Pietro Spagnoli, Annette Dasch, Rosemary Joshua, Angelika Kirchschlager, Sophie Pondjiclis, Antonio Abete, Enrico Facini, Alessandro Svab, Paulette Courtin, Serge Goubioud.

Orchestra
Concerto Köln

René Jacobs

Regista
Jean-Louis Martinoty

Théatre des Champs-Elysées

Parigi 2004

Edizioni
Bel Air Classiques

Uno spettacolo andato in scena al Teatro dei Campi Elisi nel 2004, unanimamente salutato da pubblico e critica come un grande
momento per l’opera mozartiana. Sullo sfondo di magnifiche tele ispirate a dipinti del XVIII secolo, i protagonisti hanno svolto i loro
ruoli abbigliati con i costumi di Sylvie de Segonzac, in una gradazione di colori altamente suggestiva.
Le scene di Hans Schavernoch suggeriscono l’ambientazione in un tipo di società elitaria ridotta a brandelli.
A guida del Concerto Köln, René Jacobs opera in maniera minuziosa e con un perfetto equilibrio, offrendo una gamma stupefacente di dinamiche sonore.
Definita dalla stampa francese una delle più belle rappresentazioni de Le Nozze mai viste a Parigi, lo spettacolo si avvale di un cast davvero speciale:
Pietro Spagnoli come Conte d’Almaviva, Annette Dasch nel ruolo della Contessa, Luca Pisaroni come Figaro,
Rosemary Joshua come Susanna e una divina Angelika Kirchlager nei versatili panni di Cherubino.

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......... Splendidi sono innanzi tutto Luca Pisaroni e Pietro Spagnoli, entrambi musicalissimi e capaci di penetrare con intelligenza nei ripettivi personaggi, che la regia vuole nettamente e violentemente contrapposti. Così Figaro non è il simpatico furbastro di certa tradizione, ma un focoso giovane colmo di di rabbia a fatica trattenuta, che assegna al «Se vuol ballare» il tono di un'esplicita minaccia, carica di inquietanti significati premonitori quando con una mano impugna un coltello e con l'altra la parrucca. Specularmente il Conte gli risponde a distanza nella sua grande aria del terzo, che si sviluppa con crescente aggressività fino al tragico finale, quando il bicchiere che stringe e solleva gli si frantuma in mano, altro chiaro segnale di quale potrà essere l'esito della sfida. Spagnoli la esegue impeccabilmente e per il resto il suo Conte è tutto giocato sul filo di un'ironia irresistibile, con una finezza di fraseggio e una definizione del recitativo che richiama alla memoria l'indimenticabile lezione di un Bruscantini.

Opera Rara ORC 29 (one CD; notes in English only; text and translation in English and Italian)

Donizetti’s extensive catalogue includes several one-act operas, most of them written prior to his first major success, Anna Bolena. Elvida was a pièce d’occasion to celebrate the birthday in 1826 of Queen Maria Isabella of Naples. The work received only four performances before lapsing into oblivion, and it is easy to see why. Despite the composer’s care in terms of orchestration and larger-scale ensembles, the silly plot—Spanish girl (soprano) falls into the hands of Arab chief (bass) whose son (mezzo) falls in love with her but who ultimately withdraws in favor of her Spanish lover (tenor) who comes to defeat the Moors—works against the music. Rarely did the composer write such florid music as that of Elvida, and the cast on this recordings is perhaps one of the best that could be assembled today. Annick Massis in the title role has the customary aria di sortita and shares the "duetto finaletto" with Bruce Ford who has already been stretched by his entrance aria. This duet is every bit as virtuosic as the customary rondo finale, except that both singers are simultaneously put through their paces. Jennifer Larmore’s closed vowel sounds occasionally interfere with our pleasure, but Pietro Spagnoli’s baritone hits the lower notes of his bass role with relative ease. Antonello Allemandi offers a dynamic reading of the score with the London Philharmonic Orchestra but it is ultimately easy to understand why oblivion has been Elvida’s fate.

