Search - Verdi, Price, Bergonzi :: Un Ballo In Maschera (Price/Verrett/Bergonzi/Merrill/Flagello/Leinsdorf)

Not quite the Holy Grail

William T. Clegg | Pocatello, Idaho United States | 02/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Leontyne Price, Carlo Bergonzi, Robert Merrill, Shirley Verrett...Looking at the cast list for this recording, the mouth waters. Who could ask for a dreamier "Dream Cast" for one of Verdi's greatest operas than this? And for their part, the cast delivers what they promise. Price is glorious in the part of Amelia, creating a suitably disturbed heroine with a voice of gold. The top notes are wonderful. Bergonzi also does some very fine singing, with his exemplary Verdian phrasing shining through as usual, although he doesn't manage to do much with his characterization other than be generically heroic. Robert Merrill dishes up a few surprises as Renato. Of course his voice is glorious and full, but what makes this an extraordinary performance is Merrill steps out of his routine baritone mode and creates a charater that lives and breathes. I have yet to hear a more three dimensional Renato that also satifies the vocal demands of the part. Reri Grist is perfect for the part of Oscar. Her character, her voice...what more can I say? And then there's the Ulrica of Shirley Verrett, totally believable and satifying in every respect. One would not expect less from this excellent artist.So why did this recording only merit four stars? It vied to be in the class of the Callas/deSabata TOSCA and the Ludwig/Klemperer FIDELIO and didn't make it. So much of this recording is ravishingly beautiful with moments to treasure, but it is a flawed masterpiece. Leinsdorf's conducting is chiefly to fault. He does wonders with the lyrical moments of the opera, but then there are moments that it seems he doesn't really know what to do and so he speeds through to get to something that he's sure of. He also encourages hammy melodrama in place of real feeling. One wonders what more Price would have done with Amelia had she been in the presence of someone like von Karajan or Solti.Another snag in the fabric of this recording is the odd production it recieved. The voices are either in your lap or back in a cave somewhere, which wouldn't really be a problem if they were there at a logical time. The sound itself is exemplary, clear and full.If you're looking for a good pre-digital, stereo recording of this opera, then you probably won't find one better than this, although the Domingo/Muti effort comes close. However, this opera is still searching for its Holy Grail where recordings are concerned."

ONE OF THE GREAT "BALLO" RECORDINGS

lesismore26 | Chicago, Illinois USA | 01/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is probably the best sung of all the versions of Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera". In vividly remastered stereo sound, the whole performance is a grand reminder of the caliber of singers who regularly appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1960's. Leontyne Price's magnificent soprano found its greatest outlet in the music of Verdi, and the long and flowing lines of this role suit her voice perfectly. The sheer sound of her shimmering top C's and B's (especially at the end of the gallows aria in Act II and in the duet which follows) is awesome, and her particular dramatic temperment is ideal for this great role, held by many to be one of the most difficult in the entire Verdi repertoire. Carlo Bergonzi sings Riccardo with all of the beauty and refinement that established his reputation. Perhaps his is not a terribly dramatic interpretation, but it is certainly a pleasure to listen to. Robert Merrill, on the other hand, is a very convincing Renato, easily surpassing his previous recorded performance with Toscanini a decade or so before, and his voice on this recording is actually firmer and more solidly based. The Ulrica of Shirley Verrett is also impressive --- with some good spooky-sounding tones as well as the dramatic involvement one has associated with this great artist. Reri Grist is a pert and peppy-sounding Oscar whose small and bright voice is exactly what this role calls for. Erich Leinsdorf may not have been the most potent Verdi conductor, but he paces this performance well, and provides his examplary soloists with plenty of space. If you want a fine performance of this opera, and if stereo is a consideration, then I would recommend this recording without reservation. Another good option, albeit in good monophonic sound, is the classic EMI set with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, and Fedora Barbieri ----- all of them outstanding, though the performance would have probably been even better had Tullio Serafin conducted rather than the reliable but ordinary Antonino Votto."

Unsurpassed singing!

William T. Clegg | 08/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1966, this "Ballo" offers perhaps the best all-round cast. Bergonzi is my favourite tenor and this is one of his finest recordings. Besides his arias and the love duet I especially admire his performance in the prophecy scene. I'm thinking: "did Verdi himself coach this man?"! Price's dark, powerful spinto voice fits the role of Amelia like a glove. Listen to her reaction in the famous first act aria when she realises that it's midnight. Price is at her best in Verdi and this Ballo is another proof of it. Merrill, if not not as dramatic as Gobbi, is certainly not less memorable and Verrett makes an amazingly convincing Ulrica. Grist is a great Oscar, even if there are better ones (Battle's for example). Let me not forget the wonderful Flagello in this sublime cast. Leinsdorf may not as great as Solti for example, but I'm more than pleased with his conducting. There are certainly also other famous recordings. The Votto: Callas/Di Stefano is a solid and interesting Ballo but any mono sound (as good as it can be) diminishes the set's value and I much prefer Callas in bel canto style roles rather than these dramatic ones. She is not a spinto soprano, thus lacks the full voice Price, for example, displays. Also note the decca Tebaldi/Pavarotti set; though not flawless, offers a spectacular, young Luciano and the greatest spinto soprano, Renata Tebaldi. Unfortunately, it was recorded late in her carreer and she has lost much of her beauty. The emotion and radiance is, however, still there. To sum up, in my opinion, this RCA: Price/Bergonzi will give you the essence of "Un Ballo in Maschera"."