Puccini - Turandot / Ricciarelli · Domingo · Hendricks · Raimondi · Wiener Phil. · Karajan

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Is it possible to have a great Turandot recording without a great Turandot? This recording almost convinces you that's the case. Whatever one makes of this fairy tale about a Chinese princess who beheads failed suitors, the score is among Puccini's most sophisticated and forward looking, and never has that been more apparent in Herbert von Karajan's interpretation. The opera unfolds in a magical blanket of orchestral sound (sumptuously rendered by Deutsche Grammophon's engineers), full of details even the most seasoned Turandot admirers might've missed. Plácido Domingo as Calef and Barbara Hendricks as Liu are ideal casting. But Karajan's tendency to cast light voices got the best of him: lyric soprano Katia Ricciarelli isn't commanding enough on any level to be considered adequate in the title role. --David Patrick Stearns

Puccini - Turandot / Ricciarelli · Domingo · Hendricks · Raimondi · Wiener Phil. · Karajan, Music, Giacomo Puccini, Herbert von Karajan, Plácido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Sängerknaben, Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Barbara Hendricks, Piero di Parma, Gottfried Hornik Ruggero Raimondi, Heinz Zednik, Siegmund Nimsgern Francisco Araiza, Classical, Classical Music, Italian Romantic Opera, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta

Puccini - Turandot / Ricciarelli · Domingo · Hendricks · Raimondi · Wiener Phil. · Karajan
Average customer rating:

A superb addition to the glorious Mehta recording

A spellbinding performance, but you have to be patient with Ricciarelli

A Toned-Down Turandot

THE STRAUSSIAN SOUND IN A PUCCINI'S OPERA

La Bella TURANDOT

Puccini - Turandot / Ricciarelli · Domingo · Hendricks · Raimondi · Wiener Phil. · Karajan
Giacomo Puccini , Herbert von Karajan , Plácido Domingo , Katia Ricciarelli , Wiener Philharmoniker , Wiener Sängerknaben , Chor der Wiener Staatsoper , Barbara Hendricks , Piero di Parma, Gottfried Hornik Ruggero Raimondi , and Heinz Zednik, Siegmund Nimsgern Francisco Araiza
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001G9X
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Turandot: Act I: Un Mandarino: 'Popolo di Pechino!' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Le guardie imperiali: 'Indietro, cani!' (Liu) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Calaf: 'Padre! Mio padre!' (Calaf, Liu, Timur) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Gli uomini: 'Gira la cote' (Calaf, Liu) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: La folla: 'Perche tarda la luna?' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Ragazzi: 'La, sui monti dell'Est' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: La folla: 'O giovinetto! Grazia!' (Calaf) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: La folla: 'La grazia, Principessa!' - Calaf: 'O divina bellezza' (Calaf) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Timur: 'Figlio, che fai?' (Timur, Calaf, Liu) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Ping, Pong, Pang: 'Fermo! Che fai?' (Calaf) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Le ancelle di Turandot: 'Silenzio, ola!' (Calaf, Timur) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Pang, Pong, Ping: 'Notte senza lumicino' (Calaf, Timur) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Liu: 'Signore, ascolta!' (Liu) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Calaf: 'Non piangere, Liu!' (Calaf, Liu, Timur) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act I: Timur: 'Ah! Per L'ultima volta!' (Timur, Liu, Calaf) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping: 'Ola, Pang!' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping: 'O China, che or sussulti' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping: 'Ho una casa nell'Honan' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping, Pong, Pang: 'O mondo pieno di pazzi innamorati!' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping, Pong, Pang: 'Addio, amore, addio, razza - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Ping, Pong, Pang: 'Non v'e in China per nostra fortuna' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene One: Pong: 'Udite trombe! Altro che pace' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: La folla: 'Gravi, enormi ed imponenti' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: L'Imperatore: 'Un giuramento atroce mi costringe' (Calaf) - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: La folla: 'Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore!' - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: Il Mandarino: 'Popolo di Pechino!' - Vienna State Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: Turandot: 'In questa Reggia' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: Turandot: 'O, Principi, che a lunghe carovane' (Turandot, Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The First Riddle - Turandot: 'Straniero, ascolta' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The First Answer - Calaf: 'Si! Rinasce!' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The Second Riddle - Turandot: 'Guizza al pari di fiamma' (Turandot, Liu) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The Second Answer - Calaf: 'Si, Principessa!' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The Third Riddle - Turandot: 'Gelo che ti da foco' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: The Third Answer - Calaf: 'La mia vittoria' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: Turandot: 'Figlio del Cielo!' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: Calaf: 'No, no, Principessa altera' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act II: Scene Two: La folla: 'Ai tuoi piedi ci prostriam' (La folla) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Gli araldi: 'Cosi comanda Turandot' (Gli araldi) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Calaf: 'Nessun dorma!' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Ping, Pong, Pang: 'Tu che guardi le stelle' (Ping) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Ping: 'Straniero, tu non sai' (Ping) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Ping: 'Principessa divina!' (Ping) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Liu: 'Signor, non parlero!' (Liu) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Turandot: 'Chi pose tanta forza nel tuo cuore?' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Turandot: 'Strappatele il segreto!' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Liu: 'Tu che di gel sei cinta' (Liu) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Timur: 'Liu! Sorgi!' (Timur) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Timur: 'Liu, bonta! Liu, dolcezza!' (Timur) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Calaf: 'Principessa di morte!' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Turandot: 'Che e mai di me?' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Calaf: 'La tua gloria risplende nell'incanto' (Calaf) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Turandot: 'Piu grande vittoria non voler!' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene One: Turandot: 'So il tuo nome!' (Turandot) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene Two: La folla: 'Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore!' (La folla) - G. Puccini
Turandot: Act III: Scene Two: Turandot: 'Padre augusto' (Turandot) - G. Puccini

