Joan Sutherland On New Albums

Under review this issue we have two Decca albums both featuring the prima soprano Joan Sutherland.

The two—Rigoletto and Sutherland's Command Performance—are featured on the expensive MET, SET label, which retails for about 2/- above the usual classical LP.

Not to quibble about price, however, when one comes upon such a performance of Rigoletto (METM 224/6, SETM 224/6) as this. It is recorded by the Santa Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra under Nino Sanzogno. Of the half-dozen currently available sets, this (only the second in stereo) is by far the most satisfying, musically and recording-wise.

Firstly, the recorded tone of the orchestra is lucid and round: it (the orchestra) finds perspective with the chorus and soloists where in others (notably Serafln's and Gavazzani's performance) it has tended to dominate. The tempi, too, are distinct in that the time is consistently damped (Caro Nome. Zitti. Zitti), thus making for a dark, mellow Rigoletto and explaining, no doubt, the six full sides vs. the usual four.

Secondly, there is a star line-up of soloists. I find Sutherland's singing (of Gilda) a little idiosyncratic, horribly nasal and froggy in diction. Apart from which she is very good. Notice in Caro Nome the clear notes and trills. Cornel MacNeil as Rigoletto and Renato Cioni as the Duke are worthy additives: but don't look for any redeeming aria in Cioni's Questa o quella. It is way off pitch.

And now excusing (you should easily be able to) these minor detractions I should like to declare this to be the finest recording yet of history's most recordable opera. Libretto is the Peggie Cochrane translation.

Joan Sutherland's Command Performance (METM 247 8. SETM 247/8) is in every way a flamboyant piece of recording. Supplied with a booklet of copious notes by Andrew Porter (set in dated type face), the album consists of arias (Ocean, Thou Mighty Monster) songs (The Last Rose of Summers and ballads (Ideale, Serenade) to the accompaniment of the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the soprano's husband mentor Richard Bonynge.

When should one lay-by £4-£5 on a set such as this? I should say when and if you are a keen vocal collector, a partisan of the Sutherland style, and if you want to possess a half-dozen top-notch renditions of such items as the Oberon aria, "Vorrei spiegarri" from "La Cambriale di Matrimono," "Lo hear the gentle lark, the Flotow song. If you are in two minds as to the worthiness of the whole project. I recommend you pick up her earlier "Art of the Prima Donna" in preference to this album.

Sutherland's singing is under marvellous control here, as witness the ppp's in a few of the songs. Her range is used to the best advantage without trowelling on high Cs and Bs in altissimo. Bonynge accompanies with candour throughout. However, there is still the problem of diction (as in Rigoletto). The words and enunciation thereof are watery and croaky. This is becoming most depressing. Especially as it recurs album after album.