ROSSINI: “LA CENERENTOLA.” Cecilia Bartoli, William Matteuzzi,...

ROSSINI: “LA CENERENTOLA.” Cecilia Bartoli, William Matteuzzi, Alessandro Corbelli, Enzo Dara, Michele Petrusi, others; forces of Teatro Comunale, Bologna, Riccardo Chailly, conductor. London 436 902-2. Bartoli’s Angiolina is predictably all bravura skyrockets and pinwheels in the finale, “Non piu mesta,” but it is in the lyric passages and recitatives where her uncanny ways of melding tone to word create, not a simpering waif, but the character of a strong-willed girl who will eventually get her man. Unfortunately Matteuzzi, like most leggiero tenors these days, isn’t vocally strong enough to be worth the fuss. The basses fare better, especially Dara’s none-too-bright Don Magnifico and Corbelli’s almost Figaro-like servant, Dandini. Chailly’s breakneck tempos do no favors for the singers, but they don’t faze Bartoli, who plows ahead while the others deliver with a minimum of strain.

TCHAIKOVSKY: “Yevgeny Onegin.” Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Nuccia Focile, Neil Shicoff, Alexander Anisimov, Olga Borodina, others; Orchestre de Paris, Semyon Bychkov, conductor. Philips 438 235-2. Following their near-disastrous collaboration on an anemic “Cavalleria” recording, Bychkov and Hvorostovsky redeem themselves handsomely. The conductor’s control of the ebb and flow of both the Pushkin drama and the Tchaikovsky score is masterly. The baritone is perfectly cast, suggesting a complicated personality in solely musical terms, his lush, youthful sound convincingly that of the 23-year-old character. Most of the cast is up to him. Focile’s slivery soprano has an un-Italianate edge that fits Tatyana. Shicoff as Lensky has rarely been in better voice, leading the great Act II concertato with passion and power, and shading “Kuda, kuda” sensitively. Anisimov’s quavery bass as Gremin is a drawback, even though the character is supposed to be old. Borodina’s silken young mezzo makes it easy to understand how Olga (the character) causes so much trouble. The supporting singers contribute to the high artistic level.

FAMOUS OPERA DUETS: Jerry Hadley and Thomas Hampson. Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Carlo Rizzi, cond. Teldec 9031-73283-2. This disc features two fresh American voices in unusual duet repertory, including “Vepres” and “Don Carlos” excerpts in the original French, as well as the complete Wolf Crag scene from “Lucia.” Unfortunately, much of the music is from operas these artists have never sung on stage, let alone together, and that may account for the pervasive feeling of tentativeness. Hampson’s lush baritone, in particular, sounds constrained. Hadley’s tenor hardly sounds more assured. The two are at their best in the next most familiar music (following “Boheme”) on the record, the famous duet from Bizet’s “Pecheurs de perles.”

VERDI: “Rigoletto.” Alexandru Agache, Leontina Vaduva, Richard Leech, Jennifer Larmore, Samuel Ramey, others; forces of Welsh National Opera, Carlo Rizzi, cond. Teldec 4509-90851-2. Is a new “Rigoletto” recording really needed? Not with singing and conducting of this calibre. There is not a distinguished singer in the cast, with the exception of Ramey, whose Sparafucile is in poor voice. Agache might one day make a distinguished jester. He has a decent voice, good dramatic instincts and musicality. When he can begin a phrase piano or mezza voce , he’s able to color, but when the voice is in full cry and he tries to throttle down, the tone becomes throaty and constricted. Vaduva does not often offend musically, but she brings no special insights to Gilda. Leech is rarely at less than mezzo forte ; his “Parmi veder” is crude, “Possente amor” sloppy. One wonders if he cares what any of the words mean. Rizzi’s conducting is musically spineless, things often threatening to fall apart, and he seems oblivious to the high drama of “Si, vendetta” or the Storm Trio. He tries to follow the new critical edition, but it goes out the window when his singers want to throw in high notes.