Search - Giacomo Puccini, Zubin Mehta, Sherrill Milnes :: Puccini: Tosca

"Tosca Regina" : Leontyne Price -Take II takes Off!!

Donizetti's Kid | NYC, NY United States | 05/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" was critically declared a "shabby little shocker" at its Metropolitan Opera debut. Opera's greatest aritsts and singers have rushed to embrace and perform this evocative work ever since. After the overwhelming success of the RCA "Il Trovatore" set starring Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Zubin Mehta, its not surprising that these pre-eminent artists were reunited again for "Tosca", this time with results less-epochal, but wonderful nonetheless. Maestro Zubin Mehta, to my ears, is one of the most outstanding interpreters of Puccini's music in our time. He's unafraid of the inherent excitement in the music, building to the unending climaxes, revelling in them, but always aware of the crucial ebb & flow that characterizes the music of the Italian master. This recording benefits greatly from Mehta's fearlessness AND superb theatricality. There is an almost relentless tension that is sustained throughout this performance, even in the tenderest of moments, creating a continuity so requisite to this particular opera. The quieter sections of music simmer with a vitality that is a Mehta specialty. Admittedly, others have championed more subtlety, nuance, and/or 'finesse' in their approaches to this grand opera.(yawn) Maestro Mehta's expert pacing, fluidity, and almost visceral excitement are far more preferable. This performance sizzles. The great American soprano Leontyne Price, "Tosca REGINA" in 1962 with H. Von Karajan, became "Tosca DIVA" in 1973 under Mr. Mehta's tutelege with stunning results. Leontyne Price's second recorded 'Tosca' is imperious, demanding, sensuous, volatile, AND very womanly. Her voice, now rich, dark, & weighty in the middle, is weaker in the lower end, sometimes losing focus, but she compensates with a biting 'chest' voice that's most effectively used. The soprano's upper voice is nothing short of sensational here, cutting through the orchestra with gleaming, powerful, & pitch-perfect outpourings (especially during the 'torture scene')that alternate with a feline sensuality in softer passages (the duets with Cavaradossi)and superlative in the TOSCA "tests" in ActIII: "..lo quella lama.." and "O Scarpia! avanti a Dio!". In Ms. Price's hands, "Vissi D'Arte" is more urgently intoned than previously(but beautifully-sung), her murder of Scarpia still desperate and overwrought (here she fails the "test" on "Avanti a lui.." - most Toscas do). In the opera's finale she's no more overly-dramatic than any of her illustrous rivals -most of whom barely pass the finale "tests" - and anyone who consequently jumps to their death might be classified as "mad". Leontyne Price is splendid in this role. Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has recorded the role of Cavaradossi several times and filmed it as well. In this, his first recorded essay, he is a bit less comfortable above the stave than later in his career. His voice - dark, mellifluously beautiful, and strong in the middle & lower end - sometimes constricts and loses vocal sheen in high forte passages, causing him to'scoop' to reach the some of the climactic notes("Recondita.." & "Vittoria!"). Elsewhere, Mr. Domingo sings gloriously. The intensely passionate and soulful quality he infuses "E lucevan le stelle" with ( sung incomparably), then followed, in turn, by a tenderly-sung "O dolci mani" is ample demonstration of this tenor's stellar artistry. His painter is sophisticated, ardent, and committed, making his duets with Tosca, and 'torture' uncommonly stirring. Mr. Domingo is an exemplary Cavaradossi overall. Sherrill Milnes's Baron Scarpia is more problematic, in one of the most challenging roles in the Baritone repertory. His voice is robust enough to meet the out-sized vocal demands of singing the Baron Scarpia. However, Mr. Milnes' vocal range, usually one of his chief glories, seems restricted at both ends here , and he employs an extroverted singing style that's sneer-infested, unsubtle, and, with notable exceptions, almost alien to beautiful tone. Dramatically,he's a more youthful Scarpia than is usually heard and,as noted by previous reviewers, his charaterization/style is valid. However, while suitable for the opera, its also monotonous, tiresome, & without sufficient charm or grace to balance his portrayal. His overt machismo is so over-pronounced as to render this usually exciting artist dull! Mr. Milnes' upper voice is unusually tight, with suspect pitch, & colorless. The middle voice is more impressive and seductive, with resonance & warmth suffusing Act I's "Te Deum" and Act II's "Tosca e un buon falco" -and beauty of tone. The role's lower-lying music (when actually sung) is inadequate, sung with a hollow tone. Mr. Milnes' contributions to this recording, while interpretively debatable, are vocally assured and often thrilling, do not significantly detract from, and certainly do not derail this performance from its propulsive course. The sonics are vivid, spacious, and distortion-free. This "Tosca" is truly one of the GRANDEST performances on CD, with Leontyne Price and Zubin Mehta leading the parade. Wow!!!!



