Gioachino Rossini La Pietra Del Paragone

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Gioachino Rossini La Pietra del Paragone Considering that Rossini’s opera buffa “La pietra del para- Gioachino gone” (The Touchstone) is hardly ever staged and that its title is not even known through its overture, like “La scala di seta” or “La gazza ladra,” music lovers can be forgiven for being Rossini in the dark about this sparklingly luminous work. One of Ross- ini’s first operas, it was written for Milan’s La Scala and pre- La Pietra del miered there in 1812. It was a resounding success – in spite of its standard libretto filled with disguises, mistaken identities and trials of love and loyalty. But it boasts a splendidly varied Paragone orchestral writing, which includes dramatic hunt and storm scenes, and betrays a love of language and wordplay which presages Rossini’s later works. For this alone, it deserves an above-average treatment.

The least one can say about this magical, multi-media and Music by Gioachino Rossini often side-splitting production by Pierrick Sorin and Giorgio Conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi Barberio Corsetti – and its video recording by Philippe Béziat Orchestra Ensemble Matheus presented here – is that Rossini’s “Touchstone” is given an incomparably special treatment here! Known for his video in- Chorus Master Martino Faggiani stallations and live video performances, Sorin magnifies Ross- Chorus Coro del Teatro di Parma ini’s buffo humor by having the singers recorded live on stage La Marchesa Clarice Sonia Prina by five cameras, integrated into decors filmed elsewhere on La Baronessa Aspasia Jennifer Holloway the stage, and having the result projected onto three large Donna Fulvia Laura Giordano screens. The visual gags and optical illusions are as sweetly Il Conte Asdrubale François Lis mischievous and cleverly absurd as Rossini’s libretto and musi- Il Cavalier Giocondo José Manuel Zapata cal setting. Macrobio Joan Martín-Royo Pacuvio Christian Senn Conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi has just the right exuber- Fabrizio Filippo Polinelli ance and contagious energy to entice his Ensemble Matheus into giving its best with boundless good humor and stunning Staged by Giorgio Barberio Corsetti & virtuosity. He has brought together a team of young singers Pierrick Sorin who have already proven themselves in a variety of Rossin- Directed by Philippe Béziat ian roles and who bring to their performance a pronounced talent for acting – indispensable for this innovative produc- Length 161' tion. Premiered at Parma’s Teatro Regio in December 2006, Recorded at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris the production was reprised at the Théâtre Musical de Paris (Châtelet) in January 2007, when this recording was made. A co-production of Point du Jour, Unitel Classica, Naïve & Mezzo in cooperation with France 2 and the Centre National de la Cinématographie shot in HDTV 1080 Cat. no. A01010318

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