Customer Reviews

Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan

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

 

 

There are two recordings of Ballo with Callas, one is live (Also available on Amazon) and the other is this studio-recording. The cast is almost the same, only on the live-recording Bastianini sang the part of Renato. Both are amazing, I slightly prefer the live-recording though because Callas&di Stefano were at their very best then.

Well, this recording dates back to 1956 and is the last studio recording that Callas made with di Stefano (their relationships were getting worse and they didn't collaborate again until 1973!!). Although they were not in very good terms, this fact does not appear at all in this recording. Their love duet in the second act is magnificently sung both artistically and dramatically.
Callas is in quite in good voice here and sings the role of Amelia with conviction. We really sympathize with her in her pleadings to see for the last time her son and in her agony about the proximent death of the Count.
But most of all I admire Gobbi interpretation of Renato. He is a wonderful actor. At first, he is nice, good, cares a lot about his friend's life and all these can be heard. But, when he discovers his wife with his best friend, jealousy bursts in him and fury overtakes him. His voice becomes menacing full of anger. But in the end, when he learns the whole truth, his voice is filled with remorse and pity. WOW!
So, this recording is higly recommended. We have 3 wonderful voices and 2 more than wonderful actors.

It's hard to understand how such a mediocre conductor like Antonino Votto got these important recordings in an era when Mitropoulous, Szell, Reiner, Fricsay, Walter and Gavazzeni were all active and available. Votto's conducting is good routine, but Maria Callas and Giuseppe Di Stefano have to conduct themselves. The two greatest singers of the Century sing like gods, sparking fireworks just like no one else. Tito Gobbi brings insights to the role of Renato, but this role needs a different kind of singer, a baritono-cantante like Ettore Bastianini or Renato Bruson. Gobbi nevertheless, is as usual, a very great artist. This Ballo for ever will be the greatest recording of this opera, if only Claudio Abbado could have conducted it.

I prefer this to the much vaunted alternative live recording from the following year featuring Bastianini rather than Gobbi; I do not think the added electricity of that live performance outweighs the pleasure derived from hearing the opera in the clear sound of the studio version. Dramatically there really isn't that much difference. All three principals, although impassioned and vivid in their acting, evince their usual vocal flaws: Callas mixes velvety tone and trenchant lower register with some strident top notes, Gobbi also strains on top, Di Stefano often sounds sharp and he yelps a bit. The best all round performance is the Leinsdorf with Price, Bergonzi and Merrill, the latter bringing a subtlety to his performance which he did not always strive to apply - and he simply has the better Verdi voice, for all Gobbi's artistry. Price is often as magnificent as Callas with her smoky, soaring spinto and Bergonzi is much more at ease with Riccardo's yearning phrases. - and the lighter, more humorous sections of the score.
I still want to own the Votto for Callas' unique plangency and psychological insight but the Leinsdorf remains the best choice for the collector - especially as Verrett, too, is more characterful and has a more integrated voice than the stentorian Barbieri as Ulrica.

La Divina has done it again. She brings the tragic heroine Amelia to life. This is a role that has so much possibilities for a great singing actress, and Callas takes advantage of every opportunity. Another triumph for the Queen of opera.

To discover why Callas is still the greatest Verdi-soprano to this day this Ballo in addition to her sublime Traviata (Also available on EMI) is a perfect start. Callas only sang one run of Amelias at La Scala and since a live-performance also exists it's interesting to compare the two. She shines in Amelia's aria before the GLORIOUS love-duet. Has there ever been a more beautiful, more colourful Amelia than this one? I doubt it. And I have heard Tebaldi, Milanov and Caballe. Di Stefano and Callas create magic in the ardent love duet. Listen how Callas spins the phrase "Si! T'AMO!" Unbelieveable! Tito Gobbi portrays the wronged Renato as exquisitely as he did Scarpia and Falstaff. One of his best roles. You want a great Ballo with the best cast in good sound? Get this one and be enchanted!

This Ballo has been regarded, by many, as the best commercially available Ballo. Votto has chosen the well-tried formula of Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi and Barbieri. To me the set's strengths and weaknesses are similar to the Callas EMI Il Trovatore recording although here I find Di Stefano more bearable for the role of Riccardo than Manrico. Returning to Callas, her Amelia is exciting and mysterious. Her unique "mezza notte" outburst in the first big aria always drives me crazy. I do sometimes miss the spinto voice and grand manner that Tebaldi (more evident in her first recording of the opera's arias) and Price have. However, Callas here is unforgettable, making me regard this as one of her best performances on disc. If only she had focused more on Verdi and especially early Verdi (Macbeth, Nabucco etc) and avoided Puccini.

Di Stefano is again, as in Il Trovatore, somewhat miscast. Fortunately, here he does not have to sing the high notes Manrico requires. Despite quite a few shouting moments, he is generally acceptable, although any comparison to the one-and-only Carlo Bergonzi (NOT TO BE MISSED) or Pavarotti in the early decca recording is fatal for Di Stefano. Just listen to what Bergonzi does with the laughing scene...and then listen to Di Stefano...a world of difference! Equally important as the tenor in this opera is the baritone and Gobbi is fine indeed. Sure, he pushes it too far sometimes and shouts but there are not many who gave so much life to the wonderful character of Renato. Merril on the RCA set gives vocally a much better performance but still Gobbi is good. I also liked Barbieri's Ulrica but Verrett is more convincing. Ratti good, if a bit shrill at times. Votto, if not Serafin, remains a credible conductor.

In general, a great Ballo recording that stands out because of Callas and Gobbi. I do find it unacceptable that in '56, EMI still had mono recordings but anyway(decca had stereo in '53)! The RCA with the dream cast Bergonzi, Price, Merrill and Verrett contains supreme singing. The Decca Tebaldi - Pavarotti (Tebaldi's last recorded opera) and DG Doming-Ricciarelli also have their fans.

The reviewer from Sandiego shouldn't be taken seriously. Just read how unmusical his reviews are. Just insults and no substance whatsoever. Forget about him and enjoy this amazing recording of "Un ballo in maschera". Musically there is only one Leonora who can be compared to Callas and that is not Price but Milanov. (The stunning Amelia on the live-recording with Björling) Di Stefano and Gobbi are both in brilliant form and Votto conducts superbly. I doubt that this San Diego person ever heard this Ballo. If he had he'd know how sublime it is or he might be able to give musical examples. Callas sounds aristocratic and noble as Amelia, just listen to her "Morro ma prima in grazia" or her touching singing in the finale. Two thumbs up!!

Apart from being heavily filtered and losing the "bloom" of the original recording that was nicely captured in the first CD re-issuse, there is music missing from this issue. A brief but IMPORTANT omission.

There should be 3 fortissimo chords beginning Act1, scene 2 (Ulrica's den, track 10). Unfortunately here there are only 2 chords. This may seem persnickety, but in fact to this or any "Ballo" lover it will be very unsettling, when one knows this opera thoroughly and has been listening to this or any other recording of same opera for 30 of 40 years, one knows bodily, instinctually, to expect those 3 FATEFUL chords before the cellos intone their ominous lament.

EMI has inadvertently cut off the opening 1 of the 3 chords. Alas. Has this error been fixed?

Callas excellent for the role, but the recording is destroyed by poor orchestral performance.
Also, the original recording was in Stereo and i don't know why EMI turned these recordings to Mono when they were released as CD's.
Stereo gave a much more natural feeling.