Verdi: Nabucco

“There is a good sense here of the fitness of things, and of their grandeur too. As the camera roves and observes the great arena before the show begins, one becomes probably more aware of its size than if one were there in person with the milling crowds trying to find a seat. For a roof there is the spacious firmament on high, and onstage a structure that might have been designed to fill the Tate Modern. Then, as the opera unfolds, Verdi's music fills the auditorium and merely human voices rise to their almost superhuman task.
Vocally, and perhaps dramatically, the opera is dominated by Abigaille, an outsize soprano whose music makes harder demands upon voice and technique than almost any comparable role in opera. Guleghina is the Abigaille of our time: powerful, intense, wide of range, agile in passagework, and when need arises capable of softness.
If she were completely steady and if her timbre had an Italianate vibrancy and variety of coloration she would be ideal. As Nabucco, the veteran Nucci comes through with impressive authority and stamina, the middle of his voice still rich and ample. The High Priest, Zaccaria, the third major character, has one of the great bass roles in the Verdi repertoire: finely sung here by Carlo Colombara, firm, sonorous and noble in bearing.
Of the others, Fabio Sartori deserves mention, physically somewhat cumbersome, vocally fullbodied and incisive. Chorus and orchestra do the arena and its 2007 season credit, and the conductor, Daniel Oren, is well in control of his far-flung forces. The production team also wins its way through to grateful acknowledgment, despite the initial ill-will created by the blocks of scaffolding which suggest nothing more biblical than the local Ikea store in its early stages of construction. It has its uses, which include doing duty for the banks of the Euphrates, from which the Israelites sing (most beautifully) their immortal 'Va, pensiero'.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“There is a good sense here of the fitness of things, and of their grandeur too. Guleghina is the Abigaille of out time: powerful, intense, wide of range, agile in passagework, and when need arises capable of softness. As Nabucco, the veteran Nucci comes through with impressive authority and stamina... Chorus and orchestra do the arena and its 2007 season credit.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2008

“[Nucci is] commanding as an unforgettable Nabucco. Maria Guleghina does not quite match him, but she is vocally strong as Abigaille...the special effects work well enough, and the whole performance is well held together by Daniel Oren and the magnificent singing of the Verona Chorus.” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition ***

“The years have hardly lessened the excitement of listening to this vigorous, closely knit performance.
One realises why we were all amazed by Suliotis's account of the role of Abigaille. Her singing seizes you by the throat through its raw depiction of malice and through its youthful, uninhibited power.
With the benefit of hindsight one can ear how a voice treated so carelessly and unstintingly could not last long, and so it was to be; but we should be glad for the brightness of the meteor while it flashed all too briefly through the operatic firmament.
As an interpretation, her Abigaille seems a little coarse set beside the refinements shown by Scotto for Muti on EMI. However, Suliotis can manage by nature what Scotto has to conjure up by art, and she's certainly a subtler artist than Dimitrova on the wayward Sinopoli/DG version.
Gobbi, nearing the end of his illustrious career in 1965, remains the most convincing interpreter on record of the crazed king. The voice may have become a shade hard and uningratiating, but his use of Italian and his colouring of his tone, finally his pathos, are certainly not rivalled by Cappuccilli (Sinopoli). Carlo Cava exudes implacable fury as old Zaccaria, but he's inclined to go through his tone at forte . Prevedi is more than adequate as Ismaele, Carral less than adequate as Fenena (here DG score with Valentini Terrani).
One of the main assets of the Decca remains Gardelli's prompt, unfussy, and yet thrillingly delivered interpretation, clearly conveyed to his excellent Viennese forces. It's much more steadily and convincingly paced than Sinopoli's reading.
The recording is forward and has plenty of presence, but it now sounds a little boxy beside the greater spaciousness of the DG. But the panache of the Decca enterprise silences criti- cism (except when the minute cuts in Nabucco's part are conceived). It's a pleasure to hear the bold inspiration of Verdi's first triumph conveyed with such conviction.
Listen to the Act 1 finale and you're sure to be won over to the set as an entity.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“a masterly performance, with dramatically intense and deeply imaginative contributions from [Gobbi and Souliotis]...Souliotis made this the one totally satisfying performance of an all-too-brief recording career, wild in places but no more than is dramatically necessary...Vivid and atmospheric 1965 Decca recording.” Penguin Guide, 2010 edition ****