Customer Reviews

Verdi: Rigoletto

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I absolutely love this recording. I used to own the LP, paid top dollar for an import CD awhile back, and am happy to see it now available at a very nice price.

I guess some people hear what they want to hear. Say "Fischer-Dieskau as Rigoletto" and the initial reaction might be "huh?" But listen to what the man does. Verdi wrote for high baritone, and Fischer-Dieskau's tenorish quality fits the music perfectly. His tender moments, and there are quite a few in this opera, are meltingly sweet and heart breaking. And don't tell me he doesn't have enough power and bite for "Cortigiani"! Others may prefer Merrill, or Milnes, or some more typical Verdi baritone. To me, compared with Fischer-Dieskau's beautifully sung, magnificently acted and nuanced performances, those other guys just sound monochromatic, ballsy and boring.

And say "Scotto" and people think of the edgy, shrill, hammy and over-the-top persona she adopted later on. Here she's just radiant, and lovely, with impeccable intonation and pinpoint accuracy. This and her Lucia are fabulous, immensely enjoyable performances.

Bergonzi is the paragon everyone says he is. Who would you rather hear as the Duke? Kraus, maybe, but he's saddled with a clunky conductor. The supporting cast on these CDs is equally fine.

The real star is Kubelik. Who'd a thunk it? But this, the earliest of Verdi's operas to have a symphonic, through-composed character (as opposed to being merely a succession of numbers) receives a powerful, dynamic reading here that is unmatched for color, flexibility and drama. Like the best recorded performances (Monteux' Traviata, Serafin's Ballo) everything here is just as it should be.

A great, great recording. Don't miss it.

For me too, this was my very first opera recording way back in 1964 and it has remained one of my favourite versions of RIgoletto ever since. The is above all an opera with beautiful singing. Bergonzi! What an artist! Utterly bewitching, in a suave aristocratic manner, not in your testosterone rich macho style often favoured by singers who try this part. Fischer Dieskau is totally convincing in the jester's role. Again, the beauty of tone, the effortless legato and the feeling for the words are without peer. True, his was not an Italianate sound, like Gobbi's or Bruson's, but his singing is utterly convincing.

Renata Scotto is a singer who was so brilliant on stage that her recordings did not get the recognition they deserve. Hers is quite a juicy voice, not entire virginal as you might expect in this part but she sings magnificently throughout, nowhere better that in the glorious second act duet with Fischer Diskau which, for me, is the highlight of this recording. Kubelik, a vastly underestimated operatic conductor, makes here his one and only commercial recording of Italian Opera. Totally compelling.

As a 24 yr. old rock-and-roller, I checked the cassette tapes of this recording out of the library in 1966 out of curiosity. As somebody completely new to opera, I just tolerated the music enough to keep listening. Then came the Act II quartet which blew me and then my wife away. We almost wore the borrowed cassettes out.

We eventually turned into multi-decade season ticket holders and love the entire world of opera, but Rigoletto remains our favorite. In our minds Rigoletto is the operetic standard, a "perfect" balance and meshing of drama, technical fireworks, lyricism, melody, emotion, memorable characterization, solos and duets, ensemble pieces, choral and orchestral music. When this recording became available on CD, we rejoiced and bought it to add to our collection of two other Rigoletto recordings.

We were lucky starting our life-long love affair with opera with this 1964 recording. Renata Scotto is in perfect voice. Carlo Bergonzi as the Duke is warm, lyrical, and seductive. Dietrich Firsher-Dieskau as Rigoletto also has a warm, lyrical voice, unusual for Rigoletto but beautifully heartbreaking. The chorus of courtiers plays a critical starring role in Rigoletto and the La Scala chorus is superb as always, as is the direction by Rafael Kubelik. The sound quality is fuzzy by current standards, hence the 4 star rating, but is very acceptable for casual listening such as in an automobile.

If you don't have any other recordings of Rigoletto, I'd recommend the recording with Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherill Milnes, and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Bonynge, for the excellent sound quality and poweful performances. However, you can't go wrong with this recording, especially for the price.

