BaL 1.04.17 - Verdi: Aïda

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library on Verdi's opera Aïda. Roger Parker recommends a version of one of the most popular operas in the repertoire. Set in the Egypt of the Pharaohs, Aida has the full panoply of choruses and marches but also much more intimate music, including the celebrated Nile Scene which contains all the subtle orchestration and psychological depth associated with Verdi's later operas.

Available versions:

Martina Arroyo, Placido Domingo, Fiorenza Cossotto, Piero Cappuccilli, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Luigi Roni, Josella Ligi, Piero De Palma, Teatro alla Scala, Claudio Abbado

Katia Ricciarelli, Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Leo Nucci, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Ruggero Raimondi, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Piero De Palma, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Claudio Abbado

Maria Callas, Kurt Baum, Giulietta Simionato, Jess Walters, Giulio Neri, Hector Thomas, Joan Sutherland, Covent Garden Orchestra and Opera Chorus, Sir John Barbirolli

Gabriella Tucci, Adriana Lazzarini, Gastone Limarilli, Gian Giacomo Guelfi, Giuseppe Modesti, Paolo Dari, RAI Rome, Arturo Basile

Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli, Ebe Stignani, Armando Borgioli, Corrado Zambelli, Norman Walker, Josephine Wray, Blando Giusti, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Covent Garden Chorus, Thomas Beecham

Leyla Gencer, Carlo Bergonzi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Anselmo Colzani, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Franco Pugliese, Adalina Grigolato, Ottorino Begali, Orchestra e Coro dell'Arena di Verona, Franco Capuana (DVD)

Gabriella Tucci, Mario Del Monaco, Giulietta Simionato, Aldo Protti, Paolo Washington, Silvano Pagliuca, Athos Cesarini, Sumie Kawauchi, The NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Broadcasting Chorus & NHK Italian Opera Chorus, Franco Capuana (DVD)

Violeta Urmana, Roberto Alagna, Ildiko Komlosi, Carlo Guelfi, Giorgio Giuseppini, Marco Spotti, Sae Kyung Rim, Antonello Ceron, Milan La Scala Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (DVD)

Mary Curtis Verna , Carlo Bergonzi, Irene Dalis, Robert Merrill, Giorgio Tozzi, Louis Sgarro, Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Fausto Cleva

Antonietta Stella, Kurt Baum, Blanche Thebom, George London, Giorgio Tozzi, Luigi Sgarro, James McCracken, Helen Vanni, Orchestra and Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, Fausto Cleva

Zinka Milanov, Mario del Monaco, Blanche Thebom, George London, Jerome Hines, Luben Vichey, Lucine Amara, Thomas Hayward, Metropolitan Opera and Chorus, Fausto Cleva

Ljuba Welitsch, Ramón Vinay, Margaret Harshaw, Robert Merrill, Lorenzo Alvary, Jerome Hines, Metropolitan Opera, Emil Cooper

Cheryl Studer, Dennis O’Neill, Luciana d’Intino, Alexandru Agache, Robert Lloyd, Mark Beesley, Yvonne Barclay, John Marsden, The Royal Opera Chorus & The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Edward Downes (DVD)

Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Ebe Stignani, Aldo Protti, Fernando Corena, Suzanne Danco, Piero De Palma, Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Alberto Erede

Maria Callas, Mario del Monaco, Giuseppe Taddei, Oralia Domínguez, Roberto Silva, Ignacio Ruffino, Rosa Rodríguez, Carlos Sagarminaga, Palacio de las Bellas Artes, Oliviero De Fabritiis

Orianna Santunione, Carlo Bergonzi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Gianpiero Mastromei, Ivo Vinco (Ramfis), Franco Pugliese, Anna Di Stasio, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Oliviero De Fabritiis (DVD)

Nina Stemme, Luciana d'Intino, Salvatore Licitra, Juan Pons, Matti Salminen, Günther Groissböck, Zurich Opera Orchestra, Adam Fischer (DVD)

Susanna Branchini, Mariana Pentcheva, Walter Fraccaro, Alberto Gazale, Carlo Malinverno, George Andguladze, Cosimo Vassallo, Yu Guanqun, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma, Antonino Fogliani (download/DVD/Blu-ray)

