What a wonderful surprise! Even fans of Placido Domingo, who has recorded the role of Radames four times commercially (including the acclaimed version with Monserrat Caballé under Riccardo Muti), will be amazed by his... more » fresh voice and complete involvement, under Claudio Abbado's thoroughly engrossing leadership in this live 1972 performance, in very good sound. Martina Arroyo was an underrated Aida, and Fiorenza Cossotto spews rage as the jealous Amneris. Piero Cappuccilli gives us an Amonasro to fear and respect, and Nicolai Ghiaurov, is, as always, the perfect low voice in the ensembles. The La Scala forces are terrific. Dare I say it? This is the best-performed Aida on the market. --Robert Levine« less
What a wonderful surprise! Even fans of Placido Domingo, who has recorded the role of Radames four times commercially (including the acclaimed version with Monserrat Caballé under Riccardo Muti), will be amazed by his fresh voice and complete involvement, under Claudio Abbado's thoroughly engrossing leadership in this live 1972 performance, in very good sound. Martina Arroyo was an underrated Aida, and Fiorenza Cossotto spews rage as the jealous Amneris. Piero Cappuccilli gives us an Amonasro to fear and respect, and Nicolai Ghiaurov, is, as always, the perfect low voice in the ensembles. The La Scala forces are terrific. Dare I say it? This is the best-performed Aida on the market. --Robert Levine
"This is a version of Aida to treasure the quality of sound is excellent and the atmosphere that is generated electric,I have four other versions and find this my favourite the singing is just outstanding Domingo and Arroyo are both in fantastic voice but special mention must go to Cossotto who completely gets into the role of Amneris, this is true Verdian singing at its best you really feel all her conflicting emotions, wonderful stuff,Cappuccilli and Ghiaurov are both ideal for their roles singing beautifully and I've not heard a better sung King than that of Roni ,firm and regal, Abbado is in such good form pacing this Aida with such elan and not forgetting the la scala orchestra who have this music in their blood. BUY IT!"
Robert Levine may be right!
Ronald F. Payne | Alexandria, VA United States | 10/13/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Aida is one of those operas that seem defy studio recordings. This live performance may indeed be the best overall recorded performance available. Very few sopranos manage splendid renditions of both "Ritorna Vincitor" and "O Patria mia", but Arroyo does indeed nail both of them. Domingo and Cossotto are both a little loud and unsubtle, but there's no denying their commitment(not to mention glorious singing). But ultimately it's Abbado who makes this performance very special. He manages to reveal all the beauty of Verdi's orchestral and vocal writing while keeping the theatrical vitality abundantly alive."
A GREAT SURPRISE AWAITS YOU
F. Barton | Newport, WA USA | 06/17/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'll admit -- I bought this AIDA because I had seen Martina Arroyo on THE ODD COUPLE as a child. That memory stayed with me.What I DIDN'T expect, was to have one of the finest AIDA's that there is! Arroyo is FANTASTIC in the title role, her voice having no problems, except the occasional dropout which is the fault of a live recording, not her. Domingo is devastating, and their duets send chills. The recording is STEREO, which only adds to the forces of La Scala.Cossotto is perfectly suited to Arroyo's voice, and sings with passion. Abbado might just have conducted the BEST version of this that we have now. I find myself listening to it constantly, and am going to purchase more operas with Arroyo."
Great performance, so-so sound quality
Anthony Louis | USA | 06/16/2001
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Aida is my favorite opera and I have heard most recorded versions and been to many live performances. This CD captures a particulary good performance and is worth buying both for the price and the quality of the singers. I don't agree with other reviewers about the quality of the sound. The voices are not well balanced against the orchestra. It almost sounds like the singers were too close to the microphone. I found it hard to find a comfortable volume for listening. Maybe the fault lies in the digital remastering, or maybe I just got a bad CD. Addendum: I have had a chance to listen to this recording several times since I wrote the above review. It really is an excellent performance, and I got used to the sound quality. It is definitely worth buying and it gets better each time I listen to it."
Extremely wonderful recording
BDSinC | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | 04/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Unlike some, I have no troubles with the sound of this recording, even on very fine equipment. I guess that is my copy of this work.
