Luisa Miller with Teatro San Carlo in Budapest (MUPA).
"Daniele Rustioni is a flamboyant presence on the podium, performing a one man choreography of the whole work, and his orchestra didn't put a foot wrong all evening. They played with energy, with plenty of flair for Verdi's phrasing and, above all, with balance. The San Carlo Chorus in full flight is an impressive thing, and the orchestra matched it for volume in the highs while bringing the level down to just the right level for the soloists. In the big ensemble pieces, there was a glorious blend of solo voices soaring above chorus underlaid by orchestra, each element clearly audible. And there was plenty of individual instrumental virtuosity, most notably from the trombone section (which included, to my delight, a real cimbasso).
The splendid orchestral performance and the strong all round cast did a fine job of displaying what a great and underperformed work Luisa Miller is."
Bachtrack, David Karlin