The best first: picture and soundtracks are excellent. Otherwise… This is what’s usually called a ‘semi-staged’ production, without sets, although there’s no hint of this on the box. The Arena Sferisterio, a 5000-seat 19th-century handball arena, is acoustically difficult for opera, something this producer ‘solves’ by dumping the orchestra in a stepped box at stage rear, leaving the singers to cavort on the narrow apron. Now and then they coyly infiltrate the players, who remain distractingly visible. Some such stagings compensate for the lack of atmosphere with lavish props and costumes, but here everything looks decidedly bargain-basement.

Nor are the performers anything special. Valeria Esposito is a decent but unexceptional Adina, capable of some sweet tone but also some sour moments, and rather mature in close-up. Enrico Marrucci’s Belcore looks about 16 beside her, and sounds inexperienced, his dark, effortful bass-baritone lacking the honeyed legato this role demands. Erwin Schrott as Dulcamara looks not much older, but displays a richly promising bass, though under-characterised as yet. He is handicapped by the uninspired production, transforming his conman character from a likeably avuncular rascal into a randy young oaf, and looks deeply unhappy at curtain call. The most idiomatic singing comes from Aquiles Machado, a hammy (in every sense) but pleasantly lyrical Nemorino. Niels Muus conducts with insufficient sparkle.

Altogether this looks suspiciously like summer tourist fodder. A whole second disc contains only half an hour of unremarkable features about Macerata and the production, and the booklet notes are vapid and misprint-ridden. Against the lively Alagna/Gheorghiu recording listed, there’s no contest.