Rodney DeCecco <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>It's reviewed by Alan Blyth in the November Gramophone: ". . .  bloodless
>and basically un-Italianate." Did you expect otherwise? Only Olga
>Borodina's Amneris escaped negative criticism.  It's been a long time since
>I've purchased a Harnoncourt recording.  I lost interest after the perverse
>Concertgebouw Haydn.

Though one might add that it's been a long time since anyone took an
Alan Blyth comment so out of context!  Mr DeCecco had evidently decided
in advance that Harnoncourt is not for him and used any scrap of evidence
he had to hand.

In fact, Mr Blyth praised this set in many ways, and though he had some
criticisms of the other principals he had praise too.  The impression I
got from reading that review was that the Harnoncourt "Aida" was well worth
hearing for its clarification of orchestral detail and off-centre selection
of tempi.  Otherwise it's not, apparently, specially innovative, or
specially bad.

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"