Two of the finest singers of their era were Renata Scotto and Jose Carreras, and this week on The Lyric Stage they sing selections from La Traviata and Madama Butterfly, both live performances.
Violetta in La Traviata was the professional debut role of Renata Scotto in 1952 at the Teatro Nuovo theater in Milan. She was 18, and it was a start that led to a career at most of the major opera houses of the world for the next several decades.This performance with Jose Carreras was in Japan in 1973. Carerras was 27, and he never sang better. Sesto Briscantini sings Germont with Nino Verchi conducting NHK Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
A year later, they sang Madama Butterfly together in San Francisco. Pinkerton was Carreras' American debut role with the New York City Opera in 1972. Julian Patrick sings Sharpless and Judith Forst Suzuki, with Kurt Herbert Adler conducting the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in this recording of a live radio broadcast.