Aida

Giuseppe Verdi's famed 1871 opera, chronicling the doomed love affair between a captive Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian general in the age of the pharaohs, is presented in abbreviated form in Clemente Fracassi's 1953 Italian opera film (reputedly the first in color), featuring splendidly costumed actors (including Sophia Loren) on opulent sets lip-syncing to performances previously recorded by a separate cast. The highlights are all here, including some of the ballet music, offering a reasonably full overview of Verdi's masterpiece. And the singing is of fairly high order, particularly by the great Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi, then at the height of her powers, in the title vocal role. But while the sound has been cleaned up, it's still very vintage, typical of early-LP work, and the lack of subtitles is a drawback (instead, the film offers English narration that is often presented over the orchestral interludes). On the visual side, however, Loren, who was just beginning her screen career, makes a visually luminous Aida, and she's well paired with Luciano Della Marra, who looks like a bronze statue as Radames. Obviously, this can't be preferred to complete modern versions of one of the world's best-loved operas, but fans of Loren or Tebaldi will certainly appreciate this extra-less disc. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)