Giordano: Andrea Chenier (In English) - Craig, Elliot, Glossop; Tausky. ENO, 1959

$4.48

Listen to a Sample:

Hearing a great singing actor in opera is truly a memorable experience and, in my opinion ,this is only enhanced when they are singing in their native tongue. It is a shame that opera in the vernacular has fallen out of favor with the advent of supertitles. There is a connection between performer and audience that is lost. In addition any singer singing in their own language will have a deeper and more direct connection to the text that cannot be replicated by even the most deft of polyglots. If you don't agree with me, I encourage you to listen to this recording of Andrea Chénier. All of the singers sing with impeccable diction and one can hear the conventions and styles of British theatrical elocution going back to Shakespeare. Charles Craig is Chénier and sings with a combination of sweetness and power. Victoria Elliot sings Maddalena. Her voice may lack some of the lushness of Tebaldi and Stella but she conveys the youth of the character well while not leaving the listener short-changed during the dramatic moments. Peter Glossop may be the standout of the cast. There is a freshness to his voice in 1959 which was not present in his later years. The sound is very good.

OD 10614-2