Customer Reviews

Premieres Rare Verdi Arias

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This recording of Verdi rarities is a must have for any Verdi fan (and I am). I had read in Budden's excellent books(years before this recording was released) that Verdi composed alternative arias for some of his operas. I was so pleased to finally be able to hear them. Pavarotti has since sung (and now recorded) Ernani with the additional aria. I personally prefer the Vepres alternate to the original, (not that I would lose it). The Aida overture is typical of Verdi's pastiche overtures, and well constructed, but he was correct in leaving the original shorter prelude in place. It is always fascinating to hear how a composer develops his works. With Verdi there are existing recordings (if you look around hard enough) of the early versions of works later heavilly revised (MacBeth, Don Carlos, Boccanegra, et al).Here's a chance to hear the aria second thoughts or special requests. They provide insight and belie the common belief that Verdi ignored performers' requests. It's a peek into the workshop of a master, and certainly worth a look.

These recordings of alternative arias, written for demanding tenors or special circumstances, date from 1978 and 1980 and until Domingo's 4CD complete Verdi Tenor arias box set appeared on DG in 2001, were pretty well the only recordings available. Even now, though this CD is short measure at 42'50", this is still a bargain. Particularly since the full price but textless highlight disc DG have also issued from Domingo's 4CD set contains none of the rarities.

In any case this recording from over 20 years earlier finds Pavarotti in fine voice and responding well to Abbado and La Scala's orchestra. The gem of the collection is A toi que j'ai chérie from Les vêpres sicilliennes, making one wonder why there still isn't a recording of this marvellous opera in the original French.

NB: This reviewer has the Warner Fonit version of the current CD "Verdi Pagine Inedite" which has Italian texts but no translations, so cannot comment on whether the US version provides a libretto.

The great tenor is in fine form in this recording of what were at the time of release, extreme rarities. (All of the pieces have been re-recorded elsewhere by now.)
I have always found Pavarotti's repertoire severely limited. (The two "other" tenors performed works from the Baroque to modern atonal composers, Luciano ranged only from Mozart to the Verismo School.) The current disc enlivens his output with some real rarities.
Claudio Abbado succeeds in getting accurate, sensitive work from the tenor. This may in fact be Pavarotti's finest recital.
The prize here is the cabaletta from I DUE FOSCARI which has perfectly placed high notes.
The timing (this is a reissue of an LP) is not generous.
The tenor's bright sound is a little too closely miked, but he is unquestionably in top form.
The two orchestral pieces, the Prelude to the original SIMON BOCCANEGRA and the full scale overture that Verdi wrote for the Italian premiere of AIDA are beautifully done by Abbado and the La Scala Orchestra.
There are interesting liner notes and full texts and translations.

Any Verdi enthusiast and voice-lover will want to earn to own this disc, despite its short measure of just over 42 minutes and the fact that it contains only six arias and two orchestral items. Recorded in the late 70's, it finds Pavarotti in finest voice, apart from the incipient habit of little over-emphatic "coups de glotte" to end phrases; he even twice treats us to a lovely falsetto phrase descending from D-sharp in the alternative aria written for the celebrated Mario in "I Due Foscari".

Most of the arias are from early works and display an understandable immaturity of style, but it is interesting to hear the results of Verdi's willingness to accommodate the vocal gifts or mere whims of his star singers. He understood their importance to his success and was no doctrinaire when it came to adaptation, nor was he averse to cutting anything which compromised dramatic impact. Hence it is instructive to hear the original overture to "Aida" - almost a pastiche of themes - and to realise that Verdi's instincts were quite right when he jettisoned it in favour of the more concise, brief and atmospheric prelude leading into the High Priest Ramfis's first utterance, "Si, corre voce".

It is also a pleasure to hear the other alternative late work: an alternative aria for the tenor Villaret 1863 Paris revival of "Les vêpres siciliennes", a plaintive number sung in surprisingly good French by Pavarotti.

Abbado - a conductor who tended to bring out the best in the tenor but with whom Pavarotti rarely worked - provides sensitive accompaniment with the La Scala orchestra. The AAD sound is a little over-loaded at climaxes and not exactly sumptuous, but perfectly satisfactory.

Luciano Pavarotti, accompanied by Alfredo Giacomot -bajo- and Claudio Abaddo in baton, made a truly grateful team. These performances are involved of enraptured poetry, radiant lyricism and resplendent expression.

The highlights are Ernani: recitativo y aria I due foscari: Escena y cavatina. The rest of the album is memorable too.

In memoriam of the vanished, unforgettable and genial tenor.