Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®
On January 19, 1853, Il Trovatore, premiered in Rome. It is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez.
The entire opera was recorded on this set of 45 RPM records. Due to the short amount of time each 45 RPM record could hold, there are nine 45 RPM records in the set for a total of 18 sides and they were pressed on red vinyl.
The entire opera was recorded on this set of 45 RPM records. Due to the short amount of time each 45 RPM record could hold, there are nine 45 RPM records in the set for a total of 18 sides and they were pressed on red vinyl.
The set was released in 1955 by RCA records and the cast comprises stellar opera stars of the period: Fedora Barbieri, Jussi Bjoerling, Leonard Warren, Zinka Milanov and many others all conducted by Robert Shaw.
Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®
45 RPM box cover detail
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
detail photo of box cover by Styrous®
As with many record sets of the period, it is a nicely packaged project with beautiful images throughout the booklet that accompanies it.
Giuseppe Verdi ~ Il Trovatore
45 RPM box cover
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
photo of box cover by Styrous®
45 RPM box cover
Cover Painting by Eugene Berman
photo of box cover by Styrous®
While rummageing around the Internet, YouTube in particular, I came across a segment of a film that has Fedora Barbieri singing the role of the gypsy, Azucena, with Mario Del Monico. It is engrossing to watch as you see the intense expressions that are lost when seeing it live on stage. It's ten minutes long but worth every second of it. Pretty incredible (link below).
There's also a brilliant recording of the song, Di due figli, sung by Giorgio Tozzi as the character, Farrando, in 1956 (link below).
Act I
1-1 All'erta, All'erta 3:00
1-2 Di Due Figli 3:57
1-3 E Il Padre? 3:07
1-4 Chi Più T'arresti 1:20
1-5 Comme D'aurato Sogno 0:43
1-6 Tacea La Notte Placida 3:10
1-7 Quanto Narrasti 0:50
1-8 Di Tale Amor 1:27
1-9 Tace La Notte! 1:44
1-10 Deserto Sulla Terra 1:35
1-11 Non M'inganno 1:59
1-12 Di Geloso Amor Sprezzato 2:20
Act II
1-13 Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spogli 2:55
1-14 Stride La Vampa (Part 1) 1:22
1-15 Stride La Vampa (Part 2) 2:52
1-16 Soli Or Siamo 0:54
1-17 Condotta Ell'era In Ceppi 4:16
1-18 Non Sono Tuo Figlio? 2:00
1-19 Mal Reggendo All'aspro Assalto 2:51
1-20 L'usato Messo, Ruiz Invia 1:16
21 Perigliarti Ancor Languente 1:55
22 Tutto È Deserto 1:23
23 Il Balen Del Suo Sorriso 3:11
24 Qual Suono 0:42
25 Per Me Ora Fatale 2:00
26 Ah! Se L'error T'ingombra 2:05
27 Perchè Piangete 2:06
28 E Deggio E Posso Crederlo? 3:51
Act III
2-1 Or Co'dadi, Ma Fra Poco 1:57
2-2 Squilli, Echeggi La Tromba Guerriera 2:15
2-3 In Braccio Al Rival! 2:05
2-4 Giorni Poveri Vivea 4:15
2-5 Quale D'armi Fragor Poc'anzi Intesi? 1:55
2-6 Ah, Si, Ben Mio 2:50
2-7 Manrico 0:48
2-8 Di Quella Pira 2:04
Act IV
2-9 Siam Giunti 2:41
2-10 D'amor Sull'ali Rosee 3:24
2-11 Miserere 4:48
2-12 Udiste? 1:42
2-13 Mira, Di Acerbe Lagrime 1:52
2-14 Conte! 1:10
2-15 Vivrà! Contende Il Giubilo 2:04
2-16 Madre, Non Dormi? 4:29
2-17 Sì, la Stanchezza M'opprime 1:18
2-18 Ai Nostre Monte 2:05
2-19 Che! Non M'inganno! 3:59
2-20 Ti Scosta
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – RCA Victor Studios, New York
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
Copyright (c) – Radio Corporation Of America
Credits:
Baritone Vocals [An Old Gypsy] – George Cehanovsky
Baritone Vocals [Graf Von Luna] – Leonard Warren
Bass Vocals [Ferrando] – Nicola Moscona
Chorus – The Robert Shaw Chorale
Conductor [Chorus] – Robert Shaw
Conductor [Orchestra] – Renato Cellini
Cover [Painting] – Eugene Berman
Directed By – Richard Mohr
Engineer [Chief Recording Engineer] – A. A. Pulley*
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Louis W. Layton*
Libretto By – Salvatore Cammarano
Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Azucena] – Fedora Barbieri
Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Ines] – Margaret Roggero
Music By – Giuseppe Verdi
Orchestra – RCA Victor Orchestra*
Soprano Vocals [Leonora] – Zinka Milanov
Tenor Vocals [A Messenger] – Nathaniel Sprinzena
Tenor Vocals [Manrico] – Jussi Bjoerling*
Tenor Vocals [Ruiz] – Paul Franke
Translated By [Libretto Into English] – Edward J. Dent
Written-By [Story] – Antonio García Gutiérrez
Notes:
Includes a 7" book of 84 pages with info and notes in English and the complete libretto in English.
Complete.
A "New Orthophonic" High Fidelity Recording.
© 1952 Radio Corporation of America
First performed at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, January 19, 1853.
Sung in Italian.
Giuseppe Verdi, Zinka Milanov, Fedora Barbieri, Jussi Björling, Leonard Warren, Margaret Roggero, Paul Franke, Nicola Moscona, The Robert Shaw Chorale, Robert Shaw, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Renato Cellini – Verdi IL TROVATORE (Highlights)
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal – 49-3874
Format: Vinyl, 45, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1955
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
Viewfinder link:
Giuseppe Verdi
YouTube links:
Jussi Björling ~ Di quella pira - (live) 1941
Zinka Milanov ~
Tacea la notte placida
D'amor sull'ali rosee
Leonard Warren ~
Il balen del suo sorriso
Björling-Milanov-Warren ~ Trio
Fedora Barbieri & Del Monaco
Giorgio Tozzi ~ Di due figli
Gee, I miss the old vinyl days!
Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 19, 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment
PLEASE NOTE: comments are moderated BEFORE they are posted so DO NOT appear immediately.
Thank you.