Ponselle:Martinelli - PONSELLE, Rosa: American Recordings, Vol. 1

Described by Maria Callas as 'the greatest singer of us all', the American-born Rosa Ponselle is acknowledged as one of the outstanding dramatic sopranos of the twentieth century. Without any previous experience of the operatic stage, she made her Metropolitan d?�but in Verdi's 'La forza del destino' opposite Caruso in 1918. Following her enormous success, she became the Metropolitan's leading soprano, appearing in twenty-one roles throughout her career. This first disc of Ponselle's 1923-1929 American recordings features arias from three Verdi operas, and includes a number of alternative takes unpublished on 78rpm. 'The Sunday Times' praised her voice as having \richness and purity of tone, an evenness, a technical mastery and a keenness of rhythm... she combined them with a flaming intensity that made her voice unique, the embodiment of the life force, even in quiet music (8.110728)