I found it to be a very vital recording of AIDA and I judge it firstly by a very refreshing discovery: the first act trio, when Radames, Amneris, and Aida sing together (just after Celeste Aida). For once this music is clear and precise. Each part is clearly heard and nothing sounds muddy or out of tempo. I have another live recording with Domingo and Tomowa-Sintow, and this little introductory trio is total mush, as it is in most recordings (including the studio ones). Either Aida is singing so loud nothing else comes through, or it just sounds like a bunch of mush. Here, we are treated to extremely clear sound, each part clearly and completely sung, and the balance between voices and orchestra such that nothing is lost.
Some complain of the quicker tempi, but if one compares many life recordings of this work, the tempi are not that bad. It seems in performance Aida is conducted a bit faster than in the studio. I have found that none of the subtle moments are lost, nor are any of the nuances blurred.
The singers are exceptional. Arroyo is so underrated as a singer, especially in this role, and for once we actually get to hear what made her voice so special. Her voice has never been captured well in any of her studio recordings, and often sounds completely uninvolved and lifeless. Well, that is definitely NOT the case when hearing her live. She is very involved in the role, even adding to it (after all, Aida is not that well developed of a character, she is either pining away for home or for Radames, and well, we really don't get much more out of her, and for most singers that is about all we hope to get; Arroyo at least adds more depth even to those limited elements of character). She makes the duet with her father memorable. Some may complain that she doesn't sing a pianissimo high C in the O Patria Mia aria, which she doesn't (few singers have, and only one has followed Verdi's instructions, and that was Zinka Milanov; all others either sing it all forte, or they do as Caballe and sing the entire passage in super delicate pianissimo, which is not what is asked for in the score; one sings the line piano and gradually crescendo until the C itself, which is then sung not piano but rather delicately then faded away, Verdi requires the singer to NEVER rush the line either, few Aidas have ever rushed it). Yet, to my ears, who really cares. Like the high B flat at the end of Celeste Aida, there is not a tenor in a thousand who has ever sung it pianissimo as required by the score, not even Caruso. No one ever gripes about that, so why gripe about it in this aria. Even the great Callas never sang it pianissimo.
Domingo is finally an involved Radames, to me. I have all his studio recordings of this work, and even though he sings them all exceptionally well, they are not always that involved to me. The voice is great, but something seems to be missing. Usually he is very involved in all his singing, so I wondered what it could be. It is possible that that is the rebalancing of the engineers that cause that? However, in live performance he is anything but uninvolved. He is super, and I would venture to say, this is by far his best recording of the role. The live performance with Tomowa-Sintow is equally exciting, but this one is just that much better.
I have to admit that Cossoto has never been my favorite Amneris, though she is super in the role. I have seen her live a number of times, and the voice is wondrous and full of emotions, but she is about as wooden in the acting department as Pavarotti. I guess I really loved this performance because I didn't have to watch her perform the role. For once I could just let her voice carry me away with all the wonderful acting imaginable (that I would never actually witness on stage) and I could imagine her listening to the judges in the judgment scene (which is very distracting when watching her, for she seldom gives any indication she is even listening, it all appears like she is just counting her measures so she comes in on time) and imagine her horror at the sentence, and her desperate anger when Radames is led away. One seldom sees that when she performs, but when listening to her sing the role, one is instantly drawn to what should be happening before our eyes.
The other singers were more than adequete, they were wonderful and involved. Yes, this is an Aida where everyone sings the high notes and really lets them fly, but they sing all the notes and fill them with all the wonder, feeling, and involvement possible making this a really exciting evening.
Now the conducting, to me, has nothing to be ashamed of either. Abbato is a marvel. As I said, his tempi are quicker than some, but his reading of the score is very detailed and filled with delicate treasures and masterful supporting of the singers and the chorus. The balance is wonderful and inviting. He is not just accompaning his singers as some conductors, nor is he overshadowing them with his own vanity (like Karajan is so fond of doing, the star of any of his performances is not the composer, but the conductor himself, and that is what he wanted it to be), rather, he is there creating something touching and memorable with them.
Is this the best recording of Aida out there? I really don't know, but of all the recordings I have (which include many live recordings, including those with Maria Callas) I would rate it quite near the top of the list, and definitely on the short list if I were to choose 5 of my recordings to be included on that list.
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
