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Decca by Pietro Mascagni Ruggero Leoncavallo National Philharmonic Orchestra Gianandrea Gavazzeni Giuseppe Patanè Luciano Pavarotti Julia Varady Mirella Freni London Opera Chorus Piero Cappuccilli Carmen Gonzales Vincenzo Bello Finchley Children's Music Group Ingvar Wixell Lorenzo Saccomani Ida Bormida Search Pietro Mascagni Ruggero Leoncavallo National Philharmonic Orchestra Gianandrea Gavazzeni Giuseppe Patanè Luciano Pavarotti Julia Varady Mirella Freni London Opera Chorus Piero Cappuccilli Carmen Gonzales Vincenzo Bello Finchley Children's Music Group Ingvar Wixell Lorenzo Saccomani Ida Bormida
Amazon.com essential recording
This may not be the most dramatically charged of all Cav/Pag combos, but it does star the golden-voiced, sincere, in-his- prime Luciano Pavarotti in both operas, and that's enough for some people. Add to this the lovely Mirella Freni as Nedda in I Pagliacci, and the exciting, underrecorded Julia Var´dy in Cavalleria Rusticana, and quite the dramatic evening unfolds. Giuseppe Patané leads I Pagliacci with vigor and sensitivity to the tenor, who turns in a stunning "Vesti la giubba," and Gianandrea Gavazzeni takes a big approach to the earlier scenes in Cavalleria Rusticana, while keeping the one-on-ones intimately intense. Ingvar Wixell is overparted as Tonio, but Piero Cappuccilli's Alfio is a fine, snarling portrait. A first choice for Cavalleria Rusticana alone might be the recording with Domingo and Baltsa or that with Bjorling and Milanov; for I Pagliacci alone, try Björling and de los Angeles. But if it's The Large One you want, here's the right place. --Robert Levine
Tracklisting:
Disc 1:
1. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Preludio
2. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: O Lola ch'hai di latti la cammisa
3. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Ah!... Gli aranci olezzano
4. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Dite, mamma Lucia
5. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Il cavallo scalpita
6. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Beato voi, compar Alfio
7. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Voi lo sapete, o mamma
8. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Tu qui, Santuzza?
9. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Fior di giaggiolo
10. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Ah! lo vedi
11. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Oh! il Signore vi manda
12. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Intermezzo
13. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: A casa, a casa
14. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Viva il vino spumeggiante
15. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: A voi tutti salute!
16. Cavalleria rusticana, opera (melodramma) in 1 act: Mamma, quel vino è generoso
17. Pagliacci, opera: Prologo. Si può? Si può?
Disc 2:
1. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Son qua!
2. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Un grande spettacolo
3. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Un tal gioco, credetemi
4. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. I zampognari!
5. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!... Stridono lassù
6. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Sei là!
7. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Nedda! Silvio, a quest'ora
8. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Cammina adagio
9. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Recitar!... Vesti la giubba
10. Pagliacci, opera: Act 1. Intermezzo
11. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. Ohè!... Ohè!
12. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. Pagliaccio, mio marito
13. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. È dessa!
14. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. Arlecchin! Colombina!
15. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. Versa il filtro ne la tazza sua
16. Pagliacci, opera: Act 2. No, Pagliaccio non son
Customer Reviews:
Marvelous... with one huge exception
Every piece has its magic moment, it's "money shot." For Turandot it's Nessum Dorma. For The Messiah, it's the Hallelujah Chorus. For Cavelleria Rusticana it's the Easter Prayer scene, the entrance of the corpus de Jesus. Preghiera, or Easter Hymn. That piece is missing from this otherwise delicious rendition. This CD SHOULD have been noted as excerpted -- featuring most solos/duets... only. Caveat emptor. It's a reasonable price to pay to hear Pavarotti. But when the melody is referenced in other pieces, you realize what you're out. There is a decent version of it on the Godfather III soundtrack, believe it or not.
Outstanding 
This CD-Box is outstanding. Here you will find Pavarotti at his best, surrounded by other great artists. The few minutes of "Ridi pagliaccio", by itself, is worth more than the full price. When I listen to this CD, or to "La Boheme", or "Turandot", by the same label (Decca), all sung by Pavarotti during his peak years, I cannot avoid finding myself, at some point, with tears in my eyes. If you love opera, you should own all Puccini sung by Pavarotti in his best years. I think that whatever Pavarotti did or sung in his latest years cannot stain a life of wonderful achievements. And it's beautiful that his achievements will be available for everybody to listen for ages to come.
But beware... After listening to these wonderful Decca-Pavarotti recordings, most live performances of Puccini operas will end up being very disappointing...
I'm lucky to own this!
I bought this CD because I was in the choir of a production of "I Pagliacci" in the city Stjørdal, Norway in 2002. (The opera is called "Bajazzo" in Germany and Scandinavia)
I had not heard very much of the music before I got the recording, but I have listened to it several times now!
The music by leoncavallo is beautiful - it thrills with the light, soft songs but it also amazes with the powerful and dramatical songs!
My favorite songs are the choir of the bells, Silvio and Nedda's love duet, Vesti la giubba (as you might have heard) and the whole second act.
I have started to listen to "Cavalleria Rusticana" too, though I haven't heard all of it. But it seems like a great opera too - the music touches me. Actually, I'm working on a translation of Cavalleria Rusticana. I don't think it has been translated to Norwegian before, and it's a hard job!
The singers are masters! Pavarotti is well-known, and he is BIG!! But I think he maybe is emphasized too much, but he is the star...
Alas you can nearly hear the choir! Especially the male voices. That is a pity!! (only on Pagliacci)
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