Leoncavallo: Pagliacci ~ Bjorling / de Los Angeles / Cellini [Original recording remastered]

Ruggero Leoncavallo (Composer), Renato Cellini (Conductor), RCA Victor Orchestra (Orchestra), Jussi Björling (Performer), George Cehanovsky (Performer), Paul Franke (Performer), Victoria de Los Angeles (Performer), Robert Merrill (Performer), Leonard Warren (Performer), Robert Shaw Chorale (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Jussi Björling, George Cehanovsky, Paul Franke, Victoria de Los Angeles, Robert Merrill, et al.
• Orchestra: RCA Victor Orchestra
• Conductor: Renato Cellini
• Composer: Ruggero Leoncavallo
• Audio CD (December 2, 2003)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0000E3HM0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,539 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprised By The Quality, March 23, 2008

By 

K. Tomlin "operagoer" (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leoncavallo: Pagliacci ~ Bjorling / de Los Angeles / Cellini (Audio CD)

I bought this recording because of the very high caliber of singer on it, regardless of what was said in the other reviews about the quality of the recording. I read them all before buying this recording so I have to honestly say that I don't understand what the negative reviews were complaining about in-so-much as the recording quality was concerned. I didn't hear anything wrong with the re-mastering, I've decided that the others had bad CD's or something. All that being said, you can't expect today's recording quality out of a recording that was made in the 1950's. I will listen to this CD over and over again, taking in the wonderful sounds of Bjoerling and de los Angeles. In my opinion, this is an incredible purchase as it is being sold for less than the price of a restaurant dinner. If you like Opera I would recommend you get this now, and if you are just getting into opera, you get more bang for your buck on this recording than a lot of other opera CD's out there. It deserves a five star review not only in quality, but also in price.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great singing, lousy sound, December 19, 2005

By 

Kevin Orth - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leoncavallo: Pagliacci ~ Bjorling / de Los Angeles / Cellini (Audio CD)

I have to agree with both of the other reviewers, which is unusual since one gives this disc five stars and the other only one star! On the positive side the singing is wonderful--Bjorling, Victoria de los Angeles and Warren and Merrill were simply fabulous singers and that comes across even through the dreadful sound. And yes, there are moments where the shrill and distorted sound of the remastering just makes you grit your teeth. It really stinks, and I have a pretty forgiving ear for historical recordings!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as it gets....for "Pagliacci", July 19, 2004

By 

madamemusico "madamemusico" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leoncavallo: Pagliacci ~ Bjorling / de Los Angeles / Cellini (Audio CD)

Back in the early 1950s, as part of their "speed war" with Columbia records, RCA issued a number of complete opera sets on 45-rpm discs. The procedure was clumsy and inefficient; by 1954 the company abandoned the practice and capitulated to issuing complete operas on LP only. (The only exception to this rule was the 1952 recording of "Tristan und Isolde" conducted by Furtwangler, which was issued only on LPs.) Columbia, who featured such singers as Eleanor Steber, Dorothy Kirsten, Richard Tucker and Eugene Conley, did not sell as well as RCA despite their lead in issuing operas on LP only, and not on 45.

The reason for RCA's superiority was Jussi Bjorling, the great Swedish lyric tenor. In person, his was a beautiful but smallish presence, elegant in its phrasing and phenomenal breath control if a little lacking in passion. But on records, Bjorling sounded phenomenal; and, when he acted with the voice as well as singing (which was rare), he made a tremendous impact.

This recording is one of four in which Bjorling gave his very best; the other three were "Il Trovatore," "Aida" and the 1957 stereo remake of "Cavalleria Rusticana." As with Rhadames in "Aida," this was a role he did not often sing on stage, which may explain his involvement: the more Bjorling sang a role, the less interesting he often was (though, of course, he always sang beautifully). His soprano partner here was Victoria de los Angeles, who likewise sounded more involved than usual; the Tonio was the great Leonard Warren, one of the finest singing-actors of his time; and the conductor was Renato Cellini, a vastly underrated house conductor who was actually much better than the regular Met house conductor, Fausto Cleva.

The result is a "Pagliacci" which is suavely, even elegantly, sung, yet losing only a little in full-blooded passion. The only real disappointments are Robert Merrill's rather tepid and uninteresting Silvio, and the overly-polite, church-choir sound of the Robert Shaw Chorale. Otherwise, this is a "Pagliacci" that satisfies. Leonard Warren's burly, brassy yet scrupulously musical voice sounds wonderful as Tonio; Bjorling is brilliant and appropriately angry and dolorous as Canio; de los Angeles is a kittenish Nedda; and Renata Cellini conducts a taut yet warm and expansive performance. The only disappointments are Robert Merrill's rather tepid Silvio and the overly polite, churchy singing of the Robert Shaw Chorale. Well worth the modest price...no other "Pagliacci" recording is as satisfying as this one!