Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Madama Butterfly
Cio-Cio-San – Victoria de los Ángeles (soprano)
Pinkerton – Jussi Björling (tenor)
Sharpless – Mario Sereni (baritone)
Suzuki – Miriam Pirazzini (mezzo-soprano)
Chorus & Orchestra of Rome Opera House/Gabriele Santini
rec. 1959, Rome. Stereo XR remastering
Reviewed as Stereo 24-bit FLAC download
Pristine Audio PACO214 [2 CDs: 137]
Oddly, despite several tangential references in other reviews and having long been a favourite of an earlier generation, this seminal recording seems never to have been reviewed here on MusicWeb. It was the version whereby I came to know this opera and, as such, de los Ángeles’ melting Butterfly and Björling’s cavalier Pinkerton retain a special place in my affections.
As usual, Pristine’s remastering of the original stereo recording is startlingly vivid; the sound leaps out with a depth and richness which is truly striking. Balances are perfect and hiss is entirely absent; obviously a good deal of that quality is due to the expertise of the original engineers but I think they too would be astonished by the immediacy of this refurbishment.
The first two voices we hear are those of tenors Jussi Björling and Piero De Palma. The former was already a sick man with only months to live – he died just less than a year later, before the recording was released – but the gleam and vibrancy are intact and very little strain is in evidence. His ardour in the Act 1 love duet is especially affecting; like Pavarotti, he exudes a boyish charm which help us to temporarily forget what a cad Pinkerton is.
While some do not share my liking for baritone Mario Sereni as Sharpless, I find his slightly burring sound to be warm and elegant – and his likeability matches Björling’s.
Victoria de los Ángeles had already recorded Butterfly for HMV/EMI five years earlier with Di Stefano and Gobbi and it is an indication of the robustness of the market for opera recordings in that era that the same company wished to re-record it so soon. Here, she evinces the same virtues and weaknesses. She is one of the few Butterflies to suggest a teenage vulnerability but also eschews top notes such as the delicious, floated D-flat which makes Freni’s entrance so delectable. Her middle-voice, however, has a plaintive, melting quality and she is very expressive with the text. While she might be marginally deficient in the upper regions of her soprano, she rises to an impressive climax in “Un bel dì” and frequently causes the listener to catch his or breath with the delicacy and plangency of her singing.
The ever-reliable De Palma and Miriam Pirazzini contribute a strong, straightforward Goro and Suzuki respectively.
Santini’s direction is a bit four-square and functional, with none of the indulgent rubato and luscious tone which encourages Karajan’s critics to accuse him of making Puccini sound like Wagner, but that allows the singer to get on with the job. My first loyalties remain with Karajan’s sweeping, swooning account with Freni encompassing all the many demands made upon a true lirico-dramatic soprano and Pavarotti matching the elan of his Rodolfo for Decca – but this is a deeply satisfying version, particularly now that it is available from Pristine in such full sound.
Ralph Moore
Availability: Pristine Classical
Other cast
Kate Pinkerton – Silvia Bertona (mezzo-soprano)
Goro – Piero De Palma (tenor)
Il principe Yamadori – Arturo La Porta (baritone)
Lo zio Bonzo – Paolo Montarsolo (bass)
Il commissario imperiale – Antonio Sacchetti (bass)
Yakusidè – Bonaldo Giaiotti (bass)
L’ufficiale del Registro – Paolo Caroli (bass)
La madre di Cio San – Vera Magrini (mezzo-soprano)
La zia – Nina De Courson (soprano)
La cugina – Silvia Bertona (soprano)
