Search - Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker, Robert Merrill :: La Forza del Destino

Easily One Of The Best

T. Dissinger | Jacksonville, AL USA | 11/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thank goodness this is available again! Price is in her glorious early form with Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill along for the ride. Tucker may get hammy at times, but we just don't have tenors of this caliber anymore and Merrill shows what a true Verdi baritone is supposed to be. Schippers conducts with a nice flair. I rank this with the Tebaldi/Del Monaco on London and the live DVD with Tebaldi and Corelli as the top choices."

Price at her best

mermodfreres | Sugar Land, TX | 08/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree that Tucker gets a bit "hammy" on this recording (but that was not unusual for him) but the rest of the cast is outstanding. I could not flaw this recording on anything."

Early Price Spectacular

Steven Muni | Sutter Creek, CA USA | 03/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fortunately we have two wonderful Forza's with Leontyne Price--a later one (and one more readily available) with Placido Domingo, Sherill Milnes, Fiorenza Cosotta and Gabriel Bacquier, conducted by James Levine, and this earlier one from 1965. While the later one is an excellent recording, the earlier one takes the cake.



Conducted by Thomas Schippers, whose career was tragically cut short by cancer, it bursts forth with an energy and enthusiasm that just can't be surpassed. The cast is an American Who's Who of opera in the mid-'60s. Leontyne Price was not yet 40 when she recorded Leonora on this recording, and she brings to the production the skill and dramatic ability of a mature artist but with a voice still with the bloom of youth and freshness. The combination is incredible.



The tenor role of Don Alvaro is sung by Richard Tucker, who at 52, had been the premier post-war American tenor for 20 years. Tucker brings his usual passion to his rile, and with only a little of the stagey vocal mannerisms that later badly affected his singing, he still has a secure technique, flawless diction and a distinctive and ringing timbre.



The baritone role of Don Carlo is sung by the great American Verdi baritone, Robert Merrill, at 48 in the prime of his career. At the time of this recording, Merrill, with a rich robust dark baritone, was the premier American baritone. The mezzo role of Preziosilla is sing by Shirley Verrett, 31 at the time of this recording, who demonstrates her stylish and perfectly controlled mezzo.



The bass role of Padre Guardino is sung by Giorgio Tozzi, who despite his Italian-sounding name was born in Chicago. Forty-two when this opera was recorded, the Grammy-award winning singer was in the middle of a twenty-year career as one of the Met's top American basses, before going on to a distinguished career as a professor at the University of Indiana. Even the comedic bass role of Fra Melitone is sung by 34-year old Ezio Flagello, who also despite his Italian name was born in New York City, and was a regular Metropolitan bass in buffo roles.



The Metropolitan Opera orchestra plays with vigor and skill and the chorus sings with its usual artistry. The recording quality is quite decent--mid-'60s analog stereo, and there is a booklet with a synopsis, alibretto and a few cast pictures. The CD is hard to find but well worth the search. It is one of the top recordings of this opera in existence, and is a wonderful example of just how good an all-American cast can be."