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January 14, 2009:
When choosing a Turandot, there are a number of wonderful recordings to pick from. Corelli singing Calaf is not to be missed, neither is Nilsson's steely acount of the titular princess on the same recording. Barbara Frittoli is the most finely sung Liu on record, and the Forbidden City recording has much to offer in terms of ambiance and sound quality, but there are no other stellar performances. So the choice is down to the Karajan recording for DG and the London/Decca record with Mehta conducting. Both have wonderful things to offer the listener and it really comes down to personal tastes. The Wiener Phil is incredible on the DG recording. The sound is all digital and is wonderuflly overwhelming. Karajan, in 1982 firmly in his "orchestra first" period, leads the Vienna forces with a firm, majestic hand, allowing all of the nuances of Puccini's most finely-wrought and most musically compelx score to bloom in full. Mehta and the London Symphony are strong, but seem distant and in the backseat for most of the recording. Between the Turandots, Sutherland (at her prime in '72) is the more strongly sung rendition. Ricciarelli for DG is light of voice and almost fragile sounding at times, though neither soprano brings the type of iron-clad singing required for the part. If the principessa is your favorite part, get the Nilsson recording. Both Liu's are strong, though Hendricks's honeyed tone and lighter color win my vote. Caballe is vocally magnificent, but is only that. Beautiful of line but not of character. Of the tenors...so hard to choose between Domingo and Pavarotti!! Again, it depends on what you truly love. Domingo sings with an urgency and heroism befitting the character, but the role is too high for him. To hear a truly magical moment from the tenor's career, purchase the DVD of Turandot from the MET. Domingo was in heroic voice that evening...truly incredible. While I prefer Domingo in general, Pavarotti won me over on record. It all seems so easy for him. His brilliant tone soars over the music and rings perfectly...not to be misseed! The rest of the supporting players are great on both recordings, with a stronger Ping, Pang, and Pong on the Decca release. Have fun and go with your ear!
Wow...by Anonymous
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April 08, 2003:
I had bought this great recording of Turandot when on a trip with my choral group to the east coast. We had a spare day to linger at a local mall, so I headed fopr the CD store. I found the Boheme with Mirella Freni and Pavoratti, and this Turandot. Since I already have a La Boheme, I decided on Turandot-- and I was amazed at this redition! The sound is crystal clear-- though it's not really a recent recording, and the cast is brilliant. The Liu is heartbreaking in her arias; the Turandot is beautifly crisp and chilly, until her last duets, when she melts into warm emotion. I can't say I care much for Pavoratti-- but in this case, it's the exception. He is THE Calaf, with a powerful "nessun dorma" at his command. Of course, I can't leave Timur without mention-- after Liu's suicide, with his lament-- I nearly cried on the spot. I have to praise the chorus as well. They did a splendid job. From the exciting "gira la cote" to the tranquil boy's chorus in act one and its refrain in act two. All in all, a recording bordered on perfection.
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