Roberto Abbado, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Vesselina Kasarova, Eva Mei - Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2011)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 665 Mb | Total time: 62:30+69:04+39:03 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Sony | # 88697856522 | Recorded: 1997
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 665 Mb | Total time: 62:30+69:04+39:03 | Scans included
Classical | Label: Sony | # 88697856522 | Recorded: 1997
Make no mistake, this is not William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This version, by Vincenzo Bellini with a libretto by Felice Romani, has often been dismissed for its story line, which is very different from the familiar tale of the star-crossed lovers. Actually, as noted by musicologist-bel canto answer man Philip Gossett in his liner notes, Bellini and Romani hadn't read Shakespeare when they composed the opera. They had, however, read the sources on which Shakespeare based his play, but while both they and the Bard departed from the original, they departed in different directions. No matter: the opera has some gorgeous music, and it's given some gorgeous performances here by some very fine singers.