Verdi : Rigoletto - Giulini

Verdi : Rigoletto – Giulini

Piero Cappuccilli, Ileana Cotrubas, Placido Domingo, Nicolai Ghiaurov

Wiener Staatsopernchor

Wiener Phiharmoniker

Carlo Maria Giulini - DG

Recording date: 1980

With the great trilogy (Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata, written only in a few months between 1850 and 1853) begin the difficult question of choice… What version choose between all the great recordings of these masterpieces?...  As regards Rigoletto, how could we forget Fischer-Dieskau (perhaps the best Rigoletto) and Kubelik (1966), La Callas and Serafin (1955) or Milnes, Sutherland and Bonynge (1952)?

So, after careful consideration, and because I didn’t want to use rips which don’t belong to me, I choose this version conducted by Maestro Giulini (1980). Cappuccilli is a moving Rigoletto, Cotrubas got a light voice but her characterization of Gilda is wonderful, and Domingo is a fiery Duke of Mantoue. The sound is excellent (it’s quite different for recordings dating from the 50’s).

I hope you’ll enjoy it. Viva Verdi!