Donizetti - Don Pasquale / Bruson · Mei · Lopardo · T. Allen · Munich RO · R. Abbado

1. Don Pasquale, opera
   Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
   Performed by Munich Radio Orchestra
   with Frank Lopardo, Sir Thomas [baritone] Allen, Eva Mei, Alfredo Giacomotti, Renato Bruson
   Conducted by Roberto Abbado
   
   

Donizetti - Don Pasquale / Bruson · Mei · Lopardo · T. Allen · Munich RO · R. Abbado,Gaetano Donizetti,Roberto Abbado,Renato Bruson,Eva Mei,Münchner Rundfunkorchester,Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks,Thomas Allen,Alfredo Giacomotti Frank Lopardo,RCA,Classical,Classical Music,Italian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: Great Recording of Comic Masterpiece---BUT! A Zesty, Warmly Humorous Pasquale Perfect Splendid Donizetti comedy

Donizetti - Don Pasquale / Bruson · Mei · Lopardo · T. Allen · Munich RO · R. Abbado Gaetano Donizetti , Roberto Abbado , Renato Bruson , Eva Mei , Münchner Rundfunkorchester , Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks , Thomas Allen , and Alfredo Giacomotti Frank Lopardo Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Giacomotti, Alfredo | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rossini - Guillaume Tell / Bacquier, Caballé, Gedda, Mesplé, Kovacs, Howell, RPO, Gardelli Montemezzi: L'amore dei tre re Bellini - I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Kasarova · Mei · Vargas · Chiummo · Alberghini · R. Abbado Rossini: The Barber Of Seville with Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Alceo Galliera, Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus Puccini - La Rondine / Gheorghiu · Alagna · Matteuzzi · Mula · Rinaldi · Ciofi · Bacelli · LSO · Pappano ASIN: B000003FMC Release Date: 1994-09-13

Tracks:

1. Ov - Chor Of The Bavarian Radio/Michael Glaser/Munich RO/Roberto Abbado
2. Act I No.1 Intro: Son Nov'ore - Renato Bruson
3. Act I No.1 Intro: E Permesso? - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
4. Act I No.1 Intro: Bella Siccome Un Angelo - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
5. Act I No.1 Intro: E' Mia Sorella! - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
6. Act I No.1 Intro: Ah! Un Foco Insolito - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
7. Act I No.2 Recitativo e Duetto: Son Rinato - Renato Bruson/Frank Lopardo
8. Act I No.2 Recitativo E Duetto: Prender Moglie! - Renato Bruson/Frank Lopardo
9. Act I No.2 Recitativo E Duetto: Sogno Soave E Casto - Renato Bruson/Frank Lopardo
10. Act I No.2 Recitativo E Duetto: Due Parole Ancor Di Volo - Renato Bruson/Frank Lopardo
11. Act I No.2 Recitativo E Duetto: E' Sua Sorella. -Ah! Mi Fa Il Destin Mendico - Renato Bruson/Frank Lopardo
12. Act I No.3 Cavatina: Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere - Eva Mei
13. Act I No.3 Cavatina: So Anch'io La Virtu Magica - Eva Mei
14. Act I No.4 Recitativo E Duetto Finale I: E Il Dottor Non Si Vede! - Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
15. Act I No.4 Recitativo E Duetto Finale I: Pronta Io Son - Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
16. Act I No.4 Recitativo E Duetto Finale I: Mi Volete Fiera? - Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
17. Act I No.4 Recitativo E Duetto Finale I: Vado, Corro - Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
18. Act II No.5 Preludio: Scena Ed Aria: Povero Ernesto! - Frank Lopardo
19. Act II No.5 Preludio: Scena Ed Aria: Cerchero Lontana Terra - Frank Lopardo
20. Act II No.5 Preludio: Scena Ed Aria: E Se Fia Che Ad Altro Oggetto - Frank Lopardo
21. Act II No.6 Scena E Terzetto: Quando Avrete Introdotto - Renato Bruson
22. Act II No.6 Scena E Terzetto: Via, Coraggio - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
23. Act II No.7 Recitativo E Finale II: Non Abbiate Paura - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
24. Act II No.7 Recitativo E Finale II: Non Oso In Faccia A Un Uom - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
25. Act II Finale: Fra Da Una Parte - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Eva Mei/Alfredo Giacomotti
26. Act II Finale: Indietro, Indietro - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo/Eva Mei
27. Act II Finale: Questo Contratto Adunque - Eva Mei/Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo/Alfredo Giacomotti
28. Act II Finale: Un Uom Qual Voi Decrepito - Eva Mei/Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo
29. Act II Finale: Provato Ho A Prenderti Finora Colle Buone - Eva Mei/Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo
30. Act II Finale: Riunita Immanentela Servitu Qui Voglio - Eva Mei/Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo
31. Act II Finale: Son Tradito, Son Tradito - Eva Mei/Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo

