Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani (1997)

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. All of the versions are noisy, but this is among the least satisfactory. 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 somewhat improve, but the ... Read More

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. All of the versions are noisy, but this is among the least satisfactory. 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 somewhat improve, 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... Read Less

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2001, Archipel UPC: 675754349820 CD See All

1997, Archipel UPC: 7640104000167 See All