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Donizetti: Belisario Teatro La Fenice 1969

Parental Advisory ed.

Live, Import

Gaetano Donizetti (Composer), Gianandrea Gavazzeni (Conductor), Nicola Zaccaria (Performer), Format: Audio CD
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 Ov
2 Act One: Serto Di Eterni Lauri
3 Act One: Corri Amica... La Man Terribile Del Vincitor...
4 Act One: Plauso! Voci Di Gioia...
5 Act One: Sin La Tomba E A Me Negata
6 Act One: Ti Conforta...
7 Act One: O Desio De La Vendetta...
8 Act One: O Nume Degli Eserciti... [Hymn Of Victory]
9 Act One: Cesare, Hai Vinto...
10 Act One: Liberi Siete... Quando Di Sangue Tinto
11 Act One: Sui Campi Della Gloria
12 Act One: Padre!... Irene M'abbraccia...
13 Act One: Che Mai Sara!
14 Act One: Sostegni Del Mio Trono...
15 Act One: Ah! Da Chi Io Sono Tradito!
16 Act One: Madre Tu Fosti, E Moglie...
17 Act One: Pera L'empio Che Offese Natura...

Disc: 2

1 Act Two: Oh Duce!
2 Act Two: Di Belisario Voi Piangete!... A Si Tremendo Ammunzio
3 Act Two: Vien La Figlia...
4 Act Two: Trema Bisanzio! Sterminatrice...
5 Act Two: Amici E Forza Separarci...
6 Act Two: Chi Mi Regge... Chi M'aita
7 Act Two: Ah Se Potessi Piangere
8 Act Two: Finale
9 Act Three: [Intro]
10 Act Three: Qui Siedi, O Padre
11 Act Three: Diffondasi Terribile
12 Act Three: Impavidi Guerrieri...
13 Act Three: Di, Su Qual Riva Il Barbaro...
14 Act Three: Se Il Fratel...
15 Act Three: Figli Partiam! Qui L'aura...
16 Act Three: Itene Al Campo...
17 Act Three: Da Quel Di Che L'innocente...
18 Act Three: Vittoria! Vittoria!
19 Act Three: Di Pianto, Di Gemiti...
20 Act Three: Irene! Ricopriti, O Ciel...
21 Act Three: Egli E Spento
22 Act Three: Finale

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.4 x 4.9 inches; 3.52 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ OPERA D'ORO
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2006
  • Label ‏ : ‎ OPERA D'ORO
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00004TVBX
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ron B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Strong performance of one of Donizetti's better efforts
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2006
Verified Purchase
This Belisario is a strong performance of one of Donizetti's better but lesser known efforts. The arias, duets, ensembles and choruses provide continuous and enjoyable music. The storyline, reviewed by others, is really quite nice and interweaves drama, action, emotion, and finally loyalty. Composed directly after Lucia, this opera in combination with Lucia, documents a very creative period in Donizetti's life.

The cast is excellent and Leyla Gencer does indeed sing a magnificent Antonia witha strong well-controlled voice, lots of range, and a delectible timbre. Giuseppe Teddei is a very strong Belisario and Umberto Grilli exhibits his usual creamy voice as Alamiro. Mirna Pecile as Irene holds her own against Gencer. As another reviewer stated, there are no weak links in the cast. The orchestra and chorus of the Teatro La Fenice are excellent as well under the direction of Maestro Gavazzeni

The sound quality of this recording is really quite good. This was a recording of a live performance in Venice on May 14, 1969. Both the orchestra and the singers are all faithfully reproduced in stereo with no distortion or breakup. Although the sound is not quite as "full" as a modern digital recording or the better studio recordings of the 1960's, it is still very good. The audience is lively and enthusiatic but well behaved and there is minimal noise during the sung parts.
13 people found this helpful
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Paul Morel
5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Belisario
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
Leyla Gencer has that fabulous Italianate style, (and she's Turkish), that Italians know all about and yell for when she sings. She has the soul of the music within her, like Callas and Caballe. She should have had countless studio trecordings. Millions love her.

Taddei as Belisario has his usual magnificent tone, and reminds me in his music of King Phillip in Verdi's Don Carlo and Nabucco to be sure. Belisario is a paracide and does he grieve over it!! Leyla is his wife accusing him at once as she comes on stage in Act I. Sparks fly and explode all over the empire. Otello's concertati come to mind here as well, in the massive confrontation scene withj Belisario, Irene, and his wife.. And what an ending! LIke Il Pirata in sorrowful tones, but not quite as tragic as that overwhelming Bellini opera.

