Elena Torre

Working in 17th-century Venice soon after the worlds first public opera houses opened there, composer Francesco Cavalli had no tradition to follow. He gave his fertile imagination free rein, tinkering with the brand-new art form to create the lively Venetian style of opera, with its melodious arias, sprightly dance rhythms, free-wheeling mythological or historical plots and generous dollops of comedy. Like most of Cavallis operas, Ilpermestra wasnt performed between the late 17th century and recent years. Ilpermestra was written on the occasion of the birth of King Philip IV of Spains first son in 1658. It was one of the most magnificent operas to have ever been staged. This is the world premiere recording of the opera, made after a live stage performance in Utrecht in 2006.

Andrea Bocelli's work in this Il Trovatore is remarkable. Power, nuance, accuracy, rich emotional range: his Manrico has all of these. If you take the word of those who for whatever reason want to see Bocelli fail (Jealousy? Inability to change an opinion? Ignorance of his current work? The mistaken notion that one person's success hurts another's chances?) and you miss this Il Trovatore, you are missing something phenomenal -Amazon-