"Il turco in Italia is one of Rossini's wittiest but most neglected works. It is full of ingenious and freshly composed invention. It is Rossini's first collaboration with Felice Romani - Bellini's librettist - on this opera and Romani understood perfectly Rossini's love of pastiche and parody. He provided a commedia dell' arte scenario that gave Rossini plenty of opportunity to mock traditions he had helped to cultivate in the first place. The Description of Il turco is delightfully salcious and among the many jewels in the score, the duet for Geronio and Selim, in which the Turk tries to persuade the ageing husband to sell his wife to him, is widely considered one of the composer's masterpieces."

"Under Franz Welser-Möst's fabulous conducting this production of the Zurich Opera House is setting musical standards. In conjunction with the director Sven-Eric Bechtolf, he has developed into one of the leading teams in contemporary music theater. A great score, a famous production and wonderful singers: this Così fan tutte live recorded at the famous Zurich Opera House is a ‘must see' for opera lovers."