Joshua Stewart – Rossini: Zelmira (Live) (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Joshua Stewart - Rossini: Zelmira (Live) (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz] Download

Zelmira was the last opera Rossini wrote for Naples, knowing it would also be his calling card to Vienna where he had been assured performances. Keen to reconcile the alleged incompatibility between ‘Italian’ melody and ‘German’ harmony, Rossini employed exciting and daring harmonies and a raft of dazzling orchestral effects in this tragedy in which a daughter saves her father, the king, and her son, from usurpers to the throne. The opera was acclaimed wherever it was heard, and this recording presents the revised and triumphant Paris version.

Created at the Teatro San Carlo in 1822, Zelmira is one of the nine operas that Rossini wrote for the famous Neapolitan opera house, the only one with which he was able to realise his full potential by working with phenomenal singers like the soprano Isabella Colbran, contralto Rosmunda Pisaroni, tenors Andrea Nozzari and Giovanni Davide and the bass Filippo Galli. History has curiously not remembered these productions, despite their key contributions to Rossini’s perceived status as a genius.

Recorded over the course of rehearsals for two concerts in July 2018 (and not 2017 as it wrongly says on the album cover) as part of the 30th Rossini in Wildbad festival in Baden-Württemberg, this opera benefits from the expert direction of Gianluigi Gelmetti, a fervent Rossini fan. The recording itself is not totally perfect, but you have to respect the forthcoming dedication from the whole artistic team, starting with the more or less well known singers who know how to do this vocally challenging score justice with clarity and flexibility, as well as respecting the characters’ seemingly often tormented personas.

The ensembles are particularly well executed, from the duos to the quintets. They bring a particular liveliness to the project thanks to the inflamed conducting by Maestro Gelmetti. This version of the concert uses the critical edition which was established for the Pesaro Rossini Festival and presents a further two variations which the composer had written for the Parisian rerun in 1826, featuring a new gleaming finale, which is suggested here as an alternative ending.

Tracklist:

1-01. Joshua Stewart – Oh sciagura! Oh infausto evento! (Live) (08:27)
1-02. Joshua Stewart – Sorte secondami! (Live) (01:50)
1-03. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Della tenda real la doppia soglia (Live) (06:45)
1-04. Federico Sacchi – Ah! già trascorse il dì (Live) (03:49)
1-05. Federico Sacchi – Ma m’illude il desio? (Live) (01:04)
1-06. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Le braccia mi stendi (Live) (03:51)
1-07. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Se trova in te scampo (Live) (03:28)
1-08. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Cessa il clamor (Live) (03:22)
1-09. Górecki Chamber Choir – S’intessano agli allori (Live) (02:55)
1-10. Mert Süngü – Terra amica, ove respira (Live) (02:41)
1-11. Mert Süngü – Cara! Deh attendimi! (Live) (04:28)
1-12. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Godi, o signor (Live) (04:16)
1-13. Silvia Dalla Benetta – A che quei tronchi accenti? (Live) (02:39)
1-14. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Ah! Se caro a te son io (Live) (05:04)
1-15. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Che mai pensar? Che dir? (Live) (03:54)
2-16. Mert Süngü – T’intendo, istabil Diva (Live) (04:58)
2-17. Mert Süngü – Mentre qual fera ingorda (Live) (03:42)
2-18. Mert Süngü – Di luce sfavillante (Live) (02:51)
2-19. Joshua Stewart – Ah! Dopo tanti palpiti (Live) (03:04)
2-20. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Emma fedel, dal tuo bel core io chieggo (Live) (03:30)
2-21. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Perché mi guardi e piangi (Live) (04:57)
2-22. Joshua Stewart – Sì fausto momento (Live) (07:29)
2-23. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Il figlio mio (Live) (06:16)
2-24. Silvia Dalla Benetta – La sorpresa. Lo stupore (Live) (03:36)
2-25. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Alla strage ognor ti guida (Live) (01:02)
2-26. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Fiume, che gli argini rompe e sorpassa (Live) (03:00)
3-27. Joshua Stewart – Gran cose, o re! (Live) (02:42)
3-28. Górecki Chamber Choir – Pian piano inoltrisi (Live) (03:24)
3-29. Marina Comparato – Eccolo. A voi l’affido (Live) (01:12)
3-30. Marina Comparato – Ciel pietoso, ciel clemente (Live) (05:50)
3-31. Marina Comparato – Ah se è ver, di quel ch’io sento (Live) (02:56)
3-32. Mert Süngü – A che difendi una sleale (Live) (06:18)
3-33. Mert Süngü – In estasi di gioia (Live) (04:28)
3-34. Mert Süngü – Vieni. Le navi frigie (Live) (02:46)
3-35. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Chi sciolse i lacci miei? (Live) (06:14)
3-36. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Ne’ lacci miei cadesti (Live) (03:59)
3-37. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Ah! M’illuse un sol momento! (Live) (04:09)
3-38. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Di Azor le ceneri (Live) (05:48)
3-39. Marina Comparato – Periglioso è l’indugio (Live) (02:23)
3-40. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Oh padre! Il duol, l’affanno [Live] (03:41)
3-41. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Da te spero, o iel clemente [Live] (04:32)
3-42. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Stridon le ferree porte [Live] (01:25)
3-43. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Dell’innocenza, oh Dei [Live] (02:34)
3-44. Silvia Dalla Benetta – All’armi! All’armi! [Live] (02:10)
3-45. Silvia Dalla Benetta – Riedi al soglio. Irata stella [Live] (04:52)