Puccini: Madama Butterfly

COMPOSER: Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) PERFORMER: Mirella Freni (Soprano) Siegfried Frese (Baritone) Martha Heigl (Soprano) Hans Helm (Bass) Evamaria Hurdes (Soprano) Robert Kerns (Baritone) Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano) Erna Mühlberger (Soprano) Luciano Pavarotti (Tenor) Marius Rintzler (Bass) Michel Sénéchal (Tenor) Elke Schary (Mezzo Soprano) Wolfgang Schneider (Bass) Giorgio Stendoro (Baritone) CONDUCTOR: Herbert Karajan ENSEMBLE: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ALBUM WORK: Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) Madama Butterfly Performers: Mirella Freni (Soprano), Luciano Pavarotti (Tenor), Michel Sénéchal (Tenor), Christa Ludwig (Mezzo Soprano), Robert Kerns (Baritone), Hans Helm (Bass), Marius Rintzler (Bass), Wolfgang Schneider (Bass), Giorgio Stendoro (Baritone), Elke Schary (Mezzo Soprano), Siegfried Frese (Baritone), Evamaria Hurdes (Soprano), Erna Mühlberger (Soprano), Martha Heigl (Soprano) Conductor: Herbert Karajan Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Running Time: 145 min. 0 sec. Period: Romantic Form: Opera Written: 1904 Country: Italy Language: Italian Studio/Live: Studio Venue: Sofia Hall, Vienna, Austria Recorded: 01/1974

Since Madama Butterfly has more stage time than other sopranos, it is imperative that the singing actress captures extensive dramatic variety in addition to singing with exquisite tone and an affinity to Puccini. Mirella Freni, one of the greatest recorded Butterfly's of all time, succeeds at these demands with vocal sensitivity and eloquence. She is assisted by Karajan's superb, symphonic conducting, crisply and poignantly realizing all of Puccini's vast moods; Ludwig's urgent, loving and tenderly sung Suzuki; and Pavarotti's endearing and almost likeable Pinkerton. In addition, the Pavarotti-Freni duets are nectars of the gods. Get out the tissues and indulge. --Barbara Eisner Bayer