Customer Reviews

Verdi - Aida / Caballé · Domingo · Cossotto · Ghiaurov · Cappuccilli · Roni · NPO · Muti

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Having listened to most of the famous Aida recordings, I've concluded that this comes closest to the ideal Aida performance in studio. All the singers on this set were at their best in their early '70s when this set was recorded. Their rich, powerful, secure voices and temperament are perfect for the roles.

Although I prefer Caballe in bel canto, as Aida she is superb, full of lyricism. Moreover, Caballe gives here one of her most dramatic studio performances. She doesn't have young Tebaldi's heavenly spinto sound but Montserrat's golden tone is almost equally affective. Notice Caballe's amazing vocal technique; the endless breath, the even registers and the seamless phrasing.

Domingo sings one of his most famous roles. He and Caballe have similar creamy voices and this makes the Aida-Radames duets very successful. He repeated the role in studio many times later but his partnership with Caballe produced the best results. Cossotto, Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov are flawless and remain my favourite Amneris, Amonastro and Ramfis. Muti conducts with grandness and lyricism and creates a masterful AIDA.

Even though this is THE BEST ALL-AROUND AIDA, other sopranos have also given great performances. Arroyo, Milanov, Price and Tebaldi are all superb (each in their own way). More recently, Millo has also successfully performed the title role.

I can't remember how long I've wanted this CD for, but it's always been pricy - thank goodness for this affordable release. For me this is the Aida of choice though in a field with many, many good recordings I can hardly claim this to be true of everyone.

For a start, this is a big house, big sound recording. The quality is excellent but it could never be mistaken for a chamber opera. The orchestral playing is big, big, big which isn't thye same as loud, loud, loud. The sound is always opulent and Muti's tempi are wonderfully judged - there never seems to be a rush or a hiatus, and the dance music is as interesting as I've heard it. Choral singing is always exemplary. Truly a benchmark for Verdi conducting.

But Aida stands and falls by its soloists, in particular the ladies, and this one stands. Caballe has it all - a steely edge for the big moments and for riding the ensembles (something I've always missed about Price), a phenomenal dynamic range that noone before or since has matched (who wouyldn't kill to produce a top C like hers in the Nile Aria?) and an overwhelming sense of sadness that comes across infallibly in her solo moments. Some might wish for a bigger voice for an Aida but surely noone could imagine a more vivid and fascinating one. Fiorenza Cossotto sounds unnervingle like Caballe especially in her big moments - the Act 2 Scene 1 duet is a good case in point and makes fascinating listening. But she holds her own especially in the trial scene and sounds fresher than many an Amneris whilst lacking nothing in fullness of tone. Domingo's Radames is well known - less imaginative than a Vickers, less beautiful than a Corelli, but always noble and committed. Cappucilli is a stern and scary Amonasro, no match for his daughter in subtlety but not to be trifled with, whilst the reat of the cast is well in place.

Yes, I feel that this is the Aida to have especially for fanbs of Caballe. But for Price-worshippers, Callas-worshipers, Vickers-worshippers and their ilk - you may be looking elsewhere.

It's peculiar that no single performance of Aida on records has ever attained consensus as 'the one', the closest candidate being the RCA-Decca performance with Leontyne Price and Jon Vickers. After decades of listening to most of the major contenders, here's how I would size them up.

Best conducting: Karajan on both his readings, the first for Decca in the early Sixties, the second for EMI in 1980. He has the glorious Vienna Phil. on both--for richness, depth, drama, and splendor nothing equals them. Karrajan himself provides a continuous outpouring of insights into Verdi's deceptively simple score.

Best Aida: For many, Leontyne Price will always be defined by this role, her signature for two decades and perfectly suited to her voice, with its dusky low range and incredible floated high notes. She sounds much fresher in her first RCA recording with Solti than in the remake with Leinsdorf. For other listeners there is no replacement for Callas and her intense involvement with the role, while Tebadi stands out for sheer lusciousness of voice.

Best Rhadames: Bjorling really didn't have the heft to sing this role onstage, but pairing Milanov in a classic RCA mono recording (now very much showing its age) he sounds, as always, ravishing in style and tone. Vickers attacks the role with incredible intensity but is singularly un-Italian despite his glorious, heroic volume of sound. Among stylish tenors with smaller voices, Bergonzi under Karajan, paired with Tebaldi, wins high critical praise. Domingo, for all his virtues, always seems to come in second best -- he can be a bit generic, perhaps catching fire more under Abbado than elsewhere.

