Early VERDI
Thu, Apr 25 2013, 1:32PM
Which of Verdi's pre-"Rigoletto" operas do you find most rewarding? I only know "Attila", "Ernani" and "Nabucco" and find all three have much to offer (which is more than I would say of Wagner's early three).
Thu, Apr 25 2013, 6:33PM
#2
RE: Early VERDI
I certainly go along with Stiffelio and Macbeth and would add Nabucco. Early Verdi tends to suffer from stilted, old-fashioned production and run-through performances. My only experience of Luisa Miller is the Met production with Scotto and Domingo (in a ridiculous blonde wig) - fine singing, stodgy staging. I just missed I Due Foscari with Nucci while in Palermo last November. Perhaps fortunately, I hear it was an earthbound performance. Surely the time will come for these pieces under a sympathetic conductor and imaginative director. The music's there, it just needs to be realized.
Fri, Apr 26 2013, 8:57AM
#3
RE: Early VERDI
It depends what you mean with "more rewarding", Adrian. All 16 Operas (if we consider Jerusalem as a new one, despite it is a revision of I Lombardi in French) before Rigoletto have certain rewards to offer (for any individual listener). How rewarding the actual listening experience may be is difficult to say. Musically, very few of them may reach the Verdi, le genial.
Oberto and Un giorno di regno are nice immature works. Nabucco has its glorious moments, but I would not easily revisit the whole work. I Lombardi has impresive arias and good moments, while Ernani sounds more mature and rewarding as a true Verdian Opera.
I due Foscari leaves me cold, but Giovanna d'Arco is an impressive vehicle for the title role (uneven otherwise). Attila is underrated vis a vis the certain qualities of the work as a whole. Alzira is rather indifferent but still a good vehicle for the main soprano role.
Then we reach Macbeth, the first almost overall masterpiece of the composer, and the overlooked but musically impressive I masnadieri (superficial as for the libretto and theatrically). I can live without Il corsaro and La battaglia di Legnano, but Luisa Miller is a rewarding listening experience and can stand the theatrical challenge. Stiffelio is good enough but I would not call it a "masterpiece".
My approach of the above works by Verdi comes from someone who has been sober enough with Opera for years now. Surely, people who adore the genre and love the composer might find more of the above Operas much more worthy in different ways.
Parla
P.S.: Adrian I cannot see what kind of comparison can be done with the early Verdi, with about 18 Operas, and Wagner's "early three" (which ones do you mean, actually?). The total production of their opus is so different in approach, perspective and form that any comparison whatsoever may look superficial.
Fri, Apr 26 2013, 12:13PM
#4
RE: Early VERDI
"Die Feen", "Das Liebesverbot", "Rienzi". Perhaps my judgement was a little hasty as I haven't heard any of them for some years - and some people admire "Rienzi".
Fri, Apr 26 2013, 12:35PM
#5
RE: Early VERDI
"Die Feen" is a fine German Opera, definitely far from what one may expect from the mature Wagner, but quite interesting and flowing in its development. There are a couple very good recordings of the work, one is live, on Orfeo.
"Das Liebesverbot" is the weakest and the least performed and recorded. However, "Rienzi" is a true precursor of the mature and great Wagner. Large in scale and quite demanding for both the singers and the orchestra, it is a complex, rewarding listening and theatrical experience, albeit not that mature, balanced and tight in texture and form. There are few recordings good enough to explore this worthy endeavour of the younger Wagner.
Parla
Fri, Apr 26 2013, 10:46PM
#6
RE: Early VERDI
Last month I bought a version of Oberto. After many detours of buying multiple versions of Verdi operas I finally have recordings of all of them complete excepting Jerusalem, essentially I Lombardi in French clothing. For me all of Verdi's early works give a foretaste or glimpse into a style he was to master when he finally had the luxury of sufficient preparation time for his later and most performed operas.
On the whole, all of the early Verdi recordings recorded by Gardelli on Philips are well worth acquiring and as you probably know are available on Decca's recently released complete set of Verdi operas. All of them were cast from strength with most of the finest available artists at the time. (There's no point in adding up how much I spent acquiring them separately over the years.)
