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Turandot (Excerpts)
Ok, so the sound of this Turandot is far from perfect, but the cast was too delectable to pass up especially because these were roles that were off the beaten path for the three principals. Ingrid Bjoner’s steely, cool voice is perfect as the ice princess. She manages to come across alluring and ferocious simultaneously. James King demonstrates that if he hadn’t gravitated towards Wagner he could easily have distinguished himself as one of the preeminent Italianate tenors of his day (no small feat considering the competition). His voice is robust and beautiful and he treats the audience to a spectacular high C in the riddle scene. Hilde Güden is surprisingly good as Liù, bringing a sumptuous quality to her voice that I had not heard previously. There are also some fun Bjoner extras including a concert performance of ”In questa reggia” in very good sound, a performance of ”Pace mio dio” and the Aida/Amneris duet with none other than Regina Resnik!
Track List
Act II
1. Diecimila anni al nostro imperatore!
2. In questa Reggia
3. Straniero, ascolta!
4. Gelo che dà foco
5. Figlio del cielo!
6. Tre enigmi m'hai proposto!
2. In questa Reggia
3. Straniero, ascolta!
4. Gelo che dà foco
5. Figlio del cielo!
6. Tre enigmi m'hai proposto!
Act III
7. Nessun dorma!
8. Tu che guardi
9. Principessa! Divina!
10. Tanto amore, segreto
8. Tu che guardi
9. Principessa! Divina!
10. Tanto amore, segreto
11. Tu che di gelsomini cinta
12. Principessa di morte!
13. Diecimila anni al nostro imperatore!
Turandot – Ingrid Bjoner
15. Fu la sorte
Aida – Regina Resnik, Amneris
16. Pace! pace, mio dio
La Forza del destino
12. Principessa di morte!
13. Diecimila anni al nostro imperatore!
BONUS
14. In questa reggiaTurandot – Ingrid Bjoner
15. Fu la sorte
Aida – Regina Resnik, Amneris
16. Pace! pace, mio dio
La Forza del destino
Customer Reviews
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3.3
Based on 4 reviews
✓ Verified Buyer
Norway
Bad sound quality
Artistic it sounded as if it was quite good, but the sound was quite poor so it was difficult to decide.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Exciting Performance, Muddy Sound
These excerpts are very enjoyable; I only wish the sound was better. It's listenable, but one must have faith and patience. The voices are recessed and there is an annoying hum throughout. This is definitely not for those looking for a casual disc of Turandot highlights.Bjoner sounds marvelous here, the voice steady, even glowing. She dispatches all the high notes with casual ease (a far cry from her querschnitt disc of Turandot excerpts recorded when her voice was past its prime). King surprises with his ringing top notes, including two great C's in Act Two. Gueden is very fine in Liu's two big Act Three moments.The filler excerpts with Bjoner are recorded in much better sound and are equally good. Her Aida duet with Regina Resnik is downright exciting. Whether it comes from a concert or complete performance of the opera, I don't know. We do get the chorus contributions as well. The Forza "Pace, pace" aria is notable for its legato and control.The Turandot excerpts are from Acts Two and Three and include all of Act Two from the chorus's "Diecimila anni" to the end of the act. The Act Three excerpts jump around a bit, but include all the expected moments including the final scene for Turandot and Calaf (the traditional cut of "Dal primo pianto" is, unfortunately, taken - Bjoner would have sung it so well).If you love Bjoner, King, or Gueden, you'll want this.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Improbably good "Turandot"
A nasty grounding-wire hum in the "Turandot" excerpts prevents me from giving this CD the full five-star ranking, although the Bjoner/Resnik "Aida" duet -- an incredible *trouvaille* -- is worth the price of the disc alone. While Ingrid Bjoner, Hilde Gueden and James King might not seem like the most probable Turandot, Liu and Calaf, they are riveting and vocally gratifying in Puccini's music, with Bjoner the very embodiment of Puccini's icy princess. Gueden's trademark vulnerability is just what the doctor ordered for Liu and King has high Cs and B-flats for days. If the remastering could be improved, this would be a no-brainer.
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✓ Verified Buyer
United States
