Verdi Lombardi

Another Verdi triumph from the archives of La Scala, this 1984 production of one of the master's early popular successes showcases José Carreras's truly glorious instrument, a tenor voice of loveliness and delicacy that, in its abbreviated prime, was one of the true operatic glories. He sounds superb as the hero, Oronte, and, as his paramour Giselda, Ghena Dimitrova nearly matches Carreras's ringingly beautiful tone: their wonderful Act 4 duet is almost too much of a good thing.

Hina Spani (1890–1969) was born Higinia Tuñón in a province of Buenos Aires. She enjoyed a major operatic career centered in Italy during the 1920s and 1930s. Among the great sopranos of her era, Spani shines as brightly as any, yet her celebrity was less well known most likely due to her career being limited mainly to Italy, Spain, and South America, and her only tour to an English-speaking country was in Australia. She made her operatic debut at La Scala in 1915 as Anna in Catalani’s Loreley. She sang at Puccini’s funeral at the Duomo in Milan’s cathedral on 29 November 1924 (and repeated this performance at La Scala a month later) under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, which was a turning point in her career. She created the title role in the world premiere of Respighi’s Maria Egiziaca in 1934 at the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires and performed in the world premiere of Alberto Franchetti’s Glauco. Spani’s voice is of first-rate quality and well-trained, with a beautifully warm tone and an even scale. She began as a lirico-spinto but graduated to dramatic parts and had a vibrant, instantly recognizable voice capable of thrilling the listener in opera or song.

Decca proudly presents the Complete Works by Giuseppe Verdi in a single 75 CD box set. From the ever-popular “Aida” to the obscure “Alzira,” all 28 of Giuseppe Verdi's operas are here as well as his Sacred Works, Arias, Songs, Ballet Music, the String quartet and other rarities.

Of the 10 selections on this disc of Verdi “discoveries”, four are bona fide world premieres, though in one of those, the Variations for Oboe and Orchestra, only the orchestral part is by Verdi. In the late 1830s clarinetist Giacomo Mori hired the young Verdi to provide an orchestra accompaniment to his variations on the theme “Canto di Virginia”. Here, Verdi displays his early skill at handling large orchestral forces, and the same can be said of his Variations for Piano and Orchestra. However, there are few musical hints in these works–or in the Capriccio for Oboe and Orchestra, the Sinfonia in C, or the Adagio for Trumpet and Orchestra–that suggest the great master Verdi was to become.

Following the spiritually flavored Sacred Arias, Andrea Bocelli presents an album of the music of Giuseppe Verdi, covering arias from several operas, leaning heavily on Il Trovatore, La Triviata, and Rigoletto. Supported by the Israel Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta, Bocelli reprises his role as the crossover-friendly opera tenor, offering his interpretations with capability and grace and warmly embracing the songs with his familiar voice…

Giuseppe Verdi's first big Paris hit, Jérusalem is an 1847 rewrite of I Lombardi. Along with a new French text, the action is clarified, characters and scenes are dropped, the tenor role is beefed up, and the obligatory ballet is added, among other changes. It's a more coherent opera in this version, although Italian audiences have clung to I Lombardi, which is still mounted on the world's stages. The Philips team, however, makes a powerful case for this French grand opera story of betrayal, love, war and rescue, penitence, and vindication painted in primary colors on a canvas of Crusaders and villains, rousingly set to effective, if blunt, music.

In this live 1973 performance from Japan, Scotto is parthnered by one of the great tenors of our time, José Carreras, then at the start of his international career. The distinguished baritone Sesto Bruscantini is a formidable Germont who sings an exceptionally moving rendition of the famous aria "Di Provenza il mar".

Unlike Verdi's earlier successes, Nabucco and I Lombardi, both of which had been composed for the large stage at La Scala, Milan, Ernani was written for the smaller stage and more intimate atmosphere of Teatro La Fenice, Venice and he was in his thirty third year when it was composed. This recording is superb in every way. The singers, led by Placido Domingo as Ernani and Mirella Freni as Donna Elvira, entertain us with bravura performances and it's a joy to listen to and watch from beginning to end.

From the innovative and gorgeous "Tutto Verdi" project comes a chance to catch all the high points! The "Tutto Verdi" highlights DVD and Blu-ray discs include arias from 20 Verdi operas. The selections hail from the best-known and -loved productions like Aida, La Traviata, and Rigoletto as well as lesser-known beauties, all in HD and surround sound.

Verdi's opera Attila takes as its starting point Attila’s plans to storm Rome with his army of Huns and the Romans’ attempts to prevent him. As with Nabucco and I Lombardi, Verdi spiced up the action with a number of patriotic choruses, guaranteeing that – against the background of the Italian movement for unification – the opera was a great success. 'Michele Mariotti owes much to the fact that this evening became a celebration of voices' (Opern-Kritik). Ildebrando D´Arcangelo is 'perfect for the serious Verdi roles', Fabio Sartori has a voice of immense brilliance' (Opern-Kritik), 'Simone Piazzola was an impressive Ezio' (theoperacritic.com) and 'the real warrior of this Attila is the soprano Maria Jose' Siri … with her voice, touching each primordial sentiment in every note of the opera, she commanded ‘Attention’ from everybody' (La Repubblica).