Giacomo Puccini, Herbert von Karajan, Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel SA©nA©chal, Marius Rintzler, Giorgio Stendoro, Chor der Wiener Philharmoniker - Puccini - Madama Butterfly / Freni, Pavarotti, Ludwig, Wiener Phil., Karajan

Since Madama Butterfly has more stage time than other sopranos, it is imperative that the singing actress captures extensive dramatic variety in addition to singing with exquisite tone and an affinity to Puccini. Mirella Freni, one of the greatest recorded Butterfly's of all time, succeeds at these demands with vocal sensitivity and eloquence. She is assisted by Karajan's superb, symphonic conducting, crisply and poignantly realizing all of Puccini's vast moods; Ludwig's urgent, loving and tenderly sung Suzuki; and Pavarotti's endearing and almost likeable Pinkerton. In addition, the Pavarotti-Freni duets are nectars of the gods. Get out the tissues and indulge. --Barbara Eisner Bayer Amazon.com essential recording

Freni will break your heart

While this is not my favorite Butterfly (Leinsdorf/Moffo), it is certainly one of the best ever recorded. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Pavarotti, but Freni is the best tragic lyric soprano I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. She always moves me to tears, without fail. She is not my favorite Butterfly, though, because I prefer Moffo's young and innocent take, whereas Freni's voice is a bit heavier and more mature sounding.

Madama Butterfly has, for whatever reason, the most varied and rich recording catalogue. There are easily half a dozen recordings that are all "perfect" in their own right. You just can't go wrong with buying any of them, and you might even feel compelled to buy all of them, because they're all so good! This recording is certainly among those must-listens because of Freni's raw emotional power (and some people might like that Pavarotti guy too). I would also recommend Leinsdorf/Moffo, Karajan/Callas, Barbirolli/Scotto, and Serafin/Tebaldi. Serafin's recording also boasts the elegant singing of Bergonzi, the only Pinkerton I just can't bring myself to hate, even though he really is a callous jerk.

At any rate, any of these recordings would be a good introduction (possibly not the Callas recording, as the sound quality isn't as good), so if you're looking for your first recording, you might choose based on which soprano you like or what price suits your pocketbook. This set is certainly very pricey, so you may want to experience Butterfly in a less expensive manner first before you invest 50 bucks on it. It's definitely worth the investment if you know you love Freni and you know you love Butterfly. May 1, 2007

An incomparable Butterfly, the best in modern sound

Since its release in 1974, critics have bowed down before an incomparable Madame Butterfly that matched up Karajan, Freni, and Pavarotti at their veyr best. Both lead singers justify their enormous fame. At this early date, about a decade after his recording debut, Pavarotti remained a sensitive Pinkerton who could shade his voice and deliver nuance along with power. Freni was a bit light for Cio-Cio San, but her portrayal runs second only to Callas (and Scotto, perhaps) for pathos and intensity. Karajan had also been Callas's conductor in this opera; his reading here is broader and more sumptuous--his approach to Puccini was ultra-lush, and it pays off. This isn't Bach,a fter all.

Two quibbles amidst the rejoicing. Decca's shrill, over-bright sonics badly need remastering. The company botched the Solti Ring cycle and all his Strauss operas with nasty late-Eighties digitizing. Those sets were brought back to life later, but this one sitll awaits the doctor. Also, at under 160 min. total timing, there's no reason to spread Butterfly out over three CDs--hopefully the future reissues will fit on two, as they properly should. July 23, 2006

Mirella Freni's First Butterfly: For Fans Only

This late 60's recording is conducted by Herbert Von Karajan and performed by the Vienna Phil, starring Mirella Freni in her first Butterfly on record, Luciano Pavarotti and Christa Ludwig. The reviews for this recording are both favorable and critical. Mirella Freni is not everyone's favorite Butterfly, Luciano Pavarotti is not everyone's favorite tenor, least of all everyone's first choice for Pinkerton Karajan has been criticized for his supremely slow conducting and lack of Puccini spirit. All these points detractors make are valid. However, I found that this is an engaging Butterfly thanks to Mirella Freni's technique and the talents of mezzo soprano Christa Ludwig as Suzuki. This is worth purchasing only for Mirella Freni. She was born to sing Ciao-Ciao San, and her portrayal is moving and tragic. Her voice is dulcet and lyrical, perfectly evoking Butterfly's naivete and innocence. Her mastership of the Italian language, being Italian herself, is superb. Nevertheless, her singing is in a different class. Hers is restrained, lyrically satisfying and only ocassionally dramatic and full-blooded. Her Butterfly lacks the electrifying power of Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Renata Tebaldi and Renata Scotto. Hers is a more subtle Butterfly, full of pianissimi and whispers that hint at her depressive state. Butterfly is a SAD figure and Freni sings it in melancholy manner. However, because the pacing of the score is so slow, she can be boring. She is even more impressive (at least to me) in the Deutsche Grammophone studio recording under Sinopoli's baton and singing opposite Jose Carreras and Teresa Berganza. Nevertheless, she does a fine job and few sopranos can really emote as believably as Freni, particularly in the final act. Luciano Pavarotti is not my favorite tenor. His Pinkerton, however, is right on target as far as characterization. While Pavarotti was not an exemplary operatic actor and never lived the role out of laziness and lack of intellectual spirit, he did sing with a voice that people enjoy because it is both light and loud. In this recording, he is too loud but his in-your-face brash Broadway-like style is perfect for Pinkerton. Unconsciously, he sings a dramatically satisfying Pinkerton who is a big fat American jerk. He is thoughtless, lusty, vulgar and cruelly deceptive. Pavarotti and Freni were both brought up by the same wet nurse in Italy and were childhood/teenage friends. Their careers were illustrious and it's a shame they sang very few times together. On recording, we can find them singing in Don Carlos (again under Karajan)La Boheme under Karajan and Puccini's Tosca under Zubin Mehta. There is no denying the sheer beauty of the combined voices of Pavoratti and Freni, who have genuine chemistry. Christa Ludwig is an exceptional Susuki, though too noble and grand and even sounds like a diva in her own right. I prefer "lighter" Susuki's like Teresa Berganza. This is a fine recording all in all. But you have to be a loyal devotee of Mirella Freni or Luciano Pavarotti to get this recording. November 13, 2005

