Customer Reviews

Gomes: Il Guarany / Domingo, Villaroel, Alvarez, Neschling

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Poor brazilians. We don't have in our country any great Opera House able to record commercially the operas of national's major opera composer: "il maestro" Carlos Gomes.
Althought everybody here knows Il Guarany's sinfonia (the signature tune of a boring government program, in the radio), few are those that listened the complete opera. Yes, we had recordings at past, but they are not so good (lots of strange noises, some amateur singing, bad sound engineering). This one is a kind of miracle. A live recording, it's true, but sounds very good: that fact addicts a nice emotional content to the recording.
Well, the performers are exceptional: the role of Pery is interpreted by no less than Placido Domingo, who has an ideal "tenor lirico" voice, and sings his arias and duettos with great bravura and sensibility (listen "Vanto io pur" and "Sento una forza indomita", and Pery's first appearence at stage - here, you'll remember Otello's "Esultate"). Ms. Villaroel is quite good in the delicate role of Cecilia. In the skin of the spaniard Gonzáles, we have the good baritone Carlos Alvarez (althought the perfect Gonzales was the late brazilian singer, Paulo Fortes).
Minor roles are also well served, the chorus and orchestra too. The conductor is a brazilian with a strange name for one from our country: John Neschling, who also conducts in Rosenkavalier's Palermo production (on DVD).
If you like Verdi operas (as "Il Trovatore", one of Gomes favourites), you'll like Gomes. Unfortunately, we don't have already modern recordings of "Fosca" (Gomes at his best) and "Lo Schiavo". Let's wait for...

"Il Guarany" (1870, La Scala, Milan) gave Antônio Carlos Gomes (of brazilian origin) a reputation as a significant lyric opera composer throughout Europe. It is plenty of melodical and exuberant richness following the Italian musical school, and the plot recreates the exotic milieu of Brazil of the 1560's with portugueses' fights and dealings with the native tribes of Aimorè and Guaraní. In this Sony recording, the baritone Carlos Alvarez (as Gonzales) gives an excellent performance in the 2nd act with "Senza tetto, sensa cuna" (Without shelter, without refuge) (see Track 9 starting at 1:22 minutes). Also, I enjoyed the 1st act duet Pery/Cecilia (Plácido Domingo/Verónica Villaroel) which is dramatic as well as charming: "Sento una forza indomita" (I feel an irresistible force) (see Track 5 starting at 1:58 minutes). Although I prefer the Donizettian coloratura of Bidú Sayão's old recording (HMV DB 2304), and the delightful lift she gave to Gomes' soprano-arias of "Il Guarany", the soprano Verónica Villaroel is quite good in: "Gentile di cuore" (Tender-hearted) (see Track 3 starting at 6:39 minutes), and "C'era una volta un principe" (There was once a prince) (see Track 10 starting at 3:50 minutes). The dramatic quality and powerful voice of Plácido Domingo is evident in Pery's 2nd act tenor-aria: "Vanto oi pur superba cuna" (I am of high birth).

Antonio Carlos Gomes (1836-1896) is probably Brazil's most important opera composer (Villa-Lobos's operas have not fared particularly well on disc, by the way, apart from the musical adventure "Magdalena"), and his operas were highly acclaimed in their day - they are still performed in his homeland, and many have been recorded (in apparently variable performances), but they rarely show up in opera houses elsewhere. `Il Guarany' (premiered at La Scala in 1870) is his most important work, and it is good to see it recorded by an at least somewhat starry cast on an international label.

While the story is set in sixteenth-century Brazil (concerning the love of the Portuguese noble Cecilia and the noble native Pery), there is little in the musical material that suggests the nationality of the composer. The style is more or less fully Italian (except for touches of French Grand opera in the style of Meyerbeer), and the work sounds to a large extent like middle-period Verdi. Still, while not a masterpiece, it contains some stirring numbers and powerful melodies (containing in particular a series of memorable duets), and it is well constructed and spectacularly scored. In short, there's no doubting Gomes's craftsmanship, nor his level of inspiration, and overall this is a very satisfying opera that can be recommended to lovers of Verdi with some enthusiasm.

The star of the performance is obviously Domingo, and he does a fine job (as always) as Pery; beautifully sung and general devoted, though I suppose some might criticize him for a certain lack of sensitivity. In fact, it is the Cecilia of Veronica Villarroel who deserves the most praise here - her singing is superb and she tackles the relatively virtuosic coloratura parts with utter conviction. The rest of the cast is more variable; Carlos Alvarez deserves some praise, but many of the other cast members seem to struggle a little (and many are prone to wobble). The choral and orchestral work is very good, however (which is particularly important since so much of the effect depends on the brilliant scoring), and John Neschling finds the appropriate pace and sense of drama. All in all, this is a very fine if not perfect recording of a very interesting work that should appeal to everyone with a penchant for romantic Italian opera.

I could see this opera in Rio de Janeiro's beatiful Theatro Municipal.
Now it is time to purchase and listen to the marvelous and little known music.