Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac - Vinay, De Cavalieri, Panerai, Badioli; Votto. Milano, 1954
$8.95
Listen to a Sample:
If Puccini felt pressure living in the shadow of Verdi then imagine how Franco Alfano must have felt coming of age in the time that he did. Sadly it is fair to say at this point that his vision for opera did not pick up the same momentum as his ancestors but his artistry should not be overlooked. It is often said that Puccini was the first Italian composer who unashamedly looked outside of Italy for inspiration. Alfano delvers that same kind of globalism in his music and then some. The result is somewhat of a pastiche of Bartok, Strauss and others however there still remains something classically Italian in his sweeping melodies. This performance of Cyrano de Bergerac features Ramon Vinay in the title role. The low tessitura must have been a comfort to him at this point of his career where he was starting to gravitate to baritone roles. The voice is still very well intact and he sings with the same ardency that he brought to Tristan. Anna de Cavalieri sings a sensual and alluring Roxanne. The sound is good.
OD 10542-2
