Last weekend I attended the Canadian Opera Company’s closing performance of Maometto II, and while it’s not high on my list of operas I’d see again, the three leads were all outstanding. I can’t imagine anyone out there who could give mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Deshong a run for her money as Calbo, and I wish I could find a video of her in this role to share with you. But we do have this! A good video of a stellar in-concert performance bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni gave about four years ago, featuring his introductory aria in the lead role. Rossini is better know for his comedic operas, so it was interesting to hear this serious opera, versus, say, The Barber of Seville! Pisaroni was truly excellent as this dark and violent character (based on a real fifteenth century Ottoman ruler), heard here encouraging his warriors to arise and triumphantly conquer the world with him. With love, light, and song… ~Melissa~
Listen here: Duce di tanti eroi * by composer Gioachino Rossini & librettist Cesare della Valle *from the opera Maometto II (1820)