Customer Reviews

Verdi: Aida / Millo, Domingo, Zajick, Morris, Ramey; Levine

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 an opera lover, please don't deprive yourself of this recording.

The sad thing about this recording is that it's probably the last chance Aida will have to be recorded with the right kind of voices for many, many years. Aprile Millo sang an unforgettable Aida at the Met in 1989, and so she does here, with true spinto sound. Of course we could all name better Aidas: Milanov, Price, Caballe and the young Tebaldi, but it's undeniable that Millo is their peer. Domingo in his fourth recording as Radames is still in good form, if inevitably, time has taken some of the brilliance of yore. Zajick is an imposing Amneris, but I especially loved James Morrias as Amonasro. Listening to Millo and Morris in their third act duet, is like having Milanov and Warren together again...and in digital sound! Levine is not as idiomatic as Abbado in Verdi, but he does a good job. If you want Aida in digital sound, this HAS to be it.

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. Instead of this expensive 3CD set, you can also consider the superb DVD of a MET performance with almost exactly the same cast.

This 1990 Aida captures what it sounded like to have a seat in the fifth row at the Met when the house regulars--Domingo, Millo, Zajick, and Morris--were on stage. There was probably no better seat to be had anywhere, yet one is aware that nobody is trying extra hard. Levin'es conducting is proficient and clipped, setting the whole tone for the performance.

Aprile Millo has a timbre reminiscent of Tebaldi but with half the passion and a constant wobble--this is a superstar role and Millo was just a local star. Morris has not the slightest evideence of Verdi style, though his sound is commanding (he can't get Wotan out of his voice). Domingo is the best of the lot and is in fine voice, but he's phoning in his emotions. Sony's 24-bit sonics are very clear, if distant and lacking in impact.

The reviewer above who laments that this was probably the last time that we'll hear Aida sung with the proper voices might be right. What's lacking is the passionate, committed Verdi tradition those voices must express. If that drawback doesn't bother you, this is at least a 4-star recording.

(By the way, the generous excerpts CD, at 75 min., provides about half the opera.)

This recording of the Verdi masterpiece reunites the partial cast of the Met's 1989 cast. It is a true joy to have these two leading ladies on the same recording in digital format. Dolora Zajick's Amneris is not to be missed! And Aprille Millo establishes herself as one of the few true spinto soprani of out generation.

Levine conducts a convincing interpretation. This is the quintessential Aida!

I am going to admit I made a mistake when I purchased this recording when it was first released-I read the reviews. As is often the case, the reviews were mixed and compared the recording to great recordings of this opera, and when I listened to it, it lacked something. I now believe it is because I did not listen to it before reading the reviews. As a result, it has stayed on my shelf for many years, and the only action it ever got was when I dusted it. Not too long ago I was in an AIDA mood, so I put the first recording of the opera I could find in the CD player. It was this recording and I realized I let it sit on the shelf too long. It really is a great recording.

This recording was one of the first Metropolitan Opera and James Levine recordings for Sony. Probably the greatest strength of the recording is Levine's masterful handling of the orchestra. It should come as no surprise that the Met orchestra handles this score so well since AIDA is one of the most performed works at the Met and an opera as grand and powerful as AIDA is at home in such a large house. Placido Domingo is wonderful in the role of Radames, one of his signature roles. While Aprile Millo is not as strong an Aida as Leontyne Price, or my favorite Renata Tebaldi, she does an adequate job. I enjoy Dolora Zajick's Amneris very much. She seems to be able to handle the dignity of her role in a manner that is not pompous. While listeners love to hate her, there are moments when her voice is tender and one can feel sorry for her as the woman scorned. Samuel Ramey and James Morris add to the cast as well. Though Hei Kyung Hong's role is relatively small, her role is one of the opera's most beautiful parts and she handles it well. Lovers of the Saturday afternoon broadcasts from the Met will be familiar with the name Charles Anthony, a tenor who has played a number of comprimario roles at the Met. He too is included in this recording as a messenger.

My favorite AIDA is still the Tebaldi-Carlo Bergonzi recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan, but this recording is certainly worthwhile and a close second.

