# Verdi Fanatics!



## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

So I am a self professed Verdi fanatic. I am wishing to not be a completist due to expense and time to listen to it all. That said I don't want to miss anything worthwhile. With my wonderful Don Carlo purchase I have all of the important works, including his Requiem.

I thought I was done once I purchased Don Carlo but I'm thinking I might have a couple more to add. I was considering these and was interested in your thoughts. Plot is not a detrimental factor to me, I'm music first.

Sicilian Vespers
Stiffelio
I Lombardi
Giovanna D'Arco

These are contenders that I may yet purchase down the line. So feel free to share what experiences you've had with these operas. I have them listed in order of my personal interest. I like the plot of Vespers, Stiffelio has a solid Philips recording and I've had success with those especially because it increased my exposure to Jose Carreras. Lombardi lower on the line as I've read it isn't great musically, though I really enjoyed the first little bit I hear. Giovanna, I could probably leave it, though I do like Montserrat Caballe and she has one of couple recommendable recordings from waht I know.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tracklisting
Opera 1 [CD 1 & 2]
Oberto (Marriner)

Opera 2 [CD 3 & 4]
Un giorno di regno (Gardelli)

Opera 3 [CD 5 & 6]
Nabucco (Gardelli)

Opera 4 [CD 7 & 8]
I Lombardi (Levine)

Opera 5 [CD 9 & 10]
Ernani (Bonynge)

Opera 6 [CD CD 11 & 12]
I due Foscari (Gardelli)

Opera 7 [CD 13 & 14]
Giovanna d'arco (Levine)

Opera 8 [CD15 & 16]
Alzira (Luisi)

Opera 9 [CD 17 & 18]
Attila (Gardelli)

Opera 10 [CD 19 & 20]
Macbeth (Abbado)

Opera 11 [CD 21 & 22]
I masnadieri (Bonynge)

Opera 12 [CD 23, 24 & 25]
Jérusalem (Luisi)

Opera 13 [CD 26 & 27]
Il corsaro (Gardelli)

Opera 14 [CD 28 & 29]
La battaglia di legnano (Gardelli)

Opera 15 [CD 30 & 31]
Luisa Miller (Maag)

Opera 16 [CD 32 & 33]
Stiffelio (Gardelli)

Opera 17 [CD 34 & 35]
Rigoletto (Giulini)

Opera 18 [CD 36 & 37]
Il trovatore (Giulini)

Opera 19 [CD 38 & 39]
La traviata (Kleiber)

Opera 20 [CD 40, 41 & 42]
I vespri siciliani (Muti)

Opera 21 [CD 43 & 44]
Simon Boccanegra (Abbado)

Opera 22 [CD 45 & 46]
Aroldo (Luisi)

Opera 23 [CD 47 & 48]
Un ballo in maschera (Solti)

Opera 24 [CD 49, 50 & 51]
La forza del destino
1862 St Petersburg version (Gergiev)

Opera 25 [CD 52. 53 & 54]
La forza del destino (Sinopoli)

Opera 26 [CD 55, 56, 57 & 58]
Don Carlos (Abbado)

Opera 27 [CD 59, 60 & 61]
Don Carlo (Solti)

Opera 28 [CD 62 & 63]
Aida (Karajan)

Opera 29[CD 64 & 65]
Otello (Chung)

Opera 30 [CD 66 & 67]
Falstaff (Giulini)

Other works
CD 68 & 69
Requiem &
Quattro pezzi sacri (Solti)

CD 70
Messa solenne and other sacred works (Chailly)

CD 71
Discoveries (Chailly)

CD 72
Songs (Margaret Price)

CD 73
Songs & Arias
& other rarities
(Scotto / Domingo / Pavarotti

CD 74
String Quartet (New Italian Quartet)
Ballet music:
Jérusalem (de Almeida) & Il trovatore (Bonynge)

CD 75
Ballet music:
Otello · Don Carlos · Aida

If you have a few $ / U.k pound or € to spend......


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## Creatio (Jul 2, 2015)

Pugg, I am dreaming now. Should save money.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Wow Pugg that looks wonderful!! Out of my price range at the moment....but if I can find it for about $200.00 it could well be worth it. So far I'm finding $400-500. Definitely will have to scout around.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sonata said:


> Wow Pugg that looks wonderful!! Out of my price range at the moment....but if I can find it for about $200.00 it could well be worth it. So far I'm finding $400-500. Definitely will have to scout around.


Go to Amazon and search on EMI Verdi box, it's not complete but worth looking :tiphat:


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

I would still suggest getting the operas one by one. A whole box at one time can be a bit daunting. plus there will always be one or two performances that are not that great.

My recommendation for *I Vespri Siciliani* would be the Levine on RCA (Arroyo, Domingo, Milnes et al), though the work itself is probably the weakest of Verdi's middle period, nowhere near in the class of *La Traviata*, which preceded it, or *Simon Boccanegra*, which followed. There is also a very exciting live performance of the opera with Callas (the sound on Testament far superior to any other issues), but it is slightly cut.

The Philips versions of *Stiffelio* and *I Lombardi* are both excellent, as is the EMI Caballe *Giovanna d'Arco*. Of these three, *Stiffelio* is by far the most interesting musically, written just before Verdi embarked on *Rigoletto*.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Sonata said:


> So I am a self professed Verdi fanatic. I am wishing to not be a completist due to expense and time to listen to it all. That said I don't want to miss anything worthwhile. With my wonderful Don Carlo purchase I have all of the important works, including his Requiem.
> 
> I thought I was done once I purchased Don Carlo but I'm thinking I might have a couple more to add. I was considering these and was interested in your thoughts. Plot is not a detrimental factor to me, I'm music first.
> 
> ...


