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An insane passion for a mysterious woman who, in the opera, is never shown. Federico wants her desperately, dreams of her, suffers for her, and step by step his mind begins to waver. The people around him try in vain to prevent this love from becoming a damning obsession. A rare opera by the great Italian composer Francesco Cilea. Its famous aria “Il lamento di Federico” has always been a favorite with tenors of all times. This recording also features the aria for tenor, “Una mattina”, written by Cilea for the opera’s first version and then lost, here in world première recording. A co-production Teatro Pergolesi and Wexford Festival Opera.

The Vespero dellal Beata Vergine completes the recording of the works contained in the collection of eight-voice Vespers published in 1675, which includes the Vespero delli 5 Laudate and the Vespero delle Domeniche. It is the first complete recording of this trilogy, a masterpiece by Francesco Cavalli: the three Vespers will later be combined in a box-set. A worthy heir of Claudio Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli uses, in the Vespero della Beata Vergine, musical brush strokes of extraordinary impact, under the aegis of an intense, Counter-Feformist spirituality where the deepest religious feeling goes hand in hand with a musical splendor of clear Venetian imprint. The interpretation is entrusted to the "Coro Monteverdi di Cream" and the "La Pifarescha" ensemble conducted by Bruno Gini, one of Italy's greatest specialists in Cavalli's sacred music.

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Francesco Cavalli was the most successful Venetian opera composer of the mid-seventeenth century. In the wake of Monteverdi, opera was enjoying a real boom, and this spread to the rest of Europe because the ruling classes often met up at the Venice carnival. Giasone displays Cavalli’s sense of drama and musical lightness, as well as a grotesque humour typical of the great Italian baroque operas.

This new production is orchestrated and conducted by the internationally reputed baroque specialist Federico Maria Sardelli. It is directed by the young Frenchwoman Mariame Clément, who is currently making a name for herself with her infectious directing in German and French opera houses. The title role is sung by the promising countertenor Christophe Dumaux.

Francesco Cavalli
IL GIASONE
Federico Maria Sardelli, conductor
Symfonisch Orkest van de Vlaamse Opera
Mariame Clément, stage director
Julia Hansen, scenes & costume designer
Giasone: Christophe Dumaux
Medea: Katarina Bradic
Isifile: Robin Johannsen
Giove/Besso: Josef Wagner
Demo: Filippo Adami
Delfa/Eolo: Yaniv d’Or
Amore/Alinda: Angélique Noldus
Ercole/Oreste: Andrew Ashwin
Vlaamse Opera, Antwerpen, 2010

Sound Format: LPCM 2.0, Dolby digital 5.1
Picture Format: 16:9
Running Time: 198 minutes & 5 minutes (interview)
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean
Booklet Notes: English, German, French, Italian

CAMPAGNOLI: Fugues and Divertimentos

CAGNONI Don Bucefalo • Massimiliano Caldi, cond; Filippo Morace ( Don Bucefalo ); Angelica Girardi ( Rosa ); Francesco Marsiglia ( Il conte di Belprato ); Mizuki Date ( Agata ); Francesca de Giorgi ( Giannetta ); Massimiliano Silvestri ( Carlino ); Graziano de Pace ( Don Marco ); Slovak Ch of Bratislava; Intl O of Italy • DYNAMIC 634 (2 CDs: 107:13 Text and Translation)


A 19-year-old Antonio Cagnoni (1828–1896) wrote Don Bucefalo as his graduation piece for the Milan Conservatory. It was actually his third opera, at a time when the leading Italian institutions of musical scholarship focused their energies upon training composers of vocal music. Don Bucefalo was such a success in 1847 that the astute Giovanni Ricordi, founder of the Ricordi music-publishing empire, immediately bought up the rights, and the work triumphed throughout the Italian states.


The libretto by Calisto Bassi was based on Giuseppe Palmoba’s Le cantatrice villane , set very successfully by Valentino Fioravanti and premiered in 1799. There are two plots, skillfully entwined. The Goldoni-like first of these involves the expected farcical complications of a beautiful young woman, two suitors, and a jealous husband in disguise and home from the wars. What gives the work its distinctive character is the second plot, about a chorus master who has suddenly appeared in the town, where he assures all the local peasants that their voices are magnificent if untrained, and that like all great singers, they could make huge fortunes if they only received the proper schooling.


