Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 59: Giuseppe Verdi~Un Ballo In Maschera

1. Un ballo in maschera, opera
   Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
   Performed by Robert Shaw Chorale, NBC Symphony Orchestra
   with Norman Scott, Claramae Turner, Robert Merrill, Virginia Haskins, John Carmen Rossi, George Cehanovsky, Nicola Moscona, Jan Peerce, Herva Nelli
   Conducted by Arturo Toscanini
   
   

Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 59: Giuseppe Verdi~Un Ballo In Maschera,George Cehanovsky,Robert Merrill,Nicola Moscona,Norman Scott,Giuseppe Verdi,Arturo Toscanini,Claramae Turner,NBC Symphony Orchestra,Robert Shaw Chorale,Herva Nelli,Virginia Haskins,Jan Peerce,John Carmen Rossi,RCA,Classical,Classical Music,Italian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: Toscanini's Masked Ball Fascinating but flawed performance of "Ballo"

Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 59: Giuseppe Verdi~Un Ballo In Maschera Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Toscanini, Arturo | ( T ) | 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 ASIN: B000003EXV Release Date: 1991-03-08

Tracks:

1. Prld - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
2. Act I, Scene 1: Posa in Pace, A' Bei Sogni Risora - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins/Jan Peerce
3. Act I, Scene 1: Libero E Il Varco A Voi - Virginia Haskins/Robert Merrill/Jan Peerce
4. Act I, Scene 1: Alla Vita Che T' Arride - Jan Peerce/Virginia Haskins/John Carmen Rossi
5. Act I, Scene 1: Il Primo Giudice - Virginia Haskins/Jan Peerce/John Carmen Rossi
6. Act I, Scene 1: Volta La Terrea Fronte Alle Stelle - Virginia Haskins/Jan Peerce/John Carmen Rossi
7. Act I, Scene 1: Signori, Oggi D' Ulrica - Jan PeerceRobert Merrill/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott
8. Act I, Scene 1: Ogni Cura Si Doni Al Diletto - Jan Peerce/Robert Merrill/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
9. Act I, Scene 2: Zitti! L' Incanto Non Dessi Turbare - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
10. Act I, Scene 2: Re Dell' Abisso Affrettati - Claramae Turner/Jan Peerce/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
11. Act I, Scene 2: Su, Fatemi Largo - George Cehanovsky/Claramae Turner/Jan PeerceRobert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
12. Act I, Scene 2: Si Batte!-Che Veggo! - George Cehanovsky/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/John Carmen Rossi/Claramae Turner/Herva Nelli/...
13. Act I, Scene 2: Della Citta All' Occaso - Claramae Turner/Herva Nelli/Jan Peerce
14. Act I, Scene 2: Su, Profetessa, Monta Il Treppie - Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins/Jan Peerce/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
15. Act I, Scene 2: Di' Tu Se Fedele - Jan Peerce/Virginia Haskins/ Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
16. Act I, Scene 2: Chi Voi Siate, L' Audace Parola - Claramae Turner/Virginia Haskins/Jan Peerce/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert ShawNicola Moscona/...
17. Act I, Scene 2: E' Scherzo, Od E Follia - Jan Peerce/Claramae Turner/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/...
18. Act I, Scene 2: Finisci Il Vaticinio - Jan Peerce/Claramae Turner/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/...
19. Act I, Scene 2: Ma La Sventura E Cosa - Robert Merrill/Claramae Turner/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/...
20. Act II: Prld - NBC SO/Arturo Toscanini
21. Act II: Ecco L' Orrido Campo - Herva Nelli
22. Act II: Ma Dall' Arido Stelo Divulsa - Herva Nelli
23. Act II: Teco Io Sto - Jan Peerce/Herva Nelli

Tracks:

1. Act II: Ahime! S' Appressa Alcun! - Herva Nelli/Jan Peerce/Robert Merrill
2. Act II: Odi Tu Come Fremon Cupi - Herva Nelli/Robert Merrill/Jan Peerce
3. Act II: Seguitemi-Molto Dio! - Robert Merrill/Herva Nelli/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott
4. Act II: Ve', Se Di Notte, Qui Colla Sposa - Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Robert Merrill/Herva Nelli/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
5. Act III, Scene 1: A Tal Colpa E Nulla Il Pianto - Robert Merrill/Herva Nelli
6. Act III, Scene 1: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia - Herva Nelli
7. Act III, Scene 1: Alzati! La, Tuo Figlio - Robert Merrill
8. Act III, Scene 1: Eri Tu - Robert Merrill
9. Act III, Scene 1: Siam Soli. Udite! - Robert Merrill/Nicola Moscona/Jan Peerce/Herva Nelli/Claramae Turner/Virginia Haskins/...
10. Act III, Scene 1: Dunque L' Onta Di Tutti Sol Una - Robert Merrill/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott/Herva Nelli
11. Act III, Scene 1: Qual E Dunque L' Eletto? - Robert Merrill/Nicola MosconaHerva Nelli/Norman Scott
12. Act III, Scene 1: Il Messaggio Entri - Robert Merrill/Virginia Haskins/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott
13. Act III, Scene 1: Ah! Di Che Fulgor - Virginia Haskins/Herva Nelli/Robert Merrill/Nicola Moscona/Norman Scott
14. Act III, Scene 2: Forse La Soglia Attinse - Jan Peerce
15. Act III, Scene 2: Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti - Jan Peerce
16. Act III, Scene 2: Ah! Dessa E La - Jan Peerce/Virginia Hanskins
17. Act III, Scene 3: Fervono Amori E Danze - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
18. Act III, Scene 3: Altro De' Nostri E Questo - Nicola Moscona/Robert Merrill/Norman Scott/Virginia Haskins
19. Act III, Scene 3: Saper Vorreste - Virginia Haskins
20. Act III, Scene 3: Fervono Amori E Danze - Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
21. Act III, Scene 3: So Che Tu Sai Distinguere - Robert Merrill/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
22. Act III, Scene 3: Ah! Perche Qui! Fuggite! - Herva Nelli/Jan Peerce
23. Act III, Scene 3: E Tu Ricevi Il Mio! - Robert Merrill/Jan Peerce/Herva Nelli/Virginia Haskins/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw
24. Act III, Scene 3: No, No, Lasciatelo - Jan Peerce/Herva Nelli/Virginia HaskinsRobert Merrill/Robert Shaw Chorale/Robert Shaw/...

