Alfredo R. Villanueva | New York, NY United States | 01/04/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THE NEGATIVES: GALA IS CHEAP BECAUSE IT HAS NO LIBRETTO. THEREFORE, I BUY ONLY WHEN I CONSIDER IT A PERFORMANCE OF SUCH WEIGHT I AM WILLING TO LISTEN ATTENTIVELY. MOST OF THE TIME I UNDERSTAND THE ITALIAN.
THE POSITIVES: THE SOUND--AWESOME FOR A LIVE RECORDING. AND FOLKS, THIS IS A MASTER CLASS IN VERISMO SINGING BY MAGDA OLIVERO, ITS GREATEST INTERPRETER. LUIGI OTTOLINI MADE A SPECIALTY OF THE ROLE OF OSAKA. NOW I KNOW WHY I LIKE MASCAGNI: THE DARKNESS OF THE MUSIC CORRESPONDS TO THE DARKNESS OF THE LIBRETTO, UNLIKE IN BEL CANTO AND VERDI WHERE THE SHEER BEAUTY OF THE MUSIC SOMEHOW ANNULS THE BLOODY GOINGS ON ONSTAGE. THERE IS NO CHOICE: OLIVERO IS THE MODEL FOR THIS ROLE JUST AS CALLAS WAS THE MODEL FOR WHATEVER SHE CHOSE TO SING. GET IT, AND BE AMAZED."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1