Sherrill Milnes: Homage to Verdi

I do say this as a big fan of Milnes. Ever since seeing him in the 1976 film Tosca, I have loved Milnes' plummy rich voice, amazing top, good(if not perfect) technique, secure musicianship and superb dramatic style and legato line. His voice mayn't appeal to all, particularly after his vocal crisis, but while he isn't my absolute favourite singer or baritone, he is for me one of the most exciting.

As you can guess from the title, this is Milnes' homage to Verdi, a composer that you can tell not only here but also in his interpretations that is very special to him. And it is a very interesting and valuable one too. The whole documentary has some lovely shots and clear picture quality that does justice to the beautiful Italian settings.

Milnes himself is one of two main reasons to watch Sherrill Milnes: Homage to Verdi. His narration is cleverly written and evokes poignancy sometimes when the prelude to La Traviata is played as background music or arias from Traviata, La Forza Del Destino, Attila and I Vespri Siciliani. Milnes presents this information in an informative and dignified manner as well as being clear, open and quite candid.

I just loved it when he sang short snippets of famous arias, where they showed off his voice so well. And the highlight for me, is Milnes in his dressing room talking about Rigoletto, cue his moving performance of Cortigiani that even the somewhat constricted sound can't ruin.

The music is also what makes Sherrill Milnes: Homage to Verdi so worthwhile. Not just Cortigiani, but also Si Vendetta(Rigoletto), E Gettata La Mia Sorte(Attila), Va Pansiero(Nabucco), Egli La Salvo(La Forza Del Destino) and In Braccio Alle Douvzie(I Vespri Siciliani). Di Provenza from La Traviata alongside Cortigiani was perhaps the aria that was most effectively and fittingly used.

In conclusion, a must see. 10/10 Bethany Cox