The biggest (but not only) caveat about this recording of I Vespri siciliani is the sound quality. Other versions of the performance have been released at least half a dozen times, which is a testament to its vocal quality over its sound. It's a dinky-sounding recording; everyone -- the soloists, the chorus, the orchestra -- seems reduced, diminished, sometimes remote. The quality of the first act is the worst, and things do improve somewhat, but the beginning is marred by innumerable squawks, buzzes, fluctuations in volume ...
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The biggest (but not only) caveat about this recording of I Vespri siciliani is the sound quality. Other versions of the performance have been released at least half a dozen times, which is a testament to its vocal quality over its sound. It's a dinky-sounding recording; everyone -- the soloists, the chorus, the orchestra -- seems reduced, diminished, sometimes remote. The quality of the first act is the worst, and things do improve somewhat, but the beginning is marred by innumerable squawks, buzzes, fluctuations in volume, and bleed-through. By the second act, those issues seem mostly to have been resolved and return only sporadically; what remains is a mediocre, distant sound with considerable tape hiss, which is usually at least listenable without causing flinching. Erich Kleiber leads the chorus and orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in a vigorous reading of the score, but he makes some substantial cuts. The overall performance is not entirely consistent. The ensemble, especially at the...
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Add this copy of Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani (Firenze, May 26, 1951) to cart. $24.99, like new condition, Sold by Mom's Resale rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from River Hills, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1995 by Documents Live Recordings.
