Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / Arroyo · Domingo · Cappuccilli · Cossotto · Grist · NPO · Muti

Amazon.com
Betrayal and forgiveness are the themes of this complex opera: Amelia's betrayal of her husband, Renato (she is having an affair with Riccardo. governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony), and the betrayal and assassination of Riccardo by a group of conspirators. The libretto is better integrated than most of Verdi's operas written before Otello and Falstaff. It was originally about an historic incident, the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, but Roman censors, nervous about royal assassinations, forced the absurd relocation of the opera to colonial Boston. The music is prime middle-period Verdi, less spectacular than Il Trovatore, Rigoletto or La Forza del Destino, but it is warmly, richly expressive. It requires and rewards exceptionally good voices, and it gets them in this production. Outstanding work by Muti helps make this one of the best Verdi recordings ever made. --Joe McLellan

Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / Arroyo · Domingo · Cappuccilli · Cossotto · Grist · NPO · Muti,Giuseppe Verdi,Riccardo Muti,Plácido Domingo,Martina Arroyo,New Philharmonia Orchestra,Covent Garden Chorus of the Royal Opera House,Piero Cappuccilli,Fiorenza Cossotto,Reri Grist,Richard van Allan,Kenneth Collins,Giorgio Giorgetti,Gwynne Howell,Angel Records,Classical,Classical Composers,Classical Music,Italian Romantic Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

---

Average customer rating: Set in the Provinces A musically superior performance! Great conductor, great leading soprano The Safest Choice

Verdi - Un ballo in maschera / Arroyo · Domingo · Cappuccilli · Cossotto · Grist · NPO · Muti Giuseppe Verdi , Riccardo Muti , Plácido Domingo , Martina Arroyo , New Philharmonia Orchestra , Covent Garden Chorus of the Royal Opera House , Piero Cappuccilli , Fiorenza Cossotto , Reri Grist , Richard van Allan , Kenneth Collins , Giorgio Giorgetti , and Gwynne Howell Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Verdi: Il Trovatore Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera (complete opera) with Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Antonino Votto, Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani Il Corsaro Verdi: La Forza del Destino ASIN: B000002SAL Release Date: 1997-09-30

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Act One, Scene One: Posa in Pace, A' Bei Sogni Ristora
3. Act One, Scene One: S'avanza Il Conte
4. Act One, Scene One: La Rivedra Nell' Estasi
5. Act One, Scene One: Il Cenno Mio Di La Con Essi Attendi
6. Act One, Scene One: Alla Vita Che T'arride
7. Act One, Scene One: Il Primo Giudice
8. Act One, Scene One: Volta La Terrea
9. Act One, Scene One: Ogni Cura Si Doni Al Diletto
10. Act One, Scene Two: Zitti... L'Incanto Non Dessi Turbare... Re Dell' Abisso, Affrettati
11. Act One, Scene Two: Arrivo Il Primo!... E Lui, E Lui!
12. Act One, Scene Two: Su, Fatemi Largo, Saper Vo' Il Mio Fato
13. Act One, Scene Two: Rallegrati Omai
14. Act One, Scene Two: Che V'Agita Cosi?
15. Act One, Scene Two: Della Citta All' Occaso
16. Act One, Scene Two: Consentimi, O Signore
17. Act One, Scene Two: Figlia D'Averno, Schiudi La Chiostra
18. Act One, Scene Two: Su, Profetessa, Monta Il Treppie
19. Act One, Scene Two: Di' Tu Se Fedele
20. Act One, Scene Two: Chi Voi Siate, L'Audace Parola
21. Act One, Scene Two: E Scherzo Od E Follia
22. Act One, Scene Two: Finisci Il Vaticinio

Tracks:

1. Act Two: Prelude
2. Act Two: Ecco L'Orrido Campo Ove S'Accoppia
3. Act Two: Ma Dall'Arido Stelo Divulsa
4. Act Two: Teco Io Sto
5. Act Two: Non Sai Tu Che Se L'Anima Mia
6. Act Two: Oh, Qual Soave Brivido
7. Act Two: Ahime! S'Appressa Alcun
8. Act Two: Amico, Gelosa T'Affido Una Cura
9. Act Two: Odi Tu Come Fremono Cupi
10. Act Two: Seguitemi
11. Act Two: Ve', Se Di Notte Qui Colla Sposa
12. Act Three, Scene One: A Tal Colpa E Nulla Il Pianto
13. Act Three, Scene One: Morro, Ma Prima In Grazia
14. Act Three, Scene One: Alzati! La Tuo Figlio
15. Act Three, Scene One: Eri Tu Che Macchiavi Quell' Anima... O Dolcezze Perdute! O Memorie
16. Act Three, Scene One: Siam Soli. Udite
17. Act Three, Scene One: Dunque L'Onta Di Tutti Sol Una
18. Act Three, Scene One: D'Una Grazia Vi Supplico
19. Act Three, Scene One: Qual E Dunque L'Eletto?... Ah! Del Conte La Morte Si Vuole!
20. Act Three, Scene One: Il Messaggio Entri
21. Act Three, Scene One: Ah! Di Che Fulgor, Che Musiche
22. Act Three, Scene Two: Forse La Soglia Attinse
23. Act Three, Scene Two: Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti
24. Act Three, Scene Three: Fervono Amori E Danze
25. Act Three, Scene Three: Saper Vorreste Di Che Si Veste
26. Act Three, Scene Three: Fervono Amori E Danze
27. Act Three, Scene Three: Ah! Perche Qui! Fuggite
28. Act Three, Scene Three: E Tu Ricevi Il Mio!
29. Act Three, Scene Three: Ella E Pura: In Braccio A Morte

Amazon.com

Betrayal and forgiveness are the themes of this complex opera: Amelia's betrayal of her husband, Renato (she is having an affair with Riccardo. governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony), and the betrayal and assassination of Riccardo by a group of conspirators. The libretto is better integrated than most of Verdi's operas written before Otello and Falstaff. It was originally about an historic incident, the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, but Roman censors, nervous about royal assassinations, forced the absurd relocation of the opera to colonial Boston. The music is prime middle-period Verdi, less spectacular than Il Trovatore, Rigoletto or La Forza del Destino, but it is warmly, richly expressive. It requires and rewards exceptionally good voices, and it gets them in this production. Outstanding work by Muti helps make this one of the best Verdi recordings ever made. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Set in the Provinces.......2006-10-06

This opera combines wonderfully entertaining music with a wacky setting. Its reputation has been unfairly weakened by an implausible setting in New England. Verdi was never Romantic enough to care much about national cultures, especially a culture distinguishing colonial New England from a Protestant nation like Sweden. Italy for centuries had not been a nation but the heartland of the ancient Roman Empire and the international Roman Catholic Church. That perspective translated into a neoclassical indifference toward deviant provincial cultures. Italian opera composers such as Jommelli and Paisiello flourished in the neoclassical period; and Rossini's style did not differ all that much from theirs. Although Verdi sometimes looked back with disdain on Rossini's stylistic limitations, neither Bellini, Donizetti nor Verdi himself ever broke with certain Italian characteristics derived from that older tradition. That tradition meant an implicit internationalism making New England nothing but just another province, in fact a province of another province, Britannia.

The weird woman in a cave, Ulrica (sung by Fiorenza Cossutto), is just another version of Azucena, who is set in Spain (the province of Hispania) in Il Trovatore. In Verdi's imagination a "strega" is basically a "strega" no matter where she appears, out in the provinces or back home in Italy. Cultural anachronisms such as the masked ball or the dueling code may ignore actual New England Protestantism; but Protestantism, in this view, is provincial religion not to be taken seriously. Why, for that matter, should the new republic in North America be essentially all that different from the old republic of Venice, which neatly went out of existence a decade after the completion of the United States constitution. As I listen to the bell-clear tones of Reri Grist as the page Oscar, my imagination accepts the premise that I am witnessing events from the basic world of Western Civilization as viewed from the heartland.

A musically superior performance!.......2005-10-16

Take my word for it, this is the best Ballo out there. I am not fan of Un Ballo in Maschera, Arroyo, Domingo, Grist, Muti or Capuccilli, so I have no reason to shout the biased glories of this performance, neither can I reject the greatness of it. It is superb!

Martina Arroyo's performance is flawless and for the first time she did not bore me, for in spite of the supreme timbre of her voice she usually is not interesting dramatically. But here, she was most dramatic without ever deviating in any way whatever from the score; no scoops, swoops, screams, shrieks, extended notes or shouts, just telling vocalism. At one point, in the duet "Teco io sto" a strange eroticism took over; soft, mellow, slow, like real love between Domingo and Arroyo. This is something I had NEVER heard before in this duet. It was wonderfully graceful.

This is the only recording of Domingo I really value, for though he lacks elan, he has wonderful musicality. Cossotto does not match the others for depth and darkness, but once again musical perfection is the hallmark of this recording and that quality she has. Capuccilli is a little dull and if less musical than the others, his chesty voice delivers and satisfies in way the others do not. You see what I mean? There is something magical about this Ballo. Grist may have lost some of the pearls off her string of a voice, but her characterization is better than her previous Oscar with Leinsdorf, where her voice was absolutely immaculate. Anyway, she is best Oscar ever.

