Customer Reviews

RCA Victor Basic 100, Vol. 47- Verdi: Aida (Highlights)

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This album offers only excerpts and highlights from the RCA label recording starring Placido Domingo, Leontine Price, Grace Bumbry, Sherill Milnes and conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. It is the ultimate Aida on record, eventhough critics continue to snub it. They obviously have no ears for opera. Opera must not only sound gorgeous, it must be dramatic. It must move the audience to tears, the story must haunt the audience long after the curtain has come down. In Verdi's Aida, we get a grand opera of epic proportions and passionate emotion. The perfection of this recording is found in the virtuosic singers in the cast. Eventhough many critics dislike Erich Leinsdorf conducting, I find it to be remarkable. Make this one of your very first Aidas and then buy the full-length opera with this exact same cast. It is the best of all recordings but if you must, and this doesn't cut it for you, try the Jon Vickers/Leontine Price/Rita Gorr edition... Placido Domingo/Caballe/Cossoto edition or the more classic Franco Corelli/Birgit Nilsson edition. Certainly the pairing of Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli in Aida delivers a mind-blowing performance.

Placido Domingo and Leontine Price: At the time this recording was made, Domingo and Price were enjoying immense success at the Met. Their partnership in Aida, especially, was legendary at the Met. It was the late 60's and these singers had a repertoire of opera still in its blossom. Domingo's career would continue until the 90's!! For him, other virtuosic tenor roles would follow- Othello, Manrico in Trovatore, Alfredo in Traviata, Andrea Chenier, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Calaf in Turandot, Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Romeo in Gounod's Romeo et Juliet and Gounod's Faust, Mozart's Idomeneo. The list goes on and on. It seems Domingo has taken on every tenor role in the opera universe!! As Radames, he is more of a noble romantic prince than a hot-blooded macho Egyptian warrior. Franco Corelli's performance as Radames is effectively heroic and masculine as is Jon Vickers. True, Domingo has a lighter more lyrical sound. But the high "top" is there and the dark, rich middle and lower registers are there. He can caress lines and exclaim loudly with ease and grace. His version of "Celeste Aida" is truly the best, setting the bar high. It's superior to the showy and superfluous Pavoratti, no offense. It's more romantic and ballad-like which it should be since he is describing his love for Aida. He's not saying "I killed a hundred men!". He is showing his sensitive side. His Tomb Scene with Leontine Price is incredible. Leontine Price is the ultimate Aida- passionate, tormented and dramatic. Just listen to how she masters the aria "O Patria Mia" which is a blaze of glory and her dramatic duet with the Pharaoh (Sherill Milnes) is electrifying.

Grace Bumbry And Sherill Milnes: They are perfect in their roles. Amneris is often diminished to a jealous diva/princess, a scheming bitch, a catty and even villainous woman. But even Verdi intended for us to feel sympathy for her as many of her arias are beautiful and lyrical. Grace Bumbry brings a dignity and class to the role, a subtle beauty that although not at the goddess level of Leontine Price, is remarkably gorgeous. Her rich mezzo soprano voice shines in the lyrical passages and provide the character with pathos. She is capable of making leaps into the soprano range and she uses this effectively in the more dramatic scenes, such as the finale. With Aida and Radames entombed alive, she tries in vain to stop the forces of the Pharaoh, raining down curses on them, and is apparently distressed. She manages to sound as dramatic as even Leontine Price. Her plaintive last words "Pace Pace" "Peace..peace" are breathtakingly beautiful and hautning. Bass/baritone Milnes as the Pharaoh is appropriately noble, regial and majestic. He sounds fatherly and compassionate but when betrayed, he becomes furious and heartless, even to Radames whom he had previously admired. The role suits Sherill Milnes perfectly. This is the best Aida I've heard. Please hear it for yourself.

This is a Highlights CD that includes the more famous musical passages and scenes - with one notable exception: the omission of the Act II Amneris/Aida duet. The electricity generated by Madames Grace Bumbry and Leontyne Price in this music is palpable, and in Ms. Bumbry's case, definitve.. Its a shame that RCA didn't prune some of the Ballet in favor of the duet. Below is a review of the complete opera release from which rthese "highlights" were culled.

