Stiffelio - Giuseppe Verdi
Information about the opera Stiffelio by Giuseppe Verdi, and the best recordings available on CD or DVD, or for download.
A lesser-known Verdi opera, after the play 'Le Pasteur, ou L'Évangile et le Foyer' by Émile Souvestre and Eugène Bourgeois, it was rediscovered in the 1960s.
Synopsis
The opera is about a Protestant minister whose faith is shattered when he discovers that his wife has had an affair with a family friend.
Recommended recordings on CD
Gardelli/Carreras/Sass (Philips 422 432-2)
A good performance confirms the importance of this work.
Austrian Radio Chorus, Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, 1979.
Cast: José Carreras (Stiffelio), Sylvia Sass (Lina), Matteo Manuguerra (Stankar), Wladimiro Ganzarolli (Jorg).
Philips 422 432-2
Recommended recordings on DVD
Downes/Carreras/Malfitano (Opus Arte OA R3103 D)
Recorded in 1993 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus, conducted by Sir Edward Downes, 1993.
Cast: José Carreras (Stiffelio), Catherine Malfitano (Lina), Gregory Yurisich (Stankar), Gwynne Howell (Jorg).
Opus Arte OA R3103 D