Search - Riccardo Zandonai, Eve Queler, Raina Kabaivanska :: Francesca Da Rimini

Challenge worth the effort.

Greeta K. Brown | Anchorage, AK USA | 06/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unless the listener has seen this Zondonai masterpiece, on stage, or on film, this will be a difficult audio experience. There are few haunting melodies, the types one loves so in the operas of Puccini or Cilea. Zondanai is a 20th Century composer, and an innovator of operatic score. It is important to know the medieval story well. This is the story of two families decsribed in lurid and damning words by Dante in his "Inferno" of the Divine Comedy. It is fitting then, that Zondanai employs a modal sound in harmony, recitative, and brief melodic phrases. Opera critics write that Raina Kabaivanska is magnificent as Francesca. This titled "Queen of opera melodrams," brings Francesca da Rimini to life, to the extent that such is possible in audio only. Her extraordinary talents are well met by Placido Domingo as the love of her heart, Paulo, the handsome. It is a pity their great acting abilities cannot be seen here. Merely listening to this CD, without benefit of sight, will be a challenge worth taking. For those who know the opera well, it will be a great joy. For those, then, I give the recording 5 stars. G.K. Brown, DMA, Prof. of Music (Ret.)"