Customer Reviews

Carlo Bergonzi: The Sublime Voice

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I have always admired Bergonzi's work in Puccini operas opposite the great Renata Tebaldi and their recording of Aida is very powerful. However, this CD amazed me by showcasing Bergonzi's vast assortment of roles in which he performed. From La Boheme and Tosca to Il Trovatore and Adriana Lecouvreur, his voice seems gorgeously suited to each role and is even in both timbre and stylistic interpretation. Track 10 from Cavalleria Rusticana stunned me with Fiorenza Cossotto and Bergonzi singing the most overwhelmingly involving duet I've ever heard. I am truly amazed by the enormous talent contained in this man. He is easily my favorite singer, the one which I aspire to sound like (lofty goal), and, in my opinion, the best tenor of the century. This CD set is truly a great buy: 40 digitally remastered tracks of the greatest scenes from the greatest operas sung by the greatest singers of our time for about [item price].

My life-long (and it's long!) love of opera began in the late 1950's with a Met broadcast of Verdi's Macbeth. The tenor in that performance was Carlo Bergonzi. Among opera fans he is recognized as one of the top tenors of the 20th century, and this album shows why. Bergonzi had a sweetness of voice and an interpretive skill that was nearly peerless. The voice is even from top to bottom, and there is never the slightest indication of forcing or strain. Particularly with the music of Verdi, his handling of the vocal line produces meltingly lyric interpretations, to the extent that the music sounds (deceptively) easy to sing. A few years ago, his farewell tour brought him to Michigan, where I had the chance to thank him personally for all the pleasure his singing brought to me. Try this album, and you'll be hooked too. It simply doesn't get any better than this!

I have seen most of the great tenors of the past 50 years at the Met: Corelli, Tucker, Vickers, Gedda, Pavarotti, Domingo, etc.. For me, Bergonzi over all, was the superior Italian Opera tenor. His legato, agility, breath control, tasteful musicianship, diction, was superior to most of the great tenors. He was outstanding as Nemorino and Rhadames; Edgardo and Alvaro etc.. This CD shows him at his very best, which is a joy to hear. This CD is a must vocal lesson for any aspiring young tenor, as Carlo Bergonzi is a master singer.

I first came to appreciate the artistry that is Carlo Bergonzi on his magnificnt recording of Butterly with Renata Scotto. Later I got the privelege of hearing him several times in person. He was among the most intelligent of tenors. He knew his voice well and how to use that voice to convey the drama and music in a wonderful combination.

If you appreciate Bergozni, this recording will remind you why. If you are not familiar with "The Tenor's Tenor", you will find out why he has that title. However, in addition to the magnificent Bergonzi, you also get wonderful performances from partners such as Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Sutherland, Scotto, Fischer-Dieskau and Cossotto.

I can only find fault with a couple of the selections. First and foremost is that Bergonzi should never have even attempted the Dio Mi Potevi from Otello. That is the only performance that is in anyway subpar. It is unlike any other performance on this recording (or any other time I heard Bergonzi) -- forced. I would have far preferred a version of Una Furtiva Lagrima, which Bergonzi could sing the sock off of. Or given the presence of E Lucevan Stelle, couldn't they have included Recondita Armonia instead? The only other very minor complaint is the pairing with Nilsson . The duet is fine until the very end. On the final high C you can't even hear Bergonzi due to the sheer size of Nilsson's voice. The music and performance of both are wonderful, but a perfect Alfredo and perfect Brunnhilde do not necessarily mesh. But that is a minor quibble. Aside from a disappearing Carlo, it is quite a wonderful performance.

On the plus side a few things particularly stand out. To me, this is simply the best recording ever of Cielo e Mar. The sections with Tebaldi (Boheme and Butterfly and Aida in particuar) are fabulous. Other standouts include the quartet from Rigoletto with Scotto, Cossotto and Fischer-Dieskau and the Cavelleria duet with Cossotto.

All in all, this is, with a few minor exceptions, a magnificent collection of the best of Carlo Bergonzi.

That would be Mr. Bergonzi! Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of many others: M. Del Monaco, F. Corelli, J. Carreras and admire the work of R. Tucker, Di Stefano, P. Domingo, N. Gedda to name a few but Bergonzi is the one who has managed to enter my heart! It's difficult to choose among his roles since he enriches each one with his unique touch. He captures both drama and especially music with his "sublime voice" ! However, I think that his Rodolfo (he truly is a real poet), the Duke, Radames, Alfredo and Riccardo stand out.

