Puccini: Tosca

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: 20th Apr 2018
Catalogue No: RRC2065
Label: Regis
Length: 1 hour 48 minutes

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Puccini: Tosca

Work length1:48:45

Dario Caselli, Alvaro Cordova, Orchestra of La Scala, Milan, Chorus of La Scala, Milan, Angelo Mercuriali, Melchiorre Luise, Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Franco Calabrese
Victor de Sabata

Act I, "Ah! Finalmente!"

Track length2:03

Act I, "E sempre lava!"

Track length2:15

Act I, "Sante ampolle! Il suo ritratto!"

Track length1:18

Act I, "Recondita armonia"

Track length4:22

Act I, "Gente la dentro!"

Track length1:11

Act I, "Mario! Mario! Mario!"

Track length2:56

Act I, "Non la sospiri la nostra casetta"

Track length4:10

Act I, "Quale occhio al mondo"

Track length5:08

Act I, "E buona la mia Tosca"

Track length3:46

Act I, "Tutta qui la cantoria! Presto!"

Track length1:12

Act I, "Un tal baccano in chiesa!"

Track length0:31

Act I, "Pesa la tue risposte"

Track length3:47

Act I, "Tosa divina"

Track length5:58

Act I, "Te deum. Tre sbirri, una carrozza...Presto"

Track length4:28

Act II, "Tosca è un buon falco!"

Track length4:14

Act II, "Spoletta è giunto"

Track length1:33

Act II, "Tal violenza!"

Track length4:54

Act II, "Ed or fra noi parliamo"

Track length1:08

Act II, "Sciarrone, che dice il Cavalier?"

Track length2:51

Act II, "Orsù, Tosca, parlate"

Track length6:24

Act II, "La povera mia cena fu interrotta"

Track length1:14

Act II, "Già, mi dicon venal"

Track length4:15

Act II, "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore"

Track length3:14

Act II, "Ecco, vedi"

Track length3:40

Act II, "E qual via scegliete?"

Track length6:28

Act III, "Io de 'sospiri"

Track length5:34

Act III, "Mario Cavaradossi? A voi"

Track length3:02

Act III, "E lucevan le stelle"

Track length3:46

Act III, "Ah! Franchigia a Floria Tosca"

Track length2:32

Act III, "O dolci mani"

Track length4:56

Act III, "E non giungono"

Track length2:25

Act III, "Com'e lunga l'attesa"

Track length2:14

Act III, "Presto! su, Mario, Andiamo! Andiamo! Su!"

Track length1:16

Reviews
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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

2 CDs

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