Margaret Price, Luciano Pavarotti, Stefania Toczyska, Simon Estes, Kurt Rydl, Kevin Langan, Susan Quittmeyer, Colenton Freeman, Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera, Luis Antonio García-Navarro (DVD)

Violeta Urmana, Johan Botha, Dolora Zajick, Carlo Guelfi, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet, Daniele Gatti (DVD/Blu-ray)

Maria Chiara, Fiorenza Cossotto, Nicola Martinucci, Giuseppe Scandola, Carlo Zardo, Alfredo Zanazzo, Maria Gabriella Onesti, Giampaolo Corradi, Orchestra and Chorus of the Arena di Verona, Anton Guadagno (DVD)

Caterina Mancini , Antonio Massaria, Giulietta Simionato, Mario Filippeschi, Giulio Neri, Rolando Panerai, Salvatore Di Tommaso, Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Roma della RAI, Vittorio Gui

László Polgár, Olga Borodina, Vincenzo La Scola, Matti Salminen, Thomas Hampson, Kurt Steit, Dorothea Röschmann, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Dragica Martinis, Lorenz Fehenberger, Nell Rankin, Mario Petri, Alois Pernerstorfer, Hilde Forer, Giovanni Malaspina, Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Singverein, Herbert Von Karajan

Renata Tebaldi, Giulietta Simionato, Carlo Bergonzi, Cornell MacNeil, Arnold van Mill, Fernando Corena, Piero de Palma, Eugenia Ratti, Vienna Singverien & Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

Mirella Freni, José Carreras, Agnes Baltsa, Piero Cappuccilli, Ruggero Raimondi, José van Dam, Katia Ricciarelli & Thomas Moser, Wiener Philharmoniker & Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Herbert von Karajan (download)

Leonora Lafayette, Georgine von Milinkovic, Josef Gostic, Ferdinand Frantz, Gottlob Frick, Walter Berry, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Clemens Krauss

Leonie Rysanek, Hans Hopf, Jean Madeira, George London, Gottlob Frick, Oskar Czerwenka, Anny Felbermayer, Erich Majkut, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsoper, Rafael Kubelik

Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, Grace Bumbry, Sherrill Milnes, Ruggero Raimondi, Hans Sotin, Joyce Mathis, Bruce Brewer, John Alldis Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf

Aprile Millo, Placido Domingo, Dolora Zajick, James Morris, Samuel Ramey, Terry Cook, Hei-Kyung Hong, Charles Anthony,Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine

Aprile Millo, Plácido Domingo, Dolora Zajick, Sherrill Milnes, Paata Burchuladze, Dimitri Kavrakos, Margaret Jane Wray, Mark Baker, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, James Levine (DVD)

Maria Chiara, Luciano Pavarotti, Ghena Dimitrova, Leo Nucci, Paata Burchuladze, Luigi Roni, Madelyn Renée, Ernesto Gavazzi, Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala, Lorin Maazel

Maria Chiara, Luciano Pavarotti, Ghena Dimitrova, Leo Nucci, Paata Burchuladze, Luigi Roni, Madelyn Renée, Ernesto Gavazzi, Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala, Lorin Maazel (DVD/Blu-ray)

Julia Wiener-Chenisheva, Nikola Nikolov, Alexandrina Milcheva, Nikolai Smochevski, Nicola Ghiuselev, Stefan Tsiganchev, Maria Dimchevska, Verter Vrachovski, Sofia National Opera Chorus & Orchestra, Ivan Marinov

Daniela Dessì, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Fabio Armiliato, Juan Pons, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Stefano Palatchi, Josep Fadó, Ana Nebot, Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez (DVD)

Eszter Sümegi, Kostadin Andreev, Cornelia Helfricht, Pier Dalas, Janusz Monarcha, Sewan Salmasi, Martin Fournier, Chorus, Corps de Ballet & Orchestra of the National Theatre Brno, Ernst Märzendorfer (DVD)

Birgit Nilsson; Franco Corelli; Grace Bumbry & Mario Sereni, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Zubin Mehta

Hui He, Marco Berti, Luciana D’Intino, Ambrogio Maestri, Roberto Tagliavini, Giacomo Prestia, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta (DVD/Blu-ray)

Andrea Bocelli, Kristin Lewis, Veronica Simeoni, Giorgio Giuseppini, Ambrogio Maestri, Carlo Colombara, Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Zubin Mehta

