Search - Gaetano Donizetti, Gerard Korsten, Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari :: Donizetti: Don Pasquale

A Perfect PASQUALE

M. De Sapio | Alexandria, VA | 07/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With incisive orchestral playing and an idiomatic quartet of Italians, this live DON PASQUALE is pretty near perfection. The mere fact of Alessandro Corbelli's being in an opera is practically a self-recommendation (he is the world's undisputed king of operatic comedy), but here especially so, as he strides the stage in the leading role. What doesn't get mentioned enough, in addition to his comic gifts, is the richness of Corbelli's voice, and his particular gift for pathos (his reaction to the slap in the face from Norina in Act II is heartbreaking). All three of the other principals - Eva Mei as Norina, Antonino Siragusa as Ernesto, and Roberto De Candia as Malatesta - are notable for the brightness and agility of their voices (Siragusa's timbre is somewhat unconventional, but I have grown to like it). All four singers throw themselves with zest into the comic spirit of the piece. Gerard Korsten draws vigorous, exciting playing from the Cagliari Opera Orchestra. Remarkably, this recording has all the excitement of a live performance without any sloppiness or imprecision. There is also a DVD of this performance, and judging from clips I have seen on the internet, it is double the fun. Enjoy!



"