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Boito operas on disc - Mefistofele

11K views 32 replies 17 participants last post by  Op.123 
#1 ·
cd and dvd.
under rated opera, i think.
 
#2 ·
I'm assuming you're referring to Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito? If so it's certainly not under rated by me. I think it's an absolutely fabulous opera which I never get tired of listening to/watching.

I have these CDs - both excellent but I prefer the Ramey & Eva Marton sings exquisitely.



and this DVD



I think this production was created especially for Samuel Ramey & I've played it so often, my copy's in danger of wearing out.

It's my dream to see this live one day.
 
#3 ·
thank you, i think it's great too.

i was also looking at the Rudel, Muti and Serafin recordings. Many to choose from, huh?

Are you familiar with Nerone at all? thank you
 
#4 ·
thank you, i think it's great too.

i was also looking at the Rudel, Muti and Serafin recordings. Many to choose from, huh?
Yes! I haven't heard any others apart from the two I pictured above. But I have to confess I am tempted to get this one because I adore Cesare Siepi. :rolleyes:



Are you familiar with Nerone at all? thank you
Yes. I bought this version second hand from the ROH shop. I like it very much but I don't know whether I like it because it's good or because it's Boito, who I worship. :lol:

 
#13 ·
I have the Del Monaco, Tebaldi and Siepi cd and i have seen the DVD/Video with Samuel Ramey. Both are pretty good. In the cd Del Monaco reins in his normal 'forte' style of singing and i think is on his best behaviour here. Siepi is as dark voiced as ever, singing beautifully. The DVD is fairly old now and parts of the staging are a little odd. The ending is spectactular. There were some reservations about Denns O'neill. I have seen him many times with Welsh National Opera and enjoyed his singing very much (mainly verisimo) but on the DVD he seems wooden and a little stretched.

The one cd i would recommend is highlights with Di Stefano and Siepi. I have never seen it out as a full version cd. It is superb and i would recommend it as first choice.

The Muti cd with the sadly recently departed Vincenzo la Scola and Michelle Crider, well it got some good and bad reviews. I listened to it in the shop and did not like it. Something with the sound as i recall. Maybe try before you buy if possible.

Its a fantastic opera badly served in cd and DVD (2 i think). I guess we are waiting for a 'best' version still
 
#15 ·
#18 ·
This one I second as a classic too.



I really find Domingo in fine form here. And of course, the rest of the cast is legendary.
 
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#22 ·
Boito's Mefistofele - Favourite recording

Winner



Boito
Mefistofele
Cesare Siepi, Mario del Monaco, Renata Tebaldi, Floriana Cavalli, Lucia Danieli, Piero de Palma
Orchestra e Coro dell'Academia di Santa Cecilia
Tullio Serafin
Decca (1959/1993 Remastered Edition)


Top 2-4
02: De Fabritis RPO
03: Muti Scala
04: Rudel LSO

The final stop in my journey through Goethe's world translated into opera, what it has to do with his novel "Faust". I watched the live performance of an opera composed and written by the famous Verdi librettist Arrigo Boito, who reacted to both Berlioz and Gounod's operas and tried to show his own point of view. This time the main character is the devil Mefistofele and this is the only opera composed in Italian, which opens the door for lots of singers in the 20th century.

I've read about Boito that he didn't like Gounod's romantic approach in his opera and thus his story focuses in much more traits of the characters as deceit, contemplation and the two kinds of love: passionate and platonic. I did watch these traits in the DVD performance, but I began to reject the opera on video and in audio recordings as well. The reason was the plot structure and whole musical approach that Boito gives. The story focuses on the Devil, and thus the Prologue is filled in a spectacular aria and choral section. But when the plot and music develop from Act IV, once Margarita has rejected Fausto to save her life, apologize and embrace death, my mind switches off. The story goes in circles around a second love story in fantasies between Fausto and Elena di Troia without Mefistofele doing much, until Fausto finally quits the Devil in the Epilogue with the Bible. Musically, it's so focused in the title character's key moments that from Act II I struggle to go on. It's the same structure as Gounod's Faust but quite unbalanced and with more spins after Margarita's death.

