[Rebeka] displays a nimble coloratura from a voice that sits happily in the middle register but with a nice ripe top...A word of praise, too, for the villainous baritone Ernesto. Franco Vassallo eschews eyerolling melodrama in search of a character who is genuinely divided against himself.

Rebeka sings with a mixture of beauty and dramatic intensity. In its upper register her tone can turn a bit hard, but she uses this to dramatic effect. She sings with the kind of forceful theatricality and rhythmic incisiveness that music like this requires. She portrays Imogene’s madness tellingly, and at the same time shapes Bellini’s melodies firmly.

At her best in the finale to Act 1 and later sections, [Rebeka] rises to the immense challenges of her final scene...Light in vocal weight and colour, Javier Camarena delivers Gualtiero’s text with clarity and purpose, negotiating the notes with aplomb and a sense of style...The most consistent of the three principals is Franco Vassallo’s firm and tensile Ernesto, whose deliberate colouring of text is highly effective.

With his light, supple and still very youthful voice, Javier Camarena is an ideal interpreter of the title role. Marina Rebeka interprets Imogene expressively and with dramatic impetus. With his rich baritone, Franco Vassallo is a very impressive Ernesto. All the other roles are well cast, and there are also good performances from the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro Massimo Bellini that all add up to make this recording a real treat.