Customer Reviews

Boito: Mefistofele / Treigle, Domingo, Caballé; Rudel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although Boito's Mefistofele has some wonderful music in it, it really neads a strong cast--particularly in the title role--to make it work. The opera fades from view, only to be periodically rediscovered from time to time when an opera company wants to show off a stellar bass-baritone. Today, Samuel Ramey is the most famous interpreter of the role, and deservedly so.

But in the 1960s and early 70s, American bass-baritone Norman Triegle simply blew audiences away with his performance--and listening to this recording, one can see why. A stalwart of the New York City Opera, Triegle, like Beverly Sills, endured the enmity of Rudolph Bing, so did not sing at the Met. But what a voice! Although criticized for some histrionics in his singing, in this role Triegle is by turns urbane, sarcastic, terrifying and even sexy. His death at the height of his career was a great lost to opera.

And the rest of the cast members are no slouch either. Placido Domingo was 32 when this recording was made in 1973, and his singing is as ardent and thrilling as ever. Montserrat Caballe is also in glorious voice. Even the small role of Wagner was sung by the young Thomas Allen, now one of the great British baritones.

Another wonderful surprise is the chorus, which is masterfully held together by conductor Julius Rudel, who also guides the London Symphony Orchestra through Boito's lush score with a masterful hand. The sound quality is excellent.

This recording is simply a must-have for any collection.

There are times when the force of will sweeps all before it.

Such is the case with this recording of Boito's "Mefistofele". There is a reason why it is not part of the standard repertoire. Simply put, it is not a great opera. However, it is an opera that, given the right set of circumstances, IE: the right conductor, the right soloists in every part and, on stage, an imaginative production, can actually soar.

Such was the case when New York City Opera decided to mount a production of it specifically to showcase the talents of its' formidable young bass, Norman Treigle. It was a triumph all too seldom experienced in the opera house.

This recording is not a document of that production (which was repeated for several seasons). However, it owes its' genesis to that legendary production. Reunited here are maestro Julius Rudel and the great Treigle. Joining them are none less than Montserrat Caballe and Placido Domingo, both in their glorious prime. The recorded sound, always good on LP, here is a revelation. It demonstrates yet again just how very good the analog format had become. It stands today with the very best.

Although he relished his years with New York City Opera, Treigle was eager to see his career grow. He eventually left New York City Opera and pursued his career in other venues, which led him to Europe.

He made his long anticipated debut at Covent Garden as another Mephisto, this one Gounod's. He had actually lobbied for a new production of "Mefistofele" to be mounted for him, but the company was not interested in the expense involved merely to showcase an "unproven" American singer. So Gounod's Faust, which Treigle had sung countless times, it was. It is said he was bitterly disappointed in virtually all facets of the production, as well as what he found to be unprofessional, disinterested and even lazy management. The reviews of this production upon which he had put so much hope were in general, and, amazingly, for Treigle in particular, dismal.

A quiet and sensitive man, Treigle was devastated.

The rest, as they say, is history. A few days later he was found dead in his London hotel room of an apparent overdose of sleeping pills.

He was only 48 years old.

This recording is a fitting memorial.

Every voice in this CD is wonderful. Montserrat has is wonderful and dignified, Placido is great and Norman Trigle is fantastic. Next to Verdi's Don Carlo with Caballe and Domingo, this is my favorite opera CD. I can't say enough about the pleasure this music gives me.

Even with more recent excellent efforts by Samuel Ramey, Norman Treigle still sets the standard for "Mefisofele" (as well as many other bass roles). This is an outstanding recording highlighting one of the best Basso voices of all time (Treigle) and one of the best Tenor talents of our era (Domingo). Not an overly familiar opera in the standard canon, but an extraordinary performance all around! As a fellow basso and opera lover, I am in awe of the talent of Treigle. His death was a tragic loss for us all.

As the author of "Strange Child of Chaos: Norman Treigle," I would like to remark upon the previous review, "Fantastic." According to the correspondence of the period, Treigle certainly did not "lobby" for Covent Garden to produce "Mefistofele" rather than "Faust." A Memorandum dated October 23, 1973, makes it clear that Treigle wanted to eliminate "Mefistofele" from his repertory as soon as possible. In fact, Covent Garden was interested in mounting "Mefistofele" to follow the 1974 "Faust," but Treigle dissuaded them.

It was not "a few days" following that last "Faust" that Treigle died (not in London, but in New Orleans, and at the age of 47, not 48), but more than two months later. To say that a few poor reviews would have driven the bass-baritone to despair is to degrade the shadow of the man.

