Giuseppe Verdi Erich Kleiber Maria Callas - Verdi I Vespri Siciliani (35 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Giuseppe Verdi, Erich Kleiber, Maria Callas
Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
1. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Sinfonia
2. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 1: 'Al cielo natio'
3. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 1: 'Quals' offre al mio sguardo'
4. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 1: 'In alto mare e battuto dai venti'
5. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 1: 'O donna!'
6. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 1: 'Qual e il tuo nome?'
7. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'O patria, o cara patria'
8. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'O tu, Palermo, terra adorata'
9. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'Ai nostri fidi'
10. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'Quale, o prode, al tuo coraggio'
11. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'Cavalier, questo foglio'
12. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 2: 'Il rossor mi copri'
13. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 3: 'Si, m'abhorriva ed a ragion!'
14. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 3: 'In braccio a'le dovizie'
Track Listings (9) - Disc #2
1. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Sogno, o son desto?'
2. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Mache? Fuggi lo sguardo mio'
3. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Balletto
4. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'O splendide feste!'
5. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Colpo orrendo, inaspettato'
6. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 4: 'E' di Monforte il cenno'
7. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 4: 'Giorno di pianto'
8. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 4: 'O sdegni miei, tacete Elena'
9. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 4: 'Arrigo! Ah! parli a un core'
Track Listings (12) - Disc #3
1. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Pensado a me! E' dolce raggio'
2. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Amica man, sollievo al martir nostro'
3. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Addio, mia patria amata'
4. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'De profundis'
5. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'O ministro di morte'
6. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 5: 'Si celebri alfine'
7. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 5: 'Merce, dilette amiche'
8. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 5: 'La breza aleggia intorno'
9. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 5: 'Al tuo cor generoso'
10. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Ecco, per l'aura spiegasi'
11. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): Act 5: 'In fra di noi si oppone'
12. I Vespri siciliani, opera (Les v?pres siciliennes): 'Deh! Vieni; il mio mortale dolor'

CD Details

All Artists: Giuseppe Verdi, Erich Kleiber, Maria Callas, Boris Christoff, Enzo Mascherini, Gino Sarri, Lido Pettini, Mafalda Masini
Title: Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Archipel
Original Release Date: 1/1/1951
Re-Release Date: 3/27/2001
Album Type: Box set, Import, Original recording remastered
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaCD Credits: 3
UPCs: 675754349820, 7640104000167

CD Reviews

A memorable evening with Christoff standing out!

Armindo | Greece | 05/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though my attraction to this live Vespri was the young Callas as Elena, it was Boris Christoff who finally impressed me the most. Even without a genuinely Italian accent, his massive voice and fine legato do wonders to Verdi's tunes. He's a rare artist who delivers the drama without sacrificing the singing.

As for Maria Callas, I admired her fearsome singing and controlled attention to the drama. The voice this early in her career was in firm shape and the top was pure excitement. She is defeated by Elena's two greatest challenges though. In the three octave leap she gets a frog in her throat when she goes for the bottom note. It must be said however that Callas is one of the few sopranos who don't opt for the also written shorter aternative. She also conveys Elena's suffering successfully. Then in the Bolero there is bad coordination between her and Kleiber and she saves the final top note from completely cracking just in the nick of time. This disappointed me because it was one bit I believe only the young Callas could make it shine with her exciting top.

Mascherini is a fine, if a bit routine, baritone who performs well. Kokolios is very eager to do his best as Arrigo but doesn't quite have the means for it. The top is often wild so he doesn't stick to it much.

Apart from a couple of odd tempo decisions, Kleiber makes it an interesting evening. I'm very pleased with the Archipel sound considering this is a 1951 recording.

Certainly recommended but also try to find the 70s MET production with Caballe in the lead.

"