houses for this role, he has the right kind of booming bass voice, but has trouble putting over the character’s seductive charm. His awkward Champagne Aria draws only a smattering of applause. He does better in dramatic moments: his refusal to repent in the opera’s climactic scene makes him admirable as an antihero. But Zerlina, sung by Mexican soprano Cristina Ortega, often outshines him: her “Batti, batti,” coming immediately after the Champagne Aria, gets loud cheers from the local audience, as does her second-act aria. At first I found her affected “little girl” intonation irritating, but her notes are on the mark, and she comes across sexy and devious, the audience clearly on her side. Ortega’s later career was largely devoted to zarzuela and Latina popular music, but in 1965 she had sung Violetta at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and also performed Lucia and Manon. This document of her work suggests that she should be better known to opera fanciers.The sound quality can become boomy at loud moments (notably in the final scene) but otherwise gives a fine record of the voices and of Mozart’s orchestral lines that play with them during the arias. Conductor Nicola Rescigno conducts briskly in a way that favors the singers but also keeps the numbers moving, often at a breakneck pace. The opening sinfonia is well played. Overall, an excellent record of an enjoyable performance.”
Very Special!
“I have 25 complete Ring cycles in my collection and a number of singleton Ring operas as well. This Kempe recording from Stockholm has jumped to the top of the list. It is the Götterdämmerung that has determined this surprise result. Everything about it is wonderful. This far supersedes Kempe’s 1960 Ring, commercially available. He was apparently effected by the Viking atmosphere of the final opera.His cast is in G’dämm is hard to beat. Yes, there are superior Rings out there in terms of overall casting but not many, if any, that can match these lead singers in a live event. Act two, in particular, is very exciting. The amazing Berit Lindholm even surpasses Nilsson, live for Böhm at Bayreuth, in impact. She possesses the ability to soften her huge voice and sound vulnerable which was something the titanium-voiced Nilsson could never do, Helga Brilioth’s Siegfried is even better than he was for Karajan on DG. The live event set these singers alight. Bengt Rundgren, Eric Saedén and Laila Andersson-Palme are superb Gibichungs as well. She is especially notable as Gutrune, feminine and conniving as she should be. And last but not least Barbro Ericson’s deeply moving and vividly acted Waltraute.The chorus of men in Act 2 are thrilling. I saw in my mind’s eye the village men from Kattegat (Vikings), all hairy and burly and singing like Asatru gods. Bengt Rundgren may not have been Matti Salminen, but Kempe’s direction and the overwhelming atmosphere of pagan frenzy are awesome. The sound is brilliant and detailed, the orchestra plays like the best of them and Kempe urges, or simply allows them, to express their high level of accomplished performance without constraint and nary of hint of imperfection. Intonation in the winds is notably perfect in all those touchy long held chords.There is a wink link, it has to be said, in Siegfried, with an underpowered, though well-sung, Wanderer of Jerker Arvidson. Bjorn Asker’s Alberich would have been a better Wanderer. Ranger Ulfung’s Mime is the best I’ve ever heard. Die Walküre is very successful with Brilioth’s strong Siegmund, as he is for Horst Stein at Bayreuth in 1970. David Ward is a very strong and powerful Wotan, which surprised me. And Barbro Ericson Fricka is right up there with Christa Ludwig, Yvonne Minton and Waltraud Meier (Haitink) and other great singers that have recorded this role. Siv Wennberg, who also sings Skuld (the third Norn) has a less powerful voice than Lindholm (who doesn’t?). The valkyries are well-matched, sing in tune, and project individuality.The audience if silence, as if mesmerized, until the ends of the acts. The ovation at the end of Acts 2 and 3 of Götterdämmerung are overwhelming. Bravo Stockholm!This Ring, sadly missing Das Rheingold, is a must-have for all Wagnerians, especially for Lindholm’s antidote to the ubiquitous, and tiresome hardness of voice in these roles.”
Superb Performance - Terrible Sound
“Performance (with some cuts) is absolutely riveting. The sound, however, even for those days, is absolutely execrable. One has to listen through its deficiencies to really appreciate this great performance.Opera Depot doesn't tell you about the cuts until AFTER you've bought this set. The poor sound quality is a known given due to the fact so many of these pirate recordings have totally variable sound quality.But be warned on this one.Steve”
a great time was had by all!
“This momento of Caballé's breakthrough performance would be wonderful even if it were not a recording of a historic performance. She is ravishing, and I also enjoy Vanzo more that the reviewers did at the time. Caballé later recorded the work commercially, with musical material not included here, and with Kraus in fine form. But I prefer this recordng, it has the lustre of a great live performance.”
Tinsley Rocks!
“Excellent performance from Tinsley and Herincx Great hear them again as Nabucco and Abigaille. The recording is good. The amateur WNO chorus as thrilling as they often were in those far off days. Very enjoyable.”
