Henry Fogel
As I say each year, this list simply represents five recordings that crossed my desk this year that I think are essential for serious collectors. I make no claim that they are
the
five best. Gregor Piatigorsky got lost between Casals, Rostropovich, Du Pré, and Ma—but WHRA’s six-disc set reminds us what a great cellist he was. Opera Rara has finally given us a superb recording of an opera that deserves it but hasn’t had one until now. Of all the Met broadcasts released by Sony so far, the Bjoerling/Sayão
Romeo and Juliet
is the most treasurable. Naxos’s reissue of the original recording of Menotti’s finest opera (not only do I think so, but so did Menotti) is particularly welcome since RCA kept it locked away in its vaults for decades, and because it is a sizzling performance. Finally, of all the Callas
Traviata
recordings out there, the Covent Garden performance is the finest from her and her colleagues—and it has now been issued in better sound than any prior version. You cannot be serious about Verdi and not own this recording.
THE ART OF GREGOR PIATIGORSKY
•
Piatigorsky / various accompaniments
•
WEST HILL RADIO ARCHIVES WHRA-6032 (6 monaural CDs k DVD)
DONIZETTI
Linda di Chamounix
•
Elder / Gutiérrez / Costello / Pizzolato / Corbelli / Royal Opera House, Covent Garden O & CH
•
OPERA RARA ORC 43 (3 CDs)
GOUNOD
Romeo and Juliet
•
Cooper / Bjoerling / Sayão / Brownlee
•
SONY 88697804652 (2 CDs)
MENOTTI
The Saint of Bleecker Street. The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore
•
Schippers/ Ruggiero / Poleri / Lane
•
NAXOS 8.111360-1 (2 monaural CDs)
VERDI
La Traviata
•
Rescigno / Callas / Valletti / Zanasi / Royal Op O
•
ICA 5006 (2 CDs)
