„Adelaide di Borgogna”, soon on DVD

Well my friends, THIS IS IT! My first ever DVD – Rossini’s „Adelaide di Borgogna”, recorded this summer at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Italy, and released by the UNITEL and CLASSICA LABELS.

Except the fact that is my first DVD, this project was very special and ment so much to me and to all my fellow artists at Pesaro. And you want to know why? Because we had the difficult task to do the first staged performace of „Adelaide di Borgogna” since 1825.

The story is about a king's widow who is used as a pawn in diplomatic and amorous intrigues... Take a look at the DVD Trailer, recently released by UNITEL and CLASSICA.

It’s a great achievement for me and for all those who worked very hard on this project: Daniela Barcellona, Jessica Pratt, Nicola Ulivieri, Jeannette Fischer, maestro conductor Dmitri Jurowski, director Pier’Alli, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

I would like to thank everyone involved in this project because I learned a lot from you guys and I would like to say “Thank You”, maestro Alberto Zedda, for writing such wonderful variations for me.
Last but not least, thanks to some friends of mine that were in Pesaro this summer and came to see our “Adelaide…” (and who asked me not to mention their names) you can watch some videos from our performances.

 

Grida natura, e desta!

Dear Friends,

Although I had no time to breathe these last days, I kept my promise and here I am with something more from the beautiful adventure called “Tokyo”, still fresh in my memory and soul. 

As you know, the wonderful Angela Gheroghiu invited me to sing with her on 11th and 16th of October.

There were two magical Gala Concerts, both of them sold out. Our voices blended just perfect, on every single duet we sung, beautifully accompanied by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, under maestro conductor Ion Marin.

I guess, you have already seen „Vieni fra queste braccia”, the splendid duet from Vincenzo Bellini's „I Puritani”.

And there were more… “Parigi o cara” form Verdi’s “La Traviata”, for example, or “C'est le Dieu de la jeunesse” from Leo Delibes’s “Lakme”. 

But today, I present you the demanding aria of Prince Adelberto, from the second act of Rossini's “Adelaide di Borgogna” – “Grida natura, e desta!”.

This aria represented a challenge for me as it is a challenge for any tenor who approaches it. Because a high tessitura and a warm but still strong coloratura voice is needed.

This is a sort of madness aria - “aria di pazzia" – usually composed just for sopranos. But for “Adelaide di Borgogna”, Rossini changed the rule and gave this challenge to a tenor.

Adelberto remains alone in the chambers of the palace after having a fight with his mother Eurice.

She tried to convince him to give Adelaide back to Ottone, otherwise his father, Berengario, will die - being captured by him.

This is the moment when Adelberto must make up his mind: save his father or loose forever the beloved Adelaide.

And all he has in mind is that all the people around him and even the Universe it’s self are against him: “Nemici o gli uomini, Nemico h'o il cielo".

I hope you have enjoyed my performance from Suntory Hall, Tokyo, and I promise to be back with more.

Now…I have to run or I’ll be late for “Don Pasquale” rehearsal at Zurich Opernhouse.

Yes…I’m already in Zurich