{"product_id":"rossini-mose-in-egitto-1819-naples-version","title":"Rossini: Mose in Egitto (1819 Naples Version)","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eROSSINI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eMosè in Egitto \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Antonino Fogliani, cond; Lorenzo Regazzo (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMosè\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Akie Amou (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eElcìa\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Wojtek Gierlach (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eFaraone\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Filippo Adami (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eOsiride\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Rossella Bevacqua (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAmaltea\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Giogio Trucco (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAronne\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Karen Bandelow (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eAmenofi\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); Giuseppe Fedeli (\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12i\"\u003eMambre\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e); San Pietro a Majella Ch; Wildbad Wind Band; Württemberg PO \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.660220 (2 CDs: 136:38) Live: Bad Wildbad 7\/2006 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eNaxos provides a bit of operatic history on the back liner of this latest addition in their Rossini in Wildbad festival recordings. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e(1819 Naples version) was “reworked in 1822 for Paris with new arias, but is given here in the slightly revised Italian version of 1819 which includes the famous act III \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePreghiera\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e of Moses.” If I may elaborate: first there was \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, an “Azione tragico-sacra in tre atti” that premiered in 1818 (Naples). It was not a success. Rossini dropped Amaltea’s second-act aria and rewrote the third act, expanding it and inserting the Preghiera “Dal tuo stellato soglio.” The Preghiera became a hit, and the opera became a modest success. The original third act is lost, so a reconstruction of the 1818 original is not possible. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eSince Naxos mentions the Paris version, so will I. When Rossini moved his compositional base to Paris, he reworked some of his earlier operas. He turned the three-act \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e into the four-act \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMoïse et Pharaon, ou Le Passage de la Mer Rouge\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, complete with a new first act, some new characters (and good-bye to a few old ones), some new arias, and (reluctantly) a ballet. Presto, the “Azione tragico-sacra in tre atti” was now a four-act Grand Opera. When the text of this new version was translated into Italian, it was titled \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè e Faraone \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e(Sacred melodrama in four acts). So it wouldn’t be confused with the original three-act version, it was sometimes called \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè Nuovo\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, and then shortened to \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAs you may surmise from its various titles, it is loosely, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003every\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e loosely, based on the Biblical account of Moses parting the Red Sea. Characters and story lines appear in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e that have no Biblical basis. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eAside from the famous Preghiera, the most striking musical feature of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is the atmospheric lament that opens the first act (no overture precedes it). It is unlike the opening of any of Rossini’s other works, and makes an immediate impact. In the Paris version, this becomes the opening of the second act, and loses much of its novelty. Recordings of either Italian version or the French grand opera have unfortunately been rare events. Philips recorded \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e in 1981 with a luminous cast: Ruggero Raimondi, Siegmund Nimsgern, June Anderson, and Ernesto Palacio. Hungaroton gave us the four-act \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e (with a few cuts and minus the ballet) under Lamberto Gardelli, also in 1981. Both are studio recordings. Philips briefly released on CD a 1956 monophonic \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e under Serafin with Rossi-Lemeni, which is subject to a number of cuts and a cast not totally at home in the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e idiom. The only French \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMoïse\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e I am familiar with is a two-CD set on Myto with Samuel Ramey, Cecilia Gasdia, and Shirley Verrett. Recorded live in 1975, it is also somewhat abbreviated and minus the ballet. The French version in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eall\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e its glory is available on DVD. Another recording of this interesting Rossini score is always welcome, and although the Rossini in Wildbad cast does not boast a collection of well-known notables, such as the 1981 Philips recording, it is a worthy entry into the Rossini discography all the same. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eNaxos has recorded a number of performances from the Rossini in Wildbad festivals, many of them Rossini’s lesser-known and recorded operas. Casts vary from acceptable to quite good. One of the goals of the festival is to engage singers early in their careers (they’re probably more affordable, too!) helping them to gain both experience and exposure in a notable venue. This \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eMosè in Egitto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is one of the better recordings in the series; it offers serious competition to the 1981 on Philips and is better than the mono Philips under Serafin. Many of the Wildbad soloists are prize-winning, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e specialists, gaining experience and earning enthusiastic reviews, mostly in European venues. Many of the singers appear in other Rossini in Wildbad recordings. Conductor Antonino Fogliani is in his early thirties. He studied under Rossini specialists Gianluigi Gelmetti and Alberto Zedda and has garnered much praise for his work in the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ebel canto\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e repertoire. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eI found this to be an exciting and energetic performance. Stage noises are kept to a minimum, enthusiastic applause rewards the cast throughout the performance but is not intrusive to the listener, and balances are generally good. The Wildbad performance has more spontaneity than the studio-based Philips, but not as much sonic immediacy. A new Rossini recording is always a welcome event, especially when it is a good one of his lesser-known operas. Naxos does not provide a libretto, although the text in Italian can be accessed at www.naxos.com\/libretti\/660220.htm. The booklet includes a fairly detailed synopsis—tied to track numbers—that offers the plot but spares the reader some rather hokey lyrics. It can be argued that Rossini’s comedies have fared better than the dramas because the librettos are better. Don’t let a fatuous love story grafted onto the Biblical tale of Moses deter you from enjoying this opera. The music saves the day. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: David L. Kirk \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49607896138008,"sku":"730099622028","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1280284.jpg?v=1777749972","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/rossini-mose-in-egitto-1819-naples-version","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}