Customer Reviews

Puccini: Tosca / Freni, Pavarotti, Milnes, Rescigno, National Philharmonic

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw Tosca performed by the Opera Company of Philadelphia so I decided to buy the CDs. I didn't know which CD to buy so I decided upon this one. I am not disappointed at all. I have enjoyed playing this CD at home since. The music is beautiful and the singing is wonderful. I would definitely say it was worthwhile purchase.

I have to agree with those above who say that this recording is "lyrical" rather than "dramatic;" but I find myself unable to enjoy Puccini without beautiful singing. To me, it sounds like Maria Callas and Renata Scotto (two of the most dramatically intense singers of the 20th century) actually reduce their expressiveness by putting stress on their voices. When the emotions get intense, the voice becomes strained and one-dimensional, whereas Freni adds pathos by simply adding depth and coloring to her already beautiful sound. This approach doesn't do it for everyone, but it certainly works for me.

Pavarotti is, well, Pavarotti. You listen to his recordings for the glorious sound of his voice. He was also a very fine musician, especially in Italian opera. It's no secret that if you want a dramatically convincing interpretation, there is a long list of other tenors you should listen to first; but if you want glorious singing, Pavarotti in his prime had no equal.

Milnes is one of the great interpreters of Scarpia, AND has a glorious voice. His way of conveying Scarpia's malevolence, thinly disguised under a veneer of polite manners, is perfect. In my opinion he is even better in this recording than in his earlier one (1973, with Leontyne Price).

Rescigno paces the music (and the drama) in a very natural and logical way. The music never seems rushed or dragged. He avoids doing anything extreme, but he has Puccini in his blood.

All in all a very authentically Italian performance with some of the most glorious singing imaginable. If the singing is the most important thing to you, then this is the recording you should have.

I own several recordings of Tosca, but this is still the reigning favorite, featuring a stellar cast at the height of their collective powers. Don't let the 1978 recording date deter you - the sound quality is excellent, and the performance sumptuous from beginning to end.

Though this recording occasionally sides with sterility, enough passion is present from Freni alone to keep it exciting. In my opinion, Freni is spinto enough to handle the role of Tosca here despite not being a dramatic soprano, and her chest voice and highest notes are more than fulfilling. I imagine a Tosca having as fresh a voice as Price in her prime, and Freni has just that. Pavarotti is not my favorite, but he is tolerable here. The other singers are more than sufficiently idiomatic in their roles.

If you're looking for a Tosca the way it should be performed and how it should really sound(fiery, passionate, dramatic) don't look to this recording. This should not be anyone's first Tosca recording or sampler!! I'm by no means a learned music or opera scholar but I am a critic and have listened and watched Tosca long enough to know that this particular recording was at the time purely experimental for Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. Yes, these two sing wonderfully together as well as individually. They are too many an unbeatable tenor/soprano pair, as their recordings of La Boheme, Manon Lescaut, Madame Butterfly and even L'Amico Fritz attest. While in these operas the music allows them to sing with full lyricism and beauty, the plot for Tosca is too dramatic, intense and forward-moving as an opera and the musical score itself reads this way. There are only a few moments of beautiful melodies: Cavaradossi's first aria "Ricondita Armonia" in which he rhapsodizes about his source of inspiration as an artist, his lover Tosca, the Love Duet between himself and Tosca that follows shortly after and Tosca's own heart-breaking aria "Vissi D'Arte", her prayer to God asking why he has abandoned her in her most needy hour when Scarpia has her in his trap and Cavaradossi is about to be executed. Puccini never fails to deliver some moments of beauty but for the most part, Tosca is an opera that depends on , raw human emotion and even violence, with just a touch of sexual undercurrent. For Sherill Milnes, the role of Scarpia was one that came easy to him. He had sung Scarpia splendidly on record earlier in 1973 for RCA with Leontyne Price and Placido Domingo. He starred as Scarpia in an Italian film with Placido Domingo and soprano Raina Kabaivanska shot on location in Rome in 1975. His baritonal technique is not only handsomely sung, but with the right amount of theatricality as a villainous character.

