Ferruccio Busoni - Arlecchino

Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924)

Arlecchino, oder Die Fenster

Gerd Albrecht Conductor

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra

Robert Wörle (ten) Arlecchino; Leandro

Marcia Bellamy (mez) Colombina

René Pape (bar) Ser Matteo del Sarto

Siegfried Lorenz (ten) Abbate Cospicuo

Peter Lika (bass) Dottor Bombasto

Capriccio's Complete Busoni Edition is shaping up to be a very impressive series indeed. When reviewing and comparing Gerd Albrecht's and Kent Nagano's recordings of Turandot last November (the latter coupled with Arlecchino), I found much to admire in Albrecht's reading, despite my marginal preference for Nagano. Albrecht's performance of Arlecchino, his latest contribution to the Busoni Edition, is even more impressive and certainly one of the finest readings of a Busoni opera yet committed to disc. As fine as Nagano's reading is, Albrecht projects a greater feeling of drama and dramatic pace (as well as the commedia dell'arte aspects of the opera) and, to my mind, seems to have absorbed the Busoni spirit far more successfully; the presence of Busoni's final masterpiece, Doktor Faust, is exceptional strong.

Another exceptional feature of this new version is Albrecht's excellent cast. I found Marcia Bellamy a shade more suited to the role of Colombina than Susanne Mentzer (Nagano), and there are some exceptionally fine performances from Rene Pape, Siegfried Lorenz and Peter Lika in the roles of Matteo, Abbate Cospicuo and Dottor Bombasto. The master-stroke, however, is the casting of Robert Worle in both the Arlecchino and Leandro roles, an inspired idea and one which is delivered with great aplomb and panache—his Leandro is more sharply characterized than Stephan Dahlberg's for Nagano.

As usual, Albrecht draws some superb orchestral playing from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (especially in the wind and brass departments) and the recording is well balanced and atmospheric. Altogether a highly recommendable issue.'

Gramophone review