They State Their Cases With Passion

La Selva is a Don Quixote figure, leading his own semi-professional opera company in Central Park and minor New York avenues. Currently, he’s traversing the entire Verdi canon. This disc, timed to the centennial of his death, Jan. 27, shows him as dedicated, competent and energetic, but far from the star described in extravagant appended press quotes. The Bern Symphony plays efficiently but doesn’t prove to be a world-class group. Of Verdi’s 28 operas, many start with preludes. So it’s possible to offer all 11 overtures on a single disc. The rarity is one Verdi wrote for the first Italian performance of “Aida” (La Scala, 1872). It starts in the familiar way, then launches into music associated with Amneris and the priests. Wisely, Verdi concluded it was overblown and suppressed it after a single hearing at a closed rehearsal.

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