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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Tosca Regina" : Leontyne Price -Take II takes Off!!, May 30, 2006
This review is from: Puccini: Tosca (Audio CD)
Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" was critically declared a "shabby little shocker" at its Metropolitan Opera debut. Opera's greatest aritsts and singers have rushed to embrace and perform this evocative work ever since. After the overwhelming success of the RCA "Il Trovatore" set starring Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Zubin Mehta, its not surprising that these pre-eminent artists were reunited again for "Tosca", this time with results less-epochal, but wonderful nonetheless. Maestro Zubin Mehta, to my ears, is one of the most outstanding interpreters of Puccini's music in our time. He's unafraid of the inherent excitement in the music, building to the unending climaxes, revelling in them, but always aware of the crucial ebb & flow that characterizes the music of the Italian master. This recording benefits greatly from Mehta's fearlessness AND superb theatricality. There is an almost relentless tension that is sustained throughout this performance, even in the tenderest of moments, creating a continuity so requisite to this particular opera. The quieter sections of music simmer with a vitality that is a Mehta specialty. Admittedly, others have championed more subtlety, nuance, and/or 'finesse' in their approaches to this grand opera.(yawn) Maestro Mehta's expert pacing, fluidity, and almost visceral excitement are far more preferable. This performance sizzles. The great American soprano Leontyne Price, "Tosca REGINA" in 1962 with H. Von Karajan, became "Tosca DIVA" in 1973 under Mr. Mehta's tutelege with stunning results. Leontyne Price's second recorded 'Tosca' is imperious, demanding, sensuous, volatile, AND very womanly. Her voice, now rich, dark, & weighty in the middle, is weaker in the lower end, sometimes losing focus, but she compensates with a biting 'chest' voice that's most effectively used. The soprano's upper voice is nothing short of sensational here, cutting through the orchestra with gleaming, powerful, & pitch-perfect outpourings (especially during the 'torture scene')that alternate with a feline sensuality in softer passages (the duets with Cavaradossi)and superlative in the TOSCA "tests" in ActIII: "..lo quella lama.." and "O Scarpia! avanti a Dio!". In Ms. Price's hands, "Vissi D'Arte" is more urgently intoned than previously(but beautifully-sung), her murder of Scarpia still desperate and overwrought (here she fails the "test" on "Avanti a lui.." - most Toscas do). In the opera's finale she's no more overly-dramatic than any of her illustrous rivals -most of whom barely pass the finale "tests" - and anyone who consequently jumps to their death might be classified as "mad". Leontyne Price is splendid in this role. Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has recorded the role of Cavaradossi several times and filmed it as well. In this, his first recorded essay, he is a bit less comfortable above the stave than later in his career. His voice - dark, mellifluously beautiful, and strong in the middle & lower end - sometimes constricts and loses vocal sheen in high forte passages, causing him to'scoop' to reach the some of the climactic notes("Recondita.." & "Vittoria!"). Elsewhere, Mr. Domingo sings gloriously. The intensely passionate and soulful quality he infuses "E lucevan le stelle" with ( sung incomparably), then followed, in turn, by a tenderly-sung "O dolci mani" is ample demonstration of this tenor's stellar artistry. His painter is sophisticated, ardent, and committed, making his duets with Tosca, and 'torture' uncommonly stirring. Mr. Domingo is an exemplary Cavaradossi overall. Sherrill Milnes's Baron Scarpia is more problematic, in one of the most challenging roles in the Baritone repertory. His voice is robust enough to meet the out-sized vocal demands of singing the Baron Scarpia. However, Mr. Milnes' vocal range, usually one of his chief glories, seems restricted at both ends here , and he employs an extroverted singing style that's sneer-infested, unsubtle, and, with notable exceptions, almost alien to beautiful tone. Dramatically,he's a more youthful Scarpia than is usually heard and,as noted by previous reviewers, his charaterization/style is valid. However, while suitable for the opera, its also monotonous, tiresome, & without sufficient charm or grace to balance his portrayal. His overt machismo is so over-pronounced as to render this usually exciting artist dull! Mr. Milnes' upper voice is unusually tight, with suspect pitch, & colorless. The middle voice is more impressive and seductive, with resonance & warmth suffusing Act I's "Te Deum" and Act II's "Tosca e un buon falco" -and beauty of tone. The role's lower-lying music (when actually sung) is inadequate, sung with a hollow tone. Mr. Milnes' contributions to this recording, while interpretively debatable, are vocally assured and often thrilling, do not significantly detract from, and certainly do not derail this performance from its propulsive course. The sonics are vivid, spacious, and distortion-free. This "Tosca" is truly one of the GRANDEST performances on CD, with Leontyne Price and Zubin Mehta leading the parade. Wow!!!!
