Rossini: La pietra del paragone (Zedda)

Introduction

A performance of Rossini`s first major opera (and his first for La Scala, Milan), recorded over 2 nights in April 2007.

The plot of this work is fairly light and fluffy, and a little confused. Basically, the work is set at the home of Count Asdrubale. He has invited several friends over for fun and frolics (including three women, all of whom would really like to become the Countess), and they take full advantage of his hospitality.

The Count is a little bored, and pokes gentle fun at his guests, ultimately pretending to have lost all his money, and attempts to see which of the apparent freeloaders are really his friends by asking for financial help. Once the trick has been played, and he lets on that it was all a joke, the friends then have to explain precisely why they reacted in the way they did. Only two of the guests remained steadfast, Clarice and Giocondo, and Clarice is really in love with the Count anyway.

To get their own back, each of the guests tries to wind up the Count in different ways, including challenging him to a duel, except that Pacuvio and Macrobio are really cowards.

Clarice dresses up as her long-lost twin brother who is in the army. `He` has come to take Clarice away as he says she is unhappy anywhere near the Count. Seeing that the Count is fairly upset by this news, Clarice reveals who she really is, and everything, within limits, ends up happy ever after.

Video

Video quality is excellent. Not much else to say here.

Audio

Sound too is very good indeed, although the balance is a little too biased towards the orchestra, which can tend to swamp the singers in the larger ensembles.

Features

Extras involve short chats with the conductor and director, but don`t really tell us much, other than the set was based around the director`s own 1970`s-style villa, and he seems very happy to mention this a few times.

Conclusion

Overall, this rarity is a highly successful production of Rossini`s early opera (although funnily enough, another version on the Naïve label was also released at around the same time). Everything you expect from Rossini is here, albeit in slightly underdeveloped form.

The problem I have, and this is taking nothing away from this DVD itself, is that early Rossini doesn`t appear to have much depth to it. Luckily, the characterisations of the characters are very lifelike and the plot is a nicely satirical poke at the lives of the idle rich. Each character plays a large part in the story and Rossini gives them all some frighteningly difficult music (something he was to do throughout his career, and shows that the singers of the time would have to have been rather superb).

Alberto Zedda is considered a major force in the interpretation of Rossini`s music, and his enthusiasm is shown to full effect from the off. The orchestra plays well in general (some fine horn playing in `Quel dirme, oh Dio!`, but the bias of the recording shows up a few scrappy bits of playing too, not least in the overture, with some fluffed violin entries.

I can`t give this a low score just because of my own feelings towards the music though. As I said, this is a very successful and generally highly polished production, and a welcome addition to Opus-Arte`s collection of unusual repertoire.