Of the few recordings I have tried, I lost all interest with the tender and sweet interpretations that delivered Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in the modern recordings by Julius Rudel and Oliviero de Fabritis. Rudel's recording is out of fashion for their odd sound effects and quickly became my bottom recording. I don't like Treigle as Mefistofele either. The Fabritis set is more even in the cast with the exception of 80s Luciano Pavarotti, whose voice is too tender to portrait an old doctor in Act I. Ghiaurov performs really well, but I become bored in a while.

In a middle level, the only commercial edition of the opera that is on print is conducted by Riccardo Muti in Teatro alla Scala for the RCA label, led by a competitive Samuel Ramey but with partners that doesn't do justice to the composition (Crider and La Scola as Margarita and Fausto). The vocal recording seems odd, convex, like it doesn't push forward. I liked the orchestral sound however. I didn't go further than Act II.

1st: Tullio Serafin, Accademia di Santa Cecilia 1959

The only recording that excited me in the whole work, given its sound and vocal quality, was the first complete stereophonic try by Tullio Serafin in Santa Cecilia counting with Mario del Monaco's imperial Fausto, instead of Giuseppe di Stefano, who recorded his parts the previous year and whose rare performance has been recently edited by Eloquence (B07B12HY1X). I was very pleased to be enjoying the opera in the tough Act IV with the powerful Cavalli as Elena di Troia. The chorus and orchestra is really well-recorded for the year 1959, without fireworks but a lot of detail and close microphones. Renata Tebaldi is slightly dark for the Margarita role but she pulls through it. Cesare Siepi is incredible as Mefistofele and Danieli works out as Marthe. It's the lone winner.
 
#24 ·
Picked this up at the library sale for $2 a few months ago. Never heard this opera before. Listened to it once and stuck it aside. Thanks to this thread, I just sampled it and like what I hear, so I will give it a spin sometime this week.


Have you also checked out the Eloquence 'great scenes' CD recorded by di Stefano? (B07B12HY1X)
 
#28 ·
There are three main recommendations for me - Serafin, Questa and Molajoli. All have exceptional Mefistofeles, Siepi, Neri and Nazzareno de Angelis. All have good Margheritas too, Tebaldi's is plush and beautiful, Pobbe a little more vulnerable and then Mafalda Favero who is a lighter voice than either but passionate and believable. For me it depends on how I want the tenor to sound. I like Del Monaco but I think he misses a lot of the roles poetry. Tagliavini capitalises on it, but maybe focuses on the poetic too much without the voice for bigger moments. Antonio Melandri is a good in-between for those who can tolerate the sound. You also get the best Elena in the last act with Arangi-Lombardi.
 
#29 ·
CD

Best in modern sound:
Organism Adaptation Font Art Poster


The choruses and scale of the orchestral writing mean that a recording in modern stereo is a must. I prefer this reading over the Serafin and the choruses are superb.

Historic choice:
Publication Poster Font Art Illustration


Neri is the best Mefistofele on disc in my opinion and Pobbe and Tagliavini do themselves proud too. The typical boxy Cetra sound is a drawback, especially in the opening and closing scenes, but this is still a must.

Runner up:
Art Cape Poster Event Book


For those who are put off the Serafin due to Del Monaco or who aren't fully signed up Siepi or Tebaldi fans, this is a great opportunity to get the best parts of the Serafin on one disc. It's an essential companion to the two above.

N.
 
#30 ·
I prefer the Rudel on EMI
 
#31 ·
Playing that one now. I love choral operas. I ended up with three recordings because I bought a mono version also on EMI by mistake. I think the Serafin has the best sound of the older stereo recordings. As soon as I find my copy, which is in one of my totes, I'll give it a spin.
 
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