Amazon.com

Is it possible to have a great Turandot recording without a great Turandot? This recording almost convinces you that's the case. Whatever one makes of this fairy tale about a Chinese princess who beheads failed suitors, the score is among Puccini's most sophisticated and forward looking, and never has that been more apparent in Herbert von Karajan's interpretation. The opera unfolds in a magical blanket of orchestral sound (sumptuously rendered by Deutsche Grammophon's engineers), full of details even the most seasoned Turandot admirers might've missed. Plácido Domingo as Calef and Barbara Hendricks as Liu are ideal casting. But Karajan's tendency to cast light voices got the best of him: lyric soprano Katia Ricciarelli isn't commanding enough on any level to be considered adequate in the title role. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A superb addition to the glorious Mehta recording.......2007-07-12

One might not immediately find a root of comparison between Richard Strauss's Salomé and Giacomo Puccini's Chinese fairy tale Turandot. However, one does exist in terms of Herbert von Karajan's illustrious recorded legacy. The two greatest recordings of the former opera are often categorized as Sir Georg Solti's 1962 recording with Birgit Nilsson as the title princess, Eberhard Wächter, Gerhard Stolze, Grace Hoffman, and Waldemar Kmentt, and Karajan's 1978 rendering with Hildegard Behrens in the titanic role, José van Dam, Karl-Walter Böhm, Agnes Baltsa, and WiesBaw Ochman. Solti's work attacks the listener's ears as viciously as the Nubian who sheared the head of John the Baptist; Karajan's interpretation, however, paints an intensely Romantic, arabesque landscape of Herod Antipas' loggia and the gruesome events upon which that transpired.

Similarly, the two greatest recordings of Turandot are often considered Zubin Mehta's 1974 masterwork with Dame Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballé, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and Tom Krause and this 1982 coup de maître. Mehta's recording is one massive, exotic, Oriental explosion of sound and melody; the music of Puccini's swan song rushes over the listener like a tidal wave of ardor and violence. Karajan's approach is, as one might expect from him in the latter portion of his career, more calculated and stylistically refined; his interpretation draws out like a blade - slowly, but constantly ameliorating. Neither approach is necessarily "correct," for Mehta's is perfect in the sense that it is consistently overwhelming and rapturous, while Karajan's swells consistently in increased exquisiteness and grandeur.

As he matured, Karajan began to place greater emphasis on the orchestral quality of his operatic recordings, rather than the vocal presence; thus, as the orchestra was projected more directly in his later recordings, the soloists became less distinct, and the chorus was often inaudible. (His grandiose but flawed 1979 recording of Don Carlo is an example.) Thus, one striking difference in this recording is the spectacular quality and clarity of the choral passages. The Wiener Staatsopernchor is often treated like an old battle-axe, though it ranks with the Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the John Alldis Choir as one of the finest choruses on the planet. Chorus master Roberto Benaglio excels, driving the voices through "Gira la cote, gira, gira," which begins with a grinding, calculating pulse and descends into a frenzied, murderous mass. "Perchè tarda la luna?" is measurelessly surreal; the voices seem to echo from a vast distance, as though they were beckoning through a thin veil of strings and shadowy, mysterious moonlight and clouds. "O giovinetto! Grazia, grazia!" is also sublime as the populace's bloodthirstiness plummets into a guttural remorsefulness at the appearance of the adolescent, strikingly handsome Prince of Persia. (How can one not bask in the genius of the moment when the basses murmur "Principessa! Grazia, grazia," begging vainly for the pardon of the damned prince, while Karajan sparks growls from the brass, accentuating their unutterable fear?) "Non indugiare!" (the chorus of the shades) is frighteningly real and threatening with its mistiness and the terrified peeps from the flutes; "Così comanda Turandot," the opening chorus of the heralds in Act III, is also wonderfully atmospheric with the harbingers rumbling like arcane sentinels, posted atop some unknowable pylon in the ancient past. The Wiener Sängerknaben are also superb in their dainty Act I chorus ("Là sui monti dell'Est"); the voices of the young boys seem like the whimsical chatter of seraphim, while the pulse of sepulchral bells and gongs accentuate their dreamy tone.