Kristin Lewis, Fabio Sartori, Anita Rachvelishvili, George Gagnidze, Matti Salminen, Carlo Colombara, Azer Rza-Zada, Chiara Isotton, La Scala, Zubin Mehta (DVD/Blu-ray)

Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Brigitte Fassbaender, Plácido Domingo, Siegmund Nimsgern, Robert Lloyd, Nikolaus Hillebrand, Norbert Orth, Marianne Seibel, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Riccardo Muti

Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Fiorenza Cossotto, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Piero Cappuccilli, Luigi Roni, Nicola Marinucc, Esther Casas, Royal Opera Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti

(continued in next post)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(continued)

Kristin Lewis, Marco Berti, Anita Rachvelishvili, Mark S. Doss, In-Sung Sin, Giacomo Prestia, Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino, Gianandrea Noseda (DVD)

Norma Fantini, Marco Berti, Ildiko Komlosi, Mark Doss, Orlin Anastassov, Guido Jentjens, Michela Remor, André Grégoire,Symphony Orchestra and Choir of La Monnaie – De Munt, Kazushi Ono (DVD)

Hui He, Marco Berti, Andrea Ulbrich, Ambrogio Maestri, Roberto Tagliavini, Antonella Trevisan, Antonello Ceron, Orchestra, Chorus and Corps de Ballet of the Arena di Verona, Daniel Oren (DVD/Blu-ray)

Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ludovic Tezier, Erwin Schrott, Marco Spotti, Paolo Fanale, Eleonora Buratto, Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma; Coro dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma, Antonio Pappano

Jane Eaglen, Dennis O'Neill, Rosalind Plowright, Gregory Yurisich, Peter Rose, Alastair Miles, Susan Gritton, Alfred Boe, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry (in English)

Olga Romanko, Maurizio Frusoni, Stefania Toczyska, Claudio Otelli, Riccardo Ferrari, Aik Martirosyan, Johanette Zomer, Alexei Grigorev, Wurtiembergische Philharmonic Reutlinge, Roberto Paternostro

Zinka Milanov, Jussi Björling, Leonard Warren, Boris Christoff, Fedora Barbieri, Plinio Clabassi, Bruna Rizzoli, Orchestra dell'Opera di Roma, Coro dell'Opera di Roma, Jonel Perlea

Maria Callas, Kurt Baum, Giulietta Simionato, Robert Weede, Nicola Moscona, Ignacio Ruffino, Rosa Rodriguez, Carlos Sagarminaga, Chorus and Orchestra of the Palacio de las Bellas Artes, Guido Picco (download)

Mary Curtis-Verna, Franco Corelli, Miriam Pirazzini, RAI Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Angelo Questa

Tatiana Serjan, Rubens Pelizzari, Iain Paterson, Iano Tamar, Kevin Short, Tigran Martirossian, Ronald Samm, Elisabetta Martorana, Vienna Symphonic Orchestra, The Katowice City Singers’ Ensemble– Camerata Silesia, Polish Radio Choir Krakow & Bregenz Festival Chorus, Carlo Rizzi (DVD/Blu-ray)

Maria Dragoni, Kristjan Johannsson, Barbara Dever, Mark Rucker, Francesco Ellero d'Artegna, Riccardo Ferrari, Monica Trini, Antonio Marceno, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Irish Army No. 1 Band, Rico Saccani

Maria Chiara, Dolora Zajick, Kristján Jóhannsson, Juan Pons, Nicola Ghiuselev, Carlo Striuli, Arena di Verona, Nello Santi (DVD)

Birgit Nilsson, Pier Miranda Ferraro, Giulietta Simionato, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Cornell MacNeil, Agostino Ferrin, Giuliana Matteini, Piero De Palma, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Nino Sanzogno

Jessye Norman, Pedro Lavirgen, Fiorenza Cossotto, Walter Alberti, Luigi Roni, Georg Papas, Nicole Derille, Francesco Moroni, ORTF Orchestra and Chorus, Nino Sanzogno

Gabriella Tucci, Irene Dalis, Franco Corelli, Giorgio Tozzi, Cornell Mac Neil, Orchestra & Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera House, George Schick

Leontyne Price, Carlo Bergonzi, Grace Bumbry, Robert Merrill, Jerome Hines, Luigi Sgarro, Lilian Sukis, Robert Nagy, Metropolitan Oper, Thomas Schippers

