I Puritani

Rivetting
Although it's set during a period of considerable interest in English history - the Interregnum that takes in the conflict between the Cromwell's Roundheads and Royalists loyal to the Charles I and the Stuarts - the libretto for Bellini's I Puritani makes little use of the historical circumstances but rather, not surprisingly for an Italian bel canto opera, merely uses it as a backdrop for a story of romantic intrigue. If the libretto follows a well-worn generic line in this respect, I Puritani - Bellini's last work before his early death - is however rather more interesting musically, having more in common with Verdi than Rossini or Donizetti and showing the composer at his most imaginative and inspired. It's fortunate then that there is great emphasis and attention paid to this musical aspect in the De Nederlandse production from 2009, but effort is made in other areas of the production in an attempt to make the work a little stronger and more coherent that it might otherwise...

Original Paris edition (1835) - Quite Different
Every once in a while I rummage through my stacks of CDs and pull out a treasured set. It is to remind me what real Bel Canto singing must have been like in the 1830s when Bellini first presented I Puritani. This CD album is the remastered Maria Callas recording of 1953. Then I was in graduate school and remember that I and my friends marveled at everyone in the cast for such beautiful singing: Callas, of course, di Stefano as Arturo, Rossi-Lemeni as Giorgio and Panerai as Riccardo with Tullio Serafin conducting at La Scala. Her notes were not always on pitch but her agility at fioratura, roulades,trills etc was a marvel but it was all in character. I've loved this opera ever since have seen/heard many performances since. Anna Moffo did a creditable job but Sills, Southerland and E. Gruberova were super creditable as coloratura Bel Canto singers. The Met's recent presentation with Anna Netrebko was not "Bel Canto" but was a dramatic and passionate tour de force and a tremendous...



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