Verdi: The Great Operas is a 35-CD set that brings together 16 of Verdi s operatic masterpieces, ranging from his first real success, Nabucco, to his last, Falstaff. Also included are such stalwarts of the repertoire as Aida, La traviata and Rigoletto. Born on October 10, 1813, Verdi s operas are performed in opera houses all over the world and his status as one of the greatest opera composers of all time has never been higher. Some of his music has become absorbed into popular culture from being used in TV adverts and film soundtracks, as well as being performed by the most famous singers of the day in concerts and on records. Some of the best classical artists from the past and present are featured in this luxury set including sopranos Montserrat Caballé, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and Renata Scotto; tenors José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Jon Vickers; mezzo-sopranos Fiorenza Cossotto, Elena Obraztsova and Shirley Verrett, and baritones Piero Cappuccilli, Peter Glossop and Sherrill Milnes, under famous conductors including Carlo Maria Giulini, Herbert von Karajan and Riccardo Muti.
Verdi: Nabucco
studio recording, 1977-8
Matteo Manuguerra (Nabucco), Veriano Luchetti (Ismaele), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Zaccaria), Renata Scotto (Abigaille), Elena Obraztsova (Fenena), Robert Lloyd (Gran Sacerdote), Kenneth Collins (Abdallo), Anne Edwards (Anna)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Ernani
live concert recording, 1982
Plácido Domingo (Ernani), Mirella Freni (Elvira), Renato Bruson (Carlo), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Silva), Gianfranco Manganotti (Riccardo), Alfredo Giacomotti (Iago), Jolanda Michieli (Giovanna)
Teatro alla Scala
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Giovanna d’Arco
studio recording, 1972
Montserrat Caballé (Giovanna), Plácido Domingo (Carlo VII), Sherrill Milnes (Giacono), Keith Erwen (Delil), Robert Lloyd (Talbot)
London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus
James Levine
Verdi: Attila
studio recording, 1989
Samuel Ramey (Attila), Giorgio Zancanaro (Ezio), Cheryl Studer (Odabella), Neil Shicoff (Foresto), Ernesto Gavazzi (Uldino), Giorgio Surjan (Leone)
Teatro alla Scala
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Macbeth
studio recording, 1976
Sherrill Milnes (Macbeth), Fiorenza Cossotto (Lady Macbeth), Ruggero Raimondi (Banco), José Carreras (Macduff), Giuliano Bernardi (Malcolm), Maria Borgato (Dama), Carlo Del Bosco (Medico)
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Rigoletto
studio recording, 1955
Tito Gobbi (Rigoletto), Maria Callas (Gilda), Giuseppe di Stefano (Il Duca di Mantova), Nicola Zaccaria (Sparafucile), Adriana Lazzarini (Maddalena), Giuse Gerbino (Giovanna), Plinio Clabassi (Monterone), William Dickie (Marullo), Renato Ercolani (Borsa), Carlo Forti (Il Conte di Ceprano), Elvira Galassi (La Contessa di Ceprano), Luisa Mandelli (Un paggio)
Teatro alla Scala
Tullio Serafin
Verdi: Il Trovatore
studio recording, 2001
Roberto Alagna (Manrico), Larissa Diadkova (Azucena), Angela Gheorghiu (Leonora), Thomas Hampson (Il Conte di Luna), Ildebrando d’ Arcangelo (Ferrando), Federica Proietti (Ines), Enrico Facini (Ruiz), Riccardo Simonetti (Un vecchio zingaro), Andrew Busher (Un messo)
London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices
Antonio Pappano
Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani
recorded live from concert performances, 1989-90
