Verdi
In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. The chorus "Va, pensiero" from his early opera Nabucco (1842), and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement, and the composer himself became esteemed as a representative of these ideals. An intensely private person, Verdi, however, did not seek to ingratiate himself with popular movements and as he became professionally successful was able to reduce his operatic workload and sought to establish himself as a landowner in his native region. He surprised the musical world by returning, after his success with the opera Aida (1871), with three late masterpieces: his Requiem (1874), and the operas Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893).
His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his 'middle period': Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata, and the 2013 bicentenary of his birth was widely celebrated in broadcasts and performances.
Verdi
In his early ope...
VERDI Aïda
Recorded in Milan, 1928
Total duration: 2hr 17:19
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
Maria Capuana
Tancredi Pasero
Chorus of La Scala, Milan
Milan Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli
VERDI Il Trovatore
Studio recording, 1930
Total duration: 1hr 54:09
Manrico - Aureliano Pertile
Azucena - Irene Minghini-Cattaneo
Leonora - Maria Carena
Conte di Luna - Apollo Granforte
Ferrando - Bruno Carmassi
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
conducted by Gino Nastrucci
VERDI Rigoletto
Studio recording 1930
Total duration: 1hr 49:17
Riccardo Stracciari - Rigoletto
Mercedes Capsir - Gilda
Dino Borgioli - Duke of Mantua
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli
VERDI Aïda
Studio recording, 1928
Total duration: 2hr 21:01
Aïda – Dusolina Giannini
Amneris – Irene Minghini-Cattaneo
Radamès – Aureliano Pertile
Amonasro – Giovanni Inghilleri
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
conducted by Carlo Sabajno
VERDI Requiem
The 1929 World Première Recording
Studio recording, 1929
Total duration: 77:34
Maria Luisa Fanelli (soprano)
Irene Minghini-Cattaneo (mezzo-soprano)
Franco Lo Giudice (tenor)
Ezio Pinza (bass)
Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan
conducted by Carlo Sabajno
VERDI Aïda
Studio recording, 1952
Total duration: 2hr 22:53
Renata Tebaldi - Aïda
Ebe Stignani - Amneris
Mario Del Monaco - Radamès
Aldo Protti - Amonasro
Dario Caselli - Ramphis
Fernando Corena - King Of Egypt
Piero de Palma - Messenger
Santa Cecilia Academy Chorus & Orchestra
conducted by Alberto Erede