Birgit Nilsson's Turandot was recognized for her virginal steeliness and unattainable, torturously mocking eroticism. Dame Joan Sutherland's personification was equally aloof and, with her delicate coloratura timbre, more vocally enticing. Katia Ricciarelli's performance is not as instantly inviting as either of the aforementioned two. The first thought that is likely to run through the listener's head is bewilderment as to why Karajan would cast such an inadequate singer in such a demanding and necessarily intimidating role. However, repeated listening will hopefully communicate differently. Ricciarelli's Turandot may eventually be recognized as a brittle, tormented little woman, whose ornamental beauty is disguised behind a cracked aegis of rancor; with this in mind, her vocal inadequacy actually adds to the role a level of dimension which Nilsson and Sutherland would not (nor, in all actuality, could not) have grasped.

In her performance of "In questa reggia," Ricciarelli's Turandot sounds as though she may have stepped out of a color print; she is friable and emotionally emaciated in spite of her nearly indescribable pulchritude. In the "Riddle Scene" ("Straniero, ascolta: `Nella cupa notte vola un fantasma iridescente'...`Guizza al pari di fiamma'...`Gelo che ti dà foco'"), Ricciarelli redeems herself to an extent; the slight whininess of her voice adds a superbly grating, unnerving aura to the grim, ghastly proceedings. One can almost imagine Calaf's imminent frustration and, when the third riddle goes briefly unsolved, horrible panic. Ricciarelli and Domingo also shine brilliantly in their final duet ("Principessa di morte!" ... "Che è mai di me?" ... "Del primo pianto"). Her weakness works to her supreme benefit; she is lame putty in the tenor's hands. It is in this moment that her performance can truly be understood and, unless one is so stringently enamored with Birgit Nilsson or Eva Marton, respected. One can rejoice in the instant that she has discovered the true nature of love; one sees, rather than the death of a man-hating empress, the birth of a glorious, passionate woman.

The dilemma over the worthiness of Ricciarelli's performance does not extend to Plácido Domingo's interpretation of Calaf. The bright-eyed, adventurous, picaresque Tartar prince has been crafted by every leading tenor from Jussi Björling to Franco Corelli (considered the greatest by many) to Luciano Pavarotti (also considered the greatest with equal fervency). Domingo's performance is no exception to vocal robustness, though his characteristic depth became, by 1982, both a sensuous blessing and a vexatious curse. For example, he truly bombs during his outcry of "No, no, Principessa altera"; the maturity in his voice appears like a grotesque abscess. (The editing is also quite poor, which leaves the listener with the impression that he required numerous attempts to fashion his presumably passionate ejaculation as best as he was able.) However, with the consummate tenor aria "Nessun dorma," Domingo is sensually introspective; he captures what Pavarotti and Corelli failed to project. As Calaf, the Spanish legend seems to whisper his serenade to himself, rather than beckoning to all of Peking.

Even if one decides to cast one's gaze to the sunny side of the street in reference to Ricciarelli's controversial performance in the title role, one must still wonder why Calaf would choose a hellcat princess over Barbara Hendrick's beguiling Liù. Caballé, Freni, Scotto, and Vishnevskaya have all yielded excellent interpretations of the noble slave girl, but Hendricks surpasses them all. Her compassionate plea in Act I ("Signore, ascolta!") is so delicately lovely that the listener is likely to overlook the powerful emotion and bravado of the performance. Hendricks also sings with breathtaking pathos and conviction in her Act III confession and suicide ("Tanto amore segreto, e inconfessato" ... "Tu che di gel sei cinta"). She is truly pitiable and heart-warming as the loyal, love-stricken slave girl who commits the ultimate sacrifice for her disrespected and unrequited affection.

