Franchetti: Cristoforo Colombo by Renato Bruson, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Marco Berti, Rosella Ragatzu, Gisella Pasino (1994-09-15)

A couple of things you should know before buying the score (114912802X) and the recording (B000001SPC):Number one: The piano score is a photocopy of a piano score on file at the Harvard library, but there are a few mistakes. If you intend to perform this work, you will need to get pages100-103 page 109, and pages 114-115 some other way.Number two: The score and the recording differ. If you wish to read the score while listening to the recording, be prepared for some frustrations. For the concertato section beginning on page 314, skip to page 322.The score is in four acts and an epilogue, but the recording is in three acts and an epilogue. For pages 330-377 in the score, you're out of luck. Instead, you will have to follow pages 152-160 in the libretto. (I don't understand how the second reviewer got gypped. I got a libretto.)This is a very fine opera. If you don't believe me, ask Verdi and Toscanini. They endorse this opera too.The composer is a very good harmonist. There are pungent modulatory passages all the way through. He is also a very good orchestrator. This is evident in his occasional instrumental interludes. He is also a surprisingly good contrapuntalist for a Nineteenth Century composer. There is an instrumental fugato in Act I and a choral fugato in Act II.There is probably only one factor which keeps this opera from becoming a box office facorite, and that is its lack of catchy melodies. All it needs is a few o-mio-babbino-caro's and a few la-donna-e-mobile's.