Search - Riccardo Zandonai, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Milan Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Zandonai: I Cavalieri di Ekebù

ANOTHER VERISMO MASTERPIECE COMES TO LIGHT

Alfredo R. Villanueva | New York, NY United States | 01/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"FRANKLY, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NEGLECT TO WHICH VERISMO OPERAS ARE SUBMITTED BY THE WORLD'S MAJOR OPERA HOUSES. FONIT CETRA OFFERS A SUPERB PERFORMANCE OF AN ALMOST FORGOTTEN ZANDONAI OPERA. THE STORY FOLLOWS THE PLOT OF SELMA LAGERLOFF'S "GOSTA BERLING SAGA", CONCERNING A FALLEN MINISTER WHO IS REDEEMED BY A WOMAN CALLED HERSELF "LA COMANDANTE" WHO GATHERS AROUND HER A GROUP OF DERELICTS (THE CHEVALIERS OF THE TITLE) AND REHABILITATES THEM THROUGH HARD WORK IN HER IRON MINE. FIORENZA COSSOTO TAKES THE ROLE AND IS SIMPLY AMAZING. LANDO BARTOLINI AS BERLING SINGS HIS HEART OUT (I HAVE NOTICED HOW SO MANY VERISMO OPERAS ARE STAR VEHICLES FOR TENORS). ALL OTHER PRINCIPALS ARE ALSO EXCELLENT. GAVAZZENI CONDUCTS A TIGHT, CRISP, EXCITING PERFORMANCE. WHY THIS OPERA

HAS NOT MADE IT TO THE USA IS A MYSTERY TO ME. FIVE STARS AND A MUST-HAVE RECOMMENDATION."