Westminster - Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor / Sills, Et Al CD

 Lucia: an Opera for more than the soprano
I came to this recording late as I already have five other: Peters, Callas, Caballe , Sutherland and Scotto. Lucia seems to live or die in reviews on the basis of the soprano. Callas is a passionate singer whose technique serves the music for its full dramatic effect--her voice, however, grates on my ears. Sutherland has an instrument of great beauty and virtuosity but somehow never seems to engage the character. Beverly Sills in this recording captures the essence of Lucia from the youthful excitement of her troth to Edgardo to the eroding despair of her enforced marriage to Arturo. In her "Mad Scene"' accompanied by the glass harmonica Donizetti wanted, Sills voice almost seems as weary as her soul but without losing any of its grace or technique. Her impeccable coloratura serves the character of Lucia better than any other singer I've heard. Bergonzi as her Edgardo is a tender lover but a force of nature in his anger who then plumbs the depths of his desolation. Cappucilli's Enrico bullies and connives with villanous menace. Diaz' Raimondo displays a pomposity that is also genuinely compassionate. From all the principals and comprimarios, the singing is excellent and heartfelt. Thomas Schippers elicits a tightly driven yet flexible performance from the orchestra and singers. Lucia is not known as a conductor's opera but this performance belies that idea. This is a performance where the sum is greater than all its parts and it has moved me as no other has.
Submitted by a reviewer (greenbank, wa, usa) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  2 of 2 found this helpful.

 Sill's Lucia
I was happy to find out that the Sills Lucia was out on CD. I got it immediately. To me Sills is the definitive Lucia; her mad-scene aria is the most sensitive and believable on record. Bergonzi is in top form as Edgardo, and Cappuccilli is always a pro, and is here as Enrico. Plus this is the only Lucia recording I know which actually uses the glass harmonica.
Submitted by a reviewer (Gainesville,FL,USA) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  1 of 1 found this helpful.

 Undoubtedly the best Lucia
No other recording of Lucia can hold a candle to this one; it is truly incomparable. With the exception of a few pinched high notes (particularly those higher than D above high C), Sills's singing is flawless. Her runs, trills, and fioritura in general surpasses even that of Sutherland. And high notes up to D are superb. And the vocal acting here is equal to and even better than Callas's, in my opinion. I feel Sills has the right voice for the role of Lucia, because its lightness helps the listener feel the vulnerability and innocence of the character. In addition to having the right timbre of voice Sills's singing makes one feel right from the beginning that Lucia is already verging on madness, and all throughout the opera she shades her voice and phrases her vocal lines in such a way to convey Lucia's developing insanity. No other soprano does this as successfully as Sills. With Sills we have the ideal Lucia-singing as beautiful and amazing as Sutherland's, and vocal acting on level with Callas. The rest of the cast as well bring great pleasure to this recording. Capuccilli and Diaz sing their respective roles well, very convincing and powerfully. Bergonzi sounds like the heartbroken lover he portrays as Edgardo, and Kern is great in her minor role. With such a top notch cast, especially the ideal Lucia of Sills, this has become the only recording of Lucia I come back to time and time again. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Submitted by a reviewer (Honolulu, HI)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  1 of 1 found this helpful.

 Bel Canto as it should be...
This has definately become my favorite Lucia Recording. I found it in the store by surprise, and immediately got it. Sills seems to have gotten it right,what all the previous sopranoes who tried the role before intended but didn't understand. Lucia is about drama and tragedy, represented in a specic style of opera singing: there must be a balance between the beauty of sound and the intensity of a dramatic performance. Bel Canto should not (at least in theory) be only beautiful singing as a pure sole display of voice, but as an instrument of creating drama through the most beautiful musical instrument that is the human voice. Sills succeeds in this. She creates a well done balance, between the necessary dramatic intensity of the story, and the type of singing that is required in the style of opera. why should recordings like this be in the dark for so long? how many others like this are actually hidden and deprive us, the thisty listeners, of the best quality acting/singing available?
Submitted by rbeck11 (New York, NY)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No

Have you heard this album?