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Paired here are two of Rossini’s best-loved operas in stunning Glyndebourne stagings showcasing the composer’s threefold genius for comic storytelling, musical energy and vocal fireworks. Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Peter Hall unite for a fresh and vibrant yet timelessly elegant production of Rossini’s setting of the Cinderella story, with a fine cast led by Ruxandra Donose in the title role. While the magical, boldly theatrical world that Annabel Arden creates for the amorous plots and intrigues of young Figaro’s Seville bustles with a gifted ensemble of singer–actors and merry mischief from the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Enrique Mazzola. Recorded in true SS. ‘This is a truly marvellous performance on all counts - staging, conducting and singing...The sense of an ensemble on top form is underlined by Vladimir Jurowski's exacting, pellucid and vivid interpretation, so that the music, like the libretto, is presented afresh. The superb cast has no weaknesses and many strengths...’ (Gramophone) ‘…conductor Enrique Mazzola gets Rossini’s music to sizzle. No slouching, no lingering here and there – just razor-sharp playing from the London Philharmonic Orchestra at helter-skelter speeds.’ (The Financial Times)

Torvaldo e Dorliska was Rossini's 16th opera, premiered in Rome in December, 1815, two months after Elisabetta... and two months before Barbiere. It has an odd tone--it's a so-called "rescue opera". The plot concerns the eponymous hero and heroine, who are married. The evil Duke loves Dorliska and attacks the couple on their wedding day and leaves Torvaldo for dead. Dorliska runs away but winds up (unknowingly) taking refuge at the Duke's castle and is imprisoned. When Torvaldo finds his way there he attempts to rescue her, but he also is taken prisoner. The Duke's embittered henchman, Giorgio (a comic role), helps the couple. The villagers rise up and the Duke is punished, while our heroes live happily.

The opera is not in the top 10 of Rossini's great output--it breaks no new ground--but it's quite enjoyable despite being neither serious nor comic. Torvaldo has a couple of fine arias, as does Dorliska, the first-act finale is excellent, and even the basses and baritones have some good, if not altogether memorable, music.

This performance is very good indeed. Taped live in Bad Wildbad in July, 2003, stage noises do not interfere and there are precious few problems with ensembles, missed notes, etc., perhaps because there were patch-up sessions. Paolo Cigna and Huw Rhys-Evans are our heroine and hero and they're both up to the task. The former has plenty of high-flying and florid music and she sings it all accurately and with the right emphasis, while Rhys-Evans' very light, sweet voice copes well enough without the word "virtuoso" (or "Blake" or "Florez") coming to mind.

Michele Bianchini as the Duke exhibits a good-sized voice that may lack heft in the middle but that otherwise is a pleasure to hear. Mauro Utzeri, as the villain-turned-good guy Giorgio, sings with great character and a light tone (he's billed as a baritone); his duet with the Duke is a high spot. The rest of the cast is just fine.

Alessandro de Marchi leads a tight performance, one in which neither recitatives nor slower passages drag, and he keeps up with the singers nicely. Even a superb conductor would be unable to make the music of our villain, the Duke, sound villainous (this is Rossini's shortcoming in this opera), but he gives the work a respectable amount of drama nonetheless and his orchestra and chorus are excellent. No libretto is supplied but the track-by-track synopsis is very helpful.

There is another live recording of this opera, from Radio Switzerland in 1992 and starring tenor Ernesto Palacio (on Arkadia), but I haven't seen it in years--and at any rate, this Naxos set is better. Calling all Rossinians--who will also enjoy spotting bits and pieces of some of the composer's other operas sprinkled throughout.

--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Highlights)

This disc received a 1996 Grammy nomination for "Best Opera Recording."

ROSSINI: String Sonatas Nos. 1- 3

Rossini's Stabat Mater is one of the staples of the sacred music repertoire but had a complicated history. He wrote it for performance in Madrid but, running short of time, enlisted the help of his friend Giovanni Tadolini. Rossini completed six pieces, Tadolini seven. Tadolini's pieces now only exist as piano reductions but conductor Antonino Fogliani has orchestrated them to allow listeners to hear the original work for the first time since 1833. Marco Tarelli's 2009 orchestration of Giovanna d'Arco (Joan of Arc), a cantata for solo voice, is also heard on this first recording.

While filled with Rossini's distinctive musical hallmarks and notable for some wonderful duets, Sigismondo was one of his very few failures in the genre, for which blame is usually laid at the feet of librettist Giuseppe Foppa. Today, however, we can appreciate how this tale of an abused wife who retains her love for her deranged husband pushes the boundaries of the grand narrative tradition info a more searching psychological drama. An emphasis on madness and guilt and coloratura expressions of finer feeling results in a fascinating meeting of convention with experiment, Rossini's subsequent re-use of his music for Sigismondo in later hit operas being ample evidence of its intrinsic quality.

Following his triumphant visit to Vienna in 1822, when several of his operas were extremely well-received, international success beckoned for Rossini. First performed at La Fenice, Venice in 1823, Semiramide was Rossini’s last Italian opera, written at the height of his creative powers. Its subject is Greek tragedy for which librettist Gaetano Rossi drew on an adaptation by Voltaire. Instrumentally sophisticated and classically structured, the opera remains one of the most remarkable examples of Rossini’s cultivation of bel canto.

