Interpreti: Hanna Schaer (Alto); Richard Troxell (Tenor); Richard Rittelmann (Baritone); Franck Ferrari (Baritone); Nicolas Rivenq (Baritone); Roberto Alagna (Tenor); Marc Barrard (Baritone)
Dirijor: Marco Guidarini
Orchestra: Montpelier Symphony Orchestra
Perioada: 20th Century
Gen: Opera / Opereta
Scris: 1933-1935
Limba: Franceza
Inregistrat: Live
Picture Format: 16:9 Widescreen
Sunet: DTS Dolby 5.1 Surround, PCM Stereo
Directors and set designer: David Alagna & Fr?d?rico Alagna
Marca: Deutsche Grammophon
"He is out-and-out magnificent: warm and tender, ardent and elegiac, with beautiful high notes, impeccable phrasing and singing of a perfect intelligibility"Le Monde
This, of course, is a "must-have" disc for the opera completist, a work now very much neglected by a composer known best for his completion of Puccini's Turandot. This disc makes a great case for the this work's re-appearance on world stages. While perhaps not brilliant, there are lovely moments in Alfano's score (the balcony scene and final duet in particular), and is lushly orchestrated.
This Montpellier production is handsome, well-staged and theatrically involving. Alagna really triumphs in the title role, turning in a performance musically thrilling and theatrically mature - perhaps the best I've seen him do. Supporting cast is in a second league, perhaps, but all more than servicable (I'm less enthusiastic about Manfrino's Roxanne my colleague below).
Technical aspects are all superb.