Search - Alfredo Catalani, Arturo Basile, Rome RAI Orchestra :: Catalani: La Wally

Tebaldi in magnificant form on this bargain disc

Yuri | 12/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first thing to strike you about this live radio broadcast is its amazingly excellent sound almost as good as a studio recording , the raison d'etre for this production is of course the beautiful,glowing performance by Tebaldi,she made this opera her own in the 50's and 60's and its worth buying for her alone,she is simply magnificent,no other soprano can match the warmth and quality of her voice, the other singers seem up to the task and make a worthy ensemble,the opera itself is syrupy and second rate,no classic is this,but buy it for Tebaldi singing in her prime."

Tebaldi makes it listenable - almost

Simon | Auckland, NZ | 07/08/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Catalani is known as pretty much a one-opera composer, and I think that La Wally is pretty much a one-tune opera. "Ebben? ne andro lontana", sung movingly by Tebaldi here, is the only highlight. After the first nine tracks the opera continues in a mindless nore, as if composing that one aria had sapped all of Catalani's composing energy. And it doesn't help when the singing is this bad. Giacinto Prandelli, as Hagenbach, is recorded far too late in his career. His voice was never pleasant to begin with, but by 1960 his whining nasal tone was almost unlistenable to. Dino Dondi's baritone performance is marred by poor intonation and a generally uningratiating tone. The remainder of the cast is unremarkable. The only redeeming feature is the beautiful floating tones of Renata Tebaldi in the title role. But even so, she can be heard to greater advantage in her later studio La Wally, conducted by Cleva for Decca. Don't be tempted by the price of this recording. If you must have a recording of La Wally buy the Cleva set, otherwise I'd recommend just buying the aria with other items on a Tebaldi compilation disc."

The best Tebaldi's Wally

Yuri | 07/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have listened to the other recording of this opera with Renata Tebaldi (the live set from la Scala-1953 and the studio recording of Decca-1967), but I think that Tebaldi is better here. Her voice is fluid, even with some beautiful B naturals, and as always sumptuos. I am not a Tebaldi fan, I am a Callas one, but the voice of Renata Tebaldi here is somethig you could not imagine, a real joy. Basile conduts very well, and at the time the recording was made, he was in love with Miss Tebaldi, and they were lovers. Prandelli is not the best tenor you could hear in this role, and Dondi is ok."