Search - Gioachino Rossini, Marc Minkowski, Le Concert des Tuileries :: Rossini - L'inganno felice / Massis, Giménez, Gilfry, Spagnoli, Regazzo; Minkowski

A Tuneful Comedy

Halvor | United States | 08/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An interesting plot and glorious music combined to make this opera a success in its day and a very stageable work today. There are only five soloists and no chorus. The orchestra in our recording play on original instruments, bringing out subtleties that a modern large orchestra just cannot bring across. It is unfortunate, however, that a harpsichord was used to accompany the secco recitative. A forte-piano should have been utilized. As for the soloists, Annick Massis sings very lyrically and handles the tessitura very well. She can sing coloratura flawlessly. The same cannot be said for tenor Raul Gimenez. Despite a good sense of line and beauty of tone, his coloratura turns nasal and is somewhat muddy. The other three male singers are excellent in their roles except for some interpolated high notes which are not stylistically accurate and also do not sound good. There are notes and a libretto in English with this Erato set. If you buy this recording, despite a couple of musical drawbacks, you will enjoy a first class Rossini comedy."

NO CHORUS?!

W. Burton | NY & LA USA | 06/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The singers, all of them, are so fine and the orchestra so supple and attentive to Maestro Marc Minkowski, you'd swear you'd heard a much "grander" opera with, perhaps, a huge chorus. The performance is rich with talent and heart and at its finish one can ask nothing more of it.



Rossini wrote L'INGANNO for five voices and orchestra. (There is no chorus, of course.) The recitativo secco (accompanied by harpsichord), is an extremely well thought-out part of Maestro Minkowski's plan for this offering and the orchestra is positively brilliant, stunning us with nuance. It is an astounding accomplishment for a small work.



Annick Massis, Raul Gimenez, Rodney Gilfrey, Pietro Spagnoli and Lorenzo Regazzo sing the five roles. They sing with extraordinary style and warmth. The agility of the coloratura delights. The delicate and dynamic merging of orchestra and voice is wonderful. It is buoyant, full of life and so much more melodically impressive than I had expected.



Erato has done a sensational job with sound and the packaging is beautiful. It also comes with a bit of history and a fine libretto at quite an amazing price."