Customer Reviews

Puccini: Tosca

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This is the Tosca. The orchestra is what makes this set so awesome. Karajan alternates between driving and charging the music with power and skillfully extracting the emotions and subtleties of the score. Translation: the big parts are big, grand, and powerful----the emotional parts are transparent, aching, and beautiful. The singing is top notch. Although Di Stefano was starting to decline a bit, he still offers a wonderful role. Ms. Price is incredible. The drama, singing, and beauty she brings to the table effectively fuse with Karajan's style of conducting. The most important thing to me that this set has over the Callas/Di Stefano recording on EMI is the sound. This is in stereo and remastered to sound incredible. The EMI is in mono and although remastered, it isn't able to bring out the orchestral clarity and brilliance that the Karajan recording does. For that reason, it is my obvious first choice.

The two most positive aspects of this recording are the amazing Leontyne Price and the glorious playing and sound of the Vienna Philharmonic. Price is simply stunning and her voice is nimble and fresh and she is completely absorbed in her character. Karajan too is to be credited with sensitive conducting. There are some drawbacks however. Di Stefano, although still a fine Cavaradossi, has really passed his prime and sounds really strained on some higher notes. Taddei also has been better. The earlier Di Stefano with Callas and Gobbi remains my favorite account of this wonderful opera. If you are looking for a cheaper investment, you might try Jose Carreras and Monserrat Caballe with Colin Davis conducting on Phillips Duo series, another fine account.

AT LONG LAST!! The remastered version!!! Much much much better in sound quality than the fragile, glassy CD version before. Now more than ever before we hear Leontyne Price in her full glory!!!!

Flat out, this is one of the 10 recordings you would take with you to a desert island. The only problem would be finding nine others of the same quality. Much has been written about the recording of Maria Callas (deservedly), but as good as her Tosca was, it does not compare to this one. This studio recording was a rare assembling of great artists in their prime. There simply can be no better Tosca than the one Leontyne Price creates in this recording. Price may be the most under valued star soprano in history - her spinto voice range through the Verdi roles with a clarion intensity that seems hard to find any more. She brings that same quality of voice to Tosca. The voice soars over the orchestra and every note is thrilling. Her "Visi d'arte" is a model for others; her confrontation with Scarpia spell binding; and duets with Mario (Giuseppe Di Stefano) almost ethereal.

She is pared with the incomparable Giuseppe Di Stefano - the quintessential Italian tenor of his day. Di Stefano lives this music. While other tenors of the day learned to excel (such as say Corelli or Tucker), Di Stefano was simply born to sing the great Italian roles. The qualities of expression and style and simply innate - they are a natural, not acquired, part of the voice. There simply can be no better pairing in this work.

Had I not heard this recording (and I have quite literally grown up with it since LP days), I would have said that Giuseppe Taddei was the weak link. But his is clearly a case where a perhaps not quite first rate talent rose to great heights and achieved great things. While I will always cherish Tito Gobbi's Scarpia, in this recording, Taddei rises to great heights and achieves a Scarpia of menacing proportions. This is a Scarpia to be reckoned with, both vocally and dramatically.

There simply is no weak link here. The supporting cast lead by Fernando Corena and Piero de Palma are world class; the orchestra playing by the Vienna Philharmonic unsurpassed. And the conductor, Herbert von Karajan - while not your immediate choice of a Puccini conductor - is outstanding.

For my money there are many wonderful Tosca performances with numerous individual portrayals of the heroine?!? There are, however,(2) two essential ones: TOSCA DIVINA,the incomparable Greek-American Maria Callas, and TOSCA REGINA, the glorious African-American Leontyne Price. Both sopranos have recorded the opera twice commercially, with the general concensus being that each one's 'prima' was the best of the (2)two...debatable I know.

