Which Puritani: discuss.
La Cieca has finally found a way to harness the massive intellectual prowess of her commenters for what she hopes is a good and peaceful purpose. From time to time she is asked for recommendations on, well, this and that, and she's realized that you, cher public represent an paralleled resource for advising, counselling and general kibitzing. Our first question for the group: what's your recommendation for a recording of I puritani? "A.R." writes:
The frisson that Anna Netrebko created at Met recently piqued my interest in the work again- but I find myself dissatisfied with the array of recordings available. Joan I’d have to quickly count out- a lot of the time it sounds like she’s singing the phone book. Not a Bonynge fan either. Ditto La Sills- I just don’t like the timbre of her voice. I own the Caballe/Kraus recording and enjoy it- even without most of the high notes and no trill from Montsy. Despite that she always wins me over and Kraus makes a good fist of Arturo- I don’t understand the negative crits he got for this recording. When are people going to realise that the high D’s and high F were not meant to be sung full voice- I feel sure they were supposed to be sung in head voice- esp as Arturo is at his most miserable when these notes pop up.
Devia is good, albeit a little colourless. Mateuzzi has the high notes- shame everything under a G is flat, flat, flat. Have you heard the Freni/Pav recordings? I’m interested to hear them. I also have the Callas recording- but I can’t BEAR Di Stefano- too much scooping and painful open high notes. Is there a fabulous recording I’ve missed? If only La Scotto had done it- she would have been ideal. (I too am a Scotto worshipper!)
Any suggestions greatly appreciated!
Labels: bel canto, caballe, callas, cher public, discuss, met
POSTED at
8:12 PM
22 Comments:
If you can stand the sound of live recordings, then I would suggest the sutherland/raimondi/serafin from '61 or the later freni/pav ones. Though I don't think the later sutherland studio recording should be overlooked, it is a wonderfully grand interpretation and full of feeling too. Something about the callas recording bothers me, but i'm not sure what. The Sills philly one featured by La Cieca is another great live one.
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My choice for Puritani, A work I don't care for by the way, is probably the live Sutherland-Serafin recording. But I also enjoy the Studio recordings by Serafin, Bonynge and Muti for Callas, Pavarotti and Kraus alone.
Puritani is not my opera of choice, but I can talk for Hours about the different recordings of HOFFMANN. If we do this again, La Cieca, might I suggest that one as a worthy topic?
I'd say:
Serafin-Callas recording studio, I adore what Callas does in "Vieni al Tempio" and in the "Madness Scene".
I love Joan not only for bringing back the "Ah sento o mio bel'angelo" but the belcanto line is close to perfection in all her scenes.
I was never a big fan of Sills, but Gedda's Arturo is superb as is Kraus in the Muti set.
To resume, I'd go for both Serafin sets: Callas on studio and Sutherland live.
About DVDs and recent performances: Last week I bought Gruberovas DVD of Puritani recorded in Barcelona in 2001 and I was so disappointed! She was not in good voice that night and F. Haider's conducting was very monotonous.
Still, I was in NY last year and I attended to a great Puritani at the Caramoor Festival. Will Crutchfield's version was exciting as was the singing of Barry Banks and Sumi Jo. Crutchfields cadenze were extreme difficult and the singers gave their best (D-flats, D, E-flats and F included) and succeded in giving a top performancce (I think that I have never heard live a more exciting version of "Son vergine").
I also have the Callas recording- but I can’t BEAR Di Stefano- too much scooping and painful open high notes
Oh the irony of someone mentioning that woman and then complaining about the technique of another singer.
If someone asked my recommendation for I Puritani I'd tell them to not waste a nanosecond on bel canto nonsense and then recommend listening to something with musical substance and a good libretto, say, the Boulez recording of Lulu.
The Sutherland studio recordings of I Puritani do not represent her at her best. If you want to hear how amazing the score can be, then please listen to the live recording of Sutherland and Gedda from Philadelphia 1963. It is without question one of the greatest moments of bel canto singing ever captured. The final duet is absolutely staggering, never bettered. As an alternative recommendation, there are several good live recordings featuring Bonfadelli (fruity mezzoish sound with massive E-Flats), Orgonasova, Suzanne Murphy and many many more. For me personally the Caballe recording is probably the worst that is available, and its not just because it is sans high notes. She also has no trill and poorly articulated coloratura. Surely this is a serious flaw when singing in such a work? Sills is a great interpreter, albeit the tone is not one I enjoy, but I often find her at her best live, rather than in the studio. As for the truly ghastly Netrebko, the least said the better! Devia is wonderful, and the live perfomances conducted by Bonynge especially good. Another singer whom I would recommend you investigate is Elena Mosuc. She has sung the role of Elvira many times, and to some acclaim. Great sense of line, beautiful effortless high notes and marvellous characterisation. She recently had a stunning success as Anna Bolena....easily, in my opinion, the best since Callas.
