Nabucodonosor

From Newsday, a review of the Met's Nabucco by vilaine fille alter ego Marion Lignana Rosenberg.

The Met, G-d bless, uses the University of Chicago/Ricordi critical edition of Nabucco prepared by Roger Parker. (If you have some extra cash on hand, do feel free to buy it for me.) Maria Guleghina (Abigaille) decorated the second verse of "Salgo già," as would have been expected in 1842. Paata Burchuladze (Zaccaria) offered minimal variations, if any, in his music—a far cry from the gonzo fioritura (so befitting a prophet!) served up to stunning effect by Samuel Ramey in previous Nabucco revivals.

If you are in the market for a Nabucco recording, I recommend the 1978 EMI set, conducted with incomparable élan by Riccardo Muti. The late Matteo Manuguerra, a noble and sadly underrated artist, brings both power and finesse to the title role.

Renata Scotto's Abigaille is not for the faint of heart: Some of those high notes really do peel paint off the walls. And wear a cup, boys, because Scotto will make you fear for your tender vittles. What a thrill to hear this music sung by an artist who digs into the words and is keen to the line stretching from "Casta diva" to "Anch'io dischiuso." (Yes, Rossini and Moïse are the key references for Nabucco, but a long, sinuous aria about "lost enchantment"? If that doesn't scream "Bellini," you must be smoking some seriously skanky dope.)

As interpreted by Muti and Scotto, Abigaille's brief death scene is one of the pinnacles of Verdi performance on disc.

Go to operainfo.org to hear highlights from Muti's recording of Nabucco and prepare for the upcoming Met broadcast. This page offers splendid recordings by Nazzareno de Angelis of Zaccaria's arias. (In fact, the whole site is chock-full of great stuff.)

Comments

[Mme. Grisi Pasta]

Sike. It was "Eterno, immenso, incomprensibil Dio."

[Mme. Grisi Pasta]

G-d. You are becoming my creepy sorella in song. What was the last recording I listened to before going to bed last night? Nazareno de Angelis singing "Dal tuo stellato soglio" from Mose in Egitto.