The buffo role for baritones and basses in opera goes back to the Commedia dell'arte tradition, and is associated with the works of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti.
Paolo Bordogna has been closely identified with these roles over the past few years, and here he has chosen a cross-section of their arias.
While his voice is adequate rather than memorable, he has mastered the subtle nuances of the different stock characters, including brave attempts to bring off the staccato and speedy patter associated with them.
He is more successful in the Mozart and Rossini arias, with Leporello's Catalogue Aria from Don Giovanni a model of clarity.
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The Donizetti arias, however, prove more problematic.
The result is a mixed bag, albeit one with substance.
