Sigismondo

The last of the Venetian operas that would make the young Gioachino Rossini's reputation, this notorious 1814 failure has long been dismissed as irredeemable, but the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival's 2010 revival reveals this to be a substantial (if also uneven) offering. In a libretto reminiscent of Othello, Sigismondo the king is duped by an Iago-like minister named Ladislao into believing that his wife, Aldimira, is unfaithful, and orders her execution. Still haunted by this decision after 15 years, Sigismondo is startled to discover a peasant woman who looks exactly like Aldimira. It turns out that she actually is Aldimira—having conveniently escaped her death sentence—and she reconciles Sigismondo with her father, the understandably hostile king of Bohemia, while also compelling Ladislao to admit his crime and accept well-deserved punishment. Director Damiano Michieletto sets the action in a mental institution where Sigismondo has been committed—a somewhat hackneyed device in which other inmates silently convey the characters' emotional states, adding an illusion of psychological depth. The musical side is stronger, however, with conductor Michele Mariotti leading a passionate performance, and mezzo Daniela Barcellona (Sigismondo) and soprano Olga Peretyatko (Aldimira) delivering excellent turns, although it's tenor Antonino Siragusa, as Ladislao, who soars with amazing coloratura dexterity. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “making-of” featurette. An intriguing piece, this Rossini rarity is recommended. (F. Swietek)