Ulterior motive for starting this poll: I admired the "galley operas" (Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata) in my teenaged years. Later, I added Aϊda to my list of beloved works. Recently, though, I have not been as enthusiastic about these compositions. Perhaps it's a case of the performances I've been auditioning, though I actually don't suspect this is the case. I used to consider Verdi neck-and-neck with Wagner for all time opera output. Now, I'm not even sure I'd rank him ahead of Mozart, or Puccini.
So, let's resuscitate the grand Italian master by reminding me what you like about your favorite Verdi opera. Please vote here.
I saw Aida a few months ago. The storyline was great (even though I knew what happen before it did). Sadly I don't know Italian, so the only thing I could make out was Ramades yelling out for AIDA!!!
I don't like Wagner's operas... Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of mythology and all that. The only one I truly like by him is Götterdämmerung. Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't heard that many by him other than the well known ones.
But anyways, Aida is my favorite out of that list, although I do like certain selections from the other operas like the Anvil Chorus and such.
I must be stuck in my teenage years La Traviata is my personal favourite. I suppose it's the great romantic in me that governs my choice. It's still a tough choice. I always cry at the end when Violetta dies .
For me, the top Verdi opera is absolutely Aida. Hmmm... no surprise, according to that statistics above it seems to be the favorite for many others polling, too.
Of course it depends on, what is the direction like, stage settings etc. other non musical factors. Must confess, I'm not a fan of ultramodern direction. But surely, if you have your favorite artists performing, they'll do a wonderful job in any "era" of productions and under different direction styles.
The top artists can give to the listener a huge musical experience no matter what other Verdi masterwork is concerned and surely they all are worth of learning (that way you can get acquainted with the development periods of the composer). With that condition in mind, to have a possibility to choose favorite artists, I could take as well for example Rigoletto or Macbeth, too. Hmmm... so difficult to choose, the best solution is to take them all!
Thanks for weighing in, Msr. M! I was thinking that something good could be said about all of the "galley-operas," or all of the operas listed here, for the matter of that. I think that La Traviata has the best story of the galley operas. Concerning Il Trovatore, I read that Caruso stated that casting it was easy, just find the four finest operatic voices in the world. (So obviously, the opportunities for singing display are there in abundance.) Finally, it was Stravinsky who said that he considered the Rigoletto showpiece "La Donna è Mobile" to be of greater value than the entire Ring cycle. (I disagree, of course, but this helps show the extent of advocacy [and partisanship] on such issues.)
Neither am I. (I've already spoken on this in the Ring thread.) It does appear to me that Verdi is subject to somewhat less "ultramodern" stage mutilation that Wagner, though.
Great thread! I wouldn't count the 'galley' operas as amongst my favourites. The ones I like the most are Simon Boccanegra and Otello. But my number one choice would have to be Falstaff which is, musically-speaking, utterly miraculous. It's the only one of Verdi's operas, I think, in which he approaches Mozart's unequalled ability to set action to music (e.g. the Act Two finale).
Apart from Falstaff, my favourite work by Verdi is probably the Requiem.
The Dies Irae movement is probably the best Dies Irae that I have heard. I haven't actually listened to Mozart's thoroughly, but from what I've heard, Verdi's outshines all the others.
La traviata, I like listening to it as much as singing it (the tessitura of violetta´s role comes extremely easy to me) I like the story and the ending actually had my crying the first time I saw all of it.
Like Morigan, I'm also stuck in my teenage days . Another vote went to La Traviata!
I've always had something indescribable against Aida, being completely unable to appreciate it at all. I love some other Verdi's operas and enjoy most of them, except Aida. The story doesn't move me and I dislike those crowds on the stage. Yes, the problem is me, I know, and not the opera . Now, knowing that a significant majority here chose this opera as their favourite among Verdi's... I may give it another try. Would you specially recommend any version of it?
I voted for "Aida", but I just as easily could have voted for "La Traviata", "Don Carlos" (the five-act version) or "Falstaff." I love all of the operas in this poll actually.
Maybe one of the reasons why "Aida" is so popular among voters is it's exotic setting. And it's so grand. He's out Meyerbeer-ing Meyerbeer.
Exactly, jhar26. And that's my problem with it: the story, the settings, all suggests that Ten-Commandments flair which I dislike. However, I know Verdi is Verdi, that means the music must be good even if the drama is not.
I am now very curious about what will happen. I've avoided Aida for years, I'll let you know what my new impressions are .
