Search - Rossini - Il Turco in Italia / Bartoli, Raimondi, Macias, Rumetz, Schmid, Welser-Most, Zurich Opera on DVD

An overlooked Rossini that young people should love

Toni Bernhard | Davis, CA United States | 10/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Il Turco in Italia is much less well-known than Rossini's L'Italiana in Algieri, but I like it better. It feels so contemporary, with a plot revolving around marital difficulties. The short three-part arias are an inventive break from the usual opera format, making Il Turco particularly accessible to newcomers to the art form. The entire cast is superb, led by Cecilia Bartoli whose coloratura is crystal clear and sparkling. And she has great comedic timing.

This would be a wonderful opera for young people. The energetic cast are all having a great time onstage. The costumes and sets are a feast for the eyes, so colorful and creative. It has a zany plot, short arias and ensemble pieces, quite a bit of slapstick, and a nice little moral at the end ("Slight is the error if afterwards love is reborn").

Teenagers, in particular, will appreciate the humor that comes from the ingenious "play within a play" plot device where the character of the poet is writing the opera as it's taking place. As a result, we get scenes where the players don't know where to stand and the poet is frantically trying to position them on the stage, and scenes where the poet is frustrated because he can't get the players (and even the conductor) to do what he wants. At one point the players are so unhappy with the way the plot is going that they beat up on the poor poet!

The DVD comes with a booklet that discusses Il Turco in general, this production in particular, and provides a comprehensive plot summary. I have a great time whenever I watch this gem."

Excelent

Guillermo Morin | El Ocotillo, Colima, Mexico | 03/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very good presentation with the enchantement of the great soprano Bartoli. A beautiful exprerience."