Gioachino Rossini - La donna del lago - "O fiamma soave" (Dalmacio Gonzales)

Let's pass on to pure virtuoso ground with a thrilling cavatina for Giovanni David from "La donna del lago".

Tenors can be found in rossinian operas most often playing the romantic interest of the heroine, the seeker of the heroine's affection (in the case of Nozzari and David, both played such roles with equal success) and even fathers or tyrants, especially if the heroine's lover was to be played by a contralto.

While his colleague certainly had a very respectable coloratura technique, it was David who was the more virtuoso singer. His arias are literally defined by the amount of florid devices employed, moreover the cabaletta usually occupies a more important part in the music than the cantabile. David usually played the romantic lead ("Ricciardo e Zoraide" & "Zelmira") or, even more often in Rossini's operas, an unrequited love of the heroine ("Il turco", "Otello", "Ermione", "La donna del lago"). Basically, most of his characters are of "Pierotto" roles: likeable, sad and faithful followers of the heroine who is almost always in love with another... Only one role in different, I'm going to discuss it in a separate upload.

David was very much the best "tenore contraltino", for throughout his career he was renowned for the brilliance of his upper register and his elaborately decorated and flexible style. In this field he was almost without peer. As the years went by, however, his virtousity is said to have approached eccentricity, and there were many who found his style, despite an excellent basic training and many flashes of genius, so excessively decorated as to merit condemnation on grounds of bad taste.

In each of the six operas where he appeared David has but one cavatina ("Ricciardo", "Ermione" and "Zelmira") or aria in the second act. They are usually written around the same structure: a short cantabile (in the cases of "Ermione", "Il turco" and "Otello" under two-three minutes) -- a brilliant, showy cabaletta (in "Zelmira" culminating at a high E flat, I believe). Only Uberto in "La donna del lago" gets unusually an aria which seems almost a version of the familiar ABA form. This cavatina is the one presented. Basically, we get a simple cavatina repeated two times with a more dramatically urgent central part as a musical bridge. In some ways, this aria almost seems like a very long cabaletta, mainly because the repeat is, of course, to be ornamented and because we get a full repetition of the music. Even this lyrical scene is filled with showy roulandes as the King contemplates his love of Elena. Still, this is one of Rossini best arias for David, if not exactly representative of his art. I originally planned on posting the virtuoso cavatina from "Zelmira" but this piece is just too good to pass on.

Today we have quite a few singers who can be called successors of David: William Matteuzzi, Juan Diego Florez, Antonino Siragusa... I consciously decided to skip these well-known singers for a less-known but definitely classy Dalmacio Gonzales who enriches the aria considerably with his expressive approach. Enjoy :)!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• coloratura

[Alicuche2]

I think Rockwell Blake sing better the aria.

[LindoroRossini]

I was choosing three versions: Blake, Florez or Gonzales. It was a difficult choice: both Blake and Florez are technically without reproach but I am somehow drawn to the orchestral clarity that the conductor draws here and to Gonzales' earnest portrayal, even if some of the coloratura is not as clear as either of his colleagues. Plus, I love the combination of head and chest voice he uses, though the high notes could be just a hint lighter :).

[Alicuche2]

Can you upload a "La donna del lago" performing by Dano Raffanti, please?

[LindoroRossini]

What did you have in mind exactly :)? Rodrigo's cavatina? If so, what version would you prefer: the live Houston performance or the studio recording with Ricciarelli :)?

[tonisanson]

Magnifico como siempre Gracies Dalmau Gonzalez.

[agnellodei]

You know, it is said that David had an extension up to soprano high B flat!

[gcarlos03]

Rossini pensava a Florez mentre scriveva questi capolavori. Duttilità, chiarezza, fraseggio, legato, musicalità ed estrema agilità sono doti che Florez possiede appieno per dare il massimo in queste difficilissime arie.

[CotaDangelo]

I have a CD of Bonisolli singing this aria (La donna del Lago, live in Torino, with Monserrat Caballe). Singing this aria sounds incredible, with a masculine voice, with all those agilita very clean. This one is a very good interpreation, but Dalmacio does not have the heroic voice of Bonisolli. I will try to post it. Viva Rossini!!!

[saturn999999999]

go to imslp.org and load la donna del lago

[TifosoBonisolli]

Provincial rendition in a good sense: he knows what to make of the music, adding that bit of drama that Florez' calm renditions are always lacking; of course, neither the voice nor the coloratura are first-rate, just as you would expect in a provincial theater.

[tenorisimo1975]

Por flexibilidad vocal, por linea de canto, por voz timbrada, estilo, interpretación, estilo, clase, Dalmacio Gonzales es el mejor Uberto, ya la grabación completa

de la opera, con Gonzales, Ramey, Ricciarelli, Valentini Terrani, Raffanti, Maurizio Pollini, es la grabación referencial.

[jowox]

a Bb5? in non-falsetto? can he do high Es and Fs, that´s enough for me...

[19223635]

Juan Diego Florez is the best!

[Alicuche2]

Oh... Yes, Rodrigo's cavatina is fine. I wold prefer the studio recording, I like it more. Thank you very much.