The commanding call on trombones at the start of the overture to La forza del destino—by a fair margin the finest Verdi wrote—promises in its firm resonance a recording of outstanding quality, and the Decca engineers working in London's Kingsway Hall (always a favourite venue) do not disappoint. Generally the National Philharmonic, carefully assembled by Sidney Sax from among the very finest of London's orchestral players, has a markedly smaller string section than usual, but you would never know it here, even in the high triplet descant on the violins at the end of La forza del destino, which always sounds a little scratchy.
That quality of recording, atmospheric yet clear and very wide-ranging, gives this latest collection of Verdi overtures an edge even over the two superb collections already listed in the catalogue, those of Riccardo Muti and the New Philharmonia (HMV ASD3366, 10/77) and of Claudio Abbado and the LSO (RCA RL31378, 2/79). All three issues include the four most desirable overtures—Nabucco and the three later ones, I vespri siciliani, Luisa Miller as well as Forza—but Chailly provides three additions instead of two. These include the Overture to the very first opera, Oberto, and the most substantial of the less well-known overtures, Aroldo, an excellent choice, both those last with evocative cornet themes. On interpretations Abbado is at times a degree more elegant and Muti a little more brash and urgent, but Chailly's crisp and incisive readings present a consistently convincing middle view. On balance Chailly is first choice, but if you prefer the selections of either Muti or Abbado, their recordings too are of outstanding quality for their period.'