Search - Giacomo Puccini, Rome Opera Theater Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti :: Puccini: Tosca

Kabaivanska: Prima Tosca! Pavarotti: Primo Mario!

04/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kabaivanska and Pavarotti! What a combination in this Puccini masterpiece! Both voices are golden! Each is an artist without peer, and together they present the total verismo for which Puccini remains preeminent. The CD is an unusual improvement over the video primarily because Kabaivanska is the consumate actress and Pavarotti is not much of an actor. Thus, it is better to just listen to these two stellar artists, and there is no better CD to hear than this Tosca. Wexell (Scarpia) does a better than average performance although his diction is not as clean as it could be. The loss is not critical to the wonderful joy of the overall performance. Kabaivanska's "Vissi d'Arte" is heart-breakingly beautiful. She sings the verismo ornamentations with a purity rarely heard, especially in the third act. Pavarotti is especially grand when he sings of his love for Floria Tosca in the first act. Anyone who loves opera, and does not have this recording, should order it in all haste. Both the leading artists are so true to the intentions of Puccini one might think he wrote it with them in mind. Don't miss this! G. K. Brown, D.M.A. Prof. of Music (Ret.)"

Pros and cons

Robertson Thomas | Hapcheon, Gyeongnam, South Korea | 03/23/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The orchestral performance is the best orchestral performance of this opera that I've ever heard. They breeze through difficult passages as if they were child's play. The conductor must deserve some of the credit, because the change in key, tempo, and mood following "E luvecan le stelle" is smoothed over, whereas the change is unpleasant to me in most performances.I was disappointed with Scarpia and Tosca, though. Scarpia lacks the robusity necessary for projecting a villanous role, and Tosca's Italian diction is horrendous. There's no disappointment with Cavaradossi, though. If you're a Pavarotti fan, buy it anyway."