PIRATES OF THE HIGH C's
Pirates of the high seas...one thinks of ships, swordfights and even Johnny Depp. There is another type of pirate of the high seas and that is pirates of the high "C's". Since the 1950's opera fans have been taping their favorite singers in the house, recording those performances for posterity. Singers that have recorded little or nothing, singly or together, exist because someone had the foresight to make an audio copy of what was happening. Now, I'm not saying this is legal or may not be some kind of violation of copyright law, I'm just saying that it exists. Also, remember that being caught taping can result in criminal prosecution.
There is no commercial (studio) recording of Luciano Pavarotti's last performance at the Metropolitan Opera in "Tosca" but copies of the performance do exist. A historic document such as this would be lost for all time except for some enterprising fan.
It started with the advent of portable tape recording devices. People would carry a small Uher reel to reel recorder under their coat and tape a performance. Sound ranged from mediocre to surprising good stereo. Later, cassettes and digital devices made it easier. Many of the greats such as Renata Scotto, Luciano Pavarotti and Franco Corelli were caught in their prime. Others like Lucine Amara, Leyla Gencer and Ruth Welting who recorded little, if at all, can be sampled in a wide range of roles and appreciated by an audience who may otherwise never hear them. The history of a singer's career can be traced and may singers appreciate their best performances being preserved for all time. A world class soprano like Mariella Devia, who has rarely sung in this country and then mostly in New York, can be heard in many of her best roles through private recordings. This gifted singer recently turned 60 and sounds better than may soprano's in their 30's. I attended a performance she sang as "Anna Bolena" in Verona just two years ago. As I settled into my seat, I turned to my right and there, recorder on his lap, a fan was taping the performance. As a courtesy, I refrained from applauding during the opera and was rewarded with a copy of the tape. It is a thrill to hear a singer's debut in a role at a certain opera house. There is the undeniable excitement of hearing high notes of a singer held longer than they would ever be allowed to on a studio recording. One of the electrifying performacne in existance is a performance of 'Tosca" from Parma in 1967 with Franco Corelli as Mario Cavaradossi. During the tenor's two arias, high notes are held unbelievably long. So long, in fact, you think he will run out of breath. Shameless exibitionism? Possibly. Positively thrilling? Absolutely. Half the fun is the audience's reaction. they scream, cheer, yell "bis!" (encore) and generally disrupt the performance. After the dramatic torture scene, Cavaradossi learns that the enemies of his politcal party fleeing and sings "Vittoria! Vittoria!". Corelli holds the second "Vittoria" so long that the audience just loses it and tries to bring the performance to a halt. The poor Tosca of the evening, Virginia Gordoni, never stood a chance. There is a "Lucia" from La Scala (1985) with Luciana Serra and Pavarotti. At the end of the soprano's cadenza in the Mad Scene, the final high Eb is held until you think she will turn blue. The audience, again, goes nuts. They also boo Pavarotti, though on the basis of his performance, it's hard to say why. Of course, it's not all about the high notes. Some singers can deepen their characterizations over the years and singer a fuller, more rounded realization of a role. Once can trace Maria Callas' Norma in such a way. Understandably, some singers resent that their performances may be sold without them receiving the royalties to which they are entitled. Most collector's however keep them for themselves or share with a few select friends.
Many of these private performances have found their way on labels formally carried by Tower Records and now can be found on-line at Amazon.com. Some libraries may also carry them. Because of various conditions, one can never be sure of the quality of the recording but some labels, like Myto, can be very, very good.
This article Copyright (C) 2008 by Luciano Corelli and Music Business Monthly.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
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