Dave's Faves No. 78 (Verdi)

Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera. Nilsson, Bergonzi, MacNeil, Simionato, Stahlmann, Solti (cond.) Decca

[philippborghesi]

I heard Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra yesterday in a concert version of Un Ballo in Maschera. My first time hearing an american orchestra and I was blown away. Coming from Switzerland, we haven‘t that much of high calibre orchestras… to hear the Chicago Symphony live was quite an experience…

[ewmbr]

Thanks for bringing this Ballo to my attention. I happen to own the Leinsdorf recording and will get Solti's. In September 1986 I visited friends in Stockholm. We found out that Nicolai Gedda was singing at the Opera House: in 'Maskeradbalen', Verdi's Ballo in Swedish. We were incredibly lucky in getting some of the last remaining tickets (not at all bad seats in upper balcony) and had a marvelous time hearing Verdi's glorious masterpiece, with a Swedish King sung by a great Swedish tenor, assassinated onstage as king Gustav, minutes away from the Royal Palace, in the middle of Stockholm. To my ears, Verdi sounded magnificent in Swedish (which I did not understand the same way as I did not understand Italian), but, oh, the music.... Needless to say, a grand time was had by all, in the auditorium, the pit, and on the stage. Nicolai Gedda was showered with ovations afterwards. The palpable sense of appreciation in the theatre is the memory which is still with me today

[xxsarumanxx]

Love both these recordings! Great choices! My personal favourite is the recording with Gigli, Caniglia, Bechi and Barbieri under Serafin.

[vincentspinelli]

Thanks for showcasing this marvelous opera. It is indeed a masterpiece and one of my absolute favorites. I confess to being an opera nutjob and could easily descend into a discussion of my favorite recordings and proclaim who is my preferred Silvano, Sam or Tom in this opera. However I will resist!. Just let me say that I saw Nilsson, Price, Bergonzi, Merrill, MacNeil in this work in the opera house and they were all as fantastic as on these albums. Again, thank you!

[johnmontanari]

It is an utter calumny, Don Basilio, to imply that we Bach lovers spend all our days wallowing in the ineffable profundity of the St. Matthew Passion. Sometimes, when the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the Yankees are in first place, we take a break and enjoy the St. John!

[mgconlan]

This is the infamous "Ballo" that was supposed to star Jussi Björling as Riccardo, but according to John Culshaw, Björling showed up for the sessions very drunk, obnoxious and made an ass of himself until he was fired. They recorded all the parts that didn't involve Riccardo and then put the project in storage for a year until Bergonzi was available. I've long thought that I'd like to see a production of "Ballo" set in early 19th century New Orleans, where the American character names would work (as they don't in Boston) and Ulrica could be the real-life conjurer and fortune-teller Marie Laveau.

[HassoBenSoba]

According to a knowledgeable staffer at the St Louis Opera Co (sometime in the early 90's), the PR department designed a campaign to advertise this opera, it as "ONE BOTTLE OF MASCARA." I'm not kidding. How far the ads got out into the public sphere, I'm not sure. LR

[bbailey]

Nilsson is a wonderful Lady Macbeth, icy and determined yet all the more pathetic in the sleepwalking scene. She also has by far the best Macbeth in Giuseppe Taddei. The only fly in the soup is the slashing cuts Schippers imposes on the score.

[Castorp-wndh]

My personal favourite is with Solti, Pavarotti & Margaret Price. I think along with Duca from Rigoletto, Riccardo was Pavarotti's best Verdi role. IMO he was one of the 3 best Riccardo of the 20th century, along with Bjorling and Bergonzi. He did some very fine recordings and even more he was very very good on stage in this role (1978 La Scala performance with Abaddo was excellent - not only great singing but great acting as well).

[richardallen]

I bought my RCA Leinsdorf LP at Jordan Marsh dept store ( yes, they had a classical record dept). It had a great info libretto book which CDs ofcourse never do . I spent many a day after school playing this and it brings back happy memories.

[mariano.s]

At the beginning you reminded me of Nietzsche criticizing Wagner and praising Bizet's solar joy (and thank you for your work, I have learned a lot from your analysis).

[jaykauffman]

As everyone knows Bjoerling was supposed to sing in the Solti version. But pace John Culshaw who lied when he said that Bjoerling was drunk during the first sessions/ Solti tried to tell Bjoerling the “correct” way to sing the part and Bjoerling wouldnt have it. Later Bjoerling called to applogize and Solti snapped that the sessions were cancelled. Its a shame since it would memorialized one of Bjoerlings great roles as his 1940 MET performance can attest. The Leinsdorf is well sung but the conducting is SO literal and passionless

[David-ptge]

U tend to forward past Oscar's bits if I can. Slightly better than that drippy page in Don Carlo that adds nothing to the piece.

Nilsson is also very good as Lady Macbeth.

[francoisjoubert]

And regarding Bergonzi - please do a 10 best! He is the only tenor who recorded with all the great sopranos - Callas, Tebaldi, Sutherland, Scotto, Caballe, Price, Nilsson, Deutekom and Caballe!

[francoisjoubert]

I love the Nilsson Schippers Macbeth. Poor Macbeth had no chance. She probably shackled him at night and whipped him - and made him enjoy it. Huge voice for all the little notes in the brindisi. And I would have loved having a recording of her and Corelli doing the Amneris/Radames scene!

[markzacek]

The last time I listened to Ballo, I laughed out loud because, totally unexpectedly, I got the G&S joke — listen to the Act I finales of Iolanthe and Patience. To my ears at least, Sullivan’s Ballo parody is evident. And delightful.

[petterw]

I know many people prefer the Testosterone Tenors from the 50s and 60s (Corelli, del Monaco, di Stefano), but for me Bergonzi remains the best in Verdi. His exquisite phrasing and legato, the great vocal technique, his elegance... Magnificent.

[OfekAlalof]

these atr great recordings indeed, but I prefer The Pavarotti, Tebaldi. Milnes one, also made by Decca. most sublime cast and voices. Tebaldi's Amelia is the best I've ever heard.

[wc]

This is a great recording indeed. However, I think Callas recording is superior in terms of singing. The conducting is not as exciting in the Callas recording as in the Solti one.

[henkeshuis]

Thanks, Dave for these illuminating videos. I have certainly felt the pull of the Bach cult so this video served as a nice antidote. I just sat through this recording. First time I heard the opera. What a glorious discovery!