Pifferi

It is appropriate that the first recording of the first version of Forza should come from St Petersburg, where the work had its premiere in 1862. However, whilst the premiere was predominantly an Italian affair, this set is given entirely by Russian artists. The differences between this version and Verdi's 1869 revision for La Scala are marked: they are delineated by two essays in the accompanying booklet but even more discerningly in Julian Budden's indispensable The Operas of Verdi (in this case Vol. 2, Cassell: 1978). So it isn't necessary for me to rehearse here all the changes (even if I had the space to do so), only the main ones.

VA - Verdi at the Met: Legendary Performances from the Metropolitan Opera (2013) (20 CD Box Set)
EAC Rip | FLAC (Tracks, log) | 20 CDs, 21:27:47 min | Covers included | 3,53 Gb
Genre: Classical, Opera & Classical Vocal / Label: Sony Classical

Verdi at the Met captures the drama of Verdi's greatest operas as they were performed live at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. These ten recordings cover four decades starting with La Traviata in 1935 and feature some of the best-loved voices and conductors of the twentieth century. The famous pairing of tenor Richard Tucker and baritone Leonard Warren can be heard in Simon Boccanegra and La Forza del Destino.

Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" is a story of forbidden love, seduction, jealousy, honor and revenge. The opera was composed in 1862 and had its premiere in St. Petersburg. In this recording from 1976 with star cast (Leontyne Price in the role of Donna Leonora, Plácido Domingo as Don Alvaro and Sherrill Milnes as Don Carlo) under the direction of James Levine the beauty and attention to detail Verdi comes out particularly well. The London Symphony Orchestra and the John Alldis Choir provide the perfect musical accompaniment for the ensemble, which includes Fiorenza Cossotto, Bonaldo Giaiotti and Gabriel Bacquier. This recording is considered one of the best of Verdi's La Forza del Destino.

This package, released on Archiv Laserdisc and VHS in December 1993, was recorded a year earlier at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome in cooperation with a consortium of European television broadcasters. It consists of two distinct but complementary programs, the first under McCreesh followed by another under Pinnock. As the notes point out, the basilica is the perfect site for such a program, since it has claimed to possess the very crib in which the infant lay on the first Christmas. For centuries the papal celebration of the Midnight Mass of Christmas was held “ad praesepe,” at the altar where the crib was venerated. Typically for such concert videos, we see appropriate scenes in the basilica alternating with views of the singers and players.