Melodrama in two acts
Libretto by Giovanni Gherardini
after La Pie vouleuse by J.M.T. Badouin
and
Louis-Charles Caigniez
English translation by Jeremy Sams
The Cast
Jeremy White, bass - Fabrizio Vingradito
Susan Bickley, mezzo-soprano - Lucia
Barry Banks, tenor (PMF Scholar) - Giannetto
Majella Cullagh, soprano - Ninetta
Russell Smythe, baritone - Fernando Villabella
Christopher Purves, baritone - Gottardo
Nerys Jones, mezzo-soprano - Pippo
John Graham-Hall, tenor - Isacco
Stuart Kale, tenor - Antonio
Toby Stafford-Allen, baritone (PMF Scholar) - Giorgio
Nicholas Garrett, bass - Ernesto
Darren Jeffery, baritone (PMF Scholar) - Judge
Philip Tebb, bass - Judge
Daniel Slater - Clerk
Prunella Scales - Magpie
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
David Parry - conductor
Recorded in Blackheath Halls, London
21-23 & 27-28 September 2002
Producer - Brian Couzens, Sound engineer - Ralph Couzens
Assistant engineer - Matthew Walker
'Majella Cullagh is outstanding as Ninetta, the guileless peasant girl... Such is her empathy with the role, the elaborately ornamented version of the cavatina (based on variants Rossini himself wrote for the soprano Giuseppina Vitali in 1866) succeeds in underlining her spirit and resolve without compromising the sense we have of goodness without blemish. Christopher Purves gives an equally masterly account of the suavely elaborate music with which Rossini characterises the lascivious and venal Mayor. With sympathetic, well-sung performances from Nerys Jones and Russell Smythe, and Barry Banks bringing passion and style to Giannnetto, this is as good a cast of principals as we have yet had on record.'
