Product Overview
Gianandrea Gavazzeni - Ponchielli: La Gioconda (CD DOUBLE (SLIMLINE CASE)) The first stereo recording of Ponchielli's most famous opera, with a towering performance of the title role captured in classic Decca sound. There is more to La Giocondathan the 'Dance of the Hours', more even than the hit 'Suicidio' aria of the ill-fated and ironically-titled Venetian ballad-singer who holds the stage. There are scenes of carnival, blackest treachery, rapturous passion and unexpected compassion. In short, it's a verismo feast day, butno less a field day for enterprising audio engineers, with its constant physical action, its sopranos shouting imprecations at one another from the deck of Enzo'syacht, and its big, multi-voiced first-and third-act finales. Singing La Gioconda, the young Anita Cerquettidrew inevitable comparisons with La Divina herself, Maria Callas, but reviewers at the time and listeners ever since have been surprised to find that Cerquettiis by no means overshadowed by the comparison. As recorded during the summer of 1957, her voice may be smaller, less in sheer size than in range of characterisation, but she proved herself a more than worthy replacement for Callas when she sang Norma at short notice in Rome six months later, and the Decca engineers capture her at the peak of her all-too meteoric career: vocal infirmity enforced her retirement from the stage in 1961 at the age of just 30. Cerquettiis supported here by a distinguished verismo cast under the experienced baton of GianandreaGavazzeni. Particular praise has always been directed at Giulietta Simionatosinging the role of Laura, La Gioconda's rival, while Mario del Monaco and Ettore Bastianinising in the forthright, uninhibited style demanded both by Boito's libretto and Ponchielli's music. This issue of La Giocondais complemented by the Eloquence reissue of Cerquetti'sstunning Decca recital (482 6801), which features a tantalisingsample of her Tosca alongside earlier Italian repertoire by Spontini, Bellini and Verdi. 'Cerquettisustains this exacting role to perfection. A beautiful voice, well managed, always in tune and with a dramatic edge to it that yet is not hard, promises well for the future.' The Musical Times, May 1958 Tracklistings: AMILCARE PONCHIELLI (1834 1886) La Gioconda La Gioconda -Anita Cerquetti La Ciera -Franca Sacchi Alvise Badoero -Cesare Siepi Laura Adorno -Giulietta Simionato Enzo Grimaldo -Mario del Monaco Barnaba -Ettore Bastianini Zuà ne -Giorgio Giorgetti Isèpo -Athos Cesearini Un pilota -Guido Pasella Une cantore -Edio Peruzzi Orchestra e coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Gianandrea Gavazzeni
