Opera Rara

Transcription

Opera Rara

2010 -2011
Opera Rara’s
40TH ANNIVERSARY
(1970 -- 2010)
TO CELEBRATE ITS 40TH
ANNIVERSARY, OPERA RARA
HAS COMPILED THIS
STUNNING COLLECTION OF
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ITS
INCOMPARABLE CATALOGUE.
IT INCLUDES EXCERPTS
FROM THE VERY FIRST
RECORDING, DONIZETTI’S
‘UGO, CONTE DI PARIGI’,
THROUGH TO THE RECENT,
ROSSINI’S ‘ERMIONE’
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ORR248 (1CD) AVAILABLE MAY 2010
THE FIRST FULL OPERA
RECORDING OF AMERICAN
SUPERSTAR SOPRANO,
RENÉE FLEMING, WAS
DONIZETTI’S ‘ROSMONDA
D’INGHILTERRA’ FOR OPERA
RARA. FLEMING’S SUPERB
DONIZETTIAN SKILLS SHINE
THROUGH IN THIS DISC OF
HIGHLIGHTS, RE-RELEASED
TO COINCIDE WITH OPERA
RARA’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
ORR214 (1CD) RE-RELEASED MAY 2010
Recording the world’s
rarest operas
Founded: 1970 by Patric Schmid and Don White
Patrons: Dame Joan Sutherland OM, AC, DBE, Sir Mark Elder CBE
Renée Fleming, Juan Diego Flórez, Simon Keenlyside
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Opera Rara is a registered charity
Charity no. 261403
contents
INTRODUCTION – 6 INTRODUCTION – 8 EINLEITUNG – 10 INTRODUZIONE
OPERA INDEX
VERDI ORIGINALS
ESSENTIAL OPERA RARA SERIES
ARTIST COLLECTIONS
IL SALOTTO SERIES
ANTHOLOGIES
COMPILATIONS
ARTIST/COMPOSER INDEX
DISTRIBUTORS
by The Penguin
★★★ Recommended
Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs
as an outstanding performance
and recording in every way
Cover: The Woman with the Pearl
by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot
The Bridgeman Art Library
❂
World
premiere
recording
This SACD is
compatible with
all CD players
The Penguin Guide to
Compact Discs and DVDs
Key Recording used as
the basis of a personal
collection
Live concert
recording
www.opera-rara.com
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19
Introduction
June 2010 is a red-letter day for Opera
Rara. It marks the 40th anniversary of our
ongoing mission, launched by bel canto
enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don White, to bring
wonderful, yet neglected 19th century operas
down from dusty library shelves to be both
performed and recorded. Four decades on, we
continue to build on the foundations they laid
down with such imagination and devotion, relying,
as they did, on the Peter Moores Foundation and
on our many loyal supporters, including members
of the Opera Rara Association. This support is
especially valued in these difficult economic times.
Our current projects include ambitious
recordings of major works by some of the greatest
opera composers which have yet to receive the
attention they deserve. Rossini’s Aureliano in
Palmira was one of his early successes but until
recently its vocal writing was considered too
demanding for modern singers; with artists such
as Annick Massis, Silvia Tro Santafé and Kenneth
Tarver we hope to demonstrate its exceptional
qualities. Ermione was a disastrous failure in the
composer’s lifetime and has only recently been
recognised as one of his most adventurous
masterpieces. Our studio recording, led by the
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exceptional young singers Carmen Giannattasio
and Colin Lee, together with Patricia Bardon and
Paul Nilon, all under David Parry’s direction, should
help secure Ermione’s reputation with modern
listeners.
One of Bellini’s lesser-known operas, Il pirata,
ignited international enthusiasm in its day and we
believe will do so again when David Parry conducts
bel canto specialists Carmen Giannattasio, José
Bros and Ludovic Tézier in this fiery version of the
eternal operatic triangle.
Many of the finest works of Donizetti’s maturity
are still rarely performed, Linda di Chamounix and
Maria di Rohan among them, but we agree with
Donizetti experts that they are operas of great
quality and we are anxious to help restore them to
favour. In addition, as part of our Essential Opera
Rara series, we present highlights from I Normanni
a Parigi, one of the strongest works of the ‘lost
master’, Mercadante.