DIVINA electrifies with artistic nuances, coupled with dramatic and daring (indeed, heedless) vocalism that no one else will ever duplicate. Such intuitive artistry must not be quarrelled with. I Love it! REGINA revels in a sound so singularly gorgeous, rich, vibrant, and characterful, that it is hard to fault the diminution of the drama DIVINA brings to the role. Ms. Price creates a more subtle, feminine, feline Tosca, who purrs rather than snarls, and who's more fearful than furious when confronted by Scarpia during the 'torture scene', and the scenes that follow. While both divas express their contempt for the Police Chief with relish ("Quanto?..il prezzo?!), Price's Tosca seems more desperate and exhausted while killing Scarpia, contrasted with the exultant and wonderfully malevolent one Callas gives us. Both interpretations are valid, though I could not imagine that scene without Ms. Callas' almost boastful exclamations. "Vissi d'arte" -however unimportant to the drama- is still one of Puccini's most poignant and beautiful arias. Both divas ably express the aria's pathos, but it is Ms. Price who gives one of the most vocally sumptuous readings ever recorded. Certo REGINA!!! Maestro Herbert Von Karajan, whose idiosyncratic musical genius is much evidenced in the Symphonic realm, was also an outstanding Opera conductor as well. He imbues this TOSCA with a lush, colorful, and immediate ambience that allows his singers to find the drama that is individual to their musical selves. His rapport with the justly-famed VPO is obvious by the unbelievable sonorities he elicits from them throughout the opera. That rapport is just as apparent with Leontyne Price, who he championed early in her spectacular career, as she is more than usually alert dramatically in this performance. Sadly, he is unable to resuscitate the 'dying' vocal splendor of the once-great Giuseppe Di Stefano. Blessed early with a marvelous instrument(and heard to much better advantage in the DIVINA performance), the tenor must resort to much hectoring, howling, and hollering to meet the dramatic AND vocal demands of his role. His soft singing, while often lovely and effective,is a blatant croon. Rarely in this performance will you find a real legato from the tenor, which mars both "E lucevan le stelle" and "O dolci mani". However, he is a truly ardent and passionate Cavaradossi,convincing in his duets with Tosca. Baritone Giuseppe Taddei's portrayal of the Baron Scarpia is secure, the interpretation commanding, authorative, largely lacking any subtlety. His vocalism is big, beautiful, and appropriate for the role. Though he has, like DIVINA and REGINA, recorded his role twice, neither version differs much in his approach dramatically. Sonically, this recording is superb, balancing the thrilling horns, opulent-sounding strings, and rumbling timpani of the sublime orchestra with plaintive clarity of the Act III bells or the majestic organ in the "Te Deum". The orchestral playing is unsurpassed on any recording. The comprimarios for the most part, sing with distinction, notably Piero de Palma. At no point during this performance, do Price, Di Stefano, or Taddei fail to generate a palpable chemistry(Von Karajan again perhaps),and collectively exude the excitement of Puccini's "shabby little shocker". The combination of an outstanding Tosca, masterful conductor, and glorious sonorities of the magnificent Vienna Philharmonic orchestra should motivate even the fans of the great Tebaldi(another superior Floria), sublime Caballe, or any number of other Toscas to own and treasure the TOSCA REGINA of Leontyne Price.

This is at least the third CD issue of the Karajan/Price TOSCA, an essential recording for anyone interested in this opera. Although included in the Decca Legends series, this recording was originally issued on LP in the United States by RCA as part of its Soria series. In any case, it's a testament to its calibre that this performance of Puccini's classic has been through so many incarnations.

This particular issue betters the first two by including pertinent commentary on both the opera and recording, a feature especially valuable to the opera initiate. The sound is a little exaggerated in comparison to the last two editions, but this is really a trivial point. No one should be uncertain about purchasing this recording. It's a breath-taking, inspired performance that makes the work live, something that can't be said for every recording of this much-recorded opera. For those who'd like to know a little more about the performance itself, click on my name above. My review of this recording's life as a London "Double-Decker" contains my opinion of the artists involved and their performances.

Very Involving. Fantastic recording. All three; Karajan, Price and Berlin Philharmony make this disc extraordinary.
If you are looking for a good Tosca reording that you can truely enjoy then this is it.

