RECORD REVIEWS

PUCCINI: “Manon Lescaut.” Nina Rautio, Peter Dvorsky, Gino Quilico, others; forces of Teatro alla La Scala, Milan, Lorin Maazel, cond. Sony S2K 48474. That La Scala mounts a new production (last year) of this work (last year) and then records it with the same Russian (Rautio), Slovak (Dvorsky) and Canadian (Quilico) in the cast, suggests a dearth of worthy Italian singers today. That the singers chosen here aren’t particularly worthy either makes it even worse. Nautio sounds covered, hooty, mostly squally at the top, and she employs oddly indistinct Italian. Dvorsky’s tenor is better, capable of an exciting ring, but he seems unable to sing anything softer than a mezzo-forte, and there are hints at the top of a developing wobble. At least he pronounces the text. Quilico is light-voiced but elegantly nuanced. Maazel seems to have affection for the score and, as might be expected, the intermezzo is suitably lush and soulful. He is oddly uninvolved in the passions of the great Act III finale. Perhaps, considering his singers, he just gave up.