Over the last 40 years we have recorded some
outstanding operas and this is acknowledged in
our new compilation CD Celebrating 40 Years.
We hope you enjoy them all and continue to help
us dive deep into the operatic depths to discover
more treasures for you to enjoy.
OFFENBACH
BELLINI
VERT-VERT IL PIRATA
WORLD
RE
PREMIE G
IN
D
R
RECO
,
THANKS TO OPERA RARA,
ONE OF BELLINI’S
THIS WITTY, SOPHISTICATED
LESSER-KNOWN OPERAS
AND SUBTLE OPERAIGNITED INTERNATIONAL
COMIQUE FLIES AGAIN!
ENTHUSIASM IN ITS DAY,
IT IS SURE TO ENCHANT ALL AND WE BELIEVE IT WILL DO
OFFENBACH FANS
SO AGAIN WITH THIS ALLSTAR STUDIO RECORDING
ORC41 (2CD) AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2010
ORC45 (2CD) AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2011
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Le
Introduction
19 juin 2010 est une date marquée
d’une pierre blanche pour Opera Rara.
C’est en effet, le 40e anniversaire du
lancement du projet de deux
passionnés du bel canto, Patric Schmid et Don
White, qui voulaient redonner vie, en les faisant jouer
et graver, à de merveilleux opéras du XIXe siècle
pourtant tombés dans l’oubli. Quarante ans plus tard,
nous nous efforçons toujours de poursuivre l’œuvre
que Patric et Don entreprirent avec tant
d’imagination et de dévouement. Comme eux, nous
bénéficions du soutien de la Fondation Peter Moores
et de fidèles auditeurs, dont les membres de
l’Association Opera Rara – soutien particulièrement
précieux en ces temps de crise économique.
Nous comptons, parmi nos projets actuels, des
enregistrements ambitieux d’œuvres majeures
signées de très grands noms de l’opéra, qui n’ont pas
encore pu être appréciées à leur juste valeur. Ainsi
Aureliano in Palmira, œuvre de jeunesse de Rossini,
a dû attendre jusqu’à récemment l’arrivée de
chanteurs modernes capables de satisfaire
pleinement aux exigences de son écriture vocale
comme Annick Massis, Silvia Tro Santafé et Kenneth
Tarver. Véritable désastre du vivant de Rossini,
Ermione – présenté en concert au Royal Festival Hall
de Londres en mars dernier devant une critique et un
public enthousiastes – est, depuis peu, reconnu
comme l’un des chefs-d’œuvre les plus novateurs du
compositeur. Notre enregistrement en studio réalisé
avec la même distribution remarquable qu’en concert
– dont Carmen Giannattasio et Colin Lee, deux jeunes
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talents d’exception accompagnés de Patricia Bardon
et Paul Nilon, sous la direction de David Parry –
devrait assurer la réputation d’Ermione auprès des
auditeurs d’aujourd’hui.
Il pirata, opéra de Bellini peu connu aujourd’hui,
a pourtant fait fureur sur la scène musicale
internationale de l’époque. Il devrait soulever à
nouveau l’enthousiasme sous la baguette de David
Parry dans cette fougueuse version de l’éternel
triangle amoureux interprétée par des spécialistes
du bel canto, Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros et
Ludovic Tézier.
Parmi les plus belles pages de la maturité de
Donizetti, nombreuses sont celles encore rarement
entendues, dont Linda di Chamounix et Maria di
Rohan. En accord avec les spécialistes donizettiens,
nous les considérons comme des œuvres de grande
qualité et sommes impatients de rétablir leur
popularité. Nous présentons, en outre, dans le cadre
de la collection « Essential Opera Rara », des extraits
de I Normanni a Parigi, une des œuvres les plus
percutantes de Mercadante, « maître disparu », dont
la connaissance nous paraît, en effet, essentielle.
Nous sommes persuadés que nos auditeurs
partageront ce sentiment.
