With his early theatrical successes, Wolf-Ferrari brought a transparency of sound and a sense of lightness and charm to the realm of Italian opera. Alongside these qualities came a renewal of opera buffa, of which he proved to be a master – exemplified in the overtures and excerpts heard here. The comic energy and vibrancy of Il segreto di Susanna, the melodic beauty of Il campiello and the sweeping lustre of I gioielli della Madonna show how Wolf-Ferrari reinvigorated the genre through his incomparable passion and expression.

The “Queen of Coloratura”, Edita Gruberova, is the undisputed star of this recording of I puritani from the opera house in Barcelona. Her interpretation of Bellini’s Elvira has certainly become one of her showpieces and her superb technique, her top notes and exquisite pianissimos and her amazing command of coloratura make her the focus of this production. The audience rewarded her with long enthusiastic ovations after her the mad scene in the second act, when her heart breaking rendering of the elegiac “Qui la voce sua soave” and the dazzling coloratura in the fast cabaletta undoubtedly sets her name next to the great Elviras of the 20th century. Arthaus captures on DVD Andrei Serban’s production of Bellini’s gloomy masterpiece.