Freni and Pavarotti had the same wet nurse in Italy and grew up together. Their long careers were remarkable. Both sang through the late 60's, the 70's, 80's and part of the 90's. In the Madame Butterfly recording under Karajan, their voices soar with beauty and emotion in the Love Duet and we get the same, if not more passion, in the Love Duet between Tosca and Mario in Act 1. Beautiful voices, yes. Dramatic enough ? Hardly. Mirella Freni is singing a role that is frankly too hard for her. There is more than one moment in which the role's vocal demands are too much for her to handle. Her Tosca is nonetheless very feminine, sensual and there are a few flashes of fire, but she portrays Tosca as if she were a quiet killer. Too much nobility, too much grace and Tosca is meant to be pushed to the brink of despair as she is completely threatened by Scarpia and even to act by her baser instincts. In this respect, in sheer beauty of tone, she is like Leontyne Price in the 1962 studio recording under Karajan. She makes a beautiful, ravishing Tosca, so if you like this approach, then you will enjoy Mirella Freni as Tosca. And word to the wise, this is her first Tosca recording and is far better than her later 1991 recording with Placido Domingo and
Samuel Ramey. In that recording, she is past her prime and shouting instead of singing. It's the worst Tosca I've ever heard. As for Pavarotti in this recording, he is totally wrong for the part of Cavaradossi. Pavarotti is a voice made for Donizetti, Bellini and some Verdi. It's a voice that cannot step up to the challenge of the demands of the role of Cavaradossi, which calls for a darker more dramatic voice. When you hear the Cavaradossis of Mario Del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli and Placido Domingo you are getting the real thing. But Pavarotti is just Pavarotti- a big, blazing, bright voice without any real intelligence or dramatic commitment. He fails miserably here, no matter what any Pavarotti fan might tell you. This is not a role for him. Even Calaf in Puccini's Turandot is a role suited for him, and Pinkerton in Butterfly, but not Mario Cavaradossi. Rescigno and the National Philharmonic are nothing to be excited about as far as musicality. Please, check out these recordings of Tosca for better quality in performance:

Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tito Gobbi/Serafin

Renata Tebaldi, Mario Del Monaco, George London/Molinari-Pradelli

Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei/Karajan

Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Maazel

Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, Ingvar Wixell/Sir Colin Davis

Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherill Milnes/Mehta

Galina Vishnevskaya, Franco Bonisolli, Matteo Manuguerra/Mtripovich

Katia Ricciarelli, Jose Carreras, Ruggero Raimondi/Karajan

Carol Vaness, Giuseppe Giancomini, Giorgio Zancanaro/Muti

Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ruggero Raimondi/Pappano

It is pure enjoyment. Not only is Pavarotti & Freni superb, but of course so is Milnes. Wonderful to just lay back and listen and enjoy. This is an early TOSCA, but it is wonderful. When God gave us Pavarotti, he gave us beauty. As I've stated before he never made a bad recording. This is super.......

With an opera of which so many sopranos love to sink their teeth into the role, where can we start? Mirella Freni personally ranks #1 in my books, for she acts very well with the voice, and the voice itself is of sublime beauty. Lower tones are juicy and higher tones are bright and ringing. So what can be said of her Tosca? I feel it is a decent Tosca. She does the role justice in singing with great gusto and flair as needed; dramatic passages are executed with great precision. However, she is still best in lyrical roles (her 1972 Boheme is THE BEST BOHEME EVER! =D). While it is true that her voice got heavier at the time of the recording, one can still sense the vast amount of lyricism in her singing. This just wouldn't cut it for those who are completely set about must having a soprano with the perfect tone colors and dramatic factors (sorry if there are any who read this...). As much as I love and admire Mirella, her Tosca isn't up to par. Anyone who wants to hear an extraordinary Freni recording should start with her Boheme (ahem...). Pavarotti to me is quite ridiculous in the role of Cavarodossi. His voice is just too incredibly lyrical! He sounds silly! He may sing a beautiful "Recondita Armonia", but everything else just doesn't suit him at all. Not only does Pavarotti fall short in acting with the voice, his tone colors and interpretation of the role do not illustrate the character behind Cavarodossi (Domingo was ideal in this role, voice-wise and interpretation). I was especially disappointed by his "E Lucevan le Stelle". It's supposed to be sung with much sadness and melancholic tones, but NO, Pavarotti sang it as he did with Recondita. So with all this why did I give this recording 4 stars? Sherril Milnes in many ways made up for things. His rich, creamy, full voice is perfect for the role of Scarpia. Juast as importantly he was very convincing. Milnes' portrayal will make you despise the character; his booming voice along with excellent, realistic, evil vocal gestures make for a stellar performance. Nicola Rescigno conducted; nice job. Overall, this Tosca isn't exactly ideal (the best one is the one with Callas, which is simply explosive!), but there are still a few things to admire about it.

Well...I would have to say that this is good because...EVERY recording that has Freni and Pavarotti on it is good (best soprano and tenor ever), and Sherrill Milnes is incredible as well. Freni, Pavarotti, and Milnes-powerhouse, awesome, better than everyone else! yea!

I can't even say....wowo! How does Mirella Freni get that good...and Pavarotti...and Milnes....oh man!