Genius. My von Stade obsession continues - and who says obsessions are bad?! It's led me to possibly THE greatest recording of this truly awesome sextet...
If there was anything to make me feel insufficient in the r-rolling department, it is most certainly this. I've just NEVER been able to do it...so judging from this video, that pretty much rules out me ever singing Cenerentola. Because, I mean, of course I could handle the ridiculous coloratura...it's just the r-rolling getting in my way.... :/ But my blatant singing impairment aside, I love the fact that they've taken this r-rolling business to the absolute extreme; something really to focus on. And boy have they got it perfect. Staccato + Rolled R's = My idea of Aural heaven.
I'm officially in love with von Stade's voice. She swaps between registers like she hasn't even heard of, let alone has, passagio...and it seems to come so easily that it seems like she's just speaking...just very relaxed and natural...I can't even really describe it all that well. I just know I love it. Lots.
From all of the other recordings I've seen/heard, I gather that for a director, this is quite a difficult piece to place. I mean, it's hardly reality. This is by far the best version I've found, and the silhouette idea was a pure revelation - perfectly simple and un-showy, leaving us to appreciate the music. If only all directors had had this idea! A lot of the versions were more than acceptable (the most recent Garanca version and a Bartoli production from the 90's) though we'll glaze over a certain production where the director thought adding nursery rhyme-like hand gestures would add a certain je ne sais quoi...
So it's a toss up now between buying the Met's new production with Garanca, or this film version from the 80's...my empty pockets are saying I have to choose...but I suppose there's no harm in having two Cenerentolas on the shelf right?!
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