People-watching in a hotel lobby recalls the comedic scenarios of Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, where stranded characters create amusing situations. The plot of the opera, the first that the composer wrote for Paris, is exceedingly flimsy: a group of distinguished European guests are attempting to reach Reims to attend the coronation but find themselves stranded at the spa resort Il Giglio d’Oro because they cannot procure horses for their carriages. Director Barrie Kosky leverages the opera’s minimal action to invent new stories, with the guests speaking of “La Ceci” instead of “Re Carlo” when referring to the protagonist Cecilia Bartoli (Corinna, the self-aware poetess). She leads a cast that brings together some of the finest Rossinian singers of today. Edgardo Rocha as the comedic Cavalier Belfiore, Mélissa Petit as the talented Contessa di Folleville, and Marina Viotti as the femme fatale Marchesa Melibea. These performers deliver humorous and emotionally rich performances, an international parade of characters caught in a web of sympathies and antipathies, flirting and jealousy, enthusiasm and vanity, ideals and eccentricities… Conductor Gianluca Capuano, leading Les Musiciens du Prince– Monaco, captures Rossini’ s style with a transparent sound and rhythmic vitality, with the use of period instruments deeply enriching the performance.
L’Italiana in Algeri
“The role of Isabella is sung to perfection by Cecilia Bartoli – a clever, independent woman with an adventurous streak” (New York Times). Bartoli’s superb performance in Gioachino Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) at Salzburg Festival, directed by the BAFTA-winning stage director duo Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, is a highlight among the Rossini celebrations on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death. The DVD captures Bartoli’s excellent performance in a rare audiovisual recording of the Italian superstar, who is one of the most successful opera singers of our time. In this vibrant comedy, every look, every hand gesture brings Isabella to life: Bartoli presents the spirited Italian woman with fire, finesse and extraordinary acting abilities – “a Rossini masterclass” (Bachtrack). Her Isabella is a strong, independent woman who has no intentions of accepting the advances of the powerful Mustafà. In the staging by Leiser/Caurier, which plays with preconceived notions about clashing cultures, Mustafà is no longer an Ottoman bey, but a kind of local gangster who smuggles electronics at the port of modern-day Algiers. In the colourful sets of Christian Fenouillat, Ildar Abdrazakov sings the leering macho, looking for a love affair with the beautiful Italian, with delight and “great comic talent” (Salzburger Nachrichten). Edgardo Rocha’s bright tenor climbs up without effort, making his performance as Isabella’s lover Lindoro flowing and highly emotional. The conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi, showing sensitivity to the intricacies and sparkle of Rossini’s score, leads the excellent Ensemble Matheus in a “beguiling performance” (The New York Times).
Salzburg Festival 2018: L’Italiana in Algeri
What happens when a powerful man makes moves on a strong, independent woman who has no intention of accepting his advances? And how are things further complicated if he is Middle Eastern and she is Western and their cultures fundamentally clash? Find the answers in Moshe Leiser’s & Patrice Caurier’s colourful production of “L’Italiana in Algeri” with Cecilia Bartoli in the title role of the spirited Isabella.”The role of Isabella is sung to perfection by Cecilia Bartoli – a clever, independent woman with an adventurous streak”. (The New York Times)
Cimarosa, Il matrimonio segreto
The opera buffa “Il matrimonio segreto” (1792) is the only one of Domenico Cimarosa’s (1749-1801) 65 operas to still be regularly performed today. This is largely due to its remarkably original music, which is located stylistically between Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti, and anticipates the romantic era. The 18th century turns punk in this production that combines Baroque and Bad-Boy. The director of the often eye-popping staging is iconic Italian pop musician and TV personality Marco Castoldi, a.k.a. Morgan, who stresses the surprising modernity of the subject and underlines its timelessness.