With the decline in
the classical music industry there is
scarcely a couple of handfuls of new
recordings of ‘mainstream’ opera made
each year. A significant number of these
are on the Chandos and Opera Rara labels.
They often owe their existence to sponsorship
by the Peter Moores Foundation. As a
consequence, a generation of significant
singers is passing without having the
opportunity of setting down even their
signature roles for posterity. Looking
back, it is scarcely credible that a
mere 15 or 20 years ago a singer, particularly
a diva or tenor, might get opportunity
for a second or even third recording
of a role. This doubtless allows present
and future scholars, and enthusiasts,
to compare a singer’s interpretation
of a role, and the development or deterioration,
of the voice.
On this recording it
is Renato Scotto who returned to record
Butterfly, eleven or so years after
her first effort under Barbirolli. This
was reviewed
by me elsewhere on this site as
an EMI ‘GROC’ reissue. In my review
of the EMI set, whilst admiring Scotto’s
interpretation and characterization,
I made mild criticism of a tendency
to over-act with her voice to give a
pseudo childish effect. (Butterfly is
supposed to be only 14 years of age).
I also noted some unsteadiness and spread
of the voice above the stave. The most
pleasing aspect of the present Sony
recording is that Scotto is in better
voice. She doesn’t overdo the ‘child’
singing and generally brings fuller
tone and steadiness. This can be heard
particularly well in her rendering of
‘Un bel di, vedremo’ (CD 1 tr. 18).
Yes, there are moments of spread when
under pressure, but these instances
are few. They are more than compensated
for by the superb interpretation the
singer brings to the part. As Pinkerton,
Domingo is in fresh youthful voice,
his tone at its most lyric yet with
abundant power for climaxes. His interpretation
has no great depth such as Bergonzi
(Scotto’s earlier partner) was able
to inject. Indeed, there is a touch
too much ‘can belto’ at times. In the
love duet (CD 1 trs. 15-16), aided by
Maazel’s pressing tempi, he gives the
impression of the archetypical U.S.
marine with only one thought between
his ears, and that hasn’t much to do
with the consequences of unprotected
sex!
Whilst Barbirolli was
sometimes a little self-indulgent, Maazel’s
is much more dramatic. There is no lingering.
With the very forward recording set
at a high level the results, whilst
dynamic and dramatic, can seem over-aggressive.
As to the other singing parts, Wixell’s
Sharpless lacks the Italian ‘squilla’
that I admired in Panerai’s interpretation
for Barbirolli’s all-native cast. The
same could be said of Gillian Knight’s
Suzuki, except that she contrasts satisfyingly
with her Butterfly and they duet well
together (CD 2 trs. 10-11). The other
minor parts are all sung well by predominantly
British comprimarios who only lack what
Barbirolli’s cast had: Italian birth
certificates.
As I outline in my
review of Gluck’s ‘Iphigénie
en Tauride’ in this series from Sony,
the supporting documentation is appalling
with not even the recording year being
given. That being said, it is good to
have the young Domingo in such virile
voice and a diva whose second effort
is better sung than her first.
Robert J Farr
Ambrosian Opera Chorus 