BELLINI La straniera • Ettore Gracis, cond; Renata Scotto (Alaide); Beniamino Prior (Arturo); Domenico Trimarchi (Valdeburgo); Maurzio Mazzieri (Prior); Elena Zilio (Isoletta); Francesco Signor (Montolino); Florindo Andreolli (Osburgo); Teatro la Fenice O & Ch • OPERA D’ORO 7029 (2 CDs 117:58 &) Live: Venice 1/7/1970

This rarely performed Bellini opera suffers from a plot that is so complex and confusing that it is not surprising that there have been no commercial recordings. The three other recordings, all of which have been reviewed in Fanfare by Robert Levine are all live performances, as is this one. The earliest, dating from December 1968, also features Renata Scotto, with Renato Cioni as Arturo and in the other principal roles the same singers, Elena Zilio as Isoletta and Domenico Trimarchi as Valdeburgo. The conductor was Nino Sanzogno. It was first released in poor sound on LP by EJS and subsequently on a Melodram CD. La straniera was performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in March 1969 with Montserrat Caballé, Amadeo Zambon, and Vincente Sardinero, with Anton Guadagno conducting, and it was released on a Legato Classics CD. The latest recording on a Ricordi CD dates from December 1990, featuring Lucia Alberti, Vincenzo Bello and Roberto Frontali. The conductor was Gian Franco Masini.

In the first scene, Isoletta is about to be married to Count Arturo, but she is aware that Arturo has fallen in love with a mysterious strange woman known as Alaide. Isoletta tells Valdeburgo of Arturo’s infidelity. In the second scene, Arturo and the stranger meet and he declares his love for her. Valdeburgo tells Arturo that he must flee from her, and Arturo believes that Valdeburgo is his rival. They fight a duel and Valdeburgo is wounded and falls into the lake. Alaide tells Arturo that Valdeburgo is really her brother. Arturo leaps into the lake to save Valdeburgo. The townspeople arrive and as Alaide’s gown is covered with blood, they accuse Alaide of murder.

In the opening of act II, Alaide is being tried for murder by the tribunal of the knights. They are all astounded when Arturo appears and tells them that he killed Valdeburgo. Then Valdeburgo himself appears and all is forgiven. Valdeburgo tells Arturo he must marry Isoletta and forget Alaide. In the final scene, Alaide leads Arturo and Isoletta into the temple for their marriage. Arturo rushes out of the temple and confronts Alaide. The prior reveals Alaide’s secret—that she is the queen. Arturo in his madness kills himself and Alaide laments her fate.

Levine, in his review of the Ricordi recording, wrote the following: “The libretto is practically Byzantine in its confusions, and what matters even more, there is, for the most part, a shortage of those long Bellinian melodies the composer is known and adored for. There are exceptions—the duet between Alaide and Arturo is one, and Alaide’s prayer and cabaletta in the finale—but there are also acres of recitative and brief, inelegant tunes.” Other critics have termed the opera more like middle or early Verdi in its emphasis on the dramatic rather than the lyric mode. Levine goes on to say that he actually likes the opera.

This recording has not, as far as I know (and sometimes that’s not very far), been released before. Scotto is in better voice than she was on the earlier recording, Prior is more dramatic and less lyric than Cioni, and the two other principal roles are sung by the same singers as on the earlier recording. The sound is acceptable. The booklet contains notes, a plot summary, and a libretto with English translation. Scotto is more dramatic and less lyrical than Caballé, who has the benefit of superior singers for the other roles. However, both of the earlier releases are either out of print or difficult to obtain. I have not heard the Aliberti version, but Levine says that it is inferior to the Scotto and Caballé recordings. I agree with Levine, since I too love Bellini; and I recommend this recording to any Bellini-lover who does not have a recording of this interesting opera.

FANFARE: Bob Rose