Customer Reviews

Catalani: La Wally / Tebaldi, del Monaco, Cappuccilli; Cleva

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Catalani's "La Wally" is a turn-of-the-century "verismo" opera, and one that Tebaldi began singing fairly early in her career. She opened the 1953 La Scala season in it (along with Mario del Monaco), and continued to sing it on various occasions throughout her distinguished career. "La Wally" is not a great opera, but it has many beautiful and engaging things in it, not least of which is the celebrated aria (featured in the film "Diva) "Ebben? n'andro lontano", which is heard near the beginning of the opera. There is also a highly dramatic soprano/tenor duet at the finale, and some really attractive music in between. This wonderful London recording was made rather late in Tebaldi's career (1969), but she is in outstanding vocal form here. Her voice is large, ripe, powerful, and beautiful enough for one to think that this recording represents prime Tebaldi, which in this instance, it really does. This was an operatic role that suited her Italian temperment like a glove. Mario del Monaco is also caught in late-career form, and while he shows more vocal wear and tear than Tebaldi, he still is in good enough shape to use his still-powerful voice to good effect. He is a formidable presence here, and an ideal partner for Tebaldi (they recorded many operas together, this being the last). All of the supporting singers do a good job here, and Cleva conducts a warm and compelling performance. If one is interested in exploring this very interesting opera, this is the recording to get.For Tebaldi fans, it's a must.

La Wally is a fine, less known opera also because of its wonderful libretto, written by a true expert Luigi Illica! He also was the librettist of Tosca, La Boheme, Andrea Chenier and other grand operas. No wonder the words in La Wally are so moving.

Conductor Fausto Cleva (and not Capuana as mentioned on another review) chooses the well-tried formula of Renata Tebaldi and Mario del Monaco. Renata Tebaldi is enchanting enough with a voice less spinto, more lyrical thus ideal for the melancholic atmosphere of this opera. Her "Ebben?..ne andro lontana" is deeply moving, full of sorrow! Mario del Monaco, on the other hand, though quite powerful on the upper register is annoying when singing lower notes. This is their last recording together and del Monaco was already over 50 so he deserves some respect. Last but certainly not least Piero Capuccili is outstanding as the father of Wally! His aria in the first act is a marvel to listen to.

Concluding, this is probably the best studio La Wally but if I had to compare it with other Tebaldi- del Monaco recordings it would get less stars. Strongly recommended is also Tebaldi's earlier, in fresher voice, live recording of La Wally.

The previous reviewer stole most of my thunder, but I'll rumble a way just a bit because this is an exceptional reissue. Wally is such an affecting opera that you forgive its weaknesses of structure and its slightly scant story. And having two distinguished singers giving their farewells in it is a most appropriate and heartfelt gesture on the part of the producers. We listen around Wally as we do around Tebaldi. It's a remarkable assumption of a role that is too often snubbed.

Maestro Capuana was rounding up his distinguished career, too, and the Paul Paray trained Monte Carlo Orchestra gives him a performance that's a salutory and a salutation.

While there are some felicities missing here that come to the fore in some of the RAI tapings of Tebaldi in this part, this is a "must have" for Italianists of all ages and stripes.

Yes, this is certainly a 5-star product, and easily the best recording of "La Wally" available. I just want to correct the apologetic comments that appear in other reviews ("this is not a great opera," etc.). In my view it is a very great opera; indeed one of the greatest of all. Catalani is so good a composer that as soon as you give him a fair chance you wonder why he is not performed far more often. Negative criticism of "La Wally" tends to rather miss the point. If you listen to it expecting "verismo" and something in the "Cavalleria" mold you'll probably find the story silly and the music not full-blooded enough. But it's not "verismo;" it's a kind of poetic drama that Catalani, alone among his Italian contemporaries, was trying to develop. Indeed when you've heard all his operas (the first written as early as 1875, and one of the most original "first operas" ever written), it's amazing to see how much it represents a culmination of all that is good in the earlier ones. The story, adapted from a German novel, is not silly, but it hovers between reality and a sort of symbolic fantasy world in a way that takes a little getting used to (and a little imaginative sympathy). The music is magnificent from start to finish, and if not as immediately gripping as Mascagni's or Puccini's, ultimately stirs the imagination more. The whole opera rewards repeated listenings far more than its "verismo" rivals.

I am in general agreement with the previous Amazon reviewers. Yes, this is a late recording for Tebaldi and del Monaco, but the plain fact is that they both sound just fine -- particularly when compared to the lesser operatic lights of today.

This is not a familiar work for most opera lovers. That is a shame because it is a hoot! Where else is there a yodeling aria? In what other opera does the tenor despise the soprano until almost the end? And, I ask you, where can you find a tenor so dumb that he falls off a cliff TWICE before the curtain falls?

"La Wally"--as they say up here in the Frozen North, "Ya gotta love it!"

As the London recordings disappear, no doubt to reappear someday at a super-premium price, you owe it to yourself to buy this. See for yourself what all the fuss over Tebaldi is about- like Callas, she gives class to trashy operas. Really- who else would you want to hear singing La Wally?

I would not expect to find "La Wally" in anyone's list of ten favourite operas - although apparently Toscanini, in gratitude to Catalani's securing him a conducting post, named his son and daughter Walter and Wally respectively after the eponymous protagonist - and I bet they were grateful...

It's a good, if unremarkable, opera: tuneful, full of verismo cut-'n-thrust, some nice Alpine effects and a few good arias including, of course, "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana", which Tebaldi sings beautifully. This is a rôle which suits her well even at this late stage of career and she is, in any case, in excellent voice despite having already sung it for fifteen years in thirteen productions when she recorded it here. OK; her top is a little acid and Del Monaco, too, has his moments of bleakness in the middle of the voice but they are still a class act. They do sometimes bawl a bit but there are many moments of tenderness - not least Tebaldi's melting account of the big aria. Cleva conducts unobtrusively and Cappuccilli does his usual solid job. There is a very cheap, 1972 live Opera d'Oro set with the wonderful Magda Olivero (still great at 62) and a decent supporting cast but it's in execrable sound so this is a much better bet for home listening - unless you are attracted by the other Opera d'Oro bargain set which is a 1960 live radio broadcast in truly excellent sound with the lady herself in younger, even better voice, a decent baritone in Dondi and expert conducting by Tebaldi's paramour Basile. Unfortunately, the tenor Prandelli is a bit of a trial. (I haven't heard the other set available from Eurodisc with Marton, Araiza and Titus, but I would be very surprised if it were superior to this one.)

I think that this is a beautiful opera. The conducting is certainly dramatic enough where needed, yet without missing the subtleties. The orchestral interlude at the beginning of Act 3 is pure rapture. The cast is also wonderful with the exception of the 2 leads, in my opinion.

Sadly cliche but Tebaldi and del Monaco seem more intent on a shouting match. Neither is to my taste and insensitive singing aside (the other major recording featuring Marton is even more harsh), I don't find either tone particularly beautiful. Sadly, the leads disappoint but the rest of the performers (not least the conductor) would have definitely made this a 5-star rating.