La Cambiale di Matrimonio (complete opera recorded in 1989)

G :-

All Regions - Regular 1.33:1 / 4:3 - LPCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / DTS 5.1 Surround - Colour - 82 Minutes - NTSC

Rossini's first staged opera already contains all the elements that would take the music world by storm in Il barbiere di Siviglia, L'italiana in Algeri and La Cenerentola in the years to come: melodic inventiveness, ingenious connections between sung lines and orchestral accompaniment in the exuberant finale, musical humour and ensembles using breathtakingly fast parlando singing

This sparkling production continues the Rossini one-act opera series emerging from the Schwetzingen Festival with excellent direction, acting and stagecraft.

It was realised to perfection in the small, jewel-like Rococo Theatre of Schwetzingen Palace. The stage is small and the production transfers to the small screen perfectly.

The cast of principals, led by John Del Carlo; Janice Hall and David Kuebler , is excellent.

The performance operates on a high level musically. Gelmetti, who was awarded the Rossini d'Oro Prize in 1999, conducts a lively performance, but one that is sensitive to the needs of the singers.

This production of La cambiale di matrimonio represented yet another pièce de résistance that sets a standard in musical buffoonery for the other, all too rare productions in this genre.