Juan Diego Florez - Arias for Rubini

 

Release Date: January 22, 2008 Label: Decca Number of discs: 1 Composer: Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti  Performer: Juan Diego Flórez cd info/ buy

Review:

The title of this CD is somewhat of a misnomer; except for the selection from Marino Faliero, the arias here were not composed specifically for Giovanni Battista Rubini. He did, however, appear in most of the operas, albeit in revivals years after their premieres. (There are doubts as to whether he ever sang the aria composed for Il Turco in Italia.) The point is that Rubini (1794-1854) had a voice that, judging from the scores composed for him and/or the roles he sang, was warm and expressive, of a good size, with an ease in coloratura, and an upper extension to a staggering high-F above high-C. Precisely how he reached these stratospheric tones is still open to debate--they apparently were neither in full chest voice nor weak falsetto. His dramatic intensity made audiences swoon; to be sure, he changed the way audiences looked at tenors. I'm not certain if people are swooning over Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez, but he sings these arias with an ease, grace, and charm that may have been similar to Rubini's, even if he takes even the highest notes in full voice and not in what is known as a voix-mixte, a sort of reinforced falsetto that may have been what Rubini used. Rubini was Bellini's favorite tenor (both Sonnambula and Puritani were written for him), and indeed, the two Bellini selections recorded here are the jewels in this recital's crown. Gualtiero in Il Pirata is a hero in love; his bold tone and exclamatory style are nicely contrasted with his gentle cantilena. The aria's opening pages have a Spanish/Mediterranean flavor and Florez catches the manner precisely. Later in the recital, he sings an aria from the composer's early Bianca e Fernando, with long lines, a lovely wedding of words and music, and some elegantly florid passages. Florez reaches a high E-flat at one point, and it's quite a feat, with just a bit of stiffness in the notes leading up to it. Arnoldo's lengthy scene from William Tell (it is sung in Italian) is a great tour de force. It first expresses longing and then turns into a vengeful call to arms, with high-Cs flying left and right. Roberto Abbado's leadership in this scene is particularly heart-stopping, and his chorus and orchestra out-do themselves. A never-before-recorded aria from an 1825 revival of Rossini's La donna del lago is a dazzler (it's a reworking of a piece from his 1819 masterpiece, Ermione), filled with difficult runs and frills, and the Il turco in Italia aria has some fine reflective moments before the fun begins, with high-Ds popping out all over the place. The Marino Faliero piece is a downhearted affair, and Florez sings it movingly, the high notes as expressive as they are impressive, and Norfolk's long scene from Elisabetta catches just the right villainous, manipulative tone. There are some people who find this type of music tiresome--there are so many notes and it's so showy that it can exhaust the listener. Furthermore, after listening to more than 70 minutes of singing, the wonderful brightness to Florez's tone can be a bit much, but that also was true about recitals by the young Pavarotti. Take a break every 20 minutes and you'll return refreshed enough to revel in Florez's golden tone, intelligent use of text, and impeccable enunciation, phrasing, and musicianship. You won't be disappointed by this recital, and although he sounds nothing like Pavarotti, you'll get a similar sense of sheer love of singing and desire to communicate. As suggested above, Abbado's leadership is right on the money. Bravi!--Robert Levine

 

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Rossini - L'occasione Fa Il Ladro – Marcello Viotti, English Chamber Orchestra

 

Release Date: 7th June 1999 Label: Claves Number of discs: 2 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Marcello Viotti cd info/ buy

Review:

