"THE SUBLIME VOICE".(Review)

Carlo Bergonzi [] "THE SUBLIME VOICE" Arias and ensembles by Puccini, Verdi, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Ponchielli and Cilea. Decca 289 4467 023-2

Was Carlo Bergonzi's voice "sublime"? The great tenor certainly produced an appealing sound, capable of great sweetness and Italianate to the core. But Bergonzi never approached Del Monaco's power, di Stefano's "ping," Corelli's juiciness, Pavarotti's brilliance, Domingo's velvet. Where Bergonzi matches, even outshines his illustrious rivals is in the use of his instrument to create vocal statements of exemplary musicality.

Bergonzi has always been a Verdi singer, first and foremost, and there's no better example of his artistry on the present discs than "Parmi veder le lagrime" from Rigoletto. The simplicity of his presentation is astounding -- the pure, unforced tone, the crystalline diction, most of all the singing line, presented without the little bursts of rawness that afflict so much tenor singing. There's ample rubato in the form of small, expressive ritards to inflect individual phrases, but the line never becomes slack: it continues to press forward to the piece's climax. That comes in the penultimate phrase, on a high B-flat -- hit cleanly, held securely (not a moment too long) and beautifully integrated with the notes that come before and after. The aria emerges with the clarity of an aphorism: as one cohesive, uninterrupted thought. ...