Monday, July 25, 2011

Recording Reccomendations for Tosca

Like La Boheme, Tosca has plenty of great recordings to chose from.

Puccini: Tosca (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Victor de Sabata, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, MilanThe Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano and Tito Gobbi recording is probably the greatest opera recording ever recorded. The three express every word and feeling that the music provides. Callas' Vissi d'Arte is showstopping and Di Stefano's Luevan le stelle is a breath of fresh air. While I listen to this recording I can envision them acting on stage. This is something recordings rarely do. However when you have three great artists who are capable of expressing like them, this is possible. The orchestra is conducted beautifully under Victor de Sabata.
 



Other recommendations for the role of Tosca include Mirella Freni's, Renata Scotto's and Leontyne Price's. All these interpretations are legendary and are accompanied by the great Placido Domingo who in my opinion is one of the greatest Cavaradossi's.

Giacomo Puccini: Tosca - Mirella Freni / Plácido Domingo / Samuel Ramey / Philharmonia Orchestra / Giuseppe SinopoliPuccini: Tosca

Puccini: Tosca / Scotto, Domingo, Bruson; Levine
Some great DVD's of Tosca include the Emmy nominated Met production with Placido Domigo and Hildgarde Behrens, Eva Marton's performance with Giacomo Aragall and Jonas Kaufman's heartbreaking Cavaradossi with Emily Magee.


Puccini: Tosca
If you want to get to know the artists Patricia Racette has no solo CD albums but like I stated in the Madama Butterfly  preview she is one of the greatest Madama Butterfly's. Check this DVD out

 
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Aleksandrs Antonenko has no CD's.

Roberto Alagna's early recordings display his beautiful voice. This Duets and Arias CD displays the great chemistry that Alagna had with his wife Angela Gheorghiu.
Duets & Arias

To see the current Met production you can watch the Virgin Classics DVD of 2009's HD transmission. However if you want to hear great singing look elsewhere.

Puccini: Tosca [Live From the Met]

 For more infromation on Tosca check out the Tosca Preview.

2 comments:

  1. I would go for Price's Tosca, but the recording she made with Karajan, opposite Di Stefano and Tadei. As much as I adore the Callas - Di Stefano - Gobbi performance, to me the real showstopper in the version I champion is the Vienna PO under Karajan.

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  2. Agree, the Price-Di Stefano-Karajan is the best stereo recording and beside the legendary Callas-de Sabata version the first recomendation.

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