Verdi: Aida

Verdi: Aida

Here's a prime-1950s cast in good monophonic sound, and it delivers the vocal thrills to keep its place high among the preferred recordings of <i>Aida</i>. The first voice you hear is the rich, rumbling bass of Boris Christoff and that immediately lets you know this will be no ordinary <i>Aida</i>. Bjorling's "Celeste Aida" is gold- standard, with gorgeous timbre, firm line, and a haunting mezza voce. From there, he just gets better. Zinka Milanov's Ethiopian princess is outstanding, full of marvelous touches and ravishing pianissimos--as well as a few minor rough spots. Fedora Barbieri and Leonard Warren offer full-voiced grand singing and Jonel Perlea keeps it all moving to fine dramatic effect. <i>--Dan Davis</i>