Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. ... E soffitto e pareti - Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
2. Sorride Vostro Onore? - Christa Ludwig, Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
3. Dovunque al mondo - Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
4. America for ever - Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
5. Ier l'altro il Consolato - Robert Kerns, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
6. Ecco. Son giunte al sommo del pendio - Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Robert Kerns, Luciano Pavarotti
7. Gran ventura - Mirella Freni, Michel Sénéchal, Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
8. L'Imperial Commissario - Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal, Erna Maria Muhlberger, Mirella Freni, Eva Maria Hurdes, Martha Heigl, Wolfgang Schneider, Robert Kerns, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
9. Vieni, amor mio! - Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
10. Ieri son salita tutta sola in segreto alla Missione - Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
11. Tutti zitti! - Hans Helm, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Kerns, Siegfried Rudolf Frese, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
12. O Kami! O Kami! - Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal, Wolfgang Schneider, Martha Heigl, Eva Maria Hurdes, Marius Rintzler, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
13. Cio-cio-san! Cio-cio-san! - Marius Rintzler, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
14. Bimba, bimba, non piangere - Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
15. Viene la sera - Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
16. Vogliatemi bene - Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Disc 2:

1. E Izaghi ed Izanami, Sarundasico e Kami - Christa Ludwig, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
2. Un bel dì vedremo - Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
3. C'è. Entrate - Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Giorgio Stendoro, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
4. Si sa che aprir la parta - Mirella Freni, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
5. Udiste? - Michel Sénéchal, Robert Kerns, Giorgio Stendoro, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
6. Ora a noi. Sedete qui. - Robert Kerns, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
7. Ebbene, che fareste, Madama Butterfly? - Robert Kerns, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
8. E questo? E questo? - Mirella Freni, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
9. Che tua madre dovrà prenderti in braccio - Mirella Freni, Robert Kerns, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
10. Vespa! Rospo maledetto! - Christa Ludwig, Michel Sénéchal, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
11. Una nave da guerra - Christa Ludwig, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
12. Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio - Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
13. Or vienmi ad adornar - Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
14. Coro a bocca chiusa (Humming Chorus) - Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Disc 3:

1. Intermezzo - Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
2. (fischi d'uccelli dal giardino) - Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
3. Già il sole! - Christa Ludwig, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
4. Chi sia? - Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
5. Io so che alle pene - Robert Kerns, Luciano Pavarotti, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
6. Non ve l'avevo detto? - Robert Kerns, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
7. Addio fiorito asil - Luciano Pavarotti, Robert Kerns, Elke Schary, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
8. Suzuki! Suzuki! Dove sei? - Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
9. Tu, Suzuki, che sei tanto biona - Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Elke Schary, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
10. Come una mosca prigionera - Christa Ludwig, Mirella Freni, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
11. Con amor muore chi non può serbar vita con onore - Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13227 in Music
• Released on: 1987-03-05
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .81 pounds
• Running time: 146 minutes

Customer Reviews

greatest Butterffly on disc
This Butterfly cancels out many others...except for Callas and Scotto who could give the full rich drama of this piece on stage and in the studio(Scotto has pirated performances that are spectacular). Although Freni never sang Butterfly in the opera house she makes such a great figure of Butterfly on disc that one can only imagine on stage what could have been..possibly her greatest role, which she declined to do out of fear of the vocal demands. Such fear did not prevent her from going all outm in this set, along with Pavarotti(never better), and Christa Ludwig as Suzsuki(extraordinary), and Jeromoe Hines(superb), with Von Karajan conducting with great feeling and slow pacing that works. This is a known quanitity to be sure...but it needs to be staed that this Madama Butterfly is the very best.

Freni re-recorded it with Sinopoli conducting on DG, and while good, it cannot go head to head with the Decca set. Enjoy.

Freni is super
You might wonder who Freni manages it. She does not have the build of the typical leading soprano. She is not your typical fat lady yet she brings to the world of opera the most perfect of voices and performances. Having seen her perform a number of times I can say this disc does capture a lot of her excellent qualities. This performance is magnificent. In the firm version with Domingo the demands of the camera does not bring out her best but with this she shines. The orchestra under Herbert von Karajan does a marvellous job and although I sometimes find his command of orchestra over dramatic in some of his recordings, in this I think he has got it just right. Christa Ludwig turns in a great role as Suzsuki. The part does not have the same edge as some of Puccini's other great supporting roles (like Liu in Turnadot or Musetta in La Boheme) but in this Christa give an excellent performance which fit in perfectly.

What I think is special about this production is the combination of Freni and Pavarotti They were born in the same town (Modena) in the same year and here they are, of course, performing in their own language. Recorded in 1974 just as Pavarotti was getting known his voice still has the magical quality before the high life and concert tours took their tool. They have a special harmony in their performances which I do not think comes through when Freni sings with Domingo. To get the full effect buy this version, the highlights are good, but this is better. The quality is of the recoding is very good and so do not put off into buying later recordings just because it a 1970o's recording.

It is hard to say how the test of time will treat this recording. It is certainly the best around to date. The quality shines through. If you like this, also get the Freni and Pavarotti version of La Boheme.

Superb!
Madam Butterfly, one of the most popular operas ever composed is given full justice with this wonderful recording. Karajan maintains a superb tempi throughout, preferring to allow the music to flow naturally. The singers, Freni and Pavarotti especially are at their best here. The entire First Act just flows and must be deemed to be the best version of this act available. What I also like about this version; the sound is wonderfully balanced. Neither too loud, nor too quiet, I did not have to adjust the level of sound on my system once throughout the entire recording which I sometimes have to do with some recordings of other operas and musical works. All I had to do was to sit back and thoroughly enjoy this sublime work. First Class!

If you already have recordings of this opera, you should really add this to your collection. My only criticism though is that it is rather highly priced bearing in mind that it has been available for a number of years now. Perhaps, discounting should be made more readily available, particularly to regular customers of Amazon.