{"product_id":"bjorling-in-verdis-un-ballo-in-maschera-1940-paco140","title":"BJÖRLING in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (1940) - PACO140","description":"overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eVERDI \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eUn Ballo in Maschera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eRecorded in 1940\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eTotal duration:  2hr 10:18    \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eAmelia \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e- Zinka Milanov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eRiccardo \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e- Jussi Björling\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eRenato \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e- Alexander Sved\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eUlrica \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e- Bruna Castagna\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eOscar \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e- Stella Andreva\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eMetropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003econducted by\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003e Ettore Panizza\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples\/PACO140.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003eWe present here the 1940 broadcast matinee performance given on 14 December from the Metropolitan Opera of Verdi's \u003cem\u003eUn Ballo in Maschera\u003c\/em\u003e, an opera which, at the time, had been somewhat neglected.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI've\nhad the privilege of working from sonically excellent,\npreviously-unused source material which, despite some higher than usual\nsurface noise, has preserved the voices and orchestra superbly for a\nrecording of this vintage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis continues our recent series of\nnew transfers of Met Opera broadcasts from the early 1940s in\nunprecedented sound quality, recorded onto 16-inch transcription discs\nby NBC from a direct line feed. I'm sure it won't be the last!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Cast Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCAST\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmelia - Zinka Milanov\u003cbr\u003eRiccardo - Jussi Björling\u003cbr\u003eRenato - Alexander Sved\u003cbr\u003eUlrica - Bruna Castagna\u003cbr\u003eOscar - Stella Andreva\u003cbr\u003eSamuel - Norman Cordon\u003cbr\u003eTom - Nicola Moscona\u003cbr\u003eSilvano - Arthur Kent\u003cbr\u003eJudge - John Carter\u003cbr\u003eServant - Lodovico Oliviero\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDance - Douglas Coudy\u003cbr\u003eDance - Alexis Kosloff\u003cbr\u003eDance - Josef Levinoff\u003cbr\u003eDance - Mary Smith\u003cbr\u003eDance - Lillian Moore\u003cbr\u003eDance - Mary Sigler\u003cbr\u003eDance - Paul Sweeney\u003cbr\u003eDance - Lilla Volkova\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMetropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003econducted by\u003cb\u003e Ettore Panizza\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBroadcast performance of 14 December, 1940\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eXR remastering by Andrew Rose\u003cbr\u003eCover artwork based on a photograph of Jussi Björling\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCD 1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1 RADIO Introduction  (0:23)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2 Act 1, Scene 1 - Prelude  (3:52)\u003cbr\u003e3 Posa in pace  (1:33)\u003cbr\u003e4 Amici miei...soldati - La rivedrà nell' estasi  (3:51)\u003cbr\u003e5 Il cenno mio de là  (2:16)\u003cbr\u003e6 Alla vita che t'arride  (3:00)\u003cbr\u003e7 Il primo giudice  (1:26)\u003cbr\u003e8 Cavatina: Volta la terrea  (1:55)\u003cbr\u003e9 Signori oggi d'Ulrica...Orni cura si doni al diletto  (2:59)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e10 Act 1, Scene 2 - Zitti, l'incanto non dessi turbare  (3:38)\u003cbr\u003e11 Arrivo il primo...Villano, dà indietro  (2:45)\u003cbr\u003e12 Su fatemi largo  (3:17)\u003cbr\u003e13 Che v'agita cosi  (5:20)\u003cbr\u003e14 Su profetessa monta il treppiè  (4:07)\u003cbr\u003e15 Chi voi siate l'audace parola  (6:14)\u003cbr\u003e16 Finale - Finisci il vaticinio  (4:11)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCD 2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1 Act 2 - Prelude - Ecco l'orrido campo  (9:28)\u003cbr\u003e2 Teco io sto...Gran Dio  (9:08)\u003cbr\u003e3 Ahimè!...s'appressa alcun!  (4:54)\u003cbr\u003e4 Seguitemi!...Mio Dio!  (7:42)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5 Act 3, Scene 1  - A tal colpo è nulla il pianto  (6:41)\u003cbr\u003e6 Alzati! Là tuo figlio a te concede riveder  (6:58)\u003cbr\u003e7 Siam soli...udite  (8:14)\u003cbr\u003e8 Alle danze questa sera  (6:03)\u003cbr\u003e9 Forse la soglia attinse  (2:28)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e10  Act 3, Scene 2 - Ah! Dessa è là (Festa de Ballo e Coro)  (5:37)\u003cbr\u003e11  Fervono amori e danze  (1:24)\u003cbr\u003e12  Ah! Perchè qui!.. fuggite  (5:16)\u003cbr\u003e13  Finale - Ella è pura, in braccio a morte  (5:36)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/thumbs\/PACO140.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/PACO140.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fNotes578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\nIf fortune had smiled on us we would have two very good recordings of Jussi\nBjörling in \u003cem\u003eUn Ballo in Maschera\u003c\/em\u003e. He was scheduled to appear in\nthe 1954 radio broadcast with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra but\nhad to pull out due to laryngitis. Illness also forced him to pull out of\nthe Decca recording in Rome in the summer of 1960 opposite Birgit Nilsson.\nJust a few months later he was dead. Opera fans were thus denied the chance\nto hear Jussi Björling in one of his signature roles. The Decca recording\nin particular would have captured him in excellent stereo. Yet all is not\nlost. This broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera in December 1940 captures\nBjörling at his youthful best, not yet 30 years old, singing with all the\npassion one could want in a live performance.