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Rossini: Torvaldo E Dorliska / De Marchi, Cigna, Et Al
Naxos

Rossini: Torvaldo E Dorliska / De Marchi, Cigna, Et Al

$29.99

Details

Composer
ROSSINI
Artist
De M, Czech Chamber Soloists Brno, Bellavia, Utzeri, Cigna, Rhys-Evans
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Aug 29, 2006
Catalog #
8660189-90
UPC
730099618922

About

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

Tracklist 29 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Act I: No. 1. Sinfonia 07:34
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act I: No. 1. Sinfonia
    Duration
    07:34
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  3. 2 Act I: No. 2. Introduction: E un bel dir che tutto al mondo (Giorgio, Chorus) 05:53
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act I: No. 2. Introduction: E un bel dir che tutto al mondo (Giorgio, Chorus)
    Duration
    05:53
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  4. 3 Act I: No. 3. Cavatina: Dunque invano i perigli e la morte (Duca, Giorgio, Ormondo, Chorus) 07:13
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act I: No. 3. Cavatina: Dunque invano i perigli e la morte (Duca, Giorgio, Ormondo, Chorus)
    Duration
    07:13
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  5. 4 Act I: No. 4. Recitative: Ormondo...La mia gente (Duca, Ormondo, Giorgio) 02:08
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: No. 4. Recitative: Ormondo...La mia gente (Duca, Ormondo, Giorgio)
    Duration
    02:08
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  6. 5 Act I: No. 5. Scene and Cavatina: Dove son? chi m'aita?...Tutto e vano (Dorliska) 08:06
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act I: No. 5. Scene and Cavatina: Dove son? chi m'aita?...Tutto e vano (Dorliska)
    Duration
    08:06
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  7. 6 Act I: No. 6. Recitative: Ah son pure infelice! (Dorliska, Carlotta, Giorgio) 03:36
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act I: No. 6. Recitative: Ah son pure infelice! (Dorliska, Carlotta, Giorgio)
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  8. 7 Act I: No. 7. Scene: Ola! Ella...oh ciel! (Duca, Dorliska) 07:42
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act I: No. 7. Scene: Ola! Ella...oh ciel! (Duca, Dorliska)
    Duration
    07:42
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  9. 8 Act I: No. 8. Recitative: Ella più non mi fugge (Duca, Ormondo, Giorgio) 03:20
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act I: No. 8. Recitative: Ella più non mi fugge (Duca, Ormondo, Giorgio)
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  10. 9 Act I: No. 9. Scene and Cavatina: Tutto e silenzio (Torvaldo) 07:20
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act I: No. 9. Scene and Cavatina: Tutto e silenzio (Torvaldo)
    Duration
    07:20
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  11. 10 Act I: Nos. 10 and 11. Recitative: Ah ch'io non reggo ai moti (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Duca) 05:47
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act I: Nos. 10 and 11. Recitative: Ah ch'io non reggo ai moti (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Duca)
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  12. 11 Act I: No. 11. Trio: Ah qual raggio di speranza (Duca, Torvaldo, Giorgio) 11:19
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act I: No. 11. Trio: Ah qual raggio di speranza (Duca, Torvaldo, Giorgio)
    Duration
    11:19
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  13. 12 Act I: No. 12 Recitative and Aria: Io non ne posso più (Ormondo) 03:21
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act I: No. 12 Recitative and Aria: Io non ne posso più (Ormondo)
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  14. Disc 2
  15. 1 Act I: No. 13. First Finale: Duet: Oh via, signora mia (Carlotta, Dorliska) 02:08
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act I: No. 13. First Finale: Duet: Oh via, signora mia (Carlotta, Dorliska)
    Duration
    02:08
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  16. 2 Act I: No. 14. Trio: Immota e stupida (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Duca) 02:40
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act I: No. 14. Trio: Immota e stupida (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Duca)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  17. 3 Act I: No. 15. Quartet: Mia signora...a me badate (Giorgio, Torvaldo, Duca, Dorliska) 04:02
