Rossini’s penultimate opera, written a year before he abruptly retired at the age of 37, has never attained the popularity of his best-known works, but it offers a remarkable blend of sophistication, sensuality, bawdiness, and warmth. The title character is a womanizing nobleman disguised as a holy hermit in order to seduce Countess Adèle, who has sworn to be faithful to her husband, a long-absent Crusader. Ory’s page Isolier is himself in love with the countess, and plans to sneak into her castle disguised as a nun—a scheme the count adopts after his hermit imposture is exposed. The return of the Crusaders dashes the hopes of both, although in this 2015 production from the Malmö Opera the knights suddenly drop dead of their wounds upon arrival, leaving the countess free to take a new husband as the curtain falls. There are a few other oddities in Linda Mallik’s staging, but for the most part her choices are witty, and the sets and costumes are eye-catching. Conductor Tobias Ringborg leads a scintillating reading of the score, and the vocalism is excellent, with Leonardo Ferrando’s high tenor and gift for farce perfect for Count Ory, Erika Miklósa charming as Adèle, and Daniela Pini engaging in the trousers role of Isolier. Lars Arvidson exhibits a rather wooly tone as Ory’s tutor, but apart from him the solo and choral work is expert. Overall, this is a first-rate version of a very enjoyable and too often overlooked example of Rossini at his bubbly best. Presented in PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Le Comte Ory
(2015) 142 min. In French w/English subtitles. DVD or Blu-ray: $24.99. Naxos (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 6
Le Comte Ory
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