A treat.
zaranda | Winnetka, CA United States | 01/17/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In parts of this admirable and satisfying 19th century piece you might easily believe you'd uncovered a parallel universe Bellini, so "Norma"-like are the melodies and ensembles. Not all, but most of this "Saffo" is a treat, made the more so by
sumptuous vocalism from Louis Quilico, Tito del Bianco, and the ever impressive "Queen of the Pirates":Leyla Gencer.
The sound is fair enough."
Maybe this unknown opera deserves its anonymity.
G. Dowling | St. Louis, MO, USA | 07/23/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"It's always a pleasure to come across an L.E.Cantrell review, His (I'm assuming L.E. is a male) reviews are probably the most thoughtful and reliable anywhere on Borders/Amazon. He gives recordings considerable latitude and is, to coin a phrase, sometimes generous to a fault. I was particularly looking forward to his review of this very slight opera to see if he could find some depth or merit here that flew right past me -- sure enough, in his scholarly way, he's found a worthwhile piece of music where I could hear only dross. And I honestly congratulate him for this.
We all know that the world of opera-lovers has bred some pretty nasty and ungenerous people. But, as a mass, it's also provided a fairly reliable reading of what's good and what's bad in opera -- and the bad usually disappears with little trace. Now we have recorded opera and can listen to things that haven't seen the light of day for years. It's certainly instructive to do this, from time to time, and give a listen to those bedraggled puppies left to languish in obscurity. Thus, I gave SAFFO a try six months ago when Od'O issued this -- simply out of curiosity. I could find almost nothing to recommend here -- it just drones along for a couple of hours, using up most of the notes and styles then available. Od'O and Gala have provided many of these pups and they've also provided a public service. How else cold we ever hear some of those obscure Donizetti operas that were apparently written via some prehistoric computer -- and discover that the man who could write LUCIA could also turn out operas like grinding out sausages. But LUCIA is worth all those 2nd-rank Donizetti operas, many of which have their own special highlights and moments of beauty. I'm afraid that Pacini just doesn't stack up. Opera lovers have placed his work where it belongs, not on the world's opera stages.
But Mr. Cantrell is right when he says give it a try -- you just might like it. It's very inexpensive and Gencer sounds good. But see how many times you come back to it -- that's the true test for me. And I'll keep on looking for Mr. Cantrell's reviews -- they are always worth reading."
Fair Opera, Good Performance, Bad Recording
Steven Muni | Sutter Creek, CA USA | 08/02/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The title just about says it all. Giovanni Pacini would have been a famous opera composer today, if it weren't for Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, let alone Verdi, all of whom were contemporaries. As it is, he is firmly and deservedly in the second or even third rank. Saffo, his greatest opera, premiered in 1840, only a year before Verdi's Nabucco. And you can hear echos of some of Saffo's ensembles in Nabucco, although Verdi lifted ensemble music to a whole new level.
Taken from Greek mythology, Saffo is the story of the Greek poetess, who through her songs has mounted a campaign against the barbaric "Leucadian Leap", a tradition whereby a young maiden leaps from the promontory at Leucadia into the sea. If he is pleased by the sacrifice, Apollo saves the maiden from drowning--if not, she drowns. Saffo's campaign has been so successful she has driven Alcandro, Apollo's High Priest, from the area. Although he feels some lingering tenderness towards her, Alcandro vows vengeance. He enlists the aid of Faone, one of Saffo's rebuffed suitors. (Remember, Saffo was from the Isle of Lesbos.) With his own desire for revenge at being rejected, Faone accuses Saffo of preferring the poet Alceo to him (he still doesn't get it!) and curses her.
Saffo, concerned she may have gone a little too far, enlists the help of Alcandro's daughter Climene in making peace with Alcandro and agrees to perform at Climene's wedding. However, she discovers that the groom is none other than Faone, and in a fury, overturns the temple altar and is driven from the temple of Apollo.
Suffering from unrequited love (of an unspecified type) and believing herself to be cursed by Apollo, in supreme irony Saffo agrees to make the Leucadian Leap herself, as atonement to Apollo. Before she can do this, an amulet she wears shows that she is the long-lost daughter of Alcandro himself, and Climene's sister. A joyous reunion follows, blighted when temple Augurs refuse to release Saffo from her commitment to make the Leucadian Leap. Saffo sings a sad lament and farewell, and commending Climene to Faone, she leaps. Apollo is not forgiving however, and Saffo drowns.
The quality of the singing is excellent. Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer sings the title role with all her consumate artistry, tenor Tito Del Bianco sings Faone with heroic ardor, and as Alcandro, Canadian baritone Louis Quilico shows true musical ability.
This is a live 1967 performance from Naples' Teatro San Carlo. The Teatro San Carlo has some of the worst sound recording in all live performances. While this is better than some, the sound is wooley and the singers sound as if they are singing through megaphones rather than microphones. That gives it three stars instead of four.
"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1