Search - Gioachino Rossini, Nino Sanzogno, Alvino Misciano :: Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri

Berganza in her early prime on this great bargain recording

Yuri | 12/16/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This live radio broadcast in very good sound catches Berganza in her early prime(she was only in her early twenties at the time of this recording)she possesses a rich,alluring voice and her range and agility are breathtaking,shown to wonderful effect in"pensa alla patria",her technique coupled with her feminine appeal make her ideal in this role and this recording finds her in fresher voice than her later studio recording. The Lindoro,Misciano has a pleasing light tenor voice which is very easy on the ear without effacing memories of Alva or Lopardo in later versions,Mario Petri as Mustafa is very adept in the comedy of the role singing with gusto and Bruscantini shows his vocal mastery in the part of Taddeo,the rest of the cast,chorus and orchestra get into the fun of this comic opera making it a very enjoyable bargain worthy of anyones money"

Excellent live broadcast "L'Italiana in Algeri"

L. E. Cantrell | Vancouver, British Columbia Canada | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Source: Live 1969 broadcast from RAI Milan.



Sound: Fair to good mono.



Cast: Isabella - Teresa Berganza; Taddeo - Sesto Bruscantini; Lindoro - Alvino Misciano; Mustafa - Mario Petri; Elvira - Rena Gary-Falachi; Haly - Valerio Meucci; Zulma - Vittoria Palombini. RAI Symphony and Chorus of Milan conducted by Nino Sanzogno.



Documentation: No libretto. Short summary of the plot. Track list identifies the major principals singing but does not give timings.



In May of 1813 while Napoleon, recently returned from a long visit to the east, was assembling a ragtag army on the River Elbe in the hope of keeping his former hosts from visiting Paris, the twenty-one year-old Rossini was writing what would turn out to be a hit comedy.



The libretto was old and had been used at least once before, but such things were of little consequence to a hard working young man who could grind out an opera in eighteen days (as he so liked to boast.) The plot is an airy nothing. The handling is everything, and very nicely done it is. It is pure Italian comedy. The only touches of exoticism are a few bars of music ripped off from "The Abduction from the Seraglio" which Mozart, in turn, might have quoted from an authentic Turkish march. It is all the lightest of froth, especially the utterly mad and absolutely delightful first act finale.



Teresa Berganza is superb--of course! Sesto Bruscantini is one of the those consummate old pros who are now all too rare in the opera world. The tenor, Misciano, chooses to use head voice more often than suits my personal taste, but he makes a very pleasing sound and he amply demonstrates that he can carry a full sound right up to the top whenever he wants. The rest of the cast is very good. The conducting and the orchestral playing efficiently get the job done.



On the whole, I think it unlikely that you will find a significantly better performance than this one. On that basis, I give it five stars. (Audiophiles who suffer the vapors when offered anything but leading-edge digital stereo that was recorded less than a week ago, feel free to downgrade that rating as you see fit.)



NOTE: Opera d'Oro has another recording of "L'Italiana" with Marilyn Horne, Luigi Alva and Claudio Abbado. The performance is OK but the recording quality is abominable. Avoid that one unless you are a driven collector."