L’occasione fa il Ladro is described as a burletta and revolves round a typical farsa libretto involving mistakenly exchanged suitcases at a country inn. The work was recorded at the same series of sessions as L’Inganno Felice and several singers appear in both works. It is unique among the five farse, and unusual in the Rossini oeuvre, in having no formal overture. Instead a brief andante prelude leads into allegro storm music of the kind that is familiar in several of Rossini’s operas, both buffa and seria. As in L’Inganno Felice the tenor Lorio Zennaro whilst having a light, if dryish timbre and a pleasing heady tone, is not always steady. This is also in evidence in his delightful aria D’ogni piu sacro. He duets well with the Ernestina of Francesca Provvisionato whose singing is a pleasure throughout. Maria Bayo as Berenice is rather careful in her introduction to Vieino e il momento but flings off the coloratura with accuracy, aplomb and warm tone. Both female singers are dependable and characterful throughout. The buffo character of the work is underscored by the music for Don Parmenione sung by Natale de Carolis and Martino sung by the character bass Fabio Previati. As in the other operas in the series these two nicely contrasted voices are towers of strength, singing with accuracy and bringing out the character of their parts. Their contrasting voices and well articulated fast singing is particularly good in duet. Viotti shapes the melodies and moves the music along well. Why L’occasione fa il Ladro was not better received at the Teatro San Moise I do not know. In a city where the opera theatres also reflected social undercurrents may have been significant. Certainly, the fact that the composer had signed a contract to produce an opera for the prestigious La Fenice was well known and his upward movement may have caused resentment. This is certainly suggested as one reason for the lukewarm response at Teatro San Moise to Il Signor Bruschino, the last of the five farse, when it was premiered two months later.

 

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Rossini - L'Inganno Felice - Viotti, English Chamber Orchestra

 

Release Date: August 13, 1996 Label: Claves Number of discs: 1 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Marcello Viotti cd info/ buy

Review:

The Teatro San Moise was eager for another Rossini farsa and L’Inganno Felice was premiered to acclaim. Within a year it had been staged in Bologna, Florence, Verona and Trieste as well as at the Teatro San Benedetto, second only to La Fenice in Venice. The innate quality of the music also enabled Rossini to use the opera as a calling card when he settled in Naples in 1815. He was also able to secure performances in Paris in 1824, although the work had already been heard at the Theatre Italian in the latter city in 1819. Most importantly for this series of recordings, L’Inganno Felice, La Scala di Seta and L’occasione fa il Ladro, numbers two, three and four in Rossini’s compositional sequence, were recorded in a more suitable venue in terms of balance and reverberation than La Cambiale. This enables the listener to hear the composer’s inventive and characterful orchestration very clearly. L’Inganno Felice (The Happy Stratagem) Farsa giocosa in one act. First performed at the Teatro San Moise, Venice, 8 January 1812 Batone: Natale de Carolis (bass-bar); Isabella, Amelia Felle (sop); Bertrando, Lorio Zennaro (ten); Tarabotto, Fabio Previato (bass); Ormondo, Danilo Serraiocco (bar) Ursula Dütschler, harpsichord English Chamber Orchestra/Marcello Viotti Recorded 18-24 February 1992, Rosslyn Hill Chapel, London

 

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Rossini - La Scala di Seta - Viotti, English Chamber Orchestra

 

Release Date: August 13, 1996 Label: Claves Number of discs:  2 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Marcello Viotti cd info/ buy

Review:

La Scala di Seta (The silken Ladder) is a scintillating piece with bright orchestral colours and distinctive writing for the woodwind. The silken ladder of the title is used nightly by Dorvil to join Giulia who he has secretly married. She is still living in the house of Dormont, her father, who wishes her to marry Blansac who is loved by Lucilla. The opera’s overture is amongst Rossini’s most popular and Viotti brings out its character well with strong rhythms and good string work. The cast is amongst the best in the series with Alessandro Corbelli outstanding as Germano and Teresa Ringholz up to the heroine’s task with agility and warm tone. Their duet is Rossini coloratura singing of the highest order. The young Ramon Vargas as Giulia’s husband sings with pleasing tone and without strain and one wishes he had more to sing. GERMANO: Alessandro Corbelli - baritono GIULIA: Teresa Ringholz - soprano DORVIL: Ramón Vargas - tenore BLANSAC: Natale de Carolis - basso-baritono LUCILLA: Francesca Provvisionato - mezzosoprano DORMONT: Fulvio Massa - tenore English Chamber Orchestra Marcello Viotti 13-15 October 1992 Claves Records Switzerland

 

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Rossini - La Cambiale Di Matrimonio- Viotti, English Chamber Orchestra

Release Date: August 13, 1996 Label: Claves Number of discs: 1 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Marcello Viotti cd info/ buy

Review:

