Customer Reviews

Meyerbeer: Gli Ugonotti (Les Huguenots)- Teatro alla Scala

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've never seen so many one stars mixed with five stars. AND the reviewers seem to be divided among Sutherland's fans or Corelli. I am both. I think Franco Corelli had the most exciting and ringing tenor voice of our time. And I think that Joan Sutherland had the most amazing voice and technique of the century. So this cd is a favorite of mine. Buy it and you'll see what all the raves are about. Unfortunately, as the Queen, Sutherland is only heard in the first act. But WOW, boy did she demonstrate every single vocal obstacle with mind boggling perfection. And by the way, Corelli's effort in the grand duet has to be heard to be believed! What voices!

this is phenomenal, one of my favorite recordings, sutherland is miraculous, she qualifies for a vocal grammy, as does corelli, the sound is not that bad to me, compensated by the spectacular singing!

Now, that the what a coloratura soprano is supposed to sound like. Sutherland's astounding instrument is shere breathtaking in it's attack of all the fiendishly difficult music written for the Queen. Corelli is very near her equal, and Simionato is exciting. But no question this is a historic performance. By the way, and the end of the opera, La Stupenda received 26 curtain calls despite the fact that all her big scenes were in the earlier act.

With Dame Joan Sutherland supremely cast as Queen Marguerite, one of the most difficult role in the coloratura reportoire, how can you lose? This performance was recorded in 1962, only a little after Sutherland's historical debut at La Scala, Milan as Lucia di Lammermoor in which the diva received 30 curtain calls after an astonishingly sung mad scene. I was there and was completely shattered by gorgeous tone and incredible singing. It really was a revelation in the Art of Bel Canto!!! She was immediately dubbed La Stupenda, and proclaimed Prima Donna Assoluta of the entire world, pushing Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi aside. This recording of Hugenots is a great demonstration of her phenomenal technique and ravishing dramatic soprano tone. From the bottom of the register to high E, she sings with complete ease. All staccatos, runs,and appeggios done to absolute perfection. And of course her legendary trill, trilling on notes way above the staff!!! As Franco Zefferelli said, Joan is the phenomenal singer of our time, and of course she is thatand more. But singing as wonderfully is the great tenor Franco Corelli. The role of Raul is perhaps one of the most difficult in the tenor's reportoire. And NO ONE can sing it like Corelli. His tone is ravishing, all high notes shot out of his mouth like a cannon ball. Especially stunning is the UNBELIEVABLE Grand Duet. Corelli's performance of that duet with the amazing Simionato is just INHUMAN!!!!! Both singers soaring from high note to high note, ringing like no other two singers can. The high D-flats were the most thrilling notes. But the high B's and C's were awesome too. The recording of the Grand Duet must rank as one of the greatest recording of spinto singing in history! Actually, this recording ranks as one of the greatest achievements in recording history. Bravissimi indeed! The sound isn't the best, but will you give up listening to one of the most astonishing singing ever recorded just because of audience noises. I hope not. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for all opera fans. A zillion stars!!!

Sutherland is the main reason to buy this set. I'm her biggest fan after only a few months I've already bought over a thousand dollars in cd's, almost all in her name. She is just a gift from God. And even though I'm too young to have heard her LIVE, I'm indeed lucky that there are so many wonderful recordings around. This is one of them. The coloratura is spellbinding. She is truly the master singer of our time. Please buy this recording, you will not be sorry. As for the tenor, he is quite good too, maybe better than Pavorotti. The recorded sound really isn't so bad. My recording of Callas's Tosca is far worst. And the music is very lovely. BUY THIS!!!!!!

This is a favorite opera of mine. The highlights are too numerous to name here. The soprano, Joan Sutherland steals the show under the feet of two of the greatest singers of that period - Corelli and Simionato. The young Joan Sutherland does this by trilling through the entire second act, tossing high C's, D's, E's here and there and everywhere. These high notes are enormous, and hair-rising in its extreme beauty. She simply takes 64th notes just like a violin or a piano. Her scales are so accurate that every note is separate from it's neighbor like pearls in a necklace. A master of the art of bel canto.

But...Corelli and Simionato sings the most stunning display of spinto singing in the entire recording catalog. The "Grand duet" between Corelli and Simionato is about 20 minutes of glorious music, highlighted by countless high notes. The B,C's, and above were all held by Corelli, and to some degree, the mezzo Simionato. ELECTRIFYING! Corelli's high notes still ring in my ears!

A truly legendary performance. No, the sound is not great, but very listenable. You are not going to find a performance on this level in your lifetime. Just for that, it's worth a listen.

This is the performance of a lifetime! You have Corelli, Simionato, Sutherland, Ghiaurov, and Tozzi all in perfect form. I think the sonics are pretty good here. Sure, you have some audience noise, but that should be expected in a LIVE PERFORMANCE. And, what excellent voice Franco Corelli is in here! He sings the role of Raoul as if Meyerbeer had written it for him. His high notes just seem to float out effortlessly and excitingly. I have never been a card carrying fan of Franco Corelli's, but he sings with a fire and ardour here that, I feel, has been missing on his studio recordings. A truly wonderful recording and any fan of really great singing MUST own this one.

Sutherland is the main reason to buy this. Yes, she only sings for about 20 minutes. But take my word for it that it is worth the entire opera and more.
Yes, I agree Sutherland is 100% more exciting in LIVE recordings than her studio ones. In studio recordings, Sutherland was instructed to sing smaller, thus the droopiness. And she didn't always sing in full voice in studio recording, thus it's not exciting as her LIVE recordings.
Yes, it is the close mic that matched her voice to smaller voice singers to make it a balance. Sutherland herself had complained of this. That's why I only buy LIVE recordings of Sutherland with a few exceptions.
Besides Sutherland's brilliance here, Corelli is a wow. Simionato is ok, she sounds old.
But just for that 20 minutes of the unbelievable coloratura and stunning high notes of Sutherland's in worth more than 10 times this price.

Bravi to Sutherland, Simionato and that prince of tenors, Franco Corelli. First, Sutherland puts on a display of coloratura fireworks that is thrilling. Then the great duet between Corelli and Simionato lights up the house. Corelli, always attacking and holding on to all his high notes. I agree with the many reviewers that this one is historical.

Is it possible for a soprano with a sound so rich and beautiful, yet so large, even, and ultra powerful? That is La Stupenda. And although she is only on the stage for about half an hour in this long opera. This half an hour contained some of the most difficult music ever written for the coloratura soprano. Sutherland simply tossed the rediculously taxing coloratura as if it was child's play, taking runs and scales so fast that the orchestra had a hard time catching her. And the high notes are unbelievable.These high D's and E's are so effectless and gigantic that they seem to drown out the orchestra!! She is truly the "voice of the Century".
But not to take away from Franco Corelli's vocal powers - which was stunning. You will never in your life time hear a tenor with so much power and ring in his upper, and downer voice. He is the greatest tenor of our century, and as Raul, this was his greatest role. Simionato is also fabulous - an enormous voice, but not quite in the class of Joan Sutherland, but then no one is...
This is a historical recording. Just the scenes with Sutherland is worth whatever costs. And the scenes with Simionato and Corelli are also fantastic! The spinto singing with Franco Corelli and Simionato are electrifying - the most thrilling and powerful grand duet I've ever heard. And yes...there are some extremely high notes - notes that Corelli holds and holds and holds...with that distinct ring of his famed throbbing vibrato...
This is a grand opera to show off the glories of the world's most spectacular voices.