Rosa Ponselle, Vol.2

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Giacomo Puccini, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Ernest Charles, Victor August Herbert, Giuseppe Verdi, Pietro Mascagni, Richard Wagner, (Francesco) Paolo Tosti, Charles-François Gounod, (Jacques-François-)Fromental(-Elie) Halévy

Label: Prima Voce

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 72

Mastering:

Mono
Acoustic
ADD

Catalogue Number: NI7846

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Madama Butterfly, Movement: Un bel dì vedremo Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Tosca, Movement: Vissi d'arte Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
(La) forza del destino, '(The) force of destiny', Movement: ~ Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Chorus
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
(Il) trovatore, Movement: ~ Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Cavalleria rusticana, Movement: Voi lo sapete Pietro Mascagni, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Pietro Mascagni, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Addio (Francesco) Paolo Tosti, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
(Francesco) Paolo Tosti, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Mademoiselle Modiste Victor August Herbert, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Victor August Herbert, Composer
Sadko, Movement: Song of the Indian Guest (Chant hindou) Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Manon Lescaut, Movement: In quelle trine morbide Giacomo Puccini, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Giacomo Puccini, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
(La) Juive, Movement: Il va venir (Jacques-François-)Fromental(-Elie) Halévy, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
(Jacques-François-)Fromental(-Elie) Halévy, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Lohengrin, Movement: Einsam in trüben Tagen (Elsa's Dream) Richard Wagner, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Richard Wagner, Composer
Romano Romani, Conductor
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Aida, Movement: ~ Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Rosario Bourdon, Conductor
Élégie Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Rosario Bourdon, Conductor
Ave Maria Charles-François Gounod, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
Rosario Bourdon, Conductor
When I have sung my songs Ernest Charles, Composer
Ernest Charles, Composer
Romano Romani, Piano
Rosa Ponselle, Soprano
If for nothing else, this reissue is of inestimable value for bringing into the CD catalogue one of the most, if not the most stylish and moving pieces of Verdi singing ever committed to disc, and that is the finale of Aida as sung by Ponselle and Martinelli. With voices ideal for their roles, these two noble singers give an object-lesson in how to interpret Verdi. Their line is faultless, their tone and dynamics perfectly judged, their portamento finely traced. To complement these stylistic virtues there is the interior feeling both bring to their parts. In ''Morir! si pur e bella'', Martinelli's lamenting, lambent phraseology, his feeling for the text have never been surpassed in my experience; nor has the eloquent, expansive reading, by both singers, of ''O terra addio''. The other electrics, taken from original Victors, give us Ponselle's urgent, appealing
''Ritorna vincitor'' and three songs: Massenet's Elegie, sung in that dark-velvet sound, unique in itself, the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria; and, from her last Victor sessions of 1939, a poignant, prophetic When I have sung my songs. However, none of them is quite essential Ponselle.
The first 11 tracks are taken; from the singer's American Columbias. Here, in comparison with the complete Columbias on Pearl ((CD) GEMM-CDS9964), you hear the familiar added Nimbus resonance, while on the former you get pure and simple, what you would hear if you played a perfect copy of an original 78. The Pearl method undoubtedly gives more of the immediate presence of the voice, whereas Nimbus, whether you like it or not, attempt to achieve what you might—and I emphasize 'might'—have heard in an opera-house acoustic. The choice must be yours, but perhaps you will be more persuaded by the Pearl contents which, on two CDs, offer all the Columbias, and a wonderful collection they make. Here you have a selection, plus the Victors possibly offering a better balanced view of Ponselie's art, especially if you have Nimbus's Vol. 1 (10/89). The new Nimbus includes an entertaining note by Nigel Douglas, but he makes no mention of Martinelli.'

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