Search - Matteo Manuguerra, Jonathan Summers, Giuseppe Verdi :: Giuseppe Verdi: La Battaglia Di Legnano

Dazzled by Katia and Jose once again!

Armindo | Greece | 06/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1977, this beautiful yet exciting performance reveals all the patriotic and romantic virtues of Verdi's early opera. It's due to their early Verdi recordings that Ricciarelli and Carreras are two of my all-time favourite singers. Time and time again Katia Ricciarelli stuns me with her gorgeous voice and heartfelt singing. It's no wonder she was hailed the successor of legends like Tebaldi and Callas. Ricciarelli had it all! A supple, distinctive voice able to spin the most bewitching pianissimo (particularly effective on this recording) or attack the forte passages admirably. Moreover the rare ability to inject feelings in her singing without forcing or overacting. She's in fact one of the few singers I would never call uninvolved. Lida's cavatina is handled with the appropriate sorrow while the following cabaletta, after she finds out that her former lover isn't really dead as she thought he was is sung with joy and excitement.As the soldier Arrigo, Carreras is in his element. He has all the thrust but also the sensitivity to sing the role. Needless to say, he was at the peak of his powers in 1977. Matteo Manuguera in the juicy dramatic baritone role of Rolando is surprisingly good. He's in sumptuous voice and expresses Rolando's rage to great effect. This must rank among his finest recordings. Minor roles are also well cast. The ever elegant Gardelli conducts this superb recording of one of Verdi's gallant works."