If you have to have digital sound, then you might want to explore this recording. Otherwise, there are other more successful aidas out there. I didn't feel like this performance was spirited enough. Levine's conducting was good, but not outstanding. I was disappointed by the way they handled the Triumphal March...Domingo, of course, delivers a fine performance. If you already have a complete Aida, you may want to buy the highlights cd instead of this complete recording.

ABOUT THIS RECORDING: Verdi Aida CAST: Aprile Millo, soprano (Aida), Placido Domingo, tenor (Radames), Dolora Zajick, mezzo soprano (Amneris) James Morris, baritone (Amonasro) Samuel Ramey, baritone-bass (Ramfis) Terry Cook, baritone (Pharaoh), The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Conductor James Levine, Recorded in New York City's Manhattan Center, May 18-26, 1990

This Emmy award winning Sony label studio recording was recorded for CD 21 years ago in 1990, following the successful 1989 Metropolitan Opera season's Aida under the baton of Maestro James Levine. It starred big names in the opera scene of the time: Aprile Millo, the definitive Aida of the 80's, Placido Domingo, by then a veteran star tenor, Dolora Zajick who was being celebrated as the reigning modern Verdi mezzo , James Morris the Wagnerian baritone who had successfully mastered such roles as Wotan fro Wagner's Ring at the Met and Samuel Ramey who was fast becoming a big baritone star. This is a magnificent recording and truly the last great studio Aida. This opera doesn't get the studio treatment these days because it's hard to find a suitable Aida with the right voice, much like we don't have an amazing Norma among any of today's sopranos. Fans of this opera look toward the past: Maria Callas with her legendary Mexico City performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes from the 50's in which she brought down the house with her high Eb note at the end of the Act 2 ensemble, Renata Tebaldi who sang ravishing Aidas for Karajan, Zinka Milanov who enjoyed enormous success as Aida and was the Met's star dramatic soprano for a period, Leontyne Price who is basically the owner of the role and sang it with remarkable expression and depth and beauty. Montserrat Caballe and Mirella Freni, two lyric sopranos who you'd never imagine could make fine Aidas, actually do sing superb Aidas. But Aprile Millo deserves equal praise. Millo possessed a spinto voice, completely suited to the Verdi heroines of such operas as Don Carlos and Aida. Millo was also capable of hitting the high Eb note that Callas used for the Act 2 finale but she rarely did it (Millo did this in the Verona amphitheater). She had solid high notes and excellent technique. Perhaps she may not get in character as much as Leontyne Price did, but it's a wonderful Aida nonetheless. This studio recording captures her in sublime voice, even better than she sang it in most live performances. She lacks some of the lower notes that otherwise make an even better Aida but she has a rich sultry voice in the middle register and her high notes and pianissimi are heavenly.

Dolora Zajick is perhaps the one mezzo soprano who sang Amneris the most times in a single career. She has sung it for 30 years, and I believe has sung it as recently as 2009. Her voice was in much better shape in the 80's. It is of the high mezzo kind with high notes that are like blasts of wind, she certainly provides enough drama to make the role her own but I don't see what all the fuss is about. I've heard better Amneris in Shirley Verrett, who totally got in character and understood the part as being important and pivotal. Amneris has much more to say and sing than even Aida, consequently being a harder role to undertake. Grace Bumbry sang many fine Amnerises and made it look too easy. Fiorenza Cossotto sang the role numerous times well into her old age (like Zajick) and is hailed as a true Italian Verdi mezzo. Zajick sings very well here as she is still in her prime. Her Act 1 and 2 singing is magnificent. The duet with Domingo's Radames and Millo's Aida are outstanding. She makes a thrilling Judgement Scene. In studio recording she sounds even better than in a live performance. I still prefer a mezzo who can move me to tears in the Judgement Scene the way that Rita Gorr, Grace Bumbry and Shirley Verrett can do. But Zajick is terrific in this recording.

Placido Domingo sang Radames many times and made it a signature role. He is caught in better voice in the studio recordings he made in the 70's such as the second studio Aida of Leontyne for RCA under Leinsdorf from 1960 or the live performance under Abbado with Martina Arroyo from about '72, as well as his best - the Caballe studio recording Aida with Muti from '74. Domingo's voice here is showing his age or at least his experience with the role and doesn't do anything especially interesting with the role. But it is still Domingo in excellent voice from 21 years ago with great style and with insight.

