Search - Nilsson, Corelli :: Aida

Fine cast makes a fine recording of Verdi's masterpiece

V. Chau | San Diego, CA | 08/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of "Aïda" is very good. What makes it so good is the cast and the conductor. For the four principal roles, you have Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, and Mario Sereni. Overseeing all of them is the great conductor Zubin Mehta. The Aïda is Birgit Nilsson. Her powerful voice, with its laser-like accuracy, is very suited to singing this difficult spinto role. Nilsson makes a dynamite Aïda. She is not totally idiomatic, but she really gives a fine portrayal. Her mighty voice cuts through both ensembles in Act Two and her high C's cleave the air like rockets. Her singing in the two duets of the Nile Scene is very fine. She effectively conveys Aïda's many different emotions. "Ritorna vincitor" is powerful in the recitative and moving in the final piano section. "O patria mia" is sung marvelously, but the high C is blasted forte. Nilsson, in her first recital disc for EMI, recorded "O patria mia" and sang the high C piano, as marked in the vocal score, so she is definitely able to accomplish that difficult feat. Considering that Corelli sang an amazing diminuendo on the last high B-flat of "Celeste Aïda", she should have sung the high C of "O patria" softly, as Verdi requests. However, she does sing the last phrase of the aria softly to wonderful effect.Franco Corelli makes a most powerful Radamès. His huge, squillo-drenched voice sounds a bit old on this recording, but that is just how his voice sounds to me. The first high B-flat of "Celeste Aïda", on the word "trono", is trumpeted out thrillingly. Corelli then diminuendos the second high B-flat superbly. This is not a studio trick, as Corelli has demonstrated in public performances his ability to diminuendo high notes. His "Sacerdote, io resto a te" is deafening, but very thrilling. In the Tomb Scene, he and Nilsson sing a powerful high B-flat in unison that they then diminuendo superbly. Both singers tend to be too loud in the final duet, but it is understandably hard for them to scale back their enormous voices to meet Verdi's piano markings. Grace Bumbry is a fine Amneris. She gives a fiery, yet nuanced, interpretation of Aïda's rival. Her voice is dark, smooth velvet, but not as large nor as distinctive as Shirley Verrett's voice. Bumbry's chest tones are strong and quite beautiful, but not as menacing as Verrett's chest tones. Her top register, while very secure, needs more "bite". Verrett's top register has this bite plus more volume. Bumbry's Judgement Scene is marvelously done. I find her Italian diction to be excellent and very idiomatic, certainly better than Verrett's. Her confrontation with Aïda in Act Two is full of nuanced vocal acting. Mario Sereni is a fine Amonasro. He is quite scary in the Nile duet with Aïda. His voice is very beautiful. His mellifluous singing of the lyrical parts of his duet with Aïda is balm to the ears. He has been severely underappreciated by opera critics and opera lovers. I have to reiterate: his voice is very beautiful. He is like a male version of Montserrat Caballé. That's how beautiful his voice is. Bonaldo Giaiotti sings Ramfis with a full bass voice and does a good job. Zubin Mehta conducts with his trademark drama and virility. Some may find his conducting bombastic and lacking in subtlety and nuance, but "Aïda" is a grand opera that sounds exciting when conducted with energy and momentum. This recording is definitely one of the top four recordings of "Aïda" available on the market. The other three are Zinka Milanov's studio recording, Leontyne Price's first studio recording, and Montserrat Caballé's studio recording. Get it while you can!"

BLACK DOG'S VERY FINEST

V. Chau | 04/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Franco Corelli and Birgit Nilsson at their best. I've never heard any tenor dimenuendo the high B-flats as well as Corelli does on this recording. Then, in the final duet, Corelli and Nilsson both dimenuendo the high B-flats. This is a superb Aida."

Astounding performance

V. Chau | 10/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Listen to this astounding performance of Aida!! Yes, Birgit Nilsson is better known for her Brunnhilde, Isolde, Elektra and Salome than for her Verdi. People seem to be less interested in her Verdi. This is really sad. Because Birgit Nilsson is actually outstanding as Aida. Her notes are all rock solid from the lowest notes all the way up to high C. Those who think that Birgit Nilsson is all loud and nothing else will find themselves dumbfounded when they listen to this recording. She is in silvery voice for Aida. And it is miraculous how Nilsson can fine her voice away to a sweet, slender-toned, fully supported piannisimo on high B's and high C's. And when power is needed, she unleashes those extraordinarily powerful top notes. Her control over her voice is inhuman. Her Verdi has a kind of warmth and legato which is somehow not so evident in her Wagner. In fact, she credits her vocal longevity to Mozart and Verdi. She thinks that dramatic sopranos (in particular Wagnerian dramatic sopranos) should sing Aida from time to time to learn the art of vocal control. In any case, this set is marvellous not just for Nilsson but also for Franco Corelli's classic Radames, a performance to set beside Jon Vicker's for Solti. Compared to Vickers, Corelli has a more ringing and free top register. Mario Sereni is a lesser known Amonasro but what a performance he gives here!! I love his deep and resonant voice, as good as Walter Berry's voice. And Grace Bumbry is superb as Amneris. Mehta's conducting is wonderful but not as spectacular than Solti's but that does not affect the performance.It is indeed sad that this Aida has taken a kind of back seat to the more famous Aidas (Solti, Karajan 1961, Muti). But having listened to it, I can say that it can hold its own against its more famous competitors. At this incredible price ($12 compared to Solti's $43), I would just snap it up."