Aida

Following Andrea Bocelli’s recent smash-hit release “Cinema”, the award-winning, top-selling, international tenor returns to his first love, singing opera. One of the world’s best-loved operas, AIDA has been performed over 1,100 times at New York’s Metropolitan Opera alone.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of Lake Constance, every production at the Bregenz Festival faces strong natural competitors. But with this first-ever production of Verdi’s “Aida” (in an abridged version) on the lakeside stage, it is easy to overlook the beauty of the surrounding nature. Stage director Graham Vick and set designer Paul Brown conjure up an “open-air spectacle of superlatives” (Die Zeit) that throws a bridge between ancient Egypt and today’s U.S..

Verdi: Aida - Abbado - 1972 (Live Recording)
EAC Rip | APE CUE LOG | 660 MB | BOOK COVER
Classical | 2 CD | Label: Opera D'oro | Release Date: 1998 | RAR 1% Rec. | RS.com

What a wonderful surprise! Even fans of Placido Domingo, who has recorded the role of Radames four times commercially 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.