This production is about as sparkling a work as I've seen in quite some time. Salieri's score shows very heavy influences of his rival, Mozart, in particular his overture reminded me a good bit of Nozze di Figaro. It's perhaps easy to see (or hear) why Mozart outshone Salieri. Mozart (we know) was genius who accomplished the unbelievable and amazing in such a brief span of life. Nonetheless, Salieri is very worthy of exploration and his works, this in particular, should be heard by modern audiences. I can't think of a better production to do the introduction than this ArtHaus DVD.
In the title role, we are treated to a spirited, infectiously joyful performance by John Del Carlo. He looks exactly like my perfect Verdian Falstaff and his music is inspired. Salieri's recitatives are often as exciting as his arias and ensembles, and he's fairly daring in his structure of this work with ensembles, recits, arias, double recits, etc. flowing in and out of each other was masterful creativity.
What a delight to see Delores Ziegler as Mistress Slender. Ziegler's comic timing is nearly the match of Del Carlo's and again Salieri has given his cast some tough music.
Speaking of tough music, the assignment Salieri gives Ford (as opposed to Verdi's Ford, we get a tenor), is met with near athletic aplomb and virtuosity by my favorite tenor, Richard Croft. Croft plays the jealous Ford with the skill of a great actor, his body language, even when he's just listening and reacting to Slender's scheming reveals much about this character. Croft throws out some dazzling vocal fireworks in his 2nd scene's aria and recitative. While some critics complain that even late Salieri sounds older than early Mozart, I won't agree. Some of his music, (aforementioned aria in particular) almost sounds Rossinian! Ditto the Act I quartet with the Slenders and the Fords.
Teresa Ringholz does not possess my favorite type of voice, but as Mistress Ford, she shows herself to be a great comic actress and she shows a sense of Salierian style (?!) and her voice actually grew on me to the point where she had me cheering her on several times.
I can think of a few listers who won't want to hear this, but I think anyone looking for something a bit off the beaten path (okay, more than a "bit" off it), thoroughly tuneful, and with near nonstop comic action by performers who are clearly having a damned good time, I can't recommend this enough.
Michael Hampe's stylish sets and costumes are a perfect fit for the tiny Schwetzingen stage making it appear both much larger and smaller than it really is. Arnold Ostman and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony are inspired sounding like they're racing off to a fire. Once or twice that makes it feel as though a singer might not make it (there really is some virtuoso singing going on) but they do and the time flies by.
It's difficult not to fall in love with Salieri's sparkling opera!