Muzio The Published Edisons, 1920-25
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Angelo Mascheroni, Pietro Mascagni, George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini, (Antonio) Carlos Gomes, Alfred Bachelet, Giuseppe Verdi, Fryderyk Chopin, Arrigo Boito, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Georges Bizet, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Gordon Monahan, Christoph Gluck, Cesare Sodero, Giacomo Puccini, Umberto Giordano, Gioachino Rossini, Guagni-Benvenuti, Francesco Cilea, Alfredo Catalani, Jacques Offenbach, Alessandro Parisotti, Victor August Herbert, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Giacomo Meyerbeer
Label: Biographies in Music
Magazine Review Date: 5/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 142
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: BIM705-2

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Chère nuit |
Alfred Bachelet, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alfred Bachelet, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Bianca e Fernando |
Vincenzo Bellini, Composer
Vincenzo Bellini, Composer |
Carmen, Movement: Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante (Micaëla's aria |
Georges Bizet, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Georges Bizet, Composer |
Mefistofele, Movement: L'altra notte |
Arrigo Boito, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Arrigo Boito, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Mal d'amore |
Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
(La) Wally, Movement: Ebben?...Ne andrò lontana |
Alfredo Catalani, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alfredo Catalani, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Loreley |
Alfredo Catalani, Composer
Alfredo Catalani, Composer |
Adriana Lecouvreur, Movement: ~ |
Francesco Cilea, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Francesco Cilea, Composer |
Andrea Chénier, Movement: ~ |
Umberto Giordano, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Umberto Giordano, Composer |
Madame Sans-Gêne, Movement: Che me ne faccio del vostro castello? |
Umberto Giordano, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Umberto Giordano, Composer |
Aspiration |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
Paride ed Elena, Movement: ~ |
Christoph Gluck, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Christoph Gluck, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Salvator Rosa, Movement: Mia piccirella |
(Antonio) Carlos Gomes, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra (Antonio) Carlos Gomes, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Guardami! |
Guagni-Benvenuti, Composer
Guagni-Benvenuti, Composer (Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Rinaldo, Movement: ~ |
George Frideric Handel, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano George Frideric Handel, Composer |
Orange Blossoms |
Victor August Herbert, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Victor August Herbert, Composer |
Pagliacci, 'Players', Movement: ~ |
Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Mario Laurenti, Baritone Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer |
Zazà, Movement: ~ |
Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer
Anonymous Pianist(s), Piano Claudia Muzio, Soprano Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Composer |
(L')amico Fritz, Movement: Son pochi fiori |
Pietro Mascagni, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Pietro Mascagni, Composer |
Eternamente |
Angelo Mascheroni, Composer
Albert Spalding, Violin Angelo Mascheroni, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano Robert Gaylor, Piano |
Hérodiade, Movement: ~ |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer |
Shepherd's love |
Gordon Monahan, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Gordon Monahan, Composer |
(L')Africaine, '(The) African Maid', Movement: Sur mes genoux |
Giacomo Meyerbeer, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giacomo Meyerbeer, Composer |
(Les) Contes d'Hoffmann, '(The) Tales of Hoffmann', Movement: Elle a fui, la tourterelle |
Jacques Offenbach, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Jacques Offenbach, Composer |
Se tu m'ami |
Alessandro Parisotti, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Alessandro Parisotti, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
(La) Bohème, 'Bohemian Life', Movement: Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì |
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giacomo Puccini, Composer |
(La) Separazione |
Gioachino Rossini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Gioachino Rossini, Composer |
Crisantemi |
Cesare Sodero, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Cesare Sodero, Composer Claudia Muzio, Soprano |
Eugene Onegin, Movement: Let me perish, but first let me summon (Puskai pogo pryezde) |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer |
(Il) trovatore, Movement: ~ |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giuseppe Verdi, Composer |
(La) forza del destino, '(The) force of destiny', Movement: Pace, pace, mio Dio |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giuseppe Verdi, Composer |
(I) Lombardi alla prima crociata, Movement: ~ |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giuseppe Verdi, Composer |
(I) Vespri siciliani, '(The) Sicilian Vespers', Movement: Mercè, dilette amiche (Bolero) |
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Claudia Muzio, Soprano Giuseppe Verdi, Composer |
Author: Alan Blyth
Lauri-Volpi wrote of Muzio's voice as being ''made of tears and sighs and restrained interior fire''. Those characteristics can be savoured on practically every track of these CDs, which start auspiciously with an impassioned account of the Salvatore Rosa solo. Leonora's ''Tacea la notte'' is more secure and just as tenderly phrased as the later Columbia, ''D'amor sull'ali rosee'', at once thoughtful and intense. Muzio, a vivid Nedda in the Ballatella, is joined by a splendid baritone new to me, Mario Laurenti, in the duet with Silvio (foreshortened).
''Pace, pace'' is perhaps not quite as involving as the Columbia, but still among the best on disc. The same can be said of ''L'altra notte'': here it is that catch in the voice, the delicacy of the coloratura, made part of the aria's expression, and the concentration of thought behind the singing that make Muzio so compelling. Like her great successor, Callas, she could easily and naturally switch to the kind of classical line called for by the Lombardi aria, where again she confirms my thought that she was as good as anyone at pure, contained singing. The Bolero from I vespri demonstrates another side of her art: the natural fluency of her singing, though her even earlier Pathe of this piece is said to be more brilliant—and a trill is lacking. Mimi was always a Muzio speciality; you may feel that this version, lighter, more coquettish, is preferable to the heavier, slower Columbia. Only the account by her coeval, Bori, seems in the same class. The first CD closes with a Rossini song, an example of Muzio's persuasive way with trifles. The floated tone, the gentle rubato, the ideally judged portamento make for a magical performance.
The second CD includes many of Muzio's Edisons of non-Italian music. They display again the distinctive character of her voice. She is a sensuous Salome in the Herodiade aria, providing just the right, forward voice Massenet calls for. That is sung in Italian. Her ''Elle a fui'' is in excellent French: it is telling for its simplicity of expression and a lightness of touch seldom heard in the piece today. Tatyana was one of her Met roles: here the final part of the Letter scene, in Italian, is predictably involving. At the end of the disc she is back in her more familiar Italian roles, equally suited by Wally, Maddalena (Andrea Chenier) and Adriana. In between she is heard in a moving account of ''Lascia ch'io pianga'' (where she avoids the heaviness of mezzos in this piece) and in several trifles that she turns into things of memorable charm, not least when singing in her endearing English. The gently swaying sound in the waltz song from Herbert's Orange Blossoms is irresistible, but it's perhaps in the sighing
Now I must mention a drawback. Anyone unfamiliar with Edisons may be bothered by the often distant sound and the sometimes noisy surfaces. These can be obtrusive yet they never interfere with the actual sound of Muzio's unique voice. It is well worth persevering for the rewards are great. The order of items here is precisely that on the two-LP deleted Rubini box of 1981, and on internal evidence these transfers to CD appear to have been made from the same tapes as the LPs, though the sound is just that much cleaner and fresher.'
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