Maurizio Pollini - Rossini: La donna del lago (1992) CD-Rip

This recording is clear, sharp and well-executed. The last two numbers with Katia Ricciarelli are stunning. She has a clear and lush voice with a dark, luminous quality that is finer than any clarinet. I could not get enough of her singing "Tanti affeti" at the end of the opera. What an incredible soprano. Certainly Joyce DiDonato is the current reigning Rossini mezzo but she (Ms. DiDonato) sings this at a slower tempo, with more ornamentation, perhaps to display her gifts better, though I think with less overall emotional impact. Ms. Ricciarelli's voice has a haunting quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to resist. While Ms. Ricciarelli was not always this good, she was at the top of her form in this recording. And having Maurizio Pollini conducting is a treat: he does a very nice job. The orchestra takes proper tempi and sounds good. This is a delightful recording with really decent sound. Of course opera fans will disagree: that is self-evident. But Rossini gets excellent treatment on this set. It also comes with a libretto, translated into English.