Credits:

Salvatore Accardo

Description:

The time is medieval Sicily. Filippo usurps the throne from Duke Carlo of Agrigento through a conspiracy and imprisons him in the sepulcher. Carlo's son, Fernando (Bianca's brother, who had been separated from her), hid his identity to serve under Filippo, and revealed Filippo's true identity to Bianca. The two vowed to rescue their father... Bellini's second opera, "Bianca e Fernando" (a great revision of "Bianca e Gernando" first performed in 1826), was performed on April 7, 1828, as the inaugural performance of the Carlo Felice Opera House in Genoa. The style of the work is reminiscent of that of his great predecessor, L'Oro Felice. Although its style was greatly influenced by Rossini, Bellini's music is known for its melancholy and beautiful lyricism, which can already be seen in many parts of the work. Salome Zizia (Bianca) from Georgia sings the difficult passages with an agile and beautiful voice, and Giorgio Misseri (Fernando) responds with a lyrical tenor voice. Master singer Donato Renzetti's tight tempi and the tight ensemble under his baton brought a high level of perfection to this performance. Naxos Japan