For the MET a premiere of NABUCCO they (Bing’s idea?) re-arranged portions of the score & made some unfortunate cuts as well, One such was in the NABUCCO aria in the last act. The entire middle section was cut which was unfortunate for 2 reasons. First of all is that DIO DI GIUDA was Verdi’s first great Baritone aria as well as one of the most beautiful & second MacNeil’s performance almost makes one forget what Warren might have made of this moment. MacNeil had many powerful & sonorous MET performances in his career but seldom, IMO, has his voice been more lyrically beautiful as in this aria. He should have had been allowed to sing the FULL aria & I am pretty sure had he lived to sing it that Warren would have INSISTED on performing it uncut. Rysanek, is uneven but is quite impressive when she gets into her upper register & Siepi sounds fine in a role that really challenged him & Hines when they sang it as Verdi made it, vocally, one of his most demanding for the bass voice.
