Customer Reviews

Verdi: Rigoletto

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This one? That one? Which 'Rigoletto'? One review sites power of high notes with Bastianini, another grumbles about the sound, a third hates all the principals.
Callas inspired both love and contempt and this perform won't help.To the devoted fan they will hear her incredible artistry, to her detractors she will seem ungainly and far from the virginal creature Verdi intended. But as is usual with the great Diva..if you have ears to hear, then hear her fall from innocence into guilt and shame and finally feel her inspired to self sacrifice. Wonderful.
There is much, much more to the role of Rigoletto than a rich voice and a brilliant top.Gobbi's vocal colouring is staggeringly versatile. Only possible criticism is that he may wear his heart too much on his sleeve..and if you really believe that then go to Merrill or Bastianini and good luck to you. Gobbi is superb.
Di Stefano? Listen to his 'Questa o Quella' and you know the Duke inside out. Dangerous, predatory, shallow. La Donna goes less well with an ungainly cadenza and a flatconclusion. Forgivable after his glorious tones in the love duet and elswhere. The man has voice, 'face' and glorious tone.
Serafin loved this score though the quartet seems to slow dangerously at one point. Only 4 stars? Well its not perfect!
It's simply the best!

Few complete recordings "Rigoletto" have the same intense level of emotional involvement as this one. Gobbi gives one of the great dramatic performances of any title role in opera. Sure, there are others who brought more resplendent voices to the role (i.e., Taddei and the 55 year old but magnificent Ricardo Stracciari), but neither of them gives a portrayal that is anywhere near as moving as Gobbi's. As for Callas: what is it about the quality of her voice that so causes your heart to go out to her immediately in sympathy? There is something so vulnerable, genuine and three-dimensional about her Gilda - it's hard to put into words. As for di Stefano, has anyone else so perfectly captured the Duke's mixture of charm and cruelty? And if that were not enough, Serafin provides us with one of the finest-conducted Rigoletto out there.

As far as I'm concerned, this is a top candidate if you are choosing a sole version of this Verdi masterpiece.

This has GOT to be the perfect cast for Rigoletto. Callas, Di Stefano, and Gobbi all in their wonderful primes. La Divina sounds so young, fresh, and innocent here (I don't know where someone got that they thought she sounded like a 70 year old lady!!). I have usually found Callas' diction quite exceptional, unlike Dame Joan, and that is once again evident on this recording. Her coloratura soaring tones sound efortless here! And Gobbi!! What incredible voice he is in here!! I agree with our friend from Milano when he states that Gobbi has to be second only to Ruffo for Italian baritones. Di Stefano had to be the perfect voice for the Duke (along with Nicolai Gedda, the late Alfredo Kraus, and Mario Lanza, even though we were never fortunate enough for Lanza to perform the entire role). It must have been this type of voice Verdi had in mind when he wrote the Duke of Mantua. Di Stefano shows a neccessary abandon and rakeishness that so many other Tenors lack on recordings. This recording has a real Italian edge to it. Not plastic and pristine sounding like most modern recordings of this role. Serafin's conducting is flawless!!!! Quite possibly one of the greatest recordings of all time. A must have!!!

I'd like to compare two of my favorite Rigoletto sets - this one (Serafin/Gobbi) and the Guilini/Cappuccilli one.

First though, let me say, that I first heard rigoletto with the Pavarotti/Sutherland set, and I hated it. I didn't get into it at all, and didn't think it was a very good opera. Sure, the singing was great, but it was all very superficial, and frankly, gaudy. Then I heard the Serafin/Gobbi rigoletto, and it was like a revelation. I would advise you to stay away from the Pavarotti/Sutherland set.

Anyway, Gobbi and cappuccilli are both great rigoletto's - i prefer Gobbi's interpretation, but both are marvelous singing-actors; they both give us an immensely tragic protrayal of the cursed jester.

Contrubas (on the Guilini/Cappuccilli set) is an exquisite Gilda - her caro nome is divine and the last scene with rigoletto when she is dying is heartbreaking. That said, nothing can compare to Callas' Gilda - at the time of the recording (1956), she was in great voice, and she tackles caro nome beautifully - in callas' caro nome, I hear a vulnerable woman desperately in love, yet scared. in sutherland's, all I hear is bird calls. Also, the gilda-rigoletto duets are outstanding - callas and gobbi always worked very well off each other, and this is a wonderful example of their musical rapport.

