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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Grandest Grand Opera Tosca..., May 28, 2002
Is there a version of this dramatic score out there sung by a more sumptuous trio of stars? And even the Sacristan here is sung by Fernando Corena, a rich voiced bass in his own right. Tebaldi has the right mixture of flame and beauty to bring this role alive for me. Her voice sizzles with emotion, whether it's love for Mario Cavaradossi, jealousy for Atavanti, or hatred for Scarpia. This is a role meant for grand effects. Think about it! Tosca causes the deaths of all the main characters, plus Angelotti! Angelotti dies first, after she betrays his location. Then, she kills Scarpia directly, stabbing him to death. I admit he deserves it, but still! Then Mario dies, also a victim of her treacherous jealousy. `Tosca buon falco!' says Scarpia at the start of Act 2. Tosca is the falcon that hunts down his prey. She does his work for him. Then she kills herself when she's caught by Scarpia's officers. And this all in one day! I do have sympathy for her plight, which makes me able to understand her up to a point. What counts here is how much Mario loves her. Their music together sizzles with passion and love. What Tebaldi and Del Monaco do in the Act 1 love duet is worth the price of the entire set. Mario del Monaco's only vocal rival in Tosca, that I can think of, is Franco Corelli. (We are talking about size, passion, and richness of voice here. Di Stefano and Bjorling are two of my favorite Cavaradossi's, but both of them together wouldn't be a patch on del Monaco's giant instrument. Lyrically, they are superior.) The role abounds with many grand emotional opportunities, and you'd better believe del Monaco takes full advantage of them. His shout of hatred for Scarpia, when talking with Angelotti, makes me fear for Scarpia's life, villain though
he is. Del Monaco sings with vocal variety here, getting into the role of Mario Cavaradossi like a great matador, putting on his suit of lights. This is a masterful interpretation, brimming with humanity and passion. And speaking of passion... and INHUMANITY- there is Vitellio Scarpia, here brought to frightening life by George London, in his pantherish prime. All the suave elegance is here, as well as the oily hypocrisy, and the sheer, brutal dominating power of a man who holds an entire city in an iron grip. This is not a Scarpia where you wonder WHY Rome feared him. Listen to the times when Scarpia loses his temper- this happens many times(Scarpia is not a patient man!)- and KNOW why. George London not only was loud- of all the complete recorded Scarpias, I think Cesare Bardelli is the only serious rival- his brutality is sharply conveyed, straight into the listener's soul. In those moments, London's voice is the thunderous crack of a bullwhip. And yet... there is the unctuous concern for Tosca, when he fans the flames of her jealousy. (Forgive the pun! I could not help myself!) To my ears, these people, Angelotti and the Sacristan included- are not playing their parts- they ARE these characters. As for the conducting, the orchestra, and the choral work-for me, Molinari-Pradelli does a masterful job. I cannot understand why this version is not rated higher by many more opera fans. This performance sizzles. As I said, EVERYONE here seems to be into their characters. The sound is lush; rich and powerful, but crystal clear. As is usual, Decca's technicians did themselves proud. If you love Maria Callas' masterful Tosca, especially in the legendary De Sabata recording, with the great Tito Gobbi and Giuseppi di Stefano, then this recording is also well worth the money and the time. Extremely well worth it!
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