Puccini: La Bohème

£15.47

1. Questo Mar Rosso - Rolando Panerai, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
2. Pensier profondo - Nicolai Ghiaurov, Rolando Panerai, Luciano Pavarotti, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
3. Abasso, abbasso l autor! - Luciano Pavarotti, Rolando Panerai, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gianni Maffeo, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
4. Si può - Chi è là? - Michel Sénéchal, Rolando Panerai, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gianni Maffeo, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
5. Io resto - Luciano Pavarotti, Rolando Panerai, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gianni Maffeo, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
6. Chi è là? - Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
7. Si sente meglio? - Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
8. Che gelida manina - Luciano Pavarotti, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
9. Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì - Mirella Freni, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
10. O soave fanciulla - Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Rolando Panerai, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
11. Arranci, datteri! - Rolando Panerai, Gianni Maffeo, Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Schonberger Sangerknaben, Chorus Master Gerhart Hellwig, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
12. Chi guardi? - Ecco i giocattoli di Parpignol - Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Mirella Freni, Gianni Maffeo, Gernot Pietsch, Schonberger Sangerknaben, Chorus Master Gerhart Hellwig, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
13. Viva Parpignol... - Una cuffietta a pizzi - Rolando Panerai, Mirella Freni, Gianni Maffeo, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Luciano Pavarotti, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
14. Beviam! - Luciano Pavarotti, Gianni Maffeo, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Rolando Panerai, Michel Sénéchal, Elizabeth Harwood, Schonberger Sangerknaben, Chorus Master Gerhart Hellwig, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
15. Quando m en vo (Musetta s Waltz) - Elizabeth Harwood, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Rolando Panerai, Gianni Maffeo, Schonberger Sangerknaben, Chorus Master Gerhart Hellwig, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
16. Caro! - Fuori il danaro! - Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gianni Maffeo, Luciano Pavarotti, Rolando Panerai, Elizabeth Harwood, Schonberger Sangerknaben, Chorus Master Gerhart Hellwig, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

One of the two best recordings - In a recent BBC3 CD Review broadcast, Alexandra Wilson made a gallant attempt to achieve the impossible task of choosing amongst forty or so recordings of La Boheme - and while I agreed with her ultimate choice of the Beecham recording with Bjorling, Merrill and De Los Angeles, I have rather more regard for this discarded Karajan recording simply because Pavarotti s voice, in its prime, as she herself put it, runs through the recording like a golden seam. The rest of the cast is wonderful, too, although Karajan s love for the score is manifested in a rather deliberately beautiful approach and thereby slightly undercuts the drama. I cannot be without either recording of this eternally youthful and moving opera, and although Freni was captured in slightly fresher, more limpid voice in the earlier Schippers set, for me Gedda is absolutely no substitute for Pavarotti at his best. Both Merrill and Panerai are infinitely touching in the great duet O Mimi, tu piu non torni and although Beecham s recording is a little rough around the edges, he conveys greater energy and fun in the slapstick scenes while, Karajan extracts slightly more pathos from the last act, in better sound. Acquire both sets for the complete experience.

Powerful Puccini - Sumptuously recorded and sung, this is a beautiful set, to be sure, and gives great pleasure.But - and there is one - it s almost too gradiose under Karajan s flamboyant baton, to the extent that the intimacy and tenderness are sometimes overwhelmed by the richness of it all. It s a subtle thing, but this is just a fraction over the top for me, a La Boheme with knobs on. As if to demonstrate this point, listen to the love duet at the end - perfection! Until Pavarotti decides to join (and compete) with Freni s top C. It s not in the score and the harmoisation Puccini intended is lost. (Sadly Bergonzi & Tebaldi do the same thing - maybe is a Decca tradition).Listen instead to Domingo & Caballe, Ricciarelli & Carreras or to Bjorling and Delos Angeles to hear the true magic this scene can generate - one of Puccini s most exquisite moments!This is a great set - but it s ultimately more about the singers than the song. For real integrity and charm, try Beecham (Delos angeles & co) in mono sound, or for modern sound, Pappano with Alagna is good (Vaduva isn t ideal as Mimi though).

The most satisfactory modern recording - Rodolfo was the role of Pavarotti s debut in his home town of Modena, and it was one he kept in his repertoire until the mid-nineties. This recording, from 1972, catches him in his prime, at the age of 37, and the voice is ideally poised between lyric and heroic. Long familiarity with the part, his superlative diction and thrillingly easy high notes, combine to make him the most completely satisfying Rodolfo on record. Bjoerling comes close with Beecham (EMI), but the voice lacks italianate bite. Bergonzi, Gedda and Domingo, though each possessing many virtues, fail to draw you into the world of the young poet as Pavarotti does.He is equalled in every regard by Freni s exquisite Mimi. This, along with her Butterfly for Karajan (Decca), represents the great Modenese soprano at her best. Her long friendship with the tenor pays huge dividends, and she rivals Callas (EMI) in the huge emotional range she achieves. Listen to the variety of colour she brings to Donde lieta and the heart-stopping tenderness she achieves on the word bada - de los Angeles (EMI) attempts something similar with Beecham, but the result is cloying.Panerai, in his third recording of Marcello, is robust and alert, vividly conveying the painter s dog-like adoration of Harwood s Mussetta. The English soprano, sadly neglected on record, catches the tart-with-a-heart essence of the woman, and combines with the excellent Ghiaurov and Matteo to produce an almost unbearably poignant fourth act.Karajan avoids any of the exaggeration which often marred his later operatic recordings. He evidently adores the piece, and draws magnificent playing from the BPO. The sound production is of demonstration quality.None of the more recent recordings is worth serious consideration - this is the Boheme to have on your shelf.

The definitive version of Puccini s finest work. - Before this recording Boheme was Boheme but, the combination of Pavarotti and Freni are just perfect for Puccini s masterpiece. Together with a first class supporting cast their voices are perfection. If Puccini himself could have heard these two together he would have said that is what I intended. Therefore this must be the definitive version of Puccini s masterpiece.

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