LEONCAVALLO: “PAGLIACCI.” Teresa Stratas, Placido Domingo, Juan...

LEONCAVALLO: “PAGLIACCI.” Teresa Stratas, Placido Domingo, Juan Pons, Alberto Rinaldi, singers; Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, Milan, conducted by Georges Pretre. Philips 411 484-2 (compact disc). As a souvenir of the Franco Zeffirelli Unitel film (shown on PBS), this sound-track performance may conceivably pass muster. Minus the visual trappings, one acutely senses the drawbacks. Domingo’s Canio projects heroic pathos, but at the expense of audible strangulation. Stratas’ spitfire Nedda requires tolerance of vinegary vocalism. Pons bellows his way through the Prologue, Rinaldi’s Silvio never capitalizes on the potential for legato singing. Pretre proves an unidiomatic and noisy exponent of this repertory. And the recording is both shallow and riddled with annoying production sound effects, which should have been omitted for home listening. The opera’s 72 minutes are contained on one disc, but it’s no bargain.