Leyla Gencer was perhaps the most complete of all sopranos of her generation. Her renditions of her roles were simply insurpassable. I can't stop listening to her beautiful voice, and her great artistry. Listen to her 1960 Lady Macbeth...the best on recordings.
"Vocally, Gencer in the 1950s and ’60s was capable of astonishing purity of line and clarity of tone, a pianissimo that was legendary in its focus and impact, and an agility and grace in her coloratura that flowed effortlessly and expressively from her sense of the character ......She soars, which is the essence of the opera and the core of Gencer’s personification." Philip Kennicott , chief art critic for The Washington Post, won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. Opera News, November 2015 - Vol. 80, No. 5
Glorious performnce with Gencer showing herself differently equal to Callas and Tebaldi. Di Stefano does push himself but the generosity of emotion and commitment is irresistible and the damage does not yet show. What a thrilling composer Verdi is!
Having heard only part of this live performance as yet, I may be jumping the gun in saying its one of the finest Forza's I've heard. The performers excellent, never over-singing, on pitch, nicely acted. But the revelation is Votto's refinement of conducting, attention to detail, pungent harmonic clarity, never slack nor overanxious pace-giving singers latitude but not indulging them. Even on computer speakers, the texture is aurally limpid, no muddy tutti. In short, perfectly Verdian.
"complete" yes, that's a good way of putting it.she is perfect for Verdi because she combines the formidable dramatic facilities of a lyrico spinto soprano with the agility range and easy in the upper register of a light coloratura soprano, being able to traverse the spectrum between both with the same performance, all the while maintaining perfect control and artistry.she is truly a master and highly underrated.
I have been listening to Di Stefano for over 50 years, and he always seems to be singing as itwas his last performance, i. e., singing his guts out, and he still keeps singing. Once thought there was no one even close to Callas, but lately seems Gencer is not only close but at time surpasses Callas in her emotive singing. Please do not throw bricks!
+Jon Laan Di Stefano is the only genius here among these wonderful singers. His GREAT art is not about singing the guts off, you must have been confused over 50 years, sorry. I think you will need another 50 years to finally understand that.
Gencer was called the poor man Callas back then :) because anyone can't offer a performance of Callas he just go to see Gencer and have an idea what Callas was. The always talk about Gencer's dramatic abilities yet she never touched me specially with her glottal attacks.
I'd take Gencer over Callas in anything. She may not have had a beautiful voice, but she didn't have the clear break between low, middle, and high registers that are obvious in Callas's voice from early on. And Gencer was just as convincing as a singing actress, and reputed to have been a nicer colleague to work with.
11:07 Io non amarlo? 31:30 Al suon del tamburo 41:40 Son Pereda, son ricco d'onore 46:30 Sono giunta! Grazie, o Dio! 01:02:17 Se voi scacciate questa pentita 01:20:04 La Vergine degli Angeli 01:27:45 La vita è inferno all'infelice 01:46:00 Morir! Tremenda cosa! 02:04:20 Toh!Toh! Poffare il mondo! 02:35:32 Pace, pace, mio Dio!
LOVE it - Pippo sounds beautiful; slight occasional pushing, but not enough to shudder that he's "ruining his voice". Gencer an all time fav of mine. Protti I could do without - dry, monotonous sound...where was Warren???
Мисля бе 1963 ,,АИДА,, от Арена ,пряко предаване по БТ! Жалко ,не съм я гледал на живо ! 90те год. на АРЕНА гледах Турандот с Гена ДИМИТРОВА, Аида с КИАРА, БОНИСОЛИ, КОССОТО ,КАПУЧИЛИ ,2009 ,мисля бе Салваторе ЛЕЧИТРА!
Ok, I get it now. Like teacher like pupil. Speed freak Votto taught Muti everything about conducting Verdi. Their interpretations of Forza are near identical.
I love this opera. I think it is brilliant and you can see Verdi's influence on expansive Russian works like Boris Godunov. Especially the mishmash of comic and tragic elements between aristocratic and plebeian characters.
I disagree. Protti sounds pretty good here. The top really pops. The closest modern singer to him would be Nucci. Protti's better. I never much cared for Protti back in the day but this is very fine singing. Never heard Protti live but I heard Gencer many times. She's even better here than I remembered. Same for Siepi. He really phrases beautifully.
Cantano tutti bene...unico neo è Di Stefano...tutti suoni aperti,ingolati e acuti spesso non a fuoco e indietro...certo l'interpretazione è splendida ma non basta per rendere ad Alvaro giustizia...Ottimi Gencer Protti Siepi la direzione è buona ma da Votto mi sarei aspettato qualcosa di più "speciale"cordiali saluti
giampierone010...un Alvaro cosi te lo scordi. Chi se ne frega dei "suoni" avanti, in dietro, di lato...aperti chiusi...questo "canta". Se il teatro viene giu' le chiacchiere stanno a zero.
Votto conducted Mario del Monaco's first ever performance of Otello on July 21, 1950 in Buenos Aires. It's an important recording for many obvious reasons, but I was especially impressed with the conducting, which I greatly prefer to Toscanini's famous 1947 recording.
