Verdi's Giovanna d'Arco

[Sean]

Finally got hold of this one- rather more piecemeal in construction than its neighbours but a few hints of ideas in later works.

[Superhorn]

 Is it the Levine /EMI recording, with Caballe , Domingo  and Milnes ?  This was Levine's first recording , and an auspicious debut on  LP, and later transferred to CD. I don't know if it's still available.
  The opera is a bit crude at times, both musically and drammatically, but certainly not boring .  I don't know of any later recordings .

[Tsaraslondon]

I have that Levine recording. The singing is fine, but I've always found Levine's conducting loud and brash. It was made just before Philips embarked on their early Verdi series, so Gardelli never recorded it, more's the pity. There is a live account with Tebaldi, knocking around somewhere and there was also a live DVD at one time with Susan Dunn, but I don't know either.

[Sean]

Yes, from 1972; though a middle period work a few ideas closely echo the Requiem. You're right that some of the score's gear changes are strangely abrupt.

[listener]

The Levine performance sounds to me like he's hoping to please a somewhat unsophisticated crowd.
Another performance that may still be available is by Chailly at Bologna, staged by Werner Herzog

[Sean]

Cheers listener.