The Teatro San Moise in Venice was the smallest of the theatres regularly presenting opera in that city. The audience expected new works and the impresario would commission several each season guaranteeing at least three performances to each. The theatre was run on a shoestring and such farse required little scenery or staging. Given that the San Moise had a good roster of singers it was an ideal opportunity for Rossini when another composer reneged on his contract and he was offered the opportunity to replace him. La Cambiale di Matrimonio with its pace, energy and wit was well received at it's first performance. At age twenty Rossini’s career was off to a cracking start. TOBIA MILL: Bruno Praticò - buffo FANNY MILL: Alessandra Rossi - soprano EDOARDO MILFORT: Maurizio Comencini - tenore SLOOK: Bruno de Simone - buffo NORTON: Francesco Facini - basso CLARINA: Valeria Baiano - soprano English Chamber Orchestra Marcello Viotti 20-23 August 1990 Claves Records Switzerland

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Rossini - Il Signor Bruschino – Marcello Viotti, I Filarmonici Di Torino

 

Release Date: 01/25/2005 Label: Claves Number of discs: 2 Composer:  Gioachino Rossini Performer: Marcello Viotti cd info/ buy

Review:

Between 1810 and 1812 Rossini composed five one-act "farces" for the Teatro San Moise in Venice. They may be formulaic--even in their plots, most of which concern a young couple fooling an older suitor, or a young couple trying to find happiness, or a Canadian suitor away from his home turf(!)--but each has something to recommend it and none outstays its welcome. And the last of the group, Il Signor Bruschino, is famous for its overture, in which Rossini asks the violinists to tap their bows against their stands--witty, unusual, and apparently annoying to the conservative Venetians. BRUSCHINO, padre: Natale de Carolis - baritono basso SOFIA: Patrizia Orciani - soprano GAUDENZIO: Bruno Praticò - baritono FLORVILLE: Luca Canonici - tenore FILIBERTO: Pietro Spagnoli - baritono MARIANNA: Katia Lytting - mezzosoprano BRUSCHINO,figlio/ UN COMMISSARIO: Fulvio Massa - tenore I Filarmonici di Torino Marcello Viotti October 1988 Claves Records Switzerland

 

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Rossini - Il Turco in Italia - Caballe, Ramey, Chailly, National Philharmonic Orchestra

 

Release Date: 1988 Label: CBS/fonit cetra Number of discs: 3 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Caballe, Ramey, Chailly, National Philharmonic Orchestra cd info/ buy

Review:

This recording, from 1982, has the famous and spectacular soprano Montserrat Caballe (as Donna Fiorilla), as the main star of this recording. Caballe, as always, doesn't have a, say, perfect Italian accent but her performance is extraordinary, she was in her better days, doing excellent and accomplishing a perfect interpretation with her unmistakable voice. It is also worth to highlight the basses Enzo Dara (Don Geronio) and Samuel Ramey (Selim), both possessing an incredible comicality in their arias. The tenor Ernesto Palacio (Don Narciso), besides his brilliant voice, has a very beautiful Italian accent, very gallant. The recitative, accompanied by piano is in general a little monotonous as almost all opera recitatives, but very limpid and very well spoken. The part of the choirs is very well served by Ambrosian Opera Chorus, that is a great show by itself, with agile and vibrant voices in a perfect interaction with the main cast. Riccardo Chailly's excellent conducting of the National Philarmonic Orchestra is added to all this. The sound quality is very good, very well recorded and very clean. This is an excellent recording of Il Turco in Italia, good either to listen to Montserrat Caballé's voice in one of her top carreer moments or just to know the elegant comicality of Rossini in a wonderful recording with amazing performances.

 

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Juan Diego Florez - Bel Canto Spectacular

 

Release Date: January 13, 2009 Label: Decca Number of discs: 1 Composer: Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi  Performer: Juan Diego Florez cd info/ buy

Review:

The King of the High Ds returns with an album of bel canto arias and duets. Juan Diego Florez once again proves why he is THE tenor in demand around the world for the operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. In fact, he even broke the 70 year-old taboo against encores at La Scala in Donizetti s La Fille du Régiment, effortlessly tossing off 18 high Cs in a row (twice as many as other tenors)! For this special album, Florez is joined by an all-star roster of his friends, including Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo, Mariusz Kwiecien, Patrizia Ciofi and Daniela Barcellona. Rarely have so many talents come together on one recording. For anyone who wants to hear truly great singing of a repertoire long known for it's vocal difficulties, you can't go wrong with this.

