Description
This is one of those great Rossinian singing competitions in which everyone--and, in particular, the listeners--wins. Composed as a piece of occasional entertainment for the coronation of Charles X in Paris, Rossini borrowed liberally from his recent comic success Le Comte Ory and fashioned a musical necklace chock filled with one shiny bau
This is one of those great Rossinian singing competitions in which everyone--and, in particular, the listeners--wins. Composed as a piece of occasional entertainment for the coronation of Charles X in Paris, Rossini borrowed liberally from his recent comic success Le Comte Ory and fashioned a musical necklace chock filled with one shiny bauble after another. Each character has a showpiece aria, from the highs of soprano Cecilia Gasdia as a melodramatic poetess all the way down to the basso realms of Samuel Ramey and Ruggero Raimondi. The ensembles are as delicious as the solos, and Claudio Abbado, in a very theatrical mood (this was recorded live) keeps everything going wittily and with great elan. The plot is practically nonexistent, but with singing like this, it's hard to complain. A real dazzler--and great fun. --Robert Levine
... (more)
(less)
Performed by
Track listing
|
Reviews of Rossini - Il viaggio a Reims / Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Cuberli, Gasdia, Araiza, E. Gimenez, - View all - Post review
|