Tracks:

1. Act III No.8 Coro Di Intro: I Diamanti, Presto, Presto - Renato Bruson
2. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: Vediamo: Alla Modista Cento Scudi - Renato Bruson
3. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: Signorina, In Tanta Fretta - Renato Bruson/Eva Mei
4. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: E' Finita, Don Pasquale - Renato Bruson/Eva Mei
5. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: Via, Caro Sposino - Renato Bruson/Eva Mei
6. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: Qualche Nota Di Cuffie E Di Merletti - Renato Bruson
7. Act III No.9 Scena E Duetto: Che Interminabile Andirivieni - Chor Of The Bavarian Radio/Michael Glaser/Munich RO/Roberto Abbado
8. Act III No.10 Recitativo E Coro: Siamo Intesi - Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo
9. Act III No.10 Recitativo E Coro: Don Pasquale - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
10. Act III No.10 Recitativo E Coro: Cheti Cheti Immantinente - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
11. Act III No.10 Recitativo E Coro: Aspetta, Aspetta, Cara Sposina - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen
12. Act III No.12 Serenata E Duettino: Com' E Gentil La Notte A Mezzo April! - Frank Lopardo
13. Act III No.12 Serenata E Duettino: Tornami A Dir Che M'Ami - Frank Lopardo/Eva Mei
14. Act III No.13 Scena E Rondo Finale III: Eccoli! Attenti Ben - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Eva Mei
15. Act III No.13 Scena E Rondo Finale III: Eccomi - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo/Eva Mei
16. Act III No.13 Scena E Rondo Finale III: Bravo, Bravo, Don Pasquale! - Renato Bruson/Thomas Allen/Frank Lopardo/Eva Mei

Customer Reviews:

Great Recording of Comic Masterpiece---BUT!.......2007-05-17

Getting the "but" out of the way first...this is originally an RCA recording, and it's for sale for over $50 from Caiman and other dealers, (but not Amazon directly). The cheapest price is from Arkiv, around $30, who says that their recording is an authorized CD-R copy of the original. If you are careful to read ALL of the disclaimer it also says that the front and back cover art is faithfully reproduced but that LINER NOTES ARE NOT INCLUDED. They sure aren't. Nor is there any libretto or anything of the sort.
Otherwise it's a great recording. Don Pasquale was the last major opera Donizetti wrote, in 1843, before his health, both mental and physical, deteriorated so badly from syphillis that he was confined to an asylum for the remaining few years of his life. While Elisir d'Amore is perhaps more widely known, many consider Don Pasquale to be Donizetti's comic masterpiece. This is a quick-witted opera, where incidents of broad humor are tempered by pathos, and vice versa.
It's the story of Don Pasquale, a wealthy old bachelor who wants to disinherit his rebellious nephew who has fallen in love with a lovely young widow. He decides to get married and sire his own children, so he enlists the help of his friend Dr. Malatesta, (who is also a close friend of the nephew, Ernesto.) After consultation with Ernesto, Dr. Malatesta agrees to help Don Pasquale marry "Sofronia", who is alleged to be Dr. Malatesta's younger sister but is really the young widow, Norina, in disguise.
Don Pasquale is smitten with Norina and signs a marriage contract in which he gives half his goods to his impending bride. "Sofronia" then proceeds to become the fiance from hell, making Don Pasquale's life so miserable that when he catches "Sofronia" in an assignation with his nephew, although Don Pasquale is not happy to be made to look a fool, he is delighted to have Ernesto take "Sofronia" off his hands and the opera ends with everybody (more or less) happy.
The melodies in this opera grow progressively richer, culminating in the gorgeous tenor aria, "Com' e gentil". The story is that this aria was a last-minute addition which Donizetti pulled out of a box of miscellaneous music and sent to the tenor creating the role of Ernesto, advising him to use it for his serenade to Norina. It stopped the show, and the entire opera was a great success.
There are several excellent recordings of Don Pasquale. One of the best is the 1959 stereo recording with Graziella Sciutti as Norina, Fernando Corena as Don Pasquale, Tom Krause as Dr. Malatesta, and the rarely heard tenor Istvan Kertesz as Ernesto. Then there's a 1978 recording conducted by Sarah Caldwall, with Beverly Sills as Norina, Donald Gramm as Don Pasquale, Alan Titus as Dr. Malatesta, and Alfredo Kraus as Ernesto. Although neither Kraus nor Sills were anywhere nearly as young as the characters they portray, their singing is exquisite, as is Gramm's Don Pasquale.
While those recordings are wonderful, this one is the finest of the digital age. A 1993 recording briskly conducted by Roberto Abbado, it stars Eva Mei as a gentle, fresh-voiced Norina and Renato Bruson as a rather elegant and urbane Don Pasquale, bringing a charm and intelligence to counter-act the buffoonery of the character. Sir Thomas Allen sings a graceful Dr. Malatesta, and Ernesto is sung by the under-recorded American lyric tenor, Frank Lopardo. Lopardo has a much warmer and darker tone than is usually heard in light-lyric tenors, and brings tremendous musicality and intelligence to everything he sings. (Check out his Cosi with Renee Fleming.)
The sound quality of the recording is fine. All in all, it's an excellent recording of a comic gem, the best modern recording, but it's rather expensive for the RCA version, and the Arkiv version sadly lacks any liner notes or libretto. That's why I give it only 4 stars.

