This 1959 studio recording of Lucia has held up well. Renata Scotto was just at the start of her international career (1959 was the year she subbed for Callas in Edinburgh and achieved “overnight success”), but she clearly was a complete artist already. Her Lucia is sweet and girlish for the whole first act–none of this “she’s really a dark, nuts girl from the start” theory–singing with bright tone, easy coloratura, and grace. When she believes that she’s been betrayed (when Enrico shows her the forged letter), her tone collapses–Scotto turns the voice white–and sadness and madness reign after that. She’s splendid in Act 2 and her Mad Scene is stunning–high notes are not yet squally (that was 10 years down the line). She’s a terrific Lucia.
Giuseppe di Stefano also is in good voice (as Edgardo) but he oversings at times and the tone spreads; still, his passion is welcome. Almost stealing the show is Ettore Bastianini as the evil brother Enrico. Singing with huge tone and an audible sneer, he’s the best Enrico on disc. The rest of the cast is okay; Nino Sanzogno’s conducting and La Scala’s playing is exciting and first rate. The sound is shallow and boxy but acceptable and very clear.
As a bonus, we get di Stefano’s earliest recordings (1944), with piano accompaniment. Favorites such as “Che gelida manina”, “E lucevan le stelle”, “Pourquoi me reveiller”, “Una furtiva lagrima”, and “E la solita storia” join a couple of Neapolitan songs and Italian language versions of Des Grieux’s “Reve” and the aria from The Pearl Fishers. The singing is gorgeous, with heart-stopping diminuendos on high notes, long-breathed phrases, and natural, graceful phrasing. He takes the Pearl Fishers aria down a whole tone just to get the high B-flat at the end to a whisper, but it’s worth it. The sound is spotless mono, the piano nicely played. Put into perspective, fans can only wonder at how a singer can ruin his almost-perfect voice by singing incorrectly. [10/19/2009]
