Macbeth
This is a major release--a recording of Verdi's original version ofMacbeth, composed in 1847, instead of the one we know, i.e., the 1865 revision. About a third of the score is different from the usually performed version, with Lady Macbeth singing a far more showy coloratura aria where "La luce langue" was later placed, a vastly different take on Macbeth's third-act delirium with the witches, a more conventional chorus than in 1865 to open the last act,  and a final scene which is a more vivid confrontation between Macbeth and  Macduff. There are also minor changes along the way which fans of the opera will enjoy comparing with Verdi's later thoughts. The recording comes from a 1979 BBC broadcast and is a splendid performance. Peter Glossop, never the owner of the juiciest Verdi baritone voice, is nevertheless a truly vivid, insightful Macbeth; soprano Rita Hunter, better known as a Wagnerian, offers a well-sung, stunning Lady Macbeth; John Tomlinson, before he became a superb Wagner bass, gives us a Banquo to remember, and the rest of the cast is fine. John Matheson leads a tight, dramatic reading, and the BBC forces play handsomely. Even if you own a recording of this opera, this one belongs in your collection.--Robert Levine