Puccini: Tosca

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In this remastering of one of the classic performances of the gramophone, one of Walter Legge's masterpieces as a creative recording producer, you barely miss stereo recording. With offstage... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 3rd Nov 2003
Catalogue No: 5856442
Label: Warner Classics
Series: Historical
Length: 1 hour 47 minutes

Puccini: Tosca

Work length1:50:27

$57.20

$74.80

Angelo Mercuriali (tenor), Franco Calabrese (bass), Dario Caselli (bass), Melchiorre Luise (bass), Alvaro Cordova (boy soprano), Maria Callas (soprano), Tito Gobbi (baritone), Giuseppe di Stefano (tenor), Vittore Veneziani (director)
Teatro alla Scala
Victor de Sabata
Recorded: 1953-08-21
Recording Venue: 10-21 August 1953 / Teatro all Scala, Milano

Ah! Finalmente! (Angelotti)

Track length2:06

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E sempre lava! (Sagrestano / Cavaradossi)

Track length2:15

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Sante ampolle! Il suo ritratto! (Sagrestano / Cavaradossi)

Track length1:14

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Dammi i colori!...Recondita armonia (Cavaradossi / Sagrestano)

Track length4:24

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Gente là dentro! (Cavaradossi / Angelotti / Tosca)

Track length1:10

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Mario! Mario! Mario!....Son qui! (Tosca / Cavaradossi)

Track length2:03

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Ora stammi a sentir (Tosca / Cavaradossi)

Track length3:10

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Or lasciami al lavoro (Tosca / Cavaradossi)

Track length1:47

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Ah, quegli occhi! Quale occhio al mondo (Tosca / Cavaradossi)

Track length1:34

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Mia gelosa! (Tosca / Cavaradossi)

Track length3:35

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È buona la mia Tosca (Cavaradossi / Angelotti)

Track length3:31

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Sommo giubilo, Eccellenza! (Sagrestano / Chierici, Confratelli, Allievi e Cantori della cappella)

Track length1:22

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Un tal baccano in chiesa! (Scarpia / Sagrestano / Spoletta)

Track length3:44

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Tosca? Che non mi veda (Scarpia / Tosca / Sagrestano)

Track length2:51

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Ed io venivo a lui tutta dogliosa (Tosca / Scarpia)

Track length3:46

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Tre sbirri, una carrozza...(Scarpia / Spoletta / Chierici / Confratelli / Allievi / Cantori e Capitolo della cappella / Folla)

Track length4:31

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Tosca è un buon falco! (Scarpia / Sciarrone)

Track length4:23

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Ha più forte sapore (Scarpia / Sciarrone)

Track length1:16

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O galantuomo, come andòla caccia? (Scarpia / Spoletta)

Track length1:01

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Meno male! (Scarpia / Cavaradossi / Spoletta / Tosca)

Track length2:31

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Ov'è Angelotti? (Scarpia / Cavaradossi / Spoletta / Tosca)

Track length2:47

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Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici (Scarpia / Tosca)

Track length1:08

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Sciarrone, che dice il Cavalier? (Scarpia / Sciarrone / Tosca / La voce di Cavaradossi)

Track length2:52

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Orsù, Tosca, parlate (Scarpia / Tosca / La voce di Cavaradossi / Spoletta / Sciarrone)

Track length3:27

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Floria!...Amore (Cavaradossi / Tosca / Scarpia / Sciarrone)

Track length2:42

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Salvatelo!...Io? Voi! (Tosca / Scarpia)

Track length2:11

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Se la giurata fede debbo tradir (Tosca / Scarpia)

Track length2:12

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Come tu m'odii! (Tosca / Scarpia)

Track length1:25

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Tosca, Act 2: "Vissi d'arte" (Tosca)

Track length3:19

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Vedi, le man giunte io stendo a te! (Tosca / Scarpia / Spoletta)

Track length3:11

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Io tenni la promessa (Scarpia / Tosca)

Track length2:03

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Tosca, finalmente mia! (Scarpia / Tosca)

Track length1:16

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Or gli perdono! (Tosca)

Track length3:47

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Andante sostenuto... (Orchestra) Io de'sospiri (Pastore)

Track length2:49

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Lento (Le campane suonano mattutino) (Orchestra)

Track length2:48

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Largo...(Orchestra)....Mario Cavaradossi? A voi...(Carceriere / Cavaradossi)...Meno (Orchestra)

Track length4:04

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E lucevan le stelle (Cavaradossi)

Track length2:48

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Moderato con moto (Orchestra)..Ah! Franchigia a Floria Tosca (Cavaradossi / Tosca)

Track length2:34

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O dolci mani mansuete e pure (Cavaradossi)

Track length1:29

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Senti, l'ora è vicina (Tosca)

Track length1:30

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Amaro sol per te m'era il morire (Cavaradossi / Tosca)

Track length1:54

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E non giungono (Tosca / Cavaradossi / Carceriere)

Track length2:26

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Com'è lunga l'attesa! (Tosca)

Track length2:15

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Presto! Su, Mario! (Tosca / Spoletta / Sciarrone / Soldati)

Track length1:16

$1.30

$1.70

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Historic recording

Reviews

2010

In this remastering of one of the classic performances of the gramophone, one of Walter Legge's masterpieces as a creative recording producer, you barely miss stereo recording. With offstage effects for example – so important in Puccini – precisely placed, there is a sense of presence normally reserved for twin-channel reproduction. In the long duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi in Act 3 you can even detect a difference of placing between the two singers, Callas set at a slight distance, though whether or not to offset a microphone problem with so biting a voice one can only guess. The immediacy is astonishing, and the great moment of the execution with trombones rasping and the fusillade reproduced at a true fortissimo has never been represented on record with greater impact. The contrasts of timbre are beautifully brought out – amazingly wide with Gobbi as with Callas and with di Stefano producing his most honeyed tones. Though there is less space in the Milan acoustic than we have grown used to in the age of stereo, the separation of voices and orchestra is excellent, with the strands of the accompaniment to 'Vissi d'arte', for example, finely clarified. Only in the big Te Deum scene at the end of Act 1 is there a hint of overloading.
Wonderful as Gobbi's and di Stefano's performances are, and superbly dramatic as de Sabata's conducting is, it is the performance of the unique Callas in the title-role that provides the greatest marvel, and here more than ever one registers the facial changes implied in each phrase, with occasional hints of a chuckle (usually ironic) more apparent than on LP. A truly Great Recording of the last Century which is available in numerous guises. Naxos's transfer is particularly impressive, but if you want top-class supporting material, the mid-price EMI is the one to go for.

Puccini: Tosca

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