Verdi - Il trovatore / Pavarotti, Banaudi, Verrett, Nucci, Maggio musicale Fiorentino, Mehta

This was a gift for my dad who loves opera. He enjoys it very much. He is a big Pavoratti fan.

Pavarotti recorded Il Trovatore twice for Decca. I now have both recordings. The first one was with Joan Sutherland, Ingvar Wixell and Marilyn Horne. The second version was with a soprano I had never heard of, Antonella Banaudi, along with Leo Nucci and Shirley Verrett. A steller cast. Banaudi is simply fantastic. Unfortunately she gave up live performing shortly after making this recording. A terrible loss for the opera listening public. The total performance is thrilling with everyone in top form.

As far as I know, this is Shirley Verrett's only studio recording of Azucena. Buy this recording just for that. She is slightly past her prime. Her "past her prime" is still a thrilling achievement.One star for the sonics. One star for the star of this recording, Shirley Verrett.

This recording made either during or after a string of live performances in Italy was a showcase for Luciano Pavarotti. And he does a pretty good job as Manrico. He was certainly not a young man anymore, but his voice still had the same distinctive beauty and ring. But he sounds like he just barely made it through the sustained high note at the end of "Di quella pira." I give Pavarotti 4 out of 5 stars. I had not heard of Antonella Banaudi (the Leonora) before this recording, and I haven't heard of her since. While her voice is attractive enough it sounds as though this role is just too much for her. Not to mention she can't handle the coloratura. I give a lot of credit to Leo Nucci's Count di Luna. He deserves more credit than he usually recieves. His voice is attractive and he sings this role with passion. Shirley Verrett does a great job as Azucena.

Zubin Mehta has made a hallmark for himself here. The conducting is superb and the recording quality is perfect and clear. Mehta works extremely well with his soloists and the orchestra is both a gentle lover and a fearless, trusty steed where necessary, being to each voice the right accompaniment.Take Benaudi, for example. Her voice, while technically equal to the task, lacks the dramatic power of, say, Leontyne Price in the Role (though it must be said that Price commands a formidable arsenal of skill, beauty and prowess...among them, the most chillingly sublte pianissimos). So Benaudi's is a very delicate, sympathetic flower of a Leonora. Try her Convent scene: "Degg'io Volgermi a Quei..." is so achingly rendered, with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as the most careful guardian of that delicate moment.That said though, Benaudi's Leonora is good but not outstandingly so and delicacy need not preclude moderate drama.Pavarotti here displays more of what makes him an amazing singer but one of my least favourite tenors. Pitch, range, bravado, subtlety...it's all there but there is at times a perceptible 'pant' at the end of his phrasing. Vocally he is amazing but the evidence of physical unfitness also comes out in the voice.Shirley Verrett however, can only be experienced...barely described! This is the UNRIVALLED star of the recording. Her Azucena newly ensorcells you with each entrance....not to mention her recollection of burning her own child in Act 1, or again in their Prison Scene! Her idiomatic diction, perfect pitch, amazing range (that chest register is astounding!) and sheer DRAMA make her the ABSOLUTE BEST Azucena that I have ever heard.Leo Nucci too makes a brilliant Conte di Luna, with a rich, sonorous bass/baritone. He may not 'snarl' as much as some others in the past but the malice comes across with enough potency regardless. And d'Artegna is simply excellent in his supporting role of Ferrando. He conveys the strained vigilance of his sentinel role, ever-watchful to reveal the perpetrator of a past heinous crime.Overall, this is a very good recording. It isn't one of my favourite Verdi operas however (the music at times doesn't convey the tragedy of events, whereas at other times, it is unparalelled in this regard). Also, it is expensive (although for me, Verrett alone is worth the price!). Had Domingo been the Manrico, I would probably have no quibble. However, Pavarotti isn't always my hero of choice for the qualities outlined above (although he was a WONDERFUL Pinkerton alongside Freni). Otherwise, a very good recording.

This Trovator to needs know for Verrett Azucena. Her voice is deteriored, but timbre and range(emit cleary the D5 of "tu la sprimi del mio cor")are magnificient. Not one Azucena, i repeat, not one harmonize this personage as Shirley Verrett. In "strana pietà" she is capable to reveal her bewildemont and in her "Ah!" when is in front Luna's count to give a physical sensation of to go back: fantastis!

Musicalité et émotions

Perfect!!!