"Oh, my to have heard this opera in person at Carnegie Hall must have been astounding. This recording is tops in every way and well delivered by an exquisite cast in their prime.
Caballe is in top form; her pianissimi are all there but so is the dramatic weight in the voice making her Mina totally believable and anguished. Her low notes are most impressive and spread in tone to give great pathos and character to the role and music. Mezzos and contraltos should take notice; these are some of the best emmited lower register notes I have heard in any performance and spread out with enormous tone and beauty.
Pons and Cecchele are also impressive and the duets with Caballe are spirited and emotional. Eve Queler must have had a field day conducting this one and this recording is a feather in her cap. Truly one of the most enjoyable recordings of a live opera I have ever heard; I felt transported to a seat at Carnegie; it is worth hearing over and over."
Marvellous performance
John Cragg | Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada | 11/07/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a surprisingly exciting performance, given its far from first rank orchestra/chorus and its being a concert performance rather than a theatrical one. Caballe is at the top of her powers, the others are more than adequate and the whole performance comes together as an exciting recording. It is fascinating to compare this opera with Stiffelio, of which it is really a revised version. I find this performance better than the Gardelli one of Stiffelio. How one wishes that the Carreras of Gardelli had teamed up with Caballe for this opera!"
Caballe connects in live concert performance
John Cragg | 12/02/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Often sluggish and moony in the studio, Caballe connects to audiences thronged with her avid fans in an electric way (compare her 1965 Carnegie Hall performance of Lucrezia Borgia, the role that launched her career). In Aroldo, she tears into the coloratura with power and panache; her superb lyricism is also in heart-rending evidence. Her performance dominates this reworking of Stiffelio, which works despite the improbable excursion to England in the time of the Crusades. So what if the rest of the cast is so-so? Queler gives spirited direction, and, after all, this is not Don Carlo or Simon Boccanegra. It's just plain, post-Donizetti fun."
Caballe in vocally tired but dramatically wonderful form
Larry D. Rodriguez | Houston, TX | 02/11/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Given that this was recoded live in 1979, it is hard to believe how vocally strained Montserrat Caballe sounds. Her voice sounds somewhat opaque, slightly wobbly, and very strained, much like Sutherland's near the end of her career. However, one cannot deny the dramatic power she lends to Mina's big aria. Those familiar with Caballe's tendency towards a creamy, expressionless tone will be amazed at what she does here. If you happen to own the Rossini Donizetti Verdi Rarities recital, you can compare the recording of Mina's aria she did in the studio to the one on this full-length live recording. The difference in depth of interpretaton and penetrating power is huge.As for Eve Queler's conducting, let's just say that it passes muster, but isn't at all thrilling. Her conducting sounds very geometric and dry, lacking the verve and passion that makes Verdi's music come alive. Just listen to the overture, and you will get a sense of what I mean. The only other comment I would like to add concerns Juan Pons. He reminds me much of Sherril Milnes, whom I really enjoy. His diction isn't always perfect, but he plays the role of Mina's father very well. Just listen to his duet with Caballe, in what sounds like the prototype for the famous "Bella Figlia dell'Amore" quartet from Rigoletto. (It is track 11 on the first CD).While this isn't a stellar Verdi experience, it has enough qualities to warrant a place in your collection."