Rossini: Scenes and Arias – Silvia Tro Santafé
If it were not for the operas of Gioachino Rossini, the operatic repertoire of the mezzo-soprano would lack some of its most interesting characters and music. Silvia Tro Santafé proves herself a true ‘Rossini Mezzo’ in this collection of scenes and arias, accompanied by the excellent Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra and Lluís Vich Vocalis.
Rossini’s operatic writing is a consistent joy, blending rich Italianate melody with virtuoso brilliance, music which is by turns haunting and thrillingly exciting. It is unfailingly entertaining. Operatic composers of Rossini’s generation knew how to entertain an audience. If they didn’t, they would starve to death (no artist subsidy for opera composers then!).
‘Though Silvia Tro Santafé is no newcomer in the recording stakes this was my first encounter with her and this recital has definitely whetted the appetite for more.’
MusicWebInternational.com (on SIGCD152)
“I would say that in the latest generation of Rossini mezzos, Silvia Tro Santafé is now at the top, rubbing shoulders with Joyce DiDonato, and she is a worthy heir to Teresa Berganza.”
Goran Forsling
“Tro Santafé’s unique vocal qualities illuminate the music with fresh colors and interpretive accents … this is an excellent disc that more than stands up to the competition."
David Laviska
“I liked Santafe’s ‘Spanish Heroines’; I like this even more.”
John T Hughes
