80° Banda Musicale Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi: Otello – Placido Domingo; Cheryl Studer; Sergei Leiferkus; Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opera Bastille; Myung-Whun Chung
Classical | 2 CDs | EAC Rip | 510 MB (3% recovery) | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Partial scans
Publisher: Deutsche Grammophon | Recorded: 1993 | Published: 1994

Domingo is in superb voice; the sound seems golden as never before. Yet at the same time, it’s a voice that’s being more astutely deployed. To take that cruellest of all challenges to a studio-bound Otello, the great Act 3 soliloquy ‘Dio! mi potevi’, Domingo’s performance is now simpler, more inward, more intense. This is undoubtedly the best Otello on record since the early 1960s. - The Gramophone Choice

Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909) stands as a prominent figure in Italian musical history, celebrated for his contributions as a composer, conductor, and pianist. Born in Capua, Italy, Martucci demonstrated remarkable musical talent from a young age. His early studies in Naples under Beniamino Cesi and Paolo Serrao paved the way for a career marked by innovation and artistic depth. Martucci's compositions reflect a synthesis of Romantic and classical influences, showcasing a deep understanding of form and harmony. His orchestral works, including symphonies, piano concertos, as well as his chamber music, reveal a mastery of orchestration and a commitment to exploring new expressive possibilities.

Verdi, child of the people, king of popular opera, began life as the son of an innkeeper. He was brought up in modest circumstances. He first received lessons from the village priest, who was amazed by the young musician’s talents. Verdi’s musical education was rounded and complete: at the age of sixteen, the composer wrote fugues, masses and symphonies, which he would later destroy. As he met with reticence in Milan, he settled in Busseto where he fell victim to the pettiness of the town. However, his strong willpower enabled him to pursue his musical path without paying heed to what people said…

Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909) stands as a prominent figure in Italian musical history, celebrated for his contributions as a composer, conductor, and pianist. Born in Capua, Italy, Martucci demonstrated remarkable musical talent from a young age. His early studies in Naples under Beniamino Cesi and Paolo Serrao paved the way for a career marked by innovation and artistic depth. Martucci's compositions reflect a synthesis of Romantic and classical influences, showcasing a deep understanding of form and harmony. His orchestral works, including symphonies, piano concertos, as well as his chamber music, reveal a mastery of orchestration and a commitment to exploring new expressive possibilities.

The fiftieth anniversary of Toscanini’s death in 2007 was celebrated with gala concerts around the world, one of the most glamorous events being this benefit concert at the basilica of St Mark’s in Venice. The 11-year-old child prodigy Lorin Maazel once met the Italian maestro in New York, and Toscanini’s legacy left a permanent mark on Maazel as a musician. His tour with the Symphonica Toscanini, called “In the Footsteps of Toscanini”, culminated in two concerts in Venice featuring Verdi’s Requiem, a showpiece of Toscanini’s, and St Mark’s, the birthplace of stereophonic and quadraphonic sound, proved to be an ideal venue for this eloquent and musically impressive confessional work.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Opera master, Giuseppe Verdi, and the 80th birthday of opera’s last great diva, Montserrat Caballé, Sony Classical are pleased to release this special x2 CD collection. Caballé was born in Barcelona in 1933; she made her professional debut in 1956 and has performed in Basel, at the Liceu, Carnegie Hall, Glyndebourne, San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House throughout her career. She has performed with great Opera performers including Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Richard Tucker, Piero Cappuccilli, Franco Corelli, Birgit Nilsson among many others, and Queen’s frontman, Freddie Mercury. Caballé’s extensive discography includes a host of notable complete opera recordings and recital albums, many of which have appeared on the RCA Red Seal label. This 2 CD collection showcases Caballé performing famous arias & duets by the celebrated Opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi. The collection features famous Opera favourites including ‘Va Pensiero’ from Nabucco, ‘Sempre libera’ from La Traviata, ‘Ave Maria’ from Otello, music from Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Aida, Macbeth, and much more.

Giuseppe Verdi: Aida – Renata Tebaldi; Carlo Bergonzi; Giulietta Simionato; Cornell MacNeil;
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Wiener Philharmoniker; Herbert von Karajan
Classical | 2 CDs | EAC Rip | 718 MB | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Full scans | RS links
Publisher: DECCA

This Aida recording will come to be regarded as a landmark in the art of capturing grand opera on disc. Gramophone
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Forty-eight years have elapsed, and sopranos (Callas, Price, Caballé), tenors (Corelli, Domingo, Pavarotti), and conductors (Levine, Mehta, Muti) have come and gone, but this set still manages to be among the best Aidas ever recorded. classicstoday.com