VIDEO: Video of Beverly Sills in the NYCO series. Reluctant recommendation on this one. Sills was the most magical interpreter of this role for her generation, and there is simply no other decent video available. But this production was taped at the very end of her association with the role (1977), and the voice is sadly worn and unsteady. Her drama is still shattering, and she has splendid colleagues: Henry Price and the young Samuel Ramey. Julius Rudel conducts. PAR 12701 [G.R.]
AUDIO: A) ANGEL: Victoria De Los Angeles, Legay; Monteux conducting; mono
B) ANGEL (again, a company appears to have cornered the market on one opera): Beverly Sills, Nicolai Gedda, Rudel conducting; Sills is in much better shape here than in the VIDEO, but her colleagues here and Rudel's conducting do not quite match their counterparts on AUDIO #A with De Los Angeles and Monteux; this Sills CD was recorded in superb stereo [G.R.]
For Further Reading:
Manon (Opera Guide, No. 25), by Jules Massenet
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If you have comments or suggestions, email me at geo.riggs @verizon.net