Stylistically, the piece owes most to Donizetti, though there are also moments such as the act II finale that recall Rossini; and an act I cavatina for Rosa (“Innocente, sincero è l’affetto”) is clearly beholden to Bellini. The score reinvigorates the cliché about “bubbling over with good humor,” perhaps its finest moment being a lengthy monologue for Don Bucefalo (“Ingrata fantasia!”) that shows him trying to write the verses and music of a dramatic aria. We hear the various naive, primitive effects he achieves as he builds his melody and adds instrumental colors one by one—until the results are a dead ringer for the distinctive style of early Verdi. Audiences in that opera-mad nation where Verdi’s star was in the ascendant must have caught it at once and howled with laughter, but there’s a great deal of enjoyment to be had from the skillfulness of the work’s many ensembles as well. The title role became a favorite of various basso buffos over the years, until styles changed and Don Bucefalo faded away with the new century.


The cast is competent enough to enjoy on its own, while suggesting what could be achieved with better singers. Morace’s bass is surprisingly thin and lacking in resonance, almost tenor-like; and de Pace, in the thankless role of Don Marco, actually sounds more appropriate for the buffo lead; but Morace gets the humor, and makes a decent theatrical effect. Girardi sings attractively, with a pleasantly floated tone, and manages her fioratura capably, if without much sense of ease. Marsiglia phrases lyrically in his one solo, “Oh! Come questo core,” but the diminuendos sit awkwardly on top of the voice, and he cuts off phrase endings too sharply. His act III duet with Girardi is considerably better. Silvestri, with a narrow tone and trumpet-like, Lauri-Volpi-style production, is potentially more interesting, but has little to do. Date’s undisciplined soprano is exciting, with some finely spun notes in addition to a nascent wobble, dropped consonants, and a problem moving stepwise. I suspect some of the oddly slow tempos in the concerted numbers of act I are due to the singers’ general lack of agility. Otherwise, the International Orchestra of Italy is several steps above the average Italian ensemble, and Caldi conducts with an ear to both rhythms and clarity.


The sound is reasonably good, and an Italian/English libretto is available online from Dynamic’s Web site. I could wish that a topnotch cast had been chosen to usher in Don Bucefalo ’s CD recording premiere, but lacking that, this one will do. Anyone who enjoys Donizetti’s comic operas should find a lot to delight them here.


FANFARE: Barry Brenesal

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Benjamin Britten’s last opera Death in Venice is based on the novella by Thomas Mann. It was first performed in England in 1973. The astringent score is marked by some haunting soundscapes of 'ambiguous Venice'. The boy Tadzio is portrayed by a silent dancer, gamelan-like percussion accompaniment. The music of the opera is precise, direct and movingly understated. Britten had been contemplating the novella for many years and began work in September 1970 with approaches to Piper and to Golo Mann, son of the author. Because of agreements between Warner Brothers and the estate of Thomas Mann for the production of Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film, Britten was advised not to see the movie when it was released. According to Colin Graham, director of the first production of the opera, some colleagues of the composer who did see the film found the relationship between Tadzio and Aschenbach "too sentimental and salacious". This contributed to the decision that Tadzio and his family and friends would be portrayed by non-speaking dancers. Themes in the work of "formalism in art and the perilous dignity of the acclaimed artist" have been noted.

Marlin Miller, tenor – Gustav von Aschenbach; Scott Hendricks, baritone – Traveller and other roles;François Bittar, countertenor – Voice of Apollo; Allessandro Riga, dancer – Tadzio;
La Fenice Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Bruno Bartoletti, conductor
DIRECTION & COSTUMES: Pierluigi Pizzi
CHOREOGRAPHY: Gheorghe Iancu

Recorded Live at Teatro La Fenice, Venice 2008
NTSC; All Regions
Running time 155 min.
Sung in English
Subtitles: Italian, German, French, Spanish

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Benjamin Britten’s last opera Death in Venice is based on the novella by Thomas Mann. It was first performed in England in 1973. The astringent score is marked by some haunting soundscapes of 'ambiguous Venice'. The boy Tadzio is portrayed by a silent dancer, gamelan-like percussion accompaniment. The music of the opera is precise, direct and movingly understated. Britten had been contemplating the novella for many years and began work in September 1970 with approaches to Piper and to Golo Mann, son of the author. Because of agreements between Warner Brothers and the estate of Thomas Mann for the production of Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film, Britten was advised not to see the movie when it was released. According to Colin Graham, director of the first production of the opera, some colleagues of the composer who did see the film found the relationship between Tadzio and Aschenbach "too sentimental and salacious". This contributed to the decision that Tadzio and his family and friends would be portrayed by non-speaking dancers. Themes in the work of "formalism in art and the perilous dignity of the acclaimed artist" have been noted.

