MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Rossini: Barber of Seville, The [Il barbiere di Siviglia] complete studio recording of the opera recorded in 1972

In the 1970s, the era from which this production emanates, the director Jean Pierre Ponnelle was reaching the height of his powers. In his 1972 production at Milan's La Scala, Ponnelle designed a realistic set that still feels fresh.

Equally, Claudio Abbado's musical direction of this production, released on CD, has steadfastly remained one of the highlights of the DG audio catalogue. DVD-Video finally allows both to be presented together in a format, whose quality does them both justice.

The cast includes the stars of their day, Teresa Berganza and Hermann Prey. Berganza especially sings in Rosina, a role for which she was particularly noted.

142 minutes