(Daniella
Barcellona, Albina Shagimuratova and Sir Mark Elder in the 2016 BBC concert
performance at London's Royal Albert Hall of Opera Rara's “Semiramide”)
William Charlton-Perkins reviews a new CD
recording of Rossini's great Italian swansong, which premiered at La Fenice in
Venice in 1823.
The immense care that went into the making
of Opera Rara's recording of Rossini's Semiramide
has been exhaustively documented. In the light of the passion, respect and
skill behind this hugely rewarding project, listeners will surely concur that
these production attributes have borne fruit to an astonishing degree.
Indeed, British dramatist Terrence
Rattigan's famous dictum, 'What makes magic is genius, and what makes genius is
the infinite capacity for taking pains', could not be more completely endorsed
than it is here, by this singular venture.
In the hands of Sir Mark Elder and his
inspired team, Rossini's Italian magnum opus glows with a new-found immediacy
from first to last. This is apparent with regard to its infinite detail in
execution, both technical and artistic, and in the perfectly judged drive and
unflagging energy that emanate from Elder's baton throughout the opera's
magnificent span, which exceeds well over four hours. For the listener, this
translates into an experience similar to seeing afresh the wonders of a
familiar landscape master-painting, after extensive restoration.
Traditionalists may uphold their
allegiances to legendary partnerships such as the Sutherland-Horne phenomenon
of the 1970s. But there is no denying the visceral commitment and fire that
emanate from Opera Rara's principal cast - informed as they are here by Elder's
formidable expertise, and by the revelatory sounds of the Orchestra of the Age
of Enlightenment's period-appropriate instruments and performance practice.
Soprano Albina Shagimuratova, a patrician
artist fully in command of her slim-line but ample voice with its thrilling
extended top, turns in a deeply affecting reading of the tortured queen of
Babylon. Her singing is beautifully offset by the vibrant mezzo tones of
Daniella Barcellona in commanding form as Arsace.
Their performances climax in an
incomparable account of their Act II duet, 'Giorno d'orrore! E di contento'
'Madre, addio' ... 'Tu serena intanto il ciglio'. This ranks with the most
exciting bel canto singing in years. Their lightning swift, blazingly
embellished coloratura in the cabaletta has to be heard to be believed. I reprised it four, no five, times before
moving on.
Defying the odds of being a late
replacement for the secondary yet important tenor role of Idreno, Barry Banks
delivers the goods in grand style - as do Mirco Palazzi as Assur, Semiramide's
former partner in crime, and Gianluca Buratto as Oroe, while James Platt offers
an eerily sonorous Ghost of Nino, Semiramide's long-slain husband.
Don't hesitate to invest in this superb
audio recording, which marks a new bench mark achievement in Opera Rara's priceless
catalogue of neglected 19th century repertoire. – William Charlton-Perkins
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