| biography |
The
Italian master enriched a long tradition of opera and still has
the world singing.
by Dan Davis
 In
November, 1839, audiences at Milan's La Scala opera house warmly
greeted a new opera, Oberto,
that marked the debut of 26-year-old Giuseppe
Verdi (1813-1901). Verdi went on to write 27 more operas,
at least a dozen of which are still central to today's repertory.
His unprecedented popularity during his lifetime extends to the
present--not a day passes without a Verdi opera being performed
somewhere in the world.
[read
more...] |
| recommended
recordings |
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Verdi:
Rigoletto / Bonynge, Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes
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Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Richard
Bonynge
Performer: Ricardo
Cassinelli, Josephte
Clˇment, et al.
Ensemble: Ambrosian
Opera Chorus, London
Symphony Orchestra
Uni/London Classics - #14269 / July 7, 1987
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here for more information |
|
This Rigoletto has been around for so long it might
be easy to take it for granted or skip it for a newer set.
Don't! It features all three principals in superb voice, as
well as pacing from Maestro Bonynge that is much heavier on
drama than most of us expect from him. Sutherland may sound
a bit mature (and mush-mouthed) for Gilda, but not only is
she sympathetic, she sings gorgeously. And speaking of gorgeous,
those familiar only with the Pavarotti of the last 10 years
would be wise to hear him...Read
more
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Verdi:
Aida / Muti, Caballé, Domingo, Cossotto, Ghiaurov [ORIGINAL
RECORDING REMASTERED] |
Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Riccardo
Muti
Performer: Montserrat
Caballé, Piero
Cappuccilli, et al.
Ensemble: New
Philharmonia Orchestra
Emd/Emi Classics - #56246 / September 16, 1997
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here for more information |
|
Behind the pyramids and the elephants, the long lines of prisoners
of war and of slaves carrying booty, the choral shouts of
"Glory to Egypt," and the splendid brass sounding the Triumphal
March, Aida is the story of a love triangle: Aida,
an Ethiopian princess who has become a slave in Egypt; Amneris,
an Egyptian princess; and Radamès, the Egyptian general
they both love (Aida secretly). There are ironies and conflicts:
How can she love a man who is the enemy of her country but
who says he has...Read
more
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Verdi:
La Traviata / Kleiber, Cotrubas, Domingo, Milnes
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Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Carlos
Kleiber
Performer: Ileana
Cotrubas, Placido
Domingo, et al.
Ensemble: Bavarian
State Opera Chorus, Bavarian
State Opera Orchestra
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #15132 / July 7, 1987
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here for more information |
|
A puccinian La Traviata
It seems everyone has an opinion on Cotrubas as Violetta,
so I will give mine. I heard her sing the role back in 1986
at the Vienna State Opera, and she was a small scale, vulnerable
Violetta. I have always felt that Puccini' s women are pathetic,
while Verdi's are "heroic". Her Violetta seem doomed
from the very beginning, it was obvious this Violetta was
a loser. She carried the 3 difficult voices of the role with
aplomb, but somehow she didn't seem to live the role inside-out.
Her...Read
more
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Verdi:
Otello / Chung, Domingo, Studer, Leiferkus, et al
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Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Myung-Whun
Chung
Performer: Ildebrando
D'Arcangelo, Placido
Domingo, et al.
Ensemble: Bastille
Opera Chorus, Bastille
Opera Orchestra, et al.
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #39805 / October 11, 1994
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here for more information
|
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This is Placido Domingo's third recording of Otello
and arguably his best. Besides benefiting from years of study
and restudy, the older, rougher, darker Domingo voice is better
suited to the role than his prettier, younger self. Also,
the title character's rage always seemed a bit forced in previous
recordings; not so here. His colleagues aren't always at peak
level of inspiration but they're consistently excellent. Sergei
Leiferkus's metallic, Russian sound is ideal for Iago: besides...Read
more
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Great
Recordings Of The Century - Falstaff / Karajan, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf,
Moffo |
Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Herbert
von Karajan
Performer: Tito
Gobbi, Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf, et al.
Ensemble: Philharmonia
Chorus, Philharmonia
Orchestra
Emd/Emi Classics - #67162 / September 21, 1999
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here for more information |
|
This Karajan Falstaff has much to recommend it: Fedora
Barbieri's Mistress Quickly is a force of nature, Elisabeth
Schwarzkopf, only slightly affected, is a liquid, appealing
Alice Ford, and Luigi Alva and the young Anna Moffo are ideal
as the young lovers, Fenton and Nanetta. But the star--as
it should be--is Tito Gobbi in the title role. As is usual
with this great singing actor, his characterization comes
from within--his is a Falstaff born to be deflated, arrogant
and self-deluding on a...Read
more
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Verdi:
Requiem & Choruses / Shaw, Atlanta SO & Chorus
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Composer:
Giuseppe
Verdi
Conductor: Robert
Shaw
Performer: Diane
Curry, Susan
Dunn, et al.
Ensemble: Atlanta
Symphony Chorus, Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra
Telarc - #80152 / October 15, 1987
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here for more information |
|
Robert Shaw learned from Arturo Toscanini, and in his stupendous
1987 recording for Telarc he managed to surpass the master
on some points. He is unerring in his pacing and staging of
climaxes, and draws phrasing and dynamics from the chorus
that other conductors can only dream of. Points are made with
exhilarating effect throughout the account: never has the
bass drum in the Dies irae been as splendidly hammered as
here, and the whooping brass in the Tuba mirum is breathtaking.
The all-American...Read
more
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more recommended recordings
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Hymns, Carols
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Dance Music
- Theatrical Works
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- Vocal and Opera
Opera, Operetta, Song, Lieder, Musical Theater
Complete
List of Works and Recordings
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