Gioachino Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri (Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2006)

A brilliant performance! And a must for my collection of Rossini productions. I am a fan of bel canto singing, and Maxim Mironov is a 'Master'.

Ich will hier keinen Roman schreiben und Ihnen viel Zeit rauben, die Sie besser mit dieser herrlichen Inszenierung verbringen könnten. Eine der schönsten und ungewöhnlichsten Opern Rossinis mit hervorragender Besetzung, einem großartigen Orchester und das alles in perfekter Qualität aufgenommen. Kaufen, genießen und den zweiten Schritt immer wieder wiederholen!

This live 2006 performance of Rossini's comic opera from the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence had a youthful, exuberant cast, whose voices were a good blend. If I had to choose a standout, it would be Maxim Mironov's Lindoro. He has a clear, sweet tenor with a fast vibrato and physically, he was a perfect fit for this role. Dutch mezzo, Christianne Stotijn was also in fine voice although her main expression seemed to be a smirk. Her first aria, "Cruda sorte! Amor Tiranno!" was effortlessly sung even though she was surrounded by hands-on pirates. However there was no real contrast between the beginning of the aria, when she's supposed to be down in the dumps, and the latter part, where she is asserting her dominance over the pawing pirates. Taddeo (Giorgio Caoduro) possessed a voice that cut right through the sometimes overly-loud orchestration. For a change, he was a youthful ciscebo--looking in fact, like a young Gioacchino Rossini. Italian bass, Marco Vinco was an appealing Mustafà, who actually sang the role rather well. He performed his share of clowning and mugging with a sort of naïve enthusiasm that I found quite endearing. He did all of his threatening and blustering from the top of the three-story lighthouse-shaped structure that served as the production's only backdrop/prop, but no one seemed really frightened of him. The eunuchs, sung by the Arnold Schönberg choir had obviously been trained by the Monty Python Department of Funny Walks. They waddled about the lighthouse-structure, looking impossibly cute with their bare chests and little Santa Claus hats. Two of the minor roles--Elvira, sung by soprano Elisaveta Martirosyan, and Haly, sung by baritone Ruben Drole--were minor gems, both well-characterized and vocally spirited. I especially liked Haly's delivery of "Le femmine d'Italia" (that tired old chestnut which was NOT composed by Rossini), where he dashes down into the audience and directs his aria to various individuals. The camera work was off-kilter, sometimes focusing on a character who wasn't even singing. The person behind the camera seemed to be especially fond of Zulma. We got to watch the conductor of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Riccardo Frizza through the whole of the overture, and at times beyond. It was a wonderful lesson in musical dynamics. The English subtitles were at times clunky, but they also delivered up some fresh interpretations, e.g. Isabella's taunt directed at Taddeo, "Better a Turk than a jerk."

Je cherchais (et cherche toujours) la version de l'Italiana in Algeri, production du Teatro del Liceu avec Luca Pisaroni, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Sara Blanch, de Décembre 2018, introuvable sur support DVD ou BluRay. J'ai acheté à la place cette version en DVD, production de 2006. L'image est passée, la prise de son est très moyenne. Le Bluray nous a mal habitué. La mise en scène :on aime ou n'aime pas.... Le côté bouffe trop appuyé du personnage de Mustafa (Marco Vinco) confine au ridicule. Christiane Stotijn en Isabella permet de sauver les meubles. Dommage

Presumably anyone reading this is in the market to buy, and my comments are aimed at those who do not already own a copy of this opera. My advice? Buy the Metropolitan Opera's production with Marilyn Horne. This should be your second or even third choice. Under no circumstances could I give this more than a 3.5 rating. At only 21, Maxim Miranov as Lindoro is cute as a button with a sweet, underpowered tenor, most noticeable when he sings with more developed voices. Christianne Stotun is credible, but can't hold a candle to the power and skills of Marilyn Horne's rich mezzo and indomitable personality, She appears to be more Lindoro's older sister, not lover. Giorgio Caroduro is a young Taddeo, adding to the mirth in trying to pass as Isabella's uncle. Marco Vinco is good enough as Mustafá, a role that doesn't call for much either in singing or acting. The best that can be said about the unit set is that it is functional, appearing to have been constructed on a low budget. The shirtless eunuchs and pirates may add some visual appeal, as does Lindoro's slave costume, but that's a small consideration in view of what is after about music and performance. The orchestra and conducting inevitably suffer by comparison to the Met's orchestra under James Levine. This DVD should definitely not be a consideration for first time buyers of this silly but wonderful confection.

Excellent Production and singing. Very enjoyable