Search - Monteverdi, Bumbry, Di Stefano :: L'Incoronazione di Poppea

Not An Early Music Performance And None The Worse For That

James S. Eisenberg | 03/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As attempts to get closer and closer to an authentic "early music" style proliferate, with their tendency to the bland in vocal interpretation, it is almost a pleasure to return to highlights from this La Scala performance from the 1960s, which takes an almost Romantically expressive approach to the vocal lines, and uses a much larger instrumental ensemble than currently acceptable in Monteverdi opera.

By the late 1960's, Giuseppe Di Stefano's voice had turned harsh, but his commitment to his character and to the words makes up for a lot. To have Grace Bumbry as Poppea and the great Leyla Gencer as Ottavia, is luxury almost beyond belief. This is very exciting singing for an early Baroque work. Bruno Maderna's early death lost us one of the great conductors of the twentieth century, but only long after his death, with the proliferation of CD issues of the full range of his repertoire, are we able to see just how great. He paces this music beautifully.

The sound recording is passable."