Evening star., 1952-12-07
TurntobIe Talk
MiIonov and Warren Sino
In Elegant rovotore'
By jones 6. Deone

By jones
The Christmas season is also
opera season with the record
makers. New, full-length re-
leases have been arriving thick
and fast.
RCA-Victor's major seasonal
offering is a new recording of
Verdi's "n Trovatore." An ele-
CANT affair it is, too. Studio
recorded in New York last
spring, it boasts an outstanding
cast, and evidence of painstak-
ing effort all around.
zinka Milanov Qast springs
Aida here) sings the role of
Leonora, and she does it beau
tifully. JuSsi Bjoerling, as
Manrico. vocalizes as one would
expect of him. which is smoothly
indeed. Leonard Warren's rich
baritone makes an imposing fig
ure of Count di Luna. Fedora
Barbieri, as Azucena, sometimes
sings a little fiat, but her voice
is an excellent one and the
flaw is hardly noticeable.
Renato Cellini, of the Metro
politan staff, is the conductor.
and he does his job expertly.
Other participants include the
experienced Nicola Moscona,
Paul FRANKIE and George Ce-
hanovsky and the versatile Rob-
ert Shaw Chorale. The en-
gineers have provided better
than usual balance between
voices and orchestra. The sound,
in fact. is superb. The per-
formance requires just two discs.
Don Carlo Done in Rome
Don Carlo" a less familiar
Verdi opera, is an important
new Cetra-Soria release. Ru-
dolf Bing opened the 1850 Met
season with this work, and it is
being performed again this win
ter. Don Carlo" has it's setting
in 10th century Spain. It tells
the tragic story Of the love af-
fair between Don Carlo, son of
King Philip II, and his STEP
mother, Queen Elizabeth. It
contains some Of Verdi's most
dramatic music.
The recorded performance,
done in Rome, has an impress
sive cast. Maria Caniglia sings
the role Of Elizabeth with great
style. Philip is portrayed by
Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, who has
a rich basso. Paolo Silveri, Ebe
Stignani and Giulio Neri are
others whose names are we'll
known, aid Fernando Previtali
is the capable conductor. The
Don Carlo is Mirto Picchi, a
newcomer. He has a good voice
and uses it spiritedly. It sounds
shrill in places, but this may be
traceable to imperfect en-
gineering, not uncommon in
operate recordings. Four discs
are in the set.
Cetra-Soria also has issued an
attractive new performance Of
Puccini's La Boheme," with
Ferrucio Tagliavini as Rodolfo
in what is billed as his first
postwar complete opera record
ing. Fresh-voiced, 22-year-old
Rosanna Carteri as Mimi Is q
major asset to the production.
and Cesare Slept and Giuseppe
Taddei are among other men,
bers of a competent cast. But
Conductor Gabrielle Santini
doesn't come near to rousing the
excitement present in the Tos-
canini 1916 broadcast version,
issued by Victor earlier this
year, nor is the singing on the
same inspired level. Maestro
Santini can be conSoled-a good
many others haven't equaled
Toscanini, either.
Series at La Scd1o
Urania has come up with q
new Donizetti Don Pasquale"
which in several respects Is bet
ter than the Westminster ver-
sion reported on two Sundays
ago. This is one of the first of a
new series Of opera recordings
made in Milan with the orches-
ira and chorus Of La Scala. The
principals are Fernando Corena.
as the Don; Afro Poll as DR..
Malatesta; Agostino Lazzari as
Ernesto. and Dora La Gatta as
Norma.
Lazzari has q steadier tenor
than Westminster's Juan On
Gina, and Miss La Gatta's No
rina Is sung with more style