This is a 2005 2-CD release of a 1964 recording of Rigoletto, featuring the talents of Carlo Bergonzi, singing the role of the Duke, Renata Scotto singing Gilda and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing Rigoletto. By now, anyone who owns this recording has formed his or her own opinion about the interpretation of the role of Gilda by Ms. Scotto. I found her voice almost too overwhelming and "earthy" for such a vulnerable character as Gilda, although she does hit some incredible highs in her Caro Nome and demonstrates a wonderfully smooth ability to glide into the higher scale with what appears to be effortless ease. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's voice on the other hand is saturated with emotion and in the manner of its delivery it evokes empathy for the character. Carlo Bergonzi, too, seems the right fit for the role. His voice contains just the right amount of arrogance and swagger that you would expect from the Duke. Alas, the only singer out of place, it seems, is Ms. Scotto, not because she is ill-equipped, but rather because her voice may lack the vulnerability and innocence of the character that is Gilda. Still, this is a fine 2-CD set -- and it pays to remember that one reviewer's opinion of one aspect of a recording does not make it so for all listeners. The orchestra, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, under the direction of Rafael Kubelik is flawless, as is the overall quality of this Deutsche Grammophon release. The booklet that comes with this set contains bare bones information limited to the order of songs and featured singers and not much else.

It took amazon ages to release this excellent Rigoletto but now it's here and it offers one of the warmest accounts of this opera.

Fischer-Diskau is far from a Verdian baritone but this role more than any other allows different interpretations and somehow his most sympathetic characterisation made me care for Rigoletto. It's pleasant that he can't bark like others but he can't be the nasty Rigoletto we should be introduced to in the beginning of the work either. Lets say that he's a good alternative to the classic Cappuccilli, Bastianini, Merrill, Bruson.

La Scotto is heard here in her signature role and she surely doesn't dissapoint. Even if I can't endure her metallic voice for long, it's hard to deny the singing is exceptional. I'd compromise with her sound and vote for her as the best Gilda if it wasn't for Mariella Devia who offers everything Scotto does plus a creamy, focused top.

This was the recording that introduced me to Bergonzi's magic. When he completed parmi veder le lagrime, I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. It sounds asif he distils Verdian essense from every single note the duke sings. And honeyed tone makes the experience a dream. I wonder why Maddalena didn't fall for him too! Cossotto and Vinco splendidly sing their minor but important parts and give an extra polish to the ensembles.

Kubelik deserves the praise he gets for he offers drama, force and lyricism and controls the Scala forces even in the difficult parts. Don't miss it!

The casting of german baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as
Rigoletto in this otherwise all italian production is a bit
odd and though he sings beautifully and eloquently ultimately
the voice is wrong for the role lacking weight, color and bite.
The young Renata Scotto sings very well and is an affecting
Gilda but even at this early stage the voice has an unpleasant
edge. Carlo Bergonzi is - as always - all elegance and refine-
ment but his Duke comes accross more gentleman than rake. In
sum a lot of talent assembled here but in the end somewhat un-
convincing dramatically.

To all those who cannot accept Fischer-Dieskau as Rigoletto, you are missing a truly great interpretation. Of course he's not Italian, but then Pablo Casals was not German when he played Bach. In fact, the Cello Suites offer a good example of how many different but equally great ways there are to play the same piece. Of course Gobbi's interpretation of Rigoletto is the most dramatic, etc.; but Fischer-Dieskau brings out a different dimension of pathos that is equally desireable. Bergonzi, of course, is worth the price of admission, but Kubelik is the big surprise. He find an almost chamber-music dimension to this great opera of duets, trios, quartets, etc. Much as I love the Gobbi-Callas recording, this one would be my "Desert Island" version.

