[ Recommended CDs of operas by Verdi, Giuseppe (1813-1901)
Choosing the right recording can be a nightmare, with dozens of recordings of the same work available. We've done the research for you and looked up the most reliable sources of recommendation, and we've listed only the very best. Our database is growing steadily: we have recommended CDs for over 400 operas and other works, and a small number of DVDs. Choose any or all of the composer, work or performer that you want to listen to, or press "More" for composers not listed in the first page.
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StraussMozartPucciniBrittenMore
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me!All opera
CDs & DVDs
StraussMozartPucciniBrittenMore
composers...Surprise
me!All opera
CDs & DVDs
Aida 
Massimiliano Stefanelli, Conductor Adina Aaron, Soprano Kate Aldrich, Mezzo-soprano Scott Piper, Tenor Giuseppe Garra, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Aida TDK (DVD, 2001) Gramophone Good CD Guide, 1-Jan-2007 | Buy CD or DVD |
Aida
Riccardo Muti, Conductor Montserrat Caballé, Soprano Fiorenza Cossotto, Mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Album title: Verdi - Aida EMI CDS 5 56246-2 (3-CD) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Michael Oliver, 6-Apr-1997 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Don Carlos
Carlo Maria Giulini, Conductor Montserrat Caballé, Soprano Shirley Verrett, Mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Sherrill Milnes, Baritone Ruggero Raimondi, Bass Album title: Verdi - Don Carlo EMI CMS 5 67401 2 (3-CD mid-price, 1970) First choice (in Italian) BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Patrick O'Connor, 25-Mar-2006 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Don Carlos
Antonio Pappano, Conductor Karita Mattila, Soprano Waltraud Meier, Soprano Roberto Alagna, Tenor Thomas Hampson, Baritone José Van Dam, Bass Eric Halfvarson, Bass Album title: Verdi - Don Carlos NVC (Sung in French) Outstanding Gramophone Good CD Guide, 1-Jan-2007 | Buy CD or DVD |
Don Carlos
Antonio Pappano, Conductor Karita Mattila, Soprano Waltraud Meier, Soprano Roberto Alagna, Tenor Thomas Hampson, Baritone José Van Dam, Bass Album title: Verdi - Don Carlos EMI 561522 (3-CD, 1996) First choice overall (and first choice in French) BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Patrick O'Connor, 25-Mar-2006 |
Falstaff
Arturo Toscanini, Conductor Herva Nelli, Soprano Nan Merriman, Mezzo-soprano Chloe Elmo, Contralto Frank Guarrera, Tenor Guiseppe Valdengo, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Falstaff RCA 74321 72372-2 (2-CD, mono, mid-price, 1950) Historical choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Michael Oliver, 2-Feb-2002 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Falstaff
Herbert von Karajan, Conductor Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano Anna Moffo, Soprano Nan Merriman, Mezzo-soprano Fedora Barbieri, Contralto Luigi Alva, Tenor Tito Gobbi, Baritone Rolando Panerai, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Falstaff EMI CMS 5 67083-2 (2-CD, mid-price, 1956) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Michael Oliver, 2-Feb-2002 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Il Trovatore
Herbert von Karajan, Conductor Leontyne Price, Soprano Elena Obraztsova, Mezzo-soprano Franco Bonisolli, Tenor Piero Cappuccili, Baritone Ruggero Raimondi, Bass Album title: Verdi - Il Trovatore EMI 7693112 (2-CD, budget, 1977) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Hilary Finch, 5-Nov-2005 | Buy CD or DVD: |
La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny)
