Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Part One: N.1 Preludio E Coro D'Introduzione: Percorrente Le Spiagge Vicine - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
2. Part One: N.2 Scena E Cavatina: Tu Sei Turbato! - E N'Ho Ben D'Onde - Piero Cappuccilli
3. Part One: No.2 Scena E Cavatina: Cruda, Funestsa Smania - Piero Cappuccilli
4. Part One: N.2 Scena E Cavatina: Il Tuo Dubbio E Ormai Certezza - Piero Cappuccilli
5. Part One: N.3 Scena E Cavatina: Ancor Non Giunse! - Beverly Sills
6. Part One: N.3 Scena E Cavatina: Regnava Nel Silenzio - Beverly Sills
7. Part One: N.4 Scena E Duetto - Finale I: Egli S'Avanza - Carlo Bergonzi
8. Part One: N.4 Scena E Duetto - Finale I: Sulla Tomba Che Rinserra - Carlo Bergonzi
9. Part Two: Act One, N.5. Scena: Lucia Fra Poco A Te Verra - Piero Cappuccilli
10. Part Two: Act One, N.6. Duetto: Appressati, Lucia - Piero Cappuccilli
11. Part Two: Act One, N.6. Duetto: Il Pallor, Funesto, Orrendo - Piero Cappuccilli
12. Part Two: Act One, N.7. Scena Ed Aria: Ebben? - Di Tua Speranza - Beverly Sills
13. Part Two: Act One, N.7. Scena Ed Aria: Ah! Cedi, Cedi O Piu Sciagure - Beverly Sills

Disc 2:

1. Part Two: Act Two - Finale II, N.8. Coro E Cavatina: Per Te D'Immenso Giubilo/Per Poco Fra Le Tenebre - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
2. Part Two: Act Two - Finale II, No.9. Scena E Quartetto: Dov'E Lucia? - Qui Giungere Or La Vedrem.../Ecco Il Tuo Sposo - Piero Cappuccilli
3. Part Two: Act Two - Finale II. Sestetto Con Coro: Chi Mi Frena In Tal Momento?/Chi Raffrena Il Mio Furore? - Piero Cappuccilli
4. Part Two: Act Two - Finale II, No.10. Seguito E Stretta Del Finale II: T'Allontana, Sciagurato - Maledetto Sia I'Istante - Piero Cappuccilli
5. Part Two: Act Two, No.11. Uragano, Scena E Duetto: Orrida E Questa Notte - Piero Cappuccilli
6. Part Two: Act Two, No.11 Urgano, Scena E Duetto: Ashton! - Si/Qui Del Padre Ancor Respira - Piero Cappuccilli
7. Part Two: Act Two, No.12. Coro: D'Immenso Giubilo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
8. Part Two: Act Two, No.13. Gran Scena Con Cori: Deh, Cessate Quel Contento - Justino Diaz
9. Part Two: Act Two, No.14. Scena Ed Aria: O Giusto Cielo! - Il Dolce Suono - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
10. Part Two: Act Two, No.14. Scena Ed Aria: Ardon Gli Incensi - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
11. Part Two: Act Two, No.14. Scena Ed Aria: S'Avanza Enrico! - Piero Cappuccilli
12. Part Two: Act Two, No.14. Scena Ed Aria: Spargi D'Amaro Pianto - Piero Cappuccilli
13. Part Two: Act Two, Scena - Recitativo: Si Tragga Altrove - Piero Cappuccilli
14. Part Two: Act Two, No.15. Aria E Finale: Tombe Degli Avi Miei - Carlo Bergonzi
15. Part Two: Act Two, No.15. Aria E Finale: Fra Poco A Me Ricovero - Carlo Bergonzi
16. Part Two: Act Two, No.15. Aria E Finale: Oh Meschina!/Tu Che A Dio Spiegasti L'Ali - Ambrosian Opera Chorus

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #167888 in Music
• Released on: 2002-05-06
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .48 pounds
• Running time: 147 minutes

Customer Reviews

This recording is marvelous!!!
This recording of Donizetti's masterpiece "Lucia di Lammermoor" deserves all the praise that has been heaped upon it. All the cast members are great and they are led by a world-class conductor. The London Symphony Orchestra plays magnificently for Thomas Schippers.
He was a great conductor. He keeps the score moving along, but also gives the more lyrical moments time to unfold. He conducts this opera for all it's worth. His reading is much more exciting than Karajan's overhyped live recording from Berlin with Callas and di Stefano. The German seems downright tame and his reading downright sleepy when compared with Schippers' propulsive and dynamic conducting. The chorus does a very creditable job. They contribute excellently to this recording. Next, we have Carlo Bergonzi. He is always stylish and never crude. He is involved dramatically, but never to the point of inappropriate verismo acting like one gets with Callas' frequent tenor partner. Bergonzi has a beautiful voice and sings very well. His diction is great. Some of the high notes in his double-aria finale strain him a bit, but he still sings marvelously. Next, we have Piero Cappuccilli. He is an exciting and dramatically involved Enrico. He often is dramatically detached, but not here. He is driven to new heights by singing with Beverly Sills. His singing is excellent and so is his diction. Hearing his commanding baritone is great. Next, we have Justino Díaz as Raimondo. He is convincing as Lucia's hypocritical adviser. He sings marvelously and has great diction. That deep, dark bass voice of his is a pleasure to listen to. Last but not least, we have Beverly Sills. She is what makes this set worth having. Her presence raises this set to the status of one of the all-time great opera recordings. This recording is up there with Beecham's "La Bohème" and Callas' "Tosca". Sills gives a dramatically gripping account of the fragile, mentally unstable heroine. She is a marvel of technical precision combined with extraordinary acting ability. Her voice doesn't have many colors to it, but she uses it very intelligently and gets as much out of it as she can. Her voice truly sounds haunting in this role. Her account to Alisa concerning the murdered Ravenswood girl is glorious. Her performance of the Fountain Aria is beyond reproach. It is both dramatically involved and very well sung. From the very first note of the aria, she establishes Lucia's mental instability. Her coloratura is spectacular. Throughout her arias and cabalettas, her trills, runs, and staccati are excellent. Some of her staccati are smudged, but they are done in that way for dramatic effect. In the cabaletta "Quando rapito in estasi", she uses unearthly tones to convey Lucia's loony ecstasy. It is very effective. No one else employs those tones. Her three duets with the male singers are very well done. She uses a wide range of emotions in those duets. The male singers support her nicely. Her Mad Scene is the best I have heard. Everything is there: the drama, the singing, the coloratura. It is amazing. She outdoes everyone who has sung and recorded this scene. She sings as well as Sutherland and surpasses Callas' overhyped dramatic interpretation. Callas just doesn't convince me of Lucia's madness. Sills does. The soprano-flute duet is breathtaking in its virtuosity. She even manages to make it a very valid part of the Mad Scene. She is one with the fluteplayer. They never lose each other. Her trills, including the one high trill before the first high E-flat, are marvelous. Her runs are perfection. The pianissimo high note is unearthly. The high E-flat is truly haunting. In the repeat of the cabaletta "Spargi d'amaro pianto", she really goes bonkers. She is that good. The last high E-flat, as well as some other high notes earlier in the opera, is a bit pinched, but she still hits it. Keep in mind that Sills made this recording slightly after her prime. You also get to hear the unearthly sounds of the glass armonica. That instrument really adds a spooky element to the Mad Scene's overall effect. I honestly can say that I have never heard a more perfect unison of technical singing and drama than Sills' rendition of Lucia's Mad Scene. This recording is truly marvelous and a must-have for all fans of great bel canto singing.