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40 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 questa o quella?Mar 19, 2002
By Steve Bell
This one? That one? Which 'Rigoletto'? One review sites power of high notes with Bastianini, another grumbles about the sound, a third hates all the principals.
Callas inspired both love and contempt and this perform won't help.To the devoted fan they will hear her incredible artistry, to her detractors she will seem ungainly and far from the virginal creature Verdi intended. But as is usual with the great Diva..if you have ears to hear, then hear her fall from innocence into guilt and shame and finally feel her inspired to self sacrifice. Wonderful.
There is much, much more to the role of Rigoletto than a rich voice and a brilliant top.Gobbi's vocal colouring is staggeringly versatile. Only possible criticism is that he may wear his heart too much on his sleeve..and if you really believe that then go to Merrill or Bastianini and good luck to you. Gobbi is superb.
Di Stefano? Listen to his 'Questa o Quella' and you know the Duke inside out. Dangerous, predatory, shallow. La Donna goes less well with an ungainly cadenza and a flatconclusion. Forgivable after his glorious tones in the love duet and elswhere. The man has voice, 'face' and glorious tone.
Serafin loved this score though the quartet seems to slow dangerously at one point. Only 4 stars? Well its not perfect!
It's simply the best!
31 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 Very Emotionally InvolvingJul 20, 2004
By Jeffrey Lipscomb
Few complete recordings "Rigoletto" have the same intense level of emotional involvement as this one. Gobbi gives one of the great dramatic performances of any title role in opera. Sure, there are others who brought more resplendent voices to the role (i.e., Taddei and the 55 year old but magnificent Ricardo Stracciari), but neither of them gives a portrayal that is anywhere near as moving as Gobbi's. As for Callas: what is it about the quality of her voice that so causes your heart to go out to her immediately in sympathy? There is something so vulnerable, genuine and three-dimensional about her Gilda - it's hard to put into words. As for di Stefano, has anyone else so perfectly captured the Duke's mixture of charm and cruelty? And if that were not enough, Serafin provides us with one of the finest-conducted Rigoletto out there.
As far as I'm concerned, this is a top candidate if you are choosing a sole version of this Verdi masterpiece.
39 of 41 found the following review helpful:
A simply marvelous recording!!!!Oct 27, 1999
By Rod Tierman
This has GOT to be the perfect cast for Rigoletto. Callas, Di Stefano, and Gobbi all in their wonderful primes. La Divina sounds so young, fresh, and innocent here (I don't know where someone got that they thought she sounded like a 70 year old lady!!). I have usually found Callas' diction quite exceptional, unlike Dame Joan, and that is once again evident on this recording. Her coloratura soaring tones sound efortless here! And Gobbi!! What incredible voice he is in here!! I agree with our friend from Milano when he states that Gobbi has to be second only to Ruffo for Italian baritones. Di Stefano had to be the perfect voice for the Duke (along with Nicolai Gedda, the late Alfredo Kraus, and Mario Lanza, even though we were never fortunate enough for Lanza to perform the entire role). It must have been this type of voice Verdi had in mind when he wrote the Duke of Mantua. Di Stefano shows a neccessary abandon and rakeishness that so many other Tenors lack on recordings. This recording has a real Italian edge to it. Not plastic and pristine sounding like most modern recordings of this role. Serafin's conducting is flawless!!!! Quite possibly one of the greatest recordings of all time. A must have!!!
23 of 23 found the following review helpful:
This is a great RigolettoJan 08, 2003
I'd like to compare two of my favorite Rigoletto sets - this one (Serafin/Gobbi) and the Guilini/Cappuccilli one. First though, let me say, that I first heard rigoletto with the Pavarotti/Sutherland set, and I hated it. I didn't get into it at all, and didn't think it was a very good opera. Sure, the singing was great, but it was all very superficial, and frankly, gaudy. Then I heard the Serafin/Gobbi rigoletto, and it was like a revelation. I would advise you to stay away from the Pavarotti/Sutherland set. Anyway, Gobbi and cappuccilli are both great rigoletto's - i prefer Gobbi's interpretation, but both are marvelous singing-actors; they both give us an immensely tragic protrayal of the cursed jester. Contrubas (on the Guilini/Cappuccilli set) is an exquisite Gilda - her caro nome is divine and the last scene with rigoletto when she is dying is heartbreaking. That said, nothing can compare to Callas' Gilda - at the time of the recording (1956), she was in great voice, and she tackles caro nome beautifully - in callas' caro nome, I hear a vulnerable woman desperately in love, yet scared. in sutherland's, all I hear is bird calls. Also, the gilda-rigoletto duets are outstanding - callas and gobbi always worked very well off each other, and this is a wonderful example of their musical rapport. Both Domingo and di Stefano are wonderful duke's - domingo's portrayal is more affecting and while it is obvious the duke is a playboy, you get the feeling that it is possible he might have actually loved Gilda. Di Stefano's duke is just an all-out jerk, but wonderfully sung. As for the conducting - Guilini's is more dramatic and powerful, whereas Serafin's is more tragic and slower-paced. At times, the slow pace works well, like during the quartet, which is just magic. In other parts I found myself wishing serafin would give us a little more "thrust." Overall, Guilini is better. In other words, get both sets! But don't touch the Pavarotti/Sutherland set - not even with a ten-foot pole. If you buy it as your first set, t will ruin rigoletto for you.
26 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding. My favorite version of Rigoletto.Mar 29, 1999
By Marmez1@aol.com
"Marmez1@aol.com"
Amazon's reviewer got it right. Callas is a marvelous Gilda, but she is not the only star of this performance. Gobbi is a superb Rigoletto. His musicianship is outstanding, and his interpretation is both strong and sensitive. Serafin keeps the tension going, providing us with a crackling interpretation. By the end the listener is drained emotionally. There are other good versions. For those looking for an excellent performance in more modern sound, I recommend the Guilini with Domingo and Cotrubas. For those for whom an older sound does not detract from a superior performance, this is the one to get. However, as I often say, in the end you will probably get both if you love this opera as much as I do.
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