Thursday 9 May 2013

Tosca Rio 1954

Tebaldi as Tosca
 This recording is interesting to two reasons. Firstly it is from Rio and not that many opera recordings exist from Rio, but it was a part of the Latin American opera tradition that included the Colon in Buenos Aires and opera houses in Mexico and Uruguay. Secondly it is the earliest live recording (that I know of) of Tebaldi's Tosca. She had recorded the role for Decca in 1952 and would go on to be heard over the radio in live performances in London, New York and elsewhere. Hers is quite a different Floria Tosca to that of her contemporary Callas, but no less worthwhile. She is partnered by Di Stefano, who had been Callas's Cavaradossi for EMI the year before. The sound is not good, there's not much orchestral detail to be heard, but I think the voices come through well enough for those willing to persevere.

Tosca - Puccini

Conductor Oliviero De Fabritiis

September 21, 1954 Teatro Municipal de Rio de Janeiro

Floria Tosca - Renata Tebaldi

Mario Cavaradossi - Giuseppe di Stefano

Il barone Scarpia - Giuseppe Taddei

Il Sagristano - Guilhermo Damiano

Cesare Angelotti - Giuseppe Modesti


http://rapidshare.com/files/4209629066/ToscaRio54.zip

3 comments:

  1. Tebaldi sang Tosca the year before August 7th with Carlo Bergonzi singing his first ever Cavaradossi ,again with Taddei as Scarpia.

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    Replies
    1. Right, at the Teatro Colon, Buenos-Aires.

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  2. Do you still have the Metropolitan Opera Il Trovatore recordings with Martinelli? I can't find them anywhere now online and I've been looking for months. I am sorry, I do not know how else to contact you.

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