Discografia
di Pierre GuillemetteRecordings are listed in chronological order. For each recording, you will find in that order:
date of recording followed by (L) if the recording is a live: opera house, broadcast or concert or by (S) if the recording is a studio recording - the conductor - the Orchestra - the Cast: Lucia, Edgardo, Enrico, Raimondo - name of the Label followed by the Label's number when the recording is a CD (when the opera is not sung in the original language, we indicate in which language the opera is sung or we give perninent informations on the performance).
Take note that many of the following recordings are presently unavailable.
For comments, corrections or additions, please do e-mail us.
Latest revision: October 8, 1996.
1929 (S) - Molajoli - Teatro alla Scala di Milano - Capsir, Lomanto, Molinari, Baccaloni - Myto MCD 942 99
Feb. 27 1937 (L) - Papi - Metropolitan Opera of New York - Pons, Jagel, Brownlee, Pinza - The Fourties FT 1511/12
1939 (S) - Tansini - RAI di Torino - Pagliughi, Malipiero, Manacchini, Neroni - VAI
Jan. 1 1949 (L) - Cimara - Metropolitan Opera of New York - Pons, Tagliavini, Valentino, Hines - Melodram Connaisseur CDM 27513
1951 (S) - Capuana - Orch. di Milano - Wilson, Poggi, Colzani, Maionica - Urania
1951 (S) - ? - ? - ?, ?, ?, ? - Remington
June 10 1952 (L) - Picco - Palacio de las Bellas Artes de Mexico - Callas, di Stefano, Campolonghi, Silva - Myto Records MCD 913.40
1953
(S) - Serafin - Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - Callas, di Stefano, Gobbi, Arié - Angel CDMB-69980, EMI CMS7 69980-2
1954 (S) - Cleva - Metropolitan Opera of New York - Pons, Tucker, Guarrera, Scott - CBS/Sony
Jan. 18 1954 (L) - Karajan - Teatro alla Scala di Milano - Callas, di Stefano, Panerai, Modesti - Standing Room Only SRO 831-2
Sept. 29 1955 (L) - Karajan - RIAS Berlin - Callas, di Stefano, Panerai, Zaccaria - Angel CDMB-63631, EMI CMS7 63631-2, Hunt CD 502, Rodolphe RPC 23518, Verona 2709/10
March 22 1956 (L) - Molinari-Pradelli - Teatro San Carlo di Napoli - Callas, Raimondi, Panerai, Zerbini - Myto Records MCD 90319
Dec. 8 1956 (L) - Cleva - Metropolitan Opera of New York - Callas, Campora, Sordello, Moscona - Melodram CDM 26034
1957 (S) - Leinsdorf - Teatro dell'Opera di Roma - Peters, Peerce, Maero, Tozzi - RCA
June 26 1957 (L) - Serafin - RAI di Roma - Callas, Fernandi, Panerai, Modesti - Melodram 26014
1958 (S) - ? - ? - ?, ?, ?, ? - Orpheus
1959 (S) - Serafin - Philharmonia Orch. - Callas, Tagliavini, Cappuccilli, Ladysz - Angel CDCB-47440, EMI CDS7 47440-8
1959 (S) - Sanzogno - Teatro alla Scala di Milano - Scotto, di Stefano, Bastianini, Vinco - Dischi Ricordi ACDOCL-202, Ricordi 94007, Enterprise (Palladio) ENTPD 4117
Feb. 26 1959 (L) - Serafin - Royal Opera House Covent Garden - Sutherland, Gibin, Shaw, Rouleau - GDS Records GDS 21017
1961 (S) - Pritchard - Accademia Santa Celicia di Roma - Sutherland, Cioni, Merrill, Siepi - London/Decca 411 622-2
Dec. 9 1961 (L) - Varviso - Metropolitan Opera of New York - Sutherland, Tucker, Guarrera, Moscona - Myto 944 110
? ? 1963 (L) - Rigacci - Maggio Musicale Fiorentino - Scotto, Kraus, Bruscantini, Washington - Great Opera Performances GOP 747
1966 (S) - Prêtre - RCA Italiana - Moffo, Bergonzi, Sereni, Flagello - RCA 6504-2, RCA Victor Opera Series GD 86504
June 30 1967 (L) - Molinari-Pradelli - RAI di Torino - Scotto, Pavarotti, Cappuccilli, Ferrin - Arkadia CD-540, Verona 27083/84, Hunt CD-540, Frequenz CBQ 2
Sept. 3 1967 (L) - Bartoletti - Nippon Hoso Kyokay Orch. - Scotto, Bergonzi, Zanasi, Clabassi - Arkadia (Italiana Opera) OPI-07, Hunt OPI-07, Arkadia CDMP 467-2
Dec. 7 1967 (L) - Abbado - Teatro alla Scala di Milano - Scotto, Raimondi, Guelfi, Ferrin - Memories HR 4287/88
1969 (S) - Petrovici - Rumanian Opera - ?, ?, ?, ? - IMP 30367 0055/57
1970 (S) - Schippers - London Sym. - Sills, Bergonzi, Cappuccilli, Diaz - EMI/Angel
? ? 1970 (L) - Franci - Teatro San Carlo di Napoli - Deutekom, Pavarotti, Trimarchi, Pagliuca - Butterfly Music BMCD 003
? ? 1970 (L) - Guadagno - Philadelphia Lyric Opera - Sills, Kraus, Sardinero, Hale - GDS 21040
1971 (S) - Bonynge - Royal Opera House Covent Garden - Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes, Ghiaurov - London/Decca 410 193-2
1972 (S) - ? - ? - ?, ?, ?, ? - Eurodisc
June 25 1972 (L) - Martini - Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires - Sills, Kraus, Mastromei, de Narkè - Arkadia 352 474
? ? 1975 (L) - Gatto - Opera de Madrid - Deutekom, Carreras, Fioravanti, Cava - Standing Room Only SRO-809-2