This recording dates from the 60's and contains a first class cast that carries Verdi's vision with the utmost dedication and intensity.
Bergonzi's Duke is sheer macho swagger and arrogance and is as carefree as can be.
Bergonzi also has no problem slamming and sustaining the high c at the end of "La Donna e' mobile" and handles the rest of his part with the utmost ease and with elegant musical phrasing.
Fischer Dieskau is masterful in his interpretation of Rigoletto as he gives explicit heartfelt meaning to the words that he is singing so you can really feel the torment,love,rage,vengeance,and cruelty that spills from Rigoletto's soul.
Dieskau has a wonderful tone as well as the power,vocal security,and musical intelligence to make the most of his part.
The thing about Dieskau is that he's not here to just produce a wonderful sound but to possess the spirit of Rigoletto and there's no way to not be moved by such a soulful performance.
Scotto is near ideal in her interpretation of Gilda as we hear the innocent,gullible,and determined aspects dramatic wise combined with a staggering display of technical virtuoso vocal fireworks that could stand alongside the great Joan Sutherland.
Finally we come to conductor Rafael Kubelik who is mindblowing in this performance.
He is at once electrifying,precise,poetic,keenly dramatic,tender, and in tune to every aspect of Verdi's masterful score.
I've never heard this opera conducted better as Kubelik flys on a wave of inspiration that equals the intensity of a Toscannini with the depth of a Giulini. The sound quality is excellant with crisp clear sound and wide range and the booklet inside gives detail to each track though it is quite skimpy but then again it is a bargain.
This is a Rigoletto that is guaranteed to satisfy listeners who appreciate real opera.
When i say real opera i mean performers who not only sing the notes but performers who embrace and transform themselves into the characters that they are playing.
Opera is not a recital but a complete art form and this particular recording gives you this in spades.
Go for it!

Oscar F.

Kubelik's 1964 Rigoletto has managed to become and remain a classic choice for this opera; it is a generally superb performance, even though the cast may look a little surprising to opera fans at first. A young Renata Scotto is superb - dizzying, even - as Gilda, who sings with a wonderful, full-blooded voice and an amazing coloratura. Her dynamic control and phrasing is impeccable and the high register a sheer wonder ("Caro nome" is breathtaking, but only one example among many). One can perhaps sense that Kubelik adapted his approach (tempi and dynamics) partially to suit Scotto's singing, but he can really not be blamed for that.

In the title role Fischer-Dieskau does an impressive job as well. That his characterization is marvelous is hardly surprising, and his darkly soft voice comes to its full especially in his interactions with Scotto. Nevertheless, Fischer-Dieskau is first and foremostly a lieder singer, and sometimes this may be a little too obvious (opinion seems to be divided; I think it generally works but I do get the point of said objection). Bergonzi is splendid as well as the Duke of Mantua, full of character as well and of course a wonderful sound - another one of many reasons to acquire this set.

The smaller roles are generally excellent (Vinco is a good Sparafucile, Cossotto a magnificent Maddalena), and the choral and orchestral forces provide colorful, dramatic performances. Kubelik generally keeps the reins tight, except in some of Scotto's numbers, and directs a momentous, spirited and generally excellent performance - it is particularly noteworthy, I think, for its nuanced - often almost shimmering - orchestral textures. The sound is first-rate for the age. Strongly recommended.

This "German" Rigoletto may not please Italians or italianate aficionados, but it has so many good things at a low price, that it turns in a real must for everyone. Maybe Fisher-Dieskau phrasing is too hard for italian, but oh boy, how does he SING!. Yes, with capital letters. The father-daughter duos are simply magical here, and FD is their main driver. Bergonzi may seem another wrong casting decision, mainly because he lacks the role's required full chest high notes, that Pavarotti or Kraus or Bonisolli have. But, again, the guy SINGS so well, he does a musical, elegant Duke in his own marvelous way. Scotto is very good, perhaps a little below her previous 1959 recording with Gavazzeni, though here we have a better 1964 sound. And sound quality plus conducting maybe the main strength in this set: Kubelik is simply magnificent. He makes La Scala forces sound better than ever, including later much praised recordings, like those of Claudio Abbado. This CD also sounds much better than the 1980 over praised Rigoletto by Giulini. Don't miss this real bargain.