Customer Reviews

Verdi: Luisa Miller - Metropolitan Opera

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I just can't understand what happened to Aprile Millo, for some 5 years she sang magnificently and seemed the soprano we had been waiting for decades, and then the voice was gone and her international career was over. At least she left a handful of opera recordings very much worth collecting: Aida, Trovatore, Don Carlo and this Luisa Miller. Unfortunately she never recorded Ballo and Forza, she would have been wonderful as Amelia and Leonora di Vargas. In this recording of Luisa Miller her voice can be heard at its best, true spinto singing in the mold of Zinka Milanov. She has strong support from that fine baritone Vladimir Chernov, who sadly has also been having vocal difficulties lately. Both are very moving as father and daughter, and it's wonderful to hear two real Verdi voices together. Placido Domingo in his second recording as Rodolfo is still in fresh voice and totally involved. Is this the best Luisa Miller? Well no, there are 2 other recordings at least as good: the DG Maazel with Ricciarelli, Domingo and Bruson, and the DECCA Maag with Pavarotti, Caballe and Milnes. Katia Ricciarelli was very special as Luisa, probably her finest recording ever, and the great Renato Bruson was incomparable as Miller, if forced to choose, this will be my favourite recording. The Pavarotti/Caballe is marvelous too, especially for Caballe in one of her finest recordings, the voice itself unbelievably beautiful, if not as touching as Ricciarelli. All three recordings are admirable and worth owning.

What happened to Aprile Millo? A twenty year career that is still going strong. You might just ave to travel to hear her as she has perfroms exclusively in the USA. Her recent Adriana Lecouveur in New York was a towering example of italian phrasing,piani, and the style of singing not heard at all these days. To have had this glorious artist in this fabulous Luisa, the third act is such a momumental thing of beauty you have to buy this just to hear it. Domingo is ardent, Chernov is Verdian, very rare, and
Levine lets the music take us to pardise. One should hear her live, but this is just the right record to have until you do....
Millo, the last of the true great Italian Sopranos.

Aprile Millo is the greatest soprano of these days. Many people thinks she is over, but does not correct. Just listen her singing Maddalena (Andrea Chenier - Metropolitan Season 92/93). Few words: the great voice at her best. Full of power, energy and sharing with the audience her energy. She is the best Luis Miller and the best performer on this recording. Just the last track of the opera takes full value. Enjoy it!

Luisa Miller is Verdi's 14th opera (prima 1849; Teatro San Carlo, Naples) and is one of his many Parent/Child operas, in this case Father/Daughter, a theme that he returns to again and again. In this instance the setting is a simple bucolic one from which he will also examine the class struggle between the gentry and the peasants. No one wins. It also gives yet another glimpse into the status of women in 19th Century Italy as pawns in the hands of men. Salvadore Cammarano produced the libretto adapted from a work by Schiller. This is a dark opera with occasional hopeful bursts of love from Luisa and Rodolfo but the act titles tell the tale; Act 1: Love, Act 2: Intrigue, Act 3: Poison and that's the long story short.

This studio recording from 1992 in a boxed set with excellent liner notes and libretto in English is a wonderful performance with Aprile Millo in the title role opposite Placido Domingo as Rodolfo, James Levine conducts the Metropolitain Opera Orchestra. The Met has, over the years, presented this opera 86 times so Maestro Levine is in familiar territory with two very excellent Verdi singers in Domingo and Millo. The supporting cast is also very skilled and the quality of the recording, as we would expect from the Met, is first rate.

Verdi was taken by the Schiller play for its "great theatrical effect" and Cammarano produced a libretto that detached significantly from the source work but gave Verdi a workable book. Domingo, a Verdian master, gives a very well rounded Rodolfo at a time when his tenor voice was still in his prime. Ms Millo rises to the occasion presenting a very secure and determined Luisa pairing nicely with Vladimir Chernov in the father role while Florence Quivar makes a stunning Federica. Millo's handling of "Lo vidi, e 'l primo palpito" is stunning giving a taste of what is to follow and she never waivers from a strong, supple performance. Domingo's "Quando le sere al placido" is exquisite. The Met chorus, with plenty to do, delivers the goods as usual. The excellent cast brings this small and sorrowful story to towering heights while Levine handles Verdi's orchestration with power and nuance. By the time the lovers fall dead at the end we have come understand that Verdi has moved into a new phase of composition and a thrilling one at that. Highly Recommended.