As music, I like late Verdi best, the later the better, so it's Otello and Falstaff for me (I also prefer the Quatro Pezzi Sacri to the Requiem). Among earlier operas La Traviata is probably my favorite, though I like Rigoletto too if the singers are really up to it. All these operas have well-focused plots and/or characters and maintain the tension to the end, which Verdi doesn't always do. Don Carlo has a lot of great music and a lot of fans, but to me it seems rather sprawling and shapeless and ends vaguely no matter what version is used. Aida makes a good Hollywood movie but the characters are one-dimensional and don't interest me at all. Lovely quiet ending, though.
Don Carlo has a lot of great music and a lot of fans, but to me it seems rather sprawling and shapeless and ends vaguely no matter what version is used. Aida makes a good Hollywood movie but the characters are one-dimensional and don't interest me at all. Lovely quiet ending, though.
Actually I keep thinking that Don Carlo would make a terrific opera movie (has it been done already?) because I think a well-made film could tie together the undercurrents in the story -- as well as the bizarre ending -- and make a statement. It is difficult to pull off a mix of political realism and the supernatural on stage, but on film it could be intriguing and memorable (that is to say, I wouldn't want Zeffirelli as the director...)
And for a film, I wouldn't cut anything either (I'd use the five-act version). Hey, it's my fantasy film and I'll make it as long as I want...
My list of Verdi's favorites, as of September, 2016:
1. La Traviata
2. Aida
3. Otello
4. Simon Boccanegra
5. Il Trovatore
6. Rigoletto
7. Falstaff
8. Un ballo in maschera
9. Don Carlo
10. I due Foscari
11. Luisa Miller
12. Ernani
13. Nabucco
14. La forza del destino
15. Attila
16. Macbeth
17. I vespri siciliani
18. I Lombardi alla prima crociata
19. Stiffelio
20. Giovanna d'Arco
21. I masnadieri
22. Alzira
23. Il corsaro
24. La batagglia di Legnano
25. Oberto
26. Un giorno di regno
Thank you Florestan for reviving this thread! It's fascinating to read eight year old posts and from members I'd not heard of or not seen for ages.
My favourite Verdi and my favourite opera of all is Simon Boccanegra. It's one of the very few operas where I was smitten on hearing the opening bars and, for me, the father/daughter story is more rewarding than a love story. I could imagine Verdi wondering what it would feel like if his little girl hadn't died and he was reunited with her.
Macbeth is my second favourite Verdi and second favourite opera.
After reading up on him, I could understand his galley operas and why he just wanted to deliver popular operas that would earn him money but I like all his operas.
Aida is my favorite opera both visually, emotionally and musically. It would be a desert island piece with a good cast. BUT, with a superb cast I would rather listen to Il Trovatore more on a regular basis. Silly story but such spectacular music. May I have two answers??
Otello, Rigoletto and Aida are my tops. Don Carlo is very close--it's got some of my favorite music that Verdi composed but I do think there are some fundamental weaknesses (the absurd ending and the secondary characters being much more interesting and having better music than the putative leads).
I think the ending of Don Carlo is original, spectacular and super cool.
How many other operas are there that ends with the lead character being dragged away by the ghost of his grandfather.
It was unkind of Gramps not to take Elisabeth too. Imagine having to get on with life after watching your true love dragged away by a ghost. They could have sung an ecstatic duet before descending together into the tomb, with the bystanders raising a prayerful chorus of blessing. Or is that too Wagnerian?
I would like to choose either Don Carlos or La Forza from your list, if for no other than academic reasons. But instead I went with Falstaff. It is perhaps the one Verdi opera I can think of that is totally coherent from end to end, rousing fun, and musically not a dull moment. A well-crafted and, dare I say it, Mozartian piece for the stage.
My long-standing personal favourite, however, remains Simon Boccanegra.
Well, I've 'only' got eight operas by Verdi and I don't play them that often due to having to be in the mood for opera in the first place, but of those my favourites have always been Rigoletto, Macbeth and Otello.
RIGOLETTO and LUISA MILLER are my two top favorites, though I'd be willing to agree with the general consensus that OTELLO and FALSTAFF are Verdi's greatest works.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Classical Music Forum
2.6M posts
40.5K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to classical music for musicians and other enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about composers, compositions, arrangements, collections, recordings, techniques, instruments, styles, reviews, classifieds, and more!