 

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Rossini - Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Release Date: April 13, 1993 Label: Deutsche Grammophon Number of discs: 2 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe cd info/ buy

Review:

Who says opera is boring, long and stuffy ? Giacomo Rossini knew what treasure he had in his hands when he composed what is considered the most popular comic opera- The Barber Of Seville. It is based on the eighteenth century French satire by Beaumarchais, a comedy of manners revolving a witty, clever barber named Figaro who helps a scheming count win the hand of a beautiful woman. Set in Spain, but obviously a parody of French upper classes, the stories were controversial during ther time. Figaro was a man ahead of his time and the class differences seem to pose no problem nor does the subtle attack on the bourgeoisie. In Mozart's time, the play was banned in France in the wake of the French Revolution. But it was not until the first half of the 19th century that Rossini popularized the classic comedy and brought it to life through vibrant melody and tongue-in-cheek comedy. The Barber Of Seville would be his most famous opera. In this recording, Placido Domingo portrays the hopelessly romantic count. The role is perfectly suited for his voice and dramatic persona. His comedic flair is expressive in this particular opera, although never straying from the romanticized tenor-hero qualities his lyric voice is famous for. As always, Placido Domingo makes a great performance, and eventhough this is a studio recording, one can imagine how gifted a stage actor he truly is. Kathleen Battle makes a youthful and energetic performance as Rosina. Rosina's character was originally written for mezzo soprano and this recording acknowledges that. Nevertheless, Rosina's soprano qualities have attracted various divas- from Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland to Beverly Sills. Kathleen does the role justice, not only is her voice incredibly rich and melodic, but tuned with the character of an, a petulant, sheltered woman who learns to love. Lopardo lends his talent as the smart-talking, quick-witted barber Figaro, whose opening aria has been made famous in television and the movies- "Largo Al Factotum" in which he describes the hectic life of a barber, reaching a comedic climax in his three shouts of "Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!". The rest of the cast is superb, most notably Raigerro Raimondi as Dr. Bartolo, who has custody of Rosina and teaches her music lessons. His baritone voice is unique, dramatic and in this case, very amusing. Rousing choruses, ensembles and duets make this opera one of the most beloved of comic operas. It is a pastry to be consumed with delight as well as rich "bel canto" opera. To follow the story more closely, be sure to listen to this opera first and then continue with Mozart's "Le Nozze Di Figaro" which is actually the sequel, further accounts of Figaro, the Count and Rosina. Performed by Chamber Orchestra Europe with Frank Lopardo, Carlos Chausson, Lucio Gallo, Gabriele Sima, Ruggero Raimondi, Placido Domingo, Ronald Schneider, Goran Simic, Kathleen Battle, Goran Sollscher Conducted by Claudio Abbado

 

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Rossini - Tancredi - R.Abbado, Münchner RSO & Choir

 

Release Date: September 17, 1996 Label: RCA Number of discs: 3 Composer: Gioachino Rossini Performer: Roberto Abbado, Münchner RSO & Choir cd info/ buy

Review:

Granted, the plot is silly and slow-moving, the characters are strictly cardboard, and the role of the male romantic lead was written for a female mezzo-soprano. But the splendidly florid music, and amazing opportunities for bel canto vocalism make up for it. This recording, using the critical edition, is outstanding on the vocal front. The stunning Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Vesselina Kasarova has a rich, full tone and clean, accurate runs. She is well partnered by Eva Mei, whose bright but effective soprano carries a good characterization of a dramatically rather thankless role. Tenor Ramon Vargas nails his coloratura and possesses a ringing tone. They are well supported by the secondary principals, Muenchen Rundfunkorchester and the men of the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, all superbly conducted by Roberto Abbado. As an added bonus, the listener can choose between the original happy ending and the dramatically more viable tragic conclusion with which Rossini later revised the opera. --Sarah Bryan Miller Performers:  Kasarova, Mei, Vargas, Peeters, Cangemi, Paulsen, Münchner Rundfunkorchester and Choir, R. Abbado

 

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