Thanks to Decca Legends, we have another supreme Tosca in this performance recorded in Vienna in 1962. The Stars: Leontyne Price, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei and Fernando Corena. It has been remastered so that it sounds powerfully alive, complete with effect noises like doors opening and shutting, distant voices, church bells and the sound of cannon- noises which figure prominently in Tosca. The strength of this classic recording lies in the outstanding musicianship of conductor Herbert Von Karajan and his Vienna forces and the virtuosic and experienced performances by the principal singers. While a lot has already been discussed about this recording by operaphiles who collect classic albums, one more assessment wouldn't hurt. For one thing, fans of Leontyne Price should opt to own this recording in place of the 1973 Zubin Mehta Tosca with Placido Domingo and Sherill Milnes. In that recording, everything is rushed and sloppy music-wise and Leontyne Price's Italian diction has become noticeably careless and instead she "whoops" through phrases and her voice, though dramatic and diva-esque, is no where near as beautiful and passionate as she sings in this Tosca. After all, in 1962, she was in her best voice, for this was the year she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera. This is her best Tosca hands down for this record captures her in the height of her prime, eventhough her co-stars are going downhill. Karajan championed Leontyne Price while she was in Vienna and she had already sang Leonora in Trovatore to great acclaim opposite Franco Corelli at the Salzburg Festival. His relationship with her as conductor and artist is nicely rendered in the cover photo which captures them in a tender moment of respect and affection. Karajan in 1962, too, was in his musical prime, and his many recording of classical music ranging from Mozart to Wagner attest to his brilliance. He treats Puccini's score with dramatic pizzaz and epic majesty, broad tempi (particularly in the Act 1 Finale) and also with painstaking attention to subtleties and lyrical sensibility in such moments as Tosca and Mario's duets or the themes associated with their love. Karajan would return to conducting the score to Tosca in his later years in the 80's when he contracted Katia Ricciarelli, Jose Carreras and Ruggero Raimondi in another superb performance available on Deutsche Grammophone.

Leontyne Price was in 1962 an experienced opera singer. She had already sung Aida and her first Toscas in the 1950's. One of her Toscas was broadcast on NBC, viewed by many Americans despite protests by racist Southern stations that refused to air it. Tosca was never a challenge for Leontyne, for in the operas of Puccini she found as suitable a vocal vehicle as the operas of Verdi, for whose music she is regarded as the best exponent. For the entire performance on this record she is sensational and luminous. Her voice is appropriately vulnerable but spunky. Listen to the entire scene beginning with "Mario! Mario! Mario!" in which she flies into a jealous rage because she suspects Mario is having a tryst with another woman. She perfectly transitions from a voice that is indeed jealous and spoiled to a voice of genuine love for Mario. When Scarpia sets a trap to provoke her jealousy toward the end of Act 1 using La Attavanti's fan, note how she is torn between heartbreak and vulnerability to a madly jealous and vindictive woman. She is pure passion. Leontyne captures these moments perfectly, even if the Amazon.com editorial reviews claim she pays no attention to Tosca's subtle character traits. She DOES! In Act 2, when Scarpia tortures Mario so that she may reveal Angelotti's hiding place, she is a woman who is pushed into despair and who has been tormented, though the way Price sings it she maintains a noble bearing and majestic dignity. She is even "majestic" when she stabs Scarpia "Questo Il Bacio Di Tosca" and she does not scream or go on a murderous rage as most sopranos do. In Act 3, in her duet with Mario she is sublime. Finally, she cops out in the end when upon discovering that Mario is really dead, she goes a little looney and makes her voice sound pretty cheesy-dramatic. But even with this, I still prefer this Tosca to even Maria Callas' eternally popular 1950's EMI recording.

Yes, Giuseppe Di Stefano in '62 could not knock them dead as he did when he was singing the role of Mario opposite Callas and Tebaldi. Yes, there is, as the Editorial Review states, a crack in the voice as he belts out the duet in the last act. But he is nevertheless a strong performer. His Mario is elegant, idealistic and passionate. His "Ricondita Armonia" and "E Lucevan La Stelle" are well-executed and I find nothing faulty in them. He still has a voice! Note how he exclaims in stentorian fortissimi "Vittoria! Vittoria" in Act 2. So for fans of Di Stefano, this is also a fine recording to add to your collection. He does sound in-synch next to Leontyne, which is a must for Mario-Tosc pairings. Enough said.