Ruggero Raimondi's bass-baritone voice will never compare with the basso cannon of Nicolai Ghiaurov. Ghiaurov managed to transform the dull, decrepit Tartar king Timur into a Mongolian Mefistofele. Raimondi, however, makes a noble effort to portray the old deposed monarch realistically; he lyrically mutters and whispers his lines, creating an unutterably dolorous and morose character. One must have a frozen heart to endure without a bitter tear his oblivious pleading ("Liù! Liù! Sorgi! Sorgi!") and furious outburst ("Ah! Delitto orrendo!") as the old king who has lost his most tender-hearted and devoted servant. Piero de Palma could easily be considered the greatest Italian character tenor ever to perform on the operatic stage. Every seemingly minute role (from Gastone in La Traviata and Borsa Matteo in Rigoletto to Spoletta in Tosca and Goro in Madama Butterfly) has been gifted with de Palma's petite, witty tone. During his brief Act II monologue ("Un giuramento atroce mi costringe"), de Palma's frail, anemic Emperor Altoum beckons from afar like the voice of the Past or of Destiny itself. He is totally different in juxtaposition to Sir Peter Pears's pompous, aristocratic, autonomous monarch who leered down at Calaf from a cushioned pedestal.

Gottfried Hornik, Heinz Zednik, and Francisco Araiza provide lyrical (and slightly but wonderfully caricatured) comic relief as the three ministers Ping, Pang, and Pong. Hornik, a well-rounded character baritone, possesses a fairly light voice which blends nicely with Zednik's immediately recognizable, nasally sharp tone and Araiza's warm, Rossinian register. They fuse majestically in their Act II trio ("Ho una casa nell'Honan") as the listener is immersed in a gloriously serene, Oriental world of glittering ponds, immaculate mediation gardens, and bamboo. The part of the Mandarin may seem menial, but both Mehta's Sabin Markov and Karajan's Siegmund Nimsgern bring something singular to the role. Markov's rather severe Slavic voice adds a searing tension to the opening proclamation ("Popolo di Pekino!"); Nimsgern is diabolical with a terrible Neidlingerian intensity.

Even if one has loved at length the aforementioned Zubin Mehta recording, one should still give heed to this remarkable work. In some ways, it is indeed inferior; the exquisite beauty of Katia Ricciarelli's lyric voice cannot, in numerous instances, hide her irritating inadequacy. Nonetheless, one should not deny oneself the taste of this marvelous achievement, one of the last of Herbert von Karajan's gargantuan career.

A spellbinding performance, but you have to be patient with Ricciarelli.......2006-07-25

The reviewer below echos some favorable critics who thought that Katia Ricciarelli's struggle (valiant, painful, ultimately a failure) with the role of Turandot added to her character's vulnerability. I'm sympathetic. Some days I can listen around her, other days I can't. What draws anyone in is Karajan's one-of-a-kind orchestral tapestry, which gives the lushest possible treatment to Puccini's score. As Calaf, Domingo is in great voice, and the supporting roles of Timur (Ruggiero Raimondi) and Liu (Barbara Hendricks) rise to his level.

What this means is that all the thrills come when Ricciarelli is offstage and all the spills when she isn't. The Amazon reviewer is wrong to call hers a lyric soprano--she was dramatic enough for Aida and Tosca. It just hapens that Turandot is especially grueling, even for a good Italian dramatic soprano--the music lies so high and exposed that there's not a moment to rest or a style that fakes its way through.

Also, I wouldn't blame the casting on Karajan's penchant for light voices. In 1981 there was a fearful shortage of sopranos who could manage Tosca, Aida, and the two Leonoras. What to do without a Tebaldi, Price, Callas, Milanov, or Nilsson? Desperate opera houses and recording companies turned to "inappropriate" voices like Freni, Scotto and Ricciarelli. In many cases they turned in superb portrayals. However, even in a famine year Turandot was too big a stretch. Unfortunately, the situation has grown worse ever since.

