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.

Georg Solti & Tatiana Troyanos in Bizet’s Carmen

Opera Carmen, last and undeniably the best work composed by Georges Bizet, occupies special place among romantic works and in whole opera repertoire. This work has such great number of advantages, it is hard to control by listeners or by performing artists. Thus Carmen in almost every rendition sounds fresh, sometimes surprising and always exerts a great influence on the emotions of the audience. It is also one of very few operas so difficult to shorten or reduce to assortment of arias and scenes. In fact whole Bizet’s opera can be seen as cycle of favorite scenes, and every fragment is full of musical ideas and coruscating with dramatic imaginary. Every scene, duo, aria or ensemble is like number one in opera hits ranking. The same quality of perfectly composed unity of great moments characterizes the whole work.
There a many great performances and recordings of Carmen and sometimes it is really hard to point the better one. And it is either not the question of quality, or the esthetical paradigm. People are constantly changing and so their systems of value. One moment we appreciate a heroine of subtle and chimerical, while the other we look for strong and firmly consequent woman. One time we need more actress performance, while in the next performance we are astonishing by the beautiful voice. This is why we are unable to point one and the best performance, even when our sympathies speak for themselves. One of best and often pointed by emotions is performance under the baton of Sir Georg Solti recorded July 1975 in London, in Henry Wood Hall for Decca. This performance has been published as complete set of records in 1976 (London Records OSA 13115) and in 1977 as one LP choice of Great Scenes & Arias (Decca SET 621).

Tatiana Troyanos as Carmen (1977)

Carmen is always featured role, so without any doubts name of singer playing Carmen should be the first in the program, and it is not surprising, the star of this rendition is Tatiana Troyanos. There are many listeners acknowledging this recording as legendary one and best from any point of view. There is also a bunch of great performances of other frontline characters. Don José is played by Placido Domingo who was gaining the fame of great dramatic tenor at the time. Micaela was sung by Kiri Te Kanawa who was one of most appreciated lyric sopranos for more than next two decades. José van Dam sings famous role of Escamillo and his triumphant entrance is as much musical as much suggestive. Highest level of professional efficiency under direction of Sir Georg Solti has been achieved in powerful performance by London Philharmonic Orchestra and great work of John Alldis Choir. Although this is not a rule, you may find that for the artist of this format is more natural to leave wider interpretation margin for the soloists.
Tatiana Troyanos appeared as Carmen and this was one of most perfectly sung and persuasively played role of this femme fatale ever. Her deep chest voice gave Carmen the kind of sound that can convince how much sensual and experienced woman she is. She knows what she needs, and she knows how to achieve it. In fragments where Carmen is haunted by emotions, she sounds brightly, singing in head voice register with perfectly light vibrato. In such moments she sounds like a girl. Unforgettable duets Troyanos-Domingo are dynamically changing along with developing storyline. They are cautious at the beginning, and gradually their relations are more and more passionately, ardent and dramatically dangerous in their difference. All emotions clearly displayed and shaped with profoundly musical sense. Absolutely five-star performance.