Customer Reviews

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Cavalleria" has always been one of my favorite operas and this is a dream recording, mainly because of its star tenor, Jussi Bjoerling. He is simply one of the greatest singers of the century and 'Turiddu' is a perfect role for him: passionate and masculine, filled with gorgeous melodies. Zinka Milanov's voice is not to my taste (I'd much prefer hearing a more youthful, more purely beautiful tone), but she certainly throws herself into the role of 'Santuzza.' The American baritone, Robert Merrill, was at his peak for this 1953 recording. His 'Alfio' is very, very fine. This is the ultra-melodramatic opera which Francis Ford Coppola used in "Godfather 3" with the actor who played Pacino's "son" performing the role of 'Turiddu.' Crammed into its one act of less than 75 minutes are all the plot devices of good heart-thumping operatic tragedy: betrayal, lust, sex, murder and, naturally, magnificent music.

This is a rather refined reading of Cavalleria rusticana downplaying the vulgarity of the piece and focusing more on its pastoral setting which is not a bad thing. It is nice to hear this opera being sung not shouted, and gloriously sung it is. Bjorling is in radiant voice, breezing his way through the sicilienne. Milanov is dignified in her sorrow and sings beautifully, her famous pianossimo exquisitely controlled. Merrill's golden tones and firm singing are a delight. Chorus and orchestra are good and Cellini's conducting elegant. The recording is surprisingly clear and atmospheric for its age 1953. A fine set with a mellower approach than usual and a lovely memento of three superb singers.

This Cavalleria Rusticana is a very good one to have.

Although a 1953 recording it is very clear and the lead singers, Mr. Bjoerling and Mrs. Milanov do a fantastic job.

The orchestra is acceptable, and the conducting is conservative.

The Mamma, mamma! (Track 21) aria is the best I've heard.

Price is very good for the quality.

Warmly recommended.

I have many recordings of this work, and well, my favorite is one recorded when recordings were in their childhood, and it stars Gigli. It has horrible sound, but the drama is alive and well (I believe it is also conducted by the composer). Bjoerling is wonderful in this recording, and portrays his character well. Merril is super in his role, and the jealousy really comes out, especially when he confronts Turrido and challenges him to a duel. The weak link in Milanov. It took me a while to appreciate her voice (and that was in Verdi, not verismo). It is a dark, clouded sound to me. It is not a buoyant lively sound. Her singing is wonderful, but I find it hard to believe that for over 10 years of her career (near the beginning) she had the trouble of singing sharp. To me, her voice is so "wooly" it sounds like she barely hits the center of the note. Still, she does make the character come alive. What then is the drawback with her singing? It is the fact she sounds like she is more "Mamma Lucia's" older sister than a young village girl who has gotten herself into troubles with her former boy friend. She just doesn't suit this character at all. She is wonderful as Aida, and incredible as Leonora in Forza, but this is not her element at all. It is because of this, the recording as a whole, no matter how beautifully it is sung, just doesn't gel. The dramatic tension just doesn't happen like it should. Now this isn't a lifeless recording at all, it just doesn't work like it should have. That is why I gave it four stars. It is a good recording, but just didn't fully happen, but by no means is it a bad recording, so it is not worthly of less than four stars in my view.

Bjoerling at his best. Great supporting cast as well. RCA please re -do this in 24bit technology. Sound is good but it can be better.

Bjorling sings beautifully but, to be honest, he gave a much more inspired performance on his 1957 recording of the opera with Renata Tebaldi. Milanov gives a very dramatic reading of the score but as other reviewers have pointed out, her voice just sounds wrong for the role. Merrill sings solidly but is not the most confrontational of Alfios. Cellini conducts an OK but not great performance.

I recommend instead the Scotto-Domingo-Elvira-Levine performance on RCA. It is digital stereo AND a finer performance!

The best Jussi Bjorling I ever heard was in Verdi's Requiem. And no wonder. For all the beautiful voice he possesses, he is a lukewarm actor, sounding most at home in concert, rather than in drama. For me, this was fatal to his Turiddu. To hear Turiddu the way he is supposed to be performed, as one of the most emotionally charged characters in all Italian opera, get Cavalleria with Giuseppe di Stefano.