Vous pourrez savourer les fleurons de l’opéra que
nous avons gravés au cours de ces quarante dernières
années grâce à la parution d’une compilation
intitulée Celebrating 40 Years. Nous espérons qu’ils
combleront vos attentes et que vous continuerez à
nous accompagner dans notre exploration du
patrimoine opératique.
ROSSINI
ROSSINI
ERMIONE
AURELIANO
IN PALMIRA
SET IN THE AFTERMATH OF
THE TROJAN WAR, THIS
OPERA IS RECOGNISED AS A
LOST MASTERPIECE, WITH
TENSION AND STAGGERING
ORIGINALITY MAINTAINED
RIGHT TO THE VERY END
A SUCCESS IN ITS DAY, THIS
OPERA PROMISES TO THRILL
ANOTHER GENERATION OF
LISTENERS IN THIS NEW
STUDIO RECORDING UNDER
MAURIZIO BENINI
ORC42 (2CD) AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010
ORC46 (2CD) AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2011
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Der
Einleitung
19. Juni 2010 ist ein Tag, der im
Kalender von Opera Rara dick
angestrichen ist, denn an dem Tag
vor vierzig Jahren nahm unsere Mission ihren Anfang. Ins
Leben gerufen wurde sie von den Belcanto-Liebhabern
Patric Schmid und Don White mit dem Ziel, großartige,
aber vielfach in Vergessenheit geratene Opern des 19.
Jahrhunderts aus der Schublade zu holen, sie aufzuführen
und einzuspielen. Vier Jahrzehnte später bauen wir
weiterhin auf den von Patric und Don geschaffenen
Grundlagen auf, die sie mit so großer Phantasie und
Hingabe gelegt haben. Wie sie sind wir auf die
Unterstützung der Peter Moores Foundation angewiesen
sowie auf unsere zahlreichen treuen Begleiter, zu denen
auch die Mitglieder der Opera Rara Association gehören –
eine Unterstützung, die wir in diesen ökonomisch
schweren Zeiten ganz besonders zu würdigen wissen.
Zu unseren neuen Projekten zählen anspruchsvolle
Aufnahmen bedeutender Werke von einigen der größten
Opernkomponisten – Werke, die aus dem einen oder
anderen Grund noch nicht die ihnen gebührende
Aufmerksamkeit bekommen. Aureliano in Palmira war
eine der frühen Erfolge Rossinis, doch aufgrund der
anspruchsvollen Gesangspartien gilt die Oper erst seit
einiger Zeit auch für heutige Sänger als singbar. Wir
hoffen, wir können die Qualität dieses Werks mit
Künstlern wie Annick Massis, Silvia Tro Santafé und
Kenneth Tarver überzeugend unter Beweis stellen.
Ermione war zu Lebzeiten des Komponisten ein
grandioses Fiasko und wurde erst vor kurzem als eines der
abenteuerlichsten Meisterwerke dieses Komponisten
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wiederentdeckt. Unsere Studioaufnahme mit derselben
Starbesetzung wie bei der Produktion – angeführt von
den herausragenden jungen Sängern Carmen
Giannattasio und Colin Lee, dazu Patricia Bardon und
Paul Nilon, alle unter der Leitung von David Parry – sollte
Ermione einen Erfolg beim heutigen Publikum
garantieren.
Eine von Bellinis weniger bekannten Opern, Il pirata,
fand bei ihrer Premiere international immensen Anklang,
und wir sind überzeugt, dass sie das auch heute wieder
tun wird, wenn David Parry die Belcanto-Spezialisten
Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros und Ludovic Tézier in
dieser feurigen Version des ewigen Dreiecks leitet.
Viele der schönsten Werke aus Donizettis Reifezeit
sind noch immer selten auf der Bühne zu hören, darunter
etwa Linda di Chamounix und Maria di Rohan, doch wir
stimmen den Donizetti-Fachleuten zu, dass es sich bei
diesen Opern um herausragende Werke handelt, für deren
Beliebtheit wir uns mit Freuden engagieren. Im Rahmen
unserer Reihe „Essential Opera Rara“ stellen wir
Highlights aus I Normanni a Parigi vor, eines der
überzeugendsten Werke des „verlorenen Meisters“
Mercadante.
