Edward Downes

Edward Downes

Birth : 1924-06-17, Birmingham, England

Death : 2009-07-10

Profile

Edward Downes

Movies

Rigoletto
Music Director
Live recording at Royal Opera House, 22 September, 2001. Television live relay. In one of the Royal Opera’s most celebrated and popular productions, director David McVicar mixes lavish historical costumes and dark stylized settings to highlight the savagery and excitement of Verdi’s tale of misdirected revenge. Paolo Gavanelli is vocally and theatrically electrifying as the hunchback anti-hero, acclaimed soprano Christine Schäfer is his doomed daughter, and superstar tenor Marcelo Alvarez is her fickle lover. With superb playing from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, it adds up to a thrilling Rigoletto for both opera aficionados and newcomers.
Aida
Music Director
Cheryl Studer, in the title role, leads an excellent cast in Elijah Moshinsky's 1994 production of Verdi's extravagant and magnificent Egyptian opera. Aida was acclaimed at its first performance in 1871 and has grown in stature ever since to become one of the best-loved and most performed grand operas of all time.
Verdi Stiffelio
Conductor
Stiffelio is considered "early Verdi" to musiclogists who classify things, but, in reality, it is a final transition between the maestro's earlier (but most enjoyable) works, and the mature craftsmanship of Rigoletto. Preceded by Luisa Miller (q.v.), there is more dramatic intensity and story line than in the earlier works. The plot centers around Stiffelio, a minister, who discovers that his wife, Mina, has been unfaithful.
Salomé
Music Director
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 2 June 1992.