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Verismo recommendations, please!

Started by Alan Howe, Monday 18 May 2015, 10:33

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adriano

The original versions of Boito's "Mefistofele" and Zandonai's "Francesca da Rimini" were, for example, also much longer. It was also Ricordi, the publisher, who controlled this.

Alan Howe

Well, Mascagni certainly varied his tone and manner from opera to opera - but all within the boundaries of the broad verismo style.

gene schiller

Before you write off "Guglielmo Ratcliff" for good, I think you're listening to the wrong performance...and yes, pigs do fly.  Check out Catania (1990) with Vincenzo Scuderi, who sails through the title role like a house on fire, even interpolating a high C for good measure in the finale from Act 3; so much for the role being unsingable.  And no one conducts it like Gabor Otvos - an enormously dynamic reading. Sonic imperfections are irrelevant here; I can't imagine any fan of verismo not responding to this.
I'd recommend starting first with Acts 3 & 4; soprano Sandra Pacetti is excellent, and Elena Souliotis, though underpowered, manages to redeem herself with an unexpected reprise of her great scene near the end.          Best regards,  Gene Schiller