Anna Moffo In Great Duets From Opera

★★★✰

   Anna Moffo was one of the greatest opera stars in the era of stereo hi fi vinyl records. Besides few early recordings for EMI like Coloratura Arias she recorded with Colin Davis in 1959, she was recording for RCA. Exclusive contract with RCA, for many artists would be fulfilling of their dreams, but Anna Moffo was already primadonna of best opera houses all over the world. And this cooperation of star and label of the stars* resulted in a series of great recordings in sixties. She was recorded with Italian orchestras conducted by Tullio Serafin, Fernando Previtali, Erich Leinsdorf, Franco Ferrara, Georg Solti, René Leibowitz, Leopold Stokowski, Fausto Cleva, Renato Fasano, Georges Prêtre and Francesco Molinari-Pradelli. The list of great singers she worked with is much longer. One can judge it from double LP selection published by RCA in 1975 as Anna Moffo in Great Duets from Opera.

   All recordings were taken from RCA recordings. Program starts with 1957 recording of Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (scene from 1st Act) with Cesare Valletti and Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. The same orchestra and conductor took part in of Puccini’s La bohème 1961 recording. This time her partner in Act 1 was phenomenal Richard Tucker in role of Rodolfo. In scene from 3rd Act Moffo and Tucker are supported by soprano Mary Costa (Musetta) and baritone Robert Merrill (Marcello). B-Side of first record brings fragments of three operas: Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and Jules Massenet’s Manon recorded with The RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus under direction of René Leibowitz, and Massenet’s Thais recorded with new Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Julius Rudel. In Manon Lescaut Anna Moffo was dialoguing with Flaviano Labo, in Manon she was singing with Giuseppe di Stefano and in Thais with Gabriel Bacquier.

Anna Moffo In Great Duets From Opera (1975)

   Third side comprises two scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor. Anna Moffo partners are tenor Carlo Bergonzi (Elgardo) in scene from Act 1, and baritone Mario Sereni (Enrico) in scene from Act 2 of Gaetano Donizetti’s masterpiece. The RCA Italiana Opera Chorus and Orchestra were conducted by Georges Prêtre. These recordings were made in 1965. Last side comprises fragments of two operas by Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata in 1960 recording with Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Fernando Previtali, and 1963 recording of Rigoletto with The RCA Italiana Opera Chorus and Orchestra under the baton of Georg Solti. In La Traviata part of her partner Alfredo was sung Richard Tucker and in Rigoletto Robert Merill (Rigoletto), Alfredo Krauss (Duke), Mario Rinaudo (Ceprano) and Piero di Palma (Borsa).
   This choice of these fragments is clear. Although she was perfect in solo arias, the highest power of her opera performances is in dramatic scenes. She is not only beautiful voice singing, but also a responsive interpreter who can establish synergic relation on the scene. She is playing the stage role in depending of partner’s reactions. This album shows best sides of Anna Moffo. She was great bel canto singer, but even better dramatic performer. Perfect voice and appearance were the reason she was called La Bellissima, and by many she is still considered as most beautiful singer ever. In conclusion it’s worth to notice four stars is maximum for compilation album. Not only this album, also complete works she recorded are operatic must have.

Rubinstein – Beethoven: 5 Piano Concertos

Artur Rubinstein, legendary interpreter of nineteenth century music recorded complete of five Beethoven’s piano concertos three times. And every time for RCA Victor Company. First complete set of Beethoven’s concerti artist recorded in 1958 with Symphony of the Air conducted by Joseph Krips became great artistic success. Second rendition of Beethoven’s concerti cycle artist recorded in 1970 with Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. For the last time complete of five concerti Artur Rubinstein performed five years later, in 1975 with London Philharmonic Orchestra lead by Daniel Barenboim. He also recorded some piano sonatas and violin sonatas with Henryk Szeryng. 

Artur Rubinstein’s connection with Beethoven’s piano works has its reasons. He studied at the turn of the century. These times Beethoven was valued as musical genius beyond every compare. And this was main reason for regular presence of his music in concert programs where it was played with romantic touch and emphasized emotions. Just the same as music of romantic composers, Chopin, Brahms, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Rubinstein was naturally the type of romantic virtuoso focused on dramatic and visionary elements of musical work.

Rubinstein – Beethoven: 5 Piano Concertos (1970)

Cycle recorded in 1970 is quite different from earlier pianist renditions. Great success of more than decade earlier recordings indicate Rubinstein as best interpreter when RCA projected this monumental edition. Boston Symphony Orchestra and Erich Leinsdorf, resident conductor of the orchestra in sixties also were the meaningful choice. Soloist and orchestra sound surprisingly solemn and profound. According to well grounded cliché Boston Symphony was most classical orchestra in America. And this 4 LP set is next prove of versatility and emotional capacity of classical style.
Such attitude was understandable in 1970 – during recording sessions to commemorate internationally celebrated Beethoven Year in 200 anniversary of composer’s birthday. Complete five concerti are diversified, first two have more classical touch, what sometimes lead to playing them in typical Mozart concerti manner. In this performance Concerto C Major is more like forecast of closing whole cycle Concerto E-flat Major. Artists build stable construction of exact phrasing, in some points more symphonic than concertante. Second Concerto has more classical touch, especially in Rondo, what means softly and more precisely finished phrases and harmonic passages, but is still enough distant from Mozart’s style.
Third concerto is dramatically determined. There were some connections with light brilliant style Rubinstein showed in his 12 years earlier recording. In 1970 recording such stylistic tendencies are hard to find. Erich Leinsdorf, who in the same time recorded complete Beethoven’s symphonies, in concerti sized up with symphonic tradition of great Vienna composer. The effect are astonishingly profound and intellectually proved performances. In Piano Concerto No 4 G Major this symphonic manner is even more readable. Conductor is leading orchestra consequently to objective rendition and this attitude gives soloist almost unlimited interpretative possibilities. Emotions of Concerto G Major op. 58 are related to Fourth Symphony B-flat Major op. 60 which was premiered at the same evening at Prinz Franz Joseph von Lobkovitz home. Closing whole cycle Concerto E-flat Major op. 73 is once again a serious dealing with classical form and romantic impressionability. This performance is the master interpretation for perfect concerto. And Emperor Concerto is undoubtedly one of very few of this kind in the history of music.