Im Verlauf der vergangenen vierzig Jahre haben wir
einige herausragende Opern eingespielt, die jetzt auch
auf unserer neuen Kompilation Celebrating 40 Years
vertreten sind. Wir hoffen, dass Sie sich an diesen
Highlights erfreuen und uns weiterhin unterstützen bei
unserem Bestreben, tief in den Opernfundus zu tauchen
und noch mehr Schätze zutage zu fördern, an denen Sie
sich in kommenden Jahren erfreuen.
MERCADANTE
I NORMANNI A PARIGI
A TRIUMPH AT ITS
PREMIERE IN 1832, THIS
IS CONSIDERED TO BE
ONE OF THE STRONGEST
WORKS OF THE
‘LOST MASTER’
MERCADANTE.
WORLD
SET IN PARIS
E
R
IE
M
PRE
FOLLOWING THE
G
IN
RECORD
DEATH OF THE
MIGHTY KING
CHARLEMAGNE, THE
OPERA IS SHOT THROUGH
WITH PERSONAL AND
POLITICAL DRAMA
ORR249 (1CD)
AVAILABLE
NOVEMBER 2010
IN THIS POPULAR SERIES OF NEW, SPECIALLY RECORDED HIGHLIGHTS, OPERA RARA
SELECTS THE BEST MOMENTS FROM NEGLECTED 19TH-CENTURY OPERAS. EACH
SINGLE-DISC SET IS ACCOMPANIED BY A COMPLETE LIBRETTO, ALLOWING THE
LISTENER TO PLACE THE SELECTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE OPERA
ORR241
ORR224
ORR234
ORR237
ORR246
ORR228
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Il
Introduzione
19 giugno 2010 rappresenta una tappa
importante per Opera Rara. Ricorre il 40o
anniversario della sua missione, formulata
nel lontano 1970 da due appassionati di belcanto,
Patric Schmid e Don White, che si proposero di
rispolverare i meravigliosi melodrammi dimenticati
del XIX secolo dagli scaffali delle biblioteche per
rappresentarli nuovamente e registrarli. Oggi, a
distanza di quattro decenni, noi continuiamo a
portare avanti il lavoro iniziato da Patric e Don,
edificando sulle basi stabilite dalla loro grande
immaginazione e dedizione. Come loro, ci
affidiamo alla Fondazione Peter Moores e ai tanti
fedeli sostenitori, che comprendono i membri
dell’Associazione Opera Rara. Il loro sostegno è
notevolmente apprezzato, soprattutto alla luce
della presente congiuntura economica.
I nostri progetti correnti comprendono
ambiziose registrazioni di alcune opere importati,
create dal genio di grandissimi compositori, ma
che, per un motivo o per un altro, non hanno ancora
conquistato l’attenzione che meritano. Aureliano in
Palmira fu uno dei primi successi di Rossini, ma solo
di recente è stato ritenuto possibile superare le
difficoltà della sua partitura vocale; ci auguriamo
che le sue qualità saranno dimostrate da artisti
come Annick Massis, Silvia Tro Santafé e Kenneth
Tarver. Ermione di Rossini fu un disastroso
fallimento durante la vita del compositore, e solo di
recente è stata inclusa nel numero dei suoi
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capolavori più avventurosi. La nostra registrazione,
interpretata da due eccezionali giovani cantanti,
Carmen Giannattasio e Colin Lee, insieme con
Patricia Bardon e Paul Nilon, per la direzione di
David Parry, punta a consolidare la reputazione di
Ermione presso gli ascoltatori moderni.
Ai suoi tempo Il pirata, una delle opere meno
note di Bellini, suscitò entusiasmo a livello
internazionale. Noi siamo certi che
l’interpretazione di David Parry e degli specialisti di
belcanto Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros e Ludovic
Tézier otterrà lo stesso risultato riproponendo
questa versione operistica dell’eterno triangolo.
