Antony and Cleopatra

Samuel Barber (Composer), Spoleto Festival Orchestra (Orchestra), Alan Arak (Performer), Charles Damsel (Performer), Dale Stine (Performer), David Dik (Performer), David Hamilton (Performer), David Hickox (Performer), Eric Halfvarson (Performer), Esther Hids (Performer), Ian Clark (Performer), Jane Bunnell (Performer), Jeffrey Wells (Performer), Kathryn Cowdrick (Performer), Mark Cleveland (Performer), Philip Skinner (Performer), Robert Grayson (Performer), Robert Philips (Performer), Robert Swensen (Performer), Steven Cole (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Alan Arak, Charles Damsel, Dale Stine, David Dik, David Hamilton, et al.
• Orchestra: Spoleto Festival Orchestra
• Composer: Samuel Barber
• Audio CD (December 8, 1992)
• SPARS Code: AAD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: New World Records
• ASIN: B0000030D8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #221,152 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 1, "Prologue: From Alexandria"

2. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 2, "These strong Egyptian fetters"

3. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 3, "I am sick and sullen"

4. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 4, "Orchestral Interlude"

5. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 5, "Ah! Hail, Marcus Antonius!"

6. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 6, "Give me some music"

7. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 7, "The most infectious pestilence upon you!"

8. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 8, "A sister I bequeath you"

9. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 9, "When first she met Mark Anthony"

10. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act I, No. 10, "Where's my serpent of old Nile?"

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 16, "On to our ships"

2. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 17, "Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon it"

3. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 18, "Most kind ambassador"

4. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 19, "Oh, bear me witness"

5. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 20, "O sov'reign mistress of tre melancholy"

6. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 21, "Orchestral Interlude"

7. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 22, "The last she spoke"

8. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act II, No. 23, "Where's Antony?"

9. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act III, No. 24, "O Charmian, I will never go from hence"

10. Antony and Cleopatra, opera, Op. 40: Act III, No. 25, "My lord, my lord!" (On the death of Antony)

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 20th Century Grand Opera, June 25, 2002

By	Christopher Forbes "weirdears" (Brooklyn,, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is one of the greatest "failure" operas of the 20th century. Written for the opening of the new Met at Lincoln Center, the opera was in some ways overshadowed by the occasion, and while a triumph with the opening night audience, it was a critical failure. This reputation has followed it ever since, even with the massive overhaul that Barber gave it before he died. It's a real shame, since this is a jewel of 20th century opera, if not a diamond, than at least an emerald.

The opera still suffers from libretto problems. In many ways, it would have been better for Barber to attempt something on the scale of Les Troyens...the subject calls for it and Barber would have been up to the challenge. He has a Verdian sweep and sense of scale. Some of the chorus scenes can veer toward the "movie music" cliches of Egypt and Rome. Listen especially to the instrumental passages in Cleopatra's first act aria "Give Me Some Music". And yet, despite this, the aria is lovely and highly successful. It is even more adventurous harmonically than Vanessa, and yet never looses it's melodic drive. Contrary to other reviewers, I don't belive that the recit sections are dry. I think that, rather, they are dramatic and beautifully constructed. And Barber is not afraid to let his melodies soar in solo and ensemble work. The second act love duet is ravishing. Barber also has a great sense for orchestral color. The death of Anthony, accompanied by just timpani and flute, is spellbinding in it's simplicity.

The writing for the voices is stunning. Cleopatra is a marvelous role, and shows that it was inspired by it's star, Leontyne Price. Price never lost faith in the work, and sung "Bring Me My Robe" at her farewell concert from the Met. The role is majestic, dramatic and full of lovely melody. Anthony also has wonderful moments, particularly his suicide scene. The smaller roles are less well graced, but Caesar gets a few juicy lines before the show is over.

