Search - Giuseppe Verdi, Franco Capuana, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI Radiotelevisione :: Otello

Excellent Recording!

Impostazione | New York City Area | 01/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bravo to the serious efforts put forth by the company of musicians in this neglected Otello. Capuana brings a large scale emphasis to his conductings, very atmospheric; Karajan like, yet he retains detail, without which, the score suffers.



The tenor is throaty and so tight at times I suffered. It is a voice one must accept for what it is, after which, the glories of his effort(which are limited) come forward, like his brazen sound. Musically, he is one of the finest on record, but he seems unable to capture the warmth and color of Verdi's score achieved through modulations of tone intensity, timbre, and volume.



The soprano (Desdemona) hints at distinction at the top and bottom of her voice. The voice between these extremes is curiously nondescript, I can't really describe it except to say that it is stronger but not as distinctive as Herva Nelli--imagine that. Yet the bottom is in that Ponselle, Milanov tradition; warm deep and full throated. The top is that old school kopfstimme of the Vienna Statsoper tradition like a Schwarzkopf/Jurinac at full volume. A curious voice one wonders about. I enjoy her at times.



Taddei is just wonderful, less menacing but more sensuous of voice than Gobbi; his only rival.



Fantastic Buy!"