Introduction: Rossini at Glyndebourne and as a composer
of comic operas
As with Mozart’s
Cosi fan tutte, and Verdi’s Macbeth, among other
works, Glyndebourne did justice to Rossini before his operas
had really found favour elsewhere in Britain. This was largely
under the influence of Vittorio Gui who took over as chief
conductor in 1951. As well as the three operas in this issue,
L’Italiana in Algeri, the rarity La pietra del paragone,
Il Turco in Italia and more recently the opera seria Ermione
have been given at Glyndebourne. But it was the standard set
by Gui with these three operas, and the audio recordings of
all three under his direction, that really established the
house tradition. By the time of the recordings of Il Barbiere
and La Cenerentola contained here, the 1950s productions
were well overdue for renewal, whilst that of Le Comte
Ory was even more so when it was revived in this new production
in 1997.
Rossini’s strength
as a composer of comic operas was founded in his early experience.
His first stage production, La Cambiale Di Matrimonio,
a one act farsa was premiered on 3 November 1810 at the
small Teatro San Moisè, Venice. It marked the composer out
as having wit and the capacity to express it in music. He
followed with four other farsi for the theatre over the next
three years and a year later, in 1814, he really made his
mark in the comic genre with L’Italiana in Algeri for
the medium sized San Benedetto Theatre in Venice. This success,
and that of his first great opera seria Tancredi, marked
Rossini out as a leader among the host of primo ottocento
Italian opera composers of the day. Ever one to spot a winner,
the impresario Domenico Barbaja offered Rossini the post of
Musical Director of the Royal Theatres, the San Carlo and
Fondo, in Naples. It was for the San Carlo, with its professional
orchestra and superb stage facilities, that Rossini composed
his great opera seria starting with Elisabetta Regina d’Inghilterra
premiered on 4 October 1815.
DVD 1: Il
barbiere di Siviglia,
A clause in his
contract at Naples allowed for Rossini to accept occasional
commissions from other theatres. It was a clause that he took
full advantage of. Whilst in Rome to present Torvaldo e
Dorliska to open the Carnival Season at the Teatro
Valle on 26 December 1815, he signed a contract with the rival
Teatro de Torre Argentina for a comic opera to be delivered
by mid-January! After one unsuitable subject was put aside,
and by now in some haste, it was decided to base the new opera
on Beaumarchais’ Le Barbier de Séville. To avoid any
offence to the widely respected Paisiello, who had already
composed an opera based on that story in 1782, the opera was
presented as Almaviva, ossia L’inutile precauzione
(the useless precaution), later reverting to the title by
which we now know it. Given the time-scale, it is hardly surprising
that Rossini indulged in some self-borrowings. The overture
was that used for Aureliano in Palmira in 1813, and
re-used with heavier orchestration for Rossini’s first Naples
opera, Elisabetta. Similarly the storm scene of act
2 (CH. 23) was first heard in La Pietra del paragone
(1812) (see DVD review)
and subsequently in L’Occassione fe il ladro one of
the five one act farsa referred to. Elsewhere in the
work, Rossini developed and extended tuneful lines from earlier
operas into full-blown arias and duets.
Despite Rossini’s
efforts, Paisiello’s supporters created a disturbance on the
first night and turned it into a fiasco. On the second night
Rossini was tactfully ill and did not attend the theatre,
as stipulated in his contract. The performance was an unprecedented
success and the cast and supporters walked to Rossini’s lodgings
carrying candles and singing tunes from the opera. After its
initial seven performances in Rome the opera began to be called
Il Barbiere di Siviglia. It is the only opera by Rossini
to have maintained its place in the repertoire throughout
its life. When Rossini met Beethoven in Vienna the great man
told him only compose buffa operas like Il Barbiere.
Verdi was also a great admirer of the work.
