Puccini: La Fanciulla del West - Caniglia, Del Monaco, Mongelli; Santini. Napoli, 1951

$8.95

Listen to a Sample:

Warning: The sound of this recording is such that I would only recommend it to those who admire Maria Caniglia and Mario Del Monaco. If you can tune your ear past the limitations of 1951 recording technology, you will find a thrilling performance. Del Monaco sings like an absolute god and despite Gabriele Santini’s impatience to move Act III along after ”Ch’ella mi creda” the audience does not relent until finally he is compelled to encore the aria. Maria Caniglia’s voice didn’t have the youthful corn-fed quality of Dorothy Kirsten, but she brings a dramatic and sensual quality to the proceedings which are quite welcome in the Act II love duet as well as the poker scene.

OD 11350-2