DILLON L HAYNES | MILFORD, OH United States | 05/08/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First off La Sonnambula is a tough opera to cast... a prima donna soprano with an easy coloratura and lots of high notes! Well it's hard to find someone who can do the role justice.. we have had a past filled with memorable perfomances of the role Sayo, Callas, Sutherland and Anderson to name a few, but one soprano that has all the equipment but is never really thought of in the role is Gruberova! This recording really shows her talents in Bellinian style. I have to also admit that next to Callas's 1955 recording Gruberova may sound hollow and less com comanding, but there will never be any singer with as much force and understanding of style and emotion as Callas, especially when paired with Bernstien! Another strugle for this opera and most of the time the even harder to cast than soprano is the high lying tenor role. I mean even Pavarotti struggled with his recording (made too late in his career with a tired Sutherland also in bad form). Monti recored the role twice 1957 in good voice with Callas and 1962 with a FABULOUS Sutherland!.. But he was always overshadowed by his soprano partners. In the shadow of Callas and Sutherland he lacked the wieght and charater to bring the role to life. So what about Bros in this recording? He has a very light voice, sometimes he struggles with pitch in his upper register, but overall he is a good match to Gruberovas light upper register. They make a good match. And overall this recording is a great find! It has the sonic value of Digital quality and has a graet cast, with a soprano that match the young (1962) Sutherland note for note! The one draw back is that conductor Viotti slows the tempos in some questionable spots, I like Bonyge's tempos and especially his gusto at the end of act I."