ALFANO: Cyrano de Bergerac (Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia”, 2007) [Naxos ]

While best known today for having composed the ending to Puccini’s unfinished Turandot, Franco Alfano wrote some dozen operas, including Cyrano de Bergerac (1936) with a libretto by Henri Cain based on Edmond Rostand’s drama of the same name. It is a moving tale of romantic misunderstanding, swashbuckling bravado and heartbreaking loyalty, in which the eloquent Cyrano feels unable to express his love for Roxane because of his famously protuberant nose - except on behalf of his handsome but inarticulate friend, Christian. When Domingo and Radvanovsky sang Cyrano and Roxane at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Andante magazine wrote: “Incredibly, Cyrano is [Domingo’s] 121st role. And it suits him splendidly ... Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky was luminous as Roxane, her passionate outbursts showing off her powerful upper register to good effect.“ Cyrano: Placido Domingo Roxane: Sondra Radvanovsky Christian: Arturo Chacon Cruz De Guice: Rod Gilfry Ragueneau: Corrado Carmelo Caruso De Valvert: Roberto Accurso Carbon: Javier Franco Le Duegne / Sister Marthe: Itxaro Mentxaka Le Bret: Nahuel di Pierro Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana BUY / DOWNLOAD / STREAM: NaxosDirect US NaxosDirect UK Amazon US Amazon UK ArkivMusic