The 1950s may have been vaguely Golden-Age but this is a bronze-ish performance of Trovatore, and there are at least a half-dozen available sets that are better by acres. The combo of Tebaldi and del Monaco, especially in ’56 when this was recorded and these singers were at their primes, is almost sure-fire–but not here. Tebaldi never was a Leonora; she hadn’t the technique for any of the coloratura, there’s no trill within earshot, and she sounds wildly uncomfortable in all but the sweetest or most exclamatory passages. There are moments of sheer desperation in cadenzas–not what we want. Del Monaco is loud and then louder; it’s amazing he doesn’t faint. Of course the voice is a miracle of sorts–burnished, bright, brazen–but he’s also a big, bad bully. (Okay, no more alliteration.)
Giulietta Simionato is a flavorful Azucena, singing with warmth and lunacy when called for, although I wouldn’t want to own the throat that belts out the high-C in the “Condotta”. Giorgio Tozzi messes up Ferrando’s music, while Ugo Savarese is an acceptable di Luna. On stage we’d probably applaud; on CD his simple okay-ness isn’t enough. Alberto Erede, normally a slug of a conductor, is nice and perky, but this Trovatore just isn’t worth it. The very early stereo sound is far better than you’d expect. Both big stars are better heard elsewhere–go buy their Fanciulla del West. [2/26/2003]
