Lovro Von Matacic、Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala、Franco Corelli、Lucine Amara、Tito Gobbi - Ruggiero Leoncavallo I Pagliacci - Japan SACD Hybrid Digipak Limited Edition

Credits:

Lovro Von Matacic、Mirano Sukara Za Orchestra、Franco Corelli、Ruchiine Amaara、Teito Gobbi

Description:

"Il Pagliaccio," conducted by Matacic during Corelli’s heyday, is finally released on CD (SACD) in Japan for the first time! This historic masterpiece, featuring a stellar cast, has been newly remastered at 192kHz/24-bit from the original analog master tapes specifically for this release. Includes new liner notes and a song-by-song translation. Limited edition of 800 sets with serial numbers. Recorded in July 1960 with the La Scala Orchestra, this stereo recording had never been released on CD in Japan, leaving this historic masterpiece buried for decades. Produced by Walter Legg during Corelli’s prime, this recording features Corelli delivering a passionate performance of the clown Canio’s tragic reality with overwhelming vocal power and exquisite expression. Matacic’s spirited conducting is another major attraction, and the outstanding expressiveness of Tito Gobbi in the role of Tonio shines through, making this one of the definitive performances representing Verismo opera. This latest reissue achieves a significant improvement in sound quality. For this release, we have gone back to the original master in Italy and present a reissue that has undergone the latest mastering as the final version of the package. For this release, we used a master digitized at 192kHz/24-bit from the original analog master tape in Italy, and mastered the SACD and CD layers separately. Includes new liner notes and a bilingual libretto. A must-have for your permanent collection. It is widely agreed that this recording of Corelli’s *Il Pagliaccio*, alongside the Del Monaco version, is one of the definitive recordings from the early days of stereo sound, yet it has not been readily available on CD. Now, we are releasing a new reissue as a SACD hybrid disc with dramatically improved sound quality. The combination of Corelli’s beautiful voice at the height of his career and Matacic, then 61 and in his prime, is superb. Backed by the La Scala Orchestra and featuring a spot-on cast including Amara and Gobb, it remains a lineup that is truly enviable even today. Like the other opera reissues in this series, this album is certainly worthy of a high-quality remastering. In our Definition Series, we have previously released Corelli’s “Turandot” and “Il Trovatore.” This recording is every bit as impressive, delivering the beautiful voice of Corelli—one of the finest tenors of his generation—in its entirety. While Matacic is better known in Japan as a concert conductor, he originally visited Japan for the first time in 1965 as one of the conductors of the “Slavic Opera Company” (accompanied by the NHK Symphony Orchestra). He has continued to conduct opera in Japan since then, and we have also reissued his acclaimed recording of “The Merry Widow” as part of this series. Matacic’s conducting guides the singers with fluidity, without weighing down the music, thereby bringing out the best in each performer and further elevating the quality of the performance. This masterpiece of verismo opera retains the unique atmosphere of an era when singers were at the peak of their careers, and it can undoubtedly be called a historic classic. We anticipate that this high-fidelity reissue will garner even greater acclaim. (1/2)