Search - Gioachino Rossini, Bruno Campanella, Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Torino :: Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia / Blake · Serra · Dara · Montarsolo · Teatro Regio di Torino · Campanella

An outstanding production

Eva Maria Pedro | Locarno, Switzerland | 01/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" is the masterpiece by the greatest composer of opera buffa. Even though this reason could succeed in convincing you to buy a record of "Il Barbiere", why should you choose exactly this record? I shall try to tell you why. "L'Opera in CD e Video," by Elvio Giudici (Milan, Il Saggiatore, 1999) is one of the most complete and authoritative Italian guides to opera titles on video, laserdisc, and CD. In his review of "Il Barbiere" conducted by Campanella, Giudici asserts: "in my opinion [Campanella is] the conductor who, together with Abbado, understands and performs Rossini's music best" (op. cit., page 1187). I agree with him. In fact I think that only Campanella's interpretation of Rossini can stand comparison brilliantly with Abbado's. If you have already listened to "Il Barbiere" conducted by Abbado and released by Deutsche Gramophon some 30 years ago, and if you have liked it as much as I have, then you could go mad on that conducted by Campanella in 1987. The casts of the two productions are equal in value (indeed, some of the singers are the same). You can affirm that the standard of both productions is the highest. Both of them are very stylish and pleasing as well as scrupulous. Nevertheless, I find that Abbado's conduction is a little bit colder, while Campanella's is more passionate. According to me, the latter manages to enrich the lesson taught by Abbado two decades before, by adding his own experience, sensibility, and humor to it. Yet one warning is necessary: as explained by Giudici (ibid.), the release by Nuova Era contains the record of a single live performance. What is more, the record was not edited nor spliced. As a consequence, sometimes the sound may result a little bit untidy. But according to me this is also the charm of live records."

This is "Barbiere" as you have never heard it before.

Emmanuel Foroglou | Houlton, ME USA | 08/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rockwell Blake is the greatest bel canto tenor and Luciana Serra the greatest bel canto soprano of the century and here we have them both in the same performance. Blake is magnificent and Serra absolutely divine, negotiating the awesome trills of Rossini's coloratura and interpreting the majestic high notes as nobody else does. Truly a recording for the ages."

Mr BLAKE

PEREZ PIERRE | PARIS France | 08/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"the 5 stars rating goes to the wonderful Rockwell Blake, the best rossinian tenor of the last 50 years.Serra is awful !!!!!!!!"