Verdi: I Due Foscari (2-CD) – Vladimir Stoyanov

Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Artists: Vladimir Stoyanov, Stefan Pop, Giacomo Prestia, Maria Katzarava, Francesco Marsiglia, Erica Wenmeng Gu, Vasyl Solodkyy, Gianni De Angelis, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra Giovanile della Via Emilia, Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma
Conductor: Paolo Arrivabeni
Number of Discs: 2
Label: Dynamic
CD Release Date: May 15, 2020

I Due Foscari, a tragedia lirica in three acts based on a work by Lord Byron, was premiered in 1844. It proved quite popular for the next fifty years, thanks in part to its brevity and ease of staging; in fact, it is Verdi’s shortest opera. The composer also revised the libretto by the rather inexperienced Francesco Maria Piave.

From the musical point of view, this work is characterized by extreme simplicity of form and by the use of distinctive themes for each character, reminiscent of the Leitmotiv technique. The simple plot describes the mortal hatred between a Venetian gentleman, Jacopo Loredano, and two members of the Foscari family - the Doge Francesco and his son Jacopo - whom Loredano holds responsible for the deaths of his father and uncle.

The effectiveness of this recording from the 2019 Festival Verdi stems from both the cast of singers (notably Vladimir Stoyanov in the role of Francesco Foscari) and the orchestra under Paolo Arrivabeni, a highly experienced, international conductor who specializes in this repertoire.

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