Search - Raimund Grumbach, Robert Riener, Giacomo Puccini :: Puccini: Gianni Schicchi

Highly Recommended

06/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording sparkles with humor. I still laugh out loud when listening to it. The singers are all well-chosen, and the conducting is first-rate. I particularly like Seiffert's rendition of the mini-aria about Florence. Donath's performance of the famous soprano moment is lovely also, but the true star is of course Panerai, who is perfect in the role of the title character. A splendid performance of a splendid comedy."

Great Performance, HORRIBLE Format

Mark N. Decker | 05/01/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This would easily have been a 4 or 5 star review, considering the performances on the disc are great. However, the CD is marred by one terrible fact--there are only 2 tracks! That's right, the first track is over 22 minutes long--meaning it encompasses the mini-prelude right past "O mio babbino caro." How on earth could anyone have released the recording on disc like this? Utterly inexcusable.



A shame, too, since Panerai's Schicchi is a comic gem."

Excellent Production in All Ways

Scott FS | Sacramento, CA United States | 03/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This opera by Giacomo Puccini is an essential opera for any opera lover to put into his collection. Even the casual opera fan has heard the famous aria, "O mio babbino caro", which I consider to be (along with many others) one of the finest arias ever written.



And that's not to shortchange the opera in toto. It is a wonderful example of the genius of Puccini. It's a short, comic opera that features deceit, death, and false identity, which sounds counterintuitive, but it all does work well, as seeing or listening to the opera will confirm. It's a fun, entertaining romp.



If you see the opera (and you should) the supertitles (if any) will let you follow along with the action. With this CD, the plot is less important than the wonderful singing and excellent production values.



For those less familiar with the story, the CD has liner notes that give a translation of the Italian into English (and other languages).



Highly recommended. The music is engaging and the singing delightful. An excellent value all-around."