The Best recorded Butterfly

Although Renata Scotto is definitive in this role, this would apply to the stage only. On disc Scotto never came across as well as she should have. Scotto recorded Butterfly twice and they are excellent registrations, esp. the Barbirolli for EMI. But somehow it doesn't fill the soul. Mirella Freni recorded this in 1974 and never sang it on stage, but did record it twice, the second time with Sinopoli, a waste of her time.
This set gets her at her most dramatic and most vocally developed shape.Hear for the first time for her nuances in her recitatives, her limpid codas, her ravishing high notes(the entrace final note..noone does it like this, noone in the entire hiostroy of Butterflys) are all graced with that training she had coupled here with a sublime artistry. There is no comparison on disc to anyone else. Others are excellent, yes, but not like this. I think this is her zenith as a singer, and there are other recordings she did, but nothing on this cale, except Don Carlo and Boheme. But note especially here her entrance ,and later, her Che tua madre, later again, her bianca, bianca and then her flower duet, and her finale..not to mention, going back, the ending of Un bel di..finally a soprano who can hold that note with ease, style, and power. This Butterfly of Freni makes you wonder if this could be the greatest singer of that day..she was not, but this is definitive.

Christa Ludwig is superb--all the expressions are there, note especially the Act II opening prayers, and the languorous sighs at the predicament of poverty and desertion. Also, note the beginning of Un bel di....the piangendo of Ludwig, and Freni's blend into it..Von Karajan has never done so much with a score so worked over and rushed to death.

Pavarotti is excellent, and vulagr as he should be..he has an indiffrence to things Pinkerton should have, and his voice rings out, like a brash America, note the opening arias for this, and then, suddenly, at the end of the opera, you get such imapssioned singing, that somehow makes him utterly pathetic.

The conducting is slow, and that is Von Karajan, but you have not heard a slower Butterfly than the second one with Sinopoli and Freni again, with a much worn out Jose Carreras. It takes time to build to the climaxes of Butterfly, and Von Karajan does with brillance, as in his Turandot with the lovely Ricciarelli. Listen to Butterfly's entrance, the strings, also the Morta, and the piuttosto la mia vita vo' troncar at the close of Che tua madre..Freni is ON, and Von Karajan knows it..she's reached the top and he lets her enjoy all of it, and for us, enjoy and weep.

Buy this quickly. The boxed version w/ libretto is going soon..already the reduced in size version is out, same price, and no libretto, no jewel case..ugly.

November 13, 2005

Not as good as expected

I always had in my mind that this Freni/Pavarotti/Karajan Butterfly was something really good but I was dissapointed. First, I really love Freni's voice and I think she can make a nice butterfly and she does it in this set but his companion Pavarotti sounds bad, I mean, you can't feel in his singing that he is compromised to the role of Pinkerton. I dare to say that he doesnt sing as good as he could, so his Pinkerton undraws the nice and excellent Butterfly of Freni. Yes, Pavarotti has all the top notes but singing opera is more than sing high notes to make the house come down!! Second, if you heard the whole opera you will have the sensation to be listening to something ocurring in other world, not Japan. Perhaps it is due to Karajan conducting. He is accurate and is very worried for the sonorities of his orchestra but if you pay enough attention to this you will be unfocused from the opera. In other words, and tragically this Butterfly makes me feel like sleeping. I have other Butterflies but I do recommend the Callas set which was surprisingly good (I never thought Callas was capable to color her voice in the way she did for her recording of Cio Cio San) and the Bjoerling/De los Angeles but in this last I really dont like the way Santini conducts and you would prefer a more present orchestra... June 25, 2005

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