Annelies Kupper, Max Lorenz, Margarete Klose, Rudolf Gonszar, Hessian Radio Orchestra & Chorus, Kurt Schröder

Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli, Gino Bechi, Tancredi Pasero, Ebe Stignani, Adelio Zagonara, Italo Tajo, Rome Opera House Orchestra, Rome Opera House Chorus, Tullio Serafin

Maria Callas, Richard Tucker, Fedora Barbieri, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe Modesti, La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, Tullio Serafin

Leontyne Price, Jon Vickers, Rita Gorr, Robert Merrill, Plinio Clabassi, Giorgio Tozzi, Franco Ricciardi, Mietta Sighiele, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Coro del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Georg Solti

Kate Aldrich, Adina Aaron, Scott Piper, Paolo Pecchioli, Giuseppe Garras, Orchestra and Chorus of the Fondazione Arturo Toscanini, Massimiliano Stefanelli (DVD)

Herva Nelli, Richard Tucker, Eva Gustavson, Giuseppe Valdengo, Norman Scott, Dennis Harbour, Teresa Stich-Randall, Virginio Assandri, Nelli, Tucker, Valdengo, Gustavson, NBC SO, Robert Shaw Chorale, Arturo Toscanini

Herva Nelli, Eva Gustavson, Richard Tucker, Giuseppe Valdengo, Norman Scott, Dennis Harbour, Virginio Assandri & Teresa Stich-Randall, NBC Symphony Orchestra & Robert Shaw Chorale, Arturo Toscanini (DVD)

Hui He, Fabio Sartori, Giovanna Casolla, Ambrogio Maestri, Adrian Sampetrean, Roberto Tagliavini, Orchestra, chorus, ballet of the Verona Arena, Omer Meir Wellber (DVD/Blu-ray)

[BBMmk2]

I much rather like the CD format of opera, generally speaking although in some cases I may buy a DVD. But I do hope either one of the Abbado versions or the Pappano will win the accolade!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I much rather like the CD format of opera, generally speaking. . .

I agree. The pictures are generally better on audio only recordings.

[visualnickmos]

Here's to EA, on yet another amazing piece of work.... CHEERS, and thanks....

[Richard Tarleton]

Likewise!

Roger Parker knows his stuff, Verdi-wise, and can be relied upon for some interesting aperçus on the work....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Here's to EA, on yet another amazing piece of work.... CHEERS, and thanks....

You're welcome.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've bought the Decca Tebaldi/VPO/Karajan version four times in all:

LP, cassette and CD. Then the CD was stolen, so I replaced it.

Even though it's a 1959 recording, it must still be high on the list of recommendations. One thing I'm less happy about is the Culshaw sound level manipulation in the final scene, though to be fair, John Culshaw himself admitted it was something he regretted.

[pastoralguy]

Here's to EA, on yet another amazing piece of work.... CHEERS, and thanks....

Seconded!

[pastoralguy]

Surely this is a work that deserves an hours slot and not just 45 minutes.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Luis Antonio García-Navarro DVD caught my attention when I was researching available versions. Was this the version that was broadcast by the BBC many years (or decades) ago? It did feature Margaret Price with Pavarotti, so it could be the same version. I recall it being extremely fine.

[visualnickmos]

I've bought the Decca Tebaldi/VPO/Karajan version four times in all:

LP, cassette and CD. Then the CD was stolen, so I replaced it.

Even though it's a 1959 recording, it must still be high on the list of recommendations. One thing I'm less happy about is the Culshaw sound level manipulation in the final scene, though to be fair, John Culshaw himself admitted it was something he regretted.

Really brilliant version, this one...

[makropulos]

It'll be very interesting to hear what Roger Parker has to say about this.

Definitely Solti et al for me (the 3-CD version, with the Nile Scene uninterrupted, rather than the 2-CD revamp which splits it). If it has to be a version in super-modern sound, then Pappano is exciting too.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(the 3-CD version, with the Nile Scene uninterrupted, rather than the 2-CD revamp which splits it).

I hate it when they do this.

[Barbirollians]

The Pappano is terrific but I should put a word in for the Callas/Barbirolli live on Testament great singing and conducting of a quality that many of Callas's studio recordings could have done with .