The casting of
this 1981 production was typical of the Glyndebourne practice
of the time with its subtle mixture of native and foreign
talents, some regulars others more transient. Many famous
singers were more than happy to spend time in the ambience
of Glyndebourne and profit from the extended rehearsals provided
before hitting the major houses and their greater remuneration,
to the benefit of all. One such is the bass Ferruccio Furlanetto
whose sonorous and appropriately creepy Basilio is a strength
in this performance. His La calunnia, (CH 9) is sung
without exaggeration and is a pleasure to hear. Others
singers such as Claudio Desderi, were happy to keep a more
regular contact with Glyndebourne. He returned the following
year to this Bartolo to sing Don Magnifico in the performances
of La Cenerentola reviewed below. His is not a sappy
bass voice but that of a buffa or character bass. That is
what he portrays to perfection in this production, really
living in the skin of Rossini’s Bartolo particularly with
his facial expression and capacity for quickly articulated
patter (CHs 10-11). John Rawnsley’s Figaro is strongly sung.
His is an up-in-your-face characterisation without much variety
of vocal colour in his Largo al factotum (CH 5) or
general histrionic subtlety. But he looks the part and manipulates
the proceedings to perfection in John Cox’s production. As
Rosina, Maria Ewing tends to flounce about with a hairstyle
questioning gravity in Una voce poco fa (CH 8) without
convincing me of her vocal suitability for the part. Max-René
Cosotti as Almaviva sings a weak Ecco, ridente in cielo
(CH 3) and I was relieved that he didn’t get Almaviva’s second
act aria. His decorations in the act two quintet (CHs 20-21)
were only sketched. He really only convinces when he is acting
the fool as either Basilio’s substitute (CHs 17-18) or as
a drunken army officer seeking billets in Bartolo’s household.
Catherine McCord sang Berta’s aria well (CH 22). Sylvain Cambreling
on the rostrum kept the music flowing without showing any
particular natural feel for Rossini’s comedy. The sound is
rather two-dimensional and on the dry side.
The sets, with
well-painted drops and trompe l’oeil scenery allow
for quick and easy changes as with the move from the town
square to Figaro’s shop in act one (CH 7) and the changes
in act two. John Cox keeps the whole stage activity moving
in a sensible and realistic manner without exaggeration or
degenerating into slapstick although the costume given to
Almaviva as the drunken billet-seeking army officer looks
more like a pirate than an officer and the gentleman he has
to reveal himself to be.
As a part of this
collection, this performance is well worth seeing, especially
at its lower price. It would not be my first choice for watching
this opera. Of older offerings, the Unitel Film of 1972, based
on a production directed and designed by Jean-Pierre Ponelle
at La Scala, Milan and conducted by Abbado with an international
cast is to be preferred (see review).
There are several modern recordings available with contemporary
international singers in the main roles.
DVD 2: La
Cenerentola
La Cenerentola
was Rossini’s 20th opera and his take on the Cinderella story.
It is his most popular work after Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
The libretto by Jacopo Ferretti is not based directly on Charles
Perrault’s fairy tale of 1697 but was plagiarised from Pavesi’s
Agatina o la virtu premiata, which had its premiere
at La Scala in 1814. Originally Rossini was supposed to have
set an entirely different work to open the Carnival Season
at the Teatro Valle, Rome on 26 December 1816. However,
on his arrival in mid-December he found the Papal Censors
had rejected the proposed libretto. At a late night crisis
meeting with the impresario and librettist the subject of
Cinderella was agreed, as was a postponed premiere. With less
than a month to go before the new first night both composer
and librettist had to make compromises. Rossini borrowed the
overture from his own farsa La gazzetta, written for
Naples a mere five months earlier (see DVD
review). He also employed a local musician, Luca Angolini,
to assist him by composing all the secco recitatives as well
as other pieces that are now generally omitted in performance
and recordings, most of which, as here, follow Alberto Zedda’s
Critical Edition.
Allen Charles
Klein’s sets are intent on stressing the fairytale spirit
of the score whilst the costumes are in a similar over-the-top
pantomime spirit. Clorinda and Tisbe have elongated noses
whilst Don Magnifico is dressed up to the nines in what must
have been exaggerated old style even for the original play.
As Prince Ramiro, the English lyric tenor Laurence Dale (b.