Molti tra i migliori melodrammi della maturità di
Donizetti vengono ancora raramente rappresentati,
per esempio Linda di Chamounix e Maria di Rohan,
ma siamo d’accordo con gli esperti di Donizetti: si
tratta di opere di grande qualità e noi desideriamo
soprattutto restituirle al pubblico. Inoltre,
nell’ambito della nostra serie Essential Opera Rara,
presentiamo i momenti salienti de I Normanni a
Parigi, una grande opera del “perduto maestro”
Mercadante.
Negli ultimi 40 anni abbiamo registrato opere
straordinarie, come testimonia il nostro nuovo
CD compilation dal titolo Celebrating 40 Years.
Ci auguriamo che siano di vostro gradimento e che
continuerete la vostra approfondita esplorazione
del melodramma, alla ricerca di altri tesori da
assaporare.
DONIZETTI
Linda di Chamounix
Maria di Rohan
AND
THIS SEMISERIA OPERA WAS ONE
OF THE BIGGEST SUCCESSES OF
DONIZETTI’S CAREER
LIVE RECORDING FROM
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE,
COVENT GARDEN
RECORDING MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE
GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM THE PETER MOORES
FOUNDATION AND PHILANTHROPISTS
TRIFON AND THESPINA NATSIS
ORC43 (3CD) AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2011
DONIZETTI CLAIMS HIS POSITION
AS ONE OF THE 19TH CENTURY’S
GREATEST MUSICAL DRAMATISTS
WITH THIS OPERA SET IN THE TIME
OF CARDINAL RICHELIEU
STUDIO RECORDING FROM
THE NEW CRITICAL EDITION
OF THE SCORE
ORC44 (2CD) AVAILABLE MAY 2011
11
B E L L I N I
Piracy on
the high Cs
Learn more about Opera Rara, its artists,
composers, events and how to support us.
Listen to sound clips before purchasing
SPECIAL OFFER!
First-time online purchasers
receive a free CD:
Cross & Crescent
S E C U R E
12
O N L I N E
O R D E R I N G
www.opera-rara.com
José Bros, Gualtiero in Bellini's Il pirata
Visit the Opera Rara
website
to purchase any Opera Rara
and Opera Rara Direct recordings
18 01 - 18 3 5
The third opera by the 27-yearold Sicilian Vincenzo Bellini,
Il pirata marked an important
step forward in his career.
His first score written for the
brand leader of Italian opera
houses, La Scala, Milan, it also
represented his first collaboration with Felice
Romani, the leading librettist of the day – who
would become his regular artistic partner. It was
also the first of Bellini’s works to reach an
international audience. After its premiere in 1827,
it soon went on to win acclaim in Vienna, Dresden,
Paris, London and New York. Its comparative
neglect in our day is inexplicable, but Opera Rara
hopes to rectify the situation with this all-star
studio recording. Based (via a French translation)
on an English play by the Anglo-Irish Gothic writer
Charles Maturin, Il pirata describes how Gualtiero
(José Bros) is shipwrecked during a storm on the
Sicilian coast, where his former love Imogene
(Carmen Giannattasio) has been forced into an
B E L L I N I
The Gramophone Awards Short List 2009
IL PIRATA
Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros, Ludovic Tézier,
Victoria Simmonds, Mark Le Brocq, Brindley Sherratt,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra,
David Parry – conductor
Best of the Year – Opera News / Disc of the Month – Opera
unwilling marriage by Ernesto, the local duke
(Ludovic Tézier). Tensions build between the three
until Gualtiero kills Ernesto in a duel, causing
Imogene to go mad with guilt. David Parry
conducts this exceptional example of early
Romantic opera at its most dramatically potent.
LA STRANIERA
★★★
Patrizia Ciofi, Mark Stone, Darío Schmunck,
Enkelejda Shkosa, Graeme Broadbent, Roland Wood,
Aled Hall, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic
Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
First staged at La Scala in1829, this neglected
masterpiece is now available in Opera Rara’s
studio recording.
