Search - G. Spontini :: Fernando Cortez-Complete Opera

Renata sings Spontini

Botond Szentmártoni | Budapest - Hungary | 12/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Renata Tebaldi, one of the few real artists, is now can be heard in a very interesting and special role, not from her basic repertire. Her voice, as always, is pure and secure, as beautiful as it can be, and very dramatic as well. This time the melodies is not so well known, but Renata sings them so naturally, that one may feel, "I have heard it yet". The whole performance is very nice and effective, nice arias and great finales. A few pictures in the booklet and really good sound restoring. A "MUST" for any Tebaldi fans, and for the lovers of "opera rara"."

Spontini's FERNANDO CORTEZ: opera rara worth listening

J. E. ASENCIO-NEGRON | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico USA | 04/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"La Vestale (The Vestal Virgin, 1807) brought Spontini overnight success and fame in Paris (we must kept I mind that he was supported by Napoleon's wife Josephine at this time). It was succeeded by other eloquent and grandiose operatic accomplishments: Fernando Cortez (1809), and Olympie (1819, his posterior revisions were more highly successful than the initial performance). The adventurousness and rich orchestration (he was indeed a master of special effects in opéras preceding Giacomo Meyerbeer) of these & subsequent operas were highly regarded and were the basis for the creation of the theatrical illusion of space and distance. As a historical remark, I want to point out that the Fernando Cortez that is portrayed in this Grand-Opéra is historically incorrect. He did not spared the lives of native mexicans (i.e. Aztecs) in the time of Montezuma, early in the 16th century, out of love for Amazily, the mexican princess (heroine). Cortez almost killed them all looking for gold/silver like other "conquistadores". Nevertheless, this production of 1951 at the San Carlo Theater (Naples, Italy) was very successful and highly acclaimed by the public. Renata Tebaldi showed us the appealing beauty of her unique voice through the delicacy of her bel canto technique as the princess Amazily, particularly on the second-act aria: "Non ho più che un desio" (I have only one desire), which is very moving, and it is exquisitely performed by her."

Uncovering the rare but wonderful....

B. Cathey | Wendell, NC United States | 04/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let us thank Hardy Records for releasing this recording with Renata Tebaldi (in stellar voice) in Spontini's rarely performed FERNANDO CORTEZ. I know of only two other recordings of this fascinating opera---one that showed up originally on Arkadia (with Bruno Prevedi and Angeles Gulin) and now I think on Opera d'oro (but in inferior sound), and an Accord recording from Bratislava (poorly sung, sadly, but in good sound). So, we still await a "modern" recording of this pioneering opera. In the meantime, this issue, in tolerable sound, features La Tebaldi at her finest, and gives one a portrait of this interesting work. Recommended."