For a discussion of this opera, its history and plot, please see my review of the relatively recent, excellent RCA recording (type Q6872 in Search Reviews). This present recording comes from a live concert performance taped in London in 1973, an evening mounted for the American tenor Richard Tucker, who championed the work for years. A bit more than 30 minutes of music is cut here–10 minutes of thoroughly unnecessary ballet music, a duet for two sopranos and an aria for the second soprano, and choruses. Some of the opera’s grandeur is therefore missing, but on a recording it really doesn’t matter, and Halevy’s “grand opera” style, much like Meyerbeer’s, is somewhat out of fashion anyway.
This performance is vibrant, with Tucker’s superb tenor in excellent shape, his pointed delivery of the text intelligent. Of course, given the opportunity, he sobs a bit and snaps off high notes with little elegance, but for the most part he is in superb form and his fans won’t be disappointed. Both sopranos–Yasuko Hayashi as Rachel and Michele Le Bris as Eudoxie–are a bit brittle, but the former in particular sings with great heart and involvement. (Julia Varady on the Philips recording with Carreras is better, and Soile Isokoski on RCA is likewise superb). Tenor Juan Sabate copes well with the second, cruelly high tenor part of Leopold; David Gwynne could have made much more of the complicated character of Cardinal De Brogni; and the rest of the cast is good enough. Anton (his name is not Antonio, as is stated in the notes) Guadagno has a real feel for the work, and this recording radiates excitement. I wouldn’t want to do without the RCA (with Neil Shicoff), but this budget release is very fine.