Jame Morris' Amonasro is exemplary. He was a baritone who was comfortable singing such diverse roles as Mozart's Figaro and the Almighty Wotan in Wagner's Ring. His Amonasro is imperious and powerful, it sounds just right despite the fact that Verdi was out of his usual repertoire. But he sings everything so well here that you wonder why he never sang more Verdi opera. His duet with Millo in the final act has been compared to the classic baritones like Tito Gobbi and Leonard Warren. I wouldn't go as far as saying that but it's certainly a striking performance.

James Levine conducts the score to Aida with energy and thrust. One scene flows into another with forward momentum. It is neither too brisk not too slow. It doesn't have the full-fledged loud spectacle treatment of Solti and Karajan and he misses some more intimate details I'd like to hear in such scenes as the Act 1 Ritual scene "Possente Ftha" and again the Judgement Scene could have sounded better, but he definitely shines in the Triumphal March and the Tomb Scene at the end, not to mention the entire Nile scene. Levine was well known as a hard working conductor who pushed his orchestra to do their best. Endless rehearsals and preparations resulted in unforgettable magical nights at the Met in the 70's and 80's. He knew the score and understood Verdi opera. There is really nothing to complain about the way he conducts the score. In studio recording, he was often better as a conductor allowing more attention to the music to be showcased. I still think perhaps Karajan, Solti, Abbado and Mehta do superior jobs with the score but Levine is definitely a fine interpreter of the Verdi repertoire. All in all a great recording, the last great Aida on recording. If you're a fan of a well done Aida, this is definitely one of them. But even as such I recommend any Aida with Leontyne Price (the Solti recording from '62 and the Leinsdorf from 1970) the Tebaldi Aida with Karajan, the Milanov Aida with Perlea and the Caballe Aida with Muti.

If there were any Aida today that could compare with the greats of the past such as Tebaldi and Milanov, it would be the American soprano Aprile Millo. Most Verdi operas after Verdi's early phase were no longer centered around the main soprano, and of course one would need an excellent cast to make the opera ring with life. This recording does not disappoint the listener in any way, and while conductors like Abbado and Muti know how to better conduct the score, Levine was too an excellent Verdian and delivers the score with passion and spontaneity. I would wish that the pacing of Verdi's score were somewhat faster, but there is so much lyricism and beauty in Levine's conducting that one could forget his shortcomings.

The cast is nothing short of amazing. Domingo, in his 4th recording of Radames, makes a most passionate captain of the guard. He has lost some of the luster of his voice, and while his recording with Muti and Gwyneth Jones may have found him more passionate, he is certainly very involved here. He sings a very beautiful Celeste Aida, in my opinion.

Dolora Zajick as Amneris is probably one of the best interpretations of the mezzo role. She is the prototype of the Verdian soprano, as can be seen in her Azucena, and she understands the bitch from inside out. I certainly would compare this artist with the greats of the past such as Cossotto, Barbieri, and Simionato, the great three Italian mezzos of the past who made a specialty out of this role. Brava!

James Morris was the greatest Wotan in the Met during the 80's and 90's. There is no doubt that this amazing bass-baritone made a great Amonasro as well. I believe that his control of legato, as well as his excellent voice and his dynamics, make his Amonasro one of the better interpretations of the recent times, although one could wish that he were Leonard Warren, Cornell MacNeill, or Tito Gobbi.

This, of course, brings me to the Aida, Aprile Millo. With a voice as large and beautiful (albeit not as flexible) as Tebaldi, more sensitive than Milanov, and much more even and consistent than Callas, I would say that Aprile Millo is the definitive Aida of our generation. I would say that Callas was better as an interpreter and Nilsson perhaps made something of this Italian role better than most of the natives, but Millo holds her own among these greats, and I would say that I recommend this recording to anyone who wants to listen to an Aida sung with the true kind of voice required for the role.

Recommended!

If you want to experiece something great, you should have this recording. You can hear about Leontyne Price (great, of course), Milanov or even Caballé, but Millo is to die for. Besides her Dolora Zajick, amazing Amneris. Levine is extremely intense. Domingo not at his best (when he has been at his best? just a couple of times: Manon Lescaut live from the Met with Scotto on DVD).