# Verdi Opera Ranking



## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I love Verdi. Opera has been, in the last four or five years, my favorite music genre and Verdi sits on top of the pack. I find enjoyment in every Verdi opera. Naturally, some our better then others, but I'm going to spend a couple blog posts going through my Verdi opera rankings.

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1) AIDA*: The Nile scene and Terra adio are among my very favorite scenes in opera. I really get involved in the plight of Radames and Aida....and not just them. Amneris is an intense character that adds a lot to this opera. My collection of Aidas has several of my favorite singers. I own Karajan with Tebaldi & Bergonzi, Muti with Domino, Caballe and the best Amneris: Fiorenza Cossoto. I also own Solti, with Jon Vickers and Leontyne Price who IS Aida to me. Finally the newer Pappano with Kaufmann and Harteros.

*2) Don Carlo*: I have one video and three audio recordings, strangely all of which are the Five act Italian. Which is good: I can't imagine it without the Fountainbleu act. This was my favorite Verdi for a long time, and easily could become that again, so close is my affection for this opera and Aida. Like Aida, it has one of the most fascinating "side" characters for me in the Posa, Roderigo. He is in fact my favorite character in this opera. This role introduced me to Dmitri Hvorovstovsky. I love Dietrich Fisher Dieskau in this role...some say he's not the right voice but I think he does an amazing job with it all the same. The Grand Inquisitor music is downright chilling, and I love the Act 4 monologue, with a great king reduced to a man and husband with doubts and frailties.

*3) La Traviata*: This was my introduction to a first full Verdi opera, and honestly it wasn't love at first listen. I'm not sure why, the music is incredible. I think the plot bored me. And I didn't do much reading on the particular recording, I bought the one whose album artwork interested me the most. Honestly I think it was mostly because I was new to full operas in general, still mostly immersed in highlight albums.
I'm glad I gave it time and a few listens. Many many other Verdi plots are far more compelling to me, but again, the music is PHENOMENAL.

Next post I'll discuss the next few


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