Search - Verdi, Toscanini, NBC :: Aida

A superb performance marred by Gustavson

madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 09/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first opera performance that Arturo Toscanini conducted was "Aida" in Buenos Aires in 1886, when he was only 19 years old, as a substitute. It was a rousing success. 63 years later, he finally recorded it in this performance, divided between two broadcasts/telecasts in 1949.



For the most part, Toscanini chose his cast well. Herva Nelli, though lacking some variety of tone and tragic stature, sings the title role exceedingly well, musically and dramatically with good tone. She is not in the same league as such great Aidas as Zinka Milanov (my personal favorite, on the Perlea recording) or Leontyne Price, but she is much finer than Caballe, Millo, Arroyo and a score of others.



Richard Tucker, who looked on the kinescope to be scared out of his wits in the first broadcast, actually sang quite beautifully if you just listen to the performance and don't watch him. He visibly loosened up in the second broadcast, with the result that his Nile Scene and Act 4 duet with Nelli are quite exceptionally beautiful and moving. He gets five stars for singing so well under one of the most demanding conductors on earth!



Baritone Giuseppe Valdengo, as Amonasro, is simply fantastic, bettered only by the legendary Leonard Warren on the Milanov set. Basses Norman Scott (Ramfis) and Dennis Harbour (King) are also excellent, and the elusive American soprano Teresa Stich-Randall sings the most exquisite of Priestesses on record.



The fly in the ointment is Eva Gustavson, a decidedly third-rate mezzo, in the important role of Amneris. It isn't just that she has a tremolo through much of the first act, though she does; the problem is that the voice is hollow-sounding and ugly. There were any number of excellent mezzos in New York at the time (Cloe Elmo, Claramae Turner, Fedora Barbieri, Margaret Harshaw), any one of whom would have been a better choice than Gustavson. Of all of Toscanini's poor cast-choices, this is the one that still rankles the most, since she spoils what is certainly one of the greatest recorded "Aidas" of the last century.



If you want the very best overall "Aida," get the 1955 RCA recording with Milanov, Barbieri, Bjorling, Warren, Christoff and Perlea. The tempos are not as razor-sharp as Toscanini's but they are good, and the overall singing and vocal acting is simply splendid."