There are dozens of Trovatores on the market, many rather good (Milanov/Björling, Price/Domingo, Price/Corelli, and more) and a few mediocre ones as well. Into the pot comes this surprise ingredient–a live performance from Moscow with the La Scala forces, taped in l964. Gabriella Tucci, who also recorded the role of Leonora commercially (with Corelli, for EMI), was a very good soprano who rarely achieved greatness–her timbre lacked the individuality that bespeaks stardom. But, as we can hear here, she was a really good Verdian, singing with a purity of line, intelligence, and involvement that would be most welcome today. Carlo Bergonzi, still active at 75 (he’s singing Otello in New York this spring) always was the model of style, with a hint of heroic singing thrown in. In this performance we get more than a hint; indeed, this is Bergonzi at his most exciting. He takes “Di quella pira” down a half-tone but dazzles with his high notes, and elsewhere he’s never less than excellent. Giulietta Simionato, nearing the end of her career, sings with uneven register breaks but with true Verdian line and almost everything else one could ask for in the nutsy role of Azucena. Piero Cappuccilli, early in his career, shades his singing well but still delivers at the big moments. Gianandrea Gavazzeni, an old hand obviously trying to impress those Cold-War Russkies, joins his cast in pulling out all the stops. This Trovatore must go near the top of the list.