Giuseppe Di Stefano, detractors insist, is also singing past his prime and lacks a je ne sai quais in his performance as the sinister, sadistic, lustful and evil Vitellio Scarpia. Nonsense. His voice perfectly encompasses all these villainous traits. Plus, his Scarpia is quite LOUD and ANGRY sounding, which gives Scarpia an edge, a menacing and powerful alpha male quality that is absolutely necessary. To my ears, neither Tito Gobbi, Sherill Milnes, Samuel Ramey or Ruggero Raimondi possess the fine dramatic prowess that Taddei employs for Scarpia. Ramey and Raimondi, especially, sing the role too lyrically with hardly any bite. Listen to how Taddei, in his first lines, shouts: "Un Tal Bacciano in chiesa! Bel Rispetto!". Already, he establishes his commanding quality as Scarpia. Karajan was wise enough to contract basso-buffo Fernando Corena as the comic relief role of the Sacristan. He is hilarious and he even uses falsetto for comic affect. Next to the dark, invective-style voice of Taddei's Scarpia, Corena sounds more like Leporello in Don Giovanni, only far more wimpy. It's such a fine contrast Taddei and Corena and it's even more miraculous when one notices that Taddei had in his own career sang Leporello.

So, please, opera fans, this is the GREATEST TOSCA EVER MADE. Need I SAY MORE ? Look for this recording in stores or buy it a fine price here on Amazon.com. Buy this version. Do not buy the other versions of the same recording which suffer from bad sound equipment and are not digitally remastered.

