Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924)
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Anna Moffo, Cesare Valletti
Rosalind Elias, Renato Cesari,
Fernando Corena, Mario Carlin
Roma Orchestra and Chorus
dir. Erich Leinsdorf
RCA Opera Series (1988) 4145-2-RG
2 CD Stereo ADD
Recorded July 1957 in the Roma Opera House
Flac&cue; cover, inlays, booklet&disc scans
Reviews
"Though scarcely a 'classic' account of Madame Butterfly, this recording deserves issue on CD on account of its three central performances. Neither Moffo, Valletti nor Cesari have big voices, but all three make virtues of necessities and demonstrate how much of Puccini's language is accessible to a light voice, lightly used. The beefy tenore robusto who sings Pinkerton's Act 1 solos "Dovunque al mondo" and "Amore o grillo" with arrogantly ringing tone has already undermined the drama: obviously the man is a male chauvinist bull in a china-shop. Ringing tone is scarcely the strongest weapon in Valletti's armoury. He sings instead with winning charm and a touch of almost boyish elegance: Madama Butterfly despite the odious sentiments he is expressing we rather like him, and can understand Butterfly's infatuation. Moffo, too, is good at all those things that tend to be a shade unconvincing when a true dramatic soprano (whose stamina the role ideally needs, in a stage performance at least) impersonates Butterfly: her touching description of Pinkerton's departure, her eagerness as Sharpless reads the fatal letter, her reaction immediately afterwards to his question "What would you do if he never came back" (it is as though he had turned and struck her). She is good in "Un bel di", stretched a bit by 'Tu? Tu Piccolo Iddio" (just as Valletti can make nothing especially convincing of "Addio, fiorito asil") but with Cesari's concerned softly-spoken, gentlemanly Sharpless and a reliable supporting cast this is still a Butterny that can give much pleasure, and it is truer to the spirit of Puccini's score than some of its more glamorously cast, more vociferous rivals. There are two drawbacks. Leinsdorf' s crisply dapper approach to the score sometimes veers well over the border of abruptness or restlessness (the Act I duet only settles to a comfortable tempo for the singers at "Vogliatemi bene"). Much more seriously the recording has not survived digital remastering at all well. The sound is now very acid, the orchestra congested and skinny, while the close focus on the soloists (although unnatural this was once quite welcome, since it enabled them to sing as quietly as they pleased) now gives them such a harshness that the recording sounds much older than it is...." www.gramophone.co.uk - Michael Oliver
"Erich Leinsdorf conducts the Rome Opera Orchestra with zest, energy and sparkle. His tempos tend to be somewhat fast, but this adds to the vitality one feels throughout the recording. This energy captures the bounce and excitement of Act I and the wedding perfectly. Acts II and III require a more sombre, enclosed, claustrophobic feeling and here Leinsdorf misses the mark somewhat, as he maintains a youthful energy throughout.
Rosalind Elias' interpretation of the secondary role of Suzuki is highly polished. Her voice has a distinctive ring that I could recognize anywhere and when appropriate, she combines that ring with a slight sob befitting a role like Suzuki perfectly.
Renato Cesari, consistent with the youthful quality of this recording, delivers an energetic, beautiful sounding Sharpless. His portrayal of a young Sharpless is satisfying, though I personally feel it necessary for Sharpless to be more mature as his compassion and wisdom come from having lived a few more years than the surrounding cast.
When I illustrated this libretto, I found Pinkerton by far to be the most difficult character to paint. The fact he is rich, good looking, spoiled rotten and self centered can be overlooked with some effort, but the fact he is so deceitful will turn anyone's stomach. In order to illustrate him convincingly, I found it necessary to overcome my complete disgust for this man and try to see him through the eyes of a naïve and trusting Butterfly....no easy task! Cesare Valletti's sweet sounding tenor makes Pinkerton convincing enough to fool anybody....a definite plus for any singing actor.
I have never heard Anna Moffo sound as young as she does here. Towards the middle of her career she developed a lovely vibrato that made her voice easy to recognize. But in this recording, that vibrato has yet to emerge and I would have never guessed this voice to be Moffo's! This works to her advantage, for Butterfly is only fifteen years old at the beginning of the opera, and Moffo pulls it off beautifully! As a matter of fact, she is the ONLY soprano I have ever heard who portrays a believable fifteen year old. However, she is only fifteen for the first act. Three years have passed at the beginning of Act II, which makes her eighteen. But Butterfly does an enormous amount of developing throughout the opera and by its end, though chronologically still only eighteen years old, she is, in fact, much older than that. Here Moffo falls short, and along with the orchestra under Leinsdorf's baton, maintains the vitality which was appropriate in Act I, but not so for Acts II and III.
Even so, this Butterfly is fresh, interesting, and makes a great addition to anyone's collection. I highly recommend it." www.amazon.com - Ron Elguera