Re: [ARSCLIST] Mercury Living Presence Opera sets

[Steve Abrams <steve.abrams@xxxxxxxxx>]

Here's one for Tom Fine.

There has been a thread on Opera-L about the Mercury Living Presence 
recording of Rigoletto recorded in Florence in July 1960 by the usual team 
of Cozart, Fine and Lawrence.  The brochure says that the venue was the 
Teatro della Pergola. The recording seems to have been made on behalf of 
Ricordi, who were represented at the sessions by Dr. Carlo Ricordi.

One of the contributors to Opera-L insists that the Mercury program note is 
incorrect and that Wilma Cozart later said that the recording was actually 
made in a nearby warehouse.  The same contributor (Max Paley) says that the 
original master tapes "seem to have disappeared."

There are some other interesting Living Presence opera recordings, including 
Paisiello's Barber of Seville, and Cherubini's Medea with Callas.  Also 
recordings of Lucia and La Serva Padrona.

I would really like to hear the Rigoletto and Basrbiere on SACD.

What is the fate of the original recordings and where was the Rigoletto 
recorded?

Steve Abrams