Aida (The Black Dog Opera Library) | 
 enlarge | Creator: Giuseppe Verdi
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $8.00
You Save: $11.95 (60%)
New (4) Used (16) Collectible (1) from $1.82
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 636860
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 144
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7 x 6.3 x 0.8
ISBN: 1884822800
Dewey Decimal Number: 782
EAN: 9781884822803
ASIN: 1884822800
Publication Date: January 12, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand new & unread, with two sealed CD's , exactly as shown, this item ships from Texas!
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Amazon.com Review
Giuseppe Verdi's masterful Aida is carried much more by the music than by the story line (enslaved Ethiopian princess loves Egyptian general, wins him away from Egyptian princess, gets him to betray his country, and then elects to die with him). The splendid arias and choruses, and the pathos and heroic bombast of Verdi's score are unmatched. Here, Black Dog Opera Library offers a highly affordable and reasonably comprehensive guide to the production. The volume contains an interesting and well-written essay, lots of pictures, the libretto in both English and Italian, and a complete recording of the opera on compact disc. The energetic recording, made by EMI/Angel Records in 1967 and remastered for release on CD in 1979, offers the laser-voiced Aida of Birgit Nilsson, abandoning her Nordic Strauss-Wagner mantle in favor of the more Italianate vocalism of the Ethiopian princess. If it's not her very best role, the power that Nilsson brings to the part is impressive. This recording would be worth owning simply for the outstanding contribution of tenor Franco Corelli, who is at the top of his form as a clarion-voiced Radames. The fine Amneris and Amonasro of mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry and baritone Mario Sereni, respectively, are also standouts. Zubin Mehta conducts his soloists, the chorus, and the orchestra of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma with youthful enthusiasm.
Product Description
The Black Dog Music Library presents Guiseppe Verdi's Aida, featuring Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Mario Sereni, and Grace Bumbry and the Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma under the direction of Zubin Mehta. An Angel/EMI compact disc set, accompanied by the complete libretto with unabridged English translations and minute-by-minute commentary and information on the composer, the music, and the performance.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, BUT... March 13, 2007
W. Hidalgo Salas (Lima, Perú)
My five stars are for the performance and the book. All opera recordings should come in this format. But the cd copies are bad and will be short-lived, they easily loose their coating.
The Greatest Aida Ever Made January 28, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Wow!! Wow!! O my God! I just heard this album and my jaw dropped. Why it so many critic snub this recording ? It's the best Aida on record. I think it has to do with the fact it's very rare and more of a collector's piece as well overshadowed by more popular editions- i.e. Placido Domingo/Leontine Price, Jon Vickers..Pavoratti..Montserrat Caballe etc. But the cast in this album can not be more perfect. Birgit Nilsson was a grand lady of the opera- with a voice that cut through great orchestras, with dramatic integrity in her stage performances (she was as much as an actress as she was a singer and in this way she was like Maria Callas). It is true that she is far more recognized for her Wagner heroines- she is the best Isolde and Brunhilde, but her Wagnerian voice, so high, so powerful, is perfect for such diva roles as Aida. Verdi wrote the role for soprano di forzas which Birgit Nillson delivers with electrifying prowess. She was trained in Italian as well, which people seem to forget. Her Italian voice is rich, powerful, with a high top and generous bottom. She gets into characters with passionate intensity as well. Has anyone ever heard Turandot ? It's the best! So intense and powerful. And her Tosca is breathtaking. She also sang in Mozart's Don Giovanni starred opposite Leontine Price and the famous bass Cesare Siepi in that one. She can do the Italian roles as good as the rest of them!! There is also her powerful interpretation of Turandot and Tosca. So there you have it. Her Italian was as dynamic as her German. Franco Corelli is an awesome Radames, with hot-blooded, masculine energy and lyrical moments of love and grief. He can be a tough guy and a sensitive lover. "Celeste Aida" is superbly done, even if not sung as written. His Tomb Scene at the end is incredible. Grace Bumbry is the best Amneris, and she sang the role numerous times which made her an expert on it. She has a dignity of her own in the role and she is not as scary or bitchy as Rita Gorr's interpretation. Bumbry's perfect. You can also hear her as Amneris in the Leontine Price/Placido Domingo version conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. This is truly a great recording and will have you wanting to get other recordings of its amazing lead singers. Certainly Franco Corelli is a magnet of opera lovers with his excellent artistry. He sang with Birgit Nilsson in the greatest operas of their careers- Puccini's Turandot and Tosca which are also available at Amazon.com and I strongly urge you seek them out. Their Aida is mind-blowing.
The sound to this recording been digitally remastered from the old LP and sound fresh, powerful and moving. The Black Dog Opera Library series offers the best in opera to a beginner who takes interest in the world of opera or to fans who are already converted. It does more for the novice, however. My first of these "cd-books" was Verdi's La Traviata starring Beverly Sills and Nicolai Gedda. This was indeed a perfect performance. This was followed by Bizet's Carmen starring Jon Vickers and Grace Bumbry..another winner! Then came Mozart's Magic Flute starring Peter Schreir, Anneliese Rothenberger, Kurt Moll, Walter Berry and Edda Moser. This is the best Magic Flute out there. Indeed, all the recordings on this series are of the highest calibre. This book comes with the libretto, pictures of Aidas in the past, and bios on Corelli, Nilsson and Bumbry. Go out and get it today!!!
Epic - Classic - Masterpiece - BRAVO!!!!! February 20, 2003
I bought this as my first piece from the Black Dog Library in preparation for seeing the Vancouver BC Operas production in 2002. Black Dog Library is a must for everyone going to see an opera. Get this, listen to it, fall in love with the music and then see this opera live if you ever get the chance. This is opera at its best. After seeing the production live, I can't wait to see it again. And by listening to the cd's I can bring it right back to my mind and my heart.Bravo Giuseppe, Bravo......
A Valuable Collection Piece January 23, 2000
Weike Tao (Galveston, TX USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Brilliant voices of Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli with Orchestra e Coro Del Teatro dell' Opera di Roma under Zubin Mehta. A marvelous studio recording without audience noises. A number of stage photos of major performances and introduction of Verdi and the writing of AIDA. Two CD's with the complete opera with complete libretto in Italian and English. A great value. A must-have.
This series is a wonderful experience for new opera fans. May 13, 1999
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The historical account and the story help the person new to opera appreciate the opera. The sound is of high quality. I only wish Amazon carried the full series of The Black Dog Opera Library.
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