Franco

Countertenor performances of 19th century opera are a historical and, ultimately, true novelty. This said, for those who love the sound of the countertenor voice and want to give it a try, there are several factors that recommend this release by countertenor Franco Fagioli, with the small orchestra Armonia Atenea under George Petrou. First is that castrati were still around in Rossini's time, although on the decline, and the composer was reportedly intrigued by their voices. Second, Fagioli, unlike the vast majority of other countertenors, studied bel canto singing rather than Baroque repertory exclusively, and a certain distance present in the work of other countertenors is absent here. And third, and most important, is Fagioli's voice itself. Of the countertenors active today, he's the one with the range, the power, the attitude to make you suspend disbelief and think for a moment that you're actually listening to a castrato. He enters into the various Rossini roles represented on this recording, several of which were mezzo-soprano "pants" roles; this adds to the layers of identity-switching happening, and the parts hit Fagioli's vocal sweet spot. A bonus is that several of these are from Rossini opere serie that are little played or recorded.

High-ceilinged rooms with elaborate chandeliers and exquisite furniture, lavish meals and delicate wines, civilized conversation with the most interesting people of the day, and of course, music. These were the late 19th and early 20th centuries’ pleasures the Salons had to offer, and music was not a minor component of this most sophisticated social tradition which thrived in western societies up until 1914.

In a career spanning six decades and nearly 40 albums as a leader or co-leader, revered Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti has finally realized his dream project. Anchored by a core of world-class musicians (guitarist John Scofield, bassist Scott Colley, pianist Uri Caine, drummer Peter Erskine) and featuring a 22-piece string orchestra conducted by Grammy-winning pianist-arranger Alan Broadbent, Ambrosetti's Nora is his answer to Charlie Parker with Strings and Clifford Brown with Strings, both cherished albums from his youth.

Franco Battiato is one of the most successful singers in Italy. He began his career as a "light" singer, recording a few singles. In 1971 he started his particular journey through experimental music, recording his proggiest issues: "Fetus", "Pollution", "Sulle corde di Aries". Some very atmospheric parts and some very melodic songs make these records worthwhile, along with musical references to the arabic culture and italian folk that will surface from time to time in all of his following output. His next records are gradually more and more experimental, exploring minimalism and culminating with "L' Egitto prime delle Sabbie", with two long pieces based on hardly one note and its harmonics.

Lisa Lynne Franco has recorded some brilliant material under five different guises. Her earliest work was as Lisa Franco. She recorded three CDs for the German Innovative Communications label. Romantic Dreams might be her best CD. The entire album speaks greatness with every note. Peter Seiler produced the CD and co-wrote four of the nine original pieces. He wrote one of the two bonus tracks. He also accompanies Franco's harp with his keyboards. This CD represents his best work, too. His gentle atmospheres surround her aggressive style like billowing clouds and fluffy pillows. The beauty of the atmospheres is breathtaking. There are no appropriate comparisons for this masterwork. It stands alone - a true sign of greatness.

“This is something of a find – a production produced in Milan's television studios in 1973 that does more than justice to Giordano's verismo work about personal conflicts at the time of the French Revolution. It's directed, with considerable imagination, by the Czech Vaclav Kaslik, at the top of his profession in the 70s. In realistic period sets he unerringly creates the milieu of a degenerate aristocracy in Act 1 and of the raw mob-rule of the Revolution in the succeeding acts. The only drawback is the poor lip-synch. Conductor Bruno Bartoletti makes certain we're unaware of the score's weaker moments and releases all the romantic passion in Giordano's highly charged writing for his principals.

A remarkable 1954 RAI production starring a young Franco Corelli and the incomparable Tito Gobbi, with Mafalda Micheluzzi as Nedda and Lino Puglisi as Silvio. Orchestra and Chorus of Radiotelevisione Italiana under the direction of Alfredo Simonetto. DVD also includes Corelli in arias from Carmen, Aida, Il Trovatore, Cavalleria Rusticana, and the Verdi Requiem.

Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824) was an Italian violinist and composer, and one of the major figures in the advancement of modern violin performance. While he is remembered today for his 29 violin concertos, which proved to be his most original and enduring works, he was a celebrity in his day for his phenomenal playing. His intermittent career as a violinist took him from Versailles, where he joined the court of Marie Antoinette, to concerts in London. After failing at a wine business, Viotti turned to managing the Paris Opéra and taught several rising violinists, including Rodolphe Kreutzer