Evening star., 1954-05-16
TurntobIe Talk
TurntobIe Talk
Best ILucio' Available
It's Now Joined by q New 'CovoIIerio'
In Angels ItoIion Opero Series
By jones 6. Deone

AS important as top-notch
singers are to a successful
opera recording. all their ef-
forts can easily be negated by
Second-rate conducting. So
it is a pleasure to witness the
accumulation of Angels new
series of Italian operas, whose
common -denominators Zone
opera excepted) include not
only the singing of Maria CAL
las and Giuseppe Di Stefano
but also the conducting Of
Tullio Serafin.
The stunning effect Serafin,
CallaS and company achieved
in Bellini's II Puritani" has al
ready been noted. Lucia di
Lammermoor. next in the
procession, has the distinction
of giving us in CallaS a Lucia
who doesn't sound like a col
oratura but sings like one,
and that spectacularly. The
total impact is inferior to that
of II Puritani" in only two
respects: Donizetti's musical
tapestry is neither as rich nor
Cat this point) as fresh as
Bellini'S, and Serafin in the
orchestra, chorus and physical
surroundings of the Florence
May Festival did not have the
optimum La Scala conditions
to work with. I also liked
Callas' work slightly better in
II Puritani." for no particular
reason. In any case, the new
Lucia" is easily the best now
available.
Newest Addition
The latest arrival is a Callas-
Di Stefano "Cavalleria Rusti-
cana" once more with the La
Scala imprimatur. with
"Cavalleria'S" current recorded
superabundance and public
standing Git kept them away
in droveS during the Nets last
stand at the CapitoD. Angel
may draw a quizzical glance or
two with this one, but in truth
1t is an arresting production,
more powerful dramatically
than Victor'S and superior
vocally to any others. The
Milanov Santuzza is a potent
rival to Callas', but she does
not burn with the same in
tense whiteness. Di Stefano
makes a very good Edgardo
and an excellent Turiddu, and
Angels supporting singers in
both operas are all thoroughly
capable.
Seraf1n contributes to all
these a vitality belying his years
and an instinct for muSico-
dramatic values that most
other pit-practitioners might
well envy. Whether establish
ing the shocked hush marking
the tortured entrance Of a Lu-
cia or underscoring the violence
Of a curse from a Santuzza, he
paints with a sure hand, one
which makes inStrumentalists
partners with the singers and
communicates to the hearer a
sense of being a party to alb
sorbing and exciting events. A
conductor who can do this
with Lucia" and "Cavalleria"
at this late date is accomplish
ing something indeed.
A good measure of this ac-
complishment is another new
"Cavalleria" originating in
Milan. and issued by London.
All the gloss impaired by Lon
don's recording technicians
cannot elevate an indifferently
sung Santuzza elena Nico-
laiI; the strained Turiddu Of
Mario del Monaco or the rou-
tine direction of Franco Chi
one to the same class.
The opera that goes with q
familiar RoSsini overture, III
Signor Bruschino," has also ar
rived from Milan (this seems
to be Milan month"; and it
makes good comic relief. The
plot-a love affair. of course
involves one Of those fan
taStic masquerades in which
opera composers used to take
such delight. plus the usual
comic-opera stock characters
"a pompous and unreasonable
old guardian. a romantic rival,
q police commissioner, an inn
keeper. q ladies' maid, and
naturally the lovers) and it's