Warner Brothers Classics is a praiseworthy label in an era in which the discographic industry creates almost only solo albums (as commercial as they can be!), for financial reasons; when we do receive integral recordings, they mostly consist of ʽlive' performances;

...it is definitely a 'riposte' of the 21^st century which counterpoints with dignity the wonderful ʽantecedents'of the past century - the EMI integral recording from 1959 - with Maria Callas (Aida), Fedorra Barberi (Amneris), Richard Tucker (Radames), Tito Gobbi (Amonasro), Nicola Zaccaria (Ramfis), La Scala Theatre Chorus and Orchestra in Milan, conducted by Tullo Serafin; the Decca integral recording from 1962 - with Leontyne Price (Aida), Rita Gorr (amneris), Jon Vickers (Radames), Robert Merrill (Amonasro), Giorgio Tozzi (Ramfis), Orchestra and Chorus of the Rome Opera House, conducted by Georg Solti; the second EMI integral recording, the one from 1973 - with Montserrat Caballe (Aida), Fiorenza Cossotto (Amneris), Placido Domingo (Radames), Pierro Cappuccilli (Amonasro), Nicolai Ghiaurov (Ramfis), the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Chorus conducted by Riccardo Mutti;

... this is the integral recording in which Antonio Pappano presents the ʽheroic' as heroic indeed, and the ʽlyricism' as lyrical as ever;

...the integral recording with an ideal ʽAida' interpreted by the German soprano Anja Harteros, a spinto soprano who gives back the force and grandeur of Verdi's character, which had been slightly altered by the approaches of exclusively lyrical voices, such as those of Monteserrat Caballe and Katia Ricciarelli - and a fabulous Radames interpreted by Jonas Kaufman, an artist with an exceptional sensitivity and dramatic feeling, who finally performs the renowned aria Celeste Aida as a love confession (not as a battle cry!); he ends the aria according to the score, with a celestial B flat in pianissimo...

Moreover, Warner Classics's Aida presents itself as an opportunity for the audience, for the listeners of An evening at the Opera to listen to the integral studio recording before its official release, as this time, it will be released in November. The album has just been put on sale by the Warner Classics Record label on 2^nd October, online. I am delighted to offer this album to you this Saturday, on 17^th October, 2015, at 19.00. Beside the aria you can also hear the statements of the protagonists: Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann, Ekaterina Semenchuk (Amneris), Erwin Schrott (Amonasro), Ludovic Tezier (Ramfis) and, of course, maestro Antonio Pappano's statement, on the DVD that was recorded in seven days...