I guess the star is Muti. I think that his attention to detail and strict adherence to the score create something special in Ballo that perhaps would not work as well in Traviata, per se. He chose obediant singers, not known for the depth of their interpretations. They are smart singers, dependable, and musical. I guess that is why I am so surprised that I have been.....perhaps.....moved!

Great conductor, great leading soprano.......2005-05-18

Having a great conductor/orchestra and one of the worlds most celebrated tenors certainly can't hurt, but this recording features a great baritone and a legendary mezzo. Last but not least, it also features a soprano of true distinction as well.

Martina Arroyo could always hold her own with the great sopranos of her day--a fact too easily forgotten. In this performance she actually beats out the competition, competition that includes Milanov, Tebaldi, and Price. Most critics would agree that this is Arroyo's finest recorded performance. And what a performance it is! Vocally, she is resplendent, and the recording is a glowing tribute to a soprano too often overshadowed by her contemporaries, but one who should never for a moment be overlooked or allowed to become an operatic footnote. Arroyo's performance demands that we sit up and take notice--and admire.

The Safest Choice.......2001-07-03

Un Ballo in Maschera is one of Verdi's most sophisticated work with its contrasted atmospheres of comedy, drama and grotesque that sometime blend and intertwine. It has also most demanding roles for all the soloists. That is why it is so hard to find a recording that can offer a conductor and a cast that can cope with its demands. Riccardo Muti is the outstanding Verdian of his generation and, together with the fabulous Philharmonia Orchestra, from London, performs Verdi of the highest level. The recording has a sophisticated production with a string quartett for some intimate moments and characterful singers in the minor parts. In my opinion, Amelia is one of the hardest parts in the soprano repertoire - it requires everything a singer can do: spacious low notes, powerful top ones, control of pianissimo, coloratura, you name it - and act II is simply scary even for the most accomplished diva. Although she is not a very exciting singer, Martina Arroyo simply sings it better than all the others. She shows no effort and deals with every trick of the part with musicianly phrasing and good taste. I don't know if I can say the same thing of Fiorenza Cossotto - she certainly is exciting, but the part of Ulrica is too low for her voice. Reri Grist is a delightful Oscar and I think that her straightforward and virtuosistic singer make the necessary boyish impression. Domingo was in good voice when he recorded this role for EMI (the same cannot be said about his performance on DG), but I think that the part has not really much to do with him. It requires a flamboyance he cannot offer when dealing with lyric singing and/or high tessitura. Cappuccilli is high reliable self. In few words, this is a recording who offers less "problems" than all the others. My only doubt concerns the level of "interest" raised by its cast. Even if Arroyo offers perfect vocalizing, I miss Leontyne Price's less elegant, but more intense performance or - more than that - Margaret Price's utterly musician and theatrical (if less vocally comfortable) singing. The competition for Cossotto is even harder. Shirley Verrett is simply astonishing with firmest tones and Christa Ludwig is in a level of vocal richness and of sophistication of characterization few mezzos could dream of rivalling. And, when it comes to tenors, Bergonzi is in a role where nobody rivels him and Pavarotti is the congenial and spontaneous option. That means - even if Leinsdorf is far inferior to Muti and Solti has poorly engineered recorded sound - I wouldn't dream of parting with any of these. If you have Muti (for perfect conducting and solid vocal performances), Solti (for the musically sophisticated cast) and Leinsdorf (for the excitement of listening to singers who established models for those roles) - you have everything you need about this opera.

Meditation Music:

1. Viktor Ullmann: Der Kaiser von Atlantis/Hölderlin-Lieder
2. Wagner: Das Rheingold
3. Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer
4. Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer
5. Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 3
6. Wagner: Lohengrin
7. Wagner: Parsifal (excerpts)
8. Another Kind of Magic : A Queen Symphonic Spectacular [Soundtrack]
9. Attila / Ramey, Studer, Shicoff, Zancanaro, Teatro alla Scala, Muti
10. Bedrich Smetana: Dalibor

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Over-Nite Sensation [Import] [Limited Edition]

Zurich Arise

Wolff: Tilbury (Complete); Snowdrop

Music: Under the Munka Moon [Import]

Whigfield III [Import]

Yoshitoshi - In House We Trust 3: Mixed by Luke Fair & Desyn Masiello

Yiorgo Anestopoulos

You Stand Watching

Where We All Belong

Yardbirds [Import]

XXL [Enhanced]

Virginia La Monaca Di Monza [Import]

You Ain't Heard of Me?

Breaking All the Rules

Gonzalo Rubalcaba