Word: fioritura
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...reign of Emperor Chien Lung (1736 to 1796). The style poses formidable challenges to Western audiences. There is appealing exotica in the pentatonic backgrounds played by such instruments as the two-stringed erh-hu, or alto fiddle, and assorted gongs, clappers, drums and pipes. But the high, falsetto fioritura of the singers is difficult to take at the start, even if it is the Chinese ideal of good singing. Most problematical of all are the symbolic sets and the symbol-laden gestures...
...alas, a considerable bore-much less inspired, say, than the same composer's Lucia di Lammermoor or Don Pasquale. The only reason to pluck it from obscurity now is to afford a singing actress like Sills the dual opportunity to make life look difficult and bel canto fioritura easy. That Sills can accomplish better than anyone in opera today...
MASSENET: MANON, 4 LPs; DONIZETTI: LUCIA Dl LAMMERMOOR, 3 LPs (both ABC). When operatic tastes are weighed, the soprano who tips the scales-and the trills and roulades and fioritura-in favor of the French lyric and Italian bel canto repertories is Beverly Sills, here in two exemplary roles...
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