Sometimes Rossini was a little backward in his choice of themes. In the case of Armida (Naples, 1817) he had good reason. Apart from the title role of his future wife Isabella Colbran, there are no other female characters in this opera. Even when she escapes in the dragon’s chariot, the witch sings in five tenors, and a whole army of crusaders and her voluptuous empire are on the ground. José Miguel Pérez Sierra spreads a golden carpet of sound with enchanting copper tones and a sensual velvet for Ruth Iniesta. Iniesta triumphs with a strong, flexible, courageous soprano. The choirs and tenors participate in Rossini’s delightful burst of tenderness, which reaches its rich climax in the first duet of Armida and Rinaldo, the Love Garden Tableau and the Knight of the High C Trio. Everything else is also very beautiful and has dramatic energy.
© Ophelia Matos
Rossini: Armida
Ruth Iniesta (Armida), Michel Angelini (Reinaldo), Patrick Kabongo (Gernando), Moises Marin (Goffredo), Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, José Miguel Pérez Sierra (Conductor)
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