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Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868)
Il Turco in Italia - Dramma buffo in two acts (1814)
Selim, a womanising Turkish Prince captivated by Fiorilla - Marco Vinco (bass);
Fiorilla, capricious wife of Don Geronio - Alessandra Marianelli (soprano); Geronio,
elderly husband of Fiorilla - Andrea Concetti (bass); Don Narciso, servant and
admirer of Fiorilla - Filippo Adami (tenor); Prosdocimo, a poet and friend of
Geronio - Bruno Taddia (baritone); Zaida, enamoured of Selim - Elena Belfiore
(mezzo); Albazar, confident of Selim, Daniele Zinfardino (tenor)
Prague Chamber Choir, Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano e Trento/Antonello Allemandi
rec. live, Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro, Italy, 18 August 2007.
Sung in Italian and performed in the edition by Margaret Bent for the Rossini
Foundation
Director: Guido De Monticelli. Set designer: Paolo Bregni. Costume Designer:
Santuzza Cali
Video Director: Tiziano Mancini
Dolby surround 5.0, Dolby, Digital 2.0 Stereo. Aspect 16:9 Colour
NAXOS 2.110259 [165.09] |
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Tancredi and L’Italiana in Algeri, premiered
at Venice’s La Fenice and San Benedetto theatres in February
and May 1813 launched Rossini on an unstoppable career. It
saw him become the most prestigious opera composer of his time.
Whilst the success of these works brought commissions from
La Scala neither of his next two operas, both commissioned
by that prestigious theatre, were considered a success at their
premieres. The first of the commissions, Aureliano in Palmira, opened
the Carnival (winter) season on 26 December 1813. Giovanni
Velluti (1761-1861) the last of the great castrati sang the
hero Arsace. It was the only time that Rossini wrote a work
for the castrato voice. Despite its modest reception on its
first night Aureliano in Palmira was given
fourteen times in the Milan season. The second of the Milan
duo, Il Turco in Italia, Rossini’s thirteenth
opera, was initially seen by the Milanese as a repeat of L’Italiana
in Algeri and they thought themselves short-changed. The
work’s originality and quality were quickly recognised
elsewhere and Il Turco spread to other Italian cities,
and abroad, where, while not as original or enjoyable as L’Italiana
in Algeri, it was received with acclaim.
The libretto was one of the later renowned librettist Felice
Romani’s earliest. The plot concerns Fiorilla, the capricious
and flighty wife of an elderly husband Geroni. She puts herself
around male company in general and attracts an ardent admirer,
Narcisco. She also takes a fancy to Selim, a Turkish Prince
who arrives in Italy to survey the local ladies and quickly
becomes besotted by Fiorilla. Selim has already spurned his
long-time lover Zaida who is heartbroken and pursues him. The
narrative is completed by the fact that a poet, Prosdocimo
who, looking for a story for his next play, sees in the circumstances
of the various liaisons the perfect situation for his plot.
All ends well with Fiorilla duly contrite about her behaviour
and Selim and Zaide back together. The poet has his plot and
only Narciso seems without his earlier yearnings sated.
With this frothily implausible plot the best stagings are often
the simplest and colourful. This is very much the case in this
production from Pesaro first seen in 2002. The costumes are
highly colourful and the basic set of a raked and sloped sand-coloured
beach is easily and quickly adapted for the various scenes
that follow. This is aided by judicious lighting and the use
of an opening curved back. The arrival and departure of Selim’s
boat is particularly well portrayed.
As might be guessed from Callas’s revival of the work,
it is a vocal and acting dream for a singing coloratura actress.
In this production this is exactly what it get in the form
of the ginger-haired and slim Alessandra Marianelli whose sung
and acted portrayal is of a high standard. There are not many
formal arias in the work but when she gets the chance for a
solo, as when Fiorilla discovers her husband has disowned her
and she is homeless (CH.29), the range of Marianelli’s
vocal expression matches that of her flexible coloratura in
the many duets and ensembles. Marco Vinco seems to be the Rossini
buffa de jour. Whilst not erasing memories of Sam Ramey
who had more fruitiness and sonority in his bass, Vinco is
always able to portray these buffo parts with conviction as
he does here with some resonant tones to go along with his
resplendent costume and headgear (CH.7). The Prosdocimo, Bruno
Taddia, is equally convincing, with his poet’s pencil
protruding from his mop of hair. He sings and acts with character
in the many ensembles and in his duet with Albazar (CH.25).
Less convincing is the blandly acted Andrea Concetti as the
husband. He seems a wimp anyway, at least until he gets some
spine into himself and bars his wife from their home. Concetti
is a light-toned singer and finds difficulty in investing his
singing and acting with much character. Full-toned, if with
a touch too much vibrato, and well portrayed is Elena Belfiore
Selim’s cast aside Zaide. The two minor tenor roles of
Narciso and Albazar are adequately taken with the latter having
a pleasant light sound.
Rossini plundered the ebullient overture for Sigsmundo (1814),
somewhat risky as it was back in Venice at La Fenice, and Otello (1816)
far away in Naples. Antonello Allemandi conducts it with brio
and navigates the weaker parts of the score with aplomb. The
Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano e Trento are well up to the demands
of his baton and the score. The Prague Chamber Choir is an
enthusiastic and vibrant participant.
I note that the packaging of the DVD quotes an enthusiastic
review from a colleague for the parallel CD release by Dynamic
(see review by
JS). Another colleague was less enthusiastic about the singing
(see review by
RH). With the benefit of the visual production, I seem to sit
midway between their views though sharing opinions about some
of the cast. The Naxos DVD owes its existence to Dynamic and
not only has a brief introductory essay, but also an excellent
chapter-related synopsis in English and German as well as very
welcome cast biographies, albeit in the former language only.
Robert J Farr
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