Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge

Gaetano Donizetti (Artist), Richard Bonynge (Artist), Joan Sutherland (Artist), Luciano Pavarotti (Artist), English Chamber Orchestra (Artist), Ambrosian Opera Chorus (Artist), Dominic Cossa (Artist), Maria Casula (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041QD
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,255 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #24 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Sutherland, Joan
  • #56 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > Q to T
  • #82 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > M to P

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's Nothing Else Remotely Like This, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge (Audio CD)

This unmatchable recording of L'Elisir d'Amore is one of the few examples of absolute perfection in a musical recording... it could even be THE most perfect recording of any opera ever recorded. Not a note, not a tempo, not a characterization is anything less than exactly what you dreamed it should be. Pavarotti and Sutherland were never better, and that's saying alot for two of the most stunning, brain-dazzling voices of the century. Luckily for us, their voices were at their golden peak at the same time. Sutherland is particularly blessed here with the character of Adina... her knock-out coloratura soprano, in other recordings, is not always able to convey real depth of emotion. Here, however, she's found her niche... the haughty, well-educated, and uncommitting flirt whose cold, sometimes cruel, heart melts under Nemorino's ardent innocence is exactly right for Sutherland's intellectual voice... and she acts up a storm. Her version is too smart to be a heartless minx... she is seriously hard to catch; a real woman who knows her self worth... but who forgets to note the worth in others. Very few sopranos even attempt the final soaring cabaletta after Adina's ecstatic confession of love (with Pavarotti's Nemorino perfectly bewildered and stammering); most recordings skip it. But Sutherland makes the difficult trills and extended high notes sound like child's play; there's nowhere her voice can't go and she makes sure you know it. And Pavarotti simply can't be stopped from making every musical line float with lyric beauty. You almost wish Nemorino could keep anguishing in unrequited love just to have Pavarotti wring your heart forever as only he can. He and Sutherland keep stealing every scene from each other and together, in combined harmony, they are thrillingly sensuous. There's real electricity between them, especially when they sing softly. I also like that the most comic scenes of his are sensitively played; he doesn't take the slapstick humor to an overly clownish level... Nemorino may be laughed at by the other characters, but he's definitely always the romantic hero, even when under Dulcamara's "influence." The supporting singers are brilliant as well, with the best Belcore ever recorded... a real danger for Nemorino... but hysterically self-confident. The big ensemble scenes with full chorus are almost better than the arias and duets and that seems impossible. Don't even bother buying another version of this opera - they all sound disappointing and forced when compared to the magic contained in this one. I have ONE slight grumble and that's only that they created a disc break right before Nemorino's beautifully imploring "Adina, credimi." The panicked intensity of the scene's drama and the music that boils up right before his broken-hearted plea should have spilled smoothly into the aria without a break in the action. But I had to work at finding any criticism. This is a dream-come-true recording.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best!, June 14, 2000

By 

John C. Wood (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge (Audio CD)

This is the most magnificent recording of this opera ever to be produced. Dating from two recording session in 1972, London/Decca brought back to the studio the most successful bel canto trio to have made recordings.

It is immediatly apparent from the first moments of the Overture, that Bonynge has a real feeling for the drama, beauty, and fun that is in the score. His tempos are often on the more expansive side, but they are always crisp, and very raely does one wish for a faster reading.

In fact, the unusually slow (but not sluggish) speed for the Act II duet "Venti Scudi" allows the full glory of Pavarotti's voice to shine through, his command of legato and smooth, rich velvety tone made more imprssive than in a more clipped speed. Something else that comes through so well on this recording is Pavarotti's perfect use of tone color and shading, along with his magical use of language to express every emotion so distinctly, that one could even understand the Italian without the Libretto!

Dame Joan is another matter, however. While her top notes (notably the high D's) show no sign of wear and tear, her upper-middle register does very slightly. It is interesting that just three years before this recording, she made what is arguably the greatest recording of her life in La Fille Du Regiment, with many of the same cast members. There, her tone was unimaginably bright and sheer, with nearly every syllable well articulated, something she usually had trouble doing. Here, she covers many consanants with an open vowel-like sound, to produce a magnificent tone, to be sure, but a warmer, older sounding one. But it is still as glorious as ever, and perhaps more so, and not one drop of her stupendous coloratura ability has been lost, no one could sing it quite like this! Add to this her insight into Adina which is quite good, if just a little beneath the rest of the singers.

Both Sutherland and Pavorotti are inspired to some fine comic acting, and some wonderful introspective moments too, by the first-rate singing and acting of Spiro Malas and Dominic Cossa.

Malas makes a superb Dulcamara, with all his blustery bravado and excellent Italian. His tone is a little gritty, but this is never in any way intrusive.

Cossa makes a fine Belcore, a little strained in coloratura and a little thin sounding, but also with magnificent vocal acting, and firm straightforward tone.

All in all, while this may seem a critical review, it is not. Every singer is first rate, very individual, and characterful. Even the much-touted Alagna versions cannot quite match the excellence of this recording, which is simply the best!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but..., November 8, 2007

By 

Jay Adeff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Donizetti - L'elisir d'amore / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Cossa · Malas · Casula · ECO · Bonynge (Audio CD)

Buy this recording for Pavarotti; it is one of his best performances on record. However, There are other better overall recordings. Sutherland comes across as too old and matronly for Adina, and Bonynge's conducting is absolutely dull and lifeless. Malas and Cossa are just OK.

If you really want to hear how this opera should be performed, get di Stefano's recording on Decca with Gueden, Capecchi, Corena, and Molinari-Pradelli conducting. Or, if you don't mind a live recording with decent quality stereo sound, get Bergonzi's recording with Scotto, Taddei, Cava, and Gavazzeni conducting. Both these recordings were a revelation for me after learning the opera many years ago with the Pavarotti/Sutherland version.