Boris Christoff – The 1976 Lugano Recital
The Boris Christoff (b. Plovdiv, Bulgaria 1914, d. Rome, 1993)
recital at Lugano in 1976 includes dramatic and beautifully
sung performances. The voice takes a while to regain its famous
bronze lustre. The first items are well vocalised and firm –
no hint of a wobble – but a little anonymous. ‘Hopak’ – a song
by Mussorgsky – is loud and unrelenting without the variety
which makes his Phillip II so extraordinary. The third item
– ‘Wer ein Liebchen’ from Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail –
is in German which does not pose any problems for Christoff.
His tone is unified, the high notes are more integrated and
vibrant, while his stylish phrasing is a pleasure with no woofy
tone – how many Osmins make ill-focused sounds! One hears what
he describes in the interview as his attempt to use the Italian
School of Singing: fine legato –‘smoothness’ in phrasing combined
with clarity of diction. The velvet, limpid quality of Alexander
Kipnis is missing. Nicola Rossi-Lemeni or Ezio Pinza similarly
sang ‘La Calunnia’ more smoothly. However the emotions are communicated
vividly and the control of dynamics is varied and polished.
The last two items from Don Carlo and Boris Godunov
are a class ahead of these other selections regarding the
theatrical possibilities they offer. Including selections from
Boito’s Mefistofeles or Gounod’s Faust for instance
would have provided Christoff more opportunities, as would items
from Attila or Nabucco. His pronounced Slavic
accent does mean that at time this Mozart sounds like the ‘Song
of the Volga Boatmen’. All the same, I don’t think anyone except
perhaps Gottlob Frick has sung this aria as well since the 1960s.
The verbose interviews grate as the interviewer’s personality
dominates when it should be the other way round. Nevertheless,
Christoff’s answers are invariably interesting. He is really
energised in the extract from Don Carlo! His Phillip
II was always a triumph and although he stands very still throughout
these arias he is completely ‘inside the character’. The recital
format, evening suit, lack of staging, and the thirty intensive
years since his debut do not inhibit his performance one bit.
The voice rings out boldly and his singing is rhythmically alert.
Nothing is extraneous. The technique is hardly less assured
than in his youth although some may carp about taking more breaths.
The low notes, gritty at times in the Mozart and Rossini, are
excellent here. The soft singing provides vitality to this interpretation
and does not become breathy or threadbare. Christoff was 63
years old here but bears comparison not only with Cesare Siepi
or Nicolai Ghiaurov around the same age but also with much younger
singers. These qualities are also evident in the Boris Godunov
which showcase the pathos and energy of this artist. I’m wondering
if the choir at the end was somehow taped on top of this recording?
The result is good but confusing – I wondered if they were somewhere
behind the scenes but that must be unlikely? The conducting
and playing are fine throughout, respectable in the Verdi extract.
The picture quality is not great – blurry and faded but this
is to be expected from tape stock from the 1970s. I would recommend
this recording with the proviso that the DVD on its own might
not appear great value for money - the playing time without
interviews must be only around the half hour mark.
Alfredo Kraus – Live in Las Palmas 1995
It is worth saying straight away that the voice of Alfredo Kraus
(b. Las Palmas, 1927, d. Madrid, 1999) was in remarkably fine
fettle for a man of his age at these performances. The voice
had not thinned as many tenors’ voices do. There is no dreaded
‘wobble’ - so typical in ageing singers - in the quick ‘Chanson
de Kleinzach’ from Hoffmann or ‘Tombe degli avi miei’
in which he sounds good if not as fresh as twelve years earlier
with Joan Sutherland at the Met. I suppose that only a very
few singers have sounded this ‘polished’ at advanced stages
in their careers. There are no occasions where he has to bend
the music out of shape to avoid high notes or introduce intrusive
little breaths during phrases.
Perhaps the only comparable ‘elder statesmen’ would be Luciano
Pavarotti, who even in recordings from near the millennium did
not sound breathy or very worn. Ivan Kozlovsky or Helge Roswaenge
who sounded pretty marvellous on records made in his 65th
year. Roswaenge and the rest tended to sing heavier repertoire
than Kraus but like him they sensibly kept a decent proportion
of suitable roles in their repertoire – notably Donizetti, Massenet
and Bellini - which did not age the voice or wreck the technique
prematurely. If anything Kraus was the most careful of all since
he did not perform operas that might have strained his high
and flexible voice. Subsequently he continued singing the exact
same roles throughout his career with little perceptible decline
from one year to the next.
Some of Kraus’s most famous and popular roles are included here.