Listening to early Verdi, I have often been amused by the paradox of apparently jolly sounding music accompanying the most miserable and distressing circumstances. Of course, this is not just particular to Verdi as Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini were prone to compose in a similar fashion. Some would argue this style continued into all Verdi's later operas and this may well have some credence.
I concur with Parla that Macbeth is easily the best early Verdi. The other early works which I would not want to be without I think are Nabucco, Luisa Miller, Ernani and (pace Parla) I Due Foscari, Il Cosaro and Il Battaglio di Legnano - not so much for the operas themselves; moreso for how well they are performed. Ricciarelli and Carreras, for instance, were at their absolute best at the time and the quality of their voices deteriorated so soon after in other more popular repertoire. And don't forget the recording of Alzira on Orfeo with Araiza, Cotrubas and Bruson to complement the others.
Sat, Apr 27 2013, 2:59AM
#7
RE: Early VERDI
Caballe, I have no problem at all with your post. The way you put your thoughts are quite correct. As for the performances and recordings, most, if not all, early Verdi Operas are well or even best served. However, Adrian's question was about the music itself, the works themselves. As for that point, my post stands as it is.
Parla
Sun, Apr 28 2013, 1:11AM
#8
RE: Early VERDI
I didn't realise I was providing a list. You once accused me of being a tease, Mister Donut, in another of your nom de plumes so I guess I'll leave it at that for now.
Sun, Apr 28 2013, 1:40AM
#9
RE: Early VERDI
I'm unsure what distinction you are making, Parla. Apart from listening to recordings, in what way other than studying a score and/or attending several performances do we fully get to know a work? Most discussions on this site are recording-related rather than performance based.
I haven't had the privilege of attending as many concerts or acquiring as vast a collection of recordings as you have but rest assured when I respond to a post I speak from knowledge too.
Sun, Apr 28 2013, 5:56AM
#10
RE: Early VERDI
What I meant Caballe is that one single recording cannot be the sole criterion for appreciating a work. We have to seek for as many other sources as possible to have a more comprehensive perception of the works in question (e.g. live performances, DVDs and reading material).
Having said that, I agree with your assessment of the old Philips endeavour to record all early Verdi. They are all very fine or good enough to help you get into the work. However, it is only one view of these works and cannot be but only indicative.
Parla
Thu, May 9 2013, 11:31PM
#11
RE: Early VERDI
Once again I misunderstood you. Sorry for my late reply but work commitments prevent me from engaging in as much forum discussion as I would like.
In principle I agree with your comments but in discussing early Verdi opera there isn't a great deal of choice. Staged performance of early Verdi are infrequent at best. I appreciate one can purchase all or most of Verdi's operas complete in the recently released Tutto Verdi dvd or blue ray releases. I haven't seen any of them so it would be invidious of me to comment.
Even so I would still maintain the best route to gain at least a grounding in early Verdi opera would be from hearing the strongly cast Lamberto Gardelli recordings I recommended.
To Mista Donut; your reply requesting a list of my recordings of Verdi has been deleted. Even so, I regret I would not have found the time to provide such a list from an estimate of over 300 recordings and I suspect if I had done so you and other readers would soon move on to better things to do.
Fri, May 10 2013, 12:17PM
#12
RE: Early VERDI
Perhaps you could just post the titles of your favourites, Caballe?
Tue, May 14 2013, 7:31PM
#13
RE: Early VERDI
I find some Italian Opera racially very disturbing. Far more than I have ever found in Wagner.
Tue, May 14 2013, 7:59PM
#14
RE: Early VERDI
Is anybody keeping count?
Vic.
Tue, May 14 2013, 8:03PM
#15
RE: Early VERDI
I find some Italian Opera racially very disturbing. Far more than I have ever found in Wagner.
Good point. We forget how a work like L'Italiana in Algeri must appear to non-Europeans.
I agree with the 3 you mention and would add "I Lombardi" and of course "Macbeth" (even in its non-revised version). "Luisa Miller" and "Stiffelio" are also masterpieces.