This particular recording of Verdi's "Aida" has provoked a great deal of discussion amongst opera-lovers and critics alike since its release in 1970. Much of the furor centered on the American operatic diva Leontyne Price, universally regarded as one of the greatest Aidas ever, and this, her 2nd recorded performance of the role. Most become mired in subjective comparisons between Ms. Price's vocalism and interpretation on the legendary Solti/ Decca "Aida" made in the '60s, and this recording, released on RCA in 1970. There is little need for such debate. "Aida" has enjoyed no greater performer of the role than Leontyne Price! Here, Ms. Price's voice has grown notably darker in color, the middle voice heavier and lusher in texture. Her lower voice has more bite (and more chest)and husk. The upper voice hasn't lost much(vibrancy),and has gained a creamier, velvety richness that yields sublime soft 'pianos'("Numi pieta"..."O Patria mia"...the Nile Scene...and "O terra,addio") and produces the 'con forza' neccessary for the climaxes in the opera. Ms. Price has stated that the key to performing this role(for her)is in recognizing that Aida is a Royal Ethiopean princess, and that attitude is prevalent in her performance here. The conception is grander, more regal, and pointed in relation to her earlier assumption with Solti. The diva uses her impressive vocal 'palette' to color the texts, illuminating the various dramatic situations expertly, no more so than in the Nile Scene where Aida must express sorrow in the aria, joy, then revulsion & terror in the duet with Amonasro, and then seduce Radames into duplicity. Ms. Price reigns supreme there, and is triumphant throughout in this recording. Comparisons be damned, Leontyne Price is unbeatable as Aida on recordings. Her Radames, tenor Placido Domingo, has recorded his role (3) times. He sings here with a youthful vitality that's appropriate for the ambitious Egyptian captain in love with Aida. Mr. Domingo's voice is darkly beautiful, with a distinct vibrancy in his middle voice that blossoms into a firm, full-bodied spinto upper voice that 'rings' on top. He's ardent in the love scenes, heroic in the climaxes, and uniquely successful at portraying Radames' vulnerability, making Aida's seduction in the Nile Scene and "Celeste Aida" more convincing than usual. Mr. Domingo's use of 'mezza voce' is never more appreciated than in "O terra addio", the opera's finale, where he & Ms. Price sing a soft, glowing "farewell" to earth that is heartbreaking. Mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry recorded the role of the Egyptian princess Amneris once before this performance. This role is one of her most famous creations, and she demonstrates the reason for such acclaim here. Ms. Bumbry's voice is sable- rich in texture, with a dark, pulsing middle voice, powerful high notes, and a deep, resonant chest voice that's singular in its beauty. 'Amneris' is a three-dimensional character in Ms. Bumbry's hands, and vocally, the mezzo-soprano is superb at presenting the crafty, volatile, passionate nature of Aida's nemesis. Ms. Bumbry's voice alternately purrs beguilingly, snarls with fury, urgently pleads, and is plaintive when the drama demands it, all on display in her Act III duet with Mr. Domingo,and the explosive Judgement Scene that follows. She is a magnificent Amneris. Baritone Sherrill Milnes added the role of Aida's father 'Amonasaro' to the stellar list of Verdi roles he's renowned for with this recording. His portrayal is also more youthful than usual, but loses none of the dignity and stature that Verdi invested in the music. Mr. Milnes uses his voluminous instrument with a musical intelligence that is largely missing in his rivals' interpretations. His singing is nuanced, purposeful, & incisive, utilizing the strong, firmly- voiced middle to contrast with a superior upper extension, that balances his weak lower register(though not a great factor in this role). Mr. Milnes' duet with Ms. Price in the Nile Scene sizzles! The role of 'Ramphis' is intoned by basso Ruggiero Raimondi, whose vocalism is well-produced but static. (With rare exception, so are his rivals.) Maestro Erich Leinsdorf lacks the imaginative 'spark' that could have lifted this performance to definitive greatness, and instead, conducts a 'practised', thoroughly competent, and musically correct account of this GRAND opera. We are most fortunate that the cast is able to bring their own artistry & vision to the proceedings, and not be too influenced by the maestro's equanimity with the score. This recording has been re-mastered digitally, and the sonics are quite lively and true. There are indeed other more creatively- conducted performances, that feature 'Aidas' of great vocal beauty (Caballe, Milanov,Tebaldi,L.Price) & other superlative artists ( Cossotto,Simionato,Barbieri/ Bergonzi,Corelli,Tucker/ Merrill,Gobbi,Warren), but this performance has something its rivals don't: a sterling quartet of quintessential Verdians that includes 'Aida assoluta' Leontyne Price!!

Certainly there could be more virile Radames than Mr. Domingo and certainly no more passionate Aida than Miss Price. This dream team has one of the finest Amneris interpretations in recent times by Miss Grace Bumbry with the heroic Mr. Milnes to complete this fine ensemble recording.

Leontyne Price is without question the soprano of the century and the greatest Aida of all time. The tenor of the century, Placido Domingo, and the soprano of the century, Leontyne Price, blend uncomparable vocal talents for the most spectacular Aida ever to be performed.

Althrough this is a budget release of highlights from the 1970 RCA recording, it'll no match for the recently-released full price version, which featured narrations from Ms. Price, taken from her popular story book.