Netrebko, Garanca: Bellini – I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2 CD, FLAC)

Performer: Tiziano Bracci, Joseph Calleja, Robert Gleadow, Heinz Ferlesch
Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker
Conductor: Fabio Luisi
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 552 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc 1
01. I Capuleti e i Montecchi – Sinfonia
02. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Aggiorna appena ed eccoci
03. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – O di Capellio generosi amici
04. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – E serbato a questo acciaro
05. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – L’amo tanto, e m’e si cara
06. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Vanne, Lorenzo; e tu, che il puoi
07. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Lieto del dolce incarco
08. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Ascolta, se Romeo t’uccise
09. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Riedi al campo
10. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – La tremenda ultrice spada
11. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Andante maestoso
12. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Eccomi in lieta vesta
13. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Oh! quante volte
14. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Proprizia è l’ora
15. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Si, fuggire: a noi non resta
16. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Ah! crudel, d’onor ragioni
17. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Odi tu?
18. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Vieni, ah! vieni, e in me riposa
19. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Lieta notte, avventurosa
20. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Deh! per pietà t’arresta
21. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Tace il fragor silenzio
22. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Io te lo chiedo
23. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Che miro? Il perfido nemico ambasciator!
24. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Soccorso, sostegno accordagli
25. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Accoriam Romeo!
26. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 1 – Se ogni speme

Disc 2
01. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Introduzione
02. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Nè alcun ritorna!
03. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Morte io non temo il sai
04. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Prendi, glistanti volano
05. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Ah! non poss’io partire
06. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Qual turbimento io provo!
07. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Deserto è il luogo
08. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Chi sei tu, che ardisci
09. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Quai voci! Oh Dio!
10. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Ella è morta, o sciagurato
11. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Siam Giunti. Ah!
12. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Ecco la tomba
13. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Deh! tu, deh! tu, bell’anima
14. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – O tu, mia sola speme
15. I Capuleti e i Montecchi / Act 2 – Ah! crudel! che mai facesti

Stunning recording

The new recording of Bellini’s “I Capuleti e I Montecchi” led by the remarkable Fabio Luisi is a stunner , immediately claiming its position at the top of the list of commercially available recordings of this opera.

Luisi, a strong interpreter of Strauss and Mozart, proves his dexterity in this recording with a deep and lovely turn at bel canto style. A light, fleet hand in orchestral passages, Fabio Luisi leads his star singers and orchestra in long, beautifully expressed legato lines in the arias which exemplify all the strengths of Bellini’s vocal writing.

And star singers they are, with Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca at the top of their game. Netrebko’s Giulietta is in the model of early Mirella Freni – a warm, dark approach to a bel canto soprano part, heartbreaking and exquisite. Garanca is the “real thing” – a bel canto specialist with no trouble handling this arduous role.

A “live” performance for this cd release and an Austrian radio broadcast, this recording is spontaneous, yet expertly engineered as with a studio recording.

This recording holds up well in comparison with earlier versions. Allthough a huge admirer of Beverly Sills, she was not in her best voice in her complete recording of this opera (with Janet Baker). And in the other available studio recording of this opera, Agnes Baltsa lacks the impeccable bel canto styling of the youthful Elina Garanca in the present recording.

With a stellar supporting cast (Joseph Calleja no less in the smaller role of Teobaldo), an opulent box set with full libretto, and a Wiener Symphoniker responding to Fabio Luisi’s excellent guidance, this may well be the best new opera recording to be released in the past year.