爱情灵药 Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore

Thrnewreleasesthismonth(March)featuretenorRolandoVillazon--aCDofZarzuelrias,oneofworksbyMonteverdi,andthisnewDVDofaperformanceattheViennaStateOperain2005ofDonizetti'sL'Elisird'amore.Villazonisaremarkablyversatiletenorandheputshisindividualstamponeverythinghedoes.Nemorinowasaroleintherepertoireofall"thrtenors"inthe1970sand'80s:Domingobroughtacertainsmoothnesstoitearlyinhiscarr,buthisvoicesoongrewtooheavy;Pavarottiwassimple,affectionate,andbright-toned;andCarrerashadvulnerabilityandwarmth.Villazonhasitall.Thevoicegleamsatthetop,thebaritonalbottomastendernessinintrospectivemoments,andhehandlesthecoloraturahandsomely.He'sevenamasteratmessadivoce--thatgloriousaffectinwhichanoteisattackedsoftly,swelledtoalmostforteandthendrawnbacktopianissimo--andheusesitatthecloseofhisbigaria,"Unafurtivalagrima".AftertwominutesofapplausefromthenormallyreticentVienneseaudience,herepeatsthearia,withevengreaternuance.VillazonmakeseverythingthebumpkinNemorinosaysanoessmspontaneous.Withhismop-tophairandbigeyeshesmstobechannelingHarpo,Chico,andChaplinatonce.He'sabornham--hejugglesthrpiecesoffruitwhilesingingonearia--andheoffersoneofthemostdelightfulportrayalsoftherolver.ThegorgeousRussiansuperstarAnnaNetrebkoishisbelovedAdinndshesmslikewiserelaxed;shxecutesendlessstreamsofcoloraturawithbeautifultoneandease,andshe'strulyalertandappealing.Thetwoshareaone-minute-longkissthathastheaudiencruptinginapplause.BassIldebrandod'Arcangelomakesanicelysnide,mellifluous,younger-than-usualquackDr.Dulcamara,andveteranbaritoneLeoNuistillhasitastheboastfulsoldier,Belcore.ConductorAlfredEschwéclearlyrealizeshehasstruckgoldwiththecasting(apparentlyVillazonandNetrebkowerethrownintotheshowonacoupleofwks'notice),andheleadsanenergeticandtightreadingofthescore.Thetraditionalsetsandcostumes(from1980,byJürgenRose)arecharming,andthedirectionforbothstageandTVisfine.ChoiceofDTS5.0Surround,Dolby5.0Surround,andLPCMStereo;subtitlesinEnglish,Spanish,French,ItalianandGerman.Arealtreat.--RobertLevine,ClassicsToday.coa