Episode 452. Out of the Office
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Hello, fans and listeners! I am “Óut of the Office” for the next two weeks, hence the tongue-in-cheek title of this episode, the first of four recycled potpourri episodes bringing you four records issued on the pirate label Historical Recordings Enterprises in the 1970s. Two of them (including today’s) feature great sopranos of that era, and two of them celebrate “ten top tenors” each. A few years ago, David was preparing to downsize to a new apartment in NYC and one of my tasks was to go through his LPs. In doing so, I discovered the two soprano volumes. Low impact, perhaps, in terms of my prep level, but high calorie in terms of content! Here are some of the greatest sopranos of the 1970s (and earlier) in incendiary live performances which will leave you gasping for air (at least I was!) Included are such favorites of the Opera Queens (of whatever persuasion or orientation) as Montserrat Caballé, Leyla Gencer, Magda Olivero, Renata Scotto, and Beverly Sills in addition to such personal favorites of mine as Ileana Cotrubaș, Sylvia Sass, and Gilda Cruz-Romo. Many of these singers have been featured on their own spotlight episodes on Countermelody but the performances featured here are typical of the pirate releases of the 1970s, rare material in sometimes spotty sound but representing these sopranos at their thrilling best. There’s a lot of Verdi, but also some Puccini, Donizetti, and even Mozart. All told a thrilling and rare collection which I am thrilled to share with my pals as I step away from the mic for a couple weeks!
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Lorenzo da Ponte: Or sai chi l’onore (Don Giovanni). Montserrat Caballé, unidentified tenor [1974]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave [after Alexandre Dumas fils]: Teneste la promessa… Addio del passato (La traviata). Ileana Cotrubas [1975]
Gaetano Donizetti, Felice Romani: Manca sola a compir il delitto… Coppia iniqua (Anna Bolena). Gilda Cruz-Romo [1972]
Giuseppe Verdi, Francesco Maria Piave [after Lord Byron]: Tu al cui sguardo (I due Foscari). Leyla Gencer [1958]
Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Adami, Renato Simoni [after Carlo Gozzi]: Signore, ascolta (Turandot). Elena Mauti-Nunziata [1976]
Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica [after Victorien Sardou]: Vissi d’arte (Tosca). Magda Olivero [1975]
Giuseppe Verdi, Antonio Somma [after Eugène Scribe]: Morrò, ma prima in grazia (Un ballo in maschera). Katia Ricciarelli [1975]
Giuseppe Verdi, Temistocle Solera [after Tommaso Grossi]: O Madre del cielo (I Lombardi). Sylvia Sass [1976]
Giuseppe Verdi, Eugène Scribe, Charles Duveyrier [Italian version by Ettore Caimi]: Arrigo, ah, parli a un core (I vespri siciliani). Renata Scotto [1975]
Gaetano Donizetti, Felice Romani [after Victor Hugo]: Com’è bello (Lucrezia Borgia). Beverly Sills [1975]
