I Capuleti E I Montecchi - CD

For many years Fabio Biondi has been investing Italian scores with his own form of imaginative and deeply-considered musicality, and it is no real surprise to find him extending his reach past the Baroque and Classical eras and into early Romanticism with this Glossa release of Vincenzo Bellini's opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Bellini's masterpiece, first performed in 1830 - to Felice Romani's story of love confronted by struggles for power - seamlessly incorporates large sections from a previously unsuccessful opera and, as did Rossini before him, Bellini calls for a mezzo-soprano in the male lead role. Vivica Genaux, Romeo in Biondi's production with Europa Galante, is joined by Valentina Farcas as Giulietta and supported by Davide Giusti (Tebaldo), Fabrizio Beggi (Lorenzo) and Ugo Guagliardo (Capellio). In his accompanying notes to this release, Biondi, aspiring to allow listeners to discover new details in and new perspectives on the musical score, writes concerning issues of modern performance of the work, including acoustical details, score markings and tempi choices.