Here are the items that we found.
Otello
No one has had a career like Ramón Vinay (Domingo is trying, but not quite succeeding). One of the world's greatest dramatic tenors, and in the running for the title of the greatest Otello of all time, returned to his baritone roots late in his career. This is no vanity of an aging tenor: he sounds like a true baritone, with no hint of his past tenorial glories except for an unusually strong top. He is a thrilling, intelligent Iago in this 1962 performance. Perhaps the only Otello who could have sung opposite this Iago is Mario Del Monaco, and he is caught here in top form. Heard live, he sounds more involved with the drama than he does on his studio recordings of the same opera, and he sings a heartbreaking "Niun mi tema". His lovely Desdemona is the Italian soprano Ilva Ligabue, who gives a tender, beautifully spun, willow song and floats effortlessly over the ensemble at the end of Act III. Nicola Rescigno is on the podium for this rather boisterous, nearly out-of-control performance.
Track List
Act I
1. Una vela! Una vela! Un vessillo! Un vessillo!
2. Esultate! L'orgoglio musulmano
3. Roderigo, ebben, che pensi?
4. Fuoco di gioia, l'ilare vampa
5. Qua, ragazzi, del vino!
6. Abbasso le spade!
7. Già nella notte densa
2. Esultate! L'orgoglio musulmano
3. Roderigo, ebben, che pensi?
4. Fuoco di gioia, l'ilare vampa
5. Qua, ragazzi, del vino!
6. Abbasso le spade!
7. Già nella notte densa
Act II
8. Non ti crucciar
9. Vanne!... Credo in un Dio crudel
10. Ciò m'accora.
11. Dove guardi splendono
12. D'un uom che geme sotto il tuo disdegno
13. Desdemona rea!
14. Era la notte, Cassio dormia
15. Sì, pel ciel marmoreo guiro!
9. Vanne!... Credo in un Dio crudel
10. Ciò m'accora.
11. Dove guardi splendono
12. D'un uom che geme sotto il tuo disdegno
13. Desdemona rea!
14. Era la notte, Cassio dormia
15. Sì, pel ciel marmoreo guiro!
Act III
16. La vedetta del porto ha segnalato
17. Dio ti giocondi, o sposo
18. Dio! mi potevi
19. Vieni, l'aula è deserta
20. Evviva il Leon di San Marco!
21. A terra!... si... nel livido fango
17. Dio ti giocondi, o sposo
18. Dio! mi potevi
19. Vieni, l'aula è deserta
20. Evviva il Leon di San Marco!
21. A terra!... si... nel livido fango
Act IV
22. Era più calmo?
23. Mia madre aveva una povera ancella
24. Ave Maria, piena di grazia
25. Chi è là? Otello?
26. Niun mi tema
23. Mia madre aveva una povera ancella
24. Ave Maria, piena di grazia
25. Chi è là? Otello?
26. Niun mi tema
Customer Reviews
Share your experience with fellow collectors
Share Your Experience
A star rating alone is welcome, and reviews may be written in any language.
4.0
Based on 3 reviews
✓ Top Reviewer
United States
Exciting Performance in Mostly Good Sound!
Here is an opportunity to hear a former famous Otello take on Iago. Vinay is a wonderfuly malevolent Iago who does not sound like a tenor singing baritone, but like the genuine thing. He indulges in some hammy laughter at the end of the Credo and the end of Act 3, but the audience loves him. They also love Del Monaco is who on fire in this performance. He is also self-indulgent and hammy, especially in "Dio, mi potevi" and ends up shouting more than I like, but then turns in a heartbreaking death scene, free of histrionics (well, mostly free). Ligabue was an underrated soprano whose Desdemona is lovely, her Act 4 scena a highlight of the performance. Joann Grillo stands out as an assertive Emilia. Rescigno keeps things moving, but allows his singers their moments. He cuts most of the third act ensemble.The sound is good though occasionally the voices get swamped by the orchestra in the big climaxes. Nevertheless, this is an exciting performance and fans of the opera or the singers should get it.
Report
✓ Top Reviewer
United Kingdom
✓ Top Reviewer
Australia
John Stanton
A year after Del Monaco's famous studio recording with Von Karajan, the tenor's voice has deteriorated alarmingly. Here there is an over use of nasal resonances for projection which at times produces unpleasant singing. He makes no attempt to sustain the prolonged B's and A's of DIO MI POTEVI which creat a wonderful effect, but declaims it in a kind of parlando fashion continuously breaking the musical line, and singing a tone?! higher than written. His voice,however still has an elemental and powerful force to it and in spite of the vocal deterioration, he delivers an intense and exciting performance. Vinay here has returned to he beginnings as a baritone after having been one of the great OTELLOs This is no party trick, and he is happy in this tessitura delivering a fine Jago.Iva ligabue's clear pure sound gives us a lovely Desdemona, her WILLOW SONG beautifully and poignantly phrased without allowing the scene to bog down- as it can. Here she is helped by Resigno's preference for faster tempos.
Report
