January 12, 2013: L'Italiana in Algeri, Vienna

2013-01-12 L'Italiana in Algeri (Rossini),Wiener Staatsoper 

Mustafà = Ferruccio Furlanetto

Elvira = Ileana Tonca 

Zulma = Juliette Mars

Haly = Alessio Arduini

Lindoro = Antonino Siragusa

Isabella = Agnes Baltsa

Taddeo = Alfred Šramek

Jesús López-Cobos, conductor

Inszenierung/Bühnenbild - Jean-Pierre Ponelle

Agnes Baltsa as Isabella. What can one say? The lady is magic but she was born on November 19, 1944 says the books. She seems much younger on stage. I have heard her sing better better because she was younger then but she was the main event. Young Antonino Siragusa could not outshine Agnes Baltsa. He was an admirable Lindoro. I almost did not miss Juan Diego Florez. But it was fun to experience a new Lindoro. Ileana Tonca and Juliette Mars as Elvira and Zulma was OK, but I have heard better before. Ferruccio Furlanetto was Mustafa and he was great. But just like Agnes Baltsa even Ferrucio Furlanetto was older and not so shining as they were in 2004.  Most of all I felt that it was time for a new production. The sets and costumes are beautiful but... Maybe it only needs some updating in regie. Mustafa is in brown-face and it no longer feels comfortable. I think that maybe I no longer like the story in this opera.

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