VIDEO: Janet Baker, Valerie Masterson, Della Jones, Sarah Walker, James Bowman, Mackerras conducting [in English translation]; English National Opera, 1984; HBO 3557; for the most part, better than any other recording I've yet heard--despite the English translation [G.R.]
AUDIO: A) CHANDOS: Janet Baker, Valerie Masterson, Della Jones, Sarah Walker, James Bowman, Mackerras conducting [in English translation]; English National Opera, 1984; CD audio recording of the superb video above--yes, English translation and all; stereo [G.R.]
B) ORFEO: Walter Berry, Lucia Popp, Fritz Wunderlich, Christa Ludwig, Karl Kohn, Leitner conducting; would be a thoroughly satisfying performance if not for the German translation; everyone is in marvelous voice; quite good sound quality [G.R.]
C) RCA: Norman Treigle, Beverly Sills, Beverly Wolff, Maureen Forrester, Spiro Malas, Rudel conducting; for once, a recording in the original Italian with first-class voices; unfortunately, this one suffers from somewhat plodding conducting and an inflexible, wooly protagonist, basso Treigle (sadly, his undoubted dramatic flair and the sheer magnetism of his vocal presence did not translate well to disc); the others are accomplished Handelians and Sills dazzles in this, possibly her finest role; score has been heavily edited and rearranged, a number of cuts; stereo [G.R.]
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at geo.riggs @verizon.net
