Puccini: Tosca - Stella, Corelli, Bacquier; Erede. Paris, 1970
$8.95
Description:
This recording of Tosca, though imperfect, still captures the electricity that can spark when three operatic titans share the stage. Antonietta Stella is radiant in the title role, blending fiery passion with vocal refinement to striking effect. Franco Corelli meets her intensity with his trademark vocal bravado—if not quite the same level of finesse. In one amusing moment, a heckler interrupts his “E lucevan le stelle”, and Corelli responds in kind—adding a bit of operatic theater to the already charged atmosphere.
Gabriel Bacquier offers a restrained yet menacing Scarpia, his malevolence always simmering just beneath a polished, elegant surface. Unfortunately, the sound is not very good, and there are notable gaps in the recording: a substantial portion of Act II after “Vissi d’arte” is missing, as is the beginning of Act III before Cavaradossi’s entrance.
In Mono
OD 11385-2
