From the old times...
Jose | 05/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"forget the stories they tell you about Domingo's or Pavarotti's perfomance of this opera. This is the recording you need to have for real enjoy. Mario del Monaco sings with power, fierceness and a deep italian stilish. Only Franco Corelli could be compared with him, and of course the Domingo's recording is not in this league (Pavarotti is almost ridicule). Andrea Chenier is a opera for tenor. They can show their powers with no restriction for the ensamble considerations. In this recording the cast is unsurpassed and is probably one of the best Del Monaco's recording. Mario del Monaco was an amazing singer and a kind of tenor that is not understood by english critics. Actually english critics doen't understood italian opera but this is another story..."
Callas and del Monaco together at their very best
Erik Aleksander Moe | Oslo, Norway | 09/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, this performance has been reissued from a company called Diva srl. under license by Maria Callas estate. I couldn't find it here, but this is the same performance.I really must say that this recording really puts the Levine recording with Domingo to shame. Hearing that first aria by del Monaco gave me shivers. So much passion and power is a tenor I have only heard in Melchior, Vickers and Björling before. And I really must say that this performance proves to me that live performances are far better than studio performances. To hear both these artists at their peak singing with the most passion is something that can never be captured in the studio.Being also a great Callas fan, I was anything but disappointed.The sound is the only little thing that's not so good, but when you're hearing this stellar cast in the magnificent Teatro alla Scala opera house masterly conducted by Antonino Votto, you don't think about trivial things like that.I very highly recommend this performance to any fan of the opera, Maria Callas or Mario del Monaco."