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\nAlthough Björling had sung his first \u003cem\u003eBallo\u003c\/em\u003e in Sweden in 1934, this\nwas actually only his 6\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e performance as Riccardo. The Met\nmounted a new production of the opera, having neglected to perform it for\nthe previous 24 years, and granted it the honour of opening night. This was\nthe first of Björling’s eleven Met broadcasts, and therefore the large\ndomestic broadcast audience of more than ten million (plus the\ninternational audience listening via shortwave in Latin America and\nEurope), heard not only an unfamiliar opera, but also a new tenor. The\nreviews following opening night were complimentary, praising Björling’s\n‘lyricism’ and ‘style’, and indeed the role suits his bright instrument\nperfectly. He is reserved where the role requires it, but often vocally\nimpassioned in a way that belies his undeserved reputation as ‘cold’. His\nAmelia is Zinka Milanov, well-known to the Met audience and regularly\npartnered with Björling by record companies in the 1950s. The two\noccasionally sang together in concerts and Toscanini had used them as\nsoloists in the Verdi \u003cem\u003eRequiem\u003c\/em\u003e less than a month before this\nbroadcast of \u003cem\u003eBallo\u003c\/em\u003e. Her strong vibrant soprano provides a lovely\ncounterpoint to Björling’s burnished tone, and the big duet in act 3 is a\nparticular highlight (N.B. this Met production split \u003cem\u003eBallo\u003c\/em\u003e into 5\nacts).\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\nSinging Renato is Hungarian baritone Alexander Sved, indeed the opening\nnight performance was his Met debut. His ‘Eri tu’ is large-voiced and nobly\nsung. He had performed with Björling in Vienna in 1936 and 1937 and\nrecordings of part of those performances survive. Italian mezzo, Bruna\nCastagna, sings Ulrica and was heard often at the Met as Carmen, Amneris\nand Azucena. She retired in 1945 at the age of just 48. English soprano\nStella Andreva, singing Oscar, appeared at the Met in a variety of light\nsoprano roles such as Musetta, Papagena, and the Woodbird between 1937 and\n1942. She sang similar roles at Covent Garden, but in Stockholm she sang\nGilda to Björling’s Duke, Rosina to his Almaviva, and sang Juliette in his\nvery first \u003cem\u003eRomeo et Juliette\u003c\/em\u003e. In 1946 she performed on Broadway in\nLehar’s \u003cem\u003eYours is my heart\u003c\/em\u003e.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\nConductor Ettore Panizza performed all over the world and was a house\nconductor at the Met between 1934 and 1942. More than 40 of his Met\nperformances were broadcast including the 1935 \u003cem\u003eLa Traviata\u003c\/em\u003e with\nRosa Ponselle, and the same year’s \u003cem\u003eSimon Boccanegra\u003c\/em\u003e with Lawrence\nTibbett.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\nThe broadcast was recorded onto 16-inch transcription discs by NBC from a\ndirect line feed. The quality of materials used had clearly improved since\nthe early days of NBC transcription discs and every single broadcast from\nthis 1940-41 season, the first sponsored by the Texas Company, is\npreserved.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab4_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFirst night review578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003eReview of \u003cb\u003eOscar Thompson\u003c\/b\u003e in the \u003cb\u003eNew York Sun\u003c\/b\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn able and elaborate, if scarcely distinguished, revival of Verdi's \"Masked Ball\" opened the Metropolitan Opera's fifty-sixth season of opera last night. The house was full, with the limit in standees. Because of new revenue derived from the boxes and from additional seats in what was formerly the grand tier, receipts were reported higher than on any recent opening night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the attention given to the singers and the stage there was nothing to bear out the legend that on opening nights it is chiefly the audience that matters, not the opera. \"Un Ballo in Maschera\" is not the best nor the most exciting of Verdi's twenty-seven stage works, but it has its points. They were recognized and applauded, if not tumultously. The one demonstration of consequence was that which greeted Alexander Sved, the company's new Hungarian baritone, after his singing of \"Eri tu\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMr. Sved doubtless caused some genuine commotion-he is the first big-voiced baritone the Metropolitan has had since Titta Ruffo departed. Last night he presented some slight resemblances to Ruffo, not only in weight of the upper tones, but in the \"growl\" of his production. \"Eri tu\" was his best achievement. Elsewhere-and even there-he was not always mindful of the melodic line and was given to a variety of explosive utterances that often blurred both the quality and the pitch. As an actor he was elementary but virile. The railbirds will probably like him immensely in the more stentorian parts. Those who admire refined singing may have their reservations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMr. Björling was the more consistently good vocalist of the evening, exhibiting just those qualities of legato lyricism that Mr. Sved sacrificed in his quest of strenuous emphasis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab5_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f","brand":"Pristine Classical","offers":[{"title":"Ambient Stereo 24-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932314521939,"sku":"brs1789302057323","price":27.1,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ambient Stereo 16-bit FLAC","offer_id":54932314554707,"sku":"zjt1789302057324","price":17.62,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"320kbps Ambient Stereo MP3","offer_id":54932314587475,"sku":"ugp1789302057325","price":12.74,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1068\/1833\/9155\/files\/bjorling-in-verdis-un-ballo-in-maschera-1940---paco140_1.jpg?v=1789302086","url":"https:\/\/lovevividclad.shop\/products\/bjorling-in-verdis-un-ballo-in-maschera-1940-paco140","provider":"luckagni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}