La Sonnambula

Even for a 19th-century romantic opera, Vincenzo Bellini's 1831 La Sonnambula—hailing from a period when the composer was at the apex of his bel canto powers—sports a silly libretto, as demonstrated in this 2008 performance from Sardinia's Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. After Amina, who is betrothed to Elvino, is discovered asleep in the room of Count Rodolfo at the local inn, her fiancé—encouraged by Lisa, the hostel proprietress in love with Elvino—disowns her. Only the revelation that Amina is a sleepwalker persuades Elvino and his equally suspicious fellow villagers that she is innocent of any infidelity. Despite the laughable storyline, this mounting is visually quite attractive, with colorful sets and costumes and tasteful use of rear-stage projections. And it boasts real star power in the titular role of the sleepwalker, with Eglise Gutierrez exhibiting a rock-steady soprano and amazing dexterity in the florid coloratura. But the other contributions are less noteworthy: Antonino Siragusa as Elvino lets his voice go distressingly nasal in the upper register, conductor Maurizio Benini is inclined to allow the rhythms to sag for expressive effect, and Hugo De Ana's direction is static. Still, this is a reasonably enjoyable performance, especially thanks to Gutierrez. Making its Blu-ray debut with DTS-HD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo sound options, this is recommended. (F. Swietek).