In this release Euroarts offers an intriguing set of recordings from its admirable
catalogue. It is simply entitled Italian Operas.
Yet the description on the carton offers a clearer explanation
of the contents: the works are, by modern standards, some of
the most popular examples of the genre. The selection is arguable,
with the pieces including two examples of verismo, one performed
infrequently, the other all too often; with Verdi and Rossini
each is represented by a single piece from their substantial
contributions. A more compelling reason for the collection is
the repertoire of La Scala, which is strongly featured in this
selection. Two of the four productions are part of La Scala’s
recent legacy and were recorded in that famous house. All four
performances date from between 2000 and 2008.
Of the four works, the oldest is Rossini’s comic opera Il
barbiere di Siviglia in a production from 2001. The cast
includes a number of performers associated with La Scala, including
Reinaldo Macias as the count and Manuel Lanza as his barber.
The internationally acclaimed soprano Vesselina Kasarova plays
Rosina, in a performance that shows her fine style with Rossini’s
music. Kasarova’s approach to the aria “Una voce poco fa” is
appealing, as are the various ensembles in which Rossini gave
voice to the comic elements in his plots. A modern setting is
chosen with the milieu being the 1950s. The staging makes use
of a revolving clamshell that allows the production to move
swiftly between scenes. The video gives a sense of the performance
which realistically captures the action on stage. Most of all,
the excellent engineering of the DVD contributes a vibrant sense
of the live performance.
As challenging as it may be to find a single representative
opera by Verdi, it is difficult to argue with the selection
of La traviata.. Presented in the outdoor amphitheater
in St. Margarethen in Austria, this unique staging makes full
use of the available space. It is possible to see the house’s
boxes over the stage. While it has nineteenth-century costume
in its design, the production reflects modern thought in its
use of the entire stage, including entrances from the audience.
The sound benefits from the outdoor setting, even though it
was mixed for television. As such, the recording levels emphasize
the voices strongly, with any audience sounds or ambient noise
eliminated. In some passages, the audio seems almost amplified,
a daring effect since it is akin to applying a magnifying glass
to the voices. After all the video reveals that the body mikes
were attached to the singers’ foreheads, an unusual decision
when filming close-ups. Yet the principals are quite effective
and well worth hearing in this regional production. Kristiane
Kaiser is a vibrant Violetta, with Jean-François Borras
as Alfredo. Georg Tichy is a solid, convincing Germont, and
the entire cast addresses the score with style and enthusiasm.
The La Scala production of Tosca stands out for its
exceptional cast, production, and conducting. Muti’s sense of
drama and musical line is apparent in the recording, which includes
Maria Guleghina as Floria Tosca, the late Salvatore Licitra
as her lover Mario Cavaradossi, and Leo Nucci as Baron Scarpia.
This is a particularly effective filmed opera, which conveys
the live performance well and also brings the viewer closer
to the action on stage than is possible in the theater. The
production itself resembles the one created for Callas when
she played the title role at Covent Garden, an element in this
video which calls to mind such fine performances. Guleghina
offers a commanding Tosca, whose tragic flaw is being duped
by Scarpia’s ultimate deception. Licitra was an excellent Cavaradossi,
with an exemplary account of the aria “E lucevan le stelle”
preserved on this DVD.
