{"title":"Alex De Grassi","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"gounod-polyeucte-benzi-casciarri-vezzu-grassi-zhelev-58516","title":"Gounod: Polyeucte \/ Benzi, Casciarri, Vezzu, Grassi, Zhelev","description":"There is much to enjoy in this forgotten (save for an aria or two), late (1878) Gounod opera. Essentially the same story as Donizetti's Poliuto, its title character is a convert to Christianity under the Romans, and his wife Pauline tries to protect him. The Emperor's envoy, Sévère, still loves Pauline, to whom he was once betrothed--but despite his hatred of Christians, Sévère is noble and tries to save Polyeucte. But the latter insists on making a public scene denouncing idols, and at the end, along with Pauline \"who has been converted by the grace of God\", goes to his death in the public arena. Aside from a sappy baptism scene the likes of which would make the Massenet of Thaïs blush with shame, the opera is tuneful, with exciting arias and duets and an ensemble or two, although none of it remains very long in the memory.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This performance, taped live at the Martina Franca Festival in 2004, is strong. Best is Luca Grassi as Sévère, who despite his name sounds like a French baritone. His voice is supple but a bit tight on top, and he throws himself into his sympathetic role with passion. Pauline is sung by soprano Nadia Vezzu, who's quite tentative at first but gains in stature as the opera goes on. Tenor Giorgio Casciarri offers a virile, secure sound as Polyeucte, and he shines in his emotion-filled outburst in the Roman Temple in Act 3 and in his fine fourth-act aria. It's a long role and he rises to the occasion. In the pastoral setting for the baptism, Gounod throws in a nice little aria for a minor character named Sextus, extolling the non-Christian gods; it is prettily sung by tenor Nicolo Amodio.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Conductor Manilo Benzi leads his forces well, and ensemble work is admirable; Gounod's scoring is quite handsome and Benzi makes whatever points he can. There's a bit too much that is pageant\/oratorio-like in this work, but there's also some juicy operatic singing that pleases. Recommended particularly for French opera enthusiasts.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  --Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ci\u003eReviewing original release of this recording\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46020002971882,"sku":"8007144676551","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2225733.jpg?v=1778312663"},{"product_id":"jommelli-luccellatrice-moretto-galli-grassi-et-al-78156","title":"Jommelli: L'uccellatrice \/ Moretto, Galli, Grassi, Et Al","description":"JOMMELLI: Uccellatrice (L') (The bird catcher)","brand":"Dynamic","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46020181983466,"sku":"8007144604363","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1947110.jpg?v=1778330316"},{"product_id":"donizetti-marino-faliero-cinquegrani-surian-stanisci-magri-95790","title":"Donizetti: Marino Faliero \/ Cinquegrani, Surian, Stanisci, Magri, Grassi, Dall'amico","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDONIZETTI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eMarino Faliero \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Bruno Cinquegrani, cond; Giorgio Surian (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMarino Faliero\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Rachele Stanisci (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eElena\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Ivan Magri (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFernando); \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eLuca Grassi (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eIsraele\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Luca Dall’Amico (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eSteno\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Domenico Menini (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eGondolier); \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eBergamo Music Fest Gaetano Donizetti O \u0026amp; Ch \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.660303-04 (2 CDs: 144:24) Live: Bergamo 2008 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eComposing the score for \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMarino Faliero\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e was an important project for Gaetano Donizetti in late 1834 because for the first time he had received a commission to create a work for Parisian audiences. Paris in those years was the glamorous opera capital of the Western world; to work there meant the real possibility of great fame and much fatter purses. The commission had come from expatriate Gioachino Rossini’s Théâtre Italien, then a thriving Paris showcase for new Italian opera works in their original language. Because of previous commitments, Donizetti was forced to work on his score in Italy. When he finally arrived in Paris he was induced to make major revisions to what he had already written, whether at the behest of Rossini or because he felt the opera inadequate to please Parisian tastes in its original state, we do not know; perhaps some of both. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eDonizetti’s new work was to be blessed with the participation of four of the best singers then performing, including soprano Giulia Grissi and tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini, but also cursed with the ill fortune of appearing in the theater directly after \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Puritani\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, the highly regarded new work of Vincenzo Bellini, both at the March 12, 1835, premiere in Paris and later that year at its London premiere with the same singers. Operagoers in both cities picked favorites, and \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Puritani\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e won out. The famous singing foursome was dubbed the “I Puritani Quartet,” not the “Faliero Quartet.