And how fortunate we are that he performed so often with Renata Tebaldi, this great artist and my favourite soprano. Together, they can make the most demanding listener cry. Heaven! However, beyond her you also get to hear the great R. Scotto, the powerful B. Nilsson, the sweet J. Sutherland, the lyrical D. Fisher-Diskau, the beautiful F. Cossotto and the spectacular G. Simionato.

This is a wonderful tribute to a superb artist. A treasure for every opera fan! Don't miss it!

Bergonzi at his best in a wonderful album of opera excerpts. Approximately half of the selections in this two-CD set are from Verdi operas. This is as it should be, as Bergonzi is appropriately lauded as one of the great interpreters of Verdi.
Suffice it to say that this CD set will not disappoint. Bergonzi brings passion, intelligence, a powerful instrument (always under control), and insight to opera that few tenors have been able to duplicate.
For those who do not know Bergonzi, and may be somewhat hesitant to get into this set, I would recommend "Carlo Bergonzi, Italian Songs" (Sony Records). His renderings there of Bellini, Tosti and others are works of pure vocal genius.

This album brings Carlo Bregonzi to life. This is a view from all angels. He commands such an array of singing styles.
No one brings the great composers to life the way Carlo Bergonzi does.

Buy this album!

I had to write the same thing for the Sony Classical recording of a Bergonzi recital of Italian songs--this is simply one of the most passionate and intelligent singers I have ever heard, and he sounds as good or better now than when I first played one of his records 25 years ago. Anyone who has the slightest shred of interest in the operatic voice should own this collection from one of the truest and most passionate tenors in recorded history.

I've been searching for "the perfect tenor" all my life, and in Carlo Bergonzi I have found him. This is a marvelous album including forty tracks of Carlo Bergonzi's masterly and beautiful singing. All have been digitally remastered and the quality is simply terrific. I cannot recommend this great tenor highly enough. If you've never heard him before, you will be gratefully surprised. And look into the other Carlo Bergonzi materials available now at Amazon. Wikipedia tells me Bergonzi started as a baritone and then retrained his voice as a tenor. This may account for the great richness of his tone, and his great power. Enjoy.

Wow! What a voice! This 2 CD set features 40 of Carlo Bergonzi's works. It represents a remarkable portrait of his body of work. The "liner notes" observe that he had a reputation "as a singer of rare refinement, exemplary style, and impeccable taste. . . ."

Some examples of his work:

"Che gelida manina": This exquisite work from Puccini's "La Boheme" is superbly sung. There is, to be sure, an occasional affectation, but his rich, smooth voice renders this a trifling concern. Listen to the power and richness of his voice on such words as "millionaria," "forziere," and "la speranza" (hope I came close to spelling the words right!). What a lustrous voice. . . .

"O soave fanciulla": This duet with Renata Tebaldi (talk about a "dream duo") is exquisite. Bergonzi's rendition of the powerful opening produces goose bumps; when Tebaldi begins singing, the good bump production increases further. The twin high notes at the close are done well. An excellent version. . . .

"Questa o quella": The wretched Duke of Mantua is well portrayed by Bergonzi. His singing of this aria captures the miserable spirit of the Duke. His voice adopts the "devil may care" attitude of the character.

"La donna e mobile": The follow up to "Questa o quella" finds Bergonzi again in good voice. His voice moves easily from register to register. His version of this well known work compares well with the best tenors of all time. The final high note sounds rich indeed.

"Bella figlia dell'amore": One of the great ensemble pieces in all of opera. And what a cast! Bergonzi; Renata Scotto; the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Fiorenza Cossotto. Their voices intertwine wonderfully.

"E lucevan le stelle": One of the two twin dramatic tenor arias from "Tosca." His tenor voice fits this work nicely, and Bergonzi essays the aria well. The final "la vita" is powerful.

"Ah, si ben mio": From "Il Trovatore". . . . Bergonzi sings this well. The "shakes" in this work? He actually appears to try to trill (maybe not so well, but I admire the effort)! A for effort. Overall, dramatically rendered.

"Di quella pira": His stentorian voice does justice to this powerful and demanding aria. He sounds great as he moves from middle to higher register. His voice is a powerful instrument. The final high note rings out over the ensemble and orchestra.

So, what to make of Carlo Bergonzi? He stands as one of the top tenors of the later part of the 20th century. Wonder what the best tenors sound like? Take a listen to Bergonzi!