Aida

Though recorded in Rome, this is anything but a traditional Italian Aida. Some find it infuriating, others fascinating. Besides displaying a vocal control and technique way beyond most Radames portrayals, Jon Vickers sings the famous "Celeste Aida" like a thoughtful, inner soliloquy rather than just a showstopper. In the earlier of her two recordings, Price shows why Aida was her signature role, and Gorr can only be a formidable Amneris. The big polarizing force is conductor Sir Georg Solti. An explosive Wagnerian, Solti is accused of making Verdi too bombastic and neglecting the sense of lyrical line. I say he gave the opera grandeur, though admittedly in a manner the composer might not have recognized. --David Patrick Stearns