Customer Reviews

Arias

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The so-called "beige album" was recorded near the start of Anna Moffo's career, and displays magnificently her beautifully milky lyric soprano. There have been very few American singers who have ever approached Moffo's mastery of the French repertoire, and this recording features two of the finest renditions of Gounod's Jewel Song and Meyerbeer's Shadow Song you are ever likely to hear. The Meyerbeer, in particular, is a real standout: Moffo executes the familiar coloratura passages with real facility and grace, but where many sopranos only use this aria only as a display of pure vocal flourish and range Moffo also makes the pathos of Dinorah's madness in this song extremely evident and moving. The only selection that doesn't seem here to be a wise choice may be the Rossini, which always sounds better with a voice like Sutherland's which can make those trills a display of pyrotechnics; Moffo's voice and technique just aren't suited for such a militant aria. But this is a tiny quibble. This album displays Anna Moffo at the top of her game at the beginning of her career, and shows what a lovely, warm, and dulcet voice she possessed.

Soprano Anna Moffo's 'beige' album is an opera buffs delight. The soprano, who largely scored in the Puccini/Verdi repertoire, also demonstrates her ability to sparkle amidst the other composers as well. The early recording shows Moffo at her best. The tone is lovely, with a radiant, warm middle and shimmering upper register. Her Gounod is delightful; a rightful owner of the Gallic line, she has a profound sense of Marguerite's jubilation and secures a perfect trill. Certainly not one to have made a career from the coloratura repertoire, nonetheless Moffo gives us an amazing 'Shadow Song' by Meyerbeer and an equally impressive 'Bel raggio..' from Rossini's 'Semirade'. The range and flexibilty is impressive and Moffo's ornamentation is always tastefully executed and never shoddy. Her BOHEME is of course, her true meat, and Puccini's ascending vocal line is even more haunting with Moffo's execution and delivery. One can feel Mimi's happiness seeing the first spring sun enter her little room. Bizet's CARMEN shows us another aria of exquisite beauty; Micaela's Aria. One of the most gorgeous arias ever composed, Moffo's interpretation is both intense and sincere a reading as ever to be found on disc. She closes with her most challenging assignment, Delibes BELL SONG (Lakme`). After minimum difficulty, Moffo delivers the goods as well as any other famous interpreter of that role, only with even more sensual lushness of tone. This CD is a must for the Moffo fan and especially for those who missed this singer in her prime.

This album served as my introduction to the artistry of Anna Moffo. She, like other sopranos who had the "misfortune" of appearing on the opera scene during the supremacy of Joan Sutherland, is often overlooked. Ms. Moffo is sometimes reduced to being little more than a footnote in the catalog of 20th century sopranos and is often referred to as simply being "a good soprano." However, she was more than good, she was one of the greats.

Overall, I was pleased with the majority of the selections on the CD. Her interpretation of the Lakme's Bell Song is not the best on record. Indeed, Sutherland's recordings of the aria are technically superior, but Moffo's performance here is not unsatisfactory. Her coloratura technique is passable, but she seems to be in a rush to get the final High E out of the way (so does Maria Callas on the La Divina 3 album).
Her "Signore, Ascolta," is breathtaking. She takes on the broken spirit of Liu and delivers an emotionally fluid performance.

In similar fashion, she performs the absolute BEST "Tu che di gel sei cinta" I have ever heard. If you buy the CD for no other reason, listen to the way she executes the emotional turmoil of Liu in her singing. Moffo is in total control. For some reason, most sopranos rush through this aria way too quickly, but here, Moffo takes advantage of the beautiful melody/orchestration and offers us a lush, legato performance. She sings in perfect synchronization with the orchestra. It's almost the same effect as if she were accompanying herself on the piano in free meter. I know there are many Maria Callas fans out there (including myself) but not even she can match the emotional depth and sheer vocal coloring that Moffo delivers in this aria.

I'm glad that I purchased this album. Anna Moffo is a genuine, undiscovered treasure for any opera enthusiast. Personally, she sounds very similar to Leontyne Price at times (except with more power in the middle and lower ranges and a more pleasant vibrato). I love the deceptive power of her seemingly demure voice. It has that cosmetically superficial beauty that is immediately pleasing, but just beneath the surface there is a notable muscle power to firmly support the complete vocal package (I love it!) The audio is superb and gives the impression of a grand opera hall. There's much to love about this CD. Don't miss out.