This re-mastered performance is sonically more pointed than the previous analog incarnation, and the voices seem more forward than before, while the climaxes benefit from the additional spaciousness offered by this new technology.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
UNA TOSCA EXTRAORDINARIA, November 25, 2008
This review is from: Puccini: Tosca (Audio CD)
Considero que esta es un gloriosa interpretación de TOSCA, Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo y Sherrill Milnes, realmente brillan, la dirección de Metha es soberbia. Es una interpretación que me subyuga siempre la quiero oír una y otra vez.
No obstante que mi versión favorita es la de María Callas con Victor de Sabata, esta de Mehta la escucho con mucho mas frecuencia, es una interpretación que nos enamora.
El sonido de esta nueva edición es excelente mejor que la primera edicion en CD. La presentación del álbum es elegante (sin libretto).
Cualquiera que ame esta Opera quedará cautivado con esta hermosa versión.
No dude cómprela y dispóngase a GOZAR!
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3.0 out of 5 stars
not as good as Price's earlier Tosca, November 21, 2010
This review is from: Puccini: Tosca (Audio CD)
It is often said that the success of any opera performance is only as good as its conductor. With an unsatisfactory conductor it is still possible to have brilliant individual performances, but the overall production will always leave something to be desired.
Such is the case with this recording of Tosca. Although I have always thought Zubin Mehta a decent conductor but (and this will probably get me 'hate mail') never an exceptional conductor. In this recording, the tempos are acceptable, but is, in my opinion, lackluster and has little sparkle.
As an ardent, devoted fan of Leontyne Price, I purchased this recording because I was interested to compare her more mature voice sing to her earlier interpretation under Karajan. Her voice is noticeably darker, 'though still characteristically brilliant and well placed. She has a few exciting moments in Act I but in Act 2 does some 'swooping' and often depends on screaming to achieve dramatic effect (most notably 'questo e il baccio di Tosca!). Puccini wrote 'E avanti a lui tremava tutta Roma' to be sung on a single pitch. Some sopranos sing this, others speak it. In her first recording, Price sings it and the effect is chilling. In this recording she speaks it and the chill is gone. For the most part, I found Price's older Tosca to be interesting, but not as convincing as her younger one. Tosca is, after all, all heart and no brain.
Domingo sings a credible Cavaradossi but, again my opinion, not exceptional. At the beginning of his career Domingo was tremendous, but I found his early flawless style to be short lived. As tenors age, they often develop a habit of 'screaming' and swooping up to a note rather than attacking it directly. The danger of swooping is that a singer is likely to stop just short of the correct pitch and sing flat. In live performances I have heard an older Domingo do a lot of 'screaming' and sing some flat notes. In this Domingo stays on pitch despite some swooping, though I'll bet it required numerous takes. Domingo is now singing baritone roles which I find more satisfying....pity he didn't choose to sing baritone years ago.
Milnes' Scarpia is long on pretty and short on menacing. The name Scarpia sounds like 'scorpion' and should be performed as such. On film, Milnes, no doubt in an effort to do something different, played this role like a hot, sexy, hunk straight out of a Playgirl centerfold and the opera's credibility suffers terribly for it. What woman would ever be repelled by such a dynamo in favor of a short, pudgy tenor?
Spoletta is a short role but an important one. As an extension of Scarpia, he carries out Scarpia's will and must come across with strength and authority. Francis Egerton could have been a fine Spoletta, but here he comes off bland and forgettable.
In short, if one has the choice between this Tosca and Leontyne Price's earlier one, this Tosca is better left on the shelf.
Please see my fully illustrated libretto of Madama Butterfly on Amazon The Fully Illustrated Libretto of Puccini's Madama Butterfly (Madam Butterfly or Madame Butterfly) (Graphic Novel) (Illustrated Opera Librettos and Graphic Novels, Volume 1)
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