Search - Cinderella - Rossini / Australian Opera on DVD

Recommended

Patrick Boyle | Oakland, CA USA | 02/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent Cenerentola, not perfect but excellent none the less. Let me go through the singers one by one.

Araiza was one of the world'd best in this sort of role at this period in his career. He has at least three versions on disk. He has beauty of voice, range, color and muscianship.

He has always been criticized for over separating the notes in the passage work. Some hear this as aspirations. He does sing all the notes but some people think he cheats by injecting the little breaths. Bartoli (a Cinderella) is also sometimes criticized for aspirations.

Personally I think its a valid artistic choice. It certainly isn't easier to sing that way. In fact it takes more breath and support to articulate each note even with an aspirate. It certainly is superior to smearing.

Araiza is vastly better than Matteuezzi on the Bartoli CD. I'm very fond of Ugo Benelli in this role but Araiza has much more voice. Gimenez also has less voice and its not as pretty either. My favorite Ramiro is probably Rockwell Blake from the early NY City Opera performance in English. At that time his voice was still beautiful, he was handsom, a super actor, and he interpolated notes above high C.

Ariaza is not very good looking. He acts well enough but he is not very credible as a romantic lover.

Ann Murray is adequate without ever being more. She is also not that attractive. She looks tired. She is not ever bad but she is the least effective of the many fine recorded Cenerentolas. Those include: Bartoli, Baltsa, Larmore, Von Stade, Berganza, etc.

There are three bass parts in Cenerentola: Dandini, Alidoro and Don Magnifico. Many Rossini specialists sing all three bass parts. Simone Alaimo and Alesandro Corbelli on other recordings will sing Dandini as well as Magnifico or Alidoro.

The Dandini here is Gino Quilico and he's wonderful. He's actually funny and dashing and sings very well indeed. Only Alan Titus is his equal on recordings.

Walter Berry is an unusual choice for Magnifico. He is quite nasty and brutal. The original Grimm Brothers tale is very dark and Berry brings some of that out. Often this part is done as a clown which robs the drama of the danger needed for the clemency in the final scene to have some point.

The Alidoro - Schone - on this recording is more of a baritone or bass-baritone rather than the low bass usually heard. On one of the CDs the Alidoro is Ugo Trama with his deep, black voice. of course the trade-off is that Trama can't really sing the notes. Schone gets to do almost all of the great aria "La Del Ceil" and he does a superb job with it. Rossini wrote Cenerentola in only three weeks. He originally gave Alidoro a simpler aria "Vasto Theatro". Later he composed the long and very difficult "La Del Ceil". Most productions cut it because so few basses can sing it. It's good to hear it here. Schone is a bit better than John Del Carlo and not quite as good as Michele Pertusi.

The ugly step sisters are good if not outstanding. No one can match Gianna Rolandi on the NY City recording if only because she gets a huge solo aria not heard elsewhere.

The production is very fine. A nearly monotone unitary set is used throughout. It sounds dull but is in fact elegant. Dandini's entrance is very effective with him sliding in on a big wooden horse.

Cenerentola is best comic opera. Everyone should have at least one recording. This is a good one. Recommended.


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