CIRO IN BAbILONIA GIOACHINO RossINI Michael Spyres Ewa Podleś Jessica Pratt Carmen Romeu Will Crutchfield Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna GIOACHINO RossINI CIRO IN BABILONIA Conductor Will Crutchfield Gioachino Rossini was only 20 years old when he wrote his fifth Orchestra Orchestra del Teatro opera, Ciro in Babilonia, for the Teatro Comunale Ferrara in 1812. Comunale di Bologna In this recording from the Rossini Opera Festival of Pesaro (Italy), Chorus Coro del Teatro stage director Davide Livermore sets the action in the 1920s, with Comunale di Bologna period black-and-white film inserts, lavish costumes in the Art Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini Nouveau style, and decors highlighted by “Babylonian” elements. The production was a wildly cheered hit with the audience. Baldassare Michael Spyres Ciro Ewa Podleś The plot revolves around Baldassare, the King of Babylon, who Amira Jessica Pratt has captured the wife and son of the Persian king Ciro. Baldassare Argene Carmen Romeu wants to marry Ciro’s wife Amira and kill the child, but after many Zambri Mirco Palazzi intrigues, betrayals and battles, good triumphs over evil. Since Arbace Robert McPherson the work was to be premiered during Lent, when operas were Daniello Raffaele Costantini prohibited, Rossini combined an Old Testament subject with a Staged by Davide Livermore secular love story and declared the work a “scenic oratorio”. Video Director Daniele Biggiero The lead roles in this festival performance have been entrusted to distinguished stars such as Ewa Podleś (Ciro), whom the press calls Length approx. 165' “the only true Rossini contralto today after Marilyn Horne,” the commanding Michael Spyres (Baldassare), and Jessica Pratt Shot in HDTV 1080 (Amira), whose coloraturas and high notes incite storms of Cat. no. A00009025 applause. Based on the new edition by the Rossini Foundation, the performance reflects the guiding principle of the only festival in A production of RAI and UNITEL the world devoted exclusively to Rossini: next to the performance in co-production with of the composer’s well-known works from well-researched new Rossini Opera Festival editions, the revival of all of Rossini’s little-known works through and CLASSICA musicological research, theatrical performance and publication. folder: luebbeke.com folder: WORLD SALES: C Major Entertainment +49-(0)3030306464 All rights reserved · credits not contractual Different territories · credits not rightsAll reserved · [email protected] www.unitelclassica.com Amati Studio Bacciardi Photos: ©.