Bellini: Il Pirata (Opera Rara: ORC45) [Box set]

This new recording of "Il pirata" is up to Opera Rara's usual high standards and takes first place amongst the limited number of recordings of the opera that are available.

Although I don't find her voice particularly attractive, I have to do her justice and state that Carmen Giannattiso is outstanding as Imogene. At times her tone becomes a bit astringent for my taste, but the voice is secure and the technique solid. She shows a keen intelligence that shows both an understanding and empathy for the situation this heroine faces. What the voice lacks in beauty is more than made up in the drama she conveys.

Jose Bros offers another finely sung and well acted role in the title part of the pirate, Gualtiero. The high tessitura of the part appears to offer him no challenges. I've come to regard Mr. Bros as a dependable singer whose performances I know I'll enjoy.

I was initially less sure about Ludovic Tezier as Ernesto. I was very disappointed in his portrayal of Giorgio Germont on the recent DVD of "Traviata" from Aix-en-Provence. Here he shows more involvement, both musically and dramatically, in his part. His "aria di sortita" and his contributions to the duets and trio are all very good indeed.

Brindley Sherratt makes the most of the small part of the hermit, Goffredo. The two comprimarios are acceptable, even if Mark Le Brocq's Italian pronunciation is pretty horrible.

Kudos to the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as to the conducting of David Parry. The opening scene of the opera is truly tempestuous and the gentlemen of the chorus give a rollicking rendition of the drinking chorus, "Evviva!"

There are limited other choices of recordings of this opera. The oldest is a live recording featuring Maria Callas towards the end of her career. She gets off to a shaky start, but is quite good for what remains of the opera. The Callas recording can be recommended only to those interested in this important artist. The performing edition is mangled out of shape by the extensive cuts that were required for compensate for the limited capabilities of the other singers. Only Callas is up to the music. A recording with Monteserrat Caballe came out in the early 1970s and it has a great deal to recommend it. Unfortunately, it also has Madame Caballe's husband, Bernarbe Marti, in the title role. Prior to the Opera Rara release, the Caballe recording had top honours. There's also a lesser known recording featuring Lucia Aliberti on the Berlin label. The Berlin recording has many enjoyable moments, particularly the Gualterio of Stuart Neill, but I'd not recommend it other than as a curiosity. Ms. Aliberi's singing is curious, when not just plain bizarre. This Opera Rara set is by far the best of the lot and I give it my hearty recommendation.

Opera Rara's fine new rendering of Vincenzo Bellini's Il Pirata is cause for unequivocal celebration, starring tenor José Bros, soprano Carmen Giannattasio and baritone Ludovic Tézier, with David Parry tautly at the helm of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. As ever with this distinguished British label, the release is handsomely packaged and boasts exemplary notes along with a full libretto and translation. Composed in 1827 for La Scala, Milan, the work was written for three of the greatest singers of the age, the tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini, the soprano Henriette Meric-Lalande and bass, Luigi Lablanche. In common with all but one of Bellini's mature operas, the work is set to a libretto by Felice Romani. It centres around a `sturm-und-drang' melodrama that provides plenty of meat for lusty emoting: Imogene has been married against her will in a futile attempt to save her father's life. She is deserted by her lover (Ernesto, the bandit title role character), and is accused of adultery by her husband. He is killed by Ernesto, who is then condemned to death. Imogen promptly loses her reason and, true to form, delivers one of the most celebrated `mad scenes' in all opera, complete with a haunting Cor anglais obbligato that anticipates the famous flute solo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor mad scene. Never mind the doom and gloom, Bellini's high-powered score sweeps all before it. Opera Rara's superb recording marks the first significant studio-generated account of the work since EMI's 1971 release starred Montserrat Caballé opposite her tenor husband, Bernabe Martí, and baritone Piero Cappuccilli, with the veteran Italian maestro Gianandrea Gavazzeni conducting. A live recording with Callas from the late 50's is marred by inadequate sound and crippling cuts, and a Berlin-based release from the mid 90's is sabotaged by the tepid singing of limp Callas clone, Lucia Aliberti. By contrast, Opera Rara's principals leave nothing to be desired. Each is on top form, Ms Giannattasio particularly so, and devotees who have followed the recording career of this rising Italian star will not be disappointed. In this, possibly her finest recording to date, the soprano displays magnificent attack. She soars seamlessly aloft in the opera's notoriously demanding duets and ensembles, culminating in a fearlessly sung 'mad scene' that erupts into thrillingly articulated coloratura crowned by a powerful top register which more than holds its own against Callas and Caballé. The finely-etched, ever-stylish singing of Mr Bros recalls the great Alfredo Kraus, while Tezier's darkly dramatic baritone provides the ideal foil for his bright tenor tones. News that Il pirata will be followed by a further keenly anticipated Opera Rara release of Donizetti's rarely performed Caterina Cornaro soon with Giannattasio on the title role is further cause for jubilation. Meanwhile, don't hesitate to acquire this marvellous set.

All notes written by Bellini have been recorded in this production by Opera Rara. This is by far the best criterion to purchase this CD set. The conductor David Parry has his merits in particular in also asking the singers to respect the foreseen ornaments in arias and duos.
However, after listening to other recordings by Rescigno (Callas etc, EMI), Gavazzeni (Caballe etc, EMI), or Rossi (DeCavalieri(McKnight) etc, RAI), one finds out what is missing here: "brio". The most striking example is perhaps the duo Imogene/Ernesto from Act 2: thanks to Rescigno's know-how in the Callas live-recording, Callas and the mediocre Constantino Ego manage to perform a fantastic stretta, although most of Ego's solo parts are omitted. You will not recognize this scene in Parry's recording. Of course Tezier sings the notes that Ego is unable to produce, but otherwise there is no brio at all.
Among the singers, only Jose Bros is really disappointing. In earlier recordings together with Edita Gruberova his voice is still intact; here he is beyond his repertoire, the role requires a more spinto-type tenor with "agilita" (difficult to find, of course), not a tenorino. Apart from this, his former strength, the high tessitura, is spoiled.
Ludovic Tezier is the first baritone who sings all notes written for the difficult role of Ernesto, which requires both the flexibility of a Rossini baritone and the power of a Verdi baritone. The latter quality is not (yet) his strength, at least he cautiously avoids forte where it would be adequate. Somewhat, his interpretation, not his purely vocal performance, remains one-dimensional.
Carmen Giannattasio is a convincing Imogene, she masters all difficulties of this role of the type "soprano d'agilita' ", although her voice has no real beauty. With a better conductor she could have delivered an outstanding performance here.
In summary, with this recording you will learn what Bellini has written, but not find out how good that can sound. For this you need to listen to Rescigno, to Gavazzeni, and not to forget to Rossi, and to have the imagination how they could have performed the missing music.