I love Verdi and do have all his operas but I got many of them 'Used Good' from that well known online retailer.

This is Verdi's second opera and one of the excellent Gardelli/Philips recordings. It's a comedy and is one of my favourites.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

sospiro said:


> I love Verdi and do have all his operas but I got many of them 'Used Good' from that well known online retailer.
> 
> This is Verdi's second opera and one of the excellent Gardelli/Philips recordings. It's a comedy and is one of my favourites.


My fav .......................


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

sospiro said:


> I love Verdi and do have all his operas but I got many of them 'Used Good' from that well known online retailer.
> 
> This is Verdi's second opera and one of the excellent Gardelli/Philips recordings. It's a comedy and is one of my favourites.


Yep, actually listening to that one right now! I am starting a chronological Verdi listening project.


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## Queen of the Nerds (Dec 22, 2014)

Hi everyone!
I would just like to inform everyone that I have started an opera voting thread under the title of TalkClassical 2015 Most Recommended Operas Thread. Please visit it and check it out!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Sonata said:


> Yep, actually listening to that one right now! I am starting a chronological Verdi listening project.


Excellent! You should find most of them on YouTube if you don't want to buy just now! Let us know how it goes.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

sospiro said:


> Excellent! You should find most of them on YouTube if you don't want to buy just now! Let us know how it goes.


I did one soon after I joined the forum, slowly working my way through the Verdi canon from first opera to last. It's a fantastic journey. Sit back and enjoy the ride.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sonata said:


> Yep, actually listening to that one right now! I am starting a chronological Verdi listening project.


Good for you, go for it. :tiphat:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Tip.............
Get all the Gardelli's you can get your hands on.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Itullian said:


> Tip.............
> Get all the Gardelli's you can get your hands on.


:tiphat:

I agree!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Itullian said:


> Tip.............
> Get all the Gardelli's you can get your hands on.


I agree also :tiphat:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Itullian said:


> Tip.............
> Get all the Gardelli's you can get your hands on.


_But do start with this_, without it ,.................................you are *lost*......


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Pugg said:


> _But do start with this_, without it ,.................................you are *lost*......


Definitely the best studio recording of *Nabucco*, but, if you're going chronologically, you will have to start with *Oberto* then move on to *Un Giorno di Regno* before turning to *Nabucco*.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

GregMitchell said:


> Definitely the best studio recording of *Nabucco*, but, if you're going chronologically, you will have to start with *Oberto* then move on to *Un Giorno di Regno* before turning to *Nabucco*.


Yes Greg,I know, _just enthusiasm ._
You off all people should know that 
By the way, he has done Don Carlo already.


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## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

I have the Verdi set of complete operas, and it is a real treasure. All the popular ones get decent recordings, if not my favourite, and you can get to know all the minor ones at your leisure. Some hidden gems there, eg I Masnadieri, which never get played because so many later ones are much better. And the two Don Carlo(s)s is brilliant - French and Italian, 5 and 4-act versions. I've been listening to the Solti Don Carlos today.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Pugg said:


> _But do start with this_, without it ,.................................you are *lost*......


I'll check for it on YouTube, thanks for the suggestion.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Steatopygous said:


> I have the Verdi set of complete operas, and it is a real treasure. All the popular ones get decent recordings, if not my favourite, and you can get to know all the minor ones at your leisure. Some hidden gems there, eg *I Masnadieri*, which never get played because so many later ones are much better. And the two Don Carlo(s)s is brilliant - French and Italian, 5 and 4-act versions. I've been listening to the Solti Don Carlos today.


Yep, I have that one 
Gardelli's recording.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Pugg said:


> Tracklisting
> Opera 1 [CD 1 & 2]
> Oberto (Marriner)
> 
> ...


I own that box set and haven't cracked it open yet. FLAC encoding took a long time.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Pugg said:


> _But do start with this_, without it ,.................................you are *lost*......


While being nearly perfect recording, I can't resist to say that Suliotis ruined her voice trying to sing such difficult roles as Abigaille and Norma so early in her career... so I always think "vocal suicide" listening to this one...


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

But what are the best _five_ Verdi operas?

(Don't pick what you think others would pick...)

Mine (in no order):

Falstaff
Don Carlo
Simon Boccanegra
Un Ballo in Maschera
Il Trovatore

(with La Traviata just missing the cut.)


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I checked out a book from the library "Verdi's Operas" which has synopses of the operas as a brief discussion about their Musical and historical context. I thought it would be a good guide for my Verdi listening project.

I also downloaded Il Corsaro, Giovanna D'arco, Vespri Siciliani, and stiffelio. I am missing only 4 operas from my Verdi library, and I don't feel a strong need to collect those 4. Il Corsaro and Stiffelio are Gardelli. giovanna D'arco and Vespri are both the recordings conducted by Levine.

Additionally I added a second Otello and Un Ballo to my set so thus they are on the way in the mail.


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## Steatopygous (Jul 5, 2015)

graziesignore said:


> But what are the best _five_ Verdi operas?
> 
> (Don't pick what you think others would pick...)
> 
> ...


Mine (in no order):
Best 5:
Falstaff
Otello
Don Carlo
Aida
Il Trovatore or Rigoletto

Favourite 5
La Traviata (always, always makes me cry)
Otello (ditto)
Don Carlos
Falstaff
Masked Ball
Honourable mentions to Rigoletto, Boccanegra, Trovatore, Macbeth, Aida,


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

My favorite Verdi operas...

1) Don Carlo
2) Il Trovotore
3) Rigoletto
4) Aida
5) La Forza Del Destino


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