7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, January 22, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Rossini: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (The Barber Of Seville) / de los Angeles (Audio CD)
This is one of the greatest casts ever assembled, coupled with great conducting. Gino Bechi is fabulious with magnificent ringing high notes which many tenors today would lust after. He shows us why he was La Scala's leading Figero of his day. Victoria de los Angeles is a sweet and cunning Rosina in top voice. Nicola Monti has a beautiful lyric tenor voice with fabulious mezza voce and coloratura singing. Rossi-Lemeni is a stentorian basso second to none. This is one of the most exciting recodings of this opera ever recorded.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bellowing Barber, October 19, 2011
This review is from: Rossini: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (The Barber Of Seville) / de los Angeles (Audio CD)
Firstly there are traditional cuts - specifically 'Ecco ridente' is missing some difficult bars and the Count's last act showpiece is missing altogether.
De Los Angeles is a lovely Rosina who mostly uses the mezzo version. She is a little short on personality but as always musical and responsive to the other singers. Monti is an open throated tenor whose voice is a matter of taste (I like him) and he sings with style and accuracy what is left of his role. Rossi-Lemeni sings a wonderful 'Slander Song' but then over eggs the comedy pudding by exaggeration and plain mugging. All this under a fine conductor (as here) would still add up to something worth hearing if it wasn't for Bechi's barber. True the voice is splendid but he bellows his way through the role at full decibels without humour or appropriate style.It may pass muster as Gerard in Andrea Chenier but in Rossini it is crude and vulgar.
If you want the full score and stylish performance go for Naxos. If you want style and personality then there are much better versions elsewhere.
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