Our Summer BAL No 78 - Puccini Tosca

[Barbirollians]

I was surprised to see no mention of this opera in the BAL lists since this forum began . This month IGI once a regular of this parish in the Gramophone Collection rejects Callas/Gobbi/di Stefano - de Sabata from his top choices - going instead for Tebaldi/del Monaco/London/ Milinari-Pradelli from 1959 and the Leontyne Price /HVK set .

I assume the de Sabata has won previous BALs on this and I find it pretty difficult to top unless you are it seems like IGI resistant to Callas's voice . I have ordered the highlights of the Tebaldi as the whole opera seems very difficult to get hold of but as gorgeous as her singing is she is not anywhere near as moving as Callas - and del Monaco is too loud - London is good as Scarpia.

I also have Nilsson for Maazel and Caballe for Davis in this opera - as IGI says Nilsson would scare most Scarpias to death and Caballe sings gloriously but isa bit studio bound.

What is your favourite recording of the " shabby little shocker" ?


Available recordings:-


Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Cornell MacNeil, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Kurt Adler *

Catherine Malfitano, Placido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Rome RAI, Zubin Mehta, Andrea Andermann (DVD/Blu-ray)

Karine Babajanyan, Piotr Beczala, Carlos Álvarez, Wiener Staatsoper, Marco Armiliato (DVD/Blu-ray)

Raina Kabaivanska, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Bruno Bartoletti (DVD)


Renata Tebaldi, Gianni Poggi, Giangiacomo Guelfi, NHK Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Arturo Basle

Renata Tebaldi, Gianni Poggi, Giangiacomo Guelfi, NHK Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Arturo Basle (DVD)

Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, RCA Victor Orchestra, Thomas Beecham *

Raina Kabaivanska, Nazzareno Antinori, Nelson Portella, Bulgarian National Choir, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Gabriele Bellini

Daniela Dessì (Tosca), Fabio Armiliato (Cavaradossi), Ruggero Raimondi,Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real, Madrid, Maurizio Benini (DVD)

Daniela Dess,, Fabio Armiliato, Claudio Sgura, Teatro Carlo Felice, Marco Boemi (DVD)

Maria Callas, Renato Cioni, Tito Gobbi, Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Carlo Felice Cillario

Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Ingvar Wixell, ROH, Colin Davis *

Regine Crespin, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Otakar Kraus, Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Edward Downes *

Tamara Milashkina, Vladimir Atlantov, Yuri Mazurok, USSR Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, USSR Bolshoi Theatre Choir, Mark Ermler

Renata Tebaldi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei, Oliviero de Fabritiis

Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli, Armando Borgioli, Rome Teatro Reale Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Oliviero de Fabritiis

Antonia Cifrone, Stefano Secco, Giorgio Surian, Orchestra and Chorus of Festival Puccini, Valerio Galli (DVD)

Renata Tebaldi, Giuseppe di Stefano, Ettore Bastianini & Nicola Zaccaria, Orchestra of La Scala Milan, Gianandrea Gavazenni

Zinka Milanov, Franco Corelli, Giangiacomo Guelfi, Michael London, Forbes Robinson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Alexander Gibson

Katia Ricciarelli, Jose Carreras, Ruggero Raimondi, Berliner Philharmoniker & Chor der Deutsche Oper Berlin, Herbert von Karajan *

Leontyne Price, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei, Wiener Staatsopernchor & Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan *

Leonie Rysanek, Hans Hopf, Josef Metternich, Bavarian Radio Orchestra & Chorus, Richard Kraus

Zinka Milanov, Jussi Björling, Leonard Warren, Chor & Orch of Rome Opera, Erich Leinsdorf *

Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo, Renato Bruson, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, James Levine

Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Lorin Maazel

Catherine Malfitano, Plácido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Zubin Mehta (DVD/Blu-ray)

Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, John Alldis Choir, Zubin Mehta

Licia Albanese, Daniele Barioni, Leonard Warren, Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera House, Dimitri Mitropoulos *

Renata Tebaldi, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Tito Gobbi, Covent Garden Orchestra, Covent Garden Opera Chorus, Covent Garden Opera Orchestra
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli

Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, George London, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli *

Maria Guleghina, Salvatore Licitra, Leo Nucci, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Muti

Carol Vaness, Giorgio Zancanaro, Giuseppe Giacomini, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Boys Choir, Westminster Symphonic Choir, Riccardo Muti *

Fiorenza Cedolins, Marcelo Alvarez, Ruggero Raimondi, Arena Di Verona, Daniel Oren (DVD/Blu-ray)

