Ciofi & Maniaci - Ah non ti son piu cara (Meyerbeer)

Giacomo Meyerbeer "Il Crociato in Egitto"
Armando d'Orville - Michael Maniaci
Palmide - Patrizia Ciofi
La Fenice 2007
Conductor - Emmanuel Villaume

Probably the last opera written for the castrato voice - Giovanni Battista Velluti was Armando in Venice in 1824 and also sung this role in London the next year.

A mp3 I found somewhere in the wide wide Internet.

Pictures taken from this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8KEsG2qy2w

Category:

Music

Tags:

• meyerbeer
• maniaci
• ciofi
• il
• crociato
• in
• egitto
• opera
• male
• soprano

[aleiv]

I see, and I am sorry for this problems he had in preparing the part so quickly. So I was partly right. His voice can be natural, unbroken, or whatever, but to somebody's ears doesn't make any difference, and belcanto requires a higher technique, and finally a definitely better sound. Don't you agree? Above all, i regret for having been harsh, and I have no prejudice :) It's taste... and Maestro Maniaci has a brilliant carriera, despite all my judges.

[Thrax1982]

Yes, it was his very first attempt at bel canto repertoire too, as far as I know (before that only Handel, Monteverdi and Mozart). I personally don't find this dreadful but I'm willing to admit that this is not the best of his work on Youtube.

I think this is his best performance from that opera on Youtube.

watch?v=z-ID8JN_bW4

and this is perhaps the best overall

/watch?v=Ehnjo88_ElQ

Feedback will be appreciated and I hope you find those examples a bit less dreadful ;)

[exposfan69]

Great Opera, too bad it does not get performed more often. Opera Rara recorded the complete opera but did not use Michael Maniaci in the title role, they used a mezzo soprano...

[beautifulgaylife]

Wonderful voice.....

[alexmacias]

I like it!

[pabs661]

descent rendition, though i would say his vibratto was kind of excessive

[Thrax1982]

Just for your information, he had only 2 weeks to prepare for this role in an opera he had not even heard before so don't be too harsh.

By the way, are you aware that this singer is not a falsettist but has a unbroken voice so people should put their possible prejudices towards countertenors aside (I'm not saying that you have any - just speaking in general).

[aleiv]

I thought my comment was clear enough. I usually don't put bad comments on youtube, it seems stupid. But this time I thought that this duet was enough ruined by this sopranista, to say that was dreadful. But as I can see this singer has good success, so there must be a reason, and I am certainly wrong, but that's my taste.

[Yaouzer]

Care to explain?