Werther was a calling card around the world. He performed
the part from the mid 1960s until the 1990s with notable conductors
such as Votto, Rescigno, Prêtre, Bonynge and Plasson. I don’t
suppose that this performance adds much to his live and studio
recordings in this role but it continues to show his ability
in this repertoire – especially his graceful style of phrasing.
Edgardo was in his repertoire from even earlier; I notice that
he performed the role in 1963. I question putting this scene
at the start of this DVD but it is not uncommon in recitals
to throw arias, overtures and intermezzos into a mixing pot
which does not make much sense.
As this concert was a celebration of the 150th anniversary
of the orchestra’s founding they share top billing with Kraus.
They provide good music-making without the polish or excitement
of some international competition. The concert is not a totally
happy marriage of ‘two halves’ since you have intermezzos and
overtures showcasing the orchestra mixed in with arias in a
haphazard fashion. We hear overtures from Luisa Miller
and Don Pasquale for example but no arias from these
operas which seems a shame as not only would they have lent
cohesion to the concert but might have shown a little more imagination
than the nth repeat of his Des Grieux from Manon or some
more Werther.
I find his tone dry in ‘Ah! Leve toi, soleil’ from Roméo
et Juliette. However, it does showcase the smooth, elegant
style that made him a famous Faust and Werther.
His French is exceptionally clean and clear throughout. His
soft singing in ‘Lamento di Federico’ is beautiful although
at times the result is a bit effortful. ‘La donna e mobile’
rounds out a recital which if not very innovative is enjoyable.
It is capped throughout with solid high-notes. The orchestral
playing is fine and the conducting no worse than many similar
recitals.
A studio recital by Kraus, which must have been made around
the same time, was released on Philips called ‘The Incomparable
Alfredo Kraus’. It included a more interesting selection with
little overlap. On that set we can hear his Faust, Tonio from
La Fille du Régiment and a terrific ‘Deserto In Terra’
in beautiful stereo sound. That is the more tempting prospect
– indeed the recording and performances there are so successful
I count that among the best recitals by Kraus from any period
in his career. Kraus does not burn up the stage so seeing him
is not essential as it can be with some singers. As part of
this box set I enjoyed this but otherwise I suggest you seek
out the ‘Incomparable Alfredo Kraus’ album.
Renata Scotto – The 1984 Tokyo Recital
Hearing Renata Scotto (b. 1934) recorded in 1984 may not be
the most tempting proposition on record. A great singer, she
started off with amazing potential in the late 1950s as Lucia
di Lammermoor and Gilda and matured into one of the great Butterflys.
You can hear her at her ‘peak’ singing the Mad Scene from Lucia
di Lammermoor in a bonus feature on this DVD also from Japan
but dating from the late 1960s. Unfortunately her high notes,
always ‘bright’, sounded wobbly, and shrill as the 1970s moved
into the 1980s with examples like her second studio Traviata
with Riccardo Muti and her studio Tosca with James Levine
both being spoilt whenever she was called on to belt out a high
note.
This Tokyo recital begins with ‘Lascia ch’io pianga’ and the
sound is hard, the singer still warming up. The tiny soft ‘mezza-voce’
she employs is not very expressive; the high notes are there
but not pleasurable. The performances grow increasingly attractive
within the next three or four songs albeit still fluctuating
alarmingly at times between inaudible and strident.
The next samples by Scarlatti sound relaxed. Perhaps the songs
projected well in this large auditorium. The effects occasionally
overwhelm the close microphones and camera. The piano playing,
it must be noted, is adept throughout with an ideal combination
of clarity and precise rhythm. Scotto’s vibrancy and flexibility
of phrasing, notably in the Rossini excerpts, grow smoother
through these first songs although the last notes in ‘La Promessa’
are a little wiry. The voice mellows around the time of ‘La
Pastorella’. The singing here is alert, the manner sweet natured
but not arch. The piano playing is enjoyable hereabouts with
the confidence of a proper partner for the singer in interpreting
these songs.
The heart of this recording is the performance of six Verdi
songs. This is a step ahead of what we have seen so far with
the richer tones of the voice and the diction improved. Limitations
are much less in evidence. Starting with ‘La preghiera del poeta’
emotions are internalised and phrasing is legato – smooth –
but not at all bland. ‘Al tuo bambino’ is less successful if
occasionally steely. However we are back on course with ‘Il
brigidino’ which is among Verdi’s most inspired songs. ‘E la
vita un mar d’affanni’ has lovely moments while ‘Pieta Signore’
is a little leaden. The results are rarely ‘perfect’ but always
creative and evidently the work of a mature artist. The repertoire
is varied and intelligent; more creative than the other recitals
in this set. All the same, the transition between ‘Stornello’
and the grandeur of ‘Tu che le vanita’ is awkward.
