The booklet front,
which is what captures the browsing punter’s eye, features four names,
those of bjoerling, caballé, domingo and
price. Yes, I know, no capital letters, nor are there any in
the title, the list of contents inside the booklet or on the back of
the jewel case! I thought we had outgrown such juvenilia in presentation.
Nor might RCA/BMG avoid criticism under trades description in respect
of the four names on the front cover. Yes, Domingo features in six extracts
and Leontyne Price in four, but Caballé and Bjoerling have only
one track each, the same as all the other artists except Anna Moffo
who features on two tracks. I have no difficulty with Moffo’s contributions,
which are elegantly sung with good expression and appropriate tonal
colour, and in the case of ‘Caro nome’ (tr 10), pin-point purity of
coloratura. This extract is taken from Solti’s 1962 recording of Rigoletto
for RCA as is Alfredo Kraus’s elegantly sung, but all too brief, ‘Questo
o quella’ (tr 3). Most of the tracks featured are taken from the extensive
RCA repertoire of complete opera recordings of the 1960s and 1970s when
that company’s catalogue, artist roster and regular opera recordings
were second to none. Exceptions here include Domingo’s ‘La donna é
mobile’ (tr 5), and ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (tr 2), taken from a recital
disc conducted by Santi, and where self-indulgence overcomes the singer’s
natural musicality as evidenced in other contributions taken from complete
opera recordings.
Pride of Leontyne
Price’s contributions is her singing of Verdi’s ‘Pace, pace’ (tr 18)
from the first of her two recordings of La Forza del Destino that
she made for RCA; full refulgent tone allied to a smooth legato and
smoky colouration. Price’s singing of the famous arietta from Gianni
Schicchi (tr 16) is vibrant albeit a little mature sounding for
the part. I was not enamoured of Richard Tucker’s throaty ‘Che gelida
manina’ (tr 12). Ben Heppner’s concluding ‘Nessun dorma’ (tr 19), whilst
having true tenor tone lacks expression; pleasant on the ear, he might
be singing the local telephone directory! As to Caballé, she
lightens her tone to make an effective Mimi (tr 8), but considering
the fabulous portrayals of Bellini and Donizetti ladies that she recorded
for RCA it is an unimaginative selection. However, I greatly enjoyed
Robert Merrill’s rendition of Figaro’s ‘Largo al factotum’ (tr 11).
It is time RCA/BMG gave us a disc devoted to this fine baritone whose
even tone and fine musicality graced many of their opera recordings.
The booklet front
promotes a ‘24BIT/96KHZ Sound Dimension’ logo. This is explained as
‘allowing a previously unattainable high quality to be achieved in the
remastering of analogue recordings’. Comparing tracks with those from
the complete operas, the sound here is set at a distinctly higher level
with some extra clarity discernible in the treble. The booklet gives
brief notes on the composers in English and German. No individual recording
dates are given. In fact the Bjoerling, set down in Rome in 1957 is
the earliest, whilst Heppner’s contribution is the most recent recording.
At the price this is a good enough offering to be slotted into the car
CD player when setting off on a long journey. Certainly an hour of its
contents will give an opera lover a pleasant journey.
Robert J Farr
RCA/BMG 09026 63978 2 [72.59]