The late Giuseppe Patane's Munich recording of Il trittico appeared earlier on three separate discs. Not only were they at full price, they came in a curiously cumbersome format, each with a single disc in a double jewel-case. Now as well as being conveniently boxed together, the set comes at mud price, bringing a substantial advantage over the only CD rival, Maazel's CBS set.
When in November 19881 reviewed both the Maazel box and the separate Eurodisc issues of Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi, I went into some detail over the relative merits. Broadly Patane at generally faster, more flowing speeds sounds consistently more idiomatic, more concerned over suggesting stage action, and I imagine these performances owe a lot to stage productions with some or all of the same performers. The recording too has greater atmosphere, with singers not so closely recorded.
In compensation Maazel's are stronger performances, and the contrasts between him and Patane in Suor Angelica are broadly the same as in the two panels of Patane's triptych which I have already reviewed. As I said in my previous notice, the Maazel version has a rugged strength and squareness in its slow speeds which builds up superbly. Renata Scotto is a commandingly characterful Angelica, matched by the fire-eating Zia Principessa of Marilyn Horne, with Ileana Cotrubas making an enchanting Sister Genovieffa.
Though the Eurodisc issue is also strongly cast with Luda Popp as Angelica and Marjana Lipovsek as the Zia Principessa, they are not so well suited to their roles. As recorded here, Popp for once lacks something of her usual silvery sweetness, and under pressure—as in the big aria, ''Senza Mamma'', or the final solo—she uses the squeezing manner which, as I have noted occasionally in the past, disturbs the smoothness of her line, with a little squirt of sound at the end of each note, as though she is making an extra effort. By comparison Scotto's ease and finer shadina of tone, her wider range of expression, are far preferable, even if there is the occasional rawness at the top.
As for Lipovsek, her voice is rather too young-sounding in its beauty to be completely convincing for this dragon of an aunt. She herself seems conscious of the lack, and in her confrontation with Angelica she is not really threatening enough, even if she manages to make the climatic cries of ''Espiare!'' (''expiate!'') ring out superbly. As for the Sister Genovieffa, Maria Gabrielle Ferroni is cast from the team, not as a star, and with a touch of shrillness in the tone she hardly compares with Cotrubas.
That may make this Suor Angelica sound disappointing, but like the other two operas in the triptych it gains enormously in conviction from the persuasiveness of Patane and the atmospheric warmth of both the performance and the recorded sound. When Nimsgern as Michele in Il tabarro and Panerai as Gianni Schicchi give memorable performances, it is certainly a set to cherish, particularly at mid price, complete with notes, librettos and translations. One lack that I bemoaned in Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi last time has been largely rectified, the absurdly scanty provision of cueing points. There are now ten in Il tabarro and seven in Gianni Schicchi, not ideal but far better than Just the two tracks each which were allowed last time. Suor Angelica by contrast remains unchanged from its original issue with a most inadequate three tracks, one for the opening, one for the entry of the Zia Principessa and one for ''Senza Mamma''. At least that is more than CBS provide for any of the Maazel discs.'