Opera fans may have already received the news (New York Times, LA Times, Opera News, etc) that soprano Anna Moffo died Thursday in a NY Presbyterian Hospital at the age of 73 after her battle with cancer. She was a supermodel-type beautiful, striking Italian-American who graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera and world opera houses for many years throughout the 50's, 60's and 70's. She was never a prima donna/diva in the ugly sense of the word and she even hosted her own talk show, was married to an NBC network executive. Anna Moffo left us a number or great recordings, including full-length operas and solo albums like this one, one of her earliest albums.

Primarily a lyric-coloratura soprano, Miss Moffo was critically acclaimed for her performances of Violetta in Verdi's Traviata (her Met debut in the 50's), Mimi in La Boheme (which she recorded with Richard Tucker,Robert Merrill and Mary Costa), Lucia Di Lammermoor (she made a film and a recording of it opposite Carlo Bergonzi) Susannah in Le Nozze Di Figaro (which she recorded under Giulini which also starred Elisabeth Schwartzkopff) and she appeared in a film version of Madame Butterfly and made a terrific La Sonnambula. For audiences whose ears were fed the more powerful voices of Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi and Birgit Nilsson, Anna Moffo was a refreshing, more lyrical change. Her sweet and well-placed voice is handsomely capturesd in this solo album which features the following arias:

Marguerite's Jewel Song From Gounod's Faust
Mimi's Aria from Puccini's La Boheme
Shadow Song from Meyerbeer's Dinorah
Micaela's Aria from Bizet's Carmen
Bel Raggio Lusinger from Rossini's Semiramide
Liu's Arias - Signore Ascolta and Death Scene from Turandot
Bell Song From Lakme

Each of these arias are magically spun in her vocal chords. She has a rich, powerful voice, but it never steps up to the plane of lyrico-spinto. She was the Renee Fleming of her day, a voice that was bright, angelic, beautiful, feminine, alluring, siren-like. Best of all, she was one of those rare sopranos who looked like the heroines they enacted (unlike for example the heavy-set Montserrat Caballe who couldn't physically appeare like the dying courtesan Violetta in Traviata or the fragile Lucia). Now that Miss Moffo has passed on, recordings of hers will definately sell like crazy. This album captures her in her prime and there is no flaw in any of her stylings but I agree with another critic that the Rossini aria "Bel Raggio" is out of her league vocally. She had fine coloratura but it was not at the razzle-dazzle bel canto level of Joan Sutherland or Beverly Sills. Anna Moffo...thanks for the beautiful voice and memories you gave to us. Rest in peace and the applause she will get in Heaven are well-deserved!!

This is definitely a recording that will appeal to Anna Moffo fans, and a nice introduction for those unfamiliar with the deeply sensual beauty of her voice. I do agree somewhat with the reviewer below who found her coloratura arias lacking; you can sense a hesitation in her voice before she confronts some of the most rigorous musical moments in Semiramide and Lakme. The grandest legends of coloratura, who fly fearlessly without a second's thought, need fear no dethroning by Moffo. And it's very possible that Serafin consciously took these arias at a more careful pace in order to aid Moffo. But he also could have meant to showcase her gorgeous tone, which I think sounds best when one can luxuriate in it at leisure. Because of her occasional vocal caution, I was surprised by the effortlessness and purity of her Lakme bell-staccatos; she may not be always flawless but she is unquestionably beautiful -- and more flawless than one would expect in an early recording. And she does wonderfully stirring things to the softer moments of all the coloratura pieces. Much more perfect, predictably, are her moving lyrical arias where the rich mellow lushness of her voice takes over with sweeping ease. Micaela's Aria is a golden standout, as are her Puccini arias. Her lingering legato lines in Mi chiamano Mimi remind one how much Puccini loves to make his audience swoon. So does Moffo. Listening to Anna Moffo sing a lyrical aria is like floating on warm waves by a sunsoaked tropical island; it's almost too decadent for words. To compare her to any other singer is a disservice to everyone; her tone is unique. A worthwhile Moffo recording, very easy on the ears and a joy to listen to.

