Donizetti - Maria Stuarda / Sutherland, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Bonynge [Import]

Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Richard Bonynge (Conductor), Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Orchestra), Joan Sutherland (Performer), Huguette Tourangeau (Performer), Luciano Pavarotti (Performer), James Morris (Performer), Margreta Elkins (Performer), Roger Soyer (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Joan Sutherland, Huguette Tourangeau, Luciano Pavarotti, James Morris, Margreta Elkins, et al.
• Orchestra: Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
• Conductor: Richard Bonynge
• Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
• Audio CD (May 16, 1990)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Decca (Universal)
• ASIN: B0000041VJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,964 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Baritones
  • #86 in Music > Imports > Opera & Vocal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

This opera becomes a battle of the divas in its great second act, with Sutherland, as Mary Stuart, pitted against the jealous, paranoid, and vengeful Elizabeth I (Tourangeau). There is an intensely dramatic confrontation in which insults are violently exchanged between the powerful monarch and her imprisoned but still regal rival to the throne. Mary wins the battle of insults, but this is a dangerous victory over one who has the power of life and death. Elizabeth orders Mary's execution and Act III becomes a spectacle of pathos and horror. Sutherland's usual style is more attuned to pathos than to the swapping of insults, but she rises splendidly to the challenges of Act II and she has a splendid supporting cast. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUTHERLAND IN TOP FORM VOCALLY AND DRAMATICALLY!, January 24, 2005

By 

Ygor (Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - Maria Stuarda / Sutherland, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Bonynge (Audio CD)

Maria Stuarda is one of Donizetti's most dramatic operas, alongside with Lucrezia Borgia and Roberto Devereux. Once sung by gorgeous voices and effective singer actresses, it is the proof that Bel Canto is much more than beautiful melodies and difficult coloraturas. The roles of Maria and Elisabetta require not only remarkable voices, but above all great dramatic skills. Indeed, there's a natural dramatic power in all the masterpieces of Bel Canto, and it can be exciting when a singer like Callas, Sills or Sutherland brings the drama and pathos out of that amazing music!

Joan Sutherland, being a real drammatico d'agilità soprano, has established herself as one of the best interpreters of Maria Stuarda. Her only rivals are Beverly Sills and Montserrat Caballé. However, both Sills and Caballé didn't have the powerful voice of La Stupenda. Instead of what some people declare about Sutherland's acting, she succeeds dramatically in all her most important roles. Being a sensitive and stylistically accurate actress, her acting conveys sentimentality and pathos rather than rage and tragic drama, but she can also be a fiery actress at the most intense moments. Here her diction is also very expressive, as she emphasizes every word to great dramatic effect. Just listen to her furious and sarcastic ''Vil bastarda!", which is enough to make her ''Figlia impura di Bolena" the most terrific on disc!
Sutherland's voice had become darker and more expressive in 1975. Although it has gained a little more vibrato, there's little sign of the wobble it would acquire in few years. She shows off many qualities of her miraculous singing: the huge and exuberant sound, the ravishing high notes, the impeccable legato and even the much improved low register. Some highlights of her performance are the rock-solid high note she sings with Pavarotti in ''Se il mio cor tremò giammai", the incredibly long vocal line she keeps for 22 seconds in "Deh! tu di un umile preghiera" and the heartbreaking final scene.

Luciano Pavarotti is at his peak, singing fantastic high notes with his beautiful bright voice. He also delivers and adequate characterization of Cecil. Actually, with that voice, even if he'd just stand and sing, this would still be a fascinating performance! In fact, the drama is centered on the two rival women, and Huguette Tourangeau does a great job as the Queen Elisabetta. She was kind of a second choice as a mezzo partner for Sutherland, being the first Marilyn Horne. Indeed, their voice blend extremely well, as we can hear in the Confrontation Scene. Her dark toned voice and wide range are ideal to sing Elisabetta, as it handles the difficult music written for the part with ease and conveys the vengeful personality of the role.
This is one of Donizetti's most exciting operas, and it's sung by an ideal cast. Three of the most remarkable Bel Canto voices ever were joined in this recording. Besides, the moving music of Maria Stuarda is conducted with mastery and dramaticism. You can't miss this great opportunity to listen to some Golden Age singing at a mid-priced recording! You will be astonished!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bel Canto Record!, February 3, 2005

By 

The Cultural Observer - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Donizetti - Maria Stuarda / Sutherland, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Bonynge (Audio CD)

Unlike Joan's famed Bonynge Lucia and her very dry Normas, this is a great record of Maria Stuarda! Joan Sutherland's portrayal of one of Donizetti's Queens amazes and stuns as she courses through the florid Donizettian bel canto lines with sheer ease and power rivaled only by Caballe and Beverly Sills. I do believe though, that this recording wins over Beverly's because of the size of her voice and her coloratura. Surprisingly, the drama she exudes here impresses me as well. Truly a great recording. Richard Bonynge conducts this finely, and Tourangeau and Pavarotti are great partners to La Stupenda. Don't miss this recording. If you want Joan Sutherland at her greatest, look for her earlier Donizettian recordings. For Bellini, I Puritani and La Sonnambula are good too, but don't go for Norma or her Verdi recordings. She is not very involved there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sutherland At Her Very Best, August 5, 2003

By 

Scott Jelsey "tscott2" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donizetti - Maria Stuarda / Sutherland, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Bonynge (Audio CD)

This was a wonderful role for Sutherland - it fits her like a glove. Tourangeau is also quite excellent as Elizabeth - a nice vocal contrast between the two. Sutherland's curse "vil bastarda" is the most venomous on disc, sort of surprisingly for her. The Sills recording is also outstanding in every way - fortunately I don't have to choose between the two. Both are must haves for any Donizetti fan.