Search - Perry, Ludwig, Karajan :: Verdi: Falstaff (complete) [Germany]

The great Giuseppe Taddei makes this recording important!

J. Luis Juarez Echenique | Mexico City | 06/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There have been many great Falstaffs this centrury from Victor Maurel to Renato Bruson, but if I was to choose the greatest of them all, it would have to be the great Giuseppe Taddei. This baritone is the last great singing-actor of our time, there have been larger voices to be sure, but no other baritone has the warm smile in his voice, the adorable personality of Giuseppe Taddei. His Sir John is a lovable old bastard. Next to him we have another great baritone, the Ford-of-Fords, Rolando Panerai. Lauri Volpi used to say he had "the finest" baritone voice of our time. He certainly was born to sing Ford's high tessitura, and hearing both of them together is heaven. The rest of the cast has some big names like Kabaivanska and Ludwig, but it's the men (Araiza included) who steal the show. Karajan was in a Bruckner-mood, not the most fun or stylish Verdi we have had from him, but Taddei and Panerai are unmissable."