BOITO

 

Mefistofele

 

Pavarotti - Caballé - Freni

 

A less well known version of the Faust legend with music and text by the author of many of Verdi's greatest operas but one which deserves its place in every opera lover's collection. An amazing cast - Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballé with Nicolai Ghiaurov in the title role, all at their glorious best and all in superb Decca sound.

 

"The late de Fabritiis. in what proved to be his swan-song for the gramophone, enters fully into the spirit of the piece, balancing carefully its poetic and dramatic images, emphasising subtly the quaint beauty of Boito's scoring, revelling in its opportunities for orchestral brio ... in an opera named after him, the Devil rightly receives the most imposing interpretation ... Nicolai Ghiaurov ... has a high old time portraying the evil/jolly fellow, all his solos delivered with the vocal equivalent of a leering smile. .. I think the new version is the one to have ... it should make Mefistofele many friends." Gramophone February 1984

 

Decca 2cds 4756666