Search - Raimondi, Omilian, Columbus Genova :: Il Giudizio Universale Oratorio Per Soli Doppio

A Genuine Lost Masterpiece, An Uneven Performance

James S. Eisenberg | 09/14/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It is a delightful surprise to discover a never previously performed masterpiece by an all but unknown composer. (The liner notes do not explain why the work was unperformed in the composer's lifetime.)

Composers of the Bel Canto Era often experimented in form and harmony in religious and concert vocal works in ways that they could never get away with in the opera house. This work is harmonically daring and places its composer a good twenty years ahead of what Donizetti and the young Verdi were composing at the same time. Most of the solo vocal writing is in an advanced arioso style, only occasionally congealing into full fledged arias. The eleven minute orchestral introduction to the second part of the work is a full fledged symphonic movement, and the writing for double chorus is absolutely thrilling.

As great as this work is, the performance is simply not worthy of it !

The tenor, Dino Di Domenico, is little more than adequate. The baritone, Marco Camastra is the best of the three soloists, doing beautiful work once he warms up. (This is a live performance.) The worst is Jolanta Omilian, the soprano. Just a few years ago she was doing fine work, but this is mostly painful to listen to. The choral sopranos also seem to be having a hard time with high notes. Omilian's weakness is shown up all the more because the soprano in the "filler", Verdi's 'Libera Me' from the group composition MESSA PER ROSSINI happens to be superb. Her name is Emilia Bertoncello, and this is a golden sound along a Tebaldi-young Ricciarelli line of demarcation. She is a real find !

Conductor Arturo Sacchetti shapes the score beautifully, but there is some ragged string playing at several key points.

The 'live" sound recording is above average.

"