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Catley: A Fine British Coloratura Soprano

Lance G. Hill | Binghamton, New York | 01/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gwen Catley (1906-1996) was an extremely gifted British-born soprano who had unique talent in using the highest area of her voice, though the entire range is pure, liquid, and even. Hers is not as light a coloratura--nor as refined--as the late Rita Streich's, nor nearly as secure as Amelita Galli-Curci's. That said, hers is still a voice you will find appealing in each of these 19 selections, all remastered by Michael J. Dutton, who provides some of the finest 78-rpm transfers I have heard, which can only be described as being truly honest transfers. The disc offers a good cross section of the gems of the coloratura soprano repertoire from operas by Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Gounod, Thomas, Bizet, Offenbach, and Meyerbeer. When I consider an album of this nature, it is the SONG literature that I find of the greatest appeal, only because so much of this literature is not performed frequently today. This disc offers a number of the Galli-Curci-type items, such as Bishop's Lo, Here the Gentle Lark, and The Pretty Mocking Bird, and an especially fine Nightingale and Rose from Saint-Saens' Parysatis, which for me is the winner in this collection. The legendary pianist, Gerald Moore, accompanies Miss Catley in four selections while the remainder are with orchestral accompaniment by three well respected conductors. Alan Blyth supplies his usual informative, interesting notes. If one wishes to have a really outstanding overview of this highly lauded English artist, I would recommend this one wholeheartedly. LGH"