Search - Gaetano Donizetti, Beverly Sills, Carlo Bergonzi :: Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)

Lucia what is all the "madness" about?

DILLON L HAYNES | MILFORD, OH United States | 03/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lucia di Lammermoor has serveral wonderful recordings... it can be a hard choice.... the mighty Callas, the smooth voice of Sutherland or the florid singing of Sills? Each have soprano and thier respective recordings have their own virtues and fall backs... lets start with Maria Callas... picking a recording for her is always hard to do... the youth and fullness of her voice for her first studio recording in 1953... or the masterful Berlin performance of 1955? Personally I pick the later and you really can't get a better Lucia... she is right on the money... emontionally the most on-key performance in the books... the draw-back (as with any Callas recording) first the mono sound and second the lack of beauty in her voice... yes there is passion and yes there is power, but not a whole lot of beauty.
Second we have Sutherland... for me there is only one Lucia recording for Dame Joan.. and thats her 1961 studio for Decca. This is what made Joan an overnight success! She is flawless! Her Lucia is beauty and charm... but lacks the passion of Callas and emotion.
So that brings us to the recording at hand... 1970 studio with Beverly Sills. This is and always will be THE LUCIA! She has the beauty of Sutherland and the passion of Callas all wrapped up in one expressive masterpiece. Her portrayal in the mad scene is breathtaking. You just wonder where all this magic is coming from? You have to hear this recording to believe what it is all about. Bergonzi is a totally commited Edgardo and Cappuccilli is very alert and responcive to Sills in their duet.
What else can I say... Is this the best Lucia ever? I am not sure there are a few others that are also wonderful... but it has always been my favorite to listen to. When you want to hear vocal splendor and masterful singing then listen to this Lucia."

What "bel canto" is all about!

browcliffe | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida United States | 03/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is just one of a whole arsenal made during the late 1960s and early 1970s that present Beverly Sills at her considerable best. Unfortunately, these wonderful performances were made under the defunct ABC label with production values so inferior they were quickly pulled from the catalogue. It is good news that these brilliantly remastered recordings are being reissued. Sills' "Lucia" is what most collectors have been waiting for because it's not only one of her best performances, it stands as one of the best overall recordings of "Lucia" in the catalogue.Sills first sang "Lucia" in the spring of 1970 and this recording was made later that same year. By the diva's own admission, it took her a few years to get this part under her belt but it's amazing to hear how much she brings to the role after relatively little exposure. From her first entrance, Sills conveys the heroine's fragility. In the cavatina, "Regnava nel silenzio" Sills projects Lucia's sense of dread as she describes her encounter with the ghost of the murdered girl. At the line "L'ombra monstrarsi, a me!" she utilizes a breathless quality, hurrying to the end of the musical line, the terror in the text clearly mirrored in her excited delivery. In that same cavatina, Lucia describes how the ghost beckoned to her. In the line, "Chiamarmi a se parea" Sills replaces the usual embellishments with a chromatic scale that sounds like a wail, reflective of the specter she is describing. These are just two examples of the myriad of touches Sills brings to her interpretation.Dramatics aside, this recording is some of the loveliest singing Sills ever committed to disc. To fully appreciate her style, you must consider Sills in the context of her time. In the years since this recording, research has led to an appreciation of authentic interpretations of operas. Old-fashioned bravado has given way to a conscientious effort to reflect the style of a musical era. This is reflected in the way modern interpreters approach operas of the early-nineteenth century where, for too long, the practical considerations of a singer, or impresario, ran roughshod over the composition, leading to distortions in the composers' intentions. This new level of responsibility has led to such recordings as the "Lucia" on Sony with soprano Andrea Rost using period instruments and going back to the original score. While not discounting its achievements, listening to that recording is a rather dry, academic exercise. Sills, however, was the product of a time when singers were encouraged to project their own personalities into a role, straying from precise musical interpretation if it served the drama. Therefore, a singer could interpolate "verismo" techniques into a "bel canto" opera if they felt it better conveyed the emotion they were expressing. Sills was guilty of speaking lines instead of singing them but it's forgivable because she always delivered technically strong, dramatic performances. In this recording, she may ignore the written line and take the high E flat Donizetti intended for the tenor at the end of the love duet but she produces such a ravishing sound, you forgive her. Sills' voice is strong, focused and rich with opulent technique. Her mad scene is everything you could wish for; her notes are secure, her runs breathtaking, and she employs some of the loveliest pianissimos to be heard outside of a Monserrat Caballe recording!This recording is fortunate to include tenor Carlo Bergonzi as Edgardo. Somewhat overlooked today, Bergonzi ranks as one of the finest singers of the twentieth century. His career began in the 1950s but was soon overshadowed by the twin meteors of Domingo and Pavarotti during the mid-sixties. But I believe that Bergonzi's voice was the loveliest of the three. Pavarotti may have commanded the vocal stratosphere and Domingo may have thrilled with sheer power, but neither could summon the pristine, elegant sound of the young Bergonzi. He is an ardent, vocally resplendent hero for Sills' vulnerable heroine. He is dramatic in the sextet scene and heartbreaking in the opera's finale. He commands our attention with a charm unknown to the "grand-standing" efforts of the recent "Three Tenors" circus.The other characters are just as opulently cast. Baritone Piero Cappuccilli was always a sensitive singer and his interpretation of Enrico has more depth than usual. This Enrico feels remorse even as he presses Lucia into a loveless marriage. As Raimondo, Justino Diaz's rich bass voice brings a commanding presence to his scenes. The remaining roles are all well sung. The conductor, Thomas Schippers, whose life was cut tragically short, delivers a well-paced performance, utilizing the florid "bel canto" style without ever losing dramatic tension. Much has been made over the fact that this recording uses the glass harmonica in the mad scene. Although Donizetti was initially attracted to this unusual instrument, he abandoned the idea, re-writing the passage for flute soloist. There were two reasons for this decision; first, there were few artists available to play this instrument and, second, its sound was inaudible in a theater. Ever practical, Donizetti decided against an instrument that could be effective only as a novelty. It's fascinating to hear the glass harmonica but it should not be regarded as representative of Donizetti's final intensions.So is this the best "Lucia" available? The Callas recordings are wonderful tributes to her art but they all have cuts and uneven supporting casts. Joan Sutherland's best recording is her first but it also has cuts and she remains uninvolved dramatically. Anna Moffo's version on RCA comes close but, regrettably, it has been pulled from the catalogue. There is a long list of other recordings with distinguished casts but they all have notable flaws that negate absolute endorsement. Sills' interpretation, therefore, comes as a welcome addition to the roster of "Lucia" recordings. Above all it remains a dramatic, beautifully sung performance. And isn't that what "bel canto" is all about?"

Finally!!

Walter P. Sheppard | Arlington, VA United States | 04/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At last we have the Sills "Lucia." The wait has been frustrating, but it has now been wonderfully made worth while. From her first utterance, Sills's Lucia foreshadows her end in the tone of mental instability of her every phrase. There are no weaknesses in Sills's performance (or any of the others, for that matter), and Schippers leads a tight, propulsive production, keenly aware of the drama and of the requirements of bel canto opera. Technically, the 1970 recording shows its age, but only in direct comparison with more recent versions. There is one (tiny) flaw: 17 measures of the orchestral introduction to the opening chorus are missing; does anyone know if this was true of the original LP release or may be the result of some carelessness in preparing the CD transfer? As noted, the flaw is tiny and should not by any means discourage anyone from buying this set for all of the splendid pleasures it has to offer, not least in the use of the glass harmonica for the Mad Scene: it really transports you into the world of the demented. Buy it and enjoy bel canto opera at its best."