Search - Gaetano Donizetti, Tullio Serafin, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra :: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tullio Serafin

Lovely recording

EllaMia | 03/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge bel canto fan and Lucia is one of my top 3 operas. (The others are NORMA and ANNA BOLENA) There is no other Lucia like Callas. Nobody embodies the melancholy, the tragic, fragile beauty and the torment of this doomed heroine more than she. And her coloratura and E-flats glitter and sparkle but never sound senseless or bland. Her partners (di Stefano, Gobbi) are in pristine form and Serafin conducts bel canto with unmatched perfection. This is THE Lucia to buy! A steal, grab it while you can!"

Not THAT much shorter, the traditional cuts

Lindsay | 03/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One can say whatever one likes but IMHO that short review below doesn't do justice to the brilliance of this recording which is not 30 minutes shorter than the Sutherland-recording from 1971. The traditional cuts don't harm the score (The only addition I'd like to see would be the tower-scene), on the contrary, they focus the drama and don't prolong it unnecessarily. The three leads are in brilliant form, the conductor is unmatched. Brava! Brava! Bravissima!"

Brilliant Lucia

The Cultural Observer | 01/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not your usual Lucia. Callas sings the role of the Bride of Lammermoor with a big voice uncommon with the many Lucia canaries that have made this opera an undramatic playground for coloratura embellishment. Fortunately, Callas' genius is singing allowed her to portray the role with colors of madness and remorse, something that you will never ever find in any other Lucia. Di Stefano and Gobbi were equally great in this recording, with their ability to tap into the roles and to deliver the dramatic lines with ease uncommon with so many of today's uninterpretive singers. This is how Lucia should be sung, and we were blessed to have the chance to hear the role in the way it is supposed to be sung."