Any Rossini is worth watching or hearing, and Mose in Egitto does have some really lovely moments in the score but to me the libretto is one of the weakest of any of Rossini's operas. Apart from the sound quality, which is often of hissing quality, and the odd moment of static staging, this is a most effective production, in French, of the opera from Paris. The costumes and sets are lovely to watch and atmospherically lit. The orchestra play stylistically and movingly under the nuanced conducting baton of Georges Pretre and the chorus make such a beautiful sound especially the sopranos. The principal performances are right on the money. Samuel Ramey sings with such a velvety richness and commands the stage in the way he ought to. Cecilia Gasdia has also a wonderful voice perfect for Rossini and really makes us feel for the plight of a young girl. Shirley Verrett shows that she is as effective in Rossini as she is when singing roles like Dalila and Lady Macbeth(two roles where she has few equals) and she brings a lot of subtleties to the role. Keith Lewis sings with a ringing tenor, and Jean-Phillippe Lafont a sonorous basso. Overall, a very good production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
