Puccini – La Fancuilla del West – La Scala live performance of 4/4/56 with Gigliola Frazzoni, Franco Corelli, and Tito Gobbi. (Legato Classics LCD 227-2)

The singers are top notch, well cast and create a thrilling sense of drama. The comprimari roles are excellent.

Frazzoni is in powerful, secure voice; her interpretation is intelligent and dramatically true. Frazzoni's Minnie is strong and ardent when she has to be, but also sensitive and insecure. She also brings out the playfulness of the role which I found most touching.

Gobbi paints an excellent leatherworn, jaded and lecherous portrait of Jack Rance.

Correlli as Ramerrez is in fantastic voice. His musicianship is exemplary; dramatically he is virile, passionate but also capable of great tenderness and compassion.

Votto seems to love Fanciulla. His conducting is strong, ardent. He ably handles the constantly shifting moods in the opera; the score's musical colors are vividly brought to life. Votto doesn't rush the singers but gives them ample room to work in, helping them achieve not only a musically sound but dramatically believable performance.

The sound is good.

I highly recommend this recording.


Back to Don Bartolo's CD Reviews