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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unforgettable Cio-Cio-San., 27 Aug 2002
In its day, this remarkable set was the best-recorded opera in the catalogue. Microphones were sensitive enough to pick up not only the occasional Alfa Romeo accelerating past the Rome Opera House but also some "magical" moments, principally just before the Humming Chorus, when you'll feel yourself pulled into a tragic early evening in Nagasaki in a way that will send shivers down the spine. Naxos have recaptured all this in their budget priced reissue of this 1939 recording. Producer Fred Gaisberg was keen to record Beniamino Gigli in a series of complete opera recordings. Gigli's Pinkerton proved to be Gigli's best recorded role. Toti dal Monte won the coveted role of Butterfly, possibly because she was a much-loved exponent of the part, she was a favourite colleague of Gigli's, and her voice was not unlike that of Rosina Storchio who Puccini chose to create the role. Her assumption of the part is extraordinary. She colours and characterizes her voice, clearly suggesting a fifteen year old girl at her entry and leaving you in no doubt thereafter about whom she is talking to. The voice itself is often piercing in its upper register, however, and sounds frayed at times beyond the requirements of dramatic characterization. The minor parts are well cast, with voices clearly differentiated. Mario Basiola, whom I saw in my own first "Butterfly", is a convincing Sharpless, a non-committed official at first, but clearly angry and frustrated when attempting to read Pinkerton's letter in Act Two. Vittoria Palombini brings an unforgettable "doom-laden" voice to the part of Suzuki. Oliviero de Fabrittiis pushes the drama along at a rapid pace. Included with this set is a string of arias recorded by Toti dal Monte, about ten years earlier. Here you will find beautiful, legato singing of the best Italian tradition.
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DVD ~ Renee Fleming
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