Leoncavallo: Pagliacci

Ruggero Leoncavallo (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), La Scala Theater Orchestra (Orchestra), La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus (Orchestra), Joan Carlyle (Performer), Franco Ricciardi (Performer), Ugo Benelli (Performer), Carlo Bergonzi (Performer), Giuseppe Morresi (Performer), Giuseppe Taddei (Performer), Rolando Panerai (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Joan Carlyle, Franco Ricciardi, Ugo Benelli, Carlo Bergonzi, Giuseppe Morresi, et al.
• Orchestra: La Scala Theater Orchestra, La Scala Theater Orchestra & Chorus
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Ruggero Leoncavallo
• Audio CD (September 17, 1996)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GS2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #111,287 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Music > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Baritones
  #19 in	Music > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Tenors
  #85 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( L ) > Leoncavallo, Ruggiero

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This is widely regarded as the best stereophonic Pagliacci--and many would say the best, period. Its virtues are primarily musical: Carlo Bergonzi usually sang with a level of good taste not common in tenors this side of Sir Peter Pears, and you might expect that to limit the voltage he generates as the insanely jealous, knife-wielding Canio, particularly with the well-groomed Karajan on the podium. But he gets into the character, and Karajan gets into the music's passion and the story's gritty atmosphere. It may be that the conductor caught some excitement from the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, which are ideal for this music. The two baritones are excellent, and Joan Carlyle's performance makes you wonder why she made so few recordings. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly stunning performance of I Pagliacci!!!!, October 27, 1999

By	Rod Tierman (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This is one of the finest rcordings of Pagliacci ever!! The two show stoppers here are Carlo Bergonzi and Herbert von Karajan. First of all, Bergonzi is perfect as the tormented Canio. He literally makes the tears leap right off of the grooves on this recordings. In "Vesti la Giubba" he delivers a performance of a man whose whole world has just fallen down around him and in the second act aria "No Pagliaccio non Son" portrays a man totally at the end of his rope. One other point of interest to me on this aria. Bergonzi literally soars up to his B flats here. Not straining like so many other Tenors are want to do. Bergonzi also realizes a certain lyricism in this role that only a few like Bjoerling, Gigli, and Di Stefano were capable of (the original Canio, Fernando De Lucia, was really a more lyric Tenor). To me this is a perfect performance of Pagliacci. Von Karajan's tempi are perfect and his phrasing with the orchestra is exquisite. When I first heard Taddei's Tonio I didn't much care for it, but the more I listen the more I have grown to like, yea even love, it. Taddei delivers, what I consider, a very Gobbi like performance, which I feel is truer to the realization of this character than, say a Warren, Milnes, or MacNeil. Joan Carlyle is a very fine Nedda, though not in the same league as de Los Angeles or Callas, but very compelling nonetheless. Rolando Panerai sings very well, if not a bit too robust, in the lyric baritone role of Silvio (my favorite is still Robert Merrill in the Cellini/Bjoerling/De Los Angeles recording). This recording not only possesses the great Tenor voice of Carlo Bergonzi, but also the equally wonderful lyric Tenor voice of Ugo Bennelli in the role of Beppe/Arlequino, who sings the role with a beauty and ease unequaled by any other Tenor, on any other recording. A perfect recording of I Pagliacci, and certainly the best of the stereo recordings (Bjoerling, Gigli, and Di Stefano are all mono). Now if DGG will only rerelease the accompanying Cavalleria Rusticana that was originally coupled with this recording! You simply must buy this recording!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Karajan in Command!, November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This is a great recording. I, generally didn't consider buying any Italian recordings with Bergonzi. He has a great voice but he sounds like a helden tenor. I'd sell my house to hear him sing Siegfried or Othello live.But his voice is truly Italian and purely verrisimo here. I almost leveled the house when he sang "non, Pagliaccio, non,son." Guiseppe Taddei sings a beautiful Prologue. He can sing beautifully, comically,and in a moment he is almost mephistofelian, as in the scene with Nedda. Karajan is simply the best. In his day I'll bet they had to have an act of Parliament to limit his curtain calls. Now if only I could find the DGG double recording, with Cavalleria Rusticana.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Pagliacci to buy!, May 22, 2008

By	G. Clark - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this recording relying on the fact that there is not a single bad performance in DG's 'Originals' series and I was not let down. I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to the disc all in one sitting, and when the piece was finished I could do nothing but sit there in awe. I strongly reccomend this recording of Pagliacci. The sound is great, the performances are moving, and the overall effect is absolutely overwhelming!