1976 (S) - López-Cobos - New Philharmonia Orch. - Caballé, Carreras, Sardinero, Ramey - Philips 426 563-2
1983 (S) - Rescigno - Royal Phil. Orch. - Gruberova, Kraus, Bruson, Lloyd - EMI Classics CDMB-64622, EMI Classics CMS7 64622-2
Jan. ? 1989 (L) - de Bernart - Teatro San Carlo di Napoli - Mazzola, Morino, Carroli, Rinaudo - Nuova Era 6794/96
1990 (S) - Marin - London Sym. - Studer, Domingo, Pons, Ramey - DG 435 309-2
1991 (S) - Bonynge - London Sym. - Gruberova, Shicoff, Agache, Miles - Teldec 9031-72 306-2
May 8 1992 (L) - Ranzani - Teatro alla Scala di Milano - Devia, La Scola, Bruson, Furlanetto - Serenissima SER 360 153
Top Ten Recordings according to some music critics
- 1959 - Serafin 928/1000
- Sept. 29 1955 - Karajan 922/1000
- 1971 - Bonynge 893/1000
- 1953 - Serafin 868/1000
- June 26 1957 - Serafin 858/1000
- 1961 - Pritchard 842/1000
- June 30 1967 - Molinari-P. 757/1000
- Sept. 9 1967 - Bartoletti 745/1000
- 1983 - Rescigno 700/1000
- 1990 - Marin 695/1000
Methodology of the Top Recordings.
I am not a music critic. What is more, it would be impossible, even though I were a music critic, to listen to all the recordings of operas that have been issued on LP or CD and to comment upon each recording. So I had to make a choice: either to present the best recordings according to one critic or to a group of critics or to use the work of some music critics and create a system based on their evaluation. I have chosen the second alternative.To create this system, I have used the following magazines and books:
a) Magazines.
American Record Guide, United-States (1937- ) (used for my work since 1990)
Diapason, France (1956-février 1985) (1994- ) (used for my work since 1983)
Diapason-Harmonie, France (mars 1985-déc.1993) (used for my work since March 1985)
Fanfare, United-States (sept.-oct. 1976- ) (used for my work since 1983)
Gramophone, Great Britain (1923- ) (used for my work since 1982)
International Opera Collector, Great Britain (sept. 1996- ) (used for my work since 1996)
Le Monde de la Musique, France (avril 1994- ) (used for my work since April 1994)
Le Monde de la Musique-Télérama, France (1977-mars 1994) (used for my work since 1983)
Opéra International, France (1977- ) (used for my work since 1982)
Opera News, United-States (1935- ) (used for my work since 1981)
Répertoire des disques compacts, France (1988- ) (used for my work since 1988)
b) Books.
Best Rated CDs Classical, Voorheesville, Peri Press, 1993.
Blyth, A., Opera on CD, London, Kyle Cathie Ltd, 1992.
Cabourg, Jean (dir.), Guide des Opéras de Verdi, Paris, Fayard, 1990.
Diapason, Dictionnaire des disques et des compacts, Paris, Laffont, 1991.
Greenfield, E., Layton, R., March, I., The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs, London, Penguin, 1990.
Greenfield, E., Layton, R., March, I., The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Cassettes, London, Penguin, 1991.
Gruber, Paul (ed.), The Metropolitan Opera Guide to Recorded Opera, New York, W.W. Norton and Company, 1993.
Hoffelé, J.-C., Kaminski, P., Guide des indispensables du disque compact, Paris, Fayard, 1993.
Holden, A., Kenyon. N., Walsh. S., (ed.) The Viking Opera Guide, London, Viking, 1993.
March, I., Greenfield, E., Layton, R., The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Cassettes, (New Edition) London, Penguin, 1992.
March, I., Greenfield, E., Layton, R., The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Cassettes, (New Edition) London, Penguin, 1994.
Massin, Brigitte (dir.), Guide des Opéras de Mozart, Paris, Fayard, 1991.
Pazdro, Michel (dir.), Guide des Opéras de Wagner, Paris, Fayard, 1988.
Taylor, M., (ed.) Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide 1997, London, Gramophone Publications Limited, 1996.
Each of these magazines or books has a different rating system of recorded operas. In taking into account the rating system of each magazine or book, I have equalized these different systems by putting each of them on a scale of 1000.
The final mark that is posted on the Top Recordings is obtained by adding the marks given by each critic and by dividing the total marks by the number of critics.
This system has its own limits: limit as to the number of magazines and books, limit as to the countries where they are coming from, limit as to the number of years in which the critics are taken, limit as to the period of CD recording. But, in spite of these limits, I still think that it gives a very good idea of what a certain number of music critics think of specific opera recordings.