Word: puccini
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...Puccini: Turandot...
...Puccini's last opera, Turandot, is his grandest and in some ways his best. Dying before he could finish it, Puccini left undone what he wanted to be "the greatest duet ever written." Whether or not he could have fulfilled this aim or not, the rest of the music, some two hours worth, is full of a fine blend of Oriental color and Italian melody. The story concerns a Chinese princess who gives her suitors three riddles to answer. The penalty for wrong guesses is decapitation, but the beauty of Turandot entices many prospective bridegrooms. Such a plot satisfied Puccini...
...Calaf, Mario del Monaco is properly stentorian; recent years' wear in his voice is apparent only in the lyric aria "Nessun dorma." Although performance for performance the new set is balanced by the old Cetra album, improved recording gives the London set more of the flavor of Puccini's colorful score...
...music is Hindemith at his very best, reaching great emotional depth in the last act. The score does not compromise; it is a far cry from a Puccini or a Menotti opera. But the vocal lines float like ships on the great tidal wave of the orchestra, and, as the scenes go by, the music becomes more lyrical until at the end no one notices that the style is difficult and unfamiliar; the drama and the music have become a single experience in the listener's mind. Mathis der Maler is one of the most moving works of 20th century...
...Tebaldi lingered over every vowel, almost caressing the notes with her voice. Another highlight was the magnificent Ave Maria from Verdi's Otello, which despite one shrill phrase was memorable for a ravishing final high note in mezza-voce. The audience went wild, and called Tebaldi back for three Puccini arias as encores. She didn't mind the tiring program, and sounded as warm-voiced, and also as occasionally shrill-voiced, at the end as she did in the beginning of the concert. She may not be the best of the Italian sopranos, but she is certainly the most Italian...