Ralph Moore 4,0 von 5 Sternen Thrill to the special Gencer sound 8. April 2013 - Veröffentlicht auf Amazon.com Although two studio recordings of this opera are already available this live performance from 1963 is surprisingly competitive because it is in far better mono sound than is often the case on the Gala label - a bit of hiss but little distortion and good clarity, with voices on microphone most of the time. The presence of Turkish diva Leyla Gencer will sufficient to persuade her fans to part with very little money, given that she was so little recorded. Her passion, intensity and extraordinary range come through loud and clear and she is partnered by decent, stentorian tenor Joao Gibin and serviceable baritone Ugo Savarese. Molinari-Pradelli's conducting is as idiomatic and assured as you would expect from this experienced conductor who was ubiquitous in the 60's and 70's, in demand by opera houses and recording companies alike. This is second-rank Verdi but full of rollicking good tunes and a Big Sing for the performers. The prompter is intermittently audible but not too intrusive and the orchestra perfectly adequate. As is Gala's custom, there is a substantial bonus in the form of extended excerpts - over fifty minutes - from a 1964 Rome performance of "I vespri siciliani" conducted by Gavazzeni. Unfortunately, the singers are less starry and the sound inferior apart from Gencer - but the music is a cut above "La battaglia", so there are compensations.