‘Musically rich and dramatically imposing’
– Dominic McHugh, MusicalCriticism.com
ORC45 (2 disc set)
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2011
ORC38 (2 disc set)
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92938 00382
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www.opera-rara.com
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Eglise Gutiérrez rehearsing at the Royal Opera House for Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix
DO N I Z ETT I
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1 7 9 7 – 1 8 4 8
AVictorian
heroine rescued
at last
(Marianna Pizzolato), Linda returns to Chamounix
and sanity – and, eventually, to the arms of the
man she loves: the very model of a Victorian
heroine rescued at last. Sir Mark Elder conducts
the recent critical edition of the score.
One of the biggest successes of
Donizetti’s career, Linda di
Chamounix was performed all
over the operatic world in the
decades following its 1842
premiere in Vienna, but then fell
into neglect; the live concert
performances recorded by Opera Rara at Covent
Garden in 2009 were its first there since 1887. This
opera is one of Donizetti’s finest achievements,
featuring some of his best arias, ensembles and
choruses – including the brilliant soprano
showpiece ‘O luce di quest’anima’; in this semiseria
opera this much-admired aria is sung by Linda
(Eglise Gutiérrez), who has fallen in love with Carlo
(Stephen Costello) believing him to be a painter,
though he is in reality a nobleman. Packed off to
Paris to stop her falling into the clutches of Carlo’s
uncle, the dubious Marchese de Boisfleury
(Alessandro Corbelli), Linda is discovered in
compromising circumstances by her father Antonio
(Ludovic Tézier), who curses her, causing her to lose
her reason. Supported by the loyal Pierotto
LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX
Eglise Gutiérrez, Ludovic Tézier, Stephen Costello,
Alessandro Corbelli, Mariana Pizzolato, Bálint Szabó,
Elizabeth Sikora, Luciano Botelho, Orchestra and Chorus
of the Royal Opera House, Sir Mark Elder – conductor
www.opera-rara.com
‘The cast were flawless’ – Neil Fisher, The Times,
(reviewing the concert performance)
ORC43 (3 disc set)
AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2011
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
‘One of the best casts that could be assembled
today’ – CultureKiosque.com
The Best of the Year – Opera News
Disc of the Month – Opera / 50th Grammy Awards Nomination
The Gramophone Awards Finalist 2007
ELVIDA
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Pietro
Spagnoli, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, Antonello Allemandi – conductor
This one-act melodrama, which Donizetti
provided for the birthday of Maria Isabella of
Spain, wife of Francesco I of Naples, would make
a delightful present for anyone. The quartet
'Deh ti placa, Amur' is one of Donizetti's most
ravishing ensembles.
DOM SÉBASTIEN,
★★★
ROI DE PORTUGAL
Vesselina Kasarova, Giuseppe Filianoti, Alastair Miles,
Simon Keenlyside, Carmelo Corrado Caruso,
Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House,
Sir Mark Elder – conductor
Donizetti’s final opera, a dark five-act
masterpiece, is brought brilliantly to life in this
live recording from the Royal Opera House –
with the complete ballet music.
‘One of the most important Donizetti
releases of recent years’ – George Hall, Opera Now
ORC33 (3 disc set)
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92938 00332
0
ORC29 (1 disc set)
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92938 00292
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Krassimira Stoyanova recording Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan
D O N I Z ETT I
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A duel in
the time of
Richelieu
According to the late Donizetti
expert William Ashbrook,
Maria di Rohan (1843) is the
composer‘s ‘tautest, most
melodramatic opera’ and
shows him ‘in complete control
of his musico-dramatic goals’.
The work was first performed in Vienna, but
Donizetti revised it for its Paris premiere,
changing the tenor role of Armando di Gondì to
mezzo-soprano. Working from the new critical
edition of the score, with the period-instrument
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Sir
Mark Elder, Opera Rara has recorded the original
Vienna (June 1843) two tenor version as well as
some of the appendices from the Paris (November
1843) revision, including those written for the
mezzo-soprano, sung here by Enkelejda Shkosa.
