Verdi: Rigoletto

I doubt Pavarotti and Sutherland would have been very convincing as the Duke and Gilda on stage. But in a recording they are as good as it gets. Same for Milnes. This is such a beautiful and well sung opera that you can just listen to it following the libretto and you will be not less transported than if you were in an opera house.

I have only had one Rigoletto in my life, the first opera I ever bought in the 50's. It is the one with Jan Peerce and de los Angeles and Leonard Warren. I have never wanted another. I read a review and bought this one. Now, it is in stereo, a significant improvement. Sutherland and Pavarotti are simply great and in great voice this recording date. I would dispute that Milnes is recorded here better than Warren and they are both very good. Dame Joan is too old for Gilda if it was a DVD, but her voice is just about perfect for this part nevertheless. This is truly a great recording and a tribute to the quality of opera at the time.

Learning Opera

This Rigoletto with beautiful tenor Pavarotti. the great Ingmar Vixell and Edita Gruberova is superb. It is an orgy of sound and a rejoice for the viewer. I think all the three main characters, along with Sparrafucile,were extraordinaryly chosen. It is a master piece.that has no "but". I really thank you for having taken so hard times sending it. Thanks a lot, dear freinds.Cordially yours,Eugenia

This is a recording with incredible singing from three great voices: Sutherland, Pavarotti, and Milnes. It is simply an aural pleasure to hear. Great character interpretation you will not find here as in the classic EMI recording under Serafin where Tito Gobbi simply sounds like the character of Rigoletto, inflecting every phrase as if he were really living the drama. By contrast, Milnes simply pours forth beautiful resonant tone and with much subtlety in his singing but without real character definition. Ditto for Sutherland, but what resonance, roundness of tone and bloom in the voice! That is the pleasure. Sutherland sounds a bit matronly for a part which should be more of a girlish soubrette but that is a small price to pay for gorgeous soprano singing. Scotto brings more word-pointing to her Gilda under the baton of Rafael Kubelik on DG. Cotrubas sounds more like a definitive Gilda with her limpid lyric voice on the DG recording conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. As for Pavarotti, I believe the Duke was his best role, perfectly suited to his voice and this, his first recording of it is better than the second one which came a decade later. I reach for this Decca recording for the beautiful, albeit somewhat mindless singing. Also, the conducting is very spirited and lively under Richard Bonynge-perhaps his best conducted recording.

These voices are sublime, and I will not see/hear their equal in my lifetime. The music is outstanding in this Verdi opera.

Good

Well, with out words...One of Pavarotti's best role. An excelent version. The conditions of the jewl box and cd's are in a fine condition. Thank you very much

E’ pur vero che si parla di un Rigoletto ascoltato e non visto (la qual cosa avvantaggia “questi” cantanti) ma qualità espressa da Pavarotti, Sutherland e Milnes e’ eccezionale e rende l’ascolto una esperienza sublime

Awesome

Maravillosa versión de Rigoletto. La mejor que he escuchado nunca. Pavarotti está en una forma estupenda y maneja su espléndida voz como si no le costase ningún esfuerzo. Todo le sale bien.Sutherland muestra sus magníficas dotes vocales y se le perdonan sus defectos (mala dicción italiana y una caracterización algo frívola de Gilda).Milnes hace un gran Rigoleto, profundo y atormentado.Bonynge, que en otras ocasiones se muestra lento y parsimonioso (p.e. "L'Elisir d'Amore" también con Sutherland y Pavarotti), hace una interesante dirección, aunque deja a su mujer lucirse en exceso con alguna nota dos octavas por encima de lo que señala la partitura (p.e. el final de "Bella Figlia dell'amor")

pas grand chose à ajouterdéjà exprimé dans l'objetc 'est un très bon produit tout à fait conforme à la description

若々しいパヴァロッティのマントヴァ公は、やはりこの歌手にしか表出できない美観と役づくりである。マントヴァ公は公美男で女たらしでも恋愛至上主義。単なるスケベ貴族ではないのだ。処女ジルダが恋に落ちる必然性を感じさせる相手であるためには、この頃のパヴァロッティの歌唱には説得性がある。それ以前のベルゴンツィやクラウスのみにとらわれていた小生が、なんでもソプラノはカラスという悪しき伝統にはそっぽを向きながら、実は同じ穴のムジナであったようだ。同じことが、ミルンズにもあてはまる。カプッチルリやバスティア二ーニがこの場合、カラスなのだ。ミルンズは米国人であるばかりに損をしている。ドミンゴやカレーラスだってスペイン人で、イタリアオペラ純正扱いであるのに対して。多くのミルンズの録音を聴いているが、『純正』イタリアオペラのまやかしプロパガンダの伝統に損をしていると思う。声量・音程の正確さだけでなく、声の演技力もあっぱれ。スカルピア、イアーゴ、マクベス・・・・。やはり、リゴレットの歌唱も素晴らしいものである。サザーランドも聴かせるし、『巨匠』性云々でジュリーニ、シノーポリ、シャイー・・・はオペラ非専業なのに賞揚し、ボニングの指揮を過小評価するのも、悪しき伝統や思い込みの結果ではないか？さて、特筆すべきは、このレーベルのオペラの録音はこの時期に素晴らしい音源となっているが、この盤もその一つであろう。最後になりますが、ショルティ盤も米国人のメリルがリゴレット役、小生の愛聴盤です・・・・。