Both Domingo and di Stefano are wonderful duke's - domingo's portrayal is more affecting and while it is obvious the duke is a playboy, you get the feeling that it is possible he might have actually loved Gilda. Di Stefano's duke is just an all-out jerk, but wonderfully sung.

As for the conducting - Guilini's is more dramatic and powerful, whereas Serafin's is more tragic and slower-paced. At times, the slow pace works well, like during the quartet, which is just magic. In other parts I found myself wishing serafin would give us a little more "thrust." Overall, Guilini is better.

In other words, get both sets! But don't touch the Pavarotti/Sutherland set - not even with a ten-foot pole. If you buy it as your first set, t will ruin rigoletto for you.

Amazon's reviewer got it right. Callas is a marvelous Gilda, but she is not the only star of this performance. Gobbi is a superb Rigoletto. His musicianship is outstanding, and his interpretation is both strong and sensitive. Serafin keeps the tension going, providing us with a crackling interpretation. By the end the listener is drained emotionally.

There are other good versions. For those looking for an excellent performance in more modern sound, I recommend the Guilini with Domingo and Cotrubas. For those for whom an older sound does not detract from a superior performance, this is the one to get.

However, as I often say, in the end you will probably get both if you love this opera as much as I do.

Well, after reading other reviews, I clearly see that one either loves or hate this recording. I'd have to say that if you care the most for pretty voices and do not care about dramatics, you should better try other recordings (Pavarotti and Sutherland give us a very well sang but completely unmoving Rigoletto). If however, you want great voices and great, dramatic interpretations, this is the Rigoletto for you.

First things first. Tito Gobi is the STAR of the show, he gives us an incredible Rigoletto, so moving that more would be impossible, and he goes from the emotions of revenge to a father to pity, like no other. It's easy to see why it was his prefered role on stage.

Second, Maria Callas is excellent. It's true that she may have been a little old to play Gilda, but she sounds incredible, and most importantly, she does sound young (at least younger than on most of her other recording on EMI), and while not as young as a teenager, her interpretation is credible, and her Caro Nome is breathtaking. You also have to listen to the duets with Tito Gobi, she really brings the role of Gilda to the main stage and makes you want to cry.

Of Di Stefano, he's not very much to my liking, but he sings the Duke very well, giving us a very good carefree and libertine Duke.

And last but not least, Tulio Serafin shows a perfect understanding of the score and of the drama Verdi intended. This is pure italian style. EMI also gives us a great mono sound (the best of all the Callas Collection). I've heard many other Rigolettos and there's no other as dramatic and moving as this one.

How lucky Mr. Verdi himself would have been when listening to this record of his opera masterpiece. Gobbi's hunchback is breathtaking and moving. This singer must be hailed - second to Tita Ruffo - as the baritone of this century! And La Divina? She may not be the kind of fragile, thinny-voiced Gildas some so called opera "fans" want to hear - but in this role she is better than every Rinaldi, Gueden or Cotrubas. Believe me, I've listened to all of them - Callas is the Empress! And finally Di Stefano. His juvenile, cynic interpretation of the Duca is outstandig (even the "La donna e mobile" shows subtle dramatic and lyric moments, thanks to Di Stefano's regret to use any vile effects as many other tenors did before and after him). To my mind, he had the most beautiful tenor voice of the century! His partnership with Callas was outstanding, too. Finally, Tullio Serafin's intelligent conducting must be mentioned. Opera at its best!

Some operas have been performed so many times that it is basically impossible to find the best interpretation. However, this one is definitely Rigoletto's best recording. OK, Callas' voice may not sound like the voice of a teenager, but do we really believe that she does a bad job transmitting the feelings of her character? Besides her, has there ever been a better Rigoletto? And please, stop attacking Di Stefano indiscriminately. Maybe he wasn't as consistent as some other singers, but in this recording in particular he is unbeatable. Finally, Serafin gives an example on how Verdi should be interpreted: no emotion is reduced, but we can feel a sense of balance throughout the whole opera. This is by far a great opera, an essential recording. Pavarotti and Sutherland version is also great, no doubt about it, but by far softer than this.

I think this should be regarded in the same class as the "Tosca" recording with the same lead cast. And to the person who said di stefano would not have made it past the choir: you never heard him live, at a concert. His recordings do not do him full justice at all. He was one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, and in his prime the greatest tenor in the world bar none.

I think the real measure of this set's worth is that it constantly brings me pleasure when I listen to it. No, the voices are not as beautiful as the Pavarotti/Sutherland set, but the drama and nuance in the voices is unbelieveable! The sound is very good too considering the time it was recorded. For me, the Callas voice thrills like no other. A great set.