Search - Raul Gimenez, Iano Tamar, Nicolas Rivenq :: Pacini - L'ultimo giorno di Pompei / Giménez, Tamar, Rivenq, Bonfatti, S. Lee, Carella

A bel canto gem restored...

B. Cathey | Wendell, NC United States | 10/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 19th century Italian composer Giovanni Pacini, who for about thirty years (1820-1850), was considered on a par with Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and even early Verdi, is sadly little known today. Yet, some recent revivals of his operas (at Wexford, at Martina Franca, by Opera Rara, by Marco Polo) indicate that his relative obscurity is by no means deserved. His acknowledged masterpiece, SAFFO, was actually performed a bit more frequently than his other works, enjoying notable revivals in 1911 (by the great Eugenia Burzio), again in 1939, in 1967 by Leyla Gencer (in Naples), and more recently at the Wexford Festival (with a fine Marco Polo recording), and with performances by Montserrat Caballe (Barcelona, Vienna) and Adelaide Negri.



SAFFO was written in Pacini's "second" period (ca.1840) and clearly points ahead to the developed characterizations, simplification of the vocal lines, etc. that we see in mature Verdi. But Pacini wrote numerous operas (prior to 1835) that are archetypally "bel canto," two of which have seen excellent recordings of late: Opera Rara's CARLO DI BORGOGNA (which failed abjectly when premiered, but, with the Opera Rara recording at hand, certainly didn't deserve that fate!). But perhaps more interesting is L'ULTIMO GIORNO DI POMPEI, which was produced with great success in August 1996 as part of the Festival della Valle d'Itria di Martina Franca. In just about every way this production, a performance of which is now available (in excellent sound, with good notes and bi-lingual libretto) on the adventurous Dynamic label, is excellent--a model of a commercial "live" recording.



First, there is the opera itself. It was Pacini's most popular (and very likely best) work of his "first" period. At times it sounds like very fine Rossini, at other moments it rivals some of the best Donizetti.... But Pacini is not a simple imitator. At times he demonstrates a distinctive--and very beautiful---voice of his own; he was, after all, called "the maestro of the cabaletta." Just consider what happens in Act II, for instance, the scena and aria for Appio, "O mio crudele affetto," or the funereal march (a la Spontini??) "Oh sventurata Ottavia" that precedes Ottavia's "gran scena." Her memorable aria "Su questa man concedi" is comparable to some of the finest pages of late Donizetti. What is interesting, however, is that Pacini, in a way looking forward into the future, moves this "finale" along with fascinating touches, integrating the famous eruption of Mt. Vesuvius as a real player into the action. The ending is like nothing else from that time period (1825), and one can fully understand why the work kept audiences enraptured! In Act I there is a gorgeous extended duet, where Pacini precedes Bellini in employing the graceful legato line. Of course, there are definite numbers that DO sound like Rossini or Donizetti, but then, there is also something much more here.



And the cast? Well, it is definitely world-class: Raul Gimenez, the Appio here, is superb. He has the right creamy lyrical voice, with some fine head tones, and can rise to the high challenges that the score demands. No squeally voice here! Not another tight voiced "tenorino"....No, Gimenez is the real thing, and his assumption of the role of Appio proves it amply. Iano Tamar, who has recorded a SEMIRAMIDE I think, is equally fine, capable of both the vocal fireworks demanded at times, but also of the deepening dramatic aspects of the score, especially in her "gran scena" at the end of Act II. The rest of the cast...Nicolas Rivenq (Sallustio), Gregory Bonfatti (Pubblio), and Sonia Lee (Menenio) are uniformly good to very good.



Giuliano Carella leads the well-schooled orchestra of the Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania.



In sum, if you love Italian opera, if you love Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, and early Verdi, then you really need to sample this work. Like me, I think you'll be going back for a second, a third, and more auditions....L'ULTIMO GIORNO DI POMPEI is certainly worth it."

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Andrea Moreno | Syracuse, NY United States | 08/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD only to add to my collection of Nicolas Rivenq -- I don't much care for 19th century opera -- but I love this record. Tenor Raul Gimenez pulls off the difficulties of Appio with great panache, hitting one of the scariest high notes I've ever heard in his Act I aria. I find Gregory Bonfatti's voice rather unpleasant, but he is compelling as co-conspirator Pubblio. A couple of smaller parts, tenor Fausto and mezzo Menenio, are sung by interesting and distinctive voices. Rivenq and soprano Iano Tamar, a couple of warm, flexible singers, sound great together but Tamar's diction is annoyingly unclear -- my only serious complaint. A bit of Sallustio sounds too low for Rivenq and in a couple of places it sounds like the scenery is falling down, but I will cheerfully overlook these blemishes. Carella conducts with energy and sensitivity, and the chorus of Octavia's maids is supernaturally sweet. Conductor and singers seem to understand eachother very well. A great performance."

A real treasure

John Cragg | Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada | 05/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pacini is not exactly a household name, even among opera lovers. The principals, including the conductor, orchestra and chorus, of this production are equally obscure. It therefore comes as a delightful surprise that this is a first rate production. It is an interesting work of the Bel Canto period, with a range of vocal gems here very well executed. The conducting is first-rate and the orchestra and chorus, which play major roles, are very good. The recording is not at all bad for a live recording, though at times stage noise does intrude -- but what else would you expect if Vesuvius is to blow up! All together a very pleasant work, much better executed than many performances I have of works by more celebrated composers with artists of much larger reputation."