15 disc Puccini set

[(poco) Sforzando]

You are referring to this one I presume:


Indeed it is fabulous. The sound is actually excellent. When was it made? 1940? Gina Cigna is an incredible Turandot, such warmth and humanity, nothing like Nilsson. And Olivero (he's the one who sings Calaf right?) almost sounds a bit like a baritone. But they do sound thrilling together. Too bad this recording isn't really easy to get in the US or I would go and get it.

1938. Francesco Merli is the tenor, Magda Olivero the Liu. It's on Naxos 8.110193-94 and can't be sold in the US, but you might be able to get it from MDT or other foreign source.

[PerfectWagnerite]

1938. Francesco Merli is the tenor, Magda Olivero the Liu. It's on Naxos 8.110193-94 and can't be sold in the US, but you might be able to get it from MDT or other foreign source.

Oh okay. I can listen to the whole thing on Rhapsody actually. Too bad the annotation sucks on Rhapsody. They just list the cast and you have no clue who is singing what.

And which roles did Adelio Zagonara and Alfro Poli sing?

[Wendell_E]

And which roles did Adelio Zagonara and Alfro Poli sing?

Here's a cast list:

Emperor Altoum of China - Armando Gianotti (Tenor)
Princess Turandot - Gina Cigna (Soprano)
Liù - Magda Olivero (Soprano)
Calaf - Francesco Merli (Tenor)
Timur - Luciano Neroni (Bass)
Ping - Afro Poli (Baritone)
Pang - Gino del Signore (Tenor)
Pong - Adelio Zagonara (Tenor)
A Mandarin - Giuseppe Bravura (Baritone)
Chorus and Orchestra of the E.I.A.R. Turin/Franco Ghione

[PerfectWagnerite]

Here's a cast list:

Emperor Altoum of China - Armando Gianotti (Tenor)
Princess Turandot - Gina Cigna (Soprano)
Liù - Magda Olivero (Soprano)
Calaf - Francesco Merli (Tenor)
Timur - Luciano Neroni (Bass)
Ping - Afro Poli (Baritone)
Pang - Gino del Signore (Tenor)
Pong - Adelio Zagonara (Tenor)
A Mandarin - Giuseppe Bravura (Baritone)
Chorus and Orchestra of the E.I.A.R. Turin/Franco Ghione

Thanks. At least now if I see some incarnation of this work at the used cd store I'll know.

[Sarastro]

I favor Bjoerling, though Corelli can be thrilling to hear. The Cigna/Olivero was the first recording ever made, only about a dozen years after the premiere, and remains one of the best performances if you are not a stickler for modern sound.

There is always a confusion between the date of record and the day of official issue. That's why I thought the recording with Cebotari/Hauß/Eipperle was the first one. No, it was recorded on the 10th of December 1938, whereas Cigna/Olivero/Merli had two sessions on the 4th and the 15th of September 1938. By the way, several pieces of Turner/Martinelli performances from Covent Garden with alternate Liu's, Albanese (5/5/1937) and Favero (10/5/1937), were recorded. I wish they recorded the whole performance as well.

[Lilas Pastia]

For some reason, nobody seems to have brought up the raison d'être of this set: it brings together all the Puccini operas recorded by Decca with Renata Tebaldi. Forget about the silly comparisons and take it for what it is, not what it's not.