Bellini- Beatrice di Tenda

[Sean]

I'm coming to my seventh and I think final major Bellini opera with four complete alternatives to choose from currently available on Youtube for me to get to know- any thoughts on the merits of these?

Vittorio Gui, 1964 with Leyla Gencer

Nicola Rescigno, 1962 with Sutherland

Friedrich Haider, 2000 with Edita Gruberova

James Bagwell, 2012 with Angela Meade

The first two aren't in great sound and one curious thing is the timings- 2.00, 2.15, 2.17 and 2.30...

I think I'll go with the Haider and his forces in Barcelona and perhaps play the others through later...

[Tsaraslondon]

Not Sutherland's studio recording?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bellini-Beatrice-di-Tenda-Vincenzo/dp/B00000E4Y6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1376036199&sr=1-1&keywords=beatrice+di+tenda

[Sean]

Well not from the initial details.

I don't care too much for Sutherland and see her as a highly manipulated figure...

[Tsaraslondon]

I'm not much of a Sutherland fan either, but I'd still consider this studio version (with Pavarotti and a surprisingly good Veasey) the safest bet.

That said, I'm not much of a Gruberova fan either. A shame neither Callas nor Caballe seem to have tackled it.

[Sean]

Sure.

It's not the greatest music, but I like it.