Rossini’s Adina was written in 18i8; two years after Barber of Seville, but wasn’t premiered until 1826 in Lisbon, after which it pretty much disappeared.  It’s a bit difficult to see why it fell out of favour, unless it’s because at 90 minutes or so it was considered too short, because it’s a pretty classic Rossini comedy with a silly but amusing plot and enjoyably frothy music.

Adina is a slave girl; captured by pirates and sold to the Caliph of Baghdad.  He takes a fancy to her because she reminds him of his lost love Zora and decides to marry her.  She believes that her lover Selimo was killed in the pirate attack and so she agrees.  But then he shows up disguised as a gardener.  They plot escape but are caught and sentenced to death.  Adina pleads for Selimo’s life and when she is unsuccessful falls into a swoon revealing a necklace which the Caliph recognises as one he gave to Zora.  Yes, Adina is their daughter.  Cue happy ending.

For the production recorded in Pesaro in 2018 director Rosetta Cucchi has chosen to set the whole thing in a giant wedding cake.  It’s all very colourful with lots of toing and froing and serves as a perfectly serviceable setting for some rather good singing.

Lisette Oropesa sings Adina and sparkles.  She has all the notes and navigates the typically mad coloratura with apparent ease.  She’s also quite cute.  Levy Sekgapane as Selimo shows that he’s a proper Rossini tenor with clean high notes and no goaty bleating.  Vito Vriante is an imposing, though quite sympa, Caliph who knocks off the obligatory patter song wth chorus with aplomb.  There’s good support from Matteo Macchiono as the caliph’s main man Ali and Davide Giangregorio as Selimo’s sidekick Mustafa.  The hectic ensembles are navigated with great skill and the chorus (Coro del Teatro della Fortuna M. Agostini) plays its part well.  The Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini plays skilfully and Diego Matheuz’ conducting never drags and is quite exciting at times.

Paolo Filippo Berti directs the cameras and it’s a straightforward and effective job backed up by the expected AV quality on Blu-ray.  The only extras are some trailers and the booklet has a very brief historical note, a synopsis and a track listing.  Subtitle options are Italian, English, German, Korean and Japanese.

I don’t think this “a forgotten masterpiece” but it’s fun and might reasonably make a come back given current audience preferences for shorter shows.  This recording does it justice with an amusing production and some fine singing.

Catalogue information: C Major Blu-ray 787204

Due for release June 6th 2025