This idiomatic and bubbly account of Il turco in Italia, taped in 1955, is notable for its manic sense of fun and intrigue. This is very much an ensemble opera, and the members of the cast assembled here interact with the seasoned banter of performers fully at ease with early bel canto comedy and with each other. Nino Sanzogno is responsible for keeping things moving at a lively clip, and he's fully successful in capturing the opera's outrageous silliness. Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano della Rai plays with exceptional precision (its pizzicati are immaculate!) and is also intimately familiar with this repertoire. Sesto Bruscantini, the centerpiece of the production, plays Selim with sly, knowing humor and sings with robust bravado; he clearly has the vocal and dramatic charisma to make the character fully believable. The remaining cast performs at a comparable level, with lightness and a strong comic sense. Graziella Sciutti is a fetching Fiorilla, singing with wit and delicate, lyric agility. At several points her tone is a little pinched at the stratospheric top of the part, but she's generally very strong. As Geronio, Franco Calabrese makes a vivid impression, especially in his comic interactions with Bruscantini. The opera's many ensembles are among the finest moments on the CD; the quintet with chorus "Questo vecchio maledetto," is hilarious, and its breakneck speed is astonishing. The sound is period, and except for occasional tape bleed throughout and a very low-level tape hiss, is fine for its era and easily listenable.
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