DVD + Blu-Ray:
Rossini: L’Italiana in Algeri

“The role of Isabella is sung to perfection by Cecilia Bartoli – a clever, independent woman with an adventurous streak” (The New York Times).

Bartoli’s superb performance in Gioachino Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) at Salzburg Festival, directed by the BAFTA-winning stage director duo Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, is a highlight among the Rossini celebrations on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death.

The DVD captures Bartoli’s excellent performance in a rare audiovisual recording of the Italian superstar, who is one of the most successful opera singers of our time. In this vibrant comedy, every look, every hand gesture brings Isabella to life: Bartoli presents the spirited Italian woman with fire, finesse and extraordinary acting abilities – “a Rossini masterclass” (Bachtrack). Her Isabella is a strong, independent woman who has no intentions of accepting the advances of the powerful Mustafà. In the staging by Leiser/Caurier, which plays with preconceived notions about clashing cultures, Mustafà is no longer an Ottoman bey, but a kind of local gangster who smuggles electronics at the port of modern-day Algiers.

In the colourful sets of Christian Fenouillat, Ildar Abdrazakov sings the leering macho, looking for a love affair with the beautiful Italian, with delight and “great comic talent” (Salzburger Nachrichten). Edgardo Rocha’s bright tenor climbs up without effort, making his performance as Isabella’s lover Lindoro flowing and highly emotional. The conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi, showing sensitivity to the intricacies and sparkle of Rossini’s score, leads the excellent Ensemble Matheus in a “beguiling performance” (The New York Times).

Original title Rossini: L’Italiana in Algeri
Genre Opera
Recording location Haus für Mozart, Salzburg Festival 2018
Duration 163 mins
Production Company A co-production of Unitel and Bayerischer Rundfunk in cooperation with Arte and Salzburg Festival
Composer Gioachino Rossini
Orchestra / Band Ensemble Matheus
Conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Choir Philharmonia Chor Wien
Chorus Master Walter Zeh
Stage Director Mosh Leiser & Patrice Caurier
Soloist Cecilia Bartoli, Ildar Abdrazakov, Edgardo Rocha, Alessandro Corbelli, José Coca Loza, Rebeca Olvera, Rosa Bove