Carlos Giménez

Los oscuros callejones del Madrid del siglo XVII, las tabernas en las que Quevedo, apurando botellas de vino, escribía sus sonetos, y los corrales de comedias donde Lope de Vega reinaba por sus fueros, son los escenarios que acogen las aventuras del capitán Alatriste, rudo y valeroso soldado que, licenciado de los tercios de Flandes, malvive como espadachín. Junto a él, Íñigo de Balboa, compañero de andanzas; fray Emilio Bocanegra, inquisidor implacable; Gualterio Malatesta, asesino a sueldo, o Luis de Alquézar, secretario del rey, componen el friso de personajes que, aventura tras aventura, han convertido la saga del capitán Alatriste en un éxito sin precedentes.

From the opening notes of the overture to the final curtain, Emilio Sagi’s classic, triumphant production fully brings to life all the elegant wit and theatricality of Mozart’s comic masterpiece.
Leading baritone Ludovic Tézier shines as the lustful Count Almaviva who attempts to obtain the favours of Figaro’s bride-to-be, Susanna (Isabel Rey), while Luca Pisaroni gives a feisty performance as Figaro. Conductor Jesús López Cobos masterfully captures the enchanting score. A witty yet profound tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Rossini liked to write operas about women (specifically mezzo-sopranos) who were smarter than the men around them, such as Rosina in "The Barber of Seville" and Angelina in "La Cenerentola." This charming, melodious bit of operatic fluff, composed before either of those two better-known operas, is dedicated to the proposition that an Italian woman is a match for any man or group of men. The thesis is tested in an extreme situation; Isabella (Larmore) is shipwrecked on the coast of a place where shipwrecked Europeans were routinely enslaved and, if they were women, consigned to a harem.

Barí won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award for 2004. But Barí is more. It includes a hidden bonus track, which consists in over 2:30 of silence leading to a short burst of handclappings and laughter. Ready for a global nuevo-roots whatever-is-at-hand flamenco fusion journey?