A Zesty, Warmly Humorous Pasquale.......2006-04-16

Having just heard the Met Broadcast of 'Don Pasquale' with Anna Netrebko and Juan Diego Florez made me retreat to one of my own recordings as an encore. While this may not be the best Pasquale on CD (there is plenty of room for a new release, perhaps with the Met cast...), this recording has its own special treats.

The Munich Radio Orchestra bounces and glides along the airbourne tempi as led by Roberto Abbado and the cast includes a marvelous Thomas Allen and Renato Bruson in roles they own, along with the rather lightweight (but appropriately so) Frank Lopardo and Eva Mei.

The wonderful aspect of this recording is the approach to comedy - never silly, always with dignity intact, and always sung with great respect to the musical line. That doesn't always happen with opera buffo! A solid cast and director and a well-recorded sound. Grady Harp, April 06

Perfect.......2000-07-26

What gorgeous music! What a perfect recording! It's all there, musically, but it's great fun, too, never taking itself too seriously. Go with the Gramophone review, above. Mei and Bruson not only sing beautifully, they're fine vocal actors, as well. Thomas Allen is, of course, excellent. But I love this recording most because of Lopardo. I adore his warm, rich, never-shrill tenor, and I don't think anyone sings more expressively. "Com'e gentil," the serenade with minimal accompaniment is perfect for him -- he goes from tender to joyously loud and sings the diminuendo with absolute control. It's breathtakingly beautiful. I've never seen this opera, but I almost feel as if I don't need to, because this recording is so visually inspiring. Get it -- you'll love it.

Splendid Donizetti comedy.......2000-05-26

If what you want are bright, delightful romps full of bravura singing, Donizetti's comedies are hard to beat, and Don Pasquale is no exception. The opera's main flaw is that, like Cosi Fan Tutte, its plot centers around a rather mean-spirited, uncalled-for deception, and it is difficult to sympathize with the perpetrators. But the exuberance and cheer of the music keep one's mind off such concerns. Eva Mei's performance is very fine, as she and her character act up a storm, capriciously switching moods as Norina wraps the duped Pasquale and her languishing lover Ernesto around her little finger. Renato Bruson and Thomas Allen are always a pleasure to hear. The only weak link in the cast is Frank Lopardo as Ernesto; his tenor is too often thin, whiny, and strained, although when he goes both high and loud he seems to call up some hidden reserves. He's far from ideal, but he's quite listenable, and does not spoil the opera by any means. While a newcomer to Donizetti would do better to get the matchless L'Elisir d'Amore with Pavarotti and Sutherland, this recording is a perfect follow-up for anyone who longs for more of the same.

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