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act I: No. 15. Quartet: Mia signora...a me badate (Giorgio, Torvaldo, Duca, Dorliska)
    Duration
    04:02
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  18. 4 Act I: No. 16. Segue and Stretta of the First Finale: Su, Dorliska...fate cuore (Torvaldo, Dorliska, Duca, Giorgio, Chorus) 05:15
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: No. 16. Segue and Stretta of the First Finale: Su, Dorliska...fate cuore (Torvaldo, Dorliska, Duca, Giorgio, Chorus)
    Duration
    05:15
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  19. 5 Act II: No. 17. Introduction: Bravi, bravi: qua venite (Giorgio, Chorus) 02:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act II: No. 17. Introduction: Bravi, bravi: qua venite (Giorgio, Chorus)
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  20. 6 Act II: No. 18. Recitative: Or ben: gia qualche cosa (Giorgio, Torvaldo) 01:58
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act II: No. 18. Recitative: Or ben: gia qualche cosa (Giorgio, Torvaldo)
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  21. 7 Act II: No. 19. Recitative and Aria: Odimi: ah tu di me, mio buon amico (Torvaldo, Giorgio) 05:47
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act II: No. 19. Recitative and Aria: Odimi: ah tu di me, mio buon amico (Torvaldo, Giorgio)
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  22. 8 Act II: Nos. 20 and 21. Recitative: No, pentirsi non giova (Duca, Giorgio, Dorliska) 04:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act II: Nos. 20 and 21. Recitative: No, pentirsi non giova (Duca, Giorgio, Dorliska)
    Duration
    04:04
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  23. 9 Act II: No. 21. Aria: Ferma, costante, immobile (Dorliska, Duca) 08:07
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act II: No. 21. Aria: Ferma, costante, immobile (Dorliska, Duca)
    Duration
    08:07
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  24. 10 Act II: Nos. 22 and 23. Recitative: Insensata!...e non vede (Duca, Giorgio, Dorliska, Carlotta) 01:42
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act II: Nos. 22 and 23. Recitative: Insensata!...e non vede (Duca, Giorgio, Dorliska, Carlotta)
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  25. 11 Act II: No. 23. Aria: Una voce lusinghiera (Carlotta) 03:48
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act II: No. 23. Aria: Una voce lusinghiera (Carlotta)
    Duration
    03:48
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  26. 12 Act II: No. 24. Recitative and Duet: Non so se ho fatto bene (Giorgio, Duca) 06:31
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act II: No. 24. Recitative and Duet: Non so se ho fatto bene (Giorgio, Duca)
    Duration
    06:31
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  27. 13 Act II: No. 25. Recitative and Duet: Dunque tu vuoi ch'io parta? (Dorliska, Torvaldo) 02:42
    Track
    13
    Title
    Act II: No. 25. Recitative and Duet: Dunque tu vuoi ch'io parta? (Dorliska, Torvaldo)
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  28. 14 Act II: No. 26 Recitative and Sextet: Ma via, signori miei (Carlotta, Dorliska, Torvaldo, Duca, Giorgio, Ormondo, Chorus) 07:30
    Track
    14
    Title
    Act II: No. 26 Recitative and Sextet: Ma via, signori miei (Carlotta, Dorliska, Torvaldo, Duca, Giorgio, Ormondo, Chorus)
    Duration
    07:30
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  29. 15 Act II: No. 27. Recitative: Ah di noi che sara? (Dorliska, Torvaldo, Giorgio, Ormondo, Carlotta) 00:56
    Track
    15
    Title
    Act II: No. 27. Recitative: Ah di noi che sara? (Dorliska, Torvaldo, Giorgio, Ormondo, Carlotta)
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  30. 16 Act II: No. 28. Scene and Aria: Cedi, cedi! Dagli... (Chorus, Duca, Torvaldo, Giorgio) / No. 29 Recitative: Per bacco, seguitatelo (Giorgio) 04:58
    Track
    16
    Title
    Act II: No. 28. Scene and Aria: Cedi, cedi! Dagli... (Chorus, Duca, Torvaldo, Giorgio) / No. 29 Recitative: Per bacco, seguitatelo (Giorgio)
    Duration
    04:58
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini
  31. 17 Act II: No. 29. Second Finale: Grazie al destin pietoso (Dorliska, Torvaldo, Carlotta, Giorgio, Chorus) 03:06
    Track
    17
    Title
    Act II: No. 29. Second Finale: Grazie al destin pietoso (Dorliska, Torvaldo, Carlotta, Giorgio, Chorus)
    Duration
    03:06
    Composer
    Gioachino Rossini