1957) looks very young and is dressed with the utmost finery,
even when acting as butler. If the sets for Il barbiere
were very trompe l’oeil these here are even
more so with crazy-angled chairs and tables. The large model
wheeled on for Ramiro’s coach crash outside Don Magnifico’s
Castle is the ultimate in action and scenic sumptuousness
within the spirit of the production whilst the cardboardy
maze (CH 25) seemed needless. John Cox is not as easy in the
bringing out of the characters as in Il barbiere. This
is true of his management of Magnifico’s Sia qualunque
delle figlie (CH 26) when he thinks Clorinda or Tisbe
is going to be chosen as Ramiro’s bride, which is allowed
to degenerate to near slapstick, and particularly that of
Alidoro whose his magic moments go for little. La Ciel
involves a simple drop with a pastoral scene (CH. 16).
The singing cast
offers the standard Glyndebourne mix. The Italian duo of Alberto
Rinaldi as Dandini and Claudio Desderi as Magnifico, with
the benefit of their native language, make much of Un segreto
d’importanza (CH. 30) as the servant reveals his true
identity. Rinaldi is an imposing stage presence but his tone
is a little dry whilst I prefer some more bass sap for Magnifico
than Desderi manages. That being said, their acted portrayals,
and characterisation are good whilst their diction is exemplary
with Desderi being in his element in the buffa aspect (CH
20). Laurence Dale might well look very young, but his singing
as Ramiro or the pseudo-butler is first class although a little
more facial expression would have made for perfect casting.
His lyric tenor is light and flexible and easy on the ear.
His relatively short career as a singer, before moving on
to design and production, yielded many recordings in early
music as well as oratorio. These are well worth hearing with
many now available at lower prices. As Cenerentola, Kathleen
Kuhlmann sings well if not with absolute distinction. In 1982
she made her debut at Covent Garden and La Scala as well as
Glyndebourne. Her angular features make her look a little
old for the role and particularly as the chosen bride of this
Ramiro. Her low mezzo is sonorous and her decorations are
accurate whilst her concluding rondo (CH 38) maintains that
standard.
As with the Comte
Ory below, this film has had a previous release on DVD.
It fits in more with the accompanying Il Barbiere than
Comte Ory in design concept. A more recent Glyndebourne
production has made it onto DVD (Opus Arte OA 0944 D). In
a highly competitive field I liked a performance from Genoa
in 2006 with Sonia Ganassi in the title role and Marco Vinco
as Dandini (see review),
whilst the Unitel film remains a classic (see review).
In the context of this collection of Glyndebourne productions,
and with some good singing and acting, it deserves its place
in the catalogue.
DVD 3: Le
Comte Ory
Following that
premiere of Zelmira, his last opera seria under his
contract in Naples, Rossini went to Vienna to present a season
built around the composer’s works, and then to London via
Paris. On his return to Paris the composer was appointed Director
of the Théâtre Italien. His contract required him to present
productions of his own works, and that of other composers,
as well as writing new works in French for presentation at
The Opéra (The Théâtre de l’Académie Royale de Musique).
The works in French
were a little slow in coming, as Rossini needed to grapple
with the prosody of the language and re-align his own compositional
style towards that of his new hosts. Before any operas in
French there was the unavoidable duty of a work to celebrate
the coronation of Charles X in Rheims Cathedral in early June
1825. Called Il viaggio a Reims (A journey to Rheims
- see DVD review)
it was composed to an Italian libretto and presented at the
Théâtre Italien on 19 June 1825. It was hugely successful
in three sold-out performances after which Rossini withdrew
it, considering it purely a pièce d'occasion. For his
first two works in French, Rossini established a tradition,
later followed by Donizetti and Verdi, of revising a proven
earlier work to a new libretto. He also took into account
the French liking for spectacular scenes and choral involvement
in his choice of revising Maometto II of six years
earlier as Le Siège de Corinthe and Moïse et Pharaon,
considerably modified from the Italian language Mosé
in Egitto. The latter was already in the repertory of
the Théâtre Italien when Rossini put up this rival to it.
Both those works were received with acclaim. Rossini used
five of the nine musical numbers in the withdrawn Il viaggio
a Reims in Le Comte Ory. It was premiered
to similar acclaim at The Opéra on 20 August 1828. Rossini
had the operatic world at his feet, but it was to be his penultimate
operatic work, not caused by his death but by early retirement!
