Giuseppe di Stefano, Nicola Zaccaria, Adriana Lazzarini, Giuse Gerbino, Tullio Serafin, Chorus & Orchestra of the La Scala Theatre - Milan - Verdi: Rigoletto (Complete Opera); Maria Callas; Tito Gobbi; Giuseppe di Stefano

Nobody steals the spotlight when Maria Callas is onstage, but Tito Gobbi never lets us forget that this show is called Rigoletto, not Gilda. Neither singer has one of the century's prettiest voices; both have dramatic presence, impact, and subtlety--based as much on their control of verbal nuance as on musicianship--that make their characters three-dimensional, the story meaningful, the emotions real, varied, and intense. His role is bigger and more complex than hers is. He is almost constantly onstage, and his music runs the whole gamut from fatherly tenderness, to regret at a life gone wrong, to explosive rage. Sparks fly when they sing together, and Tullio Serafin conducts with an exemplary grasp of the opera and a detailed knowledge of his cast's capabilities. --Joe McLellan Amazon.com

Verdi- Rigoletto

It is an old recording, however to listen to Di Stefano and Gobbi is worth it. December 1, 2007

Rigoletto Makes Huge Comeback

Extra! Extra! Maria Callas's recent performance (51 years) of Rigoletto stuns all! Mass hysteria!

Actually, not really, but that's what I thought when I heard her beautiful intonated "Gualtier Malde: nome di lui si amato scolpisciti nel core innamorato" piece. A little bit of a P mishap in "non so, ma pur m'adoro" in the beginning of the next act. Then the "Lassu in ciel" simly took my breath away. I first learned of the opera Rigoletto while watching PBS's renowned "Operatunity" program about commonplace singers throughout England being chosen to perform in the English National Opera company's production of the opera. After hearing Denise Leigh and Jane Gilchrist sing the role of Gilda, I was taken aback. I loved it. This, however was before hearing Callas, di Stefano and Gobbi. The classic Callas crew, these three "personalities" bounce off of each other more splendidly then Giuseppe Verdi could have intended or even magined when he wrote the opera.

P.S.: If you enjoyed this review and would like to see my others, look for reviews in opera CDs, mostly Callas, starting in the same "Extra! Extra!" format. November 27, 2005

Most realistic performance of Gilda in record

The dying scene of Gilda was performed so real by The La Divina in this recording it is very scary and so moving. If an emotional person listens to it I am sure he or she would be moved to tears. I felt the emotion of Gilda even more in this recording than the video version I have watched. Tito Gobbi's performance in this recording is so extraordinary that it balances the opera, reminding us that the the title of the opera is Rigoletto not Gilda. For me this is one of the best recordings Callas ever made. Opera is not just about having a nice voice but it should have "drama". This recording is a perfect example of that point. November 1, 2005

Excellent

Considering the difficulty of the three leading roles, baritone, soprano, and tenor, Rigoletto has been lucky on disc. For perhaps the finest overall Rigoletto recording, many people would go to the Gobbi/Callas/Serafin recording from 1955 (EMI).
Tito Gobbi gives a rather more subtle portrayal of the title role than is commonly found on other recordings of the opera. He lacks some of the rounded tone Giuseppe Taddei (an ideal interpreter) had in abundance but he compensates this with superb vocal colouring - he is entirely convincing as the twisted jester. He has much more `presence' than most modern interpreters do, on record.
Maria Callas is similarly effective as Gilda. Callas makes more of the character than any other soprano on record and is in excellent voice - indeed this is potentially the finest of her studio recordings since her magnificent first recording of Norma.
Giuseppe di Stefano lacks some vocal elegance compared to Pavarotti on the Bonynge set but is often exciting. He is encumbered somewhat by the close mono sound which highlights weakness in his high notes that are not so obvious from material recorded "live", in the theatre acoustic, from around the same time, such as in Lucia di Lammermoor with Callas and Karajan in Berlin. Nevertheless, di Stefano's interaction with Callas and Gobbi is sparkling and the advantage of having a native Italian in the role is considerable - he remains one of the greatest Dukes on record.
Tullio Serafin is an ideal exponent of Verdi's music.

Highly recommended
D. Bennett
August 1, 2005

For Callas Fans Only

O.K. I'm not a big fan of Callas, but since she is forever the talk of opera talk, the reigning queen of opera no matter how much you want to avoid her, I heard this recording and now want to comment on it. Rigoletto is a baritone's opera, not a soprano's. As Rigoletto, though, Tito Gobbi is out of character. Rigoletto, even at his most darkest on stage, is a father first and foremost. The Verdi baritone voice is very paternal sounding but Gobbi (best known for his villian roles such as Scarpia in Tosca) does not impress as Rigoletto. This recording assembled the dream team of the 50's - Callas, Gobbi and Di Stefano. So if youre fans and followers of these artists, then this is another recording for you. It's a document of the artists repertoire.

Callas as Gilda: I am sorry. You just have to be a hardcore fan in order to appreciate her Gilda, just like you'd have to be a Callas fan in order to appreciate her Carmen. Gilda is a virgin- Callas could never ever in her dreams sing convincingly as a virgin. She was a mature, sexualized, tigress and a dark, dramatic force. Think about it. How can this same drama queen who gave us fine Aidas, Toscas, Turandots, Lady Macbeth, Leonoras, Normas and Medeas- ever sound like a naive, innocent and hapless tragic girl ? This is a character she should have never sung. It's a role outside her league. This is better left to such sopranos as Lily Pons, Roberta Peters, Beverly Sills, Madie Mesple, Lucia Popp, and in the more recetn decades - Inva Mulla Tchako and Ileana Contrubas and Andrea Rost. Gilda calls for a sweeter, softer more ingenue voice. Callas was never an ingenue, not even when she started. Weak women were not her specialty. Even if the heroine she sang die at the end she was never weak throughout the opera.

Di Stefano as the Duke: Just singing to add this role to his repertoire. But Di Stefano is too noble and not roguish at all to sound like a decadent duke. To be honest, its tricky for a tenor to perform the Duke. The tenor voice is so naturally heroic, so graceful, so noble and GOOD sounding that its hard to think of the man singing the Duke as a bad man. But the Duke is bad. He's the villain in the opera. He is more like Don Giovanni only he gets away with his vice being a powerful ruler. The Duke should be sung with effective colors - he is attractive to women, he has that powerful effect on the innocent Gilda, he is subtle, he is seductive, he is male power itself with a little more intellect and not as promiscuous as Don Giovanni who thought always with his you know what. The Duke was more calculated in his conquests. Di Stefano does not sing a great Duke. I'm sorry.

So that's it. This recording was not at all to my liking but you have to be a big Callas -Di Stefano-Gobbi lover to enjoy this. If you still want a more plausible Rigoletto go for the version with Ileana Contrubas and Domingo (On DVD) or the one with Robeta Peters and Bjussi Bjorling and the one with Inva Mulla as Gilda. Or Andrea Rost and Sumi Jo as Gilda. Callas I'm sorry. Little girlish virgin ? Never in her dreams. June 11, 2005

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