Verdi: Il Trovatore (1930 La Scala Recording)
Aureliano Pertile (Manrico); Maria Carena (Leonora); Apollo Granforte (Count di
Luna); Irene Minghini-Cattaneo (Azucena); Bruno Carmassi (Ferrando); Olga de
Franco (Inez); Giordano Callegari (Ruiz & A Messenger); Antonio Gelli (An Old
Gypsy); Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala conducted by Gino Nastrucci and Carlo
Sabajno [Romophone 89003-2 Opera Magna Series, 2 CDs; total timing is 1 hour,
54 minutes.]
This Trovatore (recorded in the La Scala Opera House between October 24 -
November 26 1930) is a thrilling release. Gino Nastrucci’s vivid,
expansive conducting provides much of the excitement in this performance.
Nastrucci is responsible for the greater part of the conducting and not the
originally credited Carlo Sabajno. Sabajno actually conducted only two sides
of the 15 discs which comprised the original recording. The performance
practice of the time has been observed. There are transpositions; cadenzas are
simplified. There are cuts in codas and cabalettas with one or both verses
sometimes stricken out . But don’t let this put you off this fine
recording for there is plenty of music left. I imagine the changes were done
to accommodate the singers who, though perhaps not the greatest exponents of
florid singing, perform this work with great passion and abandon.
Pertile’s impassioned, over the top style, suits Manrico. He displays a
sweetness and sensitivity to his tone that is quite ravishing in a voice of his
size. Carena’s Leonora is a passionate, lively characterization no doubt
due to her expertise in the verismo repertoire. Granforte makes a totally
credible Count di Luna with his zestful, visceral baritone.
Minghini-Cattaneo’s Azucena is splendidly sung with an exciting chest
voice that lends her portrayal a powerful conviction, her confrontations with
di Luna are hair-raising! As Ferrando, Bruno Carmassi provides some chillingly
atmospheric singing at the beginning of the opera. No texts/translations. The
excellent liner notes are by Michael Scott. Mark Obert-Thorn is responsible
for the expertly done transfers and audio restoration.
Back to Don Bartolo's CD Reviews