Puccini - Turandot - Nilsson, Tebaldi, Tozzi - Leinsdorf 19592CDs - AAD - Cover - 53.49 & 60.40min.
Sony Red Seal, 1987
Performer: Renata Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Giorgio Tozzi, Adelio Zagonara, Mario Sereni, Leonardo Monreale, Tommaso Frascati, et al.
Orchestra: Rome Opera Orchestra
Conductor: Erich Leinsdorf
In many ways, this Turandot was the one that really grabbed the public's attention and began bringing the opera to public notice. The role was a natural for Birgit Nilsson who already had a big following for her interpretations of Isolde and Brünnhilde. And here she is captured at the very top of her prime, her voice gleaming its way through "In questa reggia." Nilsson was to go on to record the role again a few years later with Scotto and Corelli; of the two recordings I prefer this one because she has the advantage of being a bit younger. Renata Tebaldi is certainly to be counted among the very best interpreters of the role of Liù. In her case, she had already recorded the role not too long before. While she is a bit older here, I find her in slightly more attractive voice and presenting a more polished interpretation. For many folks the chief attraction of this set is Jussi Bjoerling's Calaf. I'm not sure whether he ever sang the role on stage although he had recorded a still-memorable "Nessun dorma" back in the early 1940s. In fact, I recall reading before that when Nilsson listened to this recording she would interrupt the LP to put on Bjoerling's 78 of the aria. Giorgio Tozzi is in beautiful voice as Timur and he is very touching in his scene after Liù's death.
The rest of the cast is also good, with Alessio de Paolis a standout as the Emperor. Conductor Erich Leinsdorf is at his best here, bringing out all the color of the music. I'm sure this recording was considered to be a sonic spectacular at the time it came out; it's only stereo competition at the time was the Decca/London recording which was in very early stereo (the Callas recording, made after the Decca/London, *could* have been in stereo, but EMI was wary of leaping into this new technology too soon) Amazon customer
Read some more reviews at Amazon (but it's another pressing!)
