I looked carefully at Verdi’s dates when this collection came
for review. I did so in case my memory was failing after all
these years. Perhaps Warner Classics were getting their retaliation
in first in respect of collections that will come with the bicentenary
of the great Italian composer’s birth. Such collections came
thick and fast with the related centenary of his death in 2001.
Prime among those issues was an outstanding collection from
the Universal stable - home of Decca, DG and Philips. Its double
CD, at bargain price, came in small booklet form with a biography
and extracts from all of his twenty-eight operas plus the Requiem.
Further, each opera benefited from a brief essay putting it
into context within the composer’s oeuvre. Whilst recognising
this Opera Experience collection from the Warner stable
is not competing in that field, I recount the virtues of the
Universal issue in the hope that when 2013 comes around, other
labels will aim to compete with similar quality presentations
and content.
This Warner collection draws on recordings first issued from
a variety of sources now collected within its stable including
recordings for the Teldec, Erato, Finlandia and Barenboim-Said
labels. Teldec were rather late into complete opera recordings,
many under Carlo Rizzi, at the time Music Director of Welsh
National Opera and some of which escaped my notice. The company
also issued a number of interesting recital discs, often taking
a more imaginative and sideways look at the repertoire. Notable
among these was an issue titled No Tenors Allowed. This
was a collection of bass and baritone duets with two Americans,
the baritone Thomas Hampson and the bass Samuel Ramey, giving
dramatic brio and elegant phrasing and excellent characterisation.
Their contributions included the confrontation between Boccanegra
and Fiesco (CD1 tr.4). Also vocally commendable are the two
duets involving fellow American, tenor Jerry Hadley and Hampson
from Don Carlos, (CD2 tr.7) and Les Vêpres Siciliennes
(CD2 tr.4) from a collection conducted by Rizzi with his
Welsh orchestra. Less successful is the blustery singing in
the great confrontation between the Grand Inquisitor and Philip
from Don Carlo (CD2 tr.2), and Neil Schicoff’s monotone
singing alongside a fluttery Gruberova in the extracts from
La Traviata (CD 1 trs 11-12).
Among other interesting items are Domingo’s Ma se m'è forza
perderti from Un Ballo in Maschera (CD1
tr.8) and his Celeste Aida (CD2 tr.8), particularly comparing
the latter with his younger, more ardently lyric-voiced, but
less well characterised self, on his first recital recording
recently re-issued by Warner (see review).
Although not renowned for holding his top notes, particularly
in his later years, Domingo would have been preferable to Jose
Cura conducting himself in Ah! sì, ben mio ... Di quella
pira. From Il Trovatore (CD1 tr.15). Likewise Raimondi’s
effortful Credo from Otello would have been better
left in the vaults (CD 1 tr.9). On the plus side it is good
to hear Barbara Frittoli as a womanly Elisabeth singing a strong
Tu che le vanità from Don Carlo (CD2 tr.6) and
also making more of Violetta’s act three Teneste la promessa
... Addio del passato from Traviata (CD2 tr.3) than
Gruberova does of the act one coloratura.
No Verdi collection would be complete without some of his virile
and characterful choruses. A selection of these is interspersed
throughout. With the superb Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Carlo Rizzi, these include
the starter Va pensiero from Nabucco (CD 1 tr.1)
to the concluding Triumphal March from Aida (CD2
tr.9); their quality of performance is a notable plus for this
collection. Less understandable is the unidiomatic overture
to La Forza del Destino with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
under Daniel Barenboim.
Robert J Farr
Full track-listing
CD 1
Nabucco
Va, pensiero (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) [4.39]
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Carlo
Rizzi
Rigoletto
La donna è mobile [3:01]
Richard Leech (tenor)
Gualtier Maldè ... Caro nome [5:33]
Sumi Jo (soprano)
Orchestra and Chorus of Welsh National Opera/Carlo Rizzi
Simon Boccanegra
Suona ogni labbro il mio nome [7:19]
Thomas Hampson (baritone) and Samuel Ramey (bass)
Munich Radio Orchestra/Miguel Angel Gomez-Martinez
Come in quest'ora bruna [6:27]
Karita Mattila (soprano)
London Philharmonic/Yutaka Sado
Macbeth
Patria oppressa! [7.23]
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Carlo
Rizzi
Il Trovatore
Vanne, lasciami ... D'amor sull'ali rosee ...Tu vedrai che
amore [10.37]
Barbara Frittoli (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis
Anvil Chorus [2.48]
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Carlo
Rizzi
Ah! sì, ben mio ... Di quella pira [4.14]
Philharmonia Orchestra/José Cura
Un Ballo in Maschera
Ma se m'è forza perderti [5.34]
Plácido Domingo (tenor)
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper, Berlin/Nello Santi
Otello
Credo [5:10]
Ruggero Raimondi (bass)
Orchestre L'Opera de Paris/Emil Tchakarov
Ave Maria. [4:42]
Cristina Gallardo-Domâs (soprano)
Munich Radio Orchestra/Maurizio Barbacini
La Traviata
Prelude to Act I [4.20]
Brindisi [2.57]
Follie….Sempre libera [4.39]
Edita Gruberova (soprano) and Neil Shicoff (tenor)
London Symphony Orchestra/Carlo Rizzi
CD 2
La Forza del Destino
Overture [8.03]
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra/Daniel Barenboim
Don Carlo
Il Grande Inquisitor! [8:47]
Matti Salminen (bass) and Jajjo Ryhanen (bass)
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam
La Traviata
Teneste la promessa ... Addio del passato [7:45]
Barbara Frittoli (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis
Les Vêpres Siciliennes
Quel est ton nom? [7:39]
Thomas Hampson (baritone) and Jerry Hadley (tenor)
Orchestra of Welsh National Opera/Carlo Rizzi
La Battaglia di Legnano
Giuriam d'Italia por fine ai danni [4.17]
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Carlo
Rizzi
Don Carlo
Tu che le vanità conoscesti del mondo [11:53]
Barbara Frittoli (soprano)
London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis
Don Carlos
Le voilà! C'est l'Infant! [10:33]
Thomas Hampson (baritone) and Jerry Hadley (tenor)
Orchestra of Welsh National Opera/Carlo Rizzi
Aida
Celeste Aida. [4:57]
Plácido Domingo (tenor)
Orchestra of the Deutsche Opera, Berlin/Nello Santi
Triumphal March
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia/Carlo
Rizzi
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 679409 [79.22 + 75.44] 
