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Vincenzo Bellini, Ettore Gracis, Fenice Theater Orchestra
Bellini: La Straniera
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
1. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Voga, voga, il vento tace
2. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Né alcun ritorna?... Ah! Se non m'ami più
3. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Giovin rosa, il vergin seno
4. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Oh tu, che sai gli spastimi
5. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. È sgombro il loco
6. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Qual suon!... Ah!... Essa è Alaida
7. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. In queste soglie, sciagurato, che cerchi?
8. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Ah! M'odi: io t'offesi, è vero, è vero
9. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Ah! Se tu vuoi fuggir il mondo
10. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Odi... qual suon!... Si adunano i cacciatori intorno
11. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Campo ai vehti... il cervo è uscito
12. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Ti trovo alfin
13. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Eccola... Cielo!
14. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. No: non ti son rivale
15. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Che mai penso?
Track Listings (14) - Disc #2
1. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Ah! Non partir
2. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Qual rumor! Chi vegg'io?
3. La Straniera, opera: Act 1. Un grido io sento
4. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Udimmo. Il tuo racconto avvalora i sospetti
5. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Ti appressa e il ver rispondi
6. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Sì, li sciogliete, o giudici
7. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Meco tu vieni, o misera
8. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. A tempo io giungo
9. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Sulla salma del fratello
10. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. È dolce la vergine
11. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Che far vuoi tu?
12. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Sono all'ara... Ciel pietoso
13. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Pari all'amor degli angioli
14. La Straniera, opera: Act 2. Or sei pago, o ciel tremendo

CD Details

All Artists: Vincenzo Bellini, Ettore Gracis, Fenice Theater Orchestra, Orchestra del Teatro la Fenice, Beniamino Prior, Domenico Trimarchi, Elena Zilio, Florindo Andreolli, Francesco Signor, Maurizio Mazzieri, Renata Scotto
Title: Bellini: La Straniera
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Opera D'oro
Original Release Date: 1/1/2006
Re-Release Date: 10/17/2006
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 723721237158

Synopsis

Album Description

La straniera (The Foreigner) had a triumphant premiere on February 14, 1829 at La Scala, Milan. Bellini wrote to his librettist Felice Romani that the audience was enthusiastic "beyond belief," and that the success surpassed that of Il pirata (in October, 1827) by far. One of the singers reported the audience reaction so rapturous that "it seemed like a revolution". Nevertheless, by the late nineteenth century La straniera had been all but forgotten Throughout most of the twentieth century, it was one of Bellini?s least-known works, seldom heard until the recent revival of interest in the early bel canto type of opera. Opinion of the opera has been steadily rising as more is understood about its requirements, and better performances are heard. La straniera was Bellini?s fourth opera (second with the admired librettist Romani), and along with Il pirata is generally taken to mark the beginning of full-blown Romanticism in Italian opera, its passionate music matching the sensational incidents of the plot. Of the great sopranos of her era, Renata Scotto was the acknowledged expert on the music of Bellini, whose intimate lyricism suited her perfectly, and her tremendous performances in La straniera were crucial to reviving interest in it. This live performance from Venice in 1970 preserves a historic moment in the revival of Bellini?s operas.

CD Reviews

THE BEST STRANIERA

OperaLover | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 01/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Renata Scotto must be credited by almost single handedly reviving this opera, having performed this opera in three productions specially mounted for her: Palermo in 1968, Venice in 1970, and Edinburgh in 1972. The last time this opera had been produced was in 1954, before that in 1935 with Gina Gigna. Callas, Gencer, Sutherland, etc. never got around to Straniera, although Callas famously was studying the score when she first met Onassis. Scotto should be credited not only for championing Straniera but also for singing Capuletti all over the world. In my opinion, she was for Bellini what Gencer was for Donizetti. There are now, gratefully, sound documents of all three of these productions with Scotto. By far, this in-house recording from La Fenice in Venice is the best of the three. She is in stunning voice, avoiding almost all squalliness, executing trills and effortless coloratura. Quite significantly she nails the final C# in the final cabaletta, capping this triumphant performance in a way that alluded her in some other performances. [Note that Caballe doesn't attempt this interpolated note in her performance.] We are lucky indeed that we have the opportunity to compare Scotto with Caballe's concert performance with the American Opera Society in NYC in 1969. As one would expect from these two great artists in their prime, Caballe is consistently beautiful and far from placid. Moreover, she embellishes the second verse of the the cabaletta in the great final scene. One can appreciate Caballe's spectacular instrument as always, but to hear Scotto rip into that final cabaletta as if her life depended on it is a thrill completely unlike Caballe. The difference is not just one of temperament but also of Scotto's incomparable gift of melding the text to the music. Surely both artists leave important documents of their Straniera, but it was Scotto, in the theater, who paved the way for other performances by Suliotis, Stapp, Aliberti, Fleming and, finally, the first studio recording on Opera Rara with Patrizia Ciofi."