Viva Verdi!
Kate Molleson explores Verdi's uneasy relationship with fame, politics and posterity.
Kate Molleson concludes the story of Verdi's rebellious life as the composer finds himself drawn into the political upheavals of a newly emerging Italy. Celebrated as a patriotic hero, urged into public office and claimed as a symbol of national unity, Verdi is frequently uncomfortable with the role thrust upon him. Yet even as politics competes for his attention, music continues to call him back. From La battaglia di Legnano to the mighty Requiem, we follow a composer whose voice became inseparable from the identity of a nation.
La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici
Maria Callas, soprano
Francesco Albanese, tenor
RAI Chorus and Orchestra Turin
Gabriele Santini, conductor
La battaglia di Legnano scenes
José Carreras, tenor
Katia Ricciarelli, soprano
Matteo Manuguerra, baritone
ORF Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Lamberto Gardelli, conductor
Simon Boccanegra: Plebe! Patrizi!
Ludovic Tézier, bass-baritone
Marina Rebeka, soprano
Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli
Michele Spotti, conductor
Don Carlo, Act III scenes
Carlo Bergonzi, tenor
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Sir Georg Solti, conductor
Requiem: Introit, Kyrie and Dies Irae
London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales
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Giuseppe Verdi
'Libiamo, Libiamo ne'lieti calici' (from La Traviata, Act 1)
Singer: Maria Callas. Singer: Francesco Albanese. Orchestra: Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Turin. Choir: Italian Radio Chorus. Conductor: Gabriele Santini.- WARNER CLASSICS : 2564634085.
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Giuseppe Verdi
La Battaglia di Legnano (excerpt)
Singer: José Carreras. Singer: Katia Ricciarelli. Singer: Matteo Manuguerra. Orchestra: Austrian R S O. Choir: Austrian Radio Chorus. Conductor: Lamberto Gardelli.- DECCA : 4224352.
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Giuseppe Verdi
'Plebe! Patrizi!' (from Simon Boccanegra, Act 1)
Singer: Ludovic Tézier. Singer: Marina Rebeka. Singer: Michele Pertusi. Singer: Francesco Meli. Singer: Mattia Oliveri. Singer: Andrea Pellegrini. Orchestra: San Carlo Theatre Orchestra, Naples. Choir: San Carlo Theatre Chorus, Naples. Conductor: Michele Spotti.- PRIMA CLASSIC : PIMA069.
- PRIMA CLASSIC.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Don Carlo, Act 3 (except)
Singer: Carlo Bergonzi. Singer: Dietrich Fischer‐Dieskau. Singer: Nicolaï Ghiaurov. Singer: Grace Bumbry. Singer: Renata Tebaldi. Singer: Martti Talvela. Choir: Royal Opera House Chorus. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductor: Georg Solti.- DECCA : 421-114-2.
- DECCA.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Requiem (Introit-Kyrie; Dies Irae)
Choir: London Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda.- LSO LIVE : LSO-0800D.
- LSO LIVE.
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