On Verdi, briefly

On the 200th anniversary of his birth I’d like to be able to tell you why I like one Verdi opera more than any other, or which one deserves to be labeled “the best,” but the reality is there are a half-dozen one could pick that would get no counter-argument from me, even if I didn’t consider it to be among my personal favorites, which at this point in my life is led by Rigoletto. Rigoletto is perfect in nearly every way: the music never falters, there are a number of great tunes, the story is compelling and the relationships contain real emotional weight. That it’s one of the most popular operas of all time does nothing to lessen its appeal or merits. Only a snob would dismiss it as anything less than a masterpiece.

However, the number one spot has changed over time, and has been previously held by, in roughly chronological order (my own chronology that is, not Verdi’s): Don Carlo, Un Ballo in Maschera, Simon Boccanegra, and Otello. The best performance of one of his works I’ve seen was, without a doubt, San Francisco Opera’s 2004 production of La Traviata with Ruth Ann Swenson as Violetta, Dmitri Hvorostovsky as the elder Germont and Rolando Villazon as Alfredo. Patrick Summers conducted, John Shipley directed, and it was the most flawless performances of a fully-staged opera I’ve seen so far (the overall number one spot is held by the Salonen/Jones production of The Tristan Project with the LA Phil a few years ago). I just wanted you, dear reader, to know this- and if you want to add your own thoughts, please do so in the comments section.