My very first Tosca was a Saturday evening performance at the Met in 1968. The Met had just moved to Lincoln Center, so the excitement was high and it was my great fortune to be seated in the sixth row center. Even greater was the privilege of seeing Tebaldi and Corelli. The electricity between these two was stuff legends are made of. Giussepe Taddei was the Scarpia, his performance was superb and Fernando Corena was in top form for his definitive portrayal of the Sacristan. Thomas Schippers was the conductor. From the very first ominous chords I was transfixed. All through the opera I could see the sound waves leave the orchestra pit, hit the ceiling of the opera house and shimmer back down into the audience. Corelli, handsome as ever, sang like an angel, Tebaldi, close to the end of her career, still sang well and carried herself like a queen. Her acting was at the level of a Merle Streep. The Te Deum knocked my socks off. In Act 2, I cried with Cavaradossi, wrung my hands in grief for Tosca, hated Scarpia with all my heart and soul and stabbed the air as Tosca did him in. It was the most unforgettable night of my life!
Of the many recordings of Tosca I've heard since, this one comes the closest to duplicating my experience that night at the Met.
Karajan's conducting is unsurpassed. The mighty Stokowski himself could not have done it better. Every time Scarpia's theme is heard it is bloodcurdling and the Te Deum will leave you breathless! His interpretation of Act 2 is nothing short of astonishing; every second grips like a vice! The orchestral sound has been criticized as overwhelming to the point of drowning out the singers. NOT TRUE! The orchestra does NOT drown out the singers, rather, it is an integral part of the performance and transcends being a mere accompaniment. Karajan describes Spoletta's tiptoeing, the terror of the secret door in the wall when it opens, Tosca's desperation, her revulsion of Scarpia's lust, the news of Napoleon's victory hits like a ton of bricks along with Cavaradossi's triumph and hatred for Scarpia, and at the end, when Tosca leaves Scarpia's dead body alone on the stage, the orchestra describes a lingering stench hovering over the corpse. Given the themes of torture, rape, and murder, I find 'overwhelming' to be appropriate. It wouldn't surprise me if the instrumentalists of the Vienna Philharmonic needed a siesta after finishing this! Whew!!
Leontyne Price is in her prime, in top form, and delivers a Tosca that is mesmerizing. A few others who have written reviews of this recording prefer the Callas but I disagree. From a vocal standpoint, Price is light years ahead! I am very familiar with Callas' sound and to be sure, her voice is spellbinding in villainous roles; she freezes you as lady Macbeth, and as Medea one just plain hates her. In order to fully appreciate Callas' remarkable accomplishments, it is imperative to have seen her in a live performance. I never saw her Tosca, but from the photos and film footage I have seen I surmise she must have been riveting! (Being a painter, I make it a strict rule NEVER to paint from photos, but when I saw a photo of her Tosca I felt compelled to make an exception. If the reader is interested, he may examine my painting of Callas' Tosca by going to my website at artbyelguera.com and click on the category 'illustrations') Nevertheless, Price had an unparalleled sense of where to place a sound and coupled with its youthful vitality and brilliance, her voice alone acts the part of Tosca to sheer perfection. Price is young, passionate, jealous, hopelessly in love, frightened, emotional, angry, and innocent...all heart and no brain. To be able to convey all that through the voice alone is indeed a rare gift and her interpretation is definitive!
It has been noted that Di Stefano's voice is past its prime in this recording and is beginning to sound somewhat pushed. I find this only enhances his interpretation of Cavaradossi. Cavaradossi is, after all, older and far more worldly than the naïve and Tosca. Furthermore, Cavaradossi is under a lot of stress!! He is probably behind on his deadline to finish painting the Madonna, he is a known 'Voltarian', actively involved in overthrowing the existing government, and consumed with hatred for Scarpia. Even during the Act I love duet, his mind is more on the hidden Angelotti than on his lover. In Act II his head is put in a vice and his blood spurts everywhere. In the last act love duet, he knows he faces death for the safe conduct Tosca has procured does not fool him. All in all, not the stuff that calls for a sweet, lyrical sound. Di Stefano's voice quality is older, but perfectly on pitch and ever so strong. My jaw drops every time I hear his 'Vittoria, Vittoria', which I consider to be equal to Corelli, who had a reputation for holding high notes far longer than written.
Giuseppe Taddei's Scarpia is bone chilling! His voice is full and round, yet simultaneously dark and evil, convincing as a loathsome villain. Taddei's Scarpia is one that you love to see and hear writhe in agony and die!
Fernando Corena has been criticized for being too funny as the Sacristan, but again I disagree. His basso buffo provides needed comic relief and a great counterpoint to the sadistic Scarpia. Not only is his interpretation of this small role definitive, he has presented an insurmountable problem to all Sacristans that have come after him. I've never seen or heard anyone that comes even close to his unforgettable interpretation.
All in all, for me, the best Tosca ever recorded.
For all those interested, please check out my fully illustrated libretto of Madama Butterfly on AmazonThe Fully Illustrated Libretto of Puccini's Madama Butterfly (Madam Butterfly or Madame Butterfly) (Graphic Novel) (Illustrated Opera Librettos and Graphic Novels, Volume 1)

This recording has always been considered great and probably always will. And yet, we still get reviews like the one from Robert Levine above!

Stefano was not in vocal decline at all; in fact this is generally considered to be one of the high points of his career. It is, without a doubt, a dramatic account rather than an operatic show piece--which is fortunate, because of all of Puccini's operas it is the least lyrical and most dramatic (although that's still pretty lyrical). Price is a good Tosca; I don't think she adds anything to the role (like she did with Aida) but she certainly handles the role well, and is very effective. I happen to think Taddei is the real star of this recording--he's evil through and through. When Tosca kills him at the end of Act 2, it's a really good feeling.

Karajan is such a difficult conductor to nail down. He seems to be thoroughly German/Austrian in his approach to music, and yet his most succesful opera recordings are with Mascagni, Leoncavello and Puccini. I also believe he does better with the Vienna Phil than the Berliner, in spite of the fact it was 'his' orchestra. The orchestra plays with tremendous fury and precision. Of the Karajan/Puccini recordings it is definitely the most succesful, and it highly recommended. This is one of those rare recordings where both the dramatist and the vocal lover can enjoy.