Ponchielli: La Gioconda

This tacky but appealing opera needs a cast of stars, and has it here. Pavarotti isn’t at his best, but Caballé is mistress of breathed tones and forceful chest notes, and Baltsa, Milnes and Ghiaurov sing with the abandoned vulgarity essential to lift this piece off the ground. Michael Tanner

Our rating

4

Michael Tanner

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:56 pm

COMPOSERS: Ponchielli
LABELS: Decca
ALBUM TITLE: Poncielli - La Gioconda
WORKS: La Gioconda
PERFORMER: Montserrat Caballé, Luciano Pavarotti, Alfreda Hodgson, Nicolai Ghiaurov; London Opera Chorus, National PO/Bruno Bartoletti
CATALOGUE NO: 475 6670

This tacky but appealing opera needs a cast of stars, and has it here. Pavarotti isn’t at his best, but Caballé is mistress of breathed tones and forceful chest notes, and Baltsa, Milnes and Ghiaurov sing with the abandoned vulgarity essential to lift this piece off the ground. Michael Tanner

Michael Tanner

Journalist and Critic, BBC Music Magazine

Michael Tanner is a critic for BBC Music Magazine and the opera critic of The Spectator. He is now a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, having lectured in the Philosophy faculty at the University of Cambridge for 36 years. In 2010, he released The Faber Pocket Guide to Wagner.
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