Let's say we stop there; it's easy to see why the Price-Vickers-Solti set has such a strong following, and also the Tebaldi-Bergonzi-Karajan set. But complaints have always arisen about both, that Vickers has no Italian style and Solti conducts with brazen vulgarity. In the other set, the grouse is that Tebaldi wasn't in best voice and sounds too imperious, while Bergonzi, for all his polish, isn't a viscerally exciting Rhadames.

This carping opened the way for the 70's EMI set with Caballe and Domingo in their vocal prime. Muti conducts skilfully, moving the drama along quickly and with a refreshing lack of overdone sentimentality. Caballe isn't a spinto-dramatic soprano as called for, but she sings for the microphone with wonderful nuance and pathos (I find her less droopy than she often was). Domingo exhibits perfect tone and style, but his reading is a bit callow compared ot what he would achieve later in his career. In other words, there's no true greatness in any part, but the whole hangs together nicely. It must be noted, though, that the bland Capuccilli as Amonasro ruins the drama of the Nile scene.

My review, such as it is, stops here, since other reviewers listed below have detailed the specifics of this recording. But I'd like to offer some notes about all the Aidas I've encountered over the years.

--Aida was Birgit Nilsson's best Italian role, and in her EMI recording she softens her steely tone and makes quite a nice success for herself. She is partnered with Corelli, whose vulgar bawling makes him unlistenable to my ears, but if you admire him, this performance led by a young Zubin Mehta ranks with the Caballe-Domingo one.

--Callas must be listened to on her own, or with Gobbi when he enters as her father in Act 3. Their Nile scene is incomparable, not to be missed. Too bad it's ruined by the entrance of the horribly stentorian, unstylish Richard Tucker, a huge blemish on this recording.

--Abbado should have come through with Aida from La Scala when he was musical director there, but his reading for DG is cautious and bland (the same goes for a live performance on Opera d'Oro with Arroyo and Domingo--they aren't great, either, though very good).

--Aidas who can't really manage the part include Katia Ricciarelli for Abbado and Freni for Karajan in his EMI remake (she's wildly overparted but moving and artistic nonetheless). Aprile Millo for Levine from the Met (Sony) can sing the notes but has nothing interesting to tell us. Heresy to say, but I feel the same way about the revered Zinka Milanov with Bjorling on RCA.

--A Rhadames who can't really sing the part is Carreras under Karajan, but he gives his all trying. Pavarotti sang the role both on stage and on disc (with an unknown and forgettable Aida), but his lyric tenor isn't right. Having said that, I was surprised at how enjoyable his Decca performance is. Domingo has sung the role for Muti, Leinsdorf, Abbado, and Levine. All are very good; probably the best is with Leinsdorf, a shame since the conducting is prosaic and the bloom was off Price's voice by then.

--Uninspired condcuting honors go to Leinsdorf, but I get little out of Levine's hectic, impesonal work on Sony, and the sainted Tulio Serafin on the Callas set is authentic but rather workaday. When it comes down to it, Solti for all his vulgarisms threw himself into his preformance, while Karajan is the greatest maestro to take on the opera, pace the fans of Toscanini, whose fiery reading isn't to my taste, even if it didn't have a second-rate cast and boxy, wooden sonics.

