# Rossini Turk vs Italian Poll



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

What is your preference on these two Rossini operas:

Il Turco in Italia

L'Italiana in Algeri


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm just not normally a Rossini-ite.


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## The Wolf (Apr 28, 2017)

Both


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

nina foresti said:


> I'm just not normally a Rossini-ite.


I'll admit, there is a lot of Rossini opera that if taken in too big of doses can have an effect similar to that of eating way to much candy.

I tend to prefer Donizetti and Bellini in the big-3 of Italian opera department.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

While I prefer Rossini's serious operas, there is much to commend the comic. Both Italiana and Turco rank lower for me than Barber and Ory, possibly even Cenerentola. But then again I need to listen to both more. Saw a production of Turco recently that went a bit over the top in the staging, turning it into pure, unadulterated slapstick. My current vote is for Italiana, but that may change. Viva la libertà di scelta!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Like both, prefer Italian in Algeri and especially the one with _Agnes Baltsa,_ which by the way is having her birthday today.


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

Both, but with a preference for _Italiana in Algeri. _However, while _Italiana_ is more fun, there are many great tunes in _Turco_ as well. Plus, the Pirandello-like aspect of _Turco's_ plot is a definite asset. It's too bad that the entire score of _Turco_ was not available in the 1950's as even in its truncated version with Fiorilla's big aria missing Callas still takes the honors as the best on records! I can only imagine what she would have done with that magnificent aria! Still, just the way that she sings the line "Che bel Turco" with a sly smile in her voice is alone worth the price of admission!


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## Rossiniano (Jul 28, 2017)

Addendum to the above post: I have a soft spot for the old mono Giulini recording of _Italiana_ with Simionato and Valetti. It is the most heavily cut and the score is pre-Critical Edition, but there has a certain precision that Giuliani gets that eludes most other commercial recordings. In essence it contains the fewest notes of all the recordings , but captures the essence of Rossini (albeit on Giulini's terms) better than most.

My favorite modern versions are both live recordings from the MET (2004 and 2016) and both with James Levine conducting who manages to achieve a similar precision. He also includes the longer aria for Lindoro in the second act plus the more sensuous sounding cello version of Isabella's "Per lui che adoro" also in Act Two. Levine also includes both numbers on the earlier MET DVD with a slightly over the hill Marilyn Horne, but there are tenor problems with that release.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Love Italiana. a wonderful opera.

Turco isn't in the same league. Don't listen to it any more.


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