Ottavia Iano Tamar

Appio Diomede Raul Gimenez

Sallustio Nicolas Rivenq

Pubblio Gregory Bonfatti

Menenio Sonia Lee

Gran Sacerdote Riccardo Novaro

Clodio Svetlana Sidorova

Fausto Emil Alekperov

Orchestra of the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania; Giuliano Carella, cond.

Dynamic CDS 1781/2 This opera was premiered in 1825, and lies halfway between Rossini's Semiramide and Bellini's Il pirata. It is one of the earliest works to show significant departures from Rossini's style, and demonstrates many features of the later bel canto operas. These may be in embryonic form, in some cases, but more pronouncedly in others. Anyone who hears it will readily recognize how it influenced later works by both Bellini and Donizetti.

It was revived in Martina Franca in the summer of 1996, with the production being transferred to Catania, with Raoul Gimenez replaced by a relatively voiceless William Matteuzzi towards the end of a glorious career. The recording is of the Martina Franca performance. It can be highly recommended, and should give a great deal of satisfaction. Iano Tamar is a dramatic soprano of great promise, and has already recorded Semiramide on the Ricordi label. Gimenez as the evil Appio is one of the better light tenors singing in the 1990s, and has already gained an International reputation. The plot is relatively simple, but a bit unusual for the time. Appio loves Ottavia (the wife of the magistrate, Sallustio), but when she repulses him, he swears vengeance. Appio gains Pubblio's cooperation in accusing Ottavia of pederasty. Ottavia succeeds in convincing her husband of her innocence. But ominous noises from Vesuvius convince the mob that the Gods want her punished, and Sallustio agrees, declaring that she is to be entombed alive. As the skies darken more and more, Pubblio, overtaken by panic confesses. The two miscreants are to be entombed alive in her place when Vesuvius erupts. Ottavia and Sallustio manage to flee with their son.

The musical highlights are a duet between Appio and Ottavia, another duet between Ottavia and Sallustio, and the penultimate three part scene and aria for Ottavia. The first of these three parts, the elegiac march and chorus "Oh sventurata Octavia" anticipates Donizetti, especially Anna Bolena, while the aria proper, "Su questa man concedi" is very Bellinian, as is its cabaletta "Del figlio mio dolente". The net impression of this entire scene is that it is totally different from Rossini, totally new in concept, and anticipates similar scenes in other works where the soprano faces execution, predominantly in Anna Bolena but also in Maria Stuarda and Beatrice di Tenda. It would seem that rather than Pacini emulating Bellini, as conventional wisdom would have it, it may well have been the other way around, with Bellini emulating certain aspects of both Vaccai and Pacini. After hearing this scene, it is difficult to give the old saws about Pacini not having any originality much credibility.

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