Agreed! The 1963 Sutherland/Gedda is really the best! Although I have a soft spot for the 1972 Sills/Pav live recording. Pav at his best!
The Live '61 Sutherland/Serafin recording- hands and pants down. The "Vieni fra le braccia" duet will astound you!
I love very much an highlights CD Kraus-Sutherland, San Francisco, 1966
Try the Deutekom/Gedda/Mutti recording (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, 1970).
My fave would have to be the one with Callas and Corelli where they sing Norma instead.
When in doubt, always go for the Sutherland recording. Not only was Bonynge a stickler for presenting complete scores, but the supporting cast was always made excellent to stand next to La Stupenda. I prefer Pierre Duval over Pavarotti for this one.
Puritani is a succession of not very well connected show pieces but who better than Sutherland to deliver them? If I'm in the mood to take the subway instead of flying first class, however, I put on the Callas recording which I have on vinyl, or Freni, or the Gruberova one for quick thrills.
Maury, I'm pretty sure I'm *in love* with you
The live Maliponte and Kraus set is very exciting. She stops at high D, but none of teh E flats are written, so...
I don'r hear Matteuzzi continually flatting, btw. I enjoy him and Devia, though she was even better live at OONY.
Awfully glad that I love both LULU and PURITANI. Some people should get over themselves.
Callas offers some very moving singing as Elvira. And her descending scales in the mad scene cabaletta are flawless and silky. However, the quality of her voice at that time was a bit thick and not as vulnerable sounding as for example her live recordings of Sonnambula in '55 and '57. The Sills/Pavarotti performance from Philly is terrific.
That Sutherland/Gedda live recording sounds really delectable.
Getting away from the Elviras for a second, which recording has the best Suone la Tromba?
Well I am going to have to find this Sutherland/Gedda and this Deutekom/Gedda recording that Ciro has talked about! What label is that on Ciro??
Personally, I ADORE Puritani and I would venture to say that some of the best recordings that exist are lives ones. However, I would suggest the following for certain merits or others: The Sills/Gedda recording with Rudel, I believe is conducting...the live Deutekom/Kraus which is simply astounding. There are tons of cuts, sadly, but the singing is truly magnificent!! I would say that the Gruberova/Bros recording is a decent one - at least for Grubby - Bros I can live without, although Edita has said that she thinks he is one of the greatest living tenors, which is why she constantly requests to work with him (info from a bass I have sung with who has sung several times with her). I would also say that if one is able to find it, the Met broadcast of Puritani with June Anderson is also extraordinary - and I can't imagine a recording of Devia's ever being boring or uninteresting!
Hello to all -
ITDCS: I agree 100% concerning Devia. She is miraculous as Elvira. I also agree that the very best Puritani recordings are the live ones. There are at least 7 or 8 that I know of with Devia - all different, all fascinating. She is one of the few artists today who consistently and interestingly changes her ornaments. It always irritated me that Sutherland used virtually the SAME ornaments per role from the beginning of her career to the end. Others then took them up and imitated them (June Anderson, for example). Devia, and to a slightly lesser extent, Gruberova, freshens up her ornaments constantly, making for great listening experiences every time. Probably my favorite Devia Elvira is the aforementioned Carnegie Hall performance with the excellent (at that time) Gregory Kunde. I would avoid Bonfadelli (mentioned by another poster), who has serious technical limitations and a hooty sound throughout most of her range.
I've not heard as many recordings as previous commentors have, but of the ones I know I will take the Sills/Gedda. The Callas is iconic but I can stand neither the brutal cuts nor the wolly, wobbly, unfocused work of Rossi-Lemeni; just where DID that reputation come from?
Understanding that most of the high notes in Elvira's music weren't ever written by the composer, my dream Puritani would have been performed/recorded
around 1951 with Victoria de los Angeles, Nicolai Gedda, Renato Cappechi and Cesare Siepi.
Rossi-Lemeni's reputation was well founded- he was an extraordinary actor and presence on stage, but suffered liked many of the generation of young Italian talent emerging post WW2 from being pushed in to dramatic roles far too soon, so sometimes the instrument is variable in quality. His Enrico in Anna Bolena is remerkable for textual declamation and less admirable for it's lack of sustaining quality, the voice was not a real bass instrument and suffered accordingly. For me, he is an Italian equivalent to Hans Hotter, an extremely idiosyncratic voice whose timbre is hardly to everyone's taste, but has many corresponding artistic virtues to compensate.
It's on Great Opera Performances, Tenore di Coloratura Superba.
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