# Suor Angelica



## cheftimmyr (Oct 28, 2015)

I recently heard "Senza Mamma" and immediately looked it up and discovered Puccini's Suor Angelica. Does anyone have specific recordings of this work to recommend? I've seen Tebaldi and de Los Angeles referenced a few times but didn't see a specific thread dedicated to this Puccini opera so I'm hoping for some guidance, thoughts and opinions from others more familiar with this work...

Thx!


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Renata Scotto performance is what makes this an essential recording. Very recommended!

Tebaldi/Simionato audio recording is a solid one, but Tebaldi is past her prime here. Lovely Schicchi though.

Los Angeles/Barbieri is top contender also - one of the best COMPLETE Il Trittico boxes around.

In the end, you might want to collect all three!


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Azol said:


> View attachment 86014
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> 
> Renata Scotto performance is what makes this an essential recording. Very recommended!
> ...


I agree with Azol. Given the short nature of each of these operas it is probably easier to collect a Trittico box which will possibly work out cheaper than buying each opera separately. Lots available at not a lot of money and Tabarro and Schicchi are great anyway.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Barbebleu said:


> I agree with Azol. Given the short nature of each of these operas it is probably easier to collect a Trittico box which will possibly work out cheaper than buying each opera separately. Lots available at not a lot of money and Tabarro and Schicchi are great anyway.


Especially Il Tabarro is very ambient in nature and it shows Puccini's exceptional orchestration ability.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

1. Sondra Radvanovsky 



2. Barbara Frittoli


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

​But then again I am biased :tiphat:


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Renata Tebaldi:


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

My suggestion is the Royal Opera House DVD or bluray of Il Trittico. Available at most Amazons'

https://www.amazon.com/Puccini-Il-T...F8&qid=1466793765&sr=8-5&keywords=Il+trittico

It has Ermonela Jaho as Suor Angelica and is the greatest performance I have seen live in an opera house. Luckily it was filmed.

Here is a clip of her Senza Mamma from this production






And here is Ermonela talking about the production.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Here is Scotto's performance.






She is the best singer-actress after Callas, that's my honest opinion. Not always beautiful vocally, but always truthful. A masterclass of both singing and acting.
Can't help but cry each time I watch this.
If you enjoy this Met production, do yourself a favor and get her Francesca da Rimini and Manon Lescaut on DVD, you won't be disappointed.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Azol said:


> Here is Scotto's performance.
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> 
> ...


NO question that this is one of the most superb renderings and I thank you for posting it.
One good gift deserves another.
Here is one of my very favorite renderings. Listen to the last note.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> .
> Here is one of my very favorite renderings. Listen to the last note.


This is a great performance. Why don't we hear more of her? From what I hear on YouTube, she was a superior artist whose instrument may have just lacked the glamor and distinctiveness to put her in the top rank of singing stars who populate the commercial recordings. She must nevertheless have been very satisfying in the opera house.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Here is one of my very favorite renderings. Listen to the last note.


Sublime performance, even though she sounds more like a mezzo to my ears, again, like with Scotto, not a flawless voice, but very humane and true to the role. Very moving, thank you!


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Her voice has a quality that reminds me of Janet Baker. Fantastic interpretation and so well sung. A real pleasure to listen to and watch.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Listen to Mirella Freni's Senza Mama on YouTube. Senza is my single favorite opera aria and she does an incredible job.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

cheftimmyr said:


> I recently heard "Senza Mamma" and immediately looked it up and *discovered Puccini's Suor Angelica*. Does anyone have specific recordings of this work to recommend? I've seen Tebaldi and de Los Angeles referenced a few times but didn't see a specific thread dedicated to this Puccini opera so I'm hoping for some guidance, thoughts and opinions from others more familiar with this work...Thx!


SA had it's premiere at the MET in 1918 with the great Geraldine Farrar as Angelica..........










My favorite is Vicky DLA with Serafin, previously I was a Tebaldi fan but a few years ago when we were doing the massive forum best versions thread I was amazed by the dramatic power of Vicky's performance, the final delerious vision before death of the Virgin Mary with her son is such a highly charged transformation from despair to glorious rapture, it is off the charts


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sonata said:


> Listen to Mirella Freni's Senza Mama on YouTube. Senza is my single favorite opera aria and she does an incredible job.


Hear hear :tiphat:


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## jflatter (Mar 31, 2010)

Loge said:


> My suggestion is the Royal Opera House DVD or bluray of Il Trittico. Available at most Amazons'
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Puccini-Il-T...F8&qid=1466793765&sr=8-5&keywords=Il+trittico
> 
> ...


I was lucky enough to see this performance in the theatre. It actually made me realise that it is Puccini's most underrated opera.


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

jflatter said:


> I was lucky enough to see this performance in the theatre. It actually made me realise that it is Puccini's most underrated opera.


Agree, done well this is an amazing opera. It does what La Boheme and M Butterfly does, but in half the time. When this Suor Angelica ended, people came out for interval looking traumatised, some people had to be carried out. When I went back into the auditorium for Gianni Schicchi there were a lot of empty seats, so many people must have bought a ticket just to watch Suor Angelica.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Here's something amazing I found just yesterday while talking about Rosa Ponselle on the "soprano assoluta" thread. I don't think she ever sang _Suor Angelica_ on the stage, but among the recordings she made at home in her retirement is this "Senza mamma," in which she accompanied herself on the piano. It was 1953; she was 55 years old, and hadn't sung onstage since 1937.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Here's something amazing I found just yesterday while talking about Rosa Ponselle on the "soprano assoluta" thread. I don't think she ever sang _Suor Angelica_ on the stage, but among the recordings she made at home in her retirement is this "Senza mamma," in which she accompanied herself on the piano. It was 1953; she was 55 years old, and hadn't sung onstage since 1937.


Talk about goosebump heaven. Wow! And I am not normally a fan of piano accompaniment.
Thanks for posting this.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Talk about goosebump heaven. Wow! And I am not normally a fan of piano accompaniment.
> Thanks for posting this.


According to one of the comments on YouTube, Ponselle met and sang for Puccini shortly before his death. She sang "Vissi d'arte," interpreting the ending in five different ways, and asked him how he preferred it. He said that any way she did it would be fine with him. Shaking his head, he then said "Why didn't I know you before this? I would have written an opera for you."


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## cheftimmyr (Oct 28, 2015)

DarkAngel said:


> SA had it's premiere at the MET in 1918 with the great Geraldine Farrar as Angelica..........
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> 
> 
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Amazon US listing the EMI @$40 plus shipping... is that reasonable? seems slightly high... (I'll keep looking)


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

This is the same CD recording much cheaper used Amazon USA.........


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