SITE RATING: 3/10
SITE REVIEW:
A live performance, captured at the end of 1959, this
performance, under the baton of Lenough Anderson, features the Akron
Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Tenor Edward Melcher sings with a
pleasant, powerful tone, but possesses a quick, fluttering vibrato, and
sounds shrill in his upper register. The Akron Symphony plays
with strength, no surprise, since they are a large-scale orchestra,
matched in size by the Akron Symphony Chorus, who unfortunately are
placed somewhat distantly in the mix. But they sing with gusto,
and more unity and power than I anticipated. Bass Peter George is
strangely similar in his vocal abilities as Mr. Melcher, with a
powerful instrument, but also carrying a quick, fluttery vibrato which
I found distracting. His performance is helped immensely by the
surprising lightning-fast tempos taken on "But Who May Abide" which add
real electricity to his aria. But his vibrato is very noticeable
on "The Trumpet Shall Sound" and the trumpeter unfortunately muffs
several of his moments. Contralto Alma Parman is a weak link,
with persistent intonation problems, which are not helped by similar
problems in the orchestra during "O Thou That Tellest". I also
failed to warm up to soprano Betty Gotshall Dornan, who's performance
seemed wandering and unfocused, and whose tone was was a trifle
brittle. As of this writing, I only am able to locate "Volume 1"
of what is presumably a two-volume set (released separately), but based
on the performance here, there's little to recommend.
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