[ScottK]

One of the greatest pieces of music Verdi, ever wrote! I’ve always thought it one of the very greatest among his concerted pieces along with the council chamber scene from Simone Boccanegra. I believe that concerted pieces, with or without chorus, are among the greatest examples of Verdis genius, one of the reasons I think I need to return to Falstaff because as I remember…may be wrong… There was a lot of concerted singing there. Like pizza, I’ve always felt even a below average version of the quartet as being a very enjoyable thing (excepting of course Domino’s😉🤓!) to my taste there are no below averages here. During the first half of the piece the tenor has great prominence . I’ve always liked Tagliavini but there was always a quality in the production or sound that I couldn’t define… It makes him unique, but it has in most cases, a relaxed quality to it. That doesn’t work in the opening for me. I’m not sure what he’s doing there. I enjoy it, but I don’t hear how he’s seducing Maddalena. Domingo sounds more the long lined Adonis and Krause, the more energized charming predator and I enjoy Krause the most. Of course he has the easiest top, and that matters a lot here. Taddei rules, as he often does! At the important introduction of soprano and mezzo the combination of Colasanti and Pagliughi make an uncommon distinction in character between Gilda and Maddalena and that quality never lets up for the rest of that version of the piece. I think great small ensemble, singing, in any kind of music, can divide for me into two separate approaches… One in which the blend is paramount, and you are struck with the perfection of the whole! The other is an approach in which individual parts and characters are extremely distinct, but somehow that individuality is blended into a magnificent whole! I feel that’s what accomplished in the first rendition. I enjoyed them all very very much but the Taddei group takes the trophy for me! I think it was a great rendition!!!

 

[ScottK]

What a difference the conductor makes and Solti, who has a fine group of singers, totally ruins thier efforts with his ridiculously fast and rigid tempo. I've always thought he was a terrible Verdi conductor and this only confirms it. It's a pity because he has some fine singers on many of his recordings, but I don't like any of his Verdi.

Questa may make no revelations, but I prefer his more relaxed tempo. Unfortunately Tagliavini's strained singing rather ruins this version, which leaves me with Giulini, who assuredly does know how to conduct Verdi. His singers are a fine bunch too. As Woddduck has pointed out, it's the tenor who will make or break a performance of this Quartet and Domingo does a fine job, phrasing nicely and not sounding too strained by the high tessitura. Cotrubas is ideally sweet and plaintive as Gilda, Cappuccill, who probably has the least to do, fine as Rigoletto and Obrasztsova, for once, doesn't oversing and pull focus. Thet get my vote.

Tsaras I know you’ve always hated Solti as a Verdi conductor, and I’ve meant to ask in the past… Why? Safe ground here because I’m not asking because I love his Verdi conducting. In truth I have never had an opinion about his Verdi conducting. To be perfectly honest, conducting has to be quite distinct in Italian opera before I notice it at all. On this piece I do, of course, recognize that he’s faster than the others but I didn’t find him hideously fast. I could understand it not being to someone’s taste, but I would not have thought the tempo capable of simply ruining the rendition. You use the word rigid in there, and I know you were referring to tempo. But in over all impact I have to say that, compared to Giulini‘s, I find his rendition less rigid….. considerably. I think he has orchestra and vocalists working together to breathe propulsion and pull back into those gorgeous tutti phrases towards the climax of the piece and I didn’t hear anything like that in Giulini, who I thought proceeded along at the same dynamic for everyone. I did find Soltis more interesting. Now this is not a gauntlet thrown at your feet. 😆🤓!!! and I am going to throw in here that once I took on the challenge of really listening for the aspirates that clearly interfere with yours and Wood ducks enjoyment of renditions. I have started to hear them more and I do understand why they bother you. Tell me about Solti!😁

 

[ScottK]

I don’t think I have seen it. I saw a life of Verdi in the theaters when I was a teenager… 70s… And I remember that had singing from Gobbi and Delmonico.

 

[ScottK]

A snippet:

Fun! I like it!