Thread: Your choice/Top Verdi opera

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!

Originally Posted by Morigan

La Traviata is my personal favourite.

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.)

Originally Posted by Guarnerius

Must confess, I'm not a fan of ultramodern direction.

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.

Originally Posted by rich23434565

Apart from Falstaff, my favourite work by Verdi is probably the Reqiuem.

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.

Originally Posted by Rachovsky

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.

Mozart is much less operatic in his Requiem (at least in the parts he actually composed) and more concentrated too.

But Verdi's Requiem is magnificent. I never tire of hearing the Dies Irae section, especially the stereophonic fanfares and the setting for the choir: Tuba mirum spargens sonum. Incredibly powerful and elemental stuff!

Originally Posted by Rachovsky

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.

Yes it does. For me, the Verdi Irae is neck-and neck with the Liszt Totentanz Irae (which I love).

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 .