Records: La Sutherland

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30724, 13 April 1965, Page 7

Records: La Sutherland

BELLINI: I Puritani. Joan Sutherland (s), Elbira; Pierre Duval (t), Arturo; Ezio Flagelio (bs), Qiogio; Renato Capecchi (b), Riccardo; Enrichetta (ms), Margreta Elking; Piero de Palma (b), Bruno; chorus and orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino conducted by Richard Bonynge. Decca stereo SETM.2S9-61 (three 12in, 127 s 6d), also mono. Presentation box, illustrated libretto. U.K. release 4/64. Surfaces: mainly quiet.

“The Puritans” is above all a singing opera. It is set in Plymouth, Scotland, where everyone “weeps, shudders and dies in song” and nearly every turn of the plot is punctuated by a chorus. It was so successful that Donnizetti, an “anything you can do I can do better” rival of Bellini, took up many of its ideas for his next work, “Lucia di Lammermoor ” But operatic tastes shifted towards dramatic works and Bellini’s operas came to be regarded as old fashioned and for “canary fanciers.” They were neglected until the impassioned performances of Maria Callas brought them back to the repertory and on record.

A decade later the Bonynges —Sutherland and her conductor husband—have entered the field with this vivid new recording. The English critics

say it is not the equal of the stage performances, but it must be a very near miss. It would be hard not to thrill to Sutherland’s spectacular vocalism and to the beauty of her voice as it soars clearly above the loudest ensemble. Her tone has a sorrowful quality that suggests at once the delicate Elvira. As the re-

suit of her husband’s research into old vocal styles she is able to embellish the display passages and make them even more dazzling than usual. The faults are still there —the swoops and slides and bad pronunciation—but these are well known and accepted as part of the price of hearing such rare virtuosity. Duval, a French Canadian, is a strong-voiced if not oversensitive tenor and sings this role famed for its high notes without dropping the pitch. He brings off ringing high D’s, although in the shared last one (in “Vieni fra queste braccia”) he is almost drowned out by Sutherland. Capecchi’s singing is offset by his vibrato and Flagello has a good bass sound. Bonynge knows these graceful melodies well and his conducting combines briskness and eloquence—as in the swift opening strides which lead to the evocative horn calls. The recording captures it all beautifully and although some cuts are made, the original ending of the opera has been restored. But there will always be some who say the older Callas ’•'’-''rding is the better.