The advent of the LP
in the early 1950s generated great excitement
in both the recording industry and private
homes. To depart forever were the five
minutes maximum recorded takes for 78rpm
records that often forced conductors
and singers to squeeze their tempi or
phrasing to meet that requirement. The
longer playing time was seen as a major
opportunity for the recording of opera
and the major labels vied with each
other to sign up star singers. Meanwhile,
Cetra Records had an extensive catalogue
of operatic recordings to hand. This
availability had its genesis with Cetra’s
connection with Italian Radio. In 1951,
the 50th anniversary of Verdi’s death,
Cetra had double figures of his operas
on record including rare early Verdi
operas that were not to get another
studio recording until Philips’ early
Verdi series and Orfeo label issues
of the 1970s and 1980s. The Cetra label
introduced many collectors to names
such as Carlo Bergonzi, Rolando Panerai
and Maria Callas as well as providing
extensive opportunity to hear the three
main soloists on this recording, particularly
Giuseppe Taddei. A major problem in
the UK, with import restrictions and
the like, was getting hold of copies
of the Cetra recordings. A Manchester
retailer, Rare Records, franchised the
Cetra catalogue and the green labels
became pink with black printing. Regrettably
for Rare Records the venture was not
a commercial success and the company
just about escaped liquidation.
Meanwhile, in my home,
the pride of the 78rpm record collection
was a very expensive White Label
78rpm shellac with the quartet from
Rigoletto on one side and the sextet
from Lucia di Lamermoor on the other
and featuring Giuseppe De Luca, Ezio
Pinza, Amelita Galli-Curci, Louise Homer
along with Beniamino Gigli. So it was
no surprise that, once I had my Garrard
301 turntable with speeds of 33, 45
and 78rpm, and an amplifier built to
a Briggs design, the earliest LPs in
the house would be of Rigoletto and
Lucia. The early issue of the Callas
Lucia (review)
settled the presents one Christmas.
Rigoletto proved more problematical
because of competition between the Columbia
label (the British label, later part
of EMI, not the US that became part
of Sony) issue featuring Gobbi, Callas
and Di Stefano and this Cetra recording
that won the day. Why? Perhaps more
than any other determining factor was
an admiration for the singing of Ferruccio
Tagliavini with his distinctive lyric
tenor and immaculate diction and elegant
phrasing. The world really missed the
best of his singing because of World
War 2 when he was seen as the natural
successor to Gigli with whom he shared
the capacity for honeyed mezza voce
singing and phrasing on the breath.
Like Di Stefano, Tagliavini was tempted
towards heavier roles than were ideal
for his lyric voice. By 1960, when he
partnered Callas in the second of her
studio recordings of Lucia, any beauty
of tone and legato for which he was
renowned, had largely gone, as it had
for her also. In this performance of
Rigoletto his vocal strengths are caught
just before their decline. His Questa
o quella has brio and elegance of
phrase (CD 1 tr. 2) as has his La
donna è mobile (CD
2 tr. 9) and Un dì, se ben
rammentomi at the launching of the
quartet (CD 2 tr. 10). The lead in to
the quartet, and the sequence including
Rigoletto’s preceding E l’ami
(CD 2 tr. 8), were a major revelation
when we were so used to getting the
quartet and the famous tenor aria out
of context. Even when one owned (and
we didn’t) a set of the opera
on 16 or so 78s, the dramatic context
was lost by the time one had removed
the shellac from the turntable, wound
the handle, and put the next disc on.
The dramatic sequence and impact of
the last act of Rigoletto left an impression
on me that remains a personal tingle
factor to this day, particularly when
the participating singers are as well
into their roles as are the trio in
this recording. Giuseppe Taddei’s portrayal
of the cursed jester gripped me then
and does so again on this re-hearing.
Italians joked that they gave Gobbi
to the world but kept Taddei to themselves.
Not wholly true, but near enough. He
graces many Cetra recordings always
singing with well covered even tone
and appropriate characterisation. Whilst
Gobbi with his raw-edged and often biting
tone conveys Rigoletto’s anger and bitterness,
Taddei brings more pathos as he surveys
his lot in Pari siamo (CD 1 tr.
7) or pleads with the courtiers to reveal
the whereabouts of his daughter in Cortigiana
vil razza dannata (CD 2 tr. 5).
Every phrase is heart wrenching as he
realises Gilda’s lost chastity as she
emerges from the Duke’s apartment (CD
2 tr. 6) and, in the finale, opens the
sack to reveal her death throes.
Lina Pagliughi sings
Rigoletto’s chaste and sheltered young
daughter Gilda who deceives her father
out of infatuation with the promiscuous
and lascivious Duke. At the time of
this recording she was 47. In earlier
years her very light flexible coloratura
soprano made her an admired Gilda. As
it is she tries to fine down her tone
in act 1 to convey Gilda’s girlishness
and innocence but ends up sounding thin
toned and tweety as in her Caro nome
(CD 1 tr. 13). Later, in acts 2 and
3,when the vocal demand is heavier she
is far better and her experience in
the role more telling. Callas, who never
sang the role on stage, also resorts
to vocal artifice to convey Gilda’s
girlish innocence in act 1 whilst bringing
a shade too much drama and weight of
voice to her dilemma in the final act.
Lina Pagliughi is best in the final
act when she decides to sacrifice her
own life to save that of the Duke and
knocks at the door to sacrifice herself
(CD 2 tr. 13).
In the last re-issue
of this performance in autumn 2000,
I found the recording rather boxy. I
do not know if there has been a new
remastering but I find the acoustic
here much clearer with the solo voices
brought well forward. The orchestra
in particular loses some presence and
impact with the ‘banda’ in the périgourdine
of the first scene barely audible. Otherwise
Angelo Questa’s interpretation is speedy
and idiomatic. There are brief theatre
cuts as was the standard practice at
the time.
I wait with interest
to hear what Naxos’ restorers will make
of the Gobbi-Callas version when it
comes out of copyright in 2006. In the
meantime I am happy to make to make
my re-acquaintance with this performance.
Hearing it again thrilled me as much
as it did fifty years ago. This despite
the many fine well recorded performances
of the Rigoletto that have joined the
catalogue in the intervening years and
which find space on my shelves.
Robert J Farr
Cetra Chorus. Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino
della RAI/Angelo Questa 