Thomas Fulton nearly steals the show with his cool elegant playing
of the introduction to ‘Tu che le vanita’. Scotto’s performance
is electric with her natural dramatic talent coming to the fore.
She is at home here in the melodrama Verdi created for his prima
donna. Yes, high notes are still strident at times but the voice
is in finer, if more compact, form than in her studio Tosca.
Diction is a little occluded at the start but improves again
within a few bars. The swelling of the orchestra is missed here
at the climaxes.
The Respighi items leave little in the memory. The Puccini items
are emotion-filled and provide a welcome surge of drama. In
the encores, which are most successful, ‘Vissi d’arte’ makes
you wish for a video of Scotto’s Tosca or at least a
decent memento of her portrayal than the disappointing Levine
recording. The Madama Butterfly sample is the best selection
of all with the finest Butterfly of her generation shedding
the years and again making one wish that a video of her dramatic
performance was available. The final encore of Rossini’s ‘Tarantella’
is maddening since it manages to spoil the mood created in the
Butterfly sample.
The presentation is pretty bare but the Lucia Mad Scene
as an extra from earlier in Scotto’s career is a welcome bonus.
There are Japanese subtitles which cannot be turned off but
the picture quality and sound are decent without being crystal
clear. A libretto would be handy as well.
I would recommend these recitals with a few provisos. None of
the artists, wonderful as they are, are in their first flush
and as such these recitals cannot give a full picture of their
special talents. The presentation is a little bare and the Christoff
recording in particular is a little on the short side. Kraus’s
recital is more generous but a lot of time is taken up with
orchestral interludes and overtures which are not quite in the
first rank. I still treasure what is left and the reduced price
makes up for some of my concerns regarding their durations.
Prospective customers should however be aware of these limitations.
David Bennett
Boris Christoff – The 1976 Lugano Recital
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
Boris Godunov - Death of Boris; Hopak (song)
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Die Entführung aus dem Serail - Wer ein Liebchen
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Il barbiere di Siviglia - La callunia
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Don Carlo - Ella giammai m’amò
Boris Christoff (bass)
Orchestra della Svizzeria Italiana/Bruno Amaducci
rec. live, Palazzo dei Congressi, Lugano, Switzerland, 1976
Interview with Boris Christoff conducted by Giorgio Gualeriza
Alfredo Kraus – Live in Las Palmas 1995
Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797-1848)
Don Pasquale – Overture
Lucia di Lammermoor – Tombe degli avi miei
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Luisa Miller - Overture
Rigoletto – La donna e mobile
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950)
L’Arlesiana – Lamento di Federico
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo
Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880)
Les Contes d’Hoffmann – Chanson de Kleinzach
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Manon Lescaut - Intermezzo
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
Manon – Ah! Fuyez douce image
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786-1826)
Oberon - Overture
Charles GOUNOD (1818-1893)
Roméo et Juliette – Ah! Leve-toi solei!
Jose SERRANO (1873-1941)
El trust de los Tenorios – Tu quiero moreno
![[image]](christoff-kraus-scotto-dynamic-bennett/christoff-kraus-scotto-dynamic-bennett-1.jpg "christoff-kraus-scotto-dynamic-bennett-1.jpg")
Alfredo Kraus (tenor)
Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria/Jose Collado
rec. live, Teatro Perez Galdos de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,
1995
Renata Scotto – The 1984 Tokyo Recital
George Frederic HANDEL (1685-1759)
Rinaldo - Lascia ch’io pianga
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725)
Cara e dolce (song)
Bellezza che siama (song)
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
La Promessa (song)
La Pastorella (song)
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Six songs
La preghiera del poeta
Al tuo bambino
Il brigidino
E la vita un mar d’affanni
Pieta, Signor
Stornello
Don Carlo - Tu che le vanita
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Petrarch Sonnets
Pace non trove
Io vidi in terra angelici costumi
Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936)
Soupir (song)
Au milieu du jardin (song)
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Sole e amore (song)
Edgar - D’ogni dolor questo e il piu gran dolor
Tosca – Vissi d’arte
Madama Butterfly - Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio!
Pietro MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
Zanetto - Senti, bambino; M’ama non m’ama (song)
Renata Scotto (soprano)
Thomas Fulton (piano)
rec. live, Kan'i Hoken Hall, Tokyo, 6 September 1984
DYNAMIC 33683 
[3 DVDs: 69:00 + 94:00 + 84:00] 
