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Arturo Toscanini, Vol 12 - Verdi: Falstaff
Home > Complete List of "e" Artists > Elmo > Item 9
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Arturo Toscanini, Vol 12 - Verdi: Falstaff
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by Frank Guarrera, Giuseppe Valdengo, Norman Scott, Giuseppe Verdi, and Arturo Toscanini
Sales Rank: 111661
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List Price: $16.98
$39.99
At Amazon
on 12-10-2008.
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First, let me make it clear that I love this opera from the time I first heard it on LP as a teenager. I have seen it performed several times and have viewed all the available videos. If you are reading this review, chances are you know the opera at least somewhat. Some of the things I love about the opera are the mixture of comic and tragic elements, the continuous flow of music and plot (in contrast to the more episodic style of Verdi's middle period), and the range of vocal textures the opera permits and requires. For my money, no one understood this opera as well as Toscanini. Perhaps only Guiseppe Valdengo and Teresa Stich-Randall were truly world class singers, but the cast blends extremely well. This is an opera performance in which ensemble singing supercedes individual arias. Of course, Robert Shaw's choral forces are first rate, as always. But it is the energy and propulsion of Toscanini that makes this version soar. None of the other versions, admittedly excellent also, capture the thrust and forward movement of this one. The sound transfer is pretty good for a mono opera recording of 1950. While it is not as sonically satisfying as some of the more modern versions, the musical interpretation is without peer. For those who want a modern stereo version, my preference is for Guilini. Bernstein's version has erratic tempos, Karajan's has great singers but just doesn't jell for me, Solti's is also pretty good, especially his Falstaff, but none matches the depth and understanding of Toscanini.
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Arturo Toscanini, Vol 12 - Verdi: Falstaff
Available from Amazon
Price: $39.99
Updated on 12-10-2008.
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