Santini: Mascagni – Cavalleria Rusticana, Matacic: Leoncavallo – Pagliacci (2 CD, APE)

Orchestra: Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Conductor: Gabriele Santini, Lovro von Matacic
Composer: Pietro Mascagni, Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: EMI Classics
Size: 590 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Cavalleria rusticana
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Maestro direttore Gabriele Santini
Maestro del coro Gianni Lazzari

Santuzza – Victoria de los Angeles
Lola – Adriana Lazzarini
Turiddu – Franco Corelli
Alfio – Mario Sereni
Mamma Lucia – Corinna Vozza
Recorded: 7/1962

Pagliacci
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala
Maestro direttore Lovro von Matacic
Maestro del coro Norberto Mola

Canio – Franco Corelli
Nedda – Lucine Amara
Tonio – Tito Gobbi
Beppe – Mario Spina
Silvio – Mario Zanasi
Un contadino – Franco Piva
Un altro contadino – Angelo Mercuriali
Recorded: 7/1960

This recording “kills”!!!!!

This recording is just brimming with excitement. Franco Corelli is phenomenal as both Turridu in Cav and Canio in Pagliacci. Mario Sereni gives a very excellent reading of Alfio, the jealous husband in Cavalleria Rusticana. Victoria De los Angeles is a very fine Santuzza, though, possibly, a bit to light voiced for the role. Though her interpretation may not be as interesting as Maria Callas, Lucine Amara turns in a very credible and fine performance as Nedda, the unfaithful wife of Canio. Tito Gobbi is probably, to my ears, the finest and most believable Tonio on record, realizing both the lyric and dramatic moments in the score, flawlessly. Gobbi’s “Prologo” is equal to none in this performance, singing the interpolated High A flat magnificently in this recording (he sings the written F in the Callas/Di Stefano recording). Corelli, especially in the I Pagliacci, simply exudes animal magnetism and his voice is so virile and fresh. This recording (the Pagliacci) was the one that heralded in the great Corelli to the American public as this was his debut recording to a major recording company. His “Vesti la giubba” and “No Pagliaccio non son” are both show stoppers. Both Santini, in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Matacic, in I Pagliacci, conduct very exciting and energized performances. This recording has all the spark and excitement of a live performance, but without “theater noise”. This recording IS verissimo opera at its very finest. The stereo sound is excellent. Any lover of true Italian opera should own this recording