This re-mastered performance is sonically more pointed than the previous analog incarnation, and the voices seem more forward than before, while the climaxes benefit from the additional spaciousness offered by this new technology.



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May the incomparable Miss Price live forever!

Atticus Finch, Brooklyn | Brooklyn, NY | 04/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first reviewer has Ms. Price's debut with the Met listed as in 1962. However, she premiered in "Il Trovatore" in January, 1961, with Franco Corelli at the Met. Secondly, Ms. Price, as she aged, became a much more intelligent singer.



Chest voice does not belong in Opera. I make that statement knowing full well that there are esteemed voice teachers as well as students and professionals who disagree with me. Some famous singers claim that the chest voice is an important part of the voice. I disagree completely. Realize that this was Maria Callas' undoing. She tried to sing everything and "overacted" opera roles because she continued to lose her head voice through her very short-lived career. Maria Callas is only one example. I could list any number of singers who have not lasted long enough because of their inability to sing correctly.



True bel canto requires that the singer have a fluidity in using the head voice as well as a solid working knowledge of the head voice -- a lifetime's achievement. It is for this reason that Ms. Price is perhaps the most intelligent singer I have ever encountered. She "knows" how to sing, and does it beautifully. We should all be thankful for having had the opportunity of experiencing this supeerlative artist. She has even spoken of head voice to students in Master classes when their voices failed after having sung only two arias. I am a high school vocal teacher. I recently played two short arias for my students (indeed a dangerous undertaking) sung by Miss Price, and asked for their responses to her. I was quite surprised -- they understood what the sound of the head voice was and one student observed, "Why would anyone want to sing in their chest voice if they mastered the ability to sing this way?"



This "Tosca" is a very intelligent reading of the part. Ms. Price "swoops" as the other writer puts it, to stay in her head voice rather than go into her chest voice. She is that intelligent. The chest voice is used in Broadway singing and in popular repertoire and I hope that theie are people out there who know the difference. Even now, we have Renee Fleming, who knows a good bit about bel canto, but she will will mention chest voice and sometimes I will hear a vowel that is incorrectly pronounced which will give us a heavy chest sound.



Argue with me as much as you want. We are losing something precious, and when I hear someone talk of chest voice when referring to operatic singing or bel canto, well, I bristle and say that this person is misinformed and, what's worse. dangerous. Especially if it is a voice teacher. The great Birgit Nilsson mentioned how many bad voice teachers she was glad to have gotten rid of before she got a good one.



Please listen to Ms. Price with great respect. I love her. I learned to love opera because of her. Get hold of as many of her albums as possible. The Verdi Heroines album is unparalleled. Get hold of this "Tosca" as well.



One thing I don't understand. Why is it that when February rolls around every year, we hear of many great Black Americans during Black History month, and yet we do not hear of Ms. Price at all? History tells us that she was the FIRST Black American to ever sing on the Metropolitan stage. What gives?



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UNA TOSCA EXTRAORDINARIA

Francisco J. Muñoz | Santa Cruz, Bolivia | 11/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Considero que esta es un gloriosa interpretación de TOSCA, Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo y Sherrill Milnes, realmente brillan, la dirección de Metha es soberbia. Es una interpretación que me subyuga siempre la quiero oír una y otra vez.



No obstante que mi versión favorita es la de María Callas con Victor de Sabata, esta de Mehta la escucho con mucho mas frecuencia, es una interpretación que nos enamora.



El sonido de esta nueva edición es excelente mejor que la primera edicion en CD. La presentación del álbum es elegante (sin libretto).



Cualquiera que ame esta Opera quedará cautivado con esta hermosa versión.



No dude cómprela y dispóngase a GOZAR!

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