GREAT PERFORMANCE, UNINTERESTING MUSIC
Alfredo R. Villanueva | New York, NY United States | 03/02/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THERE IS NO MODERN ALTERNATE TO THIS 1968 LIVE RECORDING OF CATALANI'S LORELEY. THE SOUND IS ACCEPTABLE, AND THE PERFORMANCE SHOWS LA SCALA'S FORCES AT THEIR BEST. SULIOTIS, CAPPUCCILLI AND CECCELE ARE AS GOOD AS IT CAN GET. ADD GAVAZZENI, AN ARDENT CHAMPION OF VERISMO, AND YOU HAVE IT ALL. BUT THE MUSIC, THE MUSIC! CATALANI IS UNFORTUNATELY AND DEFINITELY SECOND-RATE, AS HIS OTHER SURVIVING OPERA (HE WROTE A GRAND TOTAL OF SIX), "LA WALLY," ALSO SHOWS. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, HE LACKS MASCAGNI'S OR GIORDANO'S FIRE AND PATHOS. THE SILLY LIBRETTOS DO NOT HELP. NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS A RECORDING OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE IF ONLY BECAUSE IT PRESERVES SOULIOTIS'S PERFORMANCE."