This performance is as epic as the history(..ish) portrayed!
“In Verdi, Cerquetti is royalty. Here, she is the grandest Elisabetta. The bass clef is astounding: Bastianini, Siepi, Neri, Washington create unsurpassed beauty and sonority, but also the most human interpretations of their respective roles. Barbieri’s Eboli relishes the pageantry and intrigue. Musically, she ducks the As in the “Canzone del velo” and the Cb in “O don fatale”. Lo Forese partners his colleagues passionately, all vocal ardor and sinew. (See YouTube: Lo Forese in his 90s sings “Di quella pira”!) Votto sets the example for breadth in Verdi.”
John
“A fitting tribute to Sir Edward Downes who died recently at the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland along with his wife. He conducted every season at Covent Garden for 50 years and was a highly regarded Verdi conductor and scholar, as well as Wagner, Strauss, the Russians etc. Only failing eye sight ended his career. He conducted the first Western performances of Katerina Ismailova”
Michael Asser
“A fine recording of Vickers' final London performances of Aeneas, here with the marvellous Dido of Janet Baker. These two great singers, so very different, match surprisingly well, and they make much of the English translation, in which Vickers is clearly more comfortable than when singing in French as in the studio recording of 1969. Davis is of course hors concours conducting Berlioz, and the rest of the cast is well up to Covent Garden's usual high standard of the time.”
Absolutely outstanding!
“This is a performance you can’t hear without deeply be moved. It is electrifying with Kempe conducting in his unsurpassed way. Rysanek is completely outstanding in the title role. Vickers a heroic Herodes, Hesse perfect as his wife. Stewart‘s singing is very good, but not always very steady.By the way: Rysanek was in 1974 at the peak of her career! I saw her in the same year as Salome in Munich (with Kempe). This was one of my greatest experiences in opera ever!”
Bellini : I Capuleti ed I Montecchi
“I have already a mono tape recording of the 1966 Amsterdamperformance with Margherita Rinaldi as Giulietta. Unfortunatly,the recording is rather bad and I was very pleased with your offer because your recording is so much better technically and so is also the performance with young Pavarotti in ottima forma.is”
Divinissima yet in 1957
“Very beauutifull performance. It is amazing to hear my beloved Diva Montserrat Caballé singing at 23 years old with such great art. She was yet a Diva. But crowned in 1965.Fantastic.”
John Johnston
“Excellent ensemble performance from the resident Covent Garden company of the time, many of whom i recall, especially Michael Langdon, Kenneth Macdonald and David Ward with his warming Scottish burr. One of the few Kempe live Strauss performances and a treasure in this rarity.”
Another Triumph For Maestro Stein And Company
“Others including myself have already showered lavish praise on the Horst Stein '70 Ring Cycle. This '71 cycle is very nearly on the same level. Stein's conducting is once again superb! On the rare occasion when a particular tempo didn't feel quiet right, I found myself able to adjust to it quickly and easily. The cast is also nearly flawless (including an excellent Freia this go round) with one exception that I'll get to in a moment. Special mention must go to the outstanding Brunnhilde of Catarina Ligendza, who sings with a youthful, sweet tone. Unlike others who have adopted a similar girlish portrayal (Altmeyer, Evans, etc.), Ligendza actually has the pipes for the big moments. In fact, I'm going to risk sacrilege and declare that I enjoyed her even more than Birgit Nilsson, whose voice I've always found a bit too steely. Granted Ligendza's top notes are not as secure as the great Swede's, but they are still very impressive. And now the one casting misfire of this Ring, and the reason it comes up a bit short compared to the aforementioned '70 cycle, is the Wotan of Theo Adam. I have a lot of admiration for this artist for his acting and even (occasionally) his singing, such as in Act 3 of Siegfried. But more often than not, I found his gargley voice with its characteristic wobble really hard to take. Why TA owned the role of Wotan at Bayreuth when they had such a great talent like David Ward, who sang the role beautifully elsewhere, is anybody's guess.”
Beautiful Singing
“This is a great recording with perfect sound. Sukis sings "Song to the Moon" exceptionally well. The high notes are clear, and the low notes are round and full. All in all, a recording well worth owning.”
John Querns
“The wonderful Anja Silja shows why she could sing almost anything, from the heaviest Wagner and Strauss to the doll Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, in this performance of a role which seems at times to have elements of all of these! And with luxury casting like Mödl, Kmentt and Hotter this makes for a fine performance under the baton of Böhm. Of course it's the truncated version of the piece, being before the opera was completed by Cerha, but well worth a listen. The Vienna Philharmonic play so beautifully too.”
