Search - Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Bologna Community Theater Orchestra :: Puccini: La rondine

Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Bologna Community Theater Orchestra
Puccini: La rondine
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
1. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Ah! No! No!... Non dite questo!
2. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
3. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. No. Adesso non burlatemi
4. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Come fate a sopportarla?
5. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Ore dolci e divine di lieta baraonda
6. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. E poi?... Basta. ? finito
7. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. O mio giovine amico
8. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. Le Bal Musard!... A Frascati!
9. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 1. T'amo!... Menti!... No!
10. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Fiori freschi!... Scegli!... ? grave!
11. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Chi ?? Mai vista! Esita!
12. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Scusatemi, scusate
13. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Posso chiedervi una grazia?
14. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Dio! Lei!... Chi?... Guardala!
15. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Rambaldo!... Ah! M'aiutate!
16. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 2. Nella trepida luce d'un mattin
Track Listings (7) - Disc #2
1. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. Senti? Anche il mare respira sommesso
2. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. Oggi lascia che ancor
3. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi alla mia casa
4. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. E qui?... Non so!
5. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. Siam venuti a turbare il vostro nido
6. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. Amore mio! Mia madre!
7. La Rondine (The Swallow), opera: Act 3. No! Non dir questo! No!

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CD Details

All Artists: Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Bologna Community Theater Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Aldo Bottion, Cecilia Fusco, Guido Mazzini, Jeannette Pilou, Piero de Palma
Title: Puccini: La rondine
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Opera D'oro
Original Release Date: 1/1/2006
Re-Release Date: 5/9/2006
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 723721214951

Synopsis

Album Description

Puccini first got the idea for this work during a performance of an operetta he was attending in Vienna. The directors of the theater approached him at intermission and offered a large fee if he would write something for their stage. Puccini agreed, but to a full-scale light opera rather than an operetta with spoken dialogue. It would be set to a German libretto, then translated into Italian by Giuseppe Adami. The Vienna premiere never took place, however, due to the First World War. The first performance was eventually arranged for Monte Carlo on March 27, 1917. Mixed reactions seemed to follow it everywhere, and indeed it is an uneven work with numerous beauties nevertheless. This live performance from 1971 brings out all the best in it.

CD Reviews

Exceptionally Badly Recorded

pseudonym | Northeast USA | 09/26/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I will always make allowances for a recorded live performance: a cough here, a banged-against music stand there, occasional drop-outs as someone is suddenly distanced from a microphone, etc. But this CD sounds as if it were recorded using poor quality consumer-level equipment: think Radio-Shack home cassette recorder ca. 1975! The singers sound distant and the orchestra is not balanced. I cannot make any judgement as to how the singers and orchestra are performing, as it would be unfair to do so.

A complete waste of money. Consider instead:

Gheorghiu/Alagna (the most polished; Alagna is exceptional)

or

Moffo/Barioni (I like Moffo, although some of the other singers have pitch and/or technical problems occasionally)"

Ignore reviews at your peril

Kenneth Peelle | Boston | 12/29/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I should have read the reviews, but was in a hurry to download a recording. This recording is almost unlistenable. The singers sound like they're in an echo chamber and the orchestra sound is tinny. Stay away from this."

Where Was the Microphone?

Paul A. Dunphy | Bogota, New Jersey USA | 03/16/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"While most collectors will admit that live recordings have sonic drawbacks and require more highly tuned listening than studio recordings, here we have a case where it is almost impossible to appreciate what must have been a very fine performance of Puccini's rarely performed opera. The orchestra comes through clearly with a lack of bass which makes the sound too brash. The singers, however, sound like they were in a different theater. The greatest shame is that the role of Magda is sung by the lovely Jeannette Pilou, a grossly underrecorded artist. If there was no remastering that could be done with the original recording (and Opera d'Oro has done some marvelous remasterings!)they should have waited until a better recording could have been acquired which would show this gem of an opera in its proper light."