Rossini: La pietra del paragone [Live]

Gioachino Rossini (Composer), Alessandro de Marchi (Conductor), Czech Chamber Soloists Brno (Orchestra), Agata Bienkowska (Performer), Anna Rita Gemmabella (Performer), Anke Herrmann (Performer), Raffaele Costantini (Performer), Alessandro Codeluppi (Performer), Dariusz Machej (Performer), Gioacchino Zarrelli (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Agata Bienkowska, Anna Rita Gemmabella, Anke Herrmann, Raffaele Costantini, Alessandro Codeluppi, et al.
• Orchestra: Czech Chamber Soloists Brno
• Conductor: Alessandro de Marchi
• Composer: Gioachino Rossini
• Audio CD (May 18, 2004)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Live
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B0000A9BVV
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,810 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

La pietra del paragone (The Touchstone), a story of three rival women and their pursuit of marriage to Count Asdrubale, is unique in the sense that no other opera of Rossini’s has been so highly praised in the literature on the subject and yet so seldom performed. The better known Il barbiere di Siviglia brought a series of stage successes without comparison, and so shaped the fate of La pietra. That it could not be counted among the first rank of Rossini operas meant that for nearly two centuries it had no place, not even a modest one, on the stage. It does, however, thorougly deserve its reputation and marks a unique phase of Rossini’s development as a master of opera buffa. His genius for melody and sparkling, witty orchestration are already apparent in this relatively early work. Leading this production is the conductor Alessandro de Marchi, who directs a lively and stylish performance. De Marchi has received high praise for his Rossini conducting across Europe. The leading role is Count Asdrubale is taken by Raffaele Costantini, and his beloved Clarice is sung by Agata Bienkowska. The other roles, which are comic rather than romantic, are taken by expert singing actors of a consistently high standard. The orchestra and chorus are from the Czech Republic, and the famed Czech virtuosity for string playing is fully in evidence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic spirit, adequate performers., September 23, 2006

By 

B. Bork (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rossini: La pietra del paragone (Audio CD)

I had never heard of this opera before I purchased it but my interest in Rossini and his neglected works is a personal passion so I ordered this item and waited patiently for it's arrival. I was not disappointed.

The vocalists as a whole are adequate performers with niehter poor nor incredible performances but where they do succeed beyond fair is as an ensemble. This opera consists of two introduziones, two duetto's, one quartetto, one quintetto, two finales, about seven solo pieces and a few coro's. The ensemble numbers are solid and balanced with no performer(s) singing over the others; the cast sing to each other during these numbers rather than to us which means they uphold the important spirit of the ensemble: interpersonal communication.

Where this opera also succeeds is in it's orchestration and truth to Rossini's melodic and dramatic sensibilities. The music is appropriately bright and florid with that special sense of the overwhelming which Rossini is particularly known for. To build on that, the stretta for the first act finale in this recording is a model of intensity which many recordings of Rossini's other opera's lack. Try listening to this stretta when your feeling overwhelmed by those moments in life which are felt with intensity and you'll see what I mean (or other moments like being a passenger in a speeding car during a rain storm: pretty intense).

The style of this opera has more to do with the imitation of other composers of the time than with Rossini's mature style but it's still very potent none the less. One can hear a strong dose of Mosca, a pinch of Mayr and even a bit of residual Cimarosa. There are also some portions of re-used melodies from "L'equivoco stravagante" and probably from some of his other early operas.

I highly recommend this recording to anyone interested in Rossini specifically or in early bel canto opera.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Walk On By, August 16, 2004

By 

J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rossini: La pietra del paragone (Audio CD)

This recording of Rossini's all-but-unknown early opera buffa 'La pietra del paragone' ('The Touchstone') is actually one of four that have been made and are available (with some searching, in the case of my recommended performance). I first heard and fell in love with it when Newell Jenkins recorded it with his Clarion Concerts cohorts. The recording, made thirty years ago, starred José Carreras, Justino Diaz, Beverly Wolff, Elaine Bonazzi, and John Reardon, all of them at the time New York City Opera stars of the first rank. And although Diaz (as Count Asdrubale) was somewhat deficient in his coloratura, he was giant compared to the Asdrubale on this CD, Raffaele Costantini, whose soft-cored and somewhat unwieldy voice simply isn't up to the task. The same is true for the female lead, mezzo Agata Bienkowska, whose voice, one must say, matches that of her costar.

This recording was taken from live performances at Bad Wildbad, Germany as part of the 'Rossini in Wildbad' festival in 2001. The Czech Chamber Soloists and Chorus under Alessandro de Marchi do a fine job playing and singing Rossini's bubbly music. It's just a shame that none of the soloists matches their wit and sparkle.

I have not heard the other two extant recordings (Desderi, cond., on Nuova Era with unknown [to me] singers; and Aprea, cond., with the redoubtable Sara Mingardo, alto, and William Matteuzzi, tenor, on Bongiovanni) but I have had little complaint with the Jenkins recording and thus have not sought them out.

My advice, then, is to search for the Newell Jenkins performance (available at several sources online), and skip this one.

Scott Morrison

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirited Rossini, November 18, 2008

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PalmideArtaserse (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rossini: La pietra del paragone (Audio CD)

La pietra may not be Rossini's best opera but i think it's the best of his early opera's before Tancredi and L'Italiana.
The artists are adequate and the orchestra does a very good job. The sound is fine and quite well balanced and not too distracting stagenoises.

Warmly recomended!