While he was describing the opera in general terms two centuries ago, feared Vienna critic Eduard Hanslick could have been referring to Erraught's performance when he wrote: "This ... Cinderella is in fact a Cinderella in clothing only; her singing brims over with pearls, velvet and silk."
A hard act to match — and as Don Ramiro, Angelina's prince, Dmitry Korchak was almost equal to the task.
"Almost," only because his light tenor initially threatened to get lost in the orchestra. But Korchak gained in confidence — and his voice in power — effortlessly pinpointing his high C's in "Si ritrovarla io giuro," as he declared that he will find the girl who so enchanted him at the ball, no matter what it takes.
But to do so, he must get past Angelina's step-father, who keeps her in ashes while he plots the prince's marriage to one of his two daughters. As the bumbling Don Magnifico, Alessandro Corbelli was indeed Mr. Magnificent Saturday, bringing the mean and scheming persona to life in a humorously endearing way.
No comments:
Post a Comment