There are multiple strengths and no glaring weaknesses in this justly acclaimed recording. Muti's conducting is both dynamic and sensitive, as is Solti's, and somewhat brisker in tempo. Furthermore, he brings out orchestral details that are often not heard. The singing is strong throughout. Domingo's Radames has a powerful, full bodied timbre, and Caballe's Aida is distinguished by beautiful soft tones and clarity of diction, yet, at the same time, she effectively conveys Aida's passion and anguish, and also has the power of voice to handle the big dramatic moments. Ghiaurov's deep basso adds to the gravity of his performance of Ramfis, the chief priest. The only reservations I would offer is that Cossotto as Amneris, while strong of voice, sounds rather wooden in her portrayal as compared to Gorr in the Solti recording, and that Domingo's Radames, while beautifully sung and more Italian in style, does not penetrate into the character's thoughts and feelings as deeply as Vickers (who also possesses the powerful sound required to convey the more external aspects of Radames as noble warrior hero and ardent lover). Furthermore, Price is more lush of voice and overtly passionate, though her singing lacks the pianissimo shadings of Caballe, and she also tends to slur her consonants.
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I love Aida. I own so many recordings that I've lost count as to how many I have in my library. In many ways, I think this is one of Verdi's most beautiful and sophisticated scores. Several conductors have handled (and butchered) the score, yet this recording shows how Verdi should really be sung and conducted. Riccardo Muti is perhaps the best Verdi conductor, even better than Toscanini (but not Serafin). His Verdi collection from EMI shows his talent from making the myriad of colors from Verdi's score emerge in such a way that would captivate the listener. His chosen tempi and dynamics are also very theatrical. The magic he performs with the orchestra brings out the several transparencies in Aida, and for this reason I would choose his conducting over that of Karajan's or Solti's. Granted, Montserrat Caballe is not a very visually appealing Aida, but her voice is magnificent--seamless from top to bottom, producing creamy tone wherever necessary. She isn't a true Aida. For that, you must go to Renata Tebaldi. However, Caballe manipulates her voice so that you would think that she was made for Aida. Placido Domingo sings with golden tone and committment throughout this performance. I think that this is a reference performance for Radames after Bergonzi's magnificent performance with Karajan. I'm sorry, but I never enjoyed Corelli's performance under Mehta. I thought he was past his prime there, and his lack of legato makes the private introspective moments sound overtly loud. His high notes are thrilling though. Piero Cappuccilli, one of the greatest Verdi baritones of the last century, sang an authoritative and brooding Amonasro. As wonderful as Gobbi's performance with Callas is, I think Cappuccilli's voice suited Amonasro better. Ghiaurov is a very looming Ramfis.

However, the main reason for me to purchase this set is for the high-octane performance of Amneris given by Fiorenza Cossotto. This brilliant mezzo soprano, whose career is suprisingly still ongoing, has a voice that was tailored to the temperaments of the Verdi mezzo roles. I think that while Giulietta Simionato may have had a warmer timbre, Cossotto inhabited the psychologies of her characters better. I have never heard a more demented Azucena from any other singer, and my recordings of her Eboli show a singer whose grace and elan are unequalled, even by the great Simionato. Her Adalgisa shows a secure instrument that is fluent in coloratura and brilliant in the top registers. Her Santuzza literally puts several sopranos into shame. Her Leonore from Donizetti's La Favorita is a reference performance, equipped with all the coloratura and very large, brilliant high notes. Her Dalila is simply seductive and powerful. Her Principessa di Boullion is menacing, and her Carmen is rightfully seductive. Her recorded Preziosilla on Levine's Forza is perhaps the most accurate and fun interpretation of the gypsy part I've ever heard. Her Lady Macbeth is fierce, and her Rosina is no pushover. Her Amneris, a role which she essayed frequently in many of the world's great theaters, is perhaps the definitive interpretation of the role. Neither Simionato or Barbieri could touch Fiorenza in the thrilling chest notes and the regal interpretation she gave the role. For her, and of course for the cast and Muti, should you buy this set. While some may find Tebaldi's Aida definitive, no one, in my opinion, can skirt around Cossotto's magnificent Amneris. Buy this Aida. It is an essential for any collection.

Everytime I hear this recording of "Aida", I get carried away by the wonderful music and the equally magnificent interpretations of the singers. Caballe, Domingo, Cossotto, Ghiaurov and Cappuccilli sing wonderfully and leave me breathless.

Caballe sings the part of Aida perfectly and with dramatic tension. Just listen to her "Ritorna vincitor!" and to the duet with her father, ideally portrayed by Cappuccilli (I also admire Gobbi's interpretation of the role).

Placido Domingo gives us one of his best perfomances as Radames, the Egyptian general who falls in love with the poor Ethiopian slave. His "Celeste Aida" is one of the highlights of this performance.

Fiorenza Cossotto gives an equally good performance of Amneris, the Egyptian princess. Her duet with Radames in the last act can give you a good impression of her vocal and dramatic abilities.

Te rest of the cast is very good too. I admire Ghiaurov's unique bass voice as well as Cappuccilli's. Muti conducts in tempo and appropriately.

I recommend this recording as a must-have "Aida" for every opera lover who respects himself.