I reviewed this
performance in detail when it was first issued on DVD (see
review).
I commented that I could not see this masterly production
and performance being bettered on DVD in the near future.
The high quality of the ensemble and the unity of the solo
singing being matched by first rate audio quality and video
direction. Then as now it deserves to be in the collection
of every lover of Rossini’s music. The presentation of the
details of the recording, chapters and synopsis, being in
a proper booklet are a considerable improvement on that original
issue where they were printed on the back of the front cover
and had to be read through the translucent DVD casing.
Le Comte Ory was
a Glyndebourne favourite of Vittoria Gui. His mid-1950s performance
was recorded by EMI. Together with recordings of Il Barbiere
and La Cenerentola it very often stood alone under
the composer’s name in the catalogue for nearly twenty years.
Now combined with more than passable performances of Rossini’s
two other famous comedies and at mid-price this set is an excellent
bargain and a memento of Glyndebourne at its best.
Robert J Farr
Further details:
Il barbiere di Siviglia - Melodramma Buffa
in two acts (1816) [154:00]
Count
Almaviva, an aristocrat in disguise who in enamoured of Rosina
– Max-René Cosotti (tenor); Figaro, a barber and general factotum
– John Rawnsley (baritone); Bartolo, a doctor and elderly guardian
of Rosina and who fancies to marry her – Claudio Desderi (buffa
baritone); Rosina, ward of Bartolo enamoured of Almaviva – Maria
Ewing (mezzo); Basilio, a singing teacher – Ferruccio Furlanetto
(bass); Berta, Dr. Bartolo’s housekeeper – Catherine McCord (mezzo);
Fiorello, servant of Count Almaviva – Robert Dean (baritone)
The Glyndebourne Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sylvain Cambreling
Producer, John Cox. Designer, William Dudley. Directed for video
by Dave Heather
rec. Glyndebourne Festival Opera, June 1981
Picture Format NTSC 4:3. Regios 2-6
Sound Format Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles in English, French, German and Spanish
La Cenerentola - Opera Buffa in Two Acts
(1814) [151:00]
Angelina, Cenerentola or Cinderella – Kathleen Kuhlmann (mezzo);
Don Ramiro,a disguised Prince and her suitor - Laurence Dale (tenor);
Dandini, his servant – Alberto Rinaldi (bass); Don Magnifico,
Cenerentola’s father – Claudio Desderi (buffa-bass); Alidoro,
Ramiro’s tutor - Roderick Kennedy (bass); Clorinda, Cenerentola’s
step sister - Marta Taddei (soprano); Tisbe, Cenerentola’s step
sister – Laura Zannini (mezzo)
The Glyndebourne Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Donato Renzetti
Producer, John Cox. Designer, Allen Charles Klein. Directed for
video by John Vernon
rec. Glyndebourne Festival Opera, August 1983
Picture
Format NTSC 4:3 Color, Regions 2-6. Sound Format, Dolby Digital
2.0 Stereo
Subtitles in English, German and Spanish
Le Comte Ory - Opera in two acts (1828) [142:00]
Count Ory, a young and licentious nobleman, Marc Laho (tenor);
Countess Adele, Annick Massis (soprano); Isolier, page to Count
Ory and in love with the Countess Adele, Diana Montague (mezzo);
Raimbaud, friend to Count Ory, Ludovic Tézier (baritone); Governor,
tutor to Count Ory, Julien Robbins (bass); Ragonde, companion
to Countess Adele, Jane Shaulis (mezzo); Young Nobleman, friend
of Ory, Colin Judson (tenor); Alice, a young peasant, Stella Woodman
(soprano);
The Glyndebourne Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Andrew Davis
rec. Glyndebourne Festival Opera, July 1997
Director, Jéróme Savory. Designer, Ezio Toffolutti. Directed for
Video by Brian Large
Picture format NTSC 4:3. Colour. Sound in linear PCM stereo. Subtitles
in English, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
The Glyndebourne
Chorus
[3 discs: 154:00 + 151:00 + 142:00] 
