Search - Stella Roman :: In Concert & Opera 1946-50

"Straight from the heart"

Robert Manari | San Francisco, CA United States | 04/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was said with humor about Stella Roman that when she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad she was terrible. Fortunately for us, the present collection falls into the "very, very good" category. After studying in Italy with the renowned Giuseppina Baldassare-Tedeschi (of whom she later said "her style did not really suit me"), Roman moved on to study in Bucharest with her famous Romanian compatriot Hariclea Darclee (who had created the title role of Tosca at its premiere in 1900). After making her operatic debut in the role of Maddalena in "Andrea Chenier" (Bologna, 1934), Aida was to become one of Stella Roman's signature roles. And, it was as Aida, with Martinelli, that Stella Roman made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1941. In New York she remained a highly acclaimed member of the company throughout the next ten years, singing mostly in the Italian repertoire (perfectly suited to her style and temperament). The live 1945 "Aida" excerpts on this CD from San Francisco and the 1950 Hollywood Bowl concert fully display Roman's superb and versatile voice. A rare CD (since Eklipse are no longer in business) worth any trouble obtaining."