MACBETH:Verdi
Molinari-Pradelli; Milnes, Arroyo, Raimondi, Tagliavini
Original Air Date: 02/03/1973
SID.19440428
The Saturday night premiere of this revival was one of the most challenging performances to hustle a ticket ever. One of the great performances – Arroyo’s highly successful realization of Lady Macbeth’s music. No ugly voice here. Molinari-Pradelli provides strong idiomatic conducting. Milnes is well caught (his best is still from Vienna with Ludwig). The other two males are adequate, but for Banquo, turn to Giaiotti from the Met stable, or on airchecks/recordings either Ghiaurov or Christoff. Christoff did perform the aria in his Carnegie Hall orchestra concert, and that was indeed thrilling. Bergonzi premiered Macduff in the Met 1958 premiere and is still the gold standard, but Calleja in the recent Netrebko performance was also quite fine.