Search - Verdi, Pavarotti, Fischer-Dieskau :: Macbeth

Could Have Been Great, But........

T. Dissinger | Jacksonville, AL USA | 05/08/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Everything is in the right place to make this a top conteder for the crown of "Best Macbeth Recording" except for two fatal flaws. The dreadful miscasting of Fischer-Dieskau as Macbeth and the sad remains of the once-great soprano Souliotis. As usual, the record company cast Fisch in a role way over his head and he is left out to flail like a drowning man (also check out his horrible miscasting in Solti's DON CARLO, Nilsson's TOSCA, Scotto's RIGOLETTO, McCracken's OTELLO, etc.)



All listening to Souliotis does is make you sad and at times make you wince. Yes, Verdi did write a letter saying that Lady Macbeth should have an "ugly voice" but I don't think he was to be taken 100% literally! When I hear Souliotis, I don't hear Lady Macbeth. I hear a woman in serious vocal trouble, often not on pitch, often just screaming and praying to get through the score. If you listen to her Decca recital CD and then to this, you will be uneasy at how quickly the applecart upset for this artist. 1971-74 Callas would have been better than this.



Pavarotti gives an excellent reading of Macduff and Gardelli is in fine form at the podium. The chorus does not dissapoint either.



If you are looking for top picks in this opera:



1. Abbado: The gold standard for this opera. No weak links (Cappuccilli is not the most ferocious Macbeth, but he holds his own) AND you get pretty much the whole score including the ballet.



2. Leinsdorf: A great example of a golden-age MET cast. Warren is a supperb Macbeth, Rysanek is fine and Bergonzi makes a memorable Macduff.



3. Schippers: Schip makes a bunch of cuts, but it turns this opera into a lean, mean drama machine. Nilsson and Taddei are in fine form and Prevedi is surprisingly on his game as Macduff.



4. de Sabata: The only complete record of Maria Callas as Lady Macbeth. The sonics are not that great, but she shines through in a role that she should have done more often (she was slated to be in the 1958 MET production but resident MET meglomaniac Rudy Bing fired her)."

Powerful But Underrated Macbeth: Please Come Back In Print!

Rudy Avila | Lennox, Ca United States | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From 1971,this is a powerful, dramatic interpretation of Verdi's Macbeth starring the electrifying Italian soprano Elena Suliotis as Lady Macbeth, acclaimed baritone Dietrich Fischer Dieskau as Macbeth, and surprise surprise a young Pavarotti as Macduff. The cast, despite detractor's commentary, is sensational and the conductor may not be famous but being Italian captures the spirit of the work perfectly. He is a terrific exponent of Verdian musical line, as are Italian-born Elena Soliotis and Luciano Pavarotti. The cover is quit intimidating and if that is how Dieskau looked on stage as Macbeth, what a powerfully magnetic performance that must have been.



Verdi's darkest opera Macbeth, based on Shakespeare's darkest play, is a work that has found many a room in studio recording. Devoted fans Maria Callas still cling to her recording, Shirley Verrett as Lady Macbeth is a supreme portrayal and regarded as the best by most critics, and there are the Lady Macbeths of Grace Bumbry, Carol Vaness, Ghena Dimitrova and Sylvia Sass. Regarding this recording, the two principal singers- Dieskau and Suliotis are singing the heck out of their respective roles. Solitois does outshine Dieskau's Macbeth because her voice is more Italiante, edgy, hefty and drak. She has such command of the role. However, let's not underestimate Dietrich Fischer Dieskau. This German/Austrian singer took on Italian baritone roles in his career with great success, including terrific Don Giovannis and Scarpias. He is maligned for lacking a true Italian baritone voice because he practically filled up his career with recitals and a plethora of German Lieder. However, he has great fire and it shows. He is slimy, wicked and his dramatic commitment to the role shows. It takes a trained ear to hear it. Soliotis is a marvelous Lady Macbeth. Her renditions of "Vieni T'Affreta" "La Luce Langue" and "Una Machia" are arias in their own class, never reduced to hysterics or dramatic invective. She has perfect tone and her orutund voice is regal and villainous. She is every bit the dark queen. Please, please put this recording out in print again. It is truly a fine performance. Dieskau is not a bad Macbeth, even if he was overshadowed by Sherill Milnes, Giuseppe Taddei and Piero Cappucilli who did fine Macbeths in their careers. Dieskau is a cerebral, faultless singers who suffered from bad timing. He is just great. I hope this recording comes back to the commercial market once more. Furthermore, this recording features Luciano Pavarotti in 1971 voice, around the time of his initial success and his Met debut. He is in his prime and I believe it is this recording that is his first full-length opera. Pavarotti fans will not want to miss it."

A Haunting Performance!

Impostazione | New York City Area | 05/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The conducting is the most notable aspect of this Macbeth. Gardelli manipulates the tempi expertly, though some would say that to do so is not a very artistic decision. He is able to hold the dramatic pace that Elena Suliotis could not by 1971. In this, her last recording, she is vocally a shadow of her former glory, a sad and rapid decline especially since she had a magnificent natural talent. Yet, she magically does a the job at Lady Macbeth and at times that bright exciting sound breaks through like rays of sunshine. She possessed a most imposing chest register. If there was ever a singer who filled Verdi request that the voice of Lady be "veiled and brutta", the late prima donna Suliotis would be the one. A nostalgic and tragic record of a superb dramatic talent.



Dieskau and Pavarotti sing well but fail to capture the Verdian aspects that Suliotis and Gardelli exemplify.



This edition is unfortunately "out of print" and there is currently no other edition. How sad, because within this Macbeth there is much to enjoy, not least because of the incisive conducting and the brave spirit and haunting voice of Elena Suliotis! There shall never be another one like her!"