Nicola Vaccaj belonged to the Neapolitan school: pupil of Paisiello and contemporary of Rossini, whose fame somehow obscured his own, he was well known and appreciated at his time, to the point that an extract from the last Act of his Giulietta e Romeo was chosen to substitute the same aria in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi for an 1832 performance and this shift has remained common practice until the end of the 19th century. Therefore it’s hard to believe that Vaccaj’s most notable success was neglected for such a long time as it “is an opera that could easily hold its own among the better-known works in the bel canto canon. It has taut plot, with a strong libretto, written by Romani, and is full of well-constructed ensemble pieces” “With barely a weakness to be heard, the orchestra, chorus and soloists produced a splendid rendition of Vaccai’s opera, and will have done much to rehabilitate its reputation.” “Leonor Bonilla, as Giulietta, and Raffaella Lupinacci as Romeo put in excellent singing performances. Their voices were suitably different, yet complemented each other well. Bonilla’s voice has a wonderfully clean sound, with a thrilling top end, which she used to great effect during her coloraturas, and which highlighted her brilliant vocal flexibility. Her phrasing was full of subtle detail and exhibited a smooth legato, and she spun out her lines with confidence and élan. Lupinacci’s voice, on the other hand, was awash with color, that she varied with a great deal of skill, adding to her ability to inject meaning through her use of subtle accents. It created a very expressive performance.” “Leonardo Cortellazzi… provided evidence of his accomplished and versatile acting and singing skills. He has a pleasing, strong, well-balanced voice, with an attractive timbre. His portrayal of the revenge obsessed Capellio was compelling.”