Cheesy Wally

Opera Chic -- a Cilea fan -- has always found Catalani's work to be amazingly cheesy, La Wally a perfect example of the composer's banality (yes, Toscanini loved his stuff: even the masters have lapses of taste sometimes). It doesn't really matter who's singing Catalani's music, not even Maria or Renata can save him from his lowbrow self.

This beery commercial only validates OC's admitted bias.

Comments

[vale]

I don't agree, although I understand your take on this one.
However, that aria (Ebben, n'andrò lontana...) is absolutely sublime when done the proper way.
I personally love the young Renata in it and there are some others that can really "do it" for me on that one like Cerquetti or Olivero.

[Oroveso]

Catalani is far from the top of my hit parade too. I'd pick a well-cast CHENIER in a heartbeat before WALLY, but for a best-case scenario, as opposed to a beer ad or any of the studio recordings, try if you haven't already, the live 1953 Opening Night at La Scala with Tebaldi, Del Monaco and Guelfi (no wonder there was an avalanche! - 3 IMMENSE voices in their youthful primes) as well as the Scala debut of Renata Scotto (who always claimed she got more curtain calls than Del Monaco and Tebaldi --- yeah, RIGHT!) and all conducted by the excellent, late, lamented Carlo Maria Giulini. And God bless the Milanese who simply cannot contain themselves in the final scene and applaud the avalanche. Big Renata, with great aplomb is forced to call out, "Giuseppe m'odi" a second time.

[Les Mitchell]

I know that some of you may think I'm loose a few screws, but I, for some weird reason, like "La Wally" I've got the 1968 Tebaldi/del Monaco recording, which while it was recorded rather late in their careers, finds them in good form --- Tebaldi spectacularly so. I'm not for a moment saying that "Wally" is a masterpiece, but I actually find it enjoyable to listen to. I've been tempted to purchase the live 1953 live Tebaldi/del Monaco from La Scala, but I'm worried about the sound quality. Can someone help me out here? I believe I can get the recording, but is there someone out there who can tell me something about the sound quality? I tried the 1954 live performance of "Vestale" with Callas, but was horrified with the sound quality. The 1955 "Andrea Chenier" with Callas and del Monaco is just as bad, if not worse. But I'd love to know about this 1954 "Wally". If the sound quality is listenable, I'd love to buy it. Can someone out there give me a heads-up on it??????

[Cen]

What a dumb commericial! Is that like Italy's Pabst Blue Ribbon?

[Oroveso]

@ Les Mitchell: The sonics of the 1953 Scala LA WALLY (at least on my pressing) are better than the VESTALE or CHENIER but still very much a live performance, i.e. far from pristine, studio conditions. Some of these pirate issues are copies of copies of copies, and in some cases the sound wasn't good on the original. The sound on the VESTALE always sucked and I've been looking for a "good" copy for years. I saw Tebaldi do LA WALLY at Carnegie Hall in 1968 (same year as the London/Decca recording) except the NY show was with Bergonzi rather than Del Monaco.

[Les Mitchell]

Oroveso:
Many, many thanks for your reply. Forget about ever finding a good sounding copy of the Callas Vestale. It simply doesn't exist.
Ditto for the "Chenier". I think I'll just content myself with the 1968 Tebaldi studio performance. When I first heard it, I couldn't believe how wonderful Tebaldi sounded as late as 1968. She really did some gorgeous singing here, especially in view of the fact that she was in the Indian summer of her career. I DO have a problem with the sound quality on some of these live recordings, and am constantly searching for "upgrades" with better sound. Sometimes I succeed, and other times I do not. At any rate, thanks so much.

[N29]

@ Les Mitchell:
There is a RAI recording with Tebaldi and Prandelli from, I think, 1960, conducted by Basile, with better sound that the live from la Scala.

[Bill Philin-Ploplis]

Try Catalani's Lorelei if you want a big drooling slab of gorgonzola left out in the noon day sun. (OK, the ballet music is pretty.)

[vale]

That drooling slab of Gorgonzola cheese if it of good quality, can be quite nice actually and if it is of exceptional quality, can be pure gastronomical poetry!
Get my "drift"?

[Rusalka]

In case you're interested to know, the soprano singing on this ad is Paula Sides.

[Lauren]

The ad would be more fun if we saw the girl AFTER the dress had unravelled ;-)