Arrigo Boito is far better known for his libretti than his music compositions, but try to find an opera lover who isn't entranced by his magnum opus MEFISTOFELE. The Faust legend has been told and sung and orchestrated by the best of the best composers, but as far as capturing the mysticism of the tale, few have registered the otherworldly presence as well as Boito. The opera calls for very large forces, both on the stage and in the pit as well as off stage and in the balconies! And dramatically it works its wonders, especially in the hands of masters such as those that grace this superb recording.

For starters, Julius Rudel has probably conducted 'Mefistofele' as many times as any opera conductor. He knows the score well, knows how to capture the Wagnerian feeling as well as the very French feeling that slips into the choral work. The opening Prologue with its gorgeous choral writing unfolds naturally and unforced under Rudel's practiced baton and the London Symphony Orchestra and Ambrosian Opera Chorus are in splendid form. Norman Triegle will always be considered one of the finest, most suave and genuinely seductive purveyors of the title role. Both vocally and characterization-wise he is the summit. Pair him with a youthful Placido Domingo as Faust and Montserrat Caballe as Marguerita and leading roles are filled with the finest. Even the minor roles are in the hands of such classic talents as Delia Wallis and Sir Thomas Allen!

The quality of the recording is amazingly spacious given the time of taping and the techniques available. This is one of the standards of the repertoire that belongs in every opera lover's library and for this listener, this performance outshines the rest. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

The recording for all time. Triegle is the standard for the devil and with Domingo, I have never found a better recording in 30 years of reviewing.

Boito's Mefistofele was the first opera to capture my imagination. I own an old recording with Cesare Siepi, Mario Del Monaco and Renata Tebaldi that I still cherish, but THIS recording made in 1974 based on the brilliant NY City Opera production has a snarling, defiant Norman Treigle who, aided by Julius Rudel and 20th Century aural effects, brings this Satan and the struggle between GOOD and EVIL into the modern world. While the character of Faust (beautifully sung by a young Placido Domingo) is central to the story, it is GOD (with the chorus as his voice) who is Mefistofele's true adversary. From the opening Prologue in Heaven to the final Beatific Vision and Faust's salvation, this recording makes it clear that Boito's focus was on this conflict between Heaven and Hell. Certainly Gounod's Faust and Berlioz's Damnation Of Faust have great music, but here in this opera Mefistofele is not just a "Cavalier" or a "Bon Vivant" but a NEMESIS vying with GOD for the destiny of CREATION. For anyone with a love for the Faust legend and an interest in the music it has inspired or just in an opera that is stunningly dramatic they will not be disappointed with this recording. My only reservation, and why I gave it only four stars and not five, is that the original dramatic cover based on the original production has been replaced by a timid, generic one, and that the original interview with Norman Treigle about the production is not included.

I generally value the opinions and information supplied by David Ewen. In several cases, however, I have had to overcome prejudices formed by some of his opinions stated in an early book of his. One is that Anton Rubenstein was an insignificant composer. Another is that Boito's Mefistofele is rather pedantic. Another consideration is that Boito seems to have been a one-opera composer as though he knew that his real gift lay in writing libretti as he does so brilliantly for Verdi's Otello. In the face of this adverse opinion, I quickly discovered from the EMI recording that Mefistofele is a thrilling musical experience. The fanfares of the overture signal Boito's commitment to bring grandeur to his treatment of Faust. The angelic choirs that interact with Mephistopheles in the opening scenes are reminiscent of the contrasting choruses of devils and angels at the outset of Rubenstein's The Demon where the Demon is equivalent to Goethe's character. The Demon premiered in 1875, the same year as one of the revisions of Boito's opera. Another opera that premiered that year was the popular Carmen. Frankly Mefistofele have I loved and Carmen have I hated. Carmen pictures secularistic low life toying with grandeur just as Boito's opera shows religiously based grandeur toying with the comedy inherent in Goethe's humanized devil. The two operas represent a parting of the ways. The beautiful angelic chorus that closes the Prologue of Mefistofele speaks for itself. Friedrich Nietzsche loved Carmen for its secularism and hated Parsifal for its Christian idealism. One wonders what he thought of Mefistofele. Perhaps he identified with the title character and tried to forget the rest.

It is a double-jeopardy for a Tone-Deaf Music Lover to review an opera, because of the obbious music inability and the language barrier: Language in opera is, in most cases, Italian, German, or French, and my mother tangue is Japanese, although I am fairly fluent in English. I have stayed away from listening to operas because of that. But, I ventured into this one lately, because I read Faust in Japanese translation a really long time ago. Thanks to the conductor Julius Rudel and everybody involved, the performance brings out Goethe's major work, Faust, and sinks deeply into your heart, because it expresses the deepest and the most fundamental humanity.