All but the most die-hard fans will be put off by the terrible sound of this 1955 in-house-tape-recorded performance, although this “remastering” has made it closer to listenable than any other previous incarnation of this set on the market. Still–be warned: booming, echo-ey, tinny, unbalanced (taped by a brass player?), distorted–it’s got it all. Then why bother? The answer, of course, is Franco Corelli, the most exciting and charismatic tenor of the mid-20th century. Certainly not the greatest “artist” among tenors, Corelli was indisputably the most thrilling: his big, bronze tone was full and rich, the top notes secure and gleaming, his breath control dazzling, and his (occasional) soft singing beautiful and dramatic. Never a great idea man either, he nonetheless fills the shoes of characters like Radames (and Cavaradossi, Canio, and Manrico) like no other tenor of his generation. His prime overlapped with Björling, Tucker, Pavarotti, Domingo, Bergonzi, and a dozen lesser lights; still, it was he who caused the most visceral reaction in the opera house, and much of that can be felt on this live recording, taped early in his career.
Alongside Corelli, we have Antonietta Stella, nobody’s first choice as Aida, but many people’s third: her true Verdian sound and utter reliability far outweigh her predictability and lack of vivid imagination. Fedora Barbieri’s Amneris is a powerhouse also in the true Verdian sense, and Anselmo Colzani, one of the least-appreciated baritones of his generation, rounds out the quartet. Mario Petri is a fine Ramfis and the excellent Vittorio Gui in the pit generates great excitement. This echt-Italian cast and performance is gripping in the extreme–it’s a pity the sound is so appalling.