Opera Rara ORC 28 (one CD; notes in English only; text and translation in English and Italian)

Francesca di Foix is another in the list of Donizetti’s one-acters, but this time he had the good fortune to have a decent librettist who has taken a slight tale and made it come alive. Francesca (soprano) is kept locked up by her jealous husband the Count (buffo) so that no one will know how attractive she is. Francesca’s cousin, the page Edmondo (mezzo), has stolen the key to her domain and had it duplicated so that she can get out into the world where she meets the Duke (tenor) and attends a tournament in which the King (baritone) is victor and awards her the trophy. The Count is perhaps deceived for a time by his wife hiding herself under a veil, but all is revealed at the end and he promises not to be a jealous fool. Recounted in this fashion, it is as silly as many other opera plots, but the language is suitable and the music comes to life. The arias for each of the soloists are nicely varied, from the Count’s simple scena and the Page’s rollicking Cansonetta, to the Duke’s Cavatina culminating in bipartite numbers for the King and Francesca. The rondo finale is divided into an aria for the King and a flashy cabaletta for the soprano.
While the composer often disparaged this particular work, it has a lightness and charm that are inescapable. There are also themes that turn up later in Elisir d’Amore and Lucrezia Borgia—to name only works familiar to opera-goers today – which might explain the composer’s reluctance to have audiences discover his mother lode. The work has been performed only twice since its creation, in London in 1982 (in English) and a few months later in a different reconstruction in Zaandam (Netherlands), this time in Italian. Opera Rara once again pulls out the stops to convince us of a work’s viability. Annick Massis is all quicksilver in the title role, the coloratura flowing naturally. Bruce Ford’s Duke allows him to spin a honeyed line in his aria, while he is fully up to the comedy in his duets with the Page and Francesca. Pietro Spagnoli’s King once again demonstrates that Donizetti need not be brayed but can be sung to great advantage, his technical mastery allowing him to articulate the small notes with which his role is strewn. Alfonso Antoniozzi is one of today’s leading buffo singers, but I am uncertain if his pronunciation of the letter r is truly funny. Jennifer Larmore lacks the lightness of tone and spirit that should emanate from the Page, but as a whole this recording is yet another worthy contribution to uncovering Donizetti’s monumental legacy. Antonello Allemandi and the London Philharmonic Orchestra once again offer buoyant support.

DVD

Gioachino Rossini
LA PIETRA DEL PARAGONE

Fulvia – Patrizia Bicciré
Baronessa Aspasia – Laura Brioli
Marchesa Clarice – Marie-Ange Todorovich
Cavalier Giocondo – Raúl Giménez
Count Asdrubale – Marco Vinco
Pacuvio – Paolo Bordogna
Macrobio – Pietro Spagnoli

Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real
(Madrid Symphony Orchestra and Chorus)
Alberto Zedda, conductor

Pier Luigi Pizzi, stage director

Recorded live at the Teatro Real, Madrid, 11 and 13 April 2007

El Pais

‘An elegant comedy, brimming with intelligence and expressive beauty, which had a colossal success at its opening in Pesaro… It is a heavenly blessing to listen to this Rossini … This production has two particular strengths which bring it to the level of exceptionality: the first one is the musical direction by Alberto Zedda, the great Rossinian maestro of our time … He is just extraordinary … The second is the stage and set direction by Pier Luigi Pizzi. The Milan maestro is the Prince of theatre architecture … The singers believe the story and their performance is superb, both theatrically and musically.’

Ann Hallenberg - Tolomeo
Karina Gauvin - Seleuce
Anna Bonitatibus - Elisa
Romina Basso - Alessandro
Pietro Spagnoli - Araspe

Il Complesso Barocco

Alan Curtis

CD |D|D|D|
3 Compact Discs
Deutsche Grammophon