Having a Mozart marathon, I was interested to check out his early stuff as well as revisiting some of the old favourites like Le Nozze Di Figaro and Don Giovanni. Il Re Pastore(written when Mozart was only 19) is a very interesting opera, the story is good if not as compelling as those of his later works but the music is beautiful and lyrical especially L'Amero Saro Costante.
This is a great performance. It has a very sumptuous look to it, with beautiful settings and costumes, and the clear picture quality and camera work makes it even more so. The orchestra are superb as well, with a sound that matches the beauty and lyricalism of Mozart's score, and Sir Neville Mariner's, one of the better conductors for Mozart in my view, conducting is sensitive yet stylish conducting.
I can't fault the performances either. Angela Maria Blasi is the picture of beauty(both in looks and voice) and innocence as Aminta, and Sylvia McNair is a sympathetic Elisa. Iris Vermillon and Claes H. Ahnsjo also sing wonderfully. Jerry Hadley is mostly very effective as Alessandro with a very good voice and a presence that doesn't suffer from being to static, if not as technically perfect as I had known him to be due to moments of sloppy colouratura.
All in all, a more than worthwhile production of an early Mozart opera. 10/10 Bethany Cox
This is a great performance. It has a very sumptuous look to it, with beautiful settings and costumes, and the clear picture quality and camera work makes it even more so. The orchestra are superb as well, with a sound that matches the beauty and lyricalism of Mozart's score, and Sir Neville Mariner's, one of the better conductors for Mozart in my view, conducting is sensitive yet stylish conducting.
I can't fault the performances either. Angela Maria Blasi is the picture of beauty(both in looks and voice) and innocence as Aminta, and Sylvia McNair is a sympathetic Elisa. Iris Vermillon and Claes H. Ahnsjo also sing wonderfully. Jerry Hadley is mostly very effective as Alessandro with a very good voice and a presence that doesn't suffer from being to static, if not as technically perfect as I had known him to be due to moments of sloppy colouratura.
All in all, a more than worthwhile production of an early Mozart opera. 10/10 Bethany Cox