A Toned-Down Turandot.......2006-01-10

Very strange! I have never heard such a haunting Turandot before. Maestro Karajan has conducted unbeatable operas of both Italian and German repertoire but usually in a grand, bombastic and dramatically thrilling fashion. This Turandot, for me, is toned-down. Not that the music of the Vienna Philharmonic is played in a hushed manner. To the contrary, it's powerful and climatic, especially striking is the Riddle Scene, the choruses and the grand Finale. Usually, the Vienna Phil sounds like two orchestras. This is not a bad Turandot, it's just a different Turandot than most operaphiles are used to hearing. What makes it so different is the off-beat casting of light-voiced singers- Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Barbara Hendricks and Ruggero Raimondi. Turandot calls for bigger voices, or at least heavy lyrico-spinto voices. Now, Placido Domingo has a particularly expressive instrument and he is indeed able to sing above the staff and in a heroic, stentorian, truly Puccini-esque manner. He has absolutely no problems with the taxing vocal demands of Prince Calaf's arias. He is a passionate singer who most satisfies my tastes for a romantic, strong Calaf determined to break the spell over Turandot and win her heart. Ruggero Raimondi is a high baritone, singing with his usual grace and flair. He is not bad, it's just that I prefer to hear darker, more paternal or Verdiesque baritones in the role of the deposed Timur the King of the Tartars. However, there really is no problem with his singing, so let's not be too critical. Barbara Hendricks is a beautiful and fragile Liu, her voice wholly suited to the character. She has a saccharine, Lieder-like quality that is not necessarily Puccini but is appropriate character-wise. Very few light lyric sopranos sing Liu, who dies of love for Calaf, a weak slave who is supposed to strike a direct contrast to the more sturdy and powerful Turandot. Among strong-voiced Lius include Edda Moser, Renata Scotto, Montserrat Caballe and Leona Mitchell. As for the diva in the role of Turandot, Katia Ricciarelli, for me she is exemplary and wonderful. Why is she reprimanded and criticized instead of applauded for her efforts ? Katia Ricciarelli was a major star in Italy and she was always a controversial singer, not only because she had a purely lyric voice and opted to sing such heavy roles as Tosca, Aida, Leonora, Desdemona and Lucrezia Borgia but because she shameleslly carried on an affair with her married tenor partner Jose Carreras. Ricciarelli has a golden voice. Each time I hear her sing, I feel I'm luxuriated in golden and warm velvety light. Her voice is light, but powerful and agile. She can sing with generous middle register, even if her high register normally wobbled and tessitura was hard for her. She sang with passion and with majestic flair. Yes, her Turandot is quite different and not as exciting to hear as that of Birgit Nilsson or Joan Sutherland but this is a supremely wonderful Turandot in its own light. I would not underestimate her if I were you. Give this recording a try.

THE STRAUSSIAN SOUND IN A PUCCINI'S OPERA.......2002-02-06

It's known for everybody that Puccini used the wagnerian and straussian orchestration in his operas. This one is a great example of that herecy and Karajan really knows how to get that powerfull, brilliant and modern sounds from the Vienna Philharmonniker.

I prefer the voice of Domingo but the technic of Corelli, whose Calaf is unbeateable. Of course, "Nessun Dorma" is better with the voice of Pavarotti, but Domingo's and Corelli's interpretation of the full score are the best in the history of contemporary recording.

La Bella TURANDOT.......2001-07-04

The beautiful TURANDOT is illuminated with golden brilliance in this recording of the master Von Karajan with a casting of his more dear singers with the orchestra that he loved: The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Controversial it continues being his selection, Katia Riciarelli, for the principal role, but curiously the most obvious reason has not treated: Turandot is a dazzling woman as to be charmed with to the hero Calaf. And besides beautiful voice the Riciarelli she was a very attractive, ideal woman thinking probably about a scenic representation. If it is not possible to to compare with Nilsson or Marton, her aria is very lyrically sung and the "grido" is convincing. Another thing and less debatable it is that probably this role harmed her for her later works. Plácido Domingo is domineering and touching as the prince Calaf. His aria Nessun Dorma explores the mystery and very distant shades to the Pavarotti's massive effect. Only for Placid already this record would be unforgettable. Liù-Hendricks thrills as debit to be and is charmed with her stamp and vibrato so particularly. Raimondi, as Timur, gives protagonism to this pathetic figure, and throbs with surprise in his lament for the dead slave. There is no secondary singer between the participants: Piero de Palma, Nimsgern, between others. Even Francisco Araiza is among the masks . The times chosen by Karajan are slower than the usual thing, except when it controls the village where the savagery of the score is demonstrated. Only in " Anthem to the Love " final I miss the glorious effect coral of Mehta's version. The Puccini's most beautiful opera and, why not?, probably of the history; finds in this recording a fascinating alternative.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

Everywhere and His Nasty Parlor Tricks [EP]

Walkin' (20 Bit Mastering) [Original recording remastered]

1960's Happy Days [Box set]

Forever Gold: Marvin Gaye

Compact Jazz: Billie Holiday

Brother Harmony

Ceremony [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos

Complete Standard Transcriptions

Compact Jazz: Antonio Carlos Jobim

Bailala Y Quebrala Al Estilo Super Express

This Ain't No Tribute Blues Cube

Live at Club Mozambique