Martin Ramor
“I liked all the singers. I loved young, powerful and dramatic Suliotis (she was not even 26 years old on this recording), elegant phrasing of Cossotto, powerful and heroic Limarilli, reliable Vinco. Bartoletti and orchestra good.”
Nostalgia
“How lovely to come across this historic recording. However it was a live broadcast (not recorded) for which the players received a single fee. Therefore, I believe this was recorded illegally. Piracy? How can you also put a copyright notice on it? That said, brought back memories for my wife and I who were playing on this.”
The most nuanced, singable, intelligent RHEINGOLD I have ever heard
“Andy (who runs OperaDepot) suggested, in his review, that this recording shows that Ferdinand Frantz may be "one of the finest Wotan's of the 20th Century". Andy is WRONG. In fact, this recording shows that Ferdinand Frantz is UNQUESTIONABLY THE VERY finest Wotan of the 20th Century. The only other possible candidate for the title would be Hans Hotter, and Frantz is better than Hotter in several ways: Frantz' voice is sharper, the tone more resonant and penetrating than Hotter's, his vibrato is tighter and more consistent, and most of all, Franz has more personal discipline--Hotter's performances tend to be quirky, he lets his personality in, so that his Wotan is more Hotter's character than Wagner's. In contrast, Frantz is so faithful and honest that some critics accused him of lacking imagination. In fact he has deep imagination, but less inappropriate flashiness. As another reviewer said, the other singers are all so fantastic that there's really no point in describing them all individually here. I'll just mention the two giants: in other recordings, the characters often seem one-dimensional--Fasolt wants Freia, that's all, and Fafner want's gold, that's all--but here both Gottlob Frick and Josef Greindl act with unusual subtlety and nuance. Both are willing to sing SOFTLY when appropriate. Finally, Schuchter does an excellent job, his conducting is very smart, and he does not drag in the slow seections as many otoher conductors do.Zero flaws. The best.”
Ah, the memories!
“Hard to beat. Sadly, I had left Europe the year before, but not before hearing Vienna's fab quintet (Nilsson/Rysanek/Hotter/Frick/von Karajan) many times. Surely they were the true post-war golden age. Hotter (wobble and all) simply owns the role of Wotan. What command and total understanding! Nilsson is about to enter her prime and throws off the role's many challenges with sublime ease. ,At the time, she had only one real challenger...Astrid Varnay. Rysanek, as always, is a force of nature; it's a delight to hear her cut loose and let the rafters ring. Suthaus and Windgassen tossed the Wagner young'uns back and forth like ping pong balls. But waiting in the wings....Vickers.Frick was a rarity...a true honest-to-goodness basso. His big, dark voice suited his roles and, here, he commands your attention throughout Act 1, as he should do. You can only hear his death in Act 2, but to see it was spine-tingling. And now we come to Act 3: from Wotan's entrance to the end, we are treated to a Wagnerian master class with two of the greatest leaving an audio gift that, as I said at the beginning, is hard to beat.”
Nicholas
“Barring a few taping gaps, what we have here is a complete performance of a heavily cut production of Hindemith’s opera. “Heavily” means that literally one third of the piece is gone: a note-complete Mathis runs three hours, and this version clocks in at about two. The omissions range from a few measures to several pages at a go. The largest missing chunks are the opening choral scene of the 2nd Tableau and the final scene of the 3rd. Many of the elisions are smooth, but inevitably some are abrupt. Overall, it’s a bit like reading a drastically (but not insensitively) abridged version of a novel.The Hamburg State Opera brought its production to the Met around this time, with a slightly different cast – was Edith Mathis the Regina? – and also a different conductor, I believe; a private tape from that visit circulated, and was the only full-length recording of the opera available until the note-complete 1979 EMI studio version under Rafael Kubelik (now available from ArkivMusic). In 2005, Hamburg made amends with a new, all-but-uncut production, conducted by Simone Young, which has been issued on CD (Oehms Classics).The most serious of the tape lacunae here are: the first half of the Prelude (Concert of Angels), a short stretch at the top of the 3rd Tableau, and a longer one near the end of the 4th. Other musical notes: baritone Hubert Hofmann (Mathis) clearly lacked the top for the role, so there is a fair amount of rewriting to avoid high notes. The Regina starts shakily, jumping a couple of entrances (an understudy?) but settles down later on. Fans of mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos should be aware that her role (Countess Helfenstein) is a short one, further reduced by cuts.Paradoxically, this is the most theatrically vivid and exciting recording of Mathis der Maler available. Much of this is due to the committed ensemble work of the cast, which presumably had had time to settle in both musically and dramatically over repeated repertory performances. But the lion’s share of the credit must go to Charles Mackerras’s thrilling conducting, which blows away any remaining doubts about Hindemith’s dramatic instincts. While this version can never be a first choice, anyone who knows and loves this great 20th century opera from the Kubelik, Young or Albrecht (Wergo) versions will certainly want to hear it.Incidentally, my copy of the Opera Depot CDs came with the labels reversed. The sequence should be:Disc 1 – 54:52 [11 tracks] (Tableaux 1 through 4)Disc 2 – 61:54 [9 tracks] (Tableaux 5 through 7; Prelude)Note that track 9 on Disc 2 should actually be the first track on Disc 1. (It would be wonderful if at some future date this could be corrected.)Finally, I must respectfully take issue with the short description of the opera given above. Mathis der Maler focuses on the inner turmoil of a painter in a time of great social and political unrest who feels compelled by the social injustice he sees around him to leave his safe haven of church patronage and join the cause of the poor. But he becomes disillusioned by the hatred and brutality that has infected the struggle, and by his personal failure as a “man of action.” In the end, he finds peace by accepting his responsibility towards his God-given gifts, and re-dedicates himself to his art. His journey is thus ultimately a spiritual one.”
