Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera

Giuseppe Verdi (Composer), Walter Herbert (Conductor), New Orleans Opera Orchestra (Orchestra), Audrey Schuh (Performer), George Berger (Performer), Henri Feux (Performer), Jack Dabdoub (Performer), Jussi Björling (Performer), Marko Rothmuller (Performer), Martha Larrimore (Performer), Norman Treigle (Performer), Susan Rode Morris (Performer), Suzy Morris (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Audrey Schuh, George Berger, Henri Feux, Jack Dabdoub, Jussi Björling, et al.
• Orchestra: New Orleans Opera Orchestra
• Conductor: Walter Herbert
• Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
• Audio CD (November 30, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Video Artists Int'l
• ASIN: B00000C2C6
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,212 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: Prelude; Posa in pace, a' bei sogni ristora

2. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: S'avanza il Conte

3. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: La rivedra nell'estasi

4. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: Il cenno mio di la con essi attendi

5. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: Alla vita che t'arride

6. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: Il primo giudice - S'avanzi ... Volta la terrea fronte

7. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 1: Ogni cura si doni al diletto

8. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 2: Prelude; Zitti, l'incanto non dessi turbare ... Re dell'abisso, affrettati

9. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 2: Arrivo il primo! ... E lui! e Lui!

10. Un ballo in maschera: Act 1, Scene 2: Su, fatemi largo, saper vo il mio fato

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Un ballo in maschera: Act 2: Ahime! s'appressa alcun!

2. Un ballo in maschera: Act 2: Odi tu come fremono cupi

3. Un ballo in maschera: Act 2: Seguitemi - (Mio Dio!)

4. Un ballo in maschera: Act 2: Il suo fido!

5. Un ballo in maschera: Act 2: Ve' se di notte

6. Un ballo in maschera: Act 3, Scene 1: A tal colpa e nulla il pianto

7. Un ballo in maschera: Act 3, Scene 1: Morro, ma prima in grazia

8. Un ballo in maschera: Act 3, Scene 1: Alzati! la tuo figlio ... Eri tu

9. Un ballo in maschera: Act 3, Scene 1: Siam soli. Udite.

10. Un ballo in maschera: Act 3, Scene 1: Dunque l'onta di tutti sol uno

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This performance, recorded live in New Orleans in April 1950, is notable only for the presence in the cast of the great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling. He sang the role of Riccardo often--Stockholm, La Scala, the Met, and elsewhere--and even coached with Toscanini in 1953 for a performance that was aborted, but he never recorded the opera commercially. Here he is in excellent voice, manly, fluent, and lyrical, especially effective in "Di' tu se fedele" in Act I, with an interpolated high B, and in "Si, rivederti, Amelia" in Act II, with an unexpected and brilliant interpolated high C. Except for the strong baritone of Marko Rothmüller as Renato, the rest of the cast (including Suzy Morris as Amelia and Audrey Schuh as Oscar) is nowhere near his level, and Walter Herbert leading the New Orleans Opera Orchestra and Chorus is no more than adequate. Bits of the performance are missing, and the sound varies from poor to wretched. This release will be valuable to Björling fans but offers little to anyone else. --Alex Morin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bjorling fans will relish this, February 5, 2003

By 

Sue Walter (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera (Audio CD)

I did not know that he sang the Masked Ball, let alone that anyone recorded it until a couple of months ago. This recording is a real treat. True, it has flaws. There are 4 1/2 minutes of static and the other singers are not so hot although they are adequate. But Bjorling comes through clear and silvery and lovely as ever and those who love the great voice will delight in this new and unexpected treat. Imagine a whole new opera with Bjorling after 50 years! Especially such a great tenor opera.