Track Listing

1. Il Trovatore, opera: Act 1. Tacea la notte placida
2. Tosca, opera: Act 2. Vissi d'arte
3. Faust, opera: Act 3. Come vorrei saper...C'era un re' - Canzone del re di Thul�
4. Faust, opera: Act 3. Ah, che strano' - Canzone del gioielli
5. Aida, opera: Act 1. Rittorna vincitor...L'insana parola...I sacri nomi
6. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Act 2. Un bel di vedremo
7. Manon Lescaut, opera: Act 2. In quelle trine morbide
8. La boh�me, opera: Act 1. S�, Mi chiamano Mimi'
9. La boh�me, opera: Act 3. Donde lieta usc�
10. Andrea Ch�nier, opera: Act 3. La mamma morta
11. La Wally, opera (dramma musicale) in 4 acts: Act 1. Ebben?...ne andr� lontana
12. Mefistofele, opera in prologue, 4 acts & epilogue: Act 3. L'altra note in fondo al mare
13. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492: Act 4. Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni, non tardar
14. La Traviata, opera: Act 3. Teneste la promessa...Addio del passato
15. Otello, opera: Act 4. Piangea cantando...La canzone del salice
16. Otello, opera: Act 4. Ave Maria
17. Aida, opera: Act 3. O cieli azzurri

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #553735 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

Will we EVER hear a more glorious sound?
It's been almost 55 years since the recording of the recitals included on this cd and there still hasn't appeared a more sumptuous, glorious voice than Renata Tebaldi's. Even singers blessed with gorgeous voices like Montserrat Caballe have admitted that Tebaldi's was the most perfect voice they had ever heard! One can go on using numerous superlatives to describe her instrument but nothing will please our ears more than stop talking and simply enjoy the sound of the young Renata Tebaldi.

But was Tebaldi just a wonderful voice? The arias heard on this cd are among the most famous soprano arias, yet when I listen to Tebaldi it's as if I'm hearing them for the first time. Listen how she phrases the two simple words "del mare" in Un bel di or how she communicates Marguerite's excitement and Mimmi's feelings about the first sunshine, the first kiss. Each aria is transformed through Renata's singing, enough said!

The sound is not excellent in all tracks but I expected it worse. Once she starts singing I forget about the poor sonics. This is not another great recital you should own, it's a historical testament and a tribute to the miracle of the human voice!

Glorious singing admist uneven sound
I agree with the first reviewer about Tebaldi's singing on this disc. In fact, these early recordings from 1949-1950 show Tebaldi at her youthful best, with her lovely lyric-dramatic soprano voice in fresh, pristine condition.

For me, the plum of the pudding must be two Puccini arias she recorded for Decca in 1949 --- 'Un bel di vedremo' from Madama Butterfly and 'In quelle trine morbide' from Manon Lescaut. Has anyone ever heard a lovelier and more idiomatic account of both arias? Moreover, she displays much spirit and imaginations in terms of characterisation.

From the Cetra items, 'O patria mia' from Aida is thrillingly sung, with the horrendous high C ably managed (In her much later 1959 recording with Karajan, that note sounds simply awkward). Yet the pick from the cetra recordings has to be Desdemona's act 4 scena from Otello. In fact, I would consider this the best of all her renditions of the scena on records. In it Tebaldi provides a near ideal marriage of vocal splendor and dramatic pathos, and adumbrates much of Desdemona's desparations and plights, with the 'ave maria' presented as a fervent prayer, sublimely sung.

Now comes the caveat, which is the reason why I rate this disc with only four stars. The disc deserves better sound and remastering. From what I heard, the tracks gathered on the disc might have been reproduced from sources that are not in good conditions. The first two tracks (the Il trovatore and Tosca excerpts from the 1949 Decca session) is spoiled by audible tape hiss, while the Faust, Aida, Butterfly and Manon Lescaut exerpts have a rather 'scratchy' surface that detract from what should have been our perfect pleasure of bathing in Tebaldi's glorious, velvety sound. The problem is even more serious, almost intolerable, when it comes to the Cetra sources, with too much reverberations (as though one is hearing the diva from a long distance in an large empty hall), as well as irritating distortions on the high voice.

Despite the above serious caveat, one is presented here with a mouth-watering feast of glorious singing. Unless you are picky and fussy over the sound, the disc should give much pleasure. Tebaldi fans might consider this indispensable.

Tebaldi fans, this is a "must have".
I gave this 5 stars in spite of the sound problems. I AM a Tebaldi fan and proud of it. This cd has selections I hadn't heard before. The Nozzi di Figaro aria I found particularly enjoyable. I had not heard Tebaldi sing this before. Her voice is so delicate in this aria it just leaves me smiling breathlessly at the end every time. Many of these arias I heard for the first time in the '60's. I was/am, for lack of a better word, gleeful at being able to hear them when the voice was young. I was unaware Tebaldi had done any 78's or recorded for Cetra. These are especially cherished. The ease with which she sings the not often heard arias only augments my already heretofor great love for this radiant voice. I've ordered more copies of this cd. My sister and a couple of friends will love it as I do. There is indeed an uneveness of sound but that can be easily ignored when you think what you're getting -- "hard to find" old recordings on one cd. Well worth the price and a valued asset to any Tebaldi collection.