Menotti: The Consul

Gian Carlo Menotti (Performer, Composer), Herbert Eckhoff (Performer), Louis Otey (Performer), Charles Austin (Performer), Richard Hickox (Conductor), Victoria Livengood (Performer), Spoleto Festival Orchestra (Orchestra), Giovanni Manci (Performer), Robin Blitch Wiper (Performer), Susan Bullock (Performer), John Horton Murray (Performer), Richard Hickox (Artist), Susan Bullock (Artist), Louis Otey (Artist), Jacalyn Kreitzer (Artist), Charles Austin (Artist), Victoria Livengood (Artist), Herbert Eckhoff (Artist), Giovanna Manci (Artist), Robin Blitch Wiper (Artist), Malin Fritz (Artist), John Horton Murray (Artist), Graeme Broadbent (Artist)

Product Details

• Performer: Gian Carlo Menotti, Herbert Eckhoff, Louis Otey, Charles Austin, Victoria Livengood, et al.
• Orchestra: Spoleto Festival Orchestra
• Conductor: Richard Hickox
• Composer: Gian Carlo Menotti
• Audio CD (March 23, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B00000I9A6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,912 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
They don't make Broadway composers like opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti anymore. His 1950 hit The Consul is a cold war parable fusing Puccini-esque melodic sweep, the dark underbelly of Alban Berg's lurid expressionism, and pure, unadulterated film noir. Don't expect subtlety. Be captivated, instead, by Menotti's prodigious melodic gift and his ability to stage-manage vocal polyphony for optimum theatrical effect. Small wonder singers love this music, and Susan Bullock, who plays the heroine Magda, makes every note and word count. Likewise, Richard Hickox galvanizes his Spoleto forces to give their all in this excellently recorded live performance from the 1998 Spoleto Festival. The audience goes wild, and rightly so. Full texts are included. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FINE AMERICAN OPERA, January 12, 2002

By	MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

One of the finest American operas ever written, Gian Carlo Menotti's THE CONSUL is particularly pertinent today composed as it was around a story of a woman fighting unknown forces who want to destroy her for unknown reasons. The protagonist, Magda Sorel, tries logic, patience, brave denounciations, abject begging but in the end nothing works because her enemies simply do not think and reason as she does.

Magda's character is very much in the mold of Leonore in Beethoven's "Fidelio" ready to risk everything in order to save her innocent husband. The Beethoven ends happily with a government official, Don Fernando, coming to Leonore's rescue; there is no happy ending for Magda because she is fighting the government and its officials. She commits suicide rather than face another day of torment.

This Chandos set of 2 CD's has superb sound, especially for a live performance. All of Menotti's operas must be acted as well as sung and this cast is uniformly first rate, especially Susan Bullock as 'Magda' and Victoria Livengood as the mysterious governmental 'Secretary.' Richard Hickox is the conductor of the superb Spoleto Festival Orchestra. The Spoleto Festival is, of course, the brainchild of Menotti, himself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great recording!!, June 12, 2001

By	"skinnyb" (Nacogdoches, TX United States) - See all my reviews

I admit I was glad beyond belief to actually find a recording of this rarely performed/recorded opera. It is an excellent buy for a live recording, and the singers (most, if not all of them are unknown to me) exceed my expectations in terms of their interpretation and quality of performance. Susan Bullock, although not quite the dramatic voice I was hoping for, does a great job in potraying Magda. She is accompanied by a musically effective cast, and is rightly applauded by the audience in the most appropriate moments. If you're looking for one of the best American operas ever recorded, this is it!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful work!, November 11, 2001

By	C. Clark (Potsdam, NY United States) - See all my reviews

As a student of opera, I found this work to be incredibly inspiring and entertaining. Menotti is one of my favorite composers and is becoming more so every day. Not only is the opera wonderful but the cast on this CD is remarkable. My collection would not be complete without it.