Marlin Miller, tenor – Gustav von Aschenbach; Scott Hendricks, baritone – Traveller and other roles;François Bittar, countertenor – Voice of Apollo; Allessandro Riga, dancer – Tadzio;
La Fenice Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Bruno Bartoletti, conductor
DIRECTION & COSTUMES: Pierluigi Pizzi
CHOREOGRAPHY: Gheorghe Iancu

Recorded Live at Teatro La Fenice, Venice 2008
NTSC; Aspect Ratio:16:9, Audio Format:LPCM 2.0 - All Regions
Running time 155 min.
Sung in English
Subtitles: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish

Brescianello Terrell Stone, gallichone Sonatas for Gallichone

DOUBLE BASS CONCERTOS GRAN DU

Bottesini, G.: Double Bass Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Tchaikov

BONPORTI EDITION, Vol. 4 - Inventions

Boito's Mefistofele is an uneven work, dramatically fragmented, episodic almost to a fault. But at the same time it is so perfectly an echt-Italian opera of its era that its melodies, situations, and choruses stir the blood in a manner not unlike Verdi and Ponchielli, and a good performance can leave the audience breathless. There are juicy parts for soprano, tenor, bass, and chorus, and a good design and directorial team can make something terrific out of it. This current DVD records the opening production of Palermo's Teatro Massimo's 2008 season, and there's something for everybody.

Director Giancarlo del Monaco, set designer Carlo Centolavigna, and costumer Maria Filippi start out superbly with the Prologue, set in heaven: a long, blue-lit tunnel with a white light at the end (much the look of how people describe near-death experiences) finds Mefistofele in starched, white tuxedo shirt-front and trousers, preening arrogantly while the heavenly voices come from behind the scenes. Video director Matteo Ricchetti scores big with a close-up blur of Mefistofele writhing under the celestial sounds.

The Easter Scene is a brightly lit carnival set in the 1930s; the costumes are colorful period pieces, although why Mefistofele is wearing campy feathers and huge, satin horns is beyond me. An eerie carousel adds to the atmosphere. The scene changes to bare gray walls and doorways and the "garden" has one tree in its center, also gray. Margherita is drearily dressed, hausfrau style.

The Sabbath is your garden-variety, half-naked thrashing around, with our devil in drag. Still, so far, so good, but for the Night of the Classical Sabbath, we're given Las Vegas, with showgirls, plenty of neon lights, the Hotel Troy, and Venus, with Elena and Pantalis embracing in a huge clam shell. Faust is in a vulgar pink, red, and blue shirt and Panama hat; Mefistofele is dressed as either a doorman or an MC. Whatever, it's ugly and doesn't click. Back to the tunnel and light for the Epilogue and a stunning finale. So, physically and directorially (sometimes actions do not match text), this is a mixed bag.

Vocally, things are more solid. Ferruccio Furlanetto, acting and singing Mefistofele as a combination of cowering self-loathing and despicable, is still in fine voice after 30 years on stage, and he rightly dominates the proceedings--a brilliant performance. Tenor Giuseppe Filanoti manages a physically credible Faust and sings fearlessly and intelligently. His handsome tenor has real ring to it, and he sings off the text. Soprano Dimitra Theodossiou, looking dowdy as Margherita and poorly costumed as Elena, still manages to be moving as the first character and alluring as the second. "L'altra notte" is fine, if a bit miniaturized; she and Filanoti sing "Lontano, lontano" beautifully, and she manages Helen's odd tessitura with aplomb. The voice itself is one of quality and she uses it with class and style. The other soloists are good.

Conductor Stefano Ranzani pulls out all the stops for the big moments and offers tender accompaniments in Margherita's and Faust's intimate moments, with orchestra responding superbly. The woodwinds in the Prologue are spicy and vital; the brasses ring out. The chorus is excellent in the Prologue and Epiliogue but a bit ragged in between. The picture and sound are first-rate. This set's only competition is a 1989 performance from San Francisco starring Samuel Ramey at his peak in an otherwise unimaginative production and with sound and image less sharp than this new one. Even with its design and directorial oddities, this is highly recommended.

--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

Inventive, aromatic and breezy.

As the recording date suggests, this disc is a reissue. It was originally released by Italian label Dynamic in 1995 (CDS111) as the first of three Boccherini volumes by the Venezia (or Venice) Quartet. At the time this was the Quartet's first commercial recording, and the first of ten for the label, including for example the complete quartets of Malipiero.
 
