La Rondine

In 1913, the directors of Vienna's Carltheater persuaded a reluctant Giacomo Puccini to compose a Viennese operetta, but by the time La Rondine (“The Swallow”) was completed, World War I had begun, ultimately preventing an Austrian premiere. The work, which underwent numerous revisions, was finally presented in Monte Carlo in 1917, but never performed regularly until quite recently. The story revolves around a Parisian courtesan named Magda, who falls in love with Ruggero, leaving her wealthy protector, Rambaldo, for a life of blissful poverty in a seaside cottage. The moment of truth comes when Ruggero proposes marriage, and Magda reveals her past. In one version, Magda flies back like a swallow into the arms of Rambaldo, while in another, Ruggero rejects Magda and she walks into the sea to drown herself. This 2007 production—captured live in an outdoor performance at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy—uses neither version, but instead concludes with Magda rejecting both men and facing the future alone. Boasting artistic backdrops, period costuming, and sophisticated camerawork, La Rondine features Svetla Vassileva as Magda, Fabio Sartori as Ruggero, and Marzio Giossi as Rambaldo, supported by the orchestra of the Puccini Festival under Alberto Veronesi. Presented with Dolby Digital 5.0 and stereo, this is a lively, enjoyable production, overall, marred only by the jarring appearance of modernistic, scantily-clad dancers, who mingle with the crowds in the café scene and contrast sharply with the principals. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)