Customer Reviews:

Toscanini's Masked Ball.......2006-04-03

Verdi's "A Masked Ball" was one of seven complete operas that Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) conducted with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The recording is taken from two NBC broadcast concerts in January 1954 in Carnegie Hall, only a few months before Toscanini announced his retirement. Portions of the recording were taken from remakes in June 1954, also in Carnegie Hall, which proved to be the last recordings Toscanini ever made.

As Toscanini approached his 87th birthday, his health was failing and he was beginning to have trouble with his legendary memory. Reportedly, rehearsals for the performances were stretched over a number of weeks as Toscanini worked with the soloists and the Robert Shaw Chorale to achieve his usual very high standards.

As in all of Toscanini's opera recordings, the Maestro was fortunate to have some very fine singers, including Herva Nelli, Jan Peerce, Virginia Haskins, Clarame Turner, and Robert Merrill. Typically, he was able to get his singers to sing better than they usually did. He was, of course, particularly fond of the American tenor Jan Peerce, who he considered his favorite in his later years. Peerce's singing is particularly poignant, lyrical, and moving; it is he who plays the doomed governor who is eventually murdered during the masked ball.

Toscanini used Verdi's censored text which moved the story from its original Swedish setting to the colony of Massachusetts. There is, therefore, a "farewell to America," which Peerce sings as he dies.

Despite using Carnegie Hall, the RCA engineers placed the microphones very close to the singers and orchestra, resulting in very little reverberation (much like the situation in NBC Studio 8-H, where most of the NBC Symphony concerts took place from 1937 to 1950). This was presumably done to minimize picking up the audience's coughs and other noises. However, the fidelity is quite good and the singers come through very clearly with excellent diction.

The overall performance is quite powerful throughout. There is considerable emotion and drama, too, as Toscanini must have recognized this would probably be the last full opera he conducted. Actually, the very last music he conducted was portions of Verdi's "Aida," again during the remakes in June 1954.

Fascinating but flawed performance of "Ballo".......2004-09-19

This broadcast performance of "Ballo in Maschera," like the Tullio Serafin studio recording of 1943, follows Verdi's tempos more closely than other, later versions. Like the Serafin, it is fairly well-sung with a few flaws. Unlike the Serafin, it is conducted much closer to score tempos but the orchestra is too far forward, sometimes obscuring the voices and giving undue prominence to the orchestra when it should be more subservient to the singers.

A perfect case in point is the duet "O qual soave brivido." In the score, Verdi has marked the accompanying string passages to be played staccato in a "biting" manner behind Riccardo's lines. Most modern recordings bury the strings so much (as in the Solti version) that you don't even hear them. Serafin brings them out just right. But Toscanini, with the orchestra in front of the tenor, makes them sound forte instead of piano. At the climaxes of Acts I and II, the massed orchestral sound virtually buries the singers.

Of the cast, all sing well, though in my opinion Robert Merrill's Renato is a shade under-characterized as usual, only "Eri tu" coming across with any drama. How I wish that Toscanini had been able to use Leonard Warren in this important role! Herva Nelli sings with accuracy, drama and great beauty of tone; her opening line in the Act II aria, "Ecco l'orrido campo," is delivered without any holding or exaggeration of the first high G in the line, as is usually the case in performances. Elsewhere, she is excellent, as are Jan Peerce (Riccardo), Virginia Haskins (Oscar) and Claramae Turner (Ulrica).

This recording has good acoustics, having been recorded live in Carnegie Hall instead of the notorious Studio 8-H. But because of Toscanini's queer balances, it remains more of a hothouse performance than his recordings of "Otello," "Falstaff" (1937 version) or "Aida," all of which are excellent despite occasional cast lapses. I still recommend it as the only "Ballo" besides Serafin's that is worth owning, however.

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