‘Jennifer Larmore is a technically impressive... Isabella, Alastair Miles an odiously amorous Bey, but Alan Opie’s comic Taddeo takes the Rossinian honours.’

‘Barry Banks is a properly plaintive Lindoro, though's there's a tad too much vibrato in his cavatina 'In dreams of endless pleasure', and Alastair Miles's softgrained bass makes the lovelorn Mustafa an oddly touching figure... Best of all is the utterly dependable Alan Opie who turns tiresome Taddeo into much more than Isabella's lap dog.’

Highlights
Dramma giocoso in two acts
Libretto substantially derived from Angelo Anelli's libretto
for Luigi Mosca's L'italiana in Algeri
English translation by David Parry

 

Recorded in Blackheath Halls, London
20-22 August 2008
Producers - Brian Couzens (Executive) and Brian Pidgeon
Sound engineer - Ralph Couzens
Assistant engineer - Jonathan Cooper

‘In the title role of Isabella, Jennifer Larmore once again proves her aptitude for this music, dispatching coloratura runs with ease and in particular underlining the humour of the opera. She revels in playing a naughty, sexy woman who has unbeatable power over men, something which comes across particularly in the Isabella-Mustafà duet...
Barry Banks' sense of style in the bel canto repertoire is impeccable, and the intensity of expression he brings to the role of Lindoro makes a huge impression in his arias and ensembles... Alastair Miles' Mustafà is a wonderful portrait of a buffo buffoon and his contributions are always notable for his clarity of diction and poise... Alan Opie's Taddeo really stands out in spite of the brevity of the role in these highlights.
Cohen's conducting of the Philharmonia is high on imagination and detail... the vivacity and wit of the piece are always brought out, and there's such a coherence and liveliness about the whole that any small reservations are easily swept away in this pleasurable recording.’