Italiana in Algeri 1976Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf & Duisburg
Read more about the opera Italian Girl in Algiers
The Düsseldorf company had a number of Ponnelle stagings in its repertoire, though this is the only one it ever brought to Edinburgh. It was lovely to look at, in carefully blended shades of coffee and cream, very stylish and thoroughly enjoyable, which is really all you need for The Italian Girl. And unlike their other offerings (Parsifal and Moses und Aron!), it actually suited the size of the King’s Theatre. Julia Hamari was a delightful Isabella, though perhaps without the ideal contralto tone of voice. Ugo Benelli was an expert Rossini tenor, and Constantin Dumitru great fun as the Bey. The only slight disappointment was a lack of sparkle in the orchestra – Peter Schneider’s later reputation rests on his Wagner, including the Ring at Bayreuth, and his Rossini was a bit heavy.