Buy this and forget the sound complaints. It's as clear as a bell, and while not a studio recording, still makes you feel you are there..Lovely things, and very moving in parts. It should be staged at the Met.
3 people found this helpful
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Jeffrey Lipscomb
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Performance In Perfectly Acceptable Sound
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2004
I'm afraid the other reviewer here has seriously misrepresented the sound on this Opera d'Oro CD - perhaps he simply got hold of a defective copy. I have not heard the alternate transfer on deleted Mondo Music 1507, but this one is perfectly acceptable - in fact, it's one of the best-sounding complete Gencer opera recordings. This "live" 1969 performance from Venice has occasional singing off mike - that pretty much goes with the territory - and an enthusiastic and sometimes noisy audience which, to my ears, simply adds to the sense of occasion. There is also a 1970 Gencer "Belisario" from Bergamo on a deleted Hunt CD (with Bruson in the title role), but Gencer is in better voice here.
"Forgotten masterpiece" is perhaps too grand a description for this opera, but I feel it is one of Donizetti's best efforts. Its relative obscurity is probably attributable to the misfortune of its coming immediately after the composer's genuine masterpiece (Lucia di Lammermoor), which overshadows it. Belisario was a great success when it debuted in 1836 - it ran for 28 consecutive nights. Perhaps another reason for its being eclipsed: there are no love scenes at all.
Belisario (Giuseppe Taddei) is a general in the court of Byzantine Emperor Justinian around 600 A. D. who has just won a great triumph over the barbarians in Italy. He is acclaimed by the people, but his wife Antonina (Gencer) curses him based on reports that he has had their own son killed. He releases his prisoners, but one of them, Alamiro (Umberto Grilli) remains at his side as a sort of son substitute. Belisario is later convicted of treason on forged evidence - he confesses to Antonina that he had their son killed, but only because he was commanded in a dream to do so in order to save the Empire.
In Act II, Belisario has been blinded, thrown in prison, and ordered into exile. He is led away by his daughter Irene (Mirna Pecile), who is disguised as a boy. In Act III Belisario and Irene take refuge from their wanderings in a cave as troops approach. They overhear Alamiro and another young man planning an attack against Byzantium. Belisario steps forward and denounces their treachery and (surprise!) discovers that the second youth is none other than his son, who was not killed after all (he had been abandoned by the good-hearted servant charged with his death). Belisario proves his loyalty to the state by taking up arms against him. The imperial forces win, but Belisario is fatally wounded in the battle. He dies before his wife can win his pardon. Antonina now knows he was innocent, and laments her actions against him.
Well, it's not exactly Shakespeare. But there are some wonderful dramatic moments here. Gencer's opening declamation succeeds in immediately defining her character - and throughout the opera she is simply brilliant. I am not an opera buff - I spend far more time wandering through symphonies and chamber music. But once in a while it is very satisfying to hear a great bel canto singer who can really deliver the goods. Gencer's vocal trademarks - incredibly gorgeous floated pianissamos, superb legato, and some gutsy chest tones - are all on remarkable display here. In the final scene she caps her performance with an astounding, dead center high D that seems to last forever. The other singers are adequate or better (Taddei is a trifle wooly), and Gavazzeni's conducting is fine.
At less than the cost of standing room at a provincial opera house, this CD set represents excellent value. No, it's not in stereo, and it has the usual gremlins associated with "pirate" recordings. But all in all, the sound is certainly better than what is heard in the celebrated Callas/Giulini "La Traviata" on EMI. To hear more from this rather fabulous Turkish soprano, you might try one of her "Art of" sets on the Myto CD label, which capture her voice at its freshest (1954-59). Happy listening!
26 people found this helpful
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John Cragg
1.0 out of 5 stars Terribly Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2000
The quality of the sound recording in this CD is so bad that it is not worth having. Distortion -- often rendering the music horrible - is the feature of most of the opera. Only occasionally are the singers properly on mike, and most of the orchestra sounds awful. Indeed, the only aspect that is recorded with any fidelity is the audience noise, and quite often this interrupts and even drowns out the music.
Compounding these problems is a booklet that is a disgrace. It contains a not very informative essay and poor synopsis by Bill Parker, the latter not related in any way to the recording. It also contains a track list that only gives the first few words of what is sung -- no indication of who is singing it. There is no libretto and even knowing Italian would be of little help since the distortion is so bad that most of the words cannot be deciphered.
This is a pity, since the work has a first class conductor and some first class singers -- who on the few occasions when the sound is fairly clear do do some lovely work. But the overall production is so bad that it is better simply to avoid this recording. (I have not heard the alternative version from La Fenice which a search on Amazon.com turned up -- maybe it is OK. That recording seems to have the same cast, but a different conductor is listed-- and there are no excerpts on the basis of which one might judge it.
8 people found this helpful
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