This 1949 recording of Madama Butterfly made by Columbia features two of America's best-known, homegrown opera stars of the era, Eleanor Steber and Richard Tucker, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Max Rudolf. It's a solid version of the opera; there are no weak links, its leads fully live up to their reputations, and the performance has the urgency and drive usually associated with live recordings. Rudolf's impassioned conducting unabashedly exploits the emotion of the score, sweeping ...
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This 1949 recording of Madama Butterfly made by Columbia features two of America's best-known, homegrown opera stars of the era, Eleanor Steber and Richard Tucker, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Max Rudolf. It's a solid version of the opera; there are no weak links, its leads fully live up to their reputations, and the performance has the urgency and drive usually associated with live recordings. Rudolf's impassioned conducting unabashedly exploits the emotion of the score, sweeping the listener up in the drama, and the Met Orchestra responds with playing of fiery intensity. (The violins' high pizzicati are occasionally a little dicey, though.) Steber and Tucker are in excellent form vocally, and their performances are dramatically charged. Steber is a truly memorable Cio-Cio-San. The recording was made near the start of her career, and her voice has a wonderful, glowing freshness. She manages to convey Cio-Cio-San's innocent girlishness, even though her rich...
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Seller's Description:
New Factory Sealed CD. Scratch on the bar code on the back. All items guaranteed, and a portion of each sale supports social programs in Los Angeles. Ships from CA.
