BaL 16.01.16 - Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library
Anna Picard compares recordings of Mascagni's perennially popular 'Cavalleria Rusticana', widely considered to be one of the classic verismo operas, with 'that' intermezzo which may or may not conjure up images from the imaginations of Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese…

Available versions:

Royal Opera Stockholm, Kurt Bendix (download)
British National Opera Company, Aylmer Buesst
Orchestre de Paris, Semyon Bychkov
RCA Victor Orchestra, Robert Shaw Chorale, Renato Cellini
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real, Jesús López Cobos (DVD/Blu-ray)
Metropolitan Opera, Fausto Cleva
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Alberto Erede
Metropolitan Opera, Alberto Erede
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Oliviero de Fabritiis (DVD)
National Philharmonic Orchestra, Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Teatro alla Scala, Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Franco Ghione
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala Franco Ghione
Teatro di San Carlo, Zhang Jiemin (DVD)
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Herbert von Karajan (DVD)
Ambrosian Opera Chorus & National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine
Metropolitan Opera & Chorus, James Levine (DVD)
Buenos Aires Colón Theatre Orchestra, Juan Emilio Martini
Orchestra And Chorus of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, Steven Mercurio (download)
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Giuseppe Morelli
Chorus and Orchestra of the Opera d’Olanda Dutch Royal Theatre, The Hague, Pietro Mascagni
Orchestra de Teatro alla Scala, Coro de Teatro alla Scala, Pietro Mascagni
Boston Opera, Gennaro Papi
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Peter Kay Children`s Choir, David Parry
Budapest Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Roberto Paternostro
Philharmonic Orchestra of Russe, Chorus of the Teatro Comunale dei Rinnovati, Siena, Baldo Podic (DVD)
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Georges Prêtre
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Georges Prêtre (DVD)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Alexander Rahbari
Orchestra and Chorus of the Zurich Opera House, Stefano Ranzani (DVD/Blu-ray)
Bavarian State Opera, Nello Santi
Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Nello Santi
Synphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera, Kenneth Schermerhorn
Coro e orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Tullio Serafin
Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin
Philharmonia Orchestra, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia,, Silvio Varviso (BaL Choice 2001)
Teatro alla Scala, Antonino Votto

[visualnickmos]

Should be good - what's wrong with a good ol'fashioned thigh-slapper!

Great list - as always. Although popular, I wouldn't have thought there are that many recordings...

[verismissimo]

I appear to have Levine with Scotto and Domingo (1979), Votto with Simionato and Di Stefano (1955) and the composer with Bruna Rasa and Gigli (1940). It will be a pleasure to spin them again.

[Madame Suggia]

Simionato and Serafin on Belart

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... what's wrong with a good ol'fashioned thigh-slapper!

Well - that's going off topic, but thank you for asking: I have a slight cold.

[BBMmk2]

Glad I am busy tomorrow!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Glad I am busy tomorrow!

I know you are - but I've asked you not to call me "Glad".


Well - not in public, at any rate.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Glad I am busy tomorrow!

But are you busy on the 16th?

[makropulos]

When I was preparing something recently for an ROH Insights evening on Cav and Pag, I listened again to Mascagni's own 1940 recording with La Scala (including a spoken introduction by Mascagni). Along with one of the excellent versions in modern sound, I'd really suggest giving PM's own performance a listen. Among other things, the Intermezzo has an open-hearted passion that is quite wonderful, and with a cast including Gigli and Simionato there's plenty to cheer about in the singing too.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

When I was preparing something recently for an ROH Insights evening on Cav and Pag, I listened again to Mascagni's own 1940 recording with La Scala (including a spoken introduction by Mascagni). Along with one of the excellent versions in modern sound, I'd really suggest giving PM's own performance a listen. Among other things, the Intermezzo has an open-hearted passion that is quite wonderful, and with a cast including Gigli and Simionato there's plenty to cheer about in the singing too.

This must be one of the few Gigli recordings I don't have. I shall be ordering this.

[makropulos]

This must be one of the few Gigli recordings I don't have. I shall be ordering this.

I really hope you enjoy it. I've got the EMI transfer from a few years ago:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cavalleria-Rusticana-Mascagni/dp/B00000DOK9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452286774&sr=8-3&keywords=mascagni+cavalleria+gigli

There's also a Naxos one, I think, but I haven't heard that.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I really hope you enjoy it. I've got the EMI transfer from a few years ago:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cavalleria-Rusticana-Mascagni/dp/B00000DOK9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452286774&sr=8-3&keywords=mascagni+cavalleria+gigli

There's also a Naxos one, I think, but I haven't heard that.

The Naxos Gigli transfers are generally very good. As I said, I have nearly the full Gigli "set" - just lacking Un Ballo and Cav & Pag.

[verismissimo]

Alpie, here are the Cav and Pag Gigli issues together from Nimbus. It's these transfers that I have.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mascagni-Cavalleria-Rusticana-Pietro/dp/B0000037K2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1452321144&sr=1-1&keywords=cavalleria+rusticana+nimbus

[BBMmk2]

But are you busy on the 16th?

I'll make sure I will be!

[verismissimo]

I'll make sure I will be!

Worth tuning in for this one, bbm, One of the turning points in musical history and filled with fine vocal writing and drama.