Customer Reviews

Gioachino Rossini - Tancredi / Barcellona, Takova, Gimenez, Spotti, Frizza, Pizzi (Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino)

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Rossini is best known for a delightful long list of Comic Operas; less well known is the Rossini of Opera Seria. Of the several that I've seen, heard on radio or on recordings, Tancredi is on the top of the list. The present DVD recoding of the Florence May Festival of 2005 is a most satisfactory presentation of this masterpiece. Two of the singers are in really good voice and can handle the difficult and complex Rossini line. Daniela Barcellona as a mezzo in a "pants" role of Tancredi handles the music very well and has a deep rich voice to boot. To me the best singing was delivered by Raul Gimenez as Argirio one of the leaders of the Sicilian city of Syacuse and father of Tancredi's beloved Amenaide. All the rest of the cast are quite good. The production is quite modern but very well done and works well with all the scene changes demanded here. It was really pleasant to see a modern stageing work so well after so many recent disasterous productions in the "modern" mode. The orchestra under Riccardo Frizza worked very well with true Rossini verve and delightly lithe Rossini aound. The plot is fairly conventional; little more than a backdrop for the coloratura singing. A very good recording with a true sad, if not tragic ending. One of the most rewarding Rossini operas as far as I'm concerned

We have not had Daniela Barcellona (except for 2 performances of an ill-fated Norma at the Met)in this country. Any fan of Rossini and spectacular mezzo singing will not want to miss this DVD. And the production is spectacular-no Euro trash!

Opéra rare de Rossini, revu et corrigé par un metteur en scène classique s'inspirant des tragédies en noir et blanc. Gestes précis, attitudes nobles, rien à voir avec les exploits vocaux des chanteurs précédents : les grandes envolées lyriques des Maryline Horne, Montserrat Caballé et autres Ricciarelli sont définitivement révolues. A chacun d'y trouver son compte.