Prom 2: Saturday, 16th July at 6.30 p.m. (William Tell)

[Ventilhorn]

. I also enjoyed it very much, though would not go as far as almost everyone else seems to be in hailing it as Rossini's masterpiece. The lengthy, rather four-square passages of choral interjection became wearying on this ear, and there don't seem to be any truly gorgeous arias, but it was undoubtedly very exciting in places.

Yes, I also enjoyed much of the performance and I think that Pappano did a great job, but your comment quoted above reinforces my argument that size is not always quality and this is by no means Rossini's greatest work. Your opinion on the arias is in accord with my own. Not one of them is specially memorable.

However, it was a jolly good romp and I'm glad that so many people enjoyed their evening.

VH

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Not one of them is specially memorable.

What, not even 'Sombre foret'?! One of Rossini's great soprano arias. Arnold's 'Asile héréditaire' runs it close, especially when sung well.

[Don Basilio]

It is in a whole different league to Rossini's Italian operas, much as I like them. It is my favourite French C19 Grand Opera. I think they cut quite a bit from the last act? I am a Florez fan, but he isn't just heroic enough for the French heldentenor part of Arnold. The cabaletta of 'Asile héréditaire' brought the house down, as far as I could judge on the wireless.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

It is in a whole different league to Rossini's Italian operas, much as I like them. It is my favourite French C19 Grand Opera. I think they cut quite a bit from the last act? I am a Florez fan, but he isn't just heroic enough for the French heldentenor part of Arnold. The cabaletta of 'Asile héréditaire' brought the house down, as far as I could judge on the wireless.

It sure did! That's interesting about Flórez and the role of Arnold. I was talking to a fellow critic during the one of the intervals, who wrote the booklet notes for the CD. He pointed out that the first Arnold - Adolphe Nourrit - sang all his top notes with 'head voice', so not a French heldentenor at all. It was Gilbert-Louis Duprez who began the fashion for belting these notes out from the chest, a practice Rossini deplored. Osborn doesn't have a huge voice, in fact, yet sang the aria and cabaletta well, with a mix of head/ chest voices, whereas on the new CD, those top notes in 'Asile héréditaire' are purely head voice (and exquisitely handled).

Here's Flórez, via Youtube, in 'Asile héréditaire' and the cabaletta, giving those top notes plenty of welly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPfjg9Baras I wouldn't mind betting that he's been pencilled in for the Covent Garden staging...

[BBMmk2]

I still think the programme was rather good. Unfortunately, I didn't spot anything different with the sound! I usually quite a good ear for these sort of things. I still enjoyed this performance immensely. Obviously some board members are not so keen.

[bluestateprommer]

Caught this Prom from near the center of the Gallery; while occasionally solo voices like Malin Byström got drowned in the distance, this was a splendid performance of a work I'm sure I'll never hear otherwise live. Though one audience member thought that John Osborn was over the top for him, I thought JO took top honors vocally, if for no other reason that he pulled off this part, which is horrifically difficult to cast. Pappano and the orchestra were the biggest stars of the evening, IMHO, sounding terrific, a very, very fine band indeed. Solid choral work, and a fine cast of singers. At £9 total for the ticket and the program, not a bad deal.