I was at opening night of the Peter Hall production of Verdis Macbeth at the MET. The ballet was astonishing and I never heard the booing that vociferous at that theater. It was certainly entertaining with the little plastic bats and the ballerinas in tutus on the Scottish landscape!!!
When you paused after the phrase "opera without words...don't worry it's coming..." I thought you were going to say "it's trash!" But so glad you love it - I have a sweet tooth for that stuff!
There is also an excellent 4 cd Chandos set that has all of the Verdi preludes overtures and ballet music with Edward Downes and the BBC Philharmonic wonderfully played
In 2007 Philips released a two disc set of the de Almeida Verdi ballet pieces. It contains the same pieces as the Philips duo set minus the Ponchielli and Wagner works. Neither of the discs contains any of the ballet music from Aida. The later Philips release is available from marketplace sellers at less than half the price marketplace sellers are asking for the duo release. I have and very much enjoy the Serebrier/Naxos recording which does contain around 15 minutes of ballet music from Aida.
I do have the Levine collected and enjoyed since it first issued. I was an undergraduate student. Thanks for this and will listen to the others you recommand.
If you could choose - which one Verdi premiere would you love to have attended? For me, it is Nabucco, as I would have loved to see Strepponi in action :).
I own Levine/MET and bits of the Chailly/Bologna recording coupled with some overtures. The less well-known ballet music from Jerusalem and Le Trouvere I possess through complete sets (Philips and Dynamic labels). As for the Macbeth one, it's some of the best orchestral music Verdi composed, coming from the 1865 revision. In that sense, I think I may differ a bit from your judgement. I'm sorry.
No, I do not think you are wrong. Sure, there is good stuff in the operas proper, but can anything beat the overtures to La Forza or Il Vespri Siciliani?^^
Granted, I can be a curmudgeonly sort, an orchestral violist who thinks far too many singers engage in rhythmic and intonational (or even notational^^) liberties that would get instrumentalists shot on sight... First full-length opera I ever played, La Boheme, caused me to agree vociferously with Beethoven that opera was the most distressing thing in the world. No overture, and singers randomly and arbitrarily extending note values simply because the conductor indulged them?? Yuck...
I was at opening night of the Peter Hall production of Verdis Macbeth at the MET. The ballet was astonishing and I never heard the booing that vociferous at that theater. It was certainly entertaining with the little plastic bats and the ballerinas in tutus on the Scottish landscape!!!
Yes, I saw it too. I had fun.
When you paused after the phrase "opera without words...don't worry it's coming..." I thought you were going to say "it's trash!" But so glad you love it - I have a sweet tooth for that stuff!
There is also an excellent 4 cd Chandos set that has all of the Verdi preludes overtures and ballet music with Edward Downes and the BBC Philharmonic wonderfully played
The Otello music was on the old “Verdi and Toscanini” album some of us grew up on. I imagine it’s still available.
I wish David had enthused a bit more about this. I think it's fabulous, imaginative music, beautifully orchestrated.
In 2007 Philips released a two disc set of the de Almeida Verdi ballet pieces. It contains the same pieces as the Philips duo set minus the Ponchielli and Wagner works. Neither of the discs contains any of the ballet music from Aida. The later Philips release is available from marketplace sellers at less than half the price marketplace sellers are asking for the duo release. I have and very much enjoy the Serebrier/Naxos recording which does contain around 15 minutes of ballet music from Aida.
Love this video. Great tip
Maazel/Cleveland did a very good LP of the ballet music that's now on Eloquence and in the big Maazel CO box.
I recently bought the Naxos set you mentioned and it is really terrific. Glad to see you highlighting it!
I do have the Levine collected and enjoyed since it first issued. I was an undergraduate student. Thanks for this and will listen to the others you recommand.
I have a nice Decca disc with Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Its all great light music. Very uplifting
If you could choose - which one Verdi premiere would you love to have attended? For me, it is Nabucco, as I would have loved to see Strepponi in action :).
La Traviata, because it was a fiasco.
For me, Aida - it's one of my favourites, and it would be great to visit Egypt :)
I own Levine/MET and bits of the Chailly/Bologna recording coupled with some overtures. The less well-known ballet music from Jerusalem and Le Trouvere I possess through complete sets (Philips and Dynamic labels). As for the Macbeth one, it's some of the best orchestral music Verdi composed, coming from the 1865 revision. In that sense, I think I may differ a bit from your judgement. I'm sorry.
You just cost me money. Bought the last one on Amazon for $17.74.
Very sad that there is no ballet in Wagner ring, parsifal as well.
Is it wrong that I think the best Verdi music is the stuff with no singing!
Yes. Very.
oh dear God, give this man his ears.
LOL
No, I do not think you are wrong. Sure, there is good stuff in the operas proper, but can anything beat the overtures to La Forza or Il Vespri Siciliani?^^
Granted, I can be a curmudgeonly sort, an orchestral violist who thinks far too many singers engage in rhythmic and intonational (or even notational^^) liberties that would get instrumentalists shot on sight...
First full-length opera I ever played, La Boheme, caused me to agree vociferously with Beethoven that opera was the most distressing thing in the world. No overture, and singers randomly and arbitrarily extending note values simply because the conductor indulged them?? Yuck...