Customer Reviews
A lovely production - By: libriarsque, 24 May 2008 
"La Scala di Seta" is one of what is called Rossini's "mini ring cycle" of one-act operas. It boasts a charming score with some fiendishly difficult vocal gymnastics, three big arias (and one little one), & some lively ensembles. And of course, there is the famous overture, during which, on this DVD, we are afforded a view of Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti's conducting antics, which are quite entertainingin their own right. He likes extremes of tempo: some tempi are so breathlessly brisk, the singers can do little else but stare at him for fear of being left behind. But, being the bravura vocalists that they are, they manage very well.
The plot,in a nutshell: Giulia is expected to marry Blansac. But she is already secretly married to his friend Dorvil. She suspects her sister Lucilla has the hots for Blansac, so she enlists the aid of her manservant Germano to find out; Germano, having a crush on Giulia, agrees to be her stooge, with comic results.
Luciana Serra, as Giulia, while giving us some amazingly rapid-fire coloratura & elegant phrasing, very often sings out of tune & uses a lot of laserbeam straight tone. But she is a charming comedienne. Her sisterin the piece is sung very competently by mezzo Jane Bunnell, though perhaps a slightly slower tempo for her arietta might have serviced her vocal skills better.
David Kuebler does a creditable job with Dorvil's difficult aria; however, one wishes for the silvery lightness of a Raul Gimenez to negotiate Rossini's high tessitura with a bit more ease. Alberto Rinaldi,in the role of Blansac, is another impressive voice unfortunately plagued with dry, straight tone & intonation problems, & he tends to overbalance the othersin ensembles.
As the put-upon servant Germano, Alessandro Corbelli isin his element, managing to straddle the fine line between comedy & pathos. He displays wonderful legato line & truly amazing command of coloratura, particularlyin the duet with Serra, & his performance of the very difficult aria is a veritable masterclass on how to combine vocal skill with brilliant stagecraft.
The production itself is quite lovely & traditional, Michael Hampe's staging is always lively & intelligent; altogether, this is a satisfying Rossini experience.