After doing some research on the different versions of this opera available out there, I decided to purchase this one. The box has "great recordings of the century" written on the side, and they're definitely not kidding. I don't know if it's the best one ever made, but it's certainly close. There's absolutely no weakness in this version, it has everything. First, this is possibly the best cast version in terms of the soloists, Caballé is beyond belief in the title role, with her beatiful singing and her trademark pianissimos. Domingo's voice is perfect for Radamés, and he sings his heart out throughout. Ghiaurov is a dignified and magnificent Ramfis, and he posseses one of the most unusual and unique bass voices I have ever heard. The rest of the cast, composed of Cossotto, Cappuccilli and Roni are all magnificent as well in their respective roles. In short, this version features some of the best singers of the past century, at the pinnacle of their careers.
Of course, you have to mention the conductor. Muti is one of the top Verdi conductors of our time, and he does a marvelous job in this one. The sound of the orchestra is always crisp and beautiful, a perfect balance of grandeur and delicacy. As it says in the CD's booklet, the singers in this version (or at least Placido Domingo) consider a piano rehearsal with Muti quite an experience. The choral parts are also very well crafted.
To sum it up, if you're an opera buff, this is probably a title of which you'll want more than one version. This one is definitely a must in your collection, and if you were to pick only one recording of this opera to listen to for the rest of your life, I'd recommend this one.

This is one of my favorite recordings of Aida. Vocally, it is terrific, with Caballe and Cossotto particularly magnificent. Cossotto again proves herself to be perhaps THE Verdi mezzo (although Shirley Verrett is strong competition for that "title), and she and Caballe blend together magnificently (as they did in their recording of Verdi's Requiem). Caballe gives one of her best performances on disc; her pianissimi are as exquisite here as in any of her best recordings, and dramatically she is stronger than one might have expected. Domingo is an expectedly solid Radames. My only complaint is with Muti's conducting, which I feel is too self-conscious and self-indulgent in his extremes of tempi. He certainly gives Caballe the space to float her beautiful top notes, expecially in "O patria mia," but his hard charging attack in other places leave an overall impression of something less-than-organic.

While I will return often to this recording, it still does not come close to what I consider the definitive recording by Solti with Leontyne Price and Rita Gorr as the best Aida and Amneris, respectively, and Vickers in one of his strongest performances.

That was how Shaw characterised Verdi, bracketing him with Victor Hugo. Shaw also sensed a falling-off in spontaneity in Aida, its place being taken by increasing sophistication. I doubt if he would have had such reservations if he had heard this tremendous performance, one of the most thrilling you will ever hear. To get it going, Domingo's Celeste Aida is, well, celestial, and he is in superb voice throughout. Caballe sings like an angel from paradise. I remember her interviewed on TV by Bernard Levin years ago, and she almost winced as she said 'For Verdi you need so much VOICE'. There is no doubt about it, Verdi's demands on the human voice are inhuman, and I was lost in admiration at the entire cast and their majestic response to the whole wonderful but monstrous challenge set to them. At least one thing is simple in Aida and that is the plot-line, which makes a nice change compared with, say, Trovatore, and the characters, strongly drawn though they are both by Ghislanzoni and the composer, are not complex like Rigoletto or Iago.

I suspect that singers who can surmount the musical challenge as triumphantly as these do just find that they are acting superbly as well. The conducting helps just a little of course. Verdi's orchestral conception has now advanced beyond the 'big guitar' stage and the sumptuous sound Muti obtains and the strong forward thrust of his tempi creats an enthralling sense of grandeur. I had to listen to this Aida without interruption, just carried along by the sheer power of it. Loss of spontaneity? -- not a bit of it. The Requiem was still to come, and nobody has ever found any loss of spontaneity in that. For all the heartbreaking tenderness and pathos the final impression left is of an overpowering drama.

Yes, this is indeed another great recording of the twentieth century, without the slightest trace of doubt. It is presumably the best stereo recording (main competitor, in my view, would be the Decca set with Tebaldi and Karajan; indeed, for contrasting views you really need both). Part of the success of this set lies with Montserrat Caballé, brilliant, full character and also perhaps the most beautiful sounding Aida on disc - and that is not to say that she lacks the required power. Cossotto is not much less successful in her slightly ferocious, menacing Amneris. Domingo's singing is intelligent and noble as always (though, and this is one of the few blemishes - Celeste Aida comes without a quiet ending). Cappucilli is good as well, but arguably lacks some subtlety.

Muti provides a red-blooded account, rather broad but full of passion. The greatest virtue, however, lies in the superb interaction with the soloists. The sound is big, round and dramatic, perfectly suited for the work. In sum, this is a truly magnificent account, probably the most dramatically stirring of them all. Strongly recommended.