Not many operas by major Italian composers have had their premieres in London. One of them is Zingari, a one-act verismo opera by Leoncavallo, better known for Pagliacci. The premiere was in 1912 at the Hippodrome, a variety theatre praised at the time for its (very topical) policy of “levelling up” the popular taste in music.
The London public took to Zingari with enthusiasm and its verdict was soon seconded by audiences in Germany and Italy, North and South America. Now, however, the opera is hardly ever seen live.
Although this is not its first time on disc, Opera Rara’s recording, made after a concert performance last year, has a unique selling point. The opera underwent revisions after London, but this recording goes back to the original score with lost orchestrations newly prepared by Martin Fitzpatrick.
The wafer-thin plot, derived from Pushkin, is a double love story set among Roma people. Fleana starts the opera in love with the noble Radu, but ends it with a poet, Tamar, and their various love duets thread through the score, giving it a warmly romantic atmosphere. Only when jealousy raises its head does the opera turn verismo, ending in a fatal conflagration.
As always, Opera Rara’s performance and accompanying packaging are of the highest quality. Krassimira Stoyanova makes a spirited Fleana, torn between the attentions of Arsen Soghomonyan’s Radu, a tenor of romantic style, and his baritone rival Tamar, Stephen Gaertner. Carlo Rizzi conducts a rich-toned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
★★★★☆
‘Leoncavallo: Zingari’ is released by Opera Rara
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