Verdi: Aida - Jones, Vickers, Dourian, Shaw, Rouleau; Downes. London, 1968
$8.95
Listen to a Sample:
This recording of Aida comes from London in 1968 and features two well-known Wagnerian singers, Gwyneth Jones and Jon Vickers, displaying their Verdian wares. Both do remarkably well. Gwyneth Jones' voice was probably more Italianate than Vickers and seems a little more at home with the style. Her voice may not have the same ability to float like some of the other great Aidas, but she makes up for it with steely intensity and the ability to spin a seemingly endless vocal line. Jon Vickers' voice defied most classifications and he brought a vocal style (some may say mannerism) that was neither Verdian, nor Wagnerian but simply Vickersian. That said, his deep commitment and uniqueness made up for his veering from the pack, and his baritonal tenor negotiates the tessitura better than one would expect. John Shaw is a gruff Amonasro and Sir Edward Downes leads the bad. The sound is excellent.
BONUS:
Gwyneth Jones sings "D'amor sul ali rosee" from Il Trovatore
Wien, 1966
OD 10567-2
