Giacomo Puccini - Turandot - Corelli, Udovick, Mattioli, Clabassi - Previtali 1958DVD5 - NTSC - 4:3 - All Regions - LPCM - b&w - 115min.
Subtitles: English, French, German
VAI, released 2004
La Principessa Turandot - Lucille Udovich, Calaf - Franco Corelli, L'Imperatore Altoum / The Emperor - Nino del Sole, Timur - Plinio Clabassi, Liù - Renata Mattioli, Ping - Mario Borriello, Pang - Mario Carlin, Pong - Renato Ercolani, Un mandarino - Teodoro Rovetta
Conductor: Fernando Previtali
Orchestra/Ensemble: Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Milan, Italian Radio Chorus Milan
Lucille Udovich in the title role sounds more Italianate than other celebrated sopranos, she begins "In questa reggia" very well. By the end of the show, she sings some harsh sounds, sounding a little fatigued.
Franco Corelli as Calaf was young here, but already on the top of the hill. He sings the entire role with a very beautiful, warm voice, which can also be heard in other renditions by him. Aesthetically very fulfilling, such a voice also brings complexity to the character. His acting is very restrained, in tune with the big picture, as all characters move rather like types, like masks, not displaying human passion. It is a theatrical vision made clear from the very beginning when the mask theme is shown. However, he does look intently at Turandot, his black eyes lit by white light -- a powerful effect obtained several times. --Comment Ammazon customer
