Richard Tucker, Bidú Sayão, Mimi Benzell, & Frank Valentino - "La boheme" Act III quartet

Click for higher quality audio/video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_V-UJDSLg&fmt=18

Richard Tucker, Bidu Sayao, Mimi Benzell, and Frank Valentino sing the Act III quartet "Dunque e proprio finita" from Puccini's "La boheme." This recording is an excerpt of the Metropolitan Opera production recording of the opera done in December 1947 with Giuseppe Antonicelli conducting. The picture used in the video is the cast of the recording (from left to right Francesco Valentino, George Cehanovsky, Salvatore Baccaloni, Richard Tucker, and Nicola Moscona. Bidú Sayão, Mimi Benzell are in the from row). As with the 1949 "Butterfly," I have to thank Sony for releasing this in such great sound. This was more work for them because the recording was made before magnetic tape was used in the studio and they did an excellent job remastering the recordings from probably around 20 master discs.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Richard
• Tucker
• Bidu
• Sayao
• Mimi
• Benzell
• Frank
• Valentino
• Puccini
• La
• boheme
• Act
• III
• quartet
• Dunque
• proprio
• finita
• Giuseppe
• Antonicelli
• Metropolitan
• Opera
• recording
• 1947
• Columbia
• yt:quality=high

[pearlmuth3]

Thanks I like this recording more then the one he did in 61 of the opera, that one had a great cast also but this one shows a 34 year old tucker and he was more lyric for the part. He received great reviews for this recording and so did Sayo. Yes for 1947 the sound is very good.

[VinylToVideo]

I agree, this one is much better than the later RCA recording. Tucker, Merrill, and Moffo certainly were not at their best on that one.

[linguini9966]

sure, but come on - that recording is WAY better than a boheme you're likely to hear live now almost anywhere in the world! I've heard Merrill sing better, but it was still pretty awesome!

[VinylToVideo]

That goes without saying; of course all of the RCA and Columbia operatic recordings from those days are better than any of the CRAP recorded today.

[JABDUDE]

MIMI BENZELL ROCKS

[Mooorhe]

:P

My reaction was more along the lines: 'What the hell... they've changed it again, it's hideous' :P.

[ardeladimwit]

thanks- I'd forgotten this existed.

[VinylToVideo]

Thumbs up for that comment.

[ShawDAMAN]

LOL ok, I feel stupid now- this was the first video I watched after youtube made the change and I was like "hey, nice! how do you do that!" LOL

[Mooorhe]

*Points and laughs* :P

[ShawDAMAN]

Nevermind I just realized it was something youtube did, not you. :)

Again, great post

[ShawDAMAN]

Beautiful, thanks. Incidentally how did you get this to come up widescreen? Nice.. :)