Dynamic's recording of Luisa Miller is taken from a live 2006 performance at Teatro La Fenice. The sound is above average for a live recording; there is little extraneous noise, the balance is good, and the voices are always clearly audible. If anything, the singers are miked a little too closely, so the sound can become strident in the louder passages. This set has the advantage of being the first recording of the opera made using Jeffrey Kallberg's 2002 critical edition of the score. Kallberg's findings don't drastically alter the opera, but in correcting errors that diverge from Verdi's manuscript, he gets us a step closer to the composer's intentions. Darina Takova brings a warm rounded tone to Luisa, and negotiates both the character's tenderness and passion with dramatic conviction and persuasive musicality. Giuseppe Sabbatini's Rodolfo makes a strong match for Takova, with a secure, colorful tenor and a dramatically compelling presence, which more than compensate for some raggedness at his more passionate outbursts. As Walter and Wurm, baritone
Alexander Vinogradov and bass Artjun Kotchinian create thrillingly villainous characters with their dark, powerful voices. Mezzo Ursula Ferri sings with richness and depth as Federica. Baritone Damiano Salerno as Miller has a vibrato that verges on a wobble, and he sometimes sounds slightly strained and breathless. The orchestra and chorus, led by
Maurizio Benini, perform with real urgency, and
Benini's flexible tempos drive the tragedy inexorably toward its devastating climax.