Verdi of the highest order
P. Byrne | 04/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a Rigoletto to surpass anything, studio or live. Paskalis will NOT be appreciated by those who have come to believe that a Verdi baritone is supposed to have a uniformly big, round sound, and not much else(Milnes, Morris, etc)Paskalis is that rare baritone voice that has COLOR, shading, and exquisite soft singing, and the ability to execute each note and marking that Verdi indicates in the score. He never goes for the obvious, big effect.This is a tortured, passionate reading, in the grand tradition of the Verdi baritone. This is not a Metropolitan Opera voice, thank God, but a direct link to the great Italian school of Verdi voice training that harkens back to the golden age of singing, the last of which was Bruson.
The Gilda of Scotto is another example of what is so sorely missing from today's opera stages, a mistress of bel canto, combined with fire and passion. If you don't get this style of singing, you don't get Verdi."
Great performance, poor sound
P. Byrne | 04/21/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This live 60's performance of the young Pav and the young Scotto singing together. They are both at the peak of their form, Pavarotti shining throughout. Scotto is similarly exciting, a tad wobbly here and there, but nonetheless magnificent in "Caro nome" and the entire 3rd act. The rather unsung Kostas Paskalis is nowhere near the Rigolettos of Gobbi or Milnes and his tone is extremely unsteady but he is at times very passionate. The remaining cast is so-so, Plinio Clabassi the exception as an exciting Monterone. Giulini did not make his famous studio recording with Domingo, Cappucilli, and Cotrubas for many years, but he is impressive here too. The sound is not good, a lot of blurring and coughing, but you get used to it."
A young sounding Gilda
Brian Lowery | Kearneysville, WV | 12/18/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Too many recordings have a soprano that sounds too old to convince me that she is a young girl. Even though they may have the vocal technique to manage the trills or show emotion in their voice, they still sound too mature for me. Scotto sounds like a trusting innocent and makes for a Gilda so pure that her downfall is all the more tragic. The only other Gilda on record that sounds as young is Edita Gruberova. This recording also has Pavarotti singing the Duke, which is a plus. Paskalis is straight forward in his interpretation of the title role and should satisfy most listeners. A good buy for the price."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1