Happily, the Quartet are still making music - these days they even have their own Facebook page! - with three of the four musicians here still going strong in 2012, Giancarlo di Vacri having replaced Luca Morassutti as violist in 2010. Perhaps their most significant recording in recent years was the complete quartets of Luigi Cherubini on 3 CDs for Decca (476 3604, 2010). It should be said that none of this information is available in the accompanying booklet, which for some reason eschews performer biographies. Nor will it be found on Dynamic's less than exemplary website - the "online catalogue" promised in the booklet lists nearly 400 items but they can only be viewed ten at a time scrolling down through a small window! There is therefore no news there as to why this CD has been re-released now, other than that it constitutes Volume 27 in an apparently random series entitled 'Delizie Musicali' ('Musical Delights'). The original disc is still widely available on the internet.
 
Nevertheless, the Dynamic catalogue is laden with musical delights, and Boccherini's op.8 falls easily into that category. As far as his Quartets go, this set is inexplicably neglected, having been only rarely recorded. Spanish label Columna Música issued the Artaria Quartet's account of them only two years ago (1CM0221, two CDs), but there is little other competition, not even at the individual quartet level. This, then, counts as an important recording for string quartet lovers everywhere.
 
The first Quartet in D gets straight down to the business of being inventive, aromatic and breezy. The Venezia Quartet are in their element for the next 75 minutes, turning on the style and, taking full advantage of Boccherini's predilection for demonstrative markings in the scores - the second movement of the A major Quartet is marked 'Amoroso', for example - the expressive phrasing to communicate Boccherini's mellifluous, immaculately fashioned ideas. Boccherini was a renowned cellist, and he unsurprisingly gives his instrument a lot of virtuosic turns. Actually these are 'new school' Quartets, where the parts are divided fairly and squarely, and all four members of the Venezia get plenty of time in the sun. Boccherini's elegance is more than skin-deep, though, and the lively, witty radiance for which he is rightly famed alternates frequently with sections or indeed whole movements that are more introverted, darker, serene.
 
Sound quality is good for the mid-Nineties - just a little raw-edged by current standards, but nevertheless perfectly acceptable. Dynamic's booklets are a bit hit-and-miss: sometimes they are quite good, other times rather too minimalist. Love it or leave it, the cover graphic is by Martha Pilarz, no doubt related to Daniela Pilarz, Dynamic's resident translator. The brief notes are by the now-deceased Paganini authority Edward Neill, Italian despite his name, and whose own label morphed into Dynamic in the late 1970s. Daniela's translation into English does have a few odd turns of phrase as usual, as well as one or two errors, both by translator - such as "Mittleuropean" for 'central European' - and, presumably, by Neill, who states that Mozart was fifteen in 1769.
 
-- Byzantion, MusicWeb International

BIBER & BIBER - SONATAS FOR TRUMPETS, STRINGS & CONTINUO, VOL 1CARL HEINRICH BIBER (1681 - 1749)HEINRICH IGNAZ FRANZ BIBER (1644 - 1704) GABRIELE CASSONE, NATURAL TRUMPETROBERTO FALCONE, VIOLINENEMBLE "PIAN & FORTE," ANTONIO GRIGE, ORGAN AND CONDUCTOR BIBER & BIBER - SONATAS FOR TRUMPETS, STRINGS AND CONTINUO, VOL 1C.H. BIBER: SONATA PASCHALIS; SONATAS FOR CLARINO TRUMPET, STRINGS & CONTINUO; SONATA FOR CLARINET, 4 TRUMPETS, STRINGS, TIMPANI AND CONTINUO; SONATA FOR 4 TRUMPETS, STRINGS, TIMPANI AND CONTINUOH.I.F. BIBER: SONATA NO 4 A 5 FOR TRUMPET, STRINGS AND CONTINUO;SONATA REPRESENTATIVA FOR VIOLIN SOLO AND CONTINUO; PARTITA NO 5FOR 2 VIOLINS AND CONTINUO; SONATA NO 7 A 5 FOR 2 TRUMPETS, 2 VIOLINS AND CONTINUO

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Norma is considered not only Bellini’s masterpiece, but also one of the best 19th century operas tout court. Yet, its premiere at La Scala in 1831, three months from the beginning of its composition, was received with a coldness that surprised even Bellini. However, in the space of a few days Norma dispelled all doubts and started on a triumphant journey. This production was recorded at the Macerata Opera Festival, and features a superb cast. It was a particularly great success for Uruguayan soprano Maria Jose Siri, who performs the title role, and Italian mezzo Sonia Ganassi who is Adalgisa. “A perfect synthesis of cast, direction, sets, lighting, and costumes,” according to Italian critics. The aria “Casta diva” received a standing ovation.