Rollicking Rossini Gem Revived at Met
   Sun Feb 15, 2:49 PM ET
   By MIKE SILVERMAN, Associated Press Writer
   http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=495&ncid=495&e=5&u=/ap/20040215/ap_en_mu/music_italian_girl

   NEW YORK - In a Rossini comic opera, there comes a moment
   when the characters stop in their tracks and join together
   to express varying degrees of bewilderment over the twists
   and turns of the plot.

   When these ensembles are performed with clockwork precision,
   the contrast between the disarray of emotion and the rigorous
   logic of the music creates a sublime sense of controlled chaos
   that is unmatched anywhere else in the repertory.

   The rollicking first-act finale of "L'italiana in Algeri"
   ("The Italian Girl in Algiers") is a particularly delicious
   example.  And its performance by the expert cast at Friday
   night's revival by the Metropolitan Opera deservedly brought
   down the house.

   The star of the occasion was Russian mezzo Olga Borodina,
   whose previous roles at the Met have been femmes fatales like
   Dalilah or Carmen, light years away from either Rossini or
   comedy.  There was no doubt she would possess the star power
   and glamour for the role of Isabella, who is shipwrecked in
   Algeria and forced to fend off the advances of the local
   ruler, Mustafa, until she can reunite with her true love,
   Lindoro.  But it came as more of a surprise how lively a
   comedian she proved and how well she managed the vocal
   gymnastics Rossini requires of his heroine.  Borodina sounded
   the slightest bit tentative in her entrance aria, "Cruda
   sorte," but she soon warmed up, and by the time she rallied
   Mustafa's Italian servants to her side in the rondo "Pensa
   alla patria," she had made the role her own.

   Vocal dexterity came as no surprise at all from her Lindoro,
   tenor Juan Diego Florez, who has become a sensation since
   making his debut here just two years ago in another Rossini
   favorite, "Il Barbiere di Siviglia." The young Peruvian has
   a flawless technique and a ringing top voice that carries
   easily above high C.  His tight, slightly nasal production
   isn't everyone's idea of a beautiful sound, but it's a small
   price to pay for such virtuosity.

   As Mustafa, the veteran Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto
   stole the show on more than one occasion.  Though his Rossinian
   technique is far from perfect, his booming voice and generous
   buffoonery added a crucial ingredient to the evening's fun.

   Notable contributions in lesser roles came from soprano Lyubov
   Petrova, as Mustafa's long-suffering wife, Elvira, and from
   baritones Earle Patriarco and Mariusz Kwiecien as, respectively,
   Isabella's shipwrecked companion, Taddeo, and Mustafa's
   henchman, Haly.

   The 1973 production by the late Jean-Pierre Ponnelle is
   naturally looking a bit faded these days, but its single set
   allows the action to keep flowing and most of the jokes to
   come through loud and clear.

   The presence of Met artistic director James Levine in the pit
   promised a revival that would be unusually well-rehearsed,
   and the results did not disappoint.  He kept the merriment
   bubbling along and maintained the synchronization between
   performers and orchestra that is so vital in Rossini.

On the net:
http://www.metopera.org

-Neb Rodgers <[log in to unmask]>