In the last few months
I have reviewed no fewer than eight
different Rossini operas. These include
all five one act farse on the Brilliant
Classics label, La
pietra del paragone and Il
Signor Bruschino on Naxos and the
ever popular Il
Barbiere di Siviglia on Guild. You
might think that hardly surprising from
a composer with thirty-nine operas to
his credit. However, except for Barbiere
the others were among Rossini’s first
ten operas, the last six having been
premiered in the space of less than
fifteen months. Looking at the first
twenty years of LPs there were never
more than eight of his operas featured
in the catalogue. Apart from Barbiere,
of which there was always two or three
recordings, titles which featured were
L’Italiana and La Cenerentola, both
with Teresa Berganza, and Il Turco in
Italia with Callas. The explosion in
recordings came about from the mid-1970s
onwards and owed much to the establishment
of the Rossini Foundation at Pesaro,
the composer’s birthplace, and the annual
festival held there. At the Festival,
well-researched critical editions of
Rossini’s works were performed, some
for the first time in the century. The
Festival drew the best Rossini singers
and performances were often recorded
for commercial issues particularly by
the CBS label. The year 1975 also saw
the first of a Philips series of recordings
of Rossini operas many of which were
previously only names in books of reference.
L’Italiana in Algeri,
number eleven in the Rossini operatic
oeuvre, has been a major beneficiary
on record from the Rossini revival to
the extent that Lucia Valentini-Terrani
has recorded Isabella, the eponymous
L’Italiana, twice. Her other version,
on CBS/Sony is with period instruments.
Other recordings feature Marilyn Horne
(Erato, 1981), Agnes Baltsa (DG, 1987)
and most recently Jennifer Larmore (Teldec).
A veritable plethora of choice.
The present 1978 recording
has the benefit of the sympathetic and
idiomatic conducting of Gary Bertini.
He generally keeps a good pace and maintains
the brio and vitality that are the hallmarks
of the composition. Using the lightly
orchestrated critical edition helps.
In the libretto Isabella has been sailing
in the Mediterranean in search of her
lover Lindoro. She is accompanied by
an elderly admirer Taddeo. After her
ship is wrecked Mustafa, the Bey of
Algiers, plans to add her to his harem.
Just to add amusing complications, Isabella
finds that Lindoro is a slave in Mustafa’s
service and he plans to marry him to
Elvira, his neglected wife. Needless
to say all ends well in a rousing finale
(CD 2 Tr. 17).
Isabella’s music requires
her to express both tenderness and determination.
Lucia Valentini-Terrani uses the extremes
of her very wide range for these purposes,
lightening her tone (CD 2 tr. 7) or
dropping into her formidably strong
chest register in Cruda Sorte
(CD 1 tr. 7). The only problem I have
with her interpretation is that the
movement between the two extremes can
be a little too much like a gear change.
Marilyn Horne is similar in this respect
whilst the tangy Baltsa, and particularly
Larmore are smoother. What the others
lack is Lucia Valentini-Terrani’s way
with the nuances and languor of her
native Italian. A horn solo introduces
the unhappy Lindoro. His andantino Langir
per una bella (CD 1 tr. 4) is followed
by a duet with the Bey. As Lindoro,
Ugo Benelli the epitome of the tenore
di grazia has enough metal in his agile
heady tones to make his singing and
interpretation among the best on record.
He has a lovely mezza voce allied to
gentle expressive phrasing. In the duet
with Mustafa his patter is well articulated
(CD 1 tr. 6). The veteran Sesto Bruscantini
sings the role of Mustafa. With over
130 roles in his repertoire in a long
career it would be foolish to suggest
his voice is in prime condition. Although
he originally sang as a bass, at Gigli’s
suggestion he raised to baritone. Most
of his career until the 1970s was spent
singing the buffa roles. He lacks the
tonal sonority of Ramey (Erato) or Raimondi
(DG), but despite a slightly throaty
tone he understands everything about
the role and the words come over with
relish and meaning. Enzo Dara sings
Taddeo. He takes the role in three of
the recordings referred to, including
this one; a monopoly not often matched
let alone exceeded. The character oozes
from his pores, or at least his vocal
chords (CD 1 tr.9). The Elvira of Norma
Palacios-Rossi doesn’t match Kathleen
Battle (Erato) but like the singers
taking the other lesser parts she doesn’t
let the side down. Of note is the singing
of Alfredo Mariotti as Haly with a smoothly
controlled and sonorous big voice (CD
2 tr. 11).
The recording is a
strange mixture. It is warm and well
balanced between soloists and orchestra
with no constriction on the sound. However,
there is an additional excessive bloom
to the voices that puts them apart,
giving falseness to the overall acoustic
impression. The booklet has essays on
Rossini Anecdotes, the opera
itself and a synopsis, all in English,
German and French. The libretto is given
in full without translation.
Issued at the bargain
end of the market this recording is
highly competitive with the mid-price
Erato. The earlier Decca version with
Berganza is not currently available.
The two lovers here are a captivating
pair in what is one of Rossini’s most
light and exuberant scores. Its modest
price is an added incentive to add this
version to any others you might own.
If you don’t know the opera then I urge
you to go and buy this now and remedy
that deficiency. Not for nothing did
L’Italiana in Algeri launch Rossini
on an unstoppable international career
that saw him become, in his lifetime,
the most prestigious opera composer
of his time. The CD era has coincided
with his emergence to his rightful place
in the pantheon and it is now possible
to buy recordings of all but a handful
of his operas.
Robert J Farr
Chorus and Orchestra of the Staatsoper Dresden/Gary
Bertini 
