Fischer-Dieskau also recorded many famous roles in Italian operas , e.g. Verdi 's Rigoletto and Rodrigo in Verdi 's Don Carlos , Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini 's Tosca . His recordings of Verdi 's Rigoletto ( alongside Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi ) and Rodrigo in Verdi 's Don Carlos , are probably the most respected of these ventures . Others , such as the title role in Verdi 's Macbeth ( with Elena Souliotis ) , Giorgio Germont in Verdi 's La traviata , and Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini 's Tosca ( with Birgit Nilsson ) , are not delivered by him with the same degree of effectiveness .