Search - Massimiliano Fichera, Pietro Mascagni, Susanna Pescetti :: Mascagni: In filanda

INTERESTING EARLY MASCAGNI

Alfredo R. Villanueva | New York, NY United States | 01/03/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"FROM THE INFORMATIVE LINER NOTES, WE FIND OUT THAT THIS CANTATA, WRITTEN WHEN MASCAGNI WAS ONLY 17, WAS LATER RECYCLED BY HIM INTO THE 1932 "PINETTA". HOWEVER, IT IS QUITE ASTONISHING TO HEAR IN THE YOUTHFUL WORK THE BEAUTIFUL, CAREFUL ORCHESTRATION OF THE COMPOSER'S LATER WORKS. IN REALITY, IT SHOULD BE CALLED A CONCERT OPERA.

THIS LIVE RECORDING DATES FROM 2003, SO THE SOUND IS VERY GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SINGING LEAVES A BIT TO BE DESIRED, PARTICULARLY THE SOPRANO, ROSELLA REDIOGLIA, WHO MADE SOUNDS QUITE PAINFUL TO MY EARS. ANTONIO DI PALMA HAS A STENTOREAN, UNSBUTLE TENOR VOICE HE USES IN WHAT HE THINKS IS VERISMO STYLE. MASSIMILIANO FISCHERA IS A CAPABLE BARITONE.

BUT THE MUSIC ITSELF SAVES THE RECORDING. IT SHOWS HOW INDEED THE CHILD IS THE FATHER OF THE MAN. I GIVE THE SINGING 3 STARS AND THE MUSIC 4 STARS."