The young Verdi - Vol. 4I Lombardi - Deutekom, Domingo, Raimondi - Gardelli 1971 (Philips)
2CDs - AAD - 2:15'59
Philipps 1989
Cristina Deutekom - Giselda, Placido Domingo - Oronte, Ruggero Raimondi - Pagano, Jerome Lo Monaco - Arvino, Desdemona Malvisi - Viclinda, Stafford Dean - Pirro, Clifford Grant - Acciano, Montserrat Aparici - Sofia, Keith Erwen - A Prior of Milan
Ambrosian Singers/John McCarthy
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Lamberto Gardelli
recorded 7, 1971, London (Philips)
I lombardi. being early Verdi, is (almost of course) rum-tum-tum Verdi and also big chorus Verdi. Gardelli succeeds in keeping the run-tum-tum to a minimum and the Ambrosian Singers come through with some magnificent singing. To complement these attributes, the soloists are in fine fettle. Cristina Deutekom is not your standard soprano, but she captures the role with a fierce intensity that makes it her own. I, for one, very much like the outcome. While Domingo may not have had the best voice for the role, as always his intelligent musicality, even this early in his career, shines through. Raimondi is more than adequate. I have enjoyed listening to this production on numerous occasions and recommend it highly. --Amazon customer
