Recently in Recordings

Mozart and Lortzing from Hamburg Opera on film

A nostalgic charm permeates these filmed productions from the early 1970s of Lortzing's Zar und Zimmerman and Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, collaborations between the Hamburg State Opera and German TV director Joachim Hess.

Karajan opera highlights on Classics for Pleasure

The opera highlights series from Classics for Pleasure continues its recycling of the EMI catalogue with selections from two of Herbert von Karajan's recordings.

Songs by Henry & William Lawes

With this recording of songs by Henry & William Lawes, musical brothers who flourished in Caroline England, countertenor Robin Blaze with lutenist Elizabeth Kenny continue their exploration of early English song for Hyperion, and the results are stunning.

Joye: Les plaintes de Gilles de Bins dit Binchois

The title of this recording “Joy: the Laments of Gilles Binchois” introduces a seeming contradiction, one that plays on a contemporaneous description of the composer as "pére de joyeusetè"—the father of joy—in tension with an affinity for melancholy in his works.

SCHOENBERG: Moses und Aron

Even though it is one of the important operas of the twentieth century, Arnold Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron is, perhaps, more esteemed than performed.

HINDEMITH: Cardillac

Premiered in 1926, Paul Hindemith’s opera Cardillac is a three-act work based on E. T. A. Hoffmann’s short story Das Fräulein von Scuderi.

WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde

In the 1983 production designed, staged, and directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, this recording of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is a solid and well-thought performance that has much to offer.

STRAUSS: Opernszenen | Scenes of Operas.

Recorded between 1938 and 1942, the excerpts from performances of Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Arabella, and Daphne at the Dresden Staatsoper are all conducted by Karl Böhm.

Karajan: The Music, the Legend.

At the centenary of the birth of the conductor Herbert von Karajan various commemorations are occurring, an among them is the concise CD and DVD release by Deutsche Grammophon, with both discs bound into a booklet that includes a short prose tribute to the man illustrated with some well-chosen photographs from various parts of his career.

French Opera highlights on Classics for Pleasure

Consumers might opt for a highlights set instead of a full recording of an opera for many reasons.

THOMSON: The Plow that Broke the Plains

Naxos's DVD division has already released the performances on this disc of Virgil Thomson's scores for The Plow that Broke the Plains and The River, as soundtracks for a re-release of the original films. That DVD (Naxos 2.110521) contained, as...

Bruckner: Symphony no. 8 in C minor, WAB 108 (1890 [Second Version])

As difficult as it is to identify a single score as representative of its composer, Symphony no. 8 in C minor by Anton Bruckner is an essential work that may be regarded as the quintessence of his accomplishments in the form.

BELLINI: Norma

This production offers a different view of Norma. As Stage Director Guy Joosten explains in the introduction on the first of a 2-disc set, he wanted to give the audience “more” of what he believes the modern audience expects.

KUMMER: Cello Duets

If Friedrich August Kummer is not a household word in your home, no reason for concern — he is one of the prolific Kleinmeistern of the post-Beethoven generation, a generation for which the cost of printing had dropped so much that it was financially possible for a composer to produce hundreds of published opuses.

Johann Sebastian Bach Cantatas [BWV 64, 151, 57 and 133]

This installment of John Eliot Gardiner’s impressive Bach Cantata Pilgrimage comes from close to the end of his millennial Wanderjahr, presenting cantatas for Christmas week.

Serafin: Overtures and Preludes

Timeless values of great opera conducting fill this disc of overtures and preludes, all conducted by Tullio Serafin.

William Byrd. Laudibus in sanctis.

William Byrd’s affinity for the Latin motet found various outlets.

HANSON: Merry Mount

A frequent complaint about contemporary operas — or most any after Puccini's Turandot — is the lack of that memorable lyricism found in the standard repertory.

Classics for Pleasure opera highlights: Puccini

With single CD versions of full-length operas, isn't the term "highlights" presumptuous?

ADAM: Le Postillon de Longjumeau

Why should anyone buy a German language broadcast of a delicious French opéra-comique?

OPERA TODAY ARCHIVES »

Recordings

Giacomo Meyerbeer: Semiramide
22 Jun 2008

MEYERBEER: Semiramide

This Dynamic recording of Meyerbeer's Semiramide, an opera title more familiar with Rossini's name appended, mixes the pleasure of a modestly appealing surprise with regret at key aspects of the performance.

Giacomo Meyerbeer: Semiramide

Clara Polito; Aldo Caputo; Eufemia Tufano; Federico Sacchi; Stefania Grasso; Roberto De Biasio. Slovak Choir of Bratislava/Pavol Prochazka. Orchestra Internazionale D’Italia/Rani Calderon. Recorded at Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca, Italy, August 2006

Dynamic 533/1-2 [2CDs]

$39.99  Click to buy

The opera comes from Meyerbeer's early years, before he established himself in France and created his greatest successes (an opening booklet note from Sergio Segalini refers to Meyerbeer in those years as a "Wandering Jew," believe it or not).

The plot of Semiramide mixes palace intrigue with various forms of transvestism, which would seem to be a good recipe for a success on today's stages. Meyerbeer's score finds him in faux-Rossini mode, with the recitatives accompanied by a rather drab piano, perfunctorily played. Ensembles and arias intertwine in typical patterns, and Meyerbeer's melodic gift presents itself as more a promise than accomplishment. However, act two has some attractive numbers, including a sweet aria for princess Tamiri called "D'un genio che m'accende," which Stefania Grasso sings just well enough to allow for an appreciation of the music. The writing for the tenor role, Ircano, pushes the Rossini touch into early Verdi territory, and Aldo Caputo delivers the role with pleasing force and adequate agility. Not a major voice, but an appealing one.

However, in the title role, and with quite a lot of music, Clara Polito will be a trial for many ears, although there are always fans out there with an appreciation for warbly, acidic vocalizing. Polito's intonation suffers in her first numbers. Later she settles, and she has the technique to satisfy some of Meyerbeer's challengers. In the end, and allowing for taste, Polito's instrument simply lacks enough appeal to give her character's music a real chance to impress.

Dynamic, as usual, recorded a live performance. For the most part stage noise does not intervene. In tiny print on the rear of the CD case Dynamic lists the place and location of the recording as the Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca, in August 2005. Rani Calderon leads the orchestra Internazionale D'Italia and the Slovak Choir of Bratislava. Cnsidering the rarity of the work, the musicians do an adequate, if characterless, job.

Meyerbeer fans surely will want to have this set. Others will have to decide how much interest they have in early Meyerbeer to accept a performance of modest accomplishment.

Chris Mullins

Send to a friend

Send a link to this article to a friend with an optional message.

Friend's Email Address: (required)

Your Email Address: (required)

Message (optional):