Jane Eaglen, Dennis O’Neill, Gregory Yurisich, Philharmonia Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Peter Kay Children`s Choir, David Parry (in English)

Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ruggero Raimondi, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano (DVD/Blu-ray/4K Blu-ray)

Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Sir Antonio Pappano (DVD/Blu-ray)

Renata Tebaldi, Franco Corelli, Anselmo Colzani, Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro La Gran Guardia, Livorno, Mario Parenti *

Jane Eaglen, Dennis O’Neill, Gregory Yurisich, Philharmonia Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Peter Kay Children`s Choir, David Parry

Renata Tebaldi, Eugene Tobin, George London, Orchestra and Chorus of the Staatsoper, Stuttgart, Franco Patanè (DVD)

Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Piero Campolonghi, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Guido Pico *

Maria Callas, Carlo Bergonzi, Giorgio Tadeo, Choeurs du Théâtre National de l’Opéra, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Georges Prêtre

Nelly Miricioiu, Silvano Carroli, Giorgio Lamberti, Slovak Philharmonic Chorus, Czecho-Slovak RSO, Alexander Rahbari

Kristine Opolais, Marcelo Álvarez Mario, Marco Vratogna, Berliner Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Chor Wien & Cantus Juvenum Karlsruhe, Sir Simon Rattle (DVD/Blu-ray)

Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Nicola Rescigno

Galina Vishnevskaya, Franco Bonisolli, Matteo Manuguerra, Orchestre National de France, Les Chœurs de Radio France & La Maîtrise de Radio France, Mstislav Rostropovich *

Carmen Melis, Piero Pauli, Apollo Granforte, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Carlo Sabajno

Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan, Victor de Sabata

Aga Joesten, Heinrich Bensing, Ferdinand Frantz, Hessian Radio Orchestra, Kurt Schröder

Carla Martinis, Rudolf Schock, Josef Metternich, Benno Kusche, Horst Gunter, Kurt Marschner, Norddeutschen Rundfunks Sinfonieorchester, Wilhelm Schuchter (in German)

Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Samuel Ramey, Chorus of Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Philharmonia Orchestra, Giusepe Sinopoli *

Grace Moore, Jan Peerce, Lawrence Tibbett, Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Cesare Sodero

Kiri Te Kanawa, Giacomo Aragall, Leo Nucci, Welsh National Opera Chorus, Covent Garden Children’s Chorus Royal Opera House, Sir Georg Solti *

Anja Harteros, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Ludovic Tézier, Salzburger Bachchor & Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-ray)

Éva Marton, José Carreras, Juan Pons, Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus, Hungarian State Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas *

Magda Olivero, Alvinio Misciano, Giulio Fioravanti, Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Torino della RAI, Fulvio Vernizzi *

Renata Heredia Capnist,, Franco Corelli, Carlo Tagliabue, Milan, Antonino Votto


(* = download only)

[Parry1912]

I was surprised to see no mention of this opera in the BAL lists since this forum began . This month IGI once a regular of this parish in the Gramophone Collection rejects Callas/Gobbi/di Stefano - de Sabata from his top choices - going instead for Tebaldi/del Monaco/London/ Milinari-Pradelli from 1959 and the Leontyne Price /HVK set .

SPOILER ALERT!

Callas for me - though I haven’t heard the Tebaldi.

[gradus]

Price/HvK but never Callas.

[Barbirollians]

SPOILER ALERT!

Callas for me - though I haven’t heard the Tebaldi.

Sorry if you have not read your Gramophone .

We seem to have many a lurker on this forum - 2 replies 113 views. It would be great if more people would contribute .

[Pulcinella]

Sorry if you have not read your Gramophone .

We seem to have many a lurker on this forum - 2 replies 113 views. It would be great if more people would contribute .

True of recent BaLs and Summer BaLs, too (see my comment in the latest BaL, on Walton S1).

Callas/De Sabata (originally my partner's) and Caballé/Davis (originally mine) on the shelves here.
For me, Callas is for watching, not listening to.
Sufficiently persuaded by the Gramophone article to stream the Tebaldi/Molinari-Pradelli at some point (if I can find it on Deezer!).
I remember watching and very much enjoying the televised 'real-time' version under Mehta (was it really in 1992?).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I cut my teeth on the earlier Callas, but was never impressed by the stereo remake. I settled for the Karajan/Price, which is hard to better. HvK made some stunning recordings for Decca. I wish he’d stuck with them.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Sorry if you have not read your Gramophone .

