Verdi: Rigoletto Joan Sutherland

• 1 Overture (Preludio) 02:23
• 2 Della mia bella incognita borghese 01:44
• 3 Questa o quella...Partite? Crudele! 04:16
• 4 Gran nuova! Gran nuova!...Tutto è gioia, tutto è festa 02:35
• 5 Ch'io gli parti...Voi congiuraste contro noi 04:22
• 6 Quel vecchio maledivami...Va, non ho niente 04:56
• 7 Pari siamo 03:47
• 8 Figlia..Mio padre!...Quanto dolor 06:37
• 9 Ah! Veglia, o donna, questa fior 05:15
• 10 Giovanni, ho dei rimorsi...E il sol dell'anima 06:00
• 11 Che m'ami, deh, ripetimi - Addio... speranza ed anima 02:02
• 12 Gualtier Maldè - Caro nome 06:41
• 13 Riedo!... Perché? 02:11
• 14 Zitti, zitti...Soccorso, padre mio 02:46
• 15 Ella mi fu rapita...Parmi veder le lagrime 04:47
• 16 Duca, duca!...Scorrendo uniti 02:17
• 17 Possente amor mi chiama 02:55
• 18 Povero Rigoletto! La rà, la rà 03:36
• 19 Cortigiani, vil razza dannata...Ebben piango 04:32
• 20 Mio padre!...Compiuto pur quanto 08:54
• 21 Schiudete, ire al carcere 03:07
• 22 E l'ami! 02:23
• 23 La donna è mobile - E là il vostr'uomo 03:00
• 24 Un dì, se ben rammentomi 01:33
• 25 Bella figlia dell'amore 04:16
• 26 Venti scudi hai tu detto 04:41
• 27 Ah, più non ragiono!... 05:29
• 28 Della vendetta alfin...Chi è mai 06:20
• 29 V'ho ingannato - Lassù... in cielo 04:29
• Total Runtime 01:57:54

Info for Verdi: Rigoletto

“[Pavarotti] is an intensely characterful Duke: an unmistakable rogue but a charmer, too...[Sutherland] is glowingly beautiful as well as supremely assured technically. Milnes makes a strong Rigoletto, vocally masterful rather than strongly characterised.” (Penguin Guide)

„This version of Rigoletto is well over ten years old, but the recording made in the sympathetic acoustic of London's Kingsway Hall in June 1971 sounds remarkably good, with CD bringing out the precision of placing and the sense of realism. Only a slight lack of bloom on high violins betrays the age of the sound. The CD transfer brings the incidental advantage that with a total timing of just under two hours three LPs have comfortably been translated into two CDs, with the whole of Act 1 contained on the first record, Acts 2 and 3 on the second. As usual with Decca, the sectional banding—14 on the first disc, 15 on the second—has been intelligently done to allow maximum convenience in finding particular places in the score quickly.

As to the performance, much will depend on the listener's response to Dame Joan Sutherland as Gilda, the central star whatever you normally expect in this opera. In 1971 there was a hint of a beat in the voice, but the mooning manner which marred her complete recording of ten years earlier is little in evidence, and the sheer beauty, command and technical brilliance make the singing a delight. Pavarotti too was in excellent voice, characterizing the Duke as a charming and selfish rogue. Milnes with never a sour or rough note makes a vocally strong Rigoletto, maybe too noble of timbre for the hunchback, giving a felt but more generalized performance than the others. Bonynge's characteristic ability to spring rhythms and draw out Italianate melodies works well in this opera, with the LSO in excellent form. No doubt before long a new digital recording of Rigoletto will be appearing on CD, but in the meantime this vintage set makes an excellent choice.“ (Edward Greenfield, Gramophone)

Joan Sutherland, soprano (Gilda)
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Il Duca)
Sherrill Milnes, baritone (Rigoletto)
Huguette Tourangeau, mezzo-soprano (Maddalena)
Martti Talvela, bass (Sparafucile)
Gillian Knight, mezzo-soprano (Giovanna)
Clifford Grant, bass (Monterone)
London Symphony Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor

Digitally remastered

No biography found.

Booklet for Verdi: Rigoletto