I prefer Price’s second recording (pictured above) to the Solti-led one.
However, the best conducting and playing are on another version, that by Karajan and the WP (on EMI, not Decca). Freni and Carreras are overparted but both manage to turn their vocal vulnerability into totally believable dramatic performances.
I really like the second Karajan too and I think Baltsa's Amneris is one of the best on disc, reminding us that Amneris is a
young, attractive woman and a viable rival for Aida. I agree with you about Freni and Carreras too.
I also enjoyed the recent Pappano recording when it came out, which has superb sound and is wonderfully conducted by Pappano. Unfortunately none of his singers, except perhaps Kaufmann, is up to the standard of that on older sets.
I've never liked Solti's Verdi (too much thud and blunder for me) and consequently never liked his version, despite the presence of Price (in better voice than on Leinsdorf) and Vickers. Others like Gorr more than I do as Amneris. She sounds a bit matronly to me.
The best Nile Scene and duet between Aida and Amonasro is Serafin with Callas and Gobbi, and Serafin surpasses even Karajan here. On no other recording do I hear the violins weep with Aida the way they do here when Callas pours out
O patria, patria quanto mi costi.
Oddly enough
Aida is not my favourite Verdi opera, but I have quite a few different recordings, more than most of the other operas, possibly reflecting the fact that I don't find any of them totally satisfactory and like different things in different recordings.
