CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida / Levine, Domingo, Millo, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Aprile Millo, Plácido Domingo, Dolora Zajick, Sherrill Milnes, Paata Burchuladze
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date December 12, 2000
This DVD recording of "Aida" is a feast for the eyes and the ears!
Even though it's from a few years ago, the voices are outstanding and
the recording clear and up to date. This is my favorite opera of all
time and this DVD really does it justice. I recommend it highly!

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Verdi - Il Trovatore / Levine, Milnes, Marton, Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera

starring: Eva Marton, Dolora Zajick, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Jeffrey Wells
directed by: Brian Large

Release Date December 12, 2000
I have never seen a better Il Travatore, with exciting singing all round and an emphasis on the role of fate. Pavarotti's duets with Dolora Zajick as the old gypsy are among the most affecting scenes in opera.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Metropolitan Opera Gala - James Levine's 25th Anniversary

starring: Renee Fleming, Deborah Voigt, Karita Mattila, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson

Release Date November 22, 2005
This is a magnificent presentation, so many artists and such terrific performances from all of them, the pity of it is that there have been so many other fabulous performances that have been left out, I have the original VCR issue and there are far more arias and duets than there are on the two DVD's, the magnificent aria from Jessye Norman is missing and so is Alfredo Kraus's fantastic rendition of Pourquoi me reveiller among others. I would prefer to pay a bit extra for a 3 DVD set to get the missing items. The original concert went for something like 6 hours, why can't we have it all?

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida

starring: Maria Chiara, Dolora Zajick, Kristjan Johannsson, Juan Pons, Nicola Ghiuselev

Release Date November 21, 2006
This is visually one of the classiest Aïdas I've ever seen, with sumptuous sets and costumes taken directly from suggestions made by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette who had (anonymously) suggested the topic to Verdi for an opera set in Egypt. But musically this is strictly a bush-league production. The orchestra sets the tone for what is to come in an out-of-tune prelude. And their playing doesn't get much better. Icelandic tenor Kristján Jóhansson, as Radamès, has a fairly pleasant voice but he resorts to bawling in his upper range, his acting is wooden, and frankly his big aria 'Celeste Aïda' is excruciating. But this is nothing compared to the squawly Aïda of Maria Chiara who was fifty-three and whose voice was worn and wobbly when this Verona Arena ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Verdi - Requiem / Kallen Esperian, Luciano Pavarotti, Dolora Zajick, Carlo Colombara, Daniel Oren, San Carlo

starring: Luciano Pavarotti, Kallen Esperian, Dolora Zajick, San Carlo Opera Orchestra

Release Date September 25, 2001
This is visually one of the classiest Aïdas I've ever seen, with sumptuous sets and costumes taken directly from suggestions made by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette who had (anonymously) suggested the topic to Verdi for an opera set in Egypt. But musically this is strictly a bush-league production. The orchestra sets the tone for what is to come in an out-of-tune prelude. And their playing doesn't get much better. Icelandic tenor Kristján Jóhansson, as Radamès, has a fairly pleasant voice but he resorts to bawling in his upper range, his acting is wooden, and frankly his big aria 'Celeste Aïda' is excruciating. But this is nothing compared to the squawly Aïda of Maria Chiara who was fifty-three and whose voice was worn and wobbly when this Verona Arena ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Verdi - Aida / Oren, Zajick, Theatre of San Carlo

starring: Daniel Oren, Dolora Zajick

Release Date June 04, 2002
A third rate production of a third rate opera. I only rented (thank god I had the foresight not to buy it) this opera because of all the rave reviews, most frequently performed opera in the world (I thought that was Carmen, which I also don't like), etc., I already knew I hated it. Didn't finish it, in the 30 or 45 minutes I watched, there was only one tune, Celeste Aida, weakly sung. The ballet at the idol was ridiculous. The direction was by the numbers. The aplause from the audience was as reluctant and meager as I felt listening. And the whole thing was saturated with the words "death" and "kill" and "war." Isn't there enough of that in the world without reveling in it in music! This was a far cry from music.