Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Mario Sereni
Ezio Flagello, Pierre Duval, Corinna Vozza
Chorus and Orchestra of RCA Italiana Opera
dir: Georges Prêtre
Rec. RCA Italiana Studio, Rome July- August 1965.
Sony Classical Opera - RCA Read Seal - 8887573472 (2015)
ADD 2 CD Stereo - Remastered 24bit/96k Hz
[flac&cue; cover, inlays, booklet&disc scans]
Reviews:
"Back in the LP days this was my LUCIA recording. The first Callas recording was out of print and I knew who Anna Moffo was. I was also attracted to the eye candy cover. I had already heard Bergonzi live. And I was familiar with the wonderful Georges Pretre. I loved the performance. Well years later the recording still holds up.
But I can hear some of the issues others have mentioned. Moffo is a superb Lucia but the role's high tessitura exposes some edgy attacks. Be that as it may, Moffo had one of the most beautiful and lush voices of her day. The recording presents an intelligent and harrowing interpretation. Listening from cover to cover, one can follow a mind slowly getting unhinged.
The men are powerful. Wasn't Flagello one of the most underrated singers? His range was amazing in his prime. Sereni always had a beautiful voice. Bergonzi is simply a joy.
The recording was remastered in the 24 bit format. You have to find this out in the booklet. It's not on the cover. I knew something was different seconds into the recording. Great job.
This is worthy of the competition. I highly recommend it. For Moffo fans the recording is a must have." - Marc Musnick - Amazon.com
"I became familiar with this recording via its first CD incarnation which sounded harsh, distorted, and as such did no justice to the performance. While this is not the most perfect recording of Donizetti's Scottish drama it is indeed a much better recording that that original CD version made it out to be. If you own that version it will be well worth your while to replace it as this newly mastered version gives a more accurate representation of the voices which are captured in a much warmer environment.
While Anna Moffo is a bit past her prime she gives a credible interpretation the title character. She has enough substance to her voice and dramatic involvement so as not to interpret the role as the light voiced canaries of pre Callas days. As Edgardo Carlo Bergonzi gives an elegant interpretation of the jilted tenor lover. Baritone Mario Sereni and basso Nicola Flaggello round out the well balanced cast. Conductor Georges Prêtre keeps things moving at a decent pace in what is a virtually uncut performance of Donizetti's score.
Since Lucia is a prima donna based opera, this might not be an absolute first choice for everyone. Still it is definitely a contender. For many Callas is the touchstone as Lucia. However, all of her recordings are heavily cut. For others it might be Sutherland or another favorite prima donna. As such, this recording would be valid way to supplement any recording already in your collection. Moreover, for those who are fans of any of the singers featured here this is self recommending."- Marc B - Amazon.com
