Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 13, 2017

Giuseppi Verdi’s Aida regularly tops polls of opera lovers when they’re asked to list their favorites, but there’s a kind of interesting historical aspect to the opera that makes this legendary 1962 recording featuring Leontyne Price quite important. Aida of course takes place in Egypt, and one would think that so-called “ethnic” casting might have come into play at some point, especially since Aida herself is described as a “Nubian” princess, but Price, who made this role one of her signature characterizations, was among the first black singers to tackle the role (it had only been four years prior, in 1958, that Gloria Davy essayed the role at the Metropolitan Opera, becoming the first African American singer to play the role there).

While this recording may not have the sonics of Pryce’s later 1970 version with Erich Leinsdorf and the London Symphony Orchestra (Price also recorded another version in 1963 shortly after this one, from a live performance), but it has its own major calling card: Sir Georg Solti, who invests the opera with his typical nuance and attention to dynamics and tempi. This is a thrillingly visceral Aida, with fantastic supporting performances by Robert Merrill as Amonasro, Giorgio Tozzi as Ramfis, and Jon Vickers as Radames. While the Rome Opera House orchestra and chorus may not have the impeccable reputation of some of Solti’s better known “bands” (sorry), they acquit themselves beautifully here, bringing real luster to both the orchestral playing and tutti singing.

Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's no real video on this disc other than a static menu. As with most audio Blu-rays, it's not even necessary to have your monitor on to enjoy the disc, since everything is navigable with your remote.

Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Aida features an LPCM 2.0 track featuring the original Decca recordings remastered at 24 bit / 96 kHz. This is another sterling accounting of a vintage recording, one where the only real deficits are source related. Decca's sonics were often slightly muted during these years (unlike their sibling Deutsche Grammophon, which tended to offer more fulsome high frequencies), and that tendency can occasionally be heard here as well. That said, fidelity on this recording is largely ravishing, offering Price's full throated singing in all its glory. Balance between soloists and the orchestra is typically excellent and the choral singing also resonates very well.

Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While the audio Blu-ray disc has no supplementary material, this handsomely packaged release comes in a hardback digibook (more or less CD sized) which includes the complete opera on 2 CDs as well as some interesting essays, lots of archival photographs and the complete libretto.

Verdi: Aida Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Leontyne Price has been called the defining Aida of her generation, and it's easy to hear why on this now legendary recording. I've been an early and continuing champion of Blu-ray audio, and I applaud Universal Music Group for continuing to support this format with these releases of important historical recordings. Highly recommended.