Giorgio Zancanaro (Guido di Montforte), Enzo Capuano (Il Sire di Bethume), Francesco Musinu (Il Conte Vaudemont), Chris Merritt (Arrigo), Ferruccio Furlanetto (Giovanni da Procida), Cheryl Studer (La Duchessa Elena), Gloria Banditelli (Ninetta), Ernesto Gavazzi (Danieli), Paolo Barbacini (Tebaldo), Marco Chingari (Roberto), Ferrero Poggi (Manfredo)
Teatro alla Scala
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra
studio recording, 1957
Tito Gobbi (Simon Boccanegra), Boris Christoff (Jacopo Fiesco), Victoria de los Ángeles (Amelia/Maria), Giuseppe Campora (Gabriele Adorno), Walter Monachesi (Paolo Albiani), Paolo Dari (Pietro), Silvia Bertona (Un’ancella), Paolo Caroli (Un capitano dei balestrieri)
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Gabriele Santini
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera
studio recording, 1975
Plácido Domingo (Riccardo), Piero Cappuccilli (Renato), Martina Arroyo (Amelia), Fiorenza Cossotto (Ulrica), Reri Grist (Oscar), Giorgio Giorgetti (Silvano), Gwynne Howell (Samuele), Richard Van Allan (Tom), Kenneth Collins (Un Giudice)
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Haberdashers’ Aske’s School Girls Choir
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: La forza del destino
studio recording, 1986
Giorgio Zancanaro (Don Carlo), Plácido Domingo (Don Alvaro), Mirella Freni (Leonora di Vargas), Giorgio Surjan (Il Marchese di Calatrava), Dolora Zajick (Preziosilla), Sesto Bruscantini (Fra Melitone), Francesca Garbi (Curra), Paul Plishka (Padre Guardiano), Ernesto Gavazzi (Mastro Trabuco), Frank Hadrian (Un Chirurgo), Silvestro Sammaritano (Un Alcalde)
Teatro alla Scala
Riccardo Muti
Verdi: Don Carlo
studio recording, 1970
Plácido Domingo (Don Carlo), Ruggero Raimondi (Filippo II), Sherrill Milnes (Rodrigo), Giovanni Foiani (Il Grande Inquisitore), Simon Estes (Un Frate), Montserrat Caballé (Elisabetta di Valois), Shirley Verrett (La principessa Eboli), Delia Wallis (Tebaldo), Ryland Davies (Il Conte di Lerma), John Noble (Un Araldo Reale), María-Rosa del Campo (Una voce dal cielo)
Orchestra of Covent Garden, Ambrosian Singers
Carlo Maria Giulini
Verdi: Aida
studio recording, 1965/6
Birgit Nilsson (Aida), Franco Corelli (Radamès), Grace Bumbry (Amneris), Mario Sereni (Amonasro), Bonaldo Giaiotti (Ramphis), Ferruccio Mazzoli (Il Re di Egitto), Mirella Fiorentini (Una Sacerdotessa), Piero De Palma (Un Messaggero)
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Zubin Mehta
Verdi: Otello
studio recording, 1973
Jon Vickers (Otello), Mirella Freni (Desdemona), Peter Glossop (Iago), Aldo Bottion (Cassio), Michel Sénéchal (Rodrigo), José van Dam (Lodovico), Mario Macchi (Montano), Stefania Malagù (Emilia), Mario Macchi (Un Araldo)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Deutsche Oper
Herbert von Karajan
Verdi: Falstaff
studio recording, 1956
Tito Gobbi (Falstaff), Rolando Panerai (Ford), Luigi Alva (Fenton), Tomaso Spataro (Dr Cajus), Renato Ercolani (Bardolfo), Nicola Zaccaria (Pistola), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Alice Ford), Anna Moffo (Nannetta), Nan Merriman (Meg Page), Fedora Barbieri (Mistress Quickly)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan
Verdi: La Traviata
live recording, 1980
Renata Scotto (Violetta), Alfredo Kraus (Alfredo), Renato Bruson (Germont), Sarah Walker (Flora), Cynthia Buchan (Annina), Suso Mariategui (Gastone), Roderick Kennedy (Dottore Grenvil), Henry Newman (Barone Douphol), Richard Van Allan (Marchese d’Obigny)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Riccardo Muti