Set during the time of Cardinal Richelieu, the
opera focuses on Maria (Krassimira Stoyanova),
secretly married to Ricardo, Duke of Chevreuse
(José Bros), who has wounded the Cardinal’s
nephew in a duel. In seeking assistance for her
husband’s plight from Enrico, Count of Chalais
www.opera-rara.com
(Christopher Purves), Maria finds her former love
for the latter revived. The rest of the opera centres
on how this intricate and explosive triangle of
relationships plays out. As a handful of recent
productions have demonstrated, the work shows
Donizetti rightly claiming his position as one of
the 19th century’s greatest musical dramatists.
MARIA DI ROHAN
Krassimira Stoyanova, José Bros, Christopher Purves,
Loïc Félix, Enkelejda Shkosa, Brindley Sherratt, Graeme
Broadbent, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Orchestra of the
Age of Enlightenment, Sir Mark Elder – conductor
ORC44 (2 disc set)
AVAILABLE MAY 2011
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
Music Retailers Association Award of Excellence
❂
FRANCESCA DI FOIX
Annick Massis, Jennifer Larmore, Bruce Ford, Alfonso
Antoniozzi, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, Antonello Allemandi – conductor
In1831 a one-act opera had little chance of
survival after the first performances, and this
opera was destined to remain on the shelf – that
is, until Opera Rara came to her rescue. Now the
beauties of this charming score can once again
be enjoyed by one and all.
One of the Hundred Outstanding Recordings in
the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs
EMILIA DI LIVERPOOL ★★★
Yvonne Kenny, Sesto Bruscantini, Chris Merritt,
Geoffrey Dolton, Philharmonia Orchestra,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry – conductor
Donizetti actually wrote two versions of this
delightful opera for Naples. The original was
given in 1824 and a completely reworked
revision was presented in 1828. Opera Rara
offers both operas in one boxed set.
❂
‘The work has charm and wild improbability
in equal proportion’
– John Higgins, The Times
ORC8 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00082
4
ORC28 (1 disc set)
7
92938 00282
8
www.opera-rara.com
17
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
IL DILUVIO UNIVERSALE
Mirco Palazzi, Majella Cullagh, Manuela Custer, Simon
Bailey, Colin Lee, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London
Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuliano Carella – conductor
This landmark recording, of the first of
Donizetti’s great ensemble operas, tells the
biblical story of Noah, ending spectacularly as
the world is submerged and only the Ark is left
riding out the waves.
‘No Donizettian will want to miss this’
– Hugh Canning, Sunday Times
Opera Choice – BBC Music Magazine
GABRIELLA DI VERGY ★★★ ❂
Ludmilla Andrew, Maurice Arthur, John Tomlinson,
Christian du Plessis, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Alun Francis – conductor
The world premiere of a Donizetti opera!
The manuscript for this hitherto unknown
work was discovered in a London library.
The recording also offers three pieces
from Donizetti’s earlier version of1826.
‘It makes one wonder how this inventive score
could have been neglected for so long’
– Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs
ORC3 (2 disc set)
18
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00032
9
ORC31 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00312
2
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
BBC Music Magazine Award Nomination
Critics’ Choice – American Record Guide
LA ROMANZESCA
❂
E L’UOMO NERO
Elisabetta Scano, Bruno Praticò, Alfonso Antoniozzi,
Pietro Spagnoli, Bruce Ford, Paul Austin Kelly, Academy
of St Martin in the Fields, David Parry – conductor
Donizetti’s rarest one-act farce, written for
Naples, concerns the antics of Antonia. To the
exasperation of her father and various suitors,
she spurns marriage in favour of her obsession
with the new fad for ’romanticism.‘
‘A real discovery and a wholly enjoyable disc’
– Richard Law, Opera
IMELDA DE’ LAMBERTAZZI
Nicole Cabell, James Westman, Massimo Giordano,
Frank Lopardo, Brindley Sherratt, Geoffrey Mitchell
Choir, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment,
Sir Mark Elder – conductor
Composed in 1830 for the Teatro San Carlo in
Naples, this proves to be one of Donizetti’s
most brilliant, thrilling, revolutionary and
dynamic scores.
