Menotti: The Saint of Bleecker Street

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Superficially, the overt theatricality of showpiece arias, ensembles, and choral sections in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street could easily be construed as ersatz Puccini but with an updated harmonic language. Immerse yourself in the work from beginning to end, however, and you'll come away with a grand opera experience that's got everything: a compelling story line, three-dimensional characters from ordinary life, richly idiomatic vocal writing, perfect pacing, and sumptuous but never cloying orchestrations.

A contemporary CD edition of this masterpiece has long been overdue, and Chandos's engineers reproduce the vibrancy and spirit of the 2001 Spoleto Festival production in a recording that captures a palpable synergy between pit and stage. The cast is first rate. Julia Melinek shines in the title role, heroically rising to the big Act One aria's formidable demands (notwithstanding wobbly, sustained high notes). As her brother Michele, Timothy Richards's colorful tenor voice takes the role's rangy compass in stride, and resists showboating in his harrowing, confessional Act Two aria so that we can hear Menotti's words. Playing Don Marco, John Marcus Bindel's sonorous bass-baritone rivets one's attention, as does the characterful Carmela of soprano Sandra Seltzer. The Spoleto Festival Orchestra give their all for conductor Richard Hickox, and the extensive, complex choral writing has obviously been prepared with a fine-tooth comb. No fan of American opera should miss this important release. --Jed Distler

Menotti: The Saint of Bleecker Street, Music, Levi Hernandez, Gian Carlo Menotti, Richard Hickox, Pamela Helen Stephen, Yvonne Howard, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, American 20th/21st Century Opera, Classical, Classical Music, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta

Average customer rating:

An unmissable 20th Century Masterpiece

Lovely music, unconvincing drama...

Worth the wait - almost

An almost perfect "Saint."

At last a new recording

Saint of Bleecker Street
Menotti , Melinek , Richards , Steven , and Hickox
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000063BI9
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Act I, Scene 1: (Introduction)/Rosa Mystica - Yvonne Howard
Act I, Scene 1: Well... I'm Tired Of Waiting! - Yvonne Howard
Act I, Scene 1: The Vision Has Begun - Spoleto Festival Choir
Act I, Scene 1: Ah, Sweet Jesus, Spare Me This Agony - Julia Melinek
Act I, Scene 1: Look! The Stigmata! - Spoleto Festival Choir
Act I, Scene 1: Stop It! - Spoleto Festival Choir
Act I, Scene 1: Ah, Poor Michele, It Is Not I Your Rival - John Marcus Bindel
Act I, Scene 1: (Interlude) - Richard Hickox
Act I, Scene 2: Canta Ninna, Canta Nanna Al Mio Bambino - Yvonne Howard
Act I, Scene 2: Annina, I've Something To Confess To You - Yvonne Howard
Act I, Scene 2: Annina, Annina! - Yvonne Howard
Act I, Scene 2: Michele, Michele! - Julia Melinek
Act I, Scene 2: Sister, I Shall Hide You And Take You Away - Julia Melinek
Act I, Scene 2: Veglia Su Di Noi, Santo Del Sangue - Julia Melinek

Tracks:

Act II: (Introduction)/Hai L'occhio Nero, Nero Della Quaglia - Julia Melinek
Act II: Where Is Michele? - Pamela Helen Stephen
Act II: Eh Gia Giovinotti Voglion Stare Attorno A Te - Pamela Helen Stephen
Act II: Ah, Michele, Don't You Know That Love Can Turn To Hate - Pamela Helen Stephen
Act II: You Will Regret It - Julia Melinek
Act II: I Know That You All Hate Me - Timothy Richards
Act II: You Are Wrong, Michele - Julia Melinek
Act II: Yes, Michele, Go Home, Go, Go... - Pamela Helen Stephen
Act III, Scene 1: (Introduction)/Stop Worrying, Annina - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 1: There She Is - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 1: Weeping, These, For Him, Are Days Of Weeping - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 1: (Interlude) - Richard Hickox
Act III, Scene 2: Agnus Dei, Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi - Yvonne Howard
Act III, Scene 2: Annina, Annina, Prepare Yourself For A Great Day - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 2: Oh, My Love, At Last The Hour Has Come - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 2: Maria, Salvatore! - Yvonne Howard
Act III, Scene 2: Gloria Tibi Domine In Saeculum Et In Saeculum Saeculi - Julia Melinek
Act III, Scene 2: Annina, Annina! - Yvonne Howard

Amazon.com

Superficially, the overt theatricality of showpiece arias, ensembles, and choral sections in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street could easily be construed as ersatz Puccini but with an updated harmonic language. Immerse yourself in the work from beginning to end, however, and you'll come away with a grand opera experience that's got everything: a compelling story line, three-dimensional characters from ordinary life, richly idiomatic vocal writing, perfect pacing, and sumptuous but never cloying orchestrations.

