It is said of I Puritani that it is a true soprano opera, but that is not really quite the case. Elvira may be the pivot around which everything revolves, she is also one of the most passive opera heroines I know. Everything that happens around her and to her, happens in spite of her; because apart from loving and going mad, she doesn’t seem to be able to do much of anything at all.

It is the bass (her uncle Giorgio) who devises all sorts of plans to steer the action in the desired direction, and for this he is rewarded by Bellini with a most beautiful aria (‘Cinta di fiori’).

Nicolai Ghiaurov:

In order to save the mad soprano from certain death, he asks the baritone to spare the tenor’s life, which ends in a gorgeous duet (‘Suoni la tromba’), a real show-stopper.

Samuel Ramey and Sherrill Milnes:

The tenor also, who in a fit of patriotinic frenzy seems to send the whole thing into disarray, gets to sing a lot of beautiful (and high!) notes.

John Osborn with Mariola Cantarero from Amsterdam 2009:

All these roles require an excellent bel canto technique, with good coloratura, leggiero and legato. And don’t forget a sense of pure drama, because Bellini (and his librettist!) have created a lot of havoc for the poor soprano: first she becomes delirious with joy, then she loses her mind. She then regains it, only to lose it again immediately. Are you still there? Because it’s not over yet: her mind comes back once more and immediately she’s delirious with joy again. Ouch… Fortunately, the opera stops here, because poor Elvira apparently has to repeat such tricks a few times a day


CD’S

JOAN SUTHERLAND

Elvira, like Lucia, was a showpiece for Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland, both of whom recorded it several times. In 1974, Richard Bonynge (Decca 4175882) made a peerless recording of the opera, besides Sutherland, there was the sublime male trio: Luciano Pavarotti, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Piero Cappuccilli. Sutherland sounds like a little heap of misery, and her virtuosity knows no limits. Pavarotti still possessed all his glorious long high notes in those days and he pops them out with no effort at all.

Wiecej TUTAJ