 |  | A huge voice of uncommon versatility |  |
Shortly into this recital, you realise that this is a voice that can do anything and everything Verdi will require of it. It is of full, even, beautiful quality from top to bottom, of enormous power when required and capable of great tenderness and dexterity - "una voce soprano drammatica/spinto d'agilita" of the kind that is virtually extinct. The answer to a previous reviewer's question, "Why so obscure?" lies in the choices she made for her own nonetheless illustrious career; like many other great singers (such as John McCormack, for example) she was not the most accomplished actress and preferred the media of the concert platform and the broadcast to the stage. She is the greatest post-war American soprano (with all due deference to estimable artists such as Leontyne Price et al) and the greatest Isolde and Bruennhilde who never was, too. All the tracks on this disc are wonderful, but my favourites are when she teams up with Tucker, here in his prime (was he ever not in his prime before his untimely death?). These are really stirring, involving, huge-voiced performances; I'd start with the "Don Carlo" duet to illustrate their quality. Farrell never blasts merely for effect; she grades the volume in her enormous voice to create maximum impact and very often sings softly to prepare for the climactic moments, particularly in the Aida excerpts. Has this role ever been better sung, its demands more completely encompassed, I wonder?
Buy it; you won't be disappointed. My only reservation is that the voice itself is so perfect an instrument that one occasionally misses the little marks of individuality that distinguish a great singer, but vocally, expressively and dramatically, this is a feast of Verdi singing.
October 4, 2008Eileen Farrell's voice is a magnificent instrument. With a rounded tone, beautiful overtones, sumptuous middle notes, secure low notes, and serviceable (re: adequate) high notes, enormous volume, and an unmistakable timbre, the voice is awe inspiring. To hear this soprano singing softly is a great experience. To hear her unleash the massive power of which her voice is capable is an even greater experience. The recording has superb stereo sound, but Farrell's voice is definitely not as loud here as it was live in a concert hall or in the opera house. Her three duets with Richard Tucker are supremely sung. Tucker is miked closer than Farrell so that she doesn't blow him away with her voice. Still, the Tucker voice is a very big instrument, with a wonderful tenor sound and ringing high notes. His pitch is well nigh perfect. On top of this, he emotes wonderfully. The duet from "Don Carlo", "Io vengo a domandar", is spine-chilling in its brilliance and artistry. The lyric singing displayed in the soft sections is heavenly, and the more impassioned parts are brought vividly to life by Tucker and Farrell. Verdi's orchestration in this duet is greatness itself. I wish Columbia had recorded Farrell in "Tu che le vanità" instead of the Willow Song. Still, the Willow Song allows Farrell to show off her magnificent pianissimo, so beautiful and well controlled for a voice of such great size. In "Pace, pace, mio Dio", Farrell sings wonderfully and with alert attention to both text and drama. Her final cries of "Maledizione!" must have been deafening in the recording studio. She displays impressive agility for a voice of such size in the cabaletta to "Tacea la notte in placida" and her piano singing in "D'amor sull'ali rosee" is a delight to hear. Her duet with Tucker from "Aïda" is great to hear. Her "Come in quest'ora bruna" is lightly sung, with wondeful delicacy and a superb, beautifully floated mezzo forte high note on the word "fior" near the aria's end.
This CD contains Verdi singing the likes of which have totally disappeared from today's opera stages. Get it while you can!
January 9, 2005EILEEN FARRELL IS SO UNDERRATED!! HER VOICE IS SO FULL AND ROUND. EVER SONG SHE DOES ON THIS CD WAS PERFECTION AND I DON'T USE THAT WORD LIGHTLY. IT'S TOO BAD SHE DIDN'T RECORD MORE BECAUSE HER VOICE IS SO STUNNING...BUT UNLIKE OTHER MAJOR OPERA STARS SHE SEEMED VERY LOW KEY, NOT DETERMINED TO BE KNOWN EVERY WHERE TO EVERYONE. SHE HAD THIS VOICE AND SHE SANG AND THAT WAS IT. I HOPE SOMEDAY THAT SHE IS SEEN FOR WHO SHE REALLY IS, ONE OF THE BEST LYRIC-DRAMATIC SINGERS! BRAVA!
December 20, 2004| | | Verdi singing doesn't get better than this! | |
Eileen Farrell. What can one say? Well, for starters, she is probably the best female Verdian that America has ever produced. I am sorry Price fans, but Farrell is better than Price. Yes, Price is more famous and deserves her fame very much, but that doesn't mean she was the greatest American spinto there ever was. Farrell beats Price in the areas of pianissimo, diction, and identifying with the characters she sings instead of prima donna showoff singing. And no, I am not a racist. Farrell's voice soars in Verdi's music. Her magnificent instrument is capable of anything Verdi throws at her. She has an excellent trill. Her pianissimos and diminuendos are world-class. She really digs deep for characterization. Her "Pace, pace, mio Dio" ranks with Tebaldi's version. Farrell's version of the Willow Song from "Otello" would definitely make Tebaldi jealous. Her "Ave Maria" definitely rivals Caballé's stunning 1964 version. Farrell almost sounds like Tebaldi when she sings in her upper register. Her "Ritorna vincitor!" is awesome in its scope. Angry and self-loathing in the first half, then gently innocent in the second. Amazing. Her "Come in quest'ora bruna" demonstrates her wonderful agility. She beats every soprano who has recorded "Tacea la notte placida" and "D'amor sull'ali rosee" with her own masterful renditions. Her pianissimos, trills, and stunning agility are showcased in these two arias. Among the three duets with Richard Tucker (an excellent tenor and partner for Farrell), the only one worthy of the two's talents is "Pur ti riveggo" from "Aïda". The two other arias, one from "Don Carlo" and the other from "Un Ballo in Maschera", are two of Verdi's most overrated. If you want to listen to justly praised and magnificent love duets, listen to the master of all Italian love duets, Giacomo Puccini. Verdi, as great as he is, cannot come close to Puccini in expressing love through operatic music.
This disc is very highly recommended. I pray that every up and coming spinto, American or otherwise, listens to Farrell's singing closely and learns from her. It is truly a disgrace to Verdi's name that Angela Gheorghiu's Verdi recital has been praised to the heavens by the blind music critics. No light lyric soprano should even consider recording an entire album of Verdi soprano arias, no matter how talented they are. When you hear this recital, you will be mad at Gheorghiu for even attempting to sing this music. This just may be the best Verdi recital ever recorded. April 10, 2003
| | | Eileen Farrell should be heard by every Verdi fan!!! | |
Just buy it! You'll be glad you did.
In her prime, Eileen Farrell had an enormous voice capable of thrilling, wall-shaking power. Her voice's tone is one of the most rounded of all recorded sopranos', even matching the rounded tone of Joan Sutherland's voice. The voice itself has an unmistakable timbre. Besides the magnificent voice, this lady can really sing! April 10, 2003
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