Customer Reviews:

An unmissable 20th Century Masterpiece.......2003-02-05

Menotti never bowed to the pressure of the atonal conventions that surrounded his composing life because in doing so he would have been untrue to his own melodic voice, and never has that choice been more glorious vindicated than here. Long regarded by the composer as his masterpiece, this opera is an intensely moving and often painful expression of his own struggle to come to terms with the tensions of his Catholic faith. In the unfettered voice of a Latin composer he gives voice to his profoundest feelings, drawing from a rich operatic tradition that includes not only Puccini but even Prokofiev, Gershwin and Bernstein (he spent a great deal of his early life in America), whilst remaining unquestionably himself. The singing and conducting are all one could hope for, with Hickox unerring in the pit, Julia Melinek in the title role soaring movingly and effortlessly over the rich orchestration, Timothy Richards successfully bringing out the pathos and aggresion of her alter ego brother, Pamela Helen Stephen ideal in her vignette role, and the chorus magnificent throughout.

Lovely music, unconvincing drama..........2003-02-01

There's no one with a greater passion than I for uncovering contemporary examples of great romantic opera, and I was really looking forward to listening to this one, since I'd often heard (most heartwarmingly from his critics) that Menotti was a Puccini wannabe, and I love Puccini! The music was largely everything I'd been led to expect. But, frankly, Puccini wouldn't have looked twice at this libretto. If he had, he'd have dropped the final curtain after the death of Desideria, the most movingly real moment in the story. In fact, she's the only character I could relate to. Both pious Annina, and her agnostic brother Michele are too wholly satisfied with their own worldviews, and neither character changes a whit during the whole story. Menotti handles many scenes very well, and even the close grabs the listener in its own way, but I felt that the characters were ciphers placed in the story to represent the two sides of Menotti's internal religious struggle, and they're never any more than that. Still, the music made me want to investigate more of Menotti's operas.

The opera would also have been better served by a different soprano, as Julia Melinek doesn't have the youthful sounding voice that would best suit Annina.

Worth the wait - almost.......2002-06-08

Lovers of Menotti's stunning opera have been waiting for years for a modern recording, since the original Broadway cast LP seems to have vanished with no hope of re-issue. This new version from the Spoleto Festival of 2001 is welcome, but disappointing.

The chorus and orchestra under Richard Hickox are first-rate and the massed choral pieces like the San Gennaro scene are beutifully done. However, the principal singers, particularly Julia Melinek in the admittedly demanding role of Annina are inadequate. Ms Melinek has a fearsome wobble and sings off-pitch, making her first-act aria is painful to hear. Timothy Richards as Michele over-emotes and pushes his medium-sized tenor. No David Poleri he. The rest of the cast, notably Sandra Zeltzer as Carmela and Amelia Farrugia as Maria Corona, do quite well.

Until another one comes along, this is still worth having, just to hear this ever-fascinating opera again.

An almost perfect "Saint.".......2002-06-07

I've been a fan of this great Menotti opus since I first saw it on Broadway in 1955 or thereabouts. It was an extraordinary production, and the wonderful old recording of it is no longer available, so I was thrilled to learn there was a new one.

On the plus side, I found that Menotti had extended the interlude between the scenes in act 111 and added an aria for the newspaperwoman Maris Corona. The sound and the orchestral playing leaves nothing to be desired. I was, however, disappointed in the choice of Malinek as Annina. Her wobble and shrillness on the high notes ruined, for me, many of the climaxes. The rest of the cast is fine, especially the Desideria. I did wish that the tenor singing Michele was a bit more spinto than lyric, as it seems that's the kind of voice Mr. Menotti had written it for...on a dare by David Poleri. But in the last analysis, I'm glad we have a new recording of what I think is Menotti's masterpiece.

At last a new recording.......2002-04-25

If you are a Menotti basher no need to read further.
Menotti's grandest opera not to be missed. 2 hours of rich arias and scoring. Moving story that holds up with time.
Awarded the Pulitzer Price for music, it was first performed in Dec. 1954.
The cast of this recording is mostly outstanding but some cast members of the original 1955 recording (RCA no longer available)
seem better. (David Poleri as Michele and Leon Lishner as Don Marco for ex.)
The Orchestra for this new recording is as good as the one lead by Thomas Schippers for the earlier recording but the sound of the new recording is much better.

If you like The Counsel and Amahl and the Night Visitors give this work a try. In my belief this is Menotti's best opera
Richard Wagner

Track Listings: