Ricciarelli y Carreras en su mejor momento
G. laing | Guanajuato, Gto Mex | 11/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Si bien hay muchas grabaciones de Ricciarelli y Carreras juntos, como el Elixir de Amor con Scimone o La Battaglia di Legnano con Gardelli, en éste momento de su carrera, ambos cantantes tienen un esplendor particular y sus voces ensamblan perfectamente. Cappuccilli da vida a un papel olvidado hasta el momento como Foscari y lo interpreta realmente majestuoso. Samuel Ramey tiene una voz noble y joven todavía, aunque ya se escucha su color particular como en muchos otros momentos, todo este elenco dirigido por Gardelli, un gran conocedor de Verdi que grabó la mayoría de sus óperas tempranas."
Melodious and neglected early Verdi
Ralph Moore | Bishop's Stortford, UK | 10/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With "Nabucco", "I Lombardi" and "Ernani" already under his belt, Verdi could hardly be said to be a novice composer when he wrote "I Due Foscari" for Rome in 1844, and yet somehow this opera seems to have been relegated to the "interesting but justly neglected" category, as if it were an immature and unrewarding work. It is, in fact, a subtle and intimate opera, full of mellow, touching duets and relying more upon plangent melody and perecptive musical characterisation rather than dramatic events - of which there are, admittedly, precious few. The cast and recording quality are of the highest order - typical of the whole Philips/Gardelli early Verdi project - and while I do not completely agree with earlier reviewers that Ricciarelli and Cappuccilli are flawless - their vocal production is at times a little breathy and deliberate - they are both very fine and Carreras is undoubtedly in his youthful, peak form (as is the young Ramey). Hearing this set might prompt you to sample the other recordings featuring Carreras in that excellent series: "Un Giorni di Regno" (1973); "Il Corsaro" (1975); "La Battaglia di Legnano" (1977) and "Stiffelio (1979), coupling Carreras with a succession of wonderful leading ladies: Ricciarelli, Caballe, Norman and Sass. These sets form the best of Carreras' recorded legacy and with the demise of studio recordings of opera, we can perhaps now feel even more appreciative of a series which certainly does not sound its age. (Those recordings where another tenor was used - a young Domingo in "I Lombardi" (1971) and "I Masnadieri" with Bergonzi - are equally recommendable.)
The opera itself is short at an hour and three-quarters and leaves you wanting more. There is mercifully little "rum-ti-tum" stuff typical of second-rate early Verdi; rather there is much gentle, delicate scoring that makes extensive use of melodic themes. An interesting and unusual addition to anyone's Verdi collection."
What a score!
Filippo Secondo | 12/09/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're weary of 'standard' Verdi, start (re)discovering his neglected works, especially via the Gardelli/Philips cycle of the early operas. You will then muse on the inexplicable mystery behind unjustly undervaluing these works: the plot (which operatic story isn't entirely/partly silly/dull?), or the music? Fully convinced that it isn't the latter factor, I can't think of any early Verdi score that has failed to move me. That nothing really happens in I DUE FOSCARI is due mainly to the fact that its plot derives from the 'romantic' pen of Byron, who was fully aware of the play's dramatic weakness and insisted that his major concern was highlighting the characters' passions (while the play - which I've recently read - is overlong, its operatic adaptation lasts just under 120 minutes). This being primarily a drama of 'emotion', rather than of 'action', Verdi succeeded in portraying them 'feelingly', excelling himself in one number after another: the passionate solos (with irresistibly rousing cabalettas), ensembles (magnificent duets for father/daughter-in-law and husband/wife, who also share a memorable trio and quartet with the opera's villain, a moving supplication episode, and a heartbreaking abdication/death scene), and choruses (not least the charming barcarole) are all superb, first-class Verdi (you'll cry your eyes out). The late Cappuccilli (Doge), Carreras (Jacopo), Ricciarelli (Lucrezia), and Ramey (Loredano) are on top form, sensitively directed back in 1976 by Gardelli (early Verdi's best conducting champion). This 30-year-old set, which amazingly doesn't betray its age (hearing it on headphones, you'd think it was recorded yesterday, the sound being stupendous), comes with the libretto in Italian and English, and an informative article by Julian Budden, as well as an historical note and a synopsis in English, French and German. Given Amazon's current half-price tag (without doubt, for a limited period only), what more would you ask for?
PS Make sure you don't miss the other Gardelli/Philips recordings: UN GIORNO DI REGNO, LA BATTAGLIA DI LEGNANO, I MASNADIERI, IL CORSARO, ATTILA, STIFFELIO, I LOMBARDI, ERNANI (I hope this will be re-issued soon), as well as (on Orfeo) ALZIRA and OBERTO. I also recommend GIOVANNA D'ARCO (Levine/EMI), AROLDO (Queler/Sony), and JERUSALEM (Luisi/Philips)."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1