Search - Pietro Mascagni, Peter Tiboris, Jennifer Larmore :: Mascagni: Zanetto

A Charming Work, One Great Singer and One Problematic One

James S. Eisenberg | 07/08/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"ZANETTO is a two character charmer. It is a kind of mini ROSENKAVALIER in which a world weary courtesan gently rejects the suit of a young minstrel singer, but is glad that she can still be moved by love. The music is very different in mood than CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, the composer's most famous score.

Jennifer Larmore in the Octavian-like role of the minstrel is her usual superb self, showing attractive tone, solid technique and sensitivity to the words. Eilana Lappalainen as the courtesan is extremely problematic, and is not helped by the overly close miking for the soloists. As the cover photograph indicates, she is a strikingly beautiful woman whose large voice unfortunately wobbles from top to bottom. Peter Tiboris is the excellent conductor.

As ZANETTO is quite short, there are three Mascagni preludes as a filler.

One of them is the composer's alternate version of the ZANETTO prelude, without its choral parts. As the chorus only appears in the prelude, it is probably this version that makes more sense in performance. (Again close miking for the choristers may be the reason why the purely orchestral version is more appealing listening.)"

Listen elsewhere

Julian Grant | London, Beijing, New York | 09/28/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"It's impossible to rate this slender, potentially charming little jeu d'esprit from this recording - it's overmiked, and so closely recorded that no dynamics can register. Jennifer Larmore, superb of diction and tone is wasted - best not to mention the soprano. The delicate little humming chorus that acts as prelude sounds like a force-10 gale. Was it recorded in a telephone box, or the back seat of a VW?"