Records: Callas's Early Lucia

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30481, 1 July 1964, Page 7

Records: Callas 's Early Lucia

DOHNIZETTI: Lucia dl Lammermoor. Maria Callas (soprano), Giuseppe di Stefano (tenor), Titto Gobbi (baritone). Kaffaele Arie (bass), Vallano Natali (tenor), Anna Maria Canal! (mezzo-soprano) and Gino Sarrl (tenor), with Tullio Serafin conducting the orchestra and chorus of Maggio Mustcale Fiorentino. World Record Club mono ZX.509/1, 2 (two 12in, 575)

Maria Callas is the first of the modern dramatic Lucias. She has been mainly responsible for the post-war revival of this opera—as well as many others —outside Italy. The recording under review was made in 1953 and was her first for a British label. Its success enabled her to record it again in 1959 in stereo and prepared the way for a threerecord set, with all of the •conventional cuts restored, by her rival, Joan Sutherland. Though the price will be the main factor in a decision shout this set, there are many fine things about the performance. Callas’s voice is darktoned and exciting. She sings a stylish “Regnava nel silenzio" and in the Mad Scene her coloratura ranges from adequate to brilliant. Her duet “11 pallor funesto, orrendo” with Gobbi—a dark, menacing Enrico—is also notable. Di Stefano has a strong, virile high tenor, and sings the death scene in the original key. The soloists are recorded close to the microphone, but Gobbi and di Stefano tend to dominate at the expense of Callas. A lower volume setting, with a slight

increase for Callas’s arias, or a steep filter setting, seemed the best answers. The balance is better in the excellent “Chi me frena.” GERSHWIN: Porgy And Bese—excerpts. Leontyne Price (soprano), William Warfield (baritone), McHenry Boatwright (baritone), John W. Bubbles (tenor), with Skitch Henderson conducting the RCA Victor Orchestra and chorus. RCA stereo L5C.2679 (12in, 42s 6d). Mono also available. The presence of Leontyne Price makes this record more attractive than the usual run of show albums. Price, who was the first Bess in the 1952-

58 Broadway revival of the Gershwin folk opera, returns to the role to put new excitement into the now-so-familiar songs. There is fine singing too by her husband, Warfield, as Porgy, by Boatwright as Crown, and by the original Sportin’ Life, Bubbles. The only regrets are that these are only excerpts and that there could have been more information about the actual story and characters. The stereo sound is first class.

PUCCINI: La Bohome—excerpts. Victoria de los Angeles, Lucini Amara (sopranos), Jussi Bjorllng (tenor), Bobert Merrill (baritone) et al. with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the RCA Victor Orchestra. HMV mono MALP.IS2I (12in, 42s 6d).

Only the stereo fanatic would prefer any other L.P. of “Boheme” highlights to this one. De los Angeles is an ideal Mimi, tender, touching and vocally resplendent Bjorling, in splendid voice, is an ardent and poetic Rodolfo, with none of the tiresome mannerisms that so often mar the role. Merrill is a sterling Marcello and Amara a lively Musetta with a fine voice. And perhaps, above all, there is the unsurpassed lyrical flow of Beecham’s conducting. The excerpts include all the big moments—Rodolfo’s and Mimi’s arias and duet Musetta’s waltz, the scene outside the inn, Mimi’s farewell and the quartet, the Rodolfo-Mar-cello duet and the death

scene. The sound is a bit edgy.

OFFENBACH: Galto Farlslenne (abridged). ROSSINI: William Tell ballet music. GOUNOD: Faust ballet music. Herbert von Karajan conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. World Record Club stereo STZ.22B (12in, 26s 6d). Mono also available.

A safe prediction would be that “Gaite Parisienne” will be played more often than the works on the other side of this record. The familiar Offenbach tunes in Manuel Rosenthal’s hectic modern orchestration for the Massine ballet of 1938 are given a rousing performance by one of Europe’s leading conductors and top orchestras. The Orpheus concerto is more appealing, the waltzes more sumptuous and the can-can brisker and more exciting. The sound and separation are excellent. On the other side are fine performances of ballet music from two operas, “William Tell” and “Faust”