magnum “forza”
La Cieca is delighted to present, by special arrangement with VAI, the legendary “New Orleans Forza” as the latest installment of Unnatural Acts of Opera. This live performance was recorded in March of 1953 and stars Zinka Milanov, Mario del Monaco and Leonard Warren. You can hear the first act after the jump. La forza del destino (Verdi) Part 1
This podcast is based on VAI AUDIO CD 1252-3, which is available from amazon.com
The New Orleans Opera Archives on VAI is an excellent series. This is one of the stand-outs.
Tremendous performance. Del Monaco was always a more interesting, nuanced and sometimes even subtle singer in live performances than the bawling shouter of the recordings, thrilling though many of them are. The only thing to complain about in this performance is that the MET/Stiedry “edition” (read: hack job) had been imported to New Orleans for the occasion. Otherwise, really great stuff.
Could someone post the complete cast of this performance please?
Leonora: Zinka Milanov
Don Alvaro: Mario del Monaco
Don Carlo: Leonard Warren
Padre Guardiano: William Wilderman
Preziosilla: Claramae Turner
Marquis of Calatrava: Norman Treigle
Fra Melitone: Gerhard Pechner
Curra: Rosemary Rotolo
A Surgeon: Donald Bernard
A Begger Woman: Lydia Neuman
(took ten seconds on google, just sayin’…)
Complete information on all Unnatural Acts of Opera may be found on the podcast page.
Not a patch on what one heard on Shaftesbury Avenue in 1980:
Leonora: Jo Bartsow
Don Alvaro: Derek Blackwell
Don Carlo: Neil Howlett
Padre Guardiano: Richard Van Allan
Preziosilla: Cynthia Buchan
Fra Melitone:Derek Hammond-Stroud
Hon, Wakefield, Your Grace, thank you! I don’t know when I have laughed so hard!! Actually, of the singers listed Derek Hammond-Stroud was quite excellent — a definitive von Faninal, and untouchable in Gilbert & Sullivan.
I’ll bet Verdi was proud. Let see, was it sun in English I suppose?
sun = sung
Oh, Vicar of Wakefield, how can we forgive ourselves that we missed Barstow singing ‘Parch -J, Parch -J’ in that awfully wonderful stilted way of hers. As for that dashing ‘Derek’ you mention , you know he must have been a world household name on everybody’s lips, since you mention him!. The whole thing I am sure as memorable as a recent radio broadcast I heard of old John Tomlinson doing a ‘fully terminal’ Hans Sach at Covent Garden under Haitink. His Act 3 was hilarious and tragic. I thought he should have been doubling up as a hammy over the top Beckmesser. Ah ‘quality singing’, ay Vicar! Tomato Time at Curtain Call!
I think the conductor of Barstow’s 1980 Forza was one John Mauceri. Eeek.
Where he now?
Harry, it wouldn’t have been ‘Parch-J, Parch-J’ at the Coli, it would have been some vague English equivalent, probably ‘Pardon, Pardon’. I actually saw Dame Jo’s Amelia (in Italian) at Salzburg, about which I remember nothing, I’m afraid. It was the series in which Solti substituted for the recently deceased HvK.
10. What nonsense. The conductor was Our Own Howard Williams.
How nice of the powers that be at VAI to let our omniscient Cieca present this recordng here. Thanks Ernie & Co.
Santo nome di Dio! I’m very impressed with the Padre Guardiano! What a nice, buzzy, black bass! William Wilderman?? I had barely heard of him except as Sam in a Met video of Ballo, but I’ll be sure to remember him now.
How silly of them to have done it on Shaftesbury Avenue. Nobody in the Coliseum will have been able to hear them from so far away.
Thanks for posting! Milanov is such a powerhouse!
Wilderman was a very good bass who never quite got to be a star. In the US at least. His Daland was excellent.
I got to chat with him a couple of times in the late 70’s and he was perplexed at the Met casting him as Sam for the next season. He was to be paid his usual fee so it was fine with him. He saw it as another example of Schyler Chapin’s idiocy.
Will, re #2, as La Cieca says this was indeed a “magnum” Forza. Considering the cuts, not a “magnum XL”, though…
(Post July 4 attempt at humor)
This recording is available from Berkshire on G.O.P. for $3.98.
William Wildermann, who I first ran across in that same Met Ballo with Pavarotti, Ricciarelli, Quilico, Berini and Blegen, sang some major (and not so major) Verdi bass roles in Buenos Aires in the 60’s. There are some recordings around of his Guardiano and his Fiesco. He also sang the Grand Inquisitor and, if I’m not mistaken, Sparafucile.
A 1979 Met performance of Don Carlo featured a very scary Wildermann as the Grand Inquisitor. Never saw him again but never have forgotten him. Guess that old truism about there being no small roles is correct in this instance.