This 2-CD set, slightly more than two hours of music, presents arias and scenes from Beverly Sills’ recordings made between 1959 (Baby Doe) and 1975 (Barbiere)–most are taken from the years 1968-73. She began to sing Elisabetta I in Devereux in October, 1969, and by early ’71 the role had begun to take its toll on her voice–and it’s remarkable how easy it is to tell what was recorded pre- and post-Devereux just by listening carefully from track to track. The bottom line, of course, is that regardless of when she recorded, Sills always was a great artist who brought intelligence and sensitivity to any role she sang, and so everything here is worth hearing, and hearing more than once–well, “Contro un cor” is a bit thorny and the “Mira o Norma” is not very “bel” canto, with Shirley Verrett’s Adalgisa more interesting than persuasive. But among the rest, the “Capuleti” aria from ’68, though overembellished, is beautiful beyond description, with high notes floated almost supernaturally; her Manon is wholly satisfying and her Antonia (in Hoffmann) is stunning, though a bit rough vocally, with Norman Treigle as a phenomenally sinister Dr. Miracle and Julius Rudel conducting up a storm; “Vorrei spiegarvi, O Dio” and Strauss’ “Amor” are simply ravishing; “Martern aller Arten” is a whiz-bang lesson in Mozartian coloratura; and the Devereux final scene (from 1969) is tragically exhausting in its depth of characterization and feeling. Oh yes–the aria from Robert le diable is a knockout. If you don’t own at least half of these selections on other recordings, go out and buy this. [6/14/2004]