Anna Moffo is one of my favourite sopranos and this early recital presents her very best moments ever. Led by the amazing Tullio Serafin Moffo delivers an absolutely incredible performance. Every aria is a jewel, absolutely gorgeous. La Bellissima indeed!

This CD, "Arias," sung by soprano Anna Moffo is a pleasurable work. Some of the works fit Moffo's lovely lyric voice perfectly (the Puccini and Bizet works), whereas others (some of the works calling for coloratura technique) test her skills. This album features solid conducting by Tullio Serafin; the orchestra does a good job (for the most part) of supporting Moffo's singing.

Gounod's "Jewel Song" opens this CD. Moffo displays a lovely lyric voice. In the passages calling for coloratura skills, she displays a serviceable (but not great) trill; her voice is agile; at the conclusion of this aria, she moves to high notes with high volume, and does not fall prey to the unpleasant sound often emitted by Maria Callas under like circumstances. "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from "La Boheme" displays Moffo's voice to best effect. Her singing is ravishing. Her voice seems to work best with works of Verdi and Puccini and the like. Meyerbeer's "The Shadow Song" is not an unalloyed success, although Anna Moffo does a good job essaying this aria. Again, adequate trill, agile voice able to handle coloratura technique. The two items from Puccini's "Turandot" are extremely well done, once more illustrating the affinity of her voice for this repertoire. From Bizet's "Carmen," Moffo does a wonderful turn with "Micaela's Air." Well worth listening to. She takes on Rossini's "Bel raggio lusinghier" from his opera, "Semiramide." This is one of the weaker cuts on this CD. There is not much excitement to this work. Moffo hits the high E at the end, but the note sounds a little harsh as sung. The final work on this CD, "The Bell Song" from Delibes' Lakme, is again competently done. While Moffo displayed bel canto skills, this is clearly not her forte. Nonetheless, an attractive rendering of this work, concluding with a high E at the end, somewhat harshly sung.

All in all, this is a strong CD that displays a considerable range of skills possessed by Anna Moffo. While she was not one of the most skilled coloratura sopranos of the time, she could handle that repertoire. However, in the operas of Puccini and Verdi (especially "La Traviata"), she was one of the best singers of her era.

I am not a music specialist as some other reviewers seem to be, but to my ears, this entire collection by Anna Moffo is an absolute delight. Her voice is clear and rich, never strained. I owned this collection on a 33-1/3 RPM many years ago and was excited to see it available again on a CD. If you are one who enjoys well sung opera arias you will treasure these by Anna Moffo.

I think that Moffo was the complete package on stage. With her beautiful voice, gorgeous face and figure she could have been the prima donna of her day. But she was unlucky. She was singing at the same time as Joan Sutherland. For that she could not be the greatest coloratura. She was singing at the same time as Caballe, so she could not be the greatest lyric soprano. But had she been born 30 years later, she would have been the greatest soprano in the world. Who else in today's opera world can compare to her? Renee Fleming is the only soprano I can think of. And between those two, I pick Moffo. At least when it comes to bel canto.
Her program is challenging and she pulls it off rather well. To compare her to Sutherland, the "Bel Raggio" is excellent, but not nearly as "dead on" as La Stupenda's. The "Bell Song" is not even close though. Moffo's high E just can't touch Sutherland's. But the "Shadow Song" is superb. It has a charm of its own that I prefer even to Sutherland's. The coloratura is accurate, even defined. And Moffo is much more comfortable with the high D in the Dinorah aria than she is with the E in the Lakme aria.
Nonetheless, she is a great soprano both vocally and technically. Certainly the most underrated soprano of our time. And this would have been an easy five star review had I not compare it with standard CD for coloratura singing, Sutherland's most stupendous recording... "The Art of the Prima Donna".

Finally, a decent Moffo recital disc has been released. Recorded in her glowing prime, all the arias are flawlessly sung. My favorite track is Ah! je ris from Faust, but really they are all outstanding. If you love Moffo, you'll ove this cd.