I did think it might be aimed at me, but since I have rather small feet and find it quite difficult to find shoes that fit, I realised it couldn't have been. Likewise, if you were to leave TC you would leave very big boots to fill and so I don't think you are likely to find the shoe fits you either.
N.
Last edited by Fritz Kobus; May-17-2018 at 04:08.
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
So now I have
Bartoli
Callas 1955 live
Callas 1957 live
Callas 1957 studio
Dessay
Devia
Gruberova
Lind
Orgonasova (NAXOS set)
Pagliughi
Sutherland 1980
Sutherland 1962 (is in shipping right now)
Lucia Aliberti (is in shipping right now)
I still need Scotto. This is the one I want:
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Last edited by Fritz Kobus; May-23-2018 at 01:31.
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
Just discovered there is another recording of July 1994, but the lone copy I find available is selling for an atrocious price of $79.99!
Found on this page which attributes the quote to Opera Quarterly Summer 2001"Among Patrizia Ciofi's assets are a careful, caring musicianship, a head voice that works, and the fact that her lovely lyric soprano is governed by an artistic sensibility. In her throat, almost all of those floated entrances Bellini has so graciously designed are delicately radiant. Sometimes her upper-register tone is unsupported, which causes it to turn tremulous, but when she's 'under it', she is exceptionally good. Anyone who can take that rising and falling phrase (up to the B and down) on 'risuona' as beautifully as Ciofi does near the beginning of Act 2 merits recognition. Her floated top voice is about as easy as Devia's and a tad more ethereal, though no one can really match the older soprano for just plain security. Ciofi's sweet-toned way with the recitativi in both sleepwalking scenes, those outwardly 'spoken' manifestations of Amina's unconscious, capture Bellini's tone exactly: this is innocence, not burgeoning tragedy."
Last edited by Fritz Kobus; May-31-2018 at 03:10.
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
The above set is also a part of this set:
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"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
Best price is around $60 plus shipping. Has twelve operas. The extras beyond Bellini's ten are an extra Norma and an extra Sonnambula. I have most of the set on other sets and recordings, but if anyone is interested in this set, there is a very extensive and detailed discussion (~16 pages or so) of this 25 CD set here.
For track listing and sound clips:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/cl...eras#tracklist
Last edited by Fritz Kobus; Jun-04-2018 at 05:04.
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
So there appear to be four Sutherland Sonnambula sets. Of them, 1980 has the best sound quality, followed by 1962. The 1960 is decent, but (and this only from clips) the 1961 was poor. I have all but the 1961 and preferred 1980 over 1962. But today my 1960 set arrived and it is excellent in spite of the poorer sound than 1980 and 1962.
1980:
1962:
1961:
1960:
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"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
At this point and having 21 Sonnambula CD sets, my favorites are Aliberti and Gruberova, followed by Scotto and Moffo.
The Aliberti set is very good. Too bad it is out of print and very scarce in the used market.
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Last edited by Fritz Kobus; Jul-10-2018 at 06:50.
"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."
This is a wonderful Sonnambula set:
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"All of Italian opera can be heard in [Bellini's] "Ah! non creda [mirarti]."
--Renata Scotto in "Scotto, More Than a DIva."