Customer Reviews

Verdi: Aida [Highlights]

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After a number of Aida recordings of the 70s and 80s that lacked a true spinto soprano Aida, Millo brings us back to the essence of the role. She does not always sound firm and stable but on the whole she is one of the finest Aidas I've heard. The voice has some qualities that remind me of Ricciarelli and Milanov, yet Millo is stronger than the former and less secure than the latter. Moreover, Millo understands the character and makes an interesting Aida.

I expected an uninvolved and somewhat tired Domingo considering that this is his fourth studio recording of the role but he surprised me! He does something special with the ending of his big aria and generally sounds more relaxed than ever. I guess I belong to the ones who prefer the older Domingo. The rest of the cast is impressive, led by the famous Amneris of Zajik. Morris and Ramey are equally great.

What I like most about this AIDA is the feeling of a live performance that it gives me. All artists do their best, and work as a team. They obviously benefited from their common stage experiences. Levine is grand and also cares about his soloists.

Even if you own all the other famous Aida recordings, this one is certainly worth investigating. These highlights are a good way to avoid the pricy 3cd complete recording.

This is the first recording of Aida that I have found fully satisfying. The conducting is good and the cast is excellent. The oustanding vocal talents of Domingo, Morris, and Ramey are well known. But for me the missing piece is supplied by Aprile Millo as Aida. To my ears Millo is the most outstanding dramatic Verdi soprano to have come along in decades. Her singing is nothing short of phenomenal. If you're looking for a CD of highlights from Aida, you can't do better than this one.