Details

Field of Interest

Classical Music

Composer

Giacomo Puccini, 1858-1924

Conductor

Victor De Sabata, 1892-1967

Content Type

Music recording

Duration

1 hour 52 mins

Recording Engineer

Robert Beckett

Ensemble

Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala

Format

Audio

Sub Genre

Opera

Label

Warner Music

Performer

Giuseppe di Stefano, Maria Callas, 1923-1977, Tito Gobbi, 1913-1984

UPC (Physical)

724355630421

Producer

Walter Legge

Date Recorded

1953

Release Date

2005-11-28

Review

EMI's 1980 recording of Tosca has many strengths, not the least of which is the brilliant and incisive conducting of James Levine. He leads the Philharmonia Orchestra in a stellar performance that allows details of orchestration to emerge with great clarity. His emphasis on the score's many dramatic contrasts and mercurial moods highlights the opera's character as a psychological thriller, and his rhythmic suppleness give it a surging romantic power. Plácido Domingo is a refined but passionate {%Cavaradossi}. He was at the height of his powers when the recording was made, and his top is thrillingly ringing. Renato Bruson's {%Scarpia} is strong, but his voice lacks the unctuous darkness that makes for a truly frightening portrayal of evil. As {%Tosca}, Renata Scotto was past her prime when the recording was made, and she is occasionally betrayed by a wobble. A somewhat older {%Tosca}, however, is a reasonable dramatic conceit, and the fact that her character is so often enraged makes Scotto's lack of absolute control in the more fiery passages forgivable. In "Vissi d'arte," her moment of relatively quiet reflection, Scotto is highly effective; she fully exploits her gifts in portraying a sympathetic victim that make her 1966 Madama Butterfly so extraordinary. A listener's response to Scotto's {%Tosca} will probably hinge on the acceptance of her occasional lack of vocal control as an expression of her temperament and her emotional distress. The smaller roles are vividly characterized by singers with consistently strong voices; in particular, Andrea Velis' {%Spoletta} is deliciously unpleasant. This might not be the first choice for the listener looking for only one version of the opera, since Bruson's {%Scarpia} doesn't fully exploit the character's malevolence, and Scotto's {%Tosca} is not always lyrically sumptuous, but Domingo's performance, the fine supporting cast, and Levine's illuminating reading make this a version that should be of interest to Puccini enthusiasts. ~ Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

Subject

Classical Music, Music & Performing Arts, Romantic, Romanticismo, Romantica, Romantic

Keywords and Translated Subjects

Romanticismo, Romantica