Semiramide
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
Performances
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17 December 1962 - La
Scala - Sutherland, Ganzarolli, G. Raimondi/Jaia, Mazzoli,/Ferrin, Bianchi
Porro; Santini
Recording
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17 December 1962 - La
Scala - Sutherland, Ganzarolli, G. Raimondi, Mazzoli, Bianchi Porro; Santini
Reviews
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"Naturally an artist
like Simionato achieves the impossible as well as the possible. With her
outstanding diction , the soft cantabile singing, her incisive accents she
succeeds in creating a vivid and human Arsace. And yet in some places...a
sound that was more aggressive and resonant at the core would have been more
suitable to the exigencies of her situation." Eugenio Gara, L'Europeo,
December 30, 1962
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"...an Arsace of the
first order...[though] the florid passages were dulled by too much rigidity
in her throat, which diminished the size of her voice" La Notte,
December 18, 1962
Anecdotes
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This revival of
Semiramide was the first time the production it had been seen at La Scala
since 1881. Simionato at first refused the role of Arsace as being too
demanding, but La Scala were determined to have her so they sent an emissary
to New York where she was singing at the MET to convince her to change her
mind and assist her preparation. Simionato accepted and in doing so was to
make a great friend, Joan Sutherland who was also contracted to the
production. It was first of their two times singing opposite one another,
not counting a Norma where the young Sutherland sang Clothilde to
Simionato's Callas and Callas's Norma.