A similarly strong cast is part of the DVD of Cilea’s Adriana
Lecouvreur, a verismo opera which deserves to be heard
more often. With a plot that hinges on the rivalry between Adriana
and the Princess di Bouillon, the casting of Daniela Dessi and
Olga Borodina in those roles is a key to the success of this
version. As the Maurizio, Sergei Larin is memorable for the
sense of passion that emerges easily. Based a television broadcast
of Adriana Lecouvreur from January 2000, this video
of Cilea’s opera adopts a straightforward view. While some close-ups
are part of the video, most of the shots come from slightly
above the stage, which introduces a bit of distance into the
presentations of various scenes. As much as the production is
worth seeing, the resolution is imprecise, with the default
color appearing washed out. It helps to reduce the brightness,
if possible, to obtain more realistic skin tones. The audio
side is not a problem, but favors the voices over the orchestra,
which can be sometimes sound unusually distant despite the rich
orchestration. Nevertheless, this merits attention for Borodina’s
characterization of her role as the Princess, especially her
solo numbers at the opening of act two. Borodina’s precision
intensifies her fine performance, and it is matched well by
the other principals in this drama about intrigues among the
nobility in early eighteenth-century France. With a story that
makes use of the theatrical setting, this production makes good
use of the stage to reflect the performances within the opera
and, thus, reflect fully the work as a whole.
While more operas could be added to a list of memorable ones
in the Italian tradition, the present set is a fine selection
priced affordably, and chosen well from the performances currently
available. As much as opera is best experienced live, these
videos offer solid performances. Those familiar with the repertoire
may wish to purchase this collection, while individuals who
may be new to the art-form will also appreciate the virtues
found here.
James L Zychowicz
Detailed contents list
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Il barbiere di Seviglia [161:00]
Il Conte d'Almaviva: Reinaldo Macias
Bartolo: Carlos Chausson
Rosina: Vesselina Kasarova
Figaro: Manuel Lanza
Basilio: Nicolai Ghiaurov
Berta: Elizabeth Rae Magnuson
Fiorello/Un uficciale: Valeriy Murga
Ambrogio: Kenneth Roberson
Zurich Opera House Chorus and Orchestra/Nello Santi
Grischa Asagaroff, stage director
rec. live, Opernhaus Zürich, April 2001
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
La traviata [134:00]
Violetta Valéry: Kristiane Kaiser
Flora Bervoix: Magdalena Anna Hofmann
Annina: Stefanie Kopinits
Alfredo Germont: Jean-François Borras
Giorgio Germont: Georg Tichy
Gastone: Michael Kurz
Barone Douphol: Daniel Ohlenschläger
Marchese d'Obigny: Dieter Kschwendt-Michel
Dottoer Grenvil: Alessandro Teliga
Giuseppe: Ladislav Hallon
Un commissionario: Eugen Gaal
Un domestic: Attila Galács
Slovak Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra/Ernst Märzendorfer
Robert Herzl, stage director
rec. live. Römersteinbruch St. Margarethen, 11 July 2008.
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Tosca [121:00]
Floria Tosca: Maria Guleghina
Mario Cavaradossi: Salvatore Licitra
Il barone Scarpia: Leo Nucci
Cesare Angelotti: Giovanni Battista Parodi
Il sagrestano: Alfredo Mariotti
Spoletta: Ernesto Gavazzi
Sciarrone: Silvestro Sammaritano
Un carceriere: Ernesto Panariello
Un pastore: Virginia Barchi
Milan La Scala Chorus and Orchestra/Riccardo Muti
Luca Ronconi, stage director
Margherita Palli, set design
Vera Marzot, costume design
rec. live, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, March 2000
Francesco CILEA (1866-1950)
Adriana Lecouvreur [138:00]
Maurizio: Sergei Larin
Il principe di Bouillon: Giorgio Giuseppini
L'abate di Chazeuil: Mario Bolognese
Michonnet: Carlo Guelfi
Poisson: Ernesto Gavazzi
Quinault: Marco Camastra
Un maggiordomo: Giuseppe de Luca
Adriana Lecouvreur: Daniela Dessi
La principessa di Bouillon: Olga Borodina
Mlle Jouvenot: Adelina Scarabelli
Mlle Dangeville: Annamaria Popescu
Milan La Scala Chorus and Orchestra/Roberto Rizzi Brignoli
Lamberto Puggelli, stage director
Paole Bregni, set designer
Luisa Spinatelli, costume designer
rec. live, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, January 2000
EUROARTS 2057928 
[4 DVDs: 554:00]