Indispensable recordings 20.07.2024. Proms Composer 1: Verdi

[Pulcinella]

Posting a new thread here after all, as I fear my post in the Summer BaL early start thread may have been overlooked.
If there's enough interest, we could have a new sub-forum with a new topic each week or a single thread rather like the Tribune thread.
All thoughts/comments welcome.

Post (slightly amended) copied below.

Given that during the Proms we have a series of 'indispensable recordings' of selected Proms Composers, I wonder if there's any appetite for these being posted and our own choices made and discussed.

The first scheduled one for 2024 is on 20 July:

1415
BBC Proms Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Roger Parker picks five indispensable recordings of BBC Proms Composer Giuseppe Verdi.

[silvestrione]

This seems a good idea, but I don't know enough about Verdi to join in on this first one!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Ok to kick things off indispensable Verdi

Simon Boccanegra Abbado La Scala*
Falstaff Karajan and Toscanini recordings
Otello Domingo Scotto Levine
La Traviata Georghiu Solti DVD Sutherland Pavarotti CD

that’s my five ( plus one DVD)

there are plenty of others

* saw this live - one of the greatest opera performances that I’ve ever seen . Better than the Domingo Price Kleiber Otello and that is saying something.

[Pulcinella]

Ok to kick things off indispensable Verdi

Simon Boccanegra Abbado La Scala*
Falstaff Karajan and Toscanini recordings
Otello Domingo Scotto Levine
La Traviata Georghiu Solti DVD Sutherland Pavarotti CD

that’s my five ( plus one DVD)

there are plenty of others

* saw this live - one of the greatest opera performances that I’ve ever seen . Better than the Domingo Price Kleiber Otello and that is saying something.

What? No Requiem or Four Sacred Pieces?

Let's see how this goes and if there are other contributions I might ask ff to restructure into a sub-forum for us.
Thanks for getting the CD player spinning for us.

[Ein Heldenleben]

What? No Requiem or Four Sacred Pieces?

Let's see how this goes and if there are other contributions I might ask ff to restructure into a sub-forum for us.
Thanks for getting the CD player spinning for us.

Deliberately restricted myself to the Operas because that , supremely , was Verdi’s art form .
Also the Requiem gives me the creeps .

[Pulcinella]

Deliberately restricted myself to the Operas because that , supremely , was Verdi’s art form .
Also the Requiem gives me the creeps .

For me, it's a prime example of stop/start music that I don't much take to.
Run with an idea, stop, change key, start with another.
Probably heresy to admit it!

[richardfinegold]

This seems a good idea, but I don't know enough about Verdi to join in on this first one!

Same here

[Ein Heldenleben]

For me, it's a prime example of stop/start music that I don't much take to.
Run with an idea, stop, change key, start with another.
Probably heresy to admit it!

It has some sublime moments but for me it doesn’t gel.

From 1973 to approx 1980 I was a confirmed Wagnerian , Straussian and Mozartian . Then I saw Abbado’s Boccanegra at Covent Garden and the Domingo / Kleiber Otello and I finally got it.

[Pulcinella]

It has some sublime moments but for me it doesn’t gel.

From 1973 to approx 1980 I was a confirmed Wagnerian , Straussian and Mozartian . Then I saw Abbado’s Boccanegra at Covent Garden and the Domingo / Kleiber Otello and I finally got it.

Perhaps better to attend as a concert than to spin at home?
I remember a very vivid and visceral Solti RAH performance I was at (around the time of his RCA recording?).

[Ein Heldenleben]

Perhaps better to attend as a concert than to spin at home?
I remember a very vivid and visceral Solti RAH performance I was at (around the time of his RCA recording?).

Never seen it live . The operas dozens of times . Even the so called lesser ones have always some element of compelling drama . Nothing quite like it really…discs don’t capture that.

[smittims]

I'd say

The Columbia Callas/Serafin Rigoletto
The Columbia/Karajan Falstaff
The Decca/Karajan Vienna Opera Aida
The HMV Karajan/ Vickers Otello
The Fricsay DG Requiem

[mikealdren]

Just one for me, Toscanini's last act of Rigoletto.

[LMcD]

This seems a good idea, but I don't know enough about Verdi to join in on this first one!

Same here.

[kernelbogey]

Toscanini's Otello.

Edit: I believe it has twice been the final BAL recommendation

[smittims]

Yes, on reflection the Tocanini Otello is more 'indispensible ' than the Karajan.