Amazing performances
“Great opera singers talent : the great Anna Silja performs greatfully the Queen of the Night as well as Dame Joan Sutherland, I wish the sound of Julius Caesar were better but it’s a treasure to have this recording. I’m very happy with my purchase. Thanks !”
I must confess, I bought
“I must confess, I bought it for a friend who loves the Britten War Requiem and I haven't passed it on to him yet for his opinion.I must also confess, I'm not a great fan of this work but I thought this was the best version I have yet heard and the quality was excellent.”
Excellent and reliable Seller: definitely recommended.
“«Un Ballo in Maschera» (one of the most beautiful M° Verdi’s Operas) needs a refined and incisive Conductor, and M° Rudel stands out in particular for the very attentive accompaniment of the Singers and the sensitive knowledge of the Italian Romantic vocal style, in which are distinguished Mme Rolandi in the risky role of Oscar, sung with a very remarkable technique and brilliant characterisation; and M° Elvira, for his beautiful soft-tone voice, appropriate for the several emotions of the noble and troubled role of Renato.”
SANTI & MASNADIERI A HEAVENLY MATCH
“Once your ear adjusts to the sonics, this is a performance to be treasured. The singing is solid Verdi in the grand tradition. La Deutekom is incomparable, Moldoveanu & Zancanaro provide the requisite testasterone AND NELLO SANTI proves again that he is without a doubt the finest Italian conductor of the late 20th C. There are a few pitch issues (the last 2 tracks were very sharp!) but that can be corrected and is a small price to pay for having this exciting performance of a seldom heard Verdi opera in one's library.”
One of the all-time great “Otellos”
“In the years 1970-80, the world had three top Otellos: in order of seniority, Jon Vickers, Carlo Cossutta, and Placido Domingo. They all sang more than one revival of the opera at Covent Garden; it was a luxury to compare them then, but now they represent a collective peak never subsequently matched. (Domingo’s Otello, new that decade, continued into the 1990s.) Cossutta’s voice was huge, virile, sexy, baritonal, passionate, and he was the only one of the three to bring Italian diction and placement to the part; I hear here why I adored him then, and surrender again. The surprise of this revival was that Te Kanawa, who had just sung Desdemona at the New York Met with Vickers, seemed to have a voice as large as both Cossutta and Cappucilli. It was the most vocally ample “Otello” I have ever known, and all three voices combined beauty with eloquence. This was the era when Cappucilli moved from his former dull efficiency to a new interpretative intensity: the dark power and easily biting diction of his Iago amazed. But the greatest factor here is Charles Mackerras. Listen to the astounding power of the whole orchestra under the “Sì, pel ciel” duet; and the phenomenal grace of the woodwind at many points; the conviction and sweep of the whole. Colin Davis and Carlos Kleiber conducted superb revivals in those years; I already knew my Toscanini and Serafin recordings; but I understand increasingly now why 1974 reviews said that this was the greatest “Otello” heard since De Sabata.”
Giselbert Wolfgang Kassel (1924 - ?)
“Eine der raren Aufnahmen dieses hervorragenden Tenors. Für mich ist dieser Sänger eine Entdeckung, ein Tannhäuser wie ich ihn hören möchte. Kassel verfügte zu dieser Zeit über eine stämmige, gesunde Heldentenorstimme mit baritonalem Kern, die keine Klippe der Partie fürchten mußte, nirgends gefährdet war und einem Vergleich mit den Bayreuther Rollenvertretern dieser Zeit (Beresford, Esser, Wenkoff) standhält. Der Live-Mitschnitt zeigt eine beeindruckende Physis. Die Stimme ist immer kontrolliert, kein tenorales Leichtgewicht. Ein intelligenter, musikalischer Sänger, der zu jedem Zeitpunkt weiß was er singt.”
