Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine

Giacomo Puccini (Performer), Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (Performer), Anna Moffo (Artist), Mario Sereni (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli
• Audio CD (May 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003F12
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,471 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. La rondine: Act I: Ah! No! No! (Prunier, Magda, Lisette, Rambaldo)

2. La rondine: Act I: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (Prunier, Magda)

3. La rondine: Act I: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (Magda, Prunier)

4. La rondine: Act I: No, adesso non burlatemi (Magda, Rambaldo)

5. La rondine: Act I: La Doretta della mia fantasia (Prunier, Lisette, Rambaldo, Magda)

6. La rondine: Act I: Denaro! Nient'altro che denaro! (Magda)

7. La rondine: Act I: Ore dolci e divine (Magda)

8. La rondine: Act I: E poi?; Basta. E finito. (Magda, Prunier)

9. La rondine: Act I: O mio giovine amico (Rambaldo, Ruggero, Prunier, Magda)

10. La rondine: Act I: Forse, come la rondine (Prunier, Magda, Rambaldo, Ruggero, Lisette)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. La rondine: Act III: Senti? Anche il mare respira sommesso (Magda, Ruggero)

2. La rondine: Act III: E siam fuggitti qui per nasconderlo! (Ruggero, Magda)

3. La rondine: Act III: Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi (Ruggero)

4. La rondine: Act III: Che piu dirgli? Che fare? (Magda)

5. La rondine: Act III: E qui?; Non so! (Lisette, Prunier)

6. La rondine: Act III: Ma come voi? (Magda, Lisette, Prunier)

7. La rondine: Act III: Amore mio! Mia madre! (Ruggero, Magda)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RCA "La Rondine" still the best, September 14, 2000

By 

"daniel0302" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine (Audio CD)

"La Rondine" has fared well on LP and CD, and this 1966 recording is at the head of the class.

Anna Moffo is the perfect Magda. As with her "Traviata", "Boheme", and "Luisa Miller", this recording is Moffo at the peak of her vocal and interpretive gifts. Moffo is really superior to her rivals in the other studio recordings of this opera. Angela Gheorghiu, (EMI), is exquisite, but often precious and mannered, and sounds enamored with her own voice. Kiri Te Kanawa (COLUMBIA) is also beautiful, but is cool and aloof much of the time, and occasionaly sounds like she is singing Strauss rather than Puccini. Moffo is always warm, sensual, and beautifully phrased and inflected. These other sopranos give fine performances, but Moffo finds nuances that the others miss.

Daniele Barioni as Ruggero is dashing, charming, and youthful, with a great voice that just keeps giving. It is truly perplexing why the major record companies did not see fit to make more recordings of this man's voice. Graziella Sciutti and Piero De Palma contribute character filled portrayals of Lisette and Prunier. Their counterparts in the other recordings all sing prettier, but none are more alive and amusing.

Francesco Molinari-Pradelli conducts with a light touch, but knows when to turn on the emotion without turning on the schmaltz.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The One, The Only!!, August 18, 2007

By 

A. Scott "artistinmotion" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LA Rondine (Complete) (Ger) (Audio CD)

Contrary to popular opinion, this was not the first complete commercial recording of LA RONDINE. There was a 1955 LP version on Columbia starring Eva de Luca, Giacinto Prandelli (still very much alive and extremely active on the lecture circuit in Europe as of this writing) and Ornella Rovero (who appears as Lisette on the 1958 DVD from VAI). Following this RCA recording were more famous ones starring Kiri Te Kanawa and Placido Domingo - which was well sung, showed advanced recording technology, but had zero personality - and the more recent reading by Gheorgiu and Alagna (which - the added tenor aria aside - was almost completely useless, being merely an advertising ploy by EMI to have the "Love Couple" sing everything). Additionally, there are live performances on CD, most notably starring Licia Albanese (sounding tentative and unrehearsed) and Cecilia Gasdia (who sounded pretty but bland).

It was this RCA version, recorded in July 1966, that has set the standard and will probably never be surpassed. Anna Moffo's luscious voice, combined with her complete understanding of and sympathy with the lead role of Magda is perfection. She was well suited to this role, at least, in the studio, and makes it seem far more than the usual distant cousin to LA TRAVIATA's Violetta. Nowhere is there the feeling that her rather small voice is getting lost in orchestra or during ensemble sections. Daniele Barioni brings more facets to Ruggero's personality than anyone before or since; Mario Sereni adds a humanity to the wealthy Rambaldo that makes the listener understand why Magda would return to him at the end of the opera. The second pair of lovers is interestingly cast. Graziella Sciutti's rather tart tone works better in the role of Lisette than almost any other part she sang, although she brought distinction to everything from FIDELIO's Marzelline to FIGARO's Susanna. It is a pleasure and a privilege to hear comprimario tenor Piero De Palma promoted to the leading role of poet Prunier, especially when it is handled with the relish and sensitivity displayed here. Francesco Molinari-Pradelli's conducting shows real intelligence, avoiding the deliberate tempo changes that most conductors exaggerate when leading this work.

Let's not forget the music itself. Even when it is performed in a less than perfect fashion (it requires a tremendous amount of precision in its detail for principals, chorus and orchestra), it is an intensely moving experience. Handled the way it is on this recording, it could melt the heart of a stone. While the third act has always been somewhat of a letdown after the brilliance of the preceding two, the artistry evidenced here makes the characters' decisions seem far less contrived. This is a recording that deserves to be treated with the same reverence as is paid to the 1953 recording of TOSCA (with Callas, di Stefano, Gobbi and De Sabata conducting). Bravo to all concerned: this is an achievement that will hopefully be enjoyed by many, many generations to come.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars La Traviata - operetta style -, June 18, 2001

By 

Michel (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giacomo Puccini: La Rondine (Audio CD)

La Rondine is a little known but charming opera by Puccini. Some would call it an operetta and indeed sometimes it sounds a bit like one but it is still operatic in essence. The story is very similar to La Traviata but more bitter-sweet than tragic in its conclusion. This set is well worth considering for any puccinian or Anna Moffo devotees. She is at her most seductive and affecting as Magda, a courtesan with a heart of gold, and is very well supported by the rest of the cast, Sciutti and De Palma making an especially delightful couple. Chorus and orchestra are excellent and Molinari-Pradelli conducts in a lively and elegant manner, with good atmospheric sound, this proves to be a highly enjoyable set.