We seem to have many a lurker on this forum - 2 replies 113 views. It would be great if more people would contribute .

Probably because asking what is your favourite Tosca is like asking what’s your favourite child .

[gradus]

Probably because asking what is your favourite Tosca is like asking what’s your favourite child .

Well put.

[CallMePaul]

It is a great pity that today's leading singers are no longer given the opportunity to record complete operas for CD release. Callas, Tebaldi and Price were all great singers (in most repertoire Price would be my preferred soprano, but I have not heard her Tosca complete), but how do today's star singers compare? I could ask the same question of tenors and baritones as well.

[Barbirollians]

Probably because asking what is your favourite Tosca is like asking what’s your favourite child .

Couldn't you say that about the majority of the repertoire ?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Couldn't you say that about the majority of the repertoire ?

I don’t think so. I think there’s something special about this work. We all know it’s hokum ( in a way that Madama Butterfly and La Boheme aren’t ) but there’s something so visceral about Act 2 - the absolute essence of opera. That’s why Callas / Gobbi usually carry the palm. But Price sings better , but Raimondi sings the Te Deum better and so it goes on…it’s impossible to chose the best . It just doesn’t exist.

[LHC]

I have quite a few on CD and DVD/Blu Ray

CD
Milanov/Gibson live from the ROH (1957)
Callas/ De Sabata
Callas/Cillario also live from the ROH (1964)
Price/HVK
Cabballe/Davis
Gheorghiu/Pappano

DVD/Blu Ray
Gheorghui/Pappano (both the film and live from the ROH)
Cedolins/Oren
Opolais/Rattle
Malfitano/Mehta (the TV performance shown live at the appropriate times of day and in the actual locations)
Patane/Morandi

I think the Price/HVK is probably the best all round, but I really wouldn't want to be without some of the others (although there are a few in the above list that are very definitely expendable). As EH has said, in this case choosing just one would mean having to miss out on some marvellous performances on the other recordings.

I also have a soft spot for the Davis, which was my first Tosca recording. It may be a bit studio bound, but some of the singing is very good, especially Carrerras as Cavaradossi. I'm not sure he did anything better than this on disc. I have the 4 channel reissue of the Davis recording on SACD by Pentatone, and the sound on this version is stunning.

Edited to add that I also have the Callas Act 2 from Covent Garden on Blu Ray (how could I forget that).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've added a list of available recordings to the OP. I don't normally do this for the Summer BaL series, but...

it is Tosca.

[gradus]

I have quite a few on CD and DVD/Blu Ray

CD
Milanov/Gibson live from the ROH (1957)
Callas/ De Sabata
Callas/Cillario also live from the ROH (1964)
Price/HVK
Cabballe/Davis
Gheorghiu/Pappano

DVD/Blu Ray
Gheorghui/Pappano (both the film and live from the ROH)
Cedolins/Oren
Opolais/Rattle
Malfitano/Mehta (the TV performance shown live at the appropriate times of day and in the actual locations)
Patane/Morandi

I think the Price/HVK is probably the best all round, but I really wouldn't want to be without some of the others (although there are a few in the above list that are very definitely expendable). As EH has said, in this case choosing just one would mean having to miss out on some marvellous performances on the other recordings.

I also have a soft spot for the Davis, which was my first Tosca recording. It may be a bit studio bound, but some of the singing is very good, especially Carrerras as Cavaradossi. I'm not sure he did anything better than this on disc. I have the 4 channel reissue of the Davis recording on SACD by Pentatone, and the sound on this version is stunning.

Edited to add that I also have the Callas Act 2 from Covent Garden on Blu Ray (how could I forget that).

Re Carrerras, whom I've always liked, the Chailly Manon Lescaut has him in splendid voice too.

[Wolfram]

I think the previous BaL winner was Price/HvK. And I think, but may very well be mistaked, that it was the choice of Rodney Milnes.

I would have said that there were only two essential Toscas; Callas/de Sabata and Price/HvK, but after listening to Tebaldi and Molinari-Pradelli on Spotify I would have to add that as a third. It's every bit as electric as de Sabata, and yes del Monaco does sing as though he were at La Scala projecting to the back row of the gods - at La Fenice. Tebaldi is wonderful, but George London's Scarpia was the surprise, nothing subtle about it; his is a dark colossus, a monster of a man, completely different from Gobbi and Taddei - I liked it as an alternative take on the part.

Sadly, as others report, the complete opera on disc seems not to be available from any of the usual second hand sites. It will will have to be a charity shop search.