Search - Gioachino Rossini, Riccardo Chailly, National Philharmonic Orchestra London :: Rossini - Il Turco in Italia / Caballé · Dara · Nucci · Barbacini · Ramey · Barbié · Chailly

A must have!

Rogerio Augusto | Brazil, South America | 05/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording, from 1982, has the famous and spectacular soprano Montserrat Caballe(as Donna Fiorilla), the main star of this recording. Caballe, as always, doesn't have a, say, perfect Italian accent but her performance is extraordinary, she was in her better days, doing an excellent job and accomplishing a perfect interpretation with her unmistakable voice. It is also worth to highlight the basses Enzo Dara(Don Geronio) and Samuel Ramey(Selim), both possessing an incredible comicality in their arias. The tenor Ernesto Palacio(Don Narciso), besides his brilliant voice, has a very beautiful Italian accent, very gallant. The recitative, accompanied by piano is in general a little monotonous as almost all opera recitatives, but very limpid and very well spoken. The part of the choirs is very well served by Ambrosian Opera Chorus, that is a great show by itself, with agile and vibrant voices in a perfect interaction with the main cast. Riccardo Chailly's excellent conduction of National Philarmonic Orchestra is added all this, that is perfect, seeming that he got to understand the way that Rossini wanted this opera should be presented. The sound quality is very good, very well recorded and very clean: digital recording, despite the year(1982).Well, this is an excellent recording of this opera, that is good either to check Caballe's voice in one of her top carreer moments or just to know the elegant comicality of Rossini's in an excellent recording with amazing performances. Five stars easy."

Nearly the best Turco (like every recordings)

Reynaldo Pulido | Caracas, Venezuela | 10/25/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This record is the second one (in studio) and the first one done after the Mrs. Bent critical edition. The cuts are opened and some pieces are treated more carefully. If you want to judge the singers and the personality of the character, the Gavazzeni recording hasn't got rivals. Callas has a better accent, Sumi Jo seems to be fragil and Bartoli a little misplaced in the tessitura. Our Fiorilla (Caball) shines in dramatic moments and give us her famous pianos. She sounds as young as Fiorilla must be, but sometimes heavier than the role idea. The rest of the cast is superb, including the minor roles of Zaida (Berbi) and Albazar (Barbacini), who is prized with the Aria del Sorbetto that was not written by Rossini. Since the opera has more ensembles than arias is difficult to appreciate the power of singers as individual character, so the duets are the places where Ramey, Caball and Dara shows their skills. The numbers are sung in the "come scritto" way with some accepted variations: in this point the Gavazzeni's cast does sings with some variations (in the little uncut numbers) and doing the codas with a sharp tune. I think i have to buy the four studio recordings- i have three: Marriner, Gavazzeni and this one. Next year i'll buy the Bartoli rec. and Marrocu one."

The best portrait

Reynaldo Pulido | 02/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I consider this recording not the best of all available ones, but the best PORTRAIT of full edition of Turco, with Rossini in main role. Younger Chailly's version on Decca is a modern INTERPRETATION of this oper, more sophisticated, more vividly coducted, but Bartoli is too much special personality in author's carefuly balanced team and her tessitura cancels grotesque effect with changing of two women. More: Vargas is not the real idiomatic Rossinian tenor. Philips vesion is very good, but Sumi Jo sounds too much fragile as primadonna "capricciosa".
Both ladies in present recording are about 50 (Barbie originaly mezzo!) but in fresh voice and secure coloratura. One fault only: first disc ends in the middle of Act 1 finale."