Search - Verdi, Pertile :: Il Trovatore (1930)

A grand old warhorse 1930 style

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 10/28/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"References to the "Golden Age of Opera" must always be taken with several pounds of salt for there was nary a singer without some faults. But still I love listening to the old 78 rpm versions of complete operas because they all had a certain style which seems to be lacking in performances today by singers who sound as if they have their next engagement on their minds as they plod through roles they have done either too many times or not at all on the stage. Take the Romophone release of the 1930 La Scala recording of (89003-2) with tenor Aureliano Pertile as Manrico and soprano Maria Carena as Leonora as an example of the older values. In doing background work for this review, I ran across the following comments by critic John Higgins in the excellent "Opera on Record" (Harper Colophon Books, 1979). He calls the conducting "plodding," and claims the Leonora starts as an "ingenue" and ends as a "fishwife." But he has the highest praise for Pertile who "molds and shapes his singing in a way many of his contemporary rivals disdained to do." High marks also for baritone Apollo Granforte as the Count. James Camner, writing for "Opera News" in December of 1998, has nothing but praise for the entire cast including the soprano who "emerges with full, dramatic tone." Much praise is also given to mezzo Irene Minghini-Cattaneo for one of the best Azucenas on recordings. Recalling what the state of recording art was back then and after making all possible allowances, I think I am going to play this version a lot more than the more modern ones with the wooden-acting Richard Tucker or Domingo or even the younger Pavarotti. I find I am doing that with the Romophone release of the La Scala "Aida" from the same period."

Great Pertile in historical Trovatore

Gustavo Demarco | Buenos Aires | 06/06/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Aureliano Pertile was one of the greatest 'tenore di forza' of all times, but unfortunately he is presently less known than other contemporary colleages. He was a tenor of the transition between two absolute sovereigns: Caruso and Gigli. This recording is a testimony of his artistry. Compared with his contemporary Tito Schippa, Pertile's voice was not refined, but its power imposed his presence. Soprano Maria Carena was also an appreciated singer in her time, and we must say that she sings well, and she also composes a powerful Leonora, but her voice lacks beauty. Mezzo soprano Irene Minighini-Cattaneo, on the contrary, sounds great: her Azucena is probably one of the best on records. Bariton Apollo Granforte is good as the Conte di Luna. As time passes, tastes change, and there is an abyss between modern and 'old fashioned' versions, but it is a great (I should even say 'necessary') experience to hear classical interpretations of Verdi like this: They are probably very close to the 'original' Verdian style of singing. Conductor Sabajno and the Scala chorus and orchestra produce an agile version of this classic of classics, and the quality of sound is really good for the time."