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Rossini - Otello (Muhai Tang, John Osborn, Cecilia Bartoli)

Posted By: Sowulo
Rossini - Otello (Muhai Tang, John Osborn, Cecilia Bartoli)

Rossini - Otello (Muhai Tang, John Osborn, Cecilia Bartoli) [2014]
NTSC 16:9 (720x480) VBR Auto Pan&Scan | Italiano (Dolby AC3, 2 ch) Italiano (DTS, 6 ch) | 7.39 Gb (DVD9)
Classical | DECCA | Sub: English, Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Espanol, Chinese, Korean | 156 min | +3% Recovery

This new disc from the Zurich Opera presents just about as thoughtful and coherent account of Rossini's Otello as one could hope for. This isn't the first time the company has made something of a splash with the bel canto repertory. Some will remember their CD release, a few years back, of Bellini's Norma, also featuring Bartoli. That set got very mixed reviews, and those who hated that will probably hate this too, no doubt before they even watch it. But for those not initiated in the trench warfare that music loving often attracts, this disc will be most welcome. The world class cast, led by Cecilia Bartoli and tenor John Osborn, are (mostly) young, committed and talented. They deliver, here, an intense performance that makes a very strong case for this neglected opera.

Although in the past I've never been entirely sold by Ms. Bartoli's singing, I was moved by her performance on this disc, as well as her aforementioned Norma. So I guess I'm starting to be intrigued. In her Act II duet with Terzetto with Otello and Rodrigo, and her duet with Otello, she is very persuasive indeed. Her electrifying rendition of the Willow Song in Act III will break your heart and make you forget Verdi, if only for a few minutes. . Too often, her voice sounds punchy, and in florid passages, she sometimes achieves rhythmic clarity at the expense of tonal clarity. Her singing line is always tender, but often bordering on brittle, and here, there's some of that, especially in the first Act. But the fact is, Desdemona doesn't have a great many big numbers all by herself. In the title role, Osborn is a little stiff at first, but starting in the second act, he shows a dramatic concentration that matches his florid and incredibly accomplished vocal line. Still, dramatically, he's rather monochrome, but this is Rossini's, not Verdi's Otello, and sometimes the music is more well-behaved than the dramatic situation it sets. Equally entertaining are tenors Javier Camarena as Rodrigo, Otello's rival for Desdemona's affections, and Edgardo Rocha as Jago. Orchestra La Scintilla, the house band for the Zurich Opera, conducted with vigor and finesse by Muhai Tang, play expertly on period instruments or copies, and demonstrate persuasively that Rossini's orchestra was more than just a "big guitar", as Wagner supposedly intimated… By Stephen McLeod

Rossini - Otello (Muhai Tang, John Osborn, Cecilia Bartoli)

Performer:
Otello - John Osborn
Desdemana - Cecilia Bartoli
Elmiro - Peter Kálmán
Rodrigo - Javier Camarena
Jago - Edgardo Rocha
Emilia - Liliana Nikiteanu
Doge di Venezia - Nicola Pamino
Gondoliero - Ilker Arcayurek
Zurich Opera Supplementary Chorus
Orchestra La Scintilla of the Zurich Opera
Conductor - Muhai Tang

ROCBMT