Puccini: Madama Butterfly

Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Alberto Erede (Conductor), Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra (Orchestra), Renata Tebaldi (Performer), Gianna Diozzi (Performer), Giovanni Inghilleri (Performer), Giuseppe Campora (Performer), Luigi Pizzeri (Performer), Melchiorre Luise (Performer), Michele Calvino (Performer), Nell Rankin (Performer), Piero de Palma (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Renata Tebaldi, Gianna Diozzi, Giovanni Inghilleri, Giuseppe Campora, Luigi Pizzeri, et al.
• Orchestra: Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra
• Conductor: Alberto Erede
• Composer: Giacomo Puccini
• Audio CD (April 12, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000421R
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: ...E soffitto e pareti...

2. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Sorride Vostro Onore?

3. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Dovunque al mondo

4. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: America for ever

5. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Ler l'altro il Consolato

6. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Ecco. Son giunte al sommo del pendio

7. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Gran ventura

8. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: L'Imperial Commissario

9. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Vieni, amor mio!

10. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Ieri son salita tutta sola in segreto alla Missione

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Due cose potrei far

2. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: E questo? E questo?

3. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Che tua madre dovrà prenderti in braccio

4. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Vespa! Rospo maledetto!

5. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Una nave da guerra...

6. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio

7. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Or vienmi ad adornar

8. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Coro a bocca chiusa

9. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Intermezzo

10. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Già il sole!

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

(4402302)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, emotional performance, May 14, 2006

By 

A reviewer (Ky, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Audio CD)

Yes, the sound quality isn't great, but you can hear the singers pretty well, even if the orchestra is a little muddy, which is fine, because the singers are definitely the reason to buy this Butterfly. Often, in studio recordings, a lot of acting (and hence phrasing and whatnot) are lost, so a studio recording can seem like a mechanized affair. However, in this recording, the singers seem to be singing to each other, and the emotion of Butterfly is captured. Don't let a little poor sound quality turn you away from this gem of a performance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Butterfly from the great Renata Tebaldi, January 15, 2006

By 

klavierspiel "klavierspiel" (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Audio CD)

The singing of the young Renata Tebaldi is the principal reason to own this 1951 recording of Puccini's opera. She was never the most compelling actress either on stage or record, and her attempts at a girlish characterization in the first act are unconvincing. But it's hard to resist the diva in her loveliest, freshest voice, and although some top notes already have a hint of hardness, more are free and easy; there are some beautiful floated pianissimi in the Flower Duet and a convincing top C to cap the first act, something Tebaldi would not be able to rely on later in her career. She summons reams of pathos for the tragic finale.

I've dwelt at length on Tebaldi. Although her supporting cast is by no means "terrible," to quote another reviewer, there are stronger representatives of all of the other roles on record. Giuseppe Campora in particular can sound strained on top and lumpish in phrasing, though he also produces some nice soft singing in the first-act love duet. Nell Rankin (Suzuki) and Giovanni Inghilleri (Sharpless) are acceptable. Alberto Erede leads a good orchestral rendering of the score by the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, but they are ill-served by the dated mono sound--not much lushness comes through and the big climaxes are muted in their impact.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Tebaldi but poor recording quality!, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Audio CD)

That is also the main reason why I rated this edition with 4 stars.Renata Tebaldi performes wonderfully (she surely deserves 5 stars)but the recording quality is unable to catch her high-powered notes.In addition,I believe that Bergonzi (on the other Decca set with Tebaldi) is a far better tenor than Campora.The rest of the cast is very good containing a wonderful Sharpless.

However,if one accepts the poor recording quality (usual for most recordings made before 1956) this edition remains a beautiful Butterfly.