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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There is such a cornucopia of excellent "Aida" recordings available that to claim absolute superiority for any of them is to give hostages to fortune. I am going to enter the lions' den by saying that I do not hear in Milanov's Aida the paragon referred to by so many previous reviewers. To me, she frequently sounds elderly (yet she was not yet 50 at the time of the recording), wobbly and screechy; listen to her in the first trio with Bjorling and Christoff (both superb); her first aria, "Ritorna is full of swoops and slides - listen to the attempt to hit the A at 2'.08" or the G at 2'. 29"; they are pretty gruesome. Yes, I know that singing Aida is not just about hitting a few notes correctly but to my ears she is struggling throughout, compared with the vocal sumptuousness and security of Price or Caballe. In fairness, Milanov's "Patria mia" goes better but she still slides and loses tonal quality too often. The concluding Tomb Scene finds her and Bjorling striking sparks off each other, but it is often a bumpy ride.
Nor do I mind the elderly mono sound but I would not choose this, even in this excellent Naxos re-mastering (from three sets of LP's) by Mark Obert-Thorn, as my favourite "Aida". This is an opera whose exalted crowd scenes demand to be heard in spacious stereo, so you would not opt for this over the Muti (see my review) or the Leinsdorf sets in modern sound if you wanted to enjoy the grandeur of this opera at home.
My problems with the supposed unrivalled excellence of this set continue with the hoarse, woolly King of Pino Clabassi and the rather monochromatic account of Amneris from Fedora Barbieri - a singer I nonetheless usually admire and she is in opulent voice. Perlea takes a very leisurely view of the score and often fails to generate much tension - although the more lyrical passages go more successfully. Of course there are huge compensations in Bjorling's gleaming Radames, Warren's incisive Amonasro and Christoff's implacable Ramfis - but "Aida" needs a better, all-round ensemble to take off - which is precisely what Muti, Leinsdorf and Solti provide. Even Warren sounds throatier here than I am used to hearing him - and I am a huge fan.
I have been listening to opera for thirty-five years and do not generally find myself standing out against received wisdom - but I am genuinely puzzled by the accolades for this set. If you want an Aida of the type Milanov essays then Caballe does it so much better.
Now I'll sit back and wait for the hate mail - but I still believe that if you listen and compare with as much objectivity as you can muster in so subjective a taste as Grand Opera you might concede at least some of my criticisms. I know that this set will never be my choice for introducing anyone to this wonderful opera.
Nor do I mind the elderly mono sound but I would not choose this, even in this excellent Naxos re-mastering (from three sets of LP's) by Mark Obert-Thorn, as my favourite "Aida". This is an opera whose exalted crowd scenes demand to be heard in spacious stereo, so you would not opt for this over the Muti (see my review) or the Leinsdorf sets in modern sound if you wanted to enjoy the grandeur of this opera at home.
My problems with the supposed unrivalled excellence of this set continue with the hoarse, woolly King of Pino Clabassi and the rather monochromatic account of Amneris from Fedora Barbieri - a singer I nonetheless usually admire and she is in opulent voice. Perlea takes a very leisurely view of the score and often fails to generate much tension - although the more lyrical passages go more successfully. Of course there are huge compensations in Bjorling's gleaming Radames, Warren's incisive Amonasro and Christoff's implacable Ramfis - but "Aida" needs a better, all-round ensemble to take off - which is precisely what Muti, Leinsdorf and Solti provide. Even Warren sounds throatier here than I am used to hearing him - and I am a huge fan.
I have been listening to opera for thirty-five years and do not generally find myself standing out against received wisdom - but I am genuinely puzzled by the accolades for this set. If you want an Aida of the type Milanov essays then Caballe does it so much better.
Now I'll sit back and wait for the hate mail - but I still believe that if you listen and compare with as much objectivity as you can muster in so subjective a taste as Grand Opera you might concede at least some of my criticisms. I know that this set will never be my choice for introducing anyone to this wonderful opera.
Format:Audio CD
I think RM is a little hard on this recording, though I don't entirely disagree with what he says about Milanov; but what she may sacrifice in sound quality she makes up in her dramatic interpretation (a accusation that one could equally direct at Tebaldi). I too have my favourite recordings (the Price/Solti and the Caballe/Muti) and here the sound quality is poor, even compared to the Callas EMI recording of the same year.
But all things considered this is a recording worth owning just for the sheer beauty of Bjorling's Radames.
But all things considered this is a recording worth owning just for the sheer beauty of Bjorling's Radames.
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