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!"