Puccini - Tosca / Erede, Marton, Furlan, Australian Opera

Rating:
Summary: Puccini-Tosca
Review: Although Marton was wonderful as usual, her dynamic voice could not make up for the sound quality. There were points when the orchestra overwhelmed the artist. I suspect this was recorded as a "whole" versus miking the individual artists. I was reminded of home movies.

Rating:
Summary: Puccini-Tosca
Review: Although Marton was wonderful as usual, her dynamic voice could not make up for the sound quality. There were points when the orchestra overwhelmed the artist. I suspect this was recorded as a "whole" versus miking the individual artists. I was reminded of home movies.

Rating:
Summary: Eva Marton y los demas
Review: En esta Tosca solo se salva del fracaso la gran EVA MARTON, que hace una encarnacion realmente buena en lo vocal y en lo escenico de la heroina de la obra. LAMBERTO FURLAN es un Cavaradossi de voz excesivamente vibrada y JOHN SHAW un Scarpia al que le cuesta hacerse oir por encima de la orquesta en el primer acto, aunque mejore algo en el segundo. Los secundarios todos discretos. La orquesta suficiente, conducida por ALBERTO EREDE. Demasiado clasica y ya algo anticuada la puesta en escena. Muy irregular el sonido: las voces se oyen lejos y la orquesta tiende a taparlas; ademas, el sonido tiende a la saturacion. Es preferible comprar otra version.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid production
Review: I must disagree with the other reviewer and say that the sound quality and the staging were exceptional. All of the singers put in great performances, sharing the limelight equally. I've never seen or heard a better Scarpia. The only complaint is that some of the scenes are a bit dark, which seems to happen all too frequently when movies are transferred to DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A red meat Tosca -- 4 1/2 Stars
Review: With the possible exception of the Carvaradossi, this is an exceptional cast and an exceptional Tosca overall. John Shaw's Scarpia is lasciviously rich-voiced, his mobile expressive face tiptoe-ing near campy at times but staying on the right side of the line. Terrific. Ms. Marton uses her splendid emotion-telegraphing vocal resources to wonderful effect. Mario (Lamberto Furlan) is vocally not in these leagues with a smallish voice, sometimes sharpish edge and effortful singing, but he does not spoil the proceedings. The production is a good standard Tosca, no surprises, but who needs them for this masterpiece?
Lots of fun here (I say fun, because this melodrama is so juicy and done with such Puccinian genius it makes me smile continuously when it is done well as this is.)

I bought this for Eva Marton, but happily there is much much more here that is memorable. My all-time favorite Scarpia is Ruggerio Raimondi in the "live" Tosca with Domingo and Malfitano, but John Shaw made me watch his Scarpia with equal enjoyment. Different, less deeply oily and satanic, but terrific.