Riccardo Muti, Conductor Mirella Freni, Soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Album title: Verdi - La Forza del Destino EMI 7 47485-8 (3-CD) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Roger Parker, 21-Sep-1997 | Buy CD or DVD: |
La Traviata
Sir John Pritchard, Conductor Joan Sutherland, Soprano Carlo Bergonzi, Tenor Robert Merrill, Baritone Album title: Verdi - La Traviata Decca 411 877-2 (2-CD , 1963) First choice Bachtrack, David Karlin, 6-Mar-2008 | Buy CD or DVD: Download:  |
Luisa Miller
Peter Maag, Conductor Montserrat Caballé, Soprano Anna Reynolds, Mezzo-soprano Luciano Pavarotti, Tenor Sherrill Milnes, Baritone Bonaldo Gialotti, Bass Richard Van Allan, Bass Album title: Verdi - Luisa Miller Decca (2-CD) Highly recommended Gramophone Good CD Guide, 1-Jan-2007 | Buy CD or DVD: Download: |
Macbeth
Riccardo Muti, Conductor Fiorenza Cossotto, Mezzo-soprano José Carreras, Tenor Giuliano Bernardi, Tenor Sherrill Milnes, Baritone Ruggero Raimondi, Bass Album title: Verdi - Macbeth EMI CMS 5 67128-2 (2-CD, mid-price, 1976) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Hilary Finch, 25-Sep-1999 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Nabucco
Lamberto Gardelli, Conductor Elena Suliotis, Soprano Bruno Prevedi, Tenor Tito Gobbi, Baritone Carlo Cava, Bass Album title: Verdi - Nabucco Decca 417 407-2DH2 (2-CD) Strongly recommended Gramophone Good CD Guide, 1-Jan-2007 | Buy CD or DVD: Download: |
Otello
Arturo Toscanini, Conductor Herva Nelli, Soprano Nan Merriman, Mezzo-soprano Ramon Vinay, Tenor Virginio Assandri, Tenor Guiseppe Valdengo, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Otello RCA GD 60302 (2-CD, 1947) Mid-price choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Michael Oliver, 27-Jan-2001 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Otello
Myung-Whun Chung, Conductor Cheryl Studer, Soprano Denyce Graves, Mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Ramón Vargas, Tenor Sergei Leiferkus, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Otello Deutche Grammophon 439 805-2 (2-CD) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Michael Oliver, 27-Jan-2001 | Buy CD or DVD: Download: |
Rigoletto
Nino Sanzogno, Conductor Joan Sutherland, Soprano Renato Cioni, Tenor Cornell MacNeil, Baritone Cesare Siepi, Bass Album title: Verdi - Rigoletto Decca 4438532 (2-CD, mid-price) First choice Bachtrack, David Karlin, 19-Mar-2007 | Buy CD or DVD: Download: |
Simon Boccanegra
Claudio Abbado, Conductor Mirella Freni, Soprano José Carreras, Tenor Piero Cappuccili, Baritone Nikolai Ghiaurov, Bass José Van Dam, Bass Album title: Verdi - Simon Boccanegra Deutche Grammophon 449 752-2 (2-CD, mid-price, 1977) | Buy CD or DVD: Download: |
Un Ballo in Maschera
Riccardo Muti, Conductor Martina Arroyo, Soprano Fiorenza Cossotto, Mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Piero Cappuccili, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Un Ballo in Maschera EMI CMS 5 66510-2 (2-CD, mid-price, 1975) Modern choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Hilary Finch, 5-Jun-1999 | Buy CD or DVD: |
Un Ballo in Maschera
Antonino Votto, Conductor Maria Callas, Soprano Fedora Barbieri, Mezzo-soprano Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tenor Tito Gobbi, Baritone Album title: Verdi - Un Ballo in Maschera EMI CDS 5 56320-2 (2-CD, mono, 1956) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Hilary Finch, 5-Jun-1999 | Buy CD or DVD: |
La Traviata
Carlos Kleiber, Conductor Ileana Cotrubas, Soprano Stefania Malagu, Mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo, Tenor Sherrill Milnes, Baritone Album title: Verdi: La Traviata Deutche Grammophon (2-CD, mid-price, 1977) First choice BBC Radio 3 Building a Library, Roger Parker, 20-Jan-2007 | Buy CD or DVD: |
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