This live La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi from Firenze, Italy in June 1956 stars a young and dynamic tenor Giuseppe di Stefano near the beginning of a brilliant, decades-long stage career and Renata Tebaldi, a lyric soprano blessed with one of the most gorgeous and forthright voices in 20th century opera, and in all likelihood in operatic history. The mezzo-soprano Fedora Barbieri is always a welcome presence in Italian opera recordings of this period. Gabriele Santini conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Firenze.

UN BALLO IN MASCHERA: MIALNOV-

VERDI GALA 2004

Classical Music

MARAGLIANO, Luisa: Verdi Arias

Verdi: Rigoletto (Recorded 1952) [Live]

Verdi: Giovanna d'Arco (Live)

Barbara Haveman, Livia Aghova, Burkhard Fritz, Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester, Balint Szabo, Hubert Francis, Fabrice Farina, Rudi de Vries, Roger Smeets, Jeremy White, and Christophe Fel star in this Netherlands' Opera production of the Verdi opera.

Renato Bruson, Alberto Cupido, Linda Roark-Strummer, Luigi Roni, Renato Cazzaniga, Monica Tagliasacchi, Aldo Bottion, and Aldo Bramante star in this 1988 La Scala performance of the Verdi opera with Gianandrea Gavazzeni conducting.

Despite a plethora of recordings of Verdi’s Ernani currently in active catalog status from Myto starring the very great Italian tenor Mario del Monaco, after listening to the tapes of this 1961 Rome Ernani they determined one additional Ernani must nevertheless be added to the burgeoning pile. Cornell MacNeil is in excellent voice, as is soprano Floriana Cavalli as Elvira, the determining factor in bringing this release to market as she was not often recorded. It’s a thrilling performance, and the first release in any format. Includes interviews of the singers during pauses in the action!

VERDI: Luisa Miller

A bold, colorful production, enhanced by the costumes of Belgian fashion designer Kaat Tilley. The opera attracted the interest of the Dutch Ministry of Culture, which has sponsored it. Paolo Arrivabeni conducts the orchestra and chorus of the Opera Royal de Wallonie, Liege, in this performance of Verdi's opera from March 2009. The featured performers include Cinzia Forte, Saimir Pirgu, Giovanni Meoni and Federica Carnevale. Directed by Matteo Ricchetti, Stefano Mazzonis Di Pralafera. Starring Federica Carnevale, Cinzia Forte, Giovanni Meoni. Language: Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Subtitles: English, French, Italian

Classical Music

Classical Music

Verdi: Giovanna d'Arco