La Cambiale Di Matrimonio is not among the best or most sophisticated of Rossini operas(though it doesn't need to be, and bearing in my mind that we are talking about his first staged opera here), but as I've mentioned many, many times before any Rossini is worth the watch or listening or both at least once and La Cambiale Di Matrimonio is not an exception. While I do prefer the earlier Michael Hampe-directed production, I found this production a lot of fun. Mario Marabelli is perhaps too old for Norton and while she is charming and sings effortlessly in the high register Desiree Rancatore's lower registers and her legato didn't sound very secure to me. However, the production is colourful to look at while remaining mostly true to the period setting, and it is very energetically paced. The staging and acting is that of comedic farce but doesn't feel annoyingly exaggerated which is a good thing.
Tiziano Mancini's video directing is a vast improvement over most of his previous video directing efforts (he's very hit and miss for me, that of 2008's Cyrano De Bergerac is great but 2004's Madama Butterfly is hopelessly inept) and he captures the action well. The sound is at least clear. The orchestral playing is stylish and lush, and they are very well served by the idiomatic conducting of Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli. Paolo Bordogna as Mill, and Fabio Maria Capitanucci as Slook are more than pleasing vocally and characterise superbly with excellent diction. Saimir Pirgu is a little stolid, which is not uncommon actually with Rossini tenors, but he has a very pleasant and flexible voice. Maria Gortsevskaya sings very musically as Clarina and isn't too shabby an actress herself. Overall, not perfect but fun and lively, which is the right idea for a Rossini production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
