Search - Ruggero Leoncavallo, Silvano Frontalini, Lisa Houben :: Leoncavallo: Zazà

A lovely recording.

Nigel Witham-Jones | London, England | 06/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At last, a recording of Leoncavallo's Zaza! Lisa Houben is wonderful in the title role and leads a strong cast of mostly Italian singers. The Rome Philharmonic lends good support. Silvano Frontalini conducts this performance



While so little information exists about the singers of this recording, there is some information about the orchestra that can be found. The Rome Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the four orchestras of Rome and one of only 27 orchestras throughout Italy. From 1996-2001, under the strong and charismatic leadership of its first conductor, Alexander Frey, the Rome Philharmonic became known for its beautiful sound and precision. The RPO represented the "Eternal City" as an international ambassador performing the world's finest orchestral literature. It promoted the richness of Italian musical art and culture by featuring artists of the operatic stage, advancing performance artistry and scholarship, and creating an archival legacy through its recordings of earlier operas and orchestral music. The Philharmonic impacts its audiences through concerts, festivals, education and special programs, serving people in the local community, as well as nationally and internationally. In Rome, the Orchestra has performed in some of the most extraordinary and exquisite buildings and settings of architectural splendor, including the Rome Auditorium "Pio" in Via della Conciliazione, in Navona Square, and Teatro Olimpico. Additionally, the Orchestra has toured throughout Italy, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Austria and Croatia.



"

Very worthwhile....

Nancy Eckert | Bellefontaine, OH USA | 05/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Very worthwhile... sounds a bit left-handed in that it appears to lack enthusiasm. Well, this is not grand opera, nor does it pretend to be and it IS very worthwhile. Aside from a verismo plot which at times seems a bit complicated (hey! it's opera), there are some pretty good tunes. Not everyone is up to the job of singing, in particular Sergio Panajia who is the Milio Dufresne and tenore numero uno and should be better than he is. Moving on, the liner notes by someone named Piero Mioli, are excellent and add much to the understanding and enjoyment of the opera. I would very much like to see a video, but I'm sure that's not going to happen. The best production is the one that's $100 - I'm not going there."