La Gazzetta

Gioacchino Rossini wrote two comic operas for the city of Naples in 1816, and both were abject failures at the time. One, Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), would eventually go on to become a staple of the repertory; the other, La Gazzetta, is still an obscure footnote in the composer's output. But as this elaborate production—mounted at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona in 2005—ably demonstrates, the neglect is undeserved. Granted, the opera doesn't have an especially strong libretto: the story follows a man who advertises in the title newspaper for suitors for his daughter, which leads to complications, including a pair of exotic-disguise scenes, one in which characters dress up as Quakers and another in which they masquerade as Turks. La Gazzetta also shares a good deal of its score with other Rossini operas, as the composer habitually borrowed from himself—the overture heard here, for instance, is better known from La Cenerentola. But as playwright-director Dario Fo notes in a bonus interview on the DVD, the plot's emphasis on the power of media is very topical, and while the music may be somewhat recycled, it's still bubbly fun. Fo's staging is sumptuous and busy, setting the action during the Roaring ‘20s and featuring colorful costuming and even a motorcar on stage—as well as some comic puppets to accompany one aria. Musically, the production—presented in DTS and LCPM stereo—is spirited but flawed: the orchestral playing is occasionally flaccid (as in the overture), and Bruno Praticò's vocalism as the pompous father is rather gravelly. But it's unlikely there will be another release of this rarity soon, and it's strong enough overall to recommend. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)