Francesca da Rimini

"The singing and orchestral playing are superb, giving this lesser-known piece a magnificent performance, but there are problems with the production ... Despite all this, I have no hesitation in recommending the disc to collectors, since there are few modern alternatives and, as noted, there are many fine moments in the work. For me the piece may be equal to similarly neglected works by Korngold, Zemlinsky and Schreker which were written around the same time, but not to those of Richard Strauss and indeed Puccini himself".

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"Zandonai's best-known operatic score is a real pottage of self-contradictions. In an attempt to evoke the mediaeval atmosphere of Francesca da Rimini, the composer introduces onstage a whole raft of renaissance instruments and then gives them full-blooded romantic music to play ... Indeed there are some marvellous touches in Loy's staging, updated to a clearly contemporary milieu ... Musically the performance is excellent ... Jonathan Tetelman as Paolo displays a magnificent voice ... Similarly Sara Jakubiak as Francesca ... Those who are allergic to the Metropolitan Opera style of production, clearly old-fashioned but adhering closely to the original stage directions, may well find the new interpretation by Loy to be refreshing ... This is certainly music that should be heard more often".

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"Renata Scotto, som i en årrække var the Mets mest populære sopran, er formidabel i titelpartiet Francesca, som bliver offer i en broderstrid mellem Placido Domingo, som hun og vi holder med, Cornell McNeill og Willam Lewis. Operachef James Levine er på hjemmebane i denne flotte opsætning af en opera, som jeg vil anbefale opera-freaks".

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"Wer keinen Sinn für richtug schönen Opernkitsch hat, der soll ja die Finger von dieser DVD lassen ... bestens aufgelegter James Levine ... Plácido Domingo lässt seinen bronzierten Tenor glühen".

Vurdering ( Szene): 3/5.

Vurdering (Musik): 4/5.

"Editor's choice: Musically, it's tremendous. Singing with blazing convidtion and remarkable tonal lustre, Jakubiak has all the vocal glamour and staying power that the exacting titlerole needs. As handsome of voice as he is of presence, Tetelman makes an euqally outstanding Paolo, glorious and effortless in his upper registers ... The smaller roles are cast from strength ... In the pit, Carlo Rizzi forges an extraordinary unity from an astonishingly beautiful if eclectic score ... The whole thing is, I think, a great achievement. Do watch it".