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI am certainly not familiar with all the 65 or so librettos Donizetti set or partially set to music; very few people are. I have heard and read enough of them, however, to know even though the story is based on a work by Lord Byron, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMarino Faliero\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e probably doesn’t rank in the top 20. The story is of Faliero, the 55th Doge of Venice, already the titular head of the citizen government of the 14th-century city-state. Feeling disrespected by the ruling Council of 40 for not pursuing stiffer penalties against his political enemies and others who are bandying his wife’s name about as an adulteress, Faliero joins a conspiracy against the ruling elite and declares himself Prince of Venice. The uprising fails and Faliero is imprisoned. To add insult to injury his wife, Elena, informs the Doge before his execution that the rumors are true, she has been unfaithful with his tenor nephew Fernando, who had been killed off in act II. The Doge is initially angry, but comes to a better state and forgives Fernando and his wife before going off to the block. The Dogaressa, bereft of both lover and husband, will hie to a nunnery. So, what’s not to like here? A cheating wife who precipitates the death of her young lover? A political leader not content with his own power who acts foolishly and treacherously on spurious reasoning? Who can’t get into that? Donizetti mitigates the infelicities of the libretto to some extent with very good, if not great, music. He does not match the level of inspiration Bellini achieves in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eI Puritani\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, but this work is not chopped liver, either. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe singing on this recording is generally quite good. The vocalists understand the need to ornament repeat passages, especially in Donizetti’s cabalettas, and do so with varying degrees of success. Young tenor Ivan Magri and young soprano Rachele Stanisci perform the best, although as Fernando, Magri is killed in act II, and Stanisci, as Elena, does not appear in act II at all. Magri can go a bit flat at times, but both voices handle the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e style and soar when necessary. Both hold the potential of good careers to come. Baritone Luca Grassi competently sings the substantial role of Israele, leader of the conspirators. The disappointment in the pack is the singing of Giorgio Surian as the Doge, Faliero. Surian has developed a wide vibrato; some would call it a flutter or incipient wobble. That makes him difficult to listen to for long and spoils some of the ensemble pieces as well. There is also very little separation in tonal quality between bass and baritone in their several numbers together. The partly student Bergamo Festival Donizetti Orchestra plays surprisingly well and supports the singers in excellent fashion under the baton of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e specialist Bruno Cinquegrani. The chorus is a bit ragged at times; it sounds like they need more rehearsal time. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eTo my knowledge, this Naxos CD release (and its DVD counterpart) is only the fifth recording of Marino Faliero. The modern-era revival in Bergamo in 1966 was captured live and issued on Melodram LPs with some locally known singers (I don’t believe this recording ever made it to CD). In 1977 a live production for RAI Turin featured possibly the best Faliero in bass, Cesare Siepi. He is accompanied by the well-sung Israele of Lucinio Montefusco, the Elena of Marisa Galvany, and the Fernando of Giuliano Cianella, the last two of which lack any clue about \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e style. In addition, the tenor ducks high notes throughout and more than one number is transposed to a lower key. This set is still available in quite good mono sound on Myto and Bongiovanni. A 1999 release from Hungary on the Agora label, which I have not heard, apparently suffers from a badly inadequate tenor. There is a Hardy DVD filmed in Parma in 2002 with some major voices, including Rockwell Blake as Fernando, Mariella Devia as Elena, and Michele Pertusi as the Doge, which is arguably better than the current set, although it too has some problems. Devia is not really a \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e type either, and by 1992 Blake’s voice was distinctly unlovely, although he still retained his excellent mastery of Donizetti style. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Naxos booklet contains an article about the opera, a synopsis keyed to the track listing, and short bios of key performers. An Italian-only libretto is available on the website. The stereo sound is excellent; the enthusiastic audience does not intrude on the performances. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMarino Faliero\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is a pretty good opera still wanting a definitive recording. Those who want to see it might opt for the 2002 Hardy DVD or the Naxos release of the current set. This quite substantial and inexpensive CD edition can fill in quite well on the shelf while we wait and hope. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Bill White \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46025380528362,"sku":"730099030373","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1890365.jpg?v=1778323895"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/alex-de-grassi.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}