You might say that Mauro Giuliani’s (1781-1829) arrangement of almost two hours of Rossini’s Semiramide, one of the composer’s most complicated scores, is an exercise in futility: how can you fill in all the instruments and voices with six strings? Well, here, playing an 1812 Guadagnini guitar, is the Dutch guitarist Izhar Elias, and you’ll rarely hear anyone work so hard. The playing is magnificent–fluent, tonally as varied as possible, rhythmically true to Rossini–and he even embellishes the da capo sections of arias and duets! But it’s like looking at a stage through the wrong end of binoculars; all of Rossini’s grandeur is miniaturized. The thrill of the human voices of course is absent, and there’s only a certain amount of volume anyone can get out of a guitar; at times the effect is absurd. This is not to say that guitar enthusiasts should not flock to this recording; it’s merely a warning to opera lovers. The sound, including fingers sliding over strings, is superb. You know if you want this.

-- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

ROSSINI / NIEDERMEYER: Robert Bruce (French pasticcio of La

Ricciardo e Zoraide, premiered in Naples on 3 December 1818, was Rossini’s 26th opera in eight years, and with close predecessor like Il barbiere di Siviglia, Otello, La Cenerentola, La gazza ladra and Mosè in Egitto it goes without saying that it has been rather overshadowed by the competition. This is not to say that it is uninteresting as a story and that the music is undistinguished.

It takes place during the Crusades in Dongola in ancient Nubia. The Nubian king Agorante is infatuated with Princess Zoraide, daughter of Ircano, whom Agorante has defeated. Zoraide was captured and the Christian knight Ricciardo, Zoraide’s lover, accompanies an emissary to have her released. Agorante’s wife, Zomira, feels her position as Queen is threatened and arranges that Ricciardo and Zoraide are captured and plots to have them executed. In the end an army of Christians rescues the two lovers.

The story is more complicated than the above summary says, but it is something of a thriller and it should be able to engage an audience – as it obviously did at Bad Wildbad in July 2013, even though it was only a concert performance. This on the other hand means that extraneous noises are reduced to a minimum – only applause after some numbers and at the end of acts.

The sinfonia is brass-laden and gloomy and we understand that this is going to be a sad story. After 3-4 minutes it becomes lighter in tone, march-like for a while, but there is little joy. Some woodwind for a while lighten things up further but a long horn solo spreads more gloom – though the melody is beautiful. In the end the Rossini we know steps forward, faintly smiling, but no crescendo within eyesight, just a jolly piccolo flute … and then: Curtain! There is a brassy intro to the opening chorus with troops and Nubian people – and here some joy creeps in: their leader Agorante has just returned home victorious.

Agorante addresses the people and informs that he has expelled Ircano and his followers because Ircano has denied him the hand of his daughter who, we already know from the summary, happens to be in love with Ricciardo. Thus we are at once involved in the love triangle that is the core of the story.

Agorante then sings a cavatina with high-lying tessitura and virtuoso passages, well-sung by Randall Bills who ends in the bass register. The cabaletta that follows, requires him to climb up in the stratosphere. A man of power he is properly hailed by his soldiers … and the audience.

Enter Zoraide, who is an important character – at the premiere she was sung by Isabella Colbran and we can expect some great things, but she is not quite in focus yet. After some dialogue with her confidante Elmira, the Queen, Zomira arrives. She offers to help Zoraide deal with Agorante’s unwelcome wooing – but her prime aim is to render Zoraide harmless since she believes Zoraide wants to force her off the throne. Zoraide doesn’t trust the Queen and the two women sing a dramatic duet, where the Queen is formidable in her anger (CD 1 tr. 8-10). When Agorante pops up this gives Rossini an opportunity to write a lively and dramatic terzetto, Cruda sorte! (CD 1 tr. 12-13), with a bridal chorus singing a wedding song in the background (the King is very sure he will bring home his new bride!), and here Rossini can’t avoid building up one of his famous crescendos.

There is a change of scenes, and after a proud soldiers’ chorus we finally encounter Ricciardo and his friend Ernesto. They have just arrived on a ship, Ernesto is there to plead to Agorante that he releases Zoraide and Ricciardo, disguised as an African, is acting as his guide. He sings a cavatina where he pours out his longing after Zoraide. Maxim Mironov, certainly one of today’s best bel canto tenors, has a sappy voice, elegant vocalism and marvellous phrasing (CD 1 tr. 16). In the cabaletta, which is filled with stunning coloratura, Ernesto also joins in. After a new change of scenes we meet the jealous Zomira and her confidante Elmira, who is ordered to keep an eye on Zoraide’s every move. In the final scene the tension builds up and Agorante’s decision to start another war creates turmoil, accompanied by martial rumble from the timpani.

We needn’t go into every complication during the second act, but there are some good musical numbers worth pointing out. The first is the duet between Agorante and Ricciardo, the latter still in disguise. Their voices are so different in character that there is no problem to tell them apart. They sing well together, and in the following florid cabaletta Agorante (Bills) excels in brilliant top notes, whereas Ricciardo (Mironov) displays his elegant bel canto (CD 2 tr. 6-7).

