Search - Verdi, Callas, Serafin :: Forza Del Destino (Complete)

How can you judge between excellent Callas and horrible Tuck

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/27/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Richard Tucker spoiled two potentially great Callas operas from La Scale in hte Fifties, this La Forza and the Aida. I cannot fathom why EMI used him; despite his fame at the Met, this bawling, crude tenor with his ubiquitous sobs and woeful lack of interpretation, had no international career and not much of one outside New York City.



Callas reputedly had vocal problems during the recording, and yet this is one of her signature roles. She conveys the tragedy of Leonora's situation as no one else ever has. It's unfortunate that there is so much beautiful singing to do, however, because Callas wasn't beautiful vocally the way Sutherland, Tebaldi, and Leontyne Price were. So I keep this set in order to listen to Callas and skip all the bits with Tucker, while for the complete opera I turn to the RCA set under Levine with Price and Domingo."