Verdi: Aida

This magnificent recording of Aida, made in Rome, rises to all the musical and dramatic challenges presented by Verdi’s richly-coloured Egyptian epic. Antonio Pappano, once again proving his mastery of Italian opera, moves between sumptuous grandeur and touching intimacy. The responses of the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia are both immediate and vibrant, while the singers – Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Ludovic Tézier and Erwin Schrott – do justice to every facet of their roles.

Gramophone Recording of the Month: "A magnificent achievement that gives enormous pleasure...Karajan has the Vienna Philharmonic but it is arguable that Pappano goes one better, with orchestral playing of rare accomplishment from an Italian ensemble which is alive to the opera's every word."

"Close your eyes and imagine the perfect Aida... An incredibly visual rendition of the work - a testament to the importance of studio recordings." - The Times

"Studio recordings of large-scale operas are something of a rarity these days, and this new recording...feels like a very special event. Kaufmann makes his debut in the role of Egyptian general Rademès, Anja Harteros also makes her role debut as the captive Ethiopian princess Aida. Erwin Schrott (as Ramfis), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Amneris) and Marco Spotti (King of Egypt) are among the other singers in a starry cast." (The Guardian)

"An ensemble of qualities as impressive as the pyramids of Cairo. We can confirm without hesitation that this is not just an Aida for the present, but an Aida made to last, at the same level as the benchmark recordings of the past." - Diapason

The Sunday Times – Album of the Week “Pappano’s orchestra weave magical sound spells...Unmissable”

BBC Radio 3 “It’s a triumph...The strings of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia melt the heart with their playing in that final scene and the Chorus throughout is as passionately involved as you suspect only an Italian chorus can be”.