They separate and now Ricciardo and Zoraide meet alone for the first time – but they are secretly observed by Elmira! Their duet (CD 3 tr. 2-3) is one of the highlights of the score. The final note, taken fortissimo, causes furore in the audience. I would have preferred it much more lyrical. Before Ricciardo has been able to explain his plan to run away with his beloved, Agorante suddenly appears, and when Ircano, Zoraida’s father also unexpectedly appears, this gives room for a quartet, where Nahuel Di Pierro powerful black bass in the role of Ircano gives dramatic depth to the music.

In the next scene the vengeful Zomira has a big scene (CD 3 tr. 7-8). Musically it is excellent and Silvia Beltrami’s powerful and expressive voice – more contralto than mezzo-soprano – is certainly in phase with the character. A pity that her vibrato sometimes is a bit wider than one could wish, but it is a dramatic highpoint.

The final scene begins with plaintive sounds in the orchestra. Ricciardo and Zoraide are now certain they will be executed, and Zoraide, expresses her desperation in her grand scena. Alessandra Marianelli musters some really intensive singing here. But their rescue is imminent. Like a deus ex machina Ernesto arrives with his troops and disperses Agorante’s soldiers. He disarms Agorante, but Ricciardo prevents him from killing the King and gives his sword back to him. Moved by such chivalry Ircano grants Ricciardo the hand of Zoraide. Everybody, except Zomira, rejoices at this happy end!

Though not one of Rossini’s greatest operas, it still has a lot to offer. The singing on this issue is generally good and Maxim Mironov adds another great achievement to his CV as recording artist. The recorded sound is worthy of the occasion, and there is an interesting essay and a comprehensive synopsis. Rossinians shouldn’t miss this.

– MusicWeb International (Göran Forsling)

Rossini’s operas have remained amongst the most popular in the repertoire but over the last decade of his life he turned largely to piano music. The Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age) occupy thirteen volumes, and the deliciously informal and comic fourth is called Quatre hors d’oeuvres et quatre mendiants. Its theme is food, and Rossini lavishes all his abundant abilities of characterisation in his descriptive passages, not least the introduction of a parakeet.

As a whole the Album is a series of delights.

This is the third volume of the intended complete piano music of Rossini from Naxos. I was somewhat unenthusiastic about the second volume when I reviewed it but I enjoyed this much more. This may be due to my being less familiar with the music, but I think not. My chief concern over the earlier volume was the degree and nature of freedom which Marangoni permitted himself. The amount and type of rubato and an occasionally cavalier approach to dynamics and phrasing seemed to go against the quirkiness of the music and to reduce its individuality. Things are however much better here in this respect. In the year or so between recording the two volumes Marangoni seems to have become at home with the composer’s idiom, and the results are much more convincing.

This fifth volume of Rossini’s “Sins of Old Age” is entitled “Album for Adolescent Children”. It contains twelve pieces, more varied than those in some of the other volumes but of a uniformly high standard. The first piece,“Première Communion”, is in two parts - a suitably ecclesiastical Andante religioso, followed by a waltz depicting the secular celebrations after the communion. Other pieces have similarly strange names and stranger forms. The seventh for example is also in two contrasting parts depicting “L’innocence Italienne” and “La candeur Française” respectively, whilst the tenth has the strange title of “Ouf! Les petits pois”. It is a delightfully inconsequential piece and as a whole the Album is a series of delights, albeit that like a box of chocolates it is best not taken all at once.

For me there is not a dud item on this disc although I know that others of more severe tastes may regard some of the pieces as less appetising than their titles. As I have explained, the performances are convincing and enjoyable, and the recording is clear if at times a little bright for my taste. The notes by Keith Anderson are full and helpful. I very much hope that the rest of the series can maintain the high standards of this volume.

-- John Sheppard, MusicWeb International 

After Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Petite Messe solennelle is Gioacchino Rossini’s most celebrated composition. Composed 1862-64, the highly unusual Petite Messe solennelle comes from Rossini’s final creative period, divided from his career as an operatic composer by an interval of nearly thirty years and by a radical questioning of the purpose of composition, which was accompanied by an equally spectacular renewal of his musical style. The Petite Messe solennelle was founded as homage to Louis Niedermeyer (d. 1861), Swiss musician and close friend of Rossini’s, as recent research has established. For this live recording from 2014, the forces of the orchestre de chambre de Paris and conductor Ottavio Dantone were joined by four outstanding vocal soloists: Soprano Julia Lezhneva, Contralto Delphine Galou, tenor Michael Spyres and bass Alexander Vinogradov.

Volume 7 of Rossini’s complete piano music, Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age), ranges across six of the fourteen albums to include works for both solo piano and for piano and voices. Two of the pieces – Andantino mosso (track 3), recently discovered in manuscript, and La notte di Santo Natale (track 5) receive their first recording. ‘Alessandro Marangoni sounds completely at home… and he presents the music with style, good humour and no mean virtuosity’ (MusicWeb International on 8.573107 / Volume 6).