Search - Mascagni, Caballe, Carreras :: Cavalleria Rusticana Hlts

Excellent Cav./Fair Pag.

Timothy Kearney | Hull, MA United States | 05/09/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Traditionally the operas CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA and I PAGLIACCI are performed together, and many recorded sets include these two early works of Mascagni and Leoncavallo respectively. As a matter of fact, if it were not for these two works, they would be largely unknown today, except perhaps in Italy. The two works have long been showcases for Italian opera's greatest stars, particularly the tenors who often use I PAGLIACCI'S "Vesti la Giubba" as a showpiece. This dates back to greats such as Caruso and Gigli and continues to the present day.While I am giving this set only three stars, it is due more to inconsistency on the part of the tenor who stars in both operas-Jose Carreras. This recording was completed prior to Carreras' illness. At the time he was probably at his best. Carreras has a beautiful tenor voice that I have always loved, yet he sometimes stretches in roles. He sings Turiddu in CAVALLERIA beautifully (4 stars) but seems to strain at times as Canio in I PAGLIACCI (2 to 3 stars). His soprano costars: Montserrat Caballe in Cav. and Renata Scotto in Pag. do an admirable job. The Philarmonia Orchestra under the direction of Riccardo Muti is excellent and the Ambroasian Opera Chorus does an admirable job, particularly in Cav. Thomas Hampson fans will be interested in a young Hampson singing the role of Silvio in Pag.This recording is not easy to find, but Carreras fans will enjoy his performance in Cav. Which makes the purchase worthwhile."