William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Anna Bonitatibus - Cavalli: La Didone (2012) [Blu-Ray]

Posted By: Vilboa

Date: April 3, 2018

A live performance from October 2011 at the Theatre de Caen affords a superb introduction to Cavalli’s rarely performed 1641 opera La Didone. William Christie leads Les Arts Florissants in beautifully realized period style, while French stage actor Clement Hervieu-Leger, in his operatic directorial debut, draws powerful and moving characterizations from a large, versatile cast.
Act I…represents Cavalli and the Venetian style at their best, with incisive recitative writing and fluid musical movement in response to Busenello’s fine libretto. The direction of physical movement is precise and hauntingly effective…Christie’s continuo section is especially fine, lending support and color to the dramatic flow and creating atmospheric textures for the more static aria moments.
Costumes by Caroline de Vivaise suggest timeless elegance with touches of humor, such as a slouchy sweater and chinos for Cupid (the excellent young singing actor Terry Wey, who doubles as a sweet-voiced Ascanio).
Alert acting and sensitive singing characterize both the Dido of Anna Bonitatibus and the Aeneas of Kresimir Spicer, and their intense performances bring out all the power of this elusive early operatic style. Her dark, incisive voice and regal bearing soften at the first sight of Spicer’s bold yet tender Aeneas, and she inhabits the role arrestingly. Spicer’s responsive tenor and emotional commitment are stunning throughout…
Countertenor Xavier Sabata sings the role of Iarbas with intelligence and elegance…Other singers handle multiple roles with verve and style, particularly Katherine Watson as an affecting Cassandra, Mariana Rewerski as Creusa and Juno, and Claire Debono as a fun-loving Venus. Victor Torres brings warmth to the role of Anchises, while Joseph Cornwell is a strikingly effective Sychaeus. (Opera News)

Cast:
Didone - Anna Bonitatibus
Enea - Kresimir Spicer
Iarba - Xavier Sabata
Ecuba - Maria Streijffert
Cassandra - Katherine Watson
Creusa / Giunone - Tehila Nini Goldstein
Anna / Fortuna - Mariana Rewerski
Iride / Venere - Claire Debono
Ascanio / Amore - Terry Wey
Anchise - Victor Torres
Corebo/ Eolo - Valerio Contaldo
Ilioneo / Mercurio - Mathias Vidal
Acate / Sicheo - Joseph Cornwell
Sinon Greco / Giove - Francisco Javier Borda
Les Arts Florissants
Conductor - William Christie

BDInfo

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Audio: Italian / LPCM Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitle: English / 28,458 kbps
Subtitle: French / 26,753 kbps
Subtitle: German / 32,481 kbps

MediaInfo

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Encoded date : UTC 2018-04-02 12:51:02
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Menu
00:00:00.000 : en:Chapter 01
00:01:33.827 : en:Chapter 02
00:04:44.384 : en:Chapter 03
00:13:46.892 : en:Chapter 04
00:16:31.523 : en:Chapter 05
00:25:08.406 : en:Chapter 06
00:28:17.062 : en:Chapter 07
00:31:23.114 : en:Chapter 08
00:35:59.157 : en:Chapter 09
00:43:13.490 : en:Chapter 10
00:46:47.704 : en:Chapter 11
00:54:34.337 : en:Chapter 12
00:58:28.371 : en:Chapter 13
01:01:39.495 : en:Chapter 14
01:07:09.458 : en:Chapter 15
01:11:07.263 : en:Chapter 16
01:14:53.989 : en:Chapter 17
01:16:07.062 : en:Chapter 18
01:19:31.266 : en:Chapter 19
01:22:40.388 : en:Chapter 20
01:26:44.232 : en:Chapter 21
01:34:55.189 : en:Chapter 22
01:38:38.312 : en:Chapter 23
01:42:12.192 : en:Chapter 24
01:45:15.409 : en:Chapter 25
01:47:11.958 : en:Chapter 26
01:57:05.118 : en:Chapter 27
01:59:37.136 : en:Chapter 28
02:03:05.711 : en:Chapter 29
02:05:12.104 : en:Chapter 30
02:08:58.464 : en:Chapter 31
02:17:09.688 : en:Chapter 32
02:31:23.240 : en:Chapter 33
02:33:29.867 : en:Chapter 34
02:34:52.750 : en:Chapter 35
02:38:29.700 : en:Chapter 36
02:42:48.158 : en:Chapter 37
02:51:05.688 : en:Chapter 38

All screenshots taken from BDRip