Search - Nicola Vaccaj, Tiziana Severini, Maria Jose Trullu :: Vaccaj - Giulietta e Romeo / Trullu · Almerares · Raffanti · Ariostini · Turco · Marinangeli · Severani

Fascinating

John Cragg | Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada | 11/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This seems to be the only work of Vaccai's currently available on disc. It reveals him to be an excellent and distinctive composer, firmly grounded in and participating in the developments of opera surrounding him. The work abounds in choruses, duets and cabalettas to which the term "bel canto" can be applied with full justification. It is well up to what was generally being written even by the contemporary stars. The work can stand on its own two feet providing a pleasurable and exciting rendition of the Romeo and Juliet story; it need not be regarded just as an historical curiosity. Vaccaj's work may not be as good as the very best of Bellini, to which composer Vaccaj is most nearly comparable, but then most of Bellini also is not up to his best work.The fact that essentially the same libretto was used a few years later by Bellini may indicate that this version can safely be ignored, but this is a mistake. The fact that Bellini's work was, for a time, performed in a butchered version that contained some of Vaccaj's work is a fair indication that the quality of the two compositions is not far apart.In this performance, with thoroughly obscure performers, a rich and emotional work emerges. The principals are excellent, soprano Paula Almerares being meltingly lovely and vulnerable as Juliet, while Maria Jose Trullu also sings ravishingly. That it is not a particularly masculine-sounding performance is, one suspects, as much a problem with the writing as with the casting -- though the pictures in the booklet suggest that Ms Trullu must have an even more difficult time convincing live audiences (rather than aural ones) that this is not a lesbian affair. I keenly await finding either of these performers in other opera recordings. Dano Raffanti turns in a strong performance as Capellio. Interestingly, he can also be heard on disc in the Muti/Baltsa recording of Bellini's version of the opera.The overall production is remarkably good. The orchestra and chorus turn in a disciplined and well modulated performance. The sound and balance both among the voices and between them and the orchestra is excellent. The conductor brings out the pathos as well as the beauty of the work in moving fashion. Though an audience was present, it is not obtrusive. The libretto and booklet are adequate, though one would have liked more information about which version is being recorded and the occasion on which the recording was made. All in all, Bongiovanni has come up with a set which is well up to the standards of the very best record companies. I enjoyed this work, and can recommend it without hesitation."

Romeo and Juliet revisited

dwadefoley | New York, New York United States | 05/11/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first modern revival of Vaccai's (or Vaccaj) Giulietta e Romeo, and this recording of that event, are exciting on many levels. First, this is the first of Nicola Vaccai's operas to be resuscitated in modern times, and represents our only opportunity thus far to hear and evaluate the music of this once-celebrated composer. Secondly, it is another exciting glimpse of the latter 1820's, a fascinating and until recently unexplored territory in Italian opera. The operatic titan Rossini, to whom almost all well-known composers in Italy had looked for inspiration, sought other venues in Europe to perform his operas after 1823. This left the field open to young contenders such as Meyerbeer, Pacini, Coccia, Mercadante, as well as the soon-to-be giants Bellini and Donizetti. Recent revivals of the operas of some of these now-obscure composers has revealed a surprising fact: That Bellini and Donizetti's musical styles had been anticipated some years before either of them had achieved fame and fortune. Vaccai's Giulietta e Romeo is one work that admirably illustrates this point. Giulietta e Romeo abounds in flowing, lyrical melody in the romantic vein of Bellini. An aria for Lady Capulet (here called Adele) is just the sort of sad, wilting tune that composer is known for. Two beautiful duets for Giulietta and Romeo (cast as a soprano and mezzo-soprano) are both moving and full of pathos. Also forward-looking is the slow movement of Giulietta's final aria, in which she imagines the voice of the now dead Romeo echoing through the tomb. An lovely elegiac female chorus opens the final scene, and anticipates similarly placed choral numbers in Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, and other tragedies of the 1830s. Nevertheless, Giulietta e Romeo is recognizably a product of an earlier school than the aforementioned works. Many passages actually do sound Rossinian, and some even have a more Germanic sound, as if they had been cobbled together out of operas by Mozart and Mayr. Some rather long and drab passages of recitative (many with piano accompaniment) serve to slow the action, but the same can be said for the operas of Rossini. None of this should discourage the bel canto enthusiast from purchasing this set, though, for the opera is enjoyable in its own right and the first act duet "Oh quante volte" for the star-crossed couple is worth the price of the entire set. The singers are more than adequate. Tenor Dano Raffanti is of course well-known as an interpreter of Rossini, and he executes a highly florid and exciting aria with his usual panache. The real stars are Paula Almerares as Giulietta and Maria Jose Trullu as Romeo, though. Both have lovely voices and milk Vaccai's notes for all they are worth. Trullu's voice is almost too beautiful to be believable as male, and one would wish for a mezzo with a more masculine sound (such as Della Jones) in a perfect world. Almerares has the kind of pure and innocent sound that is perfect for the hapless Giulietta. There is an Italian-English libretto with an essay included. The English translations of these are often too literal, and sometimes wrong, but this should cause no serious difficulty for the listener, who might even get an occasional chuckle out of it. An enjoyable recording, and one that piques our curiousity about later Vaccai operas such as Giovanna Grey (Jane Grey) and Marco Visconti."