Search - Umberto Giordano, Gabriele Santini, Orchestra del Teatro Reale dell'Opera di Roma :: Giordano: Andrea Chénier

Corelli at his peak!

M. Schnell | New Bremen, OH | 02/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"People sometimes ask me, "do you like white wines, or red?" I always answer, "both." Franco Corelli will never be Nikolai Gedda, his elegant contemporary, but I have always loved listening to them both. Corelli is often described as a "force of nature," and he certainly was that. Andrea Chenier is undoubtedly the role he was born to sing -- it fits both his voice and his personality like a glove. You can talk about Mario del Monico, Pavarotti, or anyone else until you are blue in the face -- they all fall short of this performance. I have owned this recording for 35 years in various formats, and it still leaves me awed. Mario Sereni also delivers the performance of his recorded career. There are other Gerards on record that may be as good, but none are better. Antonietta Stella has a voice suited to the part of Maddalena, although she is outweighed by Corelli in the duets. If you are a Corelli fan, this is the best recording you will find of him, at the peak of his career. If you have never developed a taste for his various vocal foibles, this may be the recording that finally convinces you that he was well worth the listen! Put down the Riesling for just a moment and taste the Valpolicella!"

Corelli is the whole show, given a poor Maddelena and conduc

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 04/16/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am perplexed by the five-star reviews for this 'Andrea Chenier' from 1963. Its reputation rests exclusively on Corelli's star turn in the title role. He is ardent and totally compelling, even to someone like me who avoids this tenor's unsubtle singing whenever possible. But Chenier is a scenery-chewing melodrama, and Corelli is close to perfect.



The problem is that nothing else rises above mediocrity. Both the soprano and condutor are duds. Gabriele Santini does well enough in a generalized way, but he plods through "La mamma morta' as if anesthetized, and the two big tenor arias drag almost as badly. Antonietta Stella has a respectable and sizable voice, but her lack of imagination is apalling, really. I've never heard a duller characterization in my life. As Gerard, Mario Sereni is stalwart, blunt, and loud. So there's not much to celebrate beyond the brazen and thrilling Corelli.



He can be heard in the company of equally inspired singers on a much-reissued pirate of a live Chenier from the Vienna State Opera under von Matacic. It's in serviceable radio sound, but minor flaws hardly matter given the incendiary performances on stage."