The recording is pretty good. It is taken from a live 1983performance at the Spoletto Festival in Italy. It's hard to review the performance, as there are not many comparisons. All of the singers are young, and most have not gone on to have really top knotch careers. Ester Hinds sings Cleopatra with power, but her diction leaves much to be desired. She cannot compare to the recorded excerpts that Leontyne Price has left behind. One wishes that Ms. Price had had an opportunity to record the entire work. That would have been stunning. Jeffrey Wells as Antony is much better, but still not a distiguished singer. Eric Halfvarson as Enobarbus is in the mold of the great Verdi Baritones, but doesn't get much meaty to sing. And the recording is marred slightly by stage noise, inevitable when you are dealing with a live performance, but unfortunate anyway.

All in all, this is an opera that rewards repeated listening. And one that should be revived.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A masterwork unfairly treated., June 24, 2002

By	Alfonso Affinito (West Haven, Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am fortunate enough to have heard (and recorded) the world premiere of "Antony" in 1965. The present rcording is more intimate and romantic, probably due to the vitriolic reviews when it was first heard. The original score lacks the love duet but is far more exciting and a fuller realization of the Shakespeare play. Written for the inaugural performance at the new Met, it galls me that such a brilliant work was never produced there again. One must remember that the October opening of the house was also the start of the New York social season. It was a new house in a new Art Center, and I don't believe enough focus was put on the opera itself. Everyone was probably looking over one another etc. Most of the awful reviews were written by people like Shana Alexander who has absolutely NO credentials as a music critc. I won't go on, but suffice it to say, I'm happy to have a recording of that first performance and enjoy the present commercial recordin....although it lacks the grandeur and punch of the original. My wish is that someday it will be recognized as the great work that it is. Puccin's Madama Butterfly was a howling fiasco at it's premiere. Can you imagine THAT?

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspired romantic epic, June 13, 2002

By	Eric D. Anderson (South Bend, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was so pleased to discover this splendid late-late romantic epic--not because it is flawless, but rather because it's heartwarming to discover such an unabashedly romantic work that I could have, at least theoretically, attended the premier of(okay, so they might have had reservations about admitting a 6 month old baby).

Antony and Cleopatra is filled with splendid music--from the brilliant energy charged opening (which reminded me of Turandot's opening), through the vision of Cleopatra's barge, through the beautiful Act II love duet ("O take these lips away"), to the splendid Act III dirge and finale. This is the kind of music that the old bitter men who write opera reviews hate, and the booklet describes quite persuasively the contrast between the enthusiastic audience reception and the poisonous words of the reviewers, who branded the work a failure! Well, I admit that I usually love all the stuff they hate--from Puccini, to Korngold to Antony and Cleopatra. It's true that the music occasionally reminds one of the fabulous film scores of the Cecil B. DeMille type historical epics of the 50s and 60s, but why shouldn't it?

As much as I love the work, it does have aspects which sometimes fail to please. One of the biggest drawbacks lies in the basic conception of the opera--the decision to try to set a brutally pared-down version of a Shakespear play to music. It might have been wiser to produce a "Revised Standard Version" of the play, that would speak more directly to a modern audience. Repeated readings of the play or the libretto may help in understanding the archaic expressions ("Antony--leave thy lascivious wassails", or "Salt Cleopatra"). Also, the libretto comes across as what it is--the remnants of a great play. And while both his choruses and his soaring romantic lines are impressive, there's also alot of the kind of harmonically tortured, shapeless, directionless recitativo passages that so stronly mark most contemporary scores. At times the pace seems overly rapid, especially in the exposition sections. The defeat and death scenes of acts II and III fare much better. I'd love to hear the original version--I don't much about Mr. Menotti's health, but it would be great if, before he disappears from the scene, he'd oversee the wedding of the original and revised versions. As it stands, one wishes Mr. Barber had written the work as a four hour romantic epic after the manner of Wagner.

But I quibble! Go out, buy this set, and demand that your local opera company stages it before too many more years pass--It may someday be viewed as the founding work of a new twentieth century neoromantic movement.

But on the whole, it's a work that deserves to be heard, deserves to be staged.