Madama Butterfly (The Black Dog Opera Library)

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Recordings of BUTTERFLY
Review: Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi, and Rolando Panerai make a superb team, both in their singing and in their acting, for MADAMA BUTTERFLY. Another advantage of the recording (made in 1966) is the stereo sound, which allows all the details of Puccini's rich orchestration to be heard. Listening to this BUTTERFLY is almost as good as hearing a live performance of the opera. The accompanying book is very informative about Puccini, the opera itself, and the artists. It also has lush illustrations and includes a complete libretto in Italian and English. In short, this is another exceptional "Black Dog Opera Library" set.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book + a Great Recording
Review: This issue from the Black Dog series may be the most successful. The book comes with comments about Puccini's life and a background on the composition of "Butterfly" that is very readable and informative. The Italian/English libretto is nicely presented, with many descriptions of particular arias so that one can stop and pay closer attention to the recording at these points. Finally, the recording that comes with the book is one of the best "Butterflys" around, featuring the imaginative Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi, one of the greatest post-war tenors. So, whether you are a newcomer to this opera and need a good introduction, or whether you already own a version of "Butterfly" and want another great one, this book is for you.