Refice: Cecilia (fp 1934)

[Alan Howe]

Does anyone know this extremely sugary piece of late verismo?

[mikehopf]

Cecilia has received a couple of recordings - one with Renata Tebaldi - and a concert performance can be downloaded on youtube.

I also have a recording of Refice's other opera Margherita da Cortona and some religious music and songs.

Refice was a contemporary of another more prolific priest: Lorenzo Perosi.

If you like these Puccini-esque operas, I would recommend the operas of the Greek composer, Samara(s).

[Alan Howe]

I was put in mind of Montemezzi (L'Amore dei tre Re) and Zandonai (Francesca da Rimini). Very toothsome - I have the abridged recording from 1975 superlatively sung by Renata Scotto et al.

[BerlinExpat]

This afternoon I listened to the new complete recording of Cecilia (Bongiovanni GB 2472/73-2) with Denia Mazzola Gavazzeni and was more reminded of Mascagni than either Montemezzi and Zandonai. If you want more intense verismo, then go for his Margherita da Cortona (RAI 1970), which I think is more reminiscent of both the above mentioned Montemezzi and Zandonai operas. The new recording is 53 minutes longer that the 1976 abridged version.

[Alan Howe]

I didn't buy the complete recording because I found the singers inadequate (from excerpts, admittedly). For this sort of thing to be convincing you need a great singer - hence Scotto...

[BerlinExpat]

For this sort of thing to be convincing you need a great singer - hence Scotto...

Oh dear, Alan. Does that mean I have to throw away most of my "unsung operas"? For example, I have recordings of all 15 Mascagni operas and his operetta, but I guess only two, perhaps three, have been recorded with great singers. The others may not be top drawer recordings, but I am delighted that I have had the opportunity to hear some wonderful music that otherwise would have been denied me. The same goes for works by D'Albert, Cilea, Giordano, Gomes, Leoncavallo, Ponchielli and Zandonai among others.

I have the Scotto abridged version of Cecilia too and disappointed that she never made a complete recording.

[Alan Howe]

Oh dear, Alan. Does that mean I have to throw away most of my "unsung operas"

Not at all. Everyone to his own. It's just that I personally derive very little (other than information) from an opera that is poorly sung. It's like listening to a violin concerto with a poor soloist. So, I won't be buying opera sets featuring wobbly sopranos or strangulated tenors. For example, if the name Susan Bullock appears in a cast list, I'll run a mile. Or Lance Ryan. Or Stephen Gould. Or anyone who can't sing properly, whether they're a name, or not.

[mikehopf]

Oh dear, Alan.

Surely the essence of Unsung Composers is discovery. Are you going to deny us the thrill of the search?

If the pathway to undiscovered treasures is fraught with obstacles such as poor soloists, scratchy recordings, computer viruses etc,  so be it. If  tarnished treasures are unearthed, they can be polished , restored or renewed.

[Alan Howe]

Oh dear, Mike: I'm not denying you anything. Just myself the torture of listening to poor singing. And you can't polish, restore or renew inadequate vocalists any more than you can polish, restore or renew an incompetent solo violinist...

[Alan Howe]

Intriguing...
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/cecilia/hnum/11473624
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9490808--licinio-refice-cecilia

...but not particularly well sung. Worth a punt, maybe?

Edit: chorus and orchestra sound good; soloists range from the provincial to the excruciating. Promptly crossed off my wants list.

[Alan Howe]

The new recording is a complete write-off on account of the dreadful standard of singing throughout. The ever-reliable Ralph Moore confirms this in his review at MusicWeb.