Terra Mars Music

Taccani (1885-1959) had an outstanding spinto with real shine: a vivrant, truly exciting sound, clear as a bell. Like any Italian tenor, he had an occasional tendency to overdo things, but one forgives him for that luminosity of timbre and healthy personality; his singing was full of Mediterranean joy.

Among these 20 items there are 5 early Fonotipias (1907, 1909); 3 excerpts from the artist's complete 1916 Columbia Rigoletto (with the La Scala orchestra clearly heard, yet!) which Preiser has issued complete; 4 late-acoustic 1924 Columbias and 8 early-electric Columbias from 1927-28.

The later recordings are best. The early-electric gramophone caught his voice just right, and his energy and breath of phrasing come through very impressively. The Mascagni items are musically fascinating, historically important and very well sung. In verismo Taccani was a force of nature. I particularly enjoy his beautifully clear and aristocratic Italian enunciation. The "Cielo a mar" is a special pleasure. What voice, what authority, what grandezza!

His Verdi might seem over-emotional to some, but NOBODY, and I mean absolutely NOBODY, has this kind of voice today in rôles like Manrico in Trovatore or the Duke. Isn't it amazing that Taccani was born in the SAME YEAR as Martinelli and Pertile, and two years before Francesco Merli? Those were the days!

In the marvellous Carmen excerpts (the Flower song caressed with real tenderness, besides the requisite passion) we get to sample the torrential voice of Maria Capuana, a truly fabulous figure, who is Amneris in the Arangi-Lombardi Aïda and is otherwise rarely heard.

If you like the best and truest Italian silver in tenor singing, this CD is essential to you.

I say compare because this recording, dating from 1992, shows how a fine group can get even better. Only one singer from this time, Kevin Baum, a tenor, is still singing with the group. It is fascinating that even with turnover their ensemble just gets better and better in an amazingly consistent way. The program is varied as their programs always are. For my part, the gem is "The Bluebird" by Stanford. This is one of those songs that, once heard, is never forgotten. I have several recordings of it that I always enjoyed but this one leaves them behind. It contains a solo for soprano, sung by Randall Wong which is hair raising, I know of no other way to put it. I have a friend who heard it last year in one of their programs with Christopher Fritzche in the solo. She said she heard some gasps from the audience. I can believe it, it blows me away every time I hear it. As a rabid Chanticleer fan I could recommend any of their recordings. I have all of them and cherish them all. One release is not listed in Amazon which is all the harder to understand. The "Requiem" by Palestrina. I have always collected requiems since the days of 78's and it is a rich archive of music to explore; most composers have tried their hand at it with sometimes spectacular results employing huge orchestras and choruses and smaller ensembles too. But way back in history was Palestrina with a requiem for twelve or so voices, no accompaniment, just four part singing and to my mind nothing has been done since that is any more profoundly and musically rewarding. Chanticleer recorded it first, and as far as I know exclusively. To hear them do the "Sanctus" from this mass is to penetrate to the very heart of choral music. The word, sanctus, is lofted outward into the silence of eternity over and over creating a mesmerizing effect that only Bach could ever achieve again. As much as I revel in requiems like that by Berlioz or Verdi it is to Palestrina that I return most often.
This same release contains another rarely heard treasure, "The Song of Solomon". If you like Chanticleer I strongly urge you to try this cd. It occupies top spot in my collection of serious music, not just by this group but by anyone.