Recorded live at the 2003 Edinburgh International Festival, this concert performance of Rossini's Zelmira is a triumph. It has all the spontaneity and verve of a live recording, and almost none of the drawbacks: audience noise is limited to applause, and the sound engineering is first-rate. Most importantly, the performance itself is excellent, vaulting it to the top of the list for this neglected work.The cast is headlined by Elizabeth Futral and bel canto specialist Bruce Ford, both of whom deliver top-notch performances. ...
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Recorded live at the 2003 Edinburgh International Festival, this concert performance of Rossini's Zelmira is a triumph. It has all the spontaneity and verve of a live recording, and almost none of the drawbacks: audience noise is limited to applause, and the sound engineering is first-rate. Most importantly, the performance itself is excellent, vaulting it to the top of the list for this neglected work.The cast is headlined by Elizabeth Futral and bel canto specialist Bruce Ford, both of whom deliver top-notch performances. Ford's career-long immersion in Rossini is audible whenever he sings; he knows exactly how to extract the best from every phrase. And Futral has exactly the blend of qualities required for the title role -- solid range top to bottom, and the ability to mix dramatic exclamation with intricate ornamentation and wide leaps. When her only solo aria finally arrives in the second act finale, it proves to be well worth the wait. As Zelmira's confidante, Emma, Manuela Custer takes Rossini's...
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