Gardelli, Gobbi, Suliotis: Verdi – Nabucco (2 CD, APE)

Orchestra: Wiener Staatsopernorchester
Conductor: Lamberto Gardelli
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: APE (image+cue)
Size: 561 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

G. Verdi – Nabucco
Nabucco (Nabuchodonosor), King of Babylon – Tito Gobbi
Ismaele, nephew ofZedekiah, King of Jerusalem – Bruno Prevedi
Zaccaria, High Priest of the Hebrews – Carlo Cava
Abigaille, a slave, believed to be Nebuchadnezzar’s eldest daughter – Elena Suliotis
Fenena, daughter of Nabucco – Dora Carrai
The High Priest of Baal – Giovanni Foiani
Abdallo, an officer in the King of Babylon’s service – Walter Krautler
Anna, Zachariah’s sister – Anna d’Auria

Weiner Opernorchester
Weiner Staatsoperachor
Lamberto Gardelli

Recorded: 1965

CD 01
01. Overture

Part 1
02. “Gli arredi festivi giu cadano infranti” Ebrei, Leviti, Vergini
03. “Sperate, о figli!” laccano
04. “Come notte a sol fulgente” Zaccaria
05. “Fe nena! О mia diletta!” Ismaele
06. “Prodeguerrieri” Abigaille
07. “Lo vedeste?” Anno, Donne
08. “Viva Nabucco!” Abigaille
09. “Tremin gl’insani del mio furore!” Nabucco
10. “O vinti, il capo a terra!” Nabucco
11. “Mio furore, non piu costretto” Nabucco

Part 2
12. “Ben io t’invenni” Abigaille
13. “Anch’io dischiuso un giorno” Abigaille
14. “Salgo gia del trono aurato” Abigaille

CD 02
01. “Vieni, о Levita!” Zaccaria
02. “Che si vuoi?…. II maledetto non ha fratelli” Leviti
03. “Deh, fratelli, perdonate!” Anna
04. “S’appressan gl’istanti” Nabucco
05. “S’oda or me!” Nabucco
06. “Chi mi toglie il regio scettro?” Nabucco

Part 3
07. “E I’Assiria una regina” Grandi, Magi, Popolo, Soldati
08. “Donna, chi sei?” Nabucco
09. “Deh, perdona” Nabucco
10. “Va, pensiero, sull’ali derate” Ebrei
11. “Oh, chi piange?…. Del future nel buio discerno” Zaccaria

Part 4
12. “Son pur queste mie membra!” Nabucco
13. “Dio di Giuda!” Nabucco
14. “Cadran, cadranno i perfidi” Abdallo, Guerrieri
15. Marcia funebre
16. “Oh, dischiuso ё il firmamento!” Fenena
17. “Viva Nabucco!” Voci

Is this really that good? Yes! Even better than Callas and Bechi’s!

Nabucco is my favourite ‘early’ Verdi opera.
Not only does it contain a wonderfully tuneful and popular chorus; it also contains numerous wonderful choruses and solo arias.
The heroine (or anti-heroine) is one of the most challenging soprano roles in the entire operatic repertoire, and the arias for this character Abigaille most rousing and moving.
Needless to say, the title role sung by a Verdian baritone has plenty of ‘drama’, but this rather short and intense work really is one composite emotionally highly-charged musical masterpiece.
Maria Callas sung a famous historical live recording back in the late 1940’s (1947?). The buzz is that 1947 is Callas’s heyday in her brilliant operatic career. The Nabucco was Bechi, the great Verdian baritone before Tito Gobbi.
In this recording, another Greek soprano sung the devilishly difficult role of Abigaille. Elena Souliotis did not have a very long singing demise, but here, as noted by other reviewers, she was in her absolute prime. Her arias were sung with the greatest emotional abandon, and she had a glorious voice. Her Abigaille remains unsurpassed since this recording, and upon listening to Callas’s 1947 version, even better than Callas’s.
While Tito Gobbi was a bit past his prime when this recording was made, his characterisation remains to be bettered by other subseqnet baritones.
Lamberto Gardelli absolutely knew what is in the score. This early Verdian expert’s insight in the work leaves absolutely no room for questions.
If you wish to own just ONE recoring of Nabucco, this one is it.