Review of Zanetto CD at Audiophile Audition

Steven Ritter has written a new review of the recently published Zanetto recording (with Jennifer Larmore, conducted by Peter Tiboris) at Audiophile Audition. Overall the reviewer loves the opera and he writes of Larmore:

"I have a great deal of trouble imaging the title role sung better than Larmore does here."

Indeed I think that Larmore is the best part of this recording. It is a shame that Eilana Lappalainen, as Sylvia, was not up to the challenge.

New CD of Zanetto on Elysium Recordings

A new CD of Zanetto on Elysium Recordings is now available.

Mascagni: Zanetto
L'amico Fritz — Intermezzo
Cavalleria rusticana — Intermezzo

Peter Tiboris, conductor
Eilana Lappalainen, Soprano (Sylvia)
Jennifer Larmore, Mezzo-Soprano (Zanetto)
Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic

Elysium, conductor Peter Tiboris and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic orchestra had already brought to us a recording of Silvano about ten years ago.

After an initial listening, I find the performance quite good, especially Jennifer Larmore's Zanetto. The sound quality is excellent, certainly superior to that of previous recordings of the piece. This allows you to fully enjoy the light and refined orchestration.

The CD comes with a few bonuses:

• An orchestral version of the prelude (which was written for an a cappella chorus), which we had already heard on the Kicco recording with Denia Mazzola
  
• The intermezzo from L'amico Fritz
• The intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana

The well-packaged CD comes with a full libretto, biographies, and an essay by John W. Barker, "Mascagni Moods".