This is a recording of opening night at La Scala in 1962, a performance whose virtues have been enhanced by the passage of time. It’s not a first choice to be sure, but a valuable supplement for fans of live performances that smell of grease paint. Except for Carlo Bergonzi as Manrico, the same principals recorded the opera that year for Deutsche Grammophon under the baton of Tulio Serafin, and although it’s a fine performance, it misses some of the fire of this live one–along with its main attraction, Franco Corelli in one of his best roles. Corelli was really on that night, his bold, ringing tenor striking sparks in “Di quella pira” and, although tenderness wasn’t his strong suit, managing some gorgeous soft singing in “Ah! si, ben mio”. Throughout, his thrustful singing confirms him as the Manrico of the 1960s.
The Leonore is Antonietta Stella, whose moderately successful international career was limited by a soprano universe that included Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, leaving her a perennial also-ran whose blandness and lack of a distinctive vocal personality were barriers to reaching the heights. Perhaps the occasion and her stage partners inspired her, for she’s quite good here–she characterizes well, sings with passion, and negotiates some lovely trills in “D’amor sull’ali rosee”. Ettore Bastianini is the Count di Luna, and a good one too. His velvety voice made him a favorite, and here he sings with a burlier tone and greater involvement than in his studio recordings. Fiorenza Cossotto is a lighter, younger Azucena than we usually get, but it’s a rare treat to hear such beautiful tones pouring out of the character.
The veteran conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni keeps things moving smartly and lets his singers shine–two basics for conducting middle-period Verdi. The filler is four excerpts from the opera featuring Bastianini from a year earlier in somewhat smoother voice. The sound is surprisingly good for a vintage live recording. No translations are provided, nor is a magnifying glass included to read the booklet’s Italian libretto, set in the smallest type-size known to the printing arts.
