Release Date: 31 December 2005
Label: Naxos - Historical / Naxos Historical
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 2
Barcode: 747313302826
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: ROSSINI
Description
Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)Il Turco in ItaliaCallas's Fiorilla is the tenth complete opera recordingshe made, the only one for EMI [Columbia/Angel] thatshe undertook of a then unknown work, and which shewould later sing at La Scala, Milan. She had sung it firstat the Eliseo, Rome in 1950, in its first revival in morethan ninety years: half-a-century ago the majority ofRossini's operas were unfamiliar and rarely if everperformed, save for Il barbiere di Siviglia andGuglielmo Tell, and an occasional L'Italiana in Algeriand La Cenerentola. Sessions took place at La Scala atthe end of August and beginning of September 1954.The conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni tells 'how theperformances at the Eliseo were my first encounter withCallas. She was already quite famous, but as Kundry,Isotta, Norma and Turandot. I soon learned the capacityshe had for artistic discipline ... she rose to aremarkable musical level and mastered all the technicaldifficulties. She was a revelation in opera buffo ... howstudious she was and never tired of rehearsing. Sheadapted her voice to the needs of the comic style; it wasone of her great gifts: the ability to adapt. ... The voicewas very equal in scale, with a great diversity of colourand with a binding legato. ... She had such a success.People still speak of her Fiorilla.' This recording wasfirst published the following April, at the time the newZeffirelli production was introduced at La Scala. AsZeffirelli recalled, it was backstage a couple of yearspreviously during a rehearsal for his production of LaCenerentola that Callas came to, she was so amused,remembering her Roman success in comedy, that sheasked whether he might be interested in producing IlTurco in Italia.One of those particularly memorable moments inmany of Callas's performances, barely suggested in thescore, comes in the duet between the ageing husband,Geronio and his flighty wife, Fiorilla: 'Per piacere allaSignora'. After timorously rebuking her for flirting withSelim, the Turk, she rounds on him. 'Ed osateminacciarmi! Maltrattarmi! Spaventarmi! ... Milasciate ... Vo' vendetta ... Via di qua. Per punirvi avervogl'io. Mille amanti ognor d'intorno far la pazza nottee giorno, divertimi in libert?â?á....' How delicious is hermock rage! The way she literally flings the words in hisface; the expressive variety she utilizes: 'Leave me!','Vengeance', 'I'll have a thousand lovers night and day,etc., etc.' It is not necessary to understand every word ofthe Italian libretto so telling is her delivery.La Scala was the home of Il Turco in Italia; it hadhad its premi?â?¿re there in 1814. As with many operaswhen Italy was simply a geographical expression,composers were often content to cannibalise; in thosedays travelling from Milan to Naples, depending uponwhich road one took, even if they were passable and ingood condition, might involve three, perhaps fourdifferent frontiers, each with its own immigration andcustoms. After moving to Naples Rossini was content topoach se
Tracklisting
William Primrose
William Primrose
Vinay:Nbc So&Chorus:Toscanini
Vienna Po:Knappertsbusch
Vienna Po:Furtwangler
Vienna&Berlin Po:Furtwangler
Various Composer
Various (1923-1955)
