Customer Reviews

Carlo Bergonzi - Italian Songs ~ Bellini · Verdi · Danza · Tosti · Donizetti · Rossini · Mascagni · Puccini

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

 

 

This album is quite simply put, exquisite! Bergonzi shows in this collection that even late in his career he could still produce that wonderful lyric beauty he was so famous for. My favorite song on this abum Donaudy's "Vaghissima sembianza" is so perfect, so shimmering, just so very beautiful. This song is worth the price of the album itself. Bergonzi's stylings on de Curtis' "Non ti scordar di me" will send one back to the recording of Beniamino Gigli, and favorably so. Begonzi also demonstrates a musicianship on this album that is second to none. Bergonzi was truly a "class act". This is one of the most beautiful, most perfect Neapolitan collections ever. This CD is a must have for lovers of Bergonzi, for lovers of Neapolitan songs, or just lovers of perfect singing!!

This is a wonderful recording. Bergonzi's musical understanding of these songs in unparalleled. Bergonzi brings the same kind of musical intelligence, attention to phrasing and dynamic shading to these songs as Wunderlich brought to lieder. Although his delivery is deeply emotional, it never yields to the sentimental. Bergonzi's voice on this cd is perhaps past its prime (though some will contend that Bergonzi was always in his prime). Still it retains a rich timbre and evenness of tone, with plenty of power and a solid top resister to boot. However, in these songs Bergonzi is to be commended as much for his vocal restraint as for his power. Bergonzi is always sensitive to the graceful vocal line of the older songs on the cd, such as Vaga Luna and La Promessa, and his delivery of these songs is never crass or over-the-top. In this recording, as in many others, Bergonzi's performances epitomize the art of singing.

I love this CD and recommend it to anyone who loves opera and clear, beautiful singing. The variety of songs ranges from meltingly romantic to playful and flippant. My Italian is not very good but his diction is so perfect I feel like I understand every word. Bergonzi's big, athletic voice gives the illusion of being barely under control. But of course it is under complete contol, never bellowing. John Wustman's supple, slender accompaniment is perfect, each introduction whets the listener's appetite for the song, which he then gently frames and supports. He does get to shine on "La Daza". This would be a great CD for those new to opera and is worth it for "Vaga luna" alone!

This CD is for lovers of Italian "classical" Ballads, and is highly recommended. Most of the songs are sung by Carlo with a piano accompaniment, so don't expect to hear grand opera.

A very lovely CD

I must admit I wasn't a huge Bergonzi fan until I heard this album. I 've heard a few arias here and there of Bergonzi's never being that impressed. This was the first album I purchased of Bergonzi's and it was not my last. His technique of Neapolitan singing is all his own. He sings with full passion and power that include fire striking high notes and fantastic phrasing. Tosti's "L'alba separa dalla luce lombra" is the best I have ever heard and that includes Di Stefano's & Carreras' versions. Only Pavarotti sings a better "Non ti scordar di me". His voice isn't as "pretty" as Carreras' or Pav's, but it is pure Bergonzi! If you are a tenor fan, this album is a must!

This album followed an Avery Fisher Hall Recital in which, I believe, all of the material was performed. It is vintage middle/late Bergonzi with a number of definitive cuts. My favorites are Bellini's "Vaga Luna" which is personal and direct but full of languid, nocturnal atmosphere; "O Primavera" by Tirindelli and "Lolita" by Buzzi-Peccia which share an absolutely infectious charm and energy; and a deeply felt rendition of Tosti's "Ideale" that always brings me back to the concert itself which, for me, truly began to soar with the words "Io ti segui.."! But this recital is not merely a memento. This side of Tito Schipa I can't think of the tenor that could invest this material with as much warmth (one of the great Bergonzi assets!), restrained passion and beauty of sound. On the debit side, "La Danza" does not have quite the "tossed off" feel that it needs and the high notes at the end of "La Danza" and the otherwise superb "L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra" point more to the years to come than to the great recordings that preceeded them. Don't worry about it. If you like italian songs you'll probably find something to love here!

The 5 star rating goes mainly for the recording, which happens to be a good and pleasant one.
Of course, I like Carlo Bergonzi, but that's just a matter of choice, isn't it?

All the reviewers to date have said it all. Here, just a footnote. Bergonzi was unsurpassed, on the stage, and in the recording studio. Here we have a 'recital', a more intimate portrait of the artist, with Bergonzi singing operatic arias and popular songs, with piano accompaniment (John Wustman). Only the last number, no 17, from Puccini's Edgar, has a full orchestral context (hence, the mention of Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York). His distinct inflection, mellifluous voice, and seemingly effortless style, his hallmarks, are still much in evidence, even towards the end of his career when this recording was made (1977).

This is a more private Bergonzi - and immensely enjoyable. A great Verdian tenor, one of the best of his day. Listen to this recording, and then work backwards, back to the 1950s and 1960s. Any recording with his name attached is worth a listen. No singing tenor today comes close to his level. 'They don't make them like they used to'.

For a budget-price sampling of Bergonzi's talent, you may wish to get the 'Grandi Voci' series featuring the tenor singing 18 selections of the operatic repertoire, mostly from Verdi and Puccini, on one CD from the London label (1994, from England). For a slightly higher cost, I would recommend the box set of 3 CDs of Verdi arias, Bergonzi at his finest, from the Philips label (1991, from Germany).

All the other reviewers love this disc because it is, quite simply, dazzling. Twenty five years ago the voice of Carlo Bergonzi on a record borrowed from the library (along with those of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) made me realize that opera was something worth listening to.... Things haven't changed. Bergonzi was among the handful of true greats and this recording does justice to his intelligent and passionate voice.

This CD is a favorite of mine for two reasons, Bergonzi is magnificent and the Italian songs are gorgeous. Moreover, these wonderfully crafted Italian songs are arranged in a straightforward manner--the tenor sings with a piano accompaniment--which allows the listener to focus directly on the beauty of the music. Bergonzi is simply extraordinary, he has such subtle vocal control combined with real warmth. The result is refined, but lush music.