Verdi: Aida
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Composer: Giuseppe VerdiConductor: Jonel Perlea
Orchestra: Rome Opera Orchestra
Performer: Boris Christoff
Performer: Bruna Rizzoli
Performer: Fedora Barbieri
Performer: Jussi Bj?rling
Performer: Leonard Warren
Performer: Plinio Clabassi
Performer: Zinka Milanov
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-03-29
Music Label: Urania
Free Music Notes for Verdi: Aida
Free Music Review: The ultimate stand-and-deliver "Aida"
Hit: 5 Stars
SOURCE: Studio recording made by RCA at the Rome Opera House, July 2-18, 1955.
SOUND: Generally good 1950s mono with occasional clicks and overload, most commonly when Milanov is singing. Nevertheless, the voices of Milanov and the other singers are well caught--and that's what this recording is all about.
CAST: Aida daughter of Amonastro and captured slave of Amneris - Zinka Milanov (soprano); Radames, Captain of Pharoah's Guard - Jussi Bjorling (tenor); Amneris, in love with Radames and jealous of Aida - Fedora Barbieri (mezzo-soprano); Amonasro, King of Ethiopia - Leonard Warren (baritone); Ramfis, the High Priest - Boris Christoff (bass); King of Egypt - Plinio Clabassi (bass); Messenger - Mario Carlin (tenor); Priestess - Bruna Rizzoli (soprano). CONDUCTOR: Jonel Perlea with the Rome Opera House Orchestra and Chorus.
This "Aida" is not particularly insightful, cleverly conceived, or spectacularly produced. The only memorable thing about it is five of the greatest singers of the Twentieth Century planting themselves firmly in front of microphones and singing their heads off. This is simply the most brilliantly sung performance of "Aida" that has ever been recorded. And, considering the worldwide shortage of full-sized, truly Verdian voices, it will in all probability remain the best-sung "Aida" throughout all our lifetimes.
Callas, Tebaldi and even Price have offered remarkable things in the role of Aida, the Ethiopian princess reduced to being a slave, but the Croatian-born Zinka Milanov (1906-1989) simply was Aida. Her voice was huge, lush and creamy in that unique way that Middle-European training used to impart.
In theaters, Swedish Jussi Bjorling (1911-1960) had a lyric tenor voice of no great size, although it was so well produced that it could easily fill the largest auditorium. On recordings, however, he could ramp it up in such a way that he sounded like a natural-born denizen of the dramatic tenor crags, turning in near-definitive performances of Calaf in "Turandot," Canio in "Pagliacci," Manrico in "Il trovatore" and Radames in "Aida." Of all the tenors who specialized in the French-Italian repertory during the Twentieth Century, only Caruso was his superior and Gigli was his peer.
Italian Fedora Barbieri (1919-2003) was certainly one of the best mezzos of the century and some would happily rank her in first place. She triumphed in all the great Italian mezzo-soprano roles from Eboli in "Don Carlo" to Laura in "La Gioconda" to Azucena in "Il trovatore" to Mistress Quickly in "Falstaff." Along the way she also made successful excursions out of Italianate repertory as far afield as Carmen and Brangaena. Her Amneris is just about as good as it gets.
American Leonard Warren (1911-1960) was a mainstay of the Metropolitan Opera along with Milanov. In vocal quality, heft, range and temperament he was that rare thing, a true Verdi baritone.
Boris Christoff (1914-1993) was a Bulgarian. He was a master of the hard-edged, dark parts, for which the hard-edged darkness imparted to his voice by his Eastern European training was perfectly suited.
The rest of the cast is fine and the conductor, unlike some more recent baton wielders, had sense enough to get out of Verdi's way and let the music speak for itself.
"Aida" (Verdi's "Aida" that is, not that horror on Broadway!) has been fortunate on disk. There are many fine recordings. This is the one I listen to.
Five Nile-dipped stars!
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