Armida

The tale of the Saracen sorceress Armida who bewitches the courageous Crusader Rinaldo, first told by Italian poet Torquato Tasso in the 16th century, has been a favorite with composers from Monteverdi to Dvorák (it is estimated that more than 50 operas have been based on the story). Rossini's 1817 version was largely forgotten until it was revived for Maria Callas (more recently, Renée Fleming has triumphed in the lead role). While it was heroic of the Opera Vlaanderen of Antwerp/Ghent to mount this demanding work in 2015—requiring six ringing tenors and two rock-steady basses, as well as a coloratura soprano—the result is sadly undernourished. Rossini specialist Alberto Zedda conducts the score energetically but without much elegance, and although Enea Scala is a more than adequate Rinaldo and Dario Schmunck, Robert McPherson, Leonard Bernad, and Adam Smith handle the remaining male roles adequately (sometimes doubling up), Carmen Romeu simply cannot compete with Callas or Fleming as Armida, though she improves as the performance proceeds. Mariame Clément's staging does the work no favors, merely having the chorus meander about during the ballet music, and Julia Hansen's sets are overly sparse, especially for the scenes set at the sorceress's garden of delights, while her costumes are decidedly odd, with the Crusaders often dressed in what look like soccer outfits. Presented in DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, and Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, this is a workmanlike effort that does not measure up to better productions. Not a necessary purchase. (F. Swietek)