Search - Arrigo Boito, Bruno Bartoletti, Samuel Ramey :: Boito - Mefistofele / Ramey · Dessì · Cupido · Bartoletti

The "Mefistofele" from Hell

Daniel Mitrano | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | 12/03/1999

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The good--Well, Ramey isn't bad. Snarls a bit, but not embarrassing. The bad--Unfortunately, just about everything else is. Cupido as Faust gets booed after 'Dai Campi' and I'm sorry to say I agree with the audience. Dessi is no more than a pretty voice coping with a role that doesn't quite sound right for her. Bartoletti tries to keep the massive forces under control and succeeds at times, but interpretation only comes in fits and starts. The sound is shallow, dry, and not expansive enough in this live recording. The ugly--Orfeo D'Or is hit or miss. When they have a good recording, it's terrific (Eugene Onegin, Turandot with Nilsson and Corelli) but when it's bad, it's a trainwreck (see also Rigoletto with Pavarotti and Scotto)."

Yeah, it's ok...

Aaron Wardell | Cincinnati, OH United States | 07/31/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This one's ok, but if you're going to buy a recording of this, spend a little more and go with one of the studio recordings. For one, the sound quality is bad and unbalanced (it is a live performance) and Faust sounds strangulated most of the time. Samuel Ramey is very good though. I bought this because it was cheap--bad idea. It has inspired me to buy a studio recording though, because of some musical gems this opera has, such as much of the choral music, and the prologue and epilogue."