‘Triumph of bel canto’
– Warren Keith Wright, Opera
ORC36 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00362
7
ORC19 (1 disc set)
7
92938 00192
0
www.opera-rara.com
19
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
MARIA DE RUDENZ
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Robert McFarland,
Regina Nathan, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
An opera in which the soprano dies twice!
Yet Cammarano’s grisly libretto is given some
of Donizetti’s most beautiful music. The role
of Maria is a gift for a soprano, particularly
the gripping final scene.
‘The blood and thunder ensembles and duets
create a rip-roaring bel canto feast’
– The San Francisco Tribune
L’ASSEDIO DI CALAIS
★★★ ❂
Nuccia Focile, Della Jones, Christian du Plessis,
Rico Serbo, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia
The first performance in 150 years of an opera
considered to be Donizetti’s most interesting
and forward-looking work. As a result of this
recording, staged revivals have been given in
Italy, England and Ireland.
‘One of the most invigorating of all the complete
opera recordings made over the years by this
enterprising organisation’– Penguin CD & DVD Guide
ORC9 (2 disc set)
20
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00092
3
ORC16 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00162
3
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
NE M’OUBLIEZ PAS
❂
Margreta Elkins, Alexander Oliver, Christian du Plessis,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra,
James Judd – conductor
This opéra-comique is unfinished – only five
pieces exist. Opera Rara has recorded all of them
– plus arias from Gianni di Parigi, Il diluvio
universale, Dom Sébastien and Imelda de’
Lambertazzi.
‘Elkins is in superb form, superbly recorded’
– David Gyger, Opera Australasia
★★★ ❂
MARIA PADILLA
Lois McDonall, Christian du Plessis, Graham Clark,
Della Jones, London Symphony Orchestra,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Alun Francis – conductor
A fascinating work, telling the story of Maria
Padilla, mistress of Pedro the Cruel of Castile.
Maria's duet with her sister became a famous
concert piece, but perhaps the most unusual
feature is the mad scene for Maria's father –
a tenor!
‘A fascinating and valuable recording’
– The New York Times
ORC6 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00062
6
ORC4 (1 disc set)
7
92938 00042
8
www.opera-rara.com
21
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
Editor’s Choice – Gramophone
PIA DE’ TOLOMEI
Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford, Roberto Servile, Manuela
Custer, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic
Pia de’ Tolomei appears for the first time on
compact disc in a new critical edition that
includes all of Donizetti’s extensive revisions
for later performances, including both tragic
and happy endings.
‘Bravo to Opera Rara’
– Christopher Cook, BBC Music Magazine
PARISINA
Carmen Giannattasio, José Bros, Dario Solari, Nicola
Ulivieri, Ann Taylor, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London
Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
This major new studio recording of Donizetti’s
neglected opera revives one of his darkest
tragedies.
‘A superior Parisina performance makes
this recording the new front-runner’
– Mike Ashman, Gramophone
ORC40 (3 disc set)
22
www.opera-rara.com
ORC30 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00302
3
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
ROSMONDA
D’INGHILTERRA
★★★
Renée Fleming, Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford,
Alastair Miles, Diana Montague,
Soprano rivals battle for the love of Henry II
of England in this setting of the Legend of Fair
Rosamund. In a blazing final duet, the jealous
Queen Eleanor kills Rosmonda.
‘The performance could hardly be improved’
– John Steane, Gramophone
Prix Caecelia
‘The ever-enterprising Opera Rara sweeps the
board with this new recording’
Recommended – The Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide
ROBERTO DEVEREUX
Nelly Miricioiu, José Bros, Sonia Ganassi,
Roberto Frontali, Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal
Opera House, Maurizio Benini – conductor
This is Donizetti’s third – and strongest – portrait
of Elizabeth I, and Nelly Miricioiu seizes the role
with magisterial ferocity, supported by an
excellent cast. Recorded live at the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden.
– Penguin CD and DVD Guide
ORC24 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00242
2
ORC13 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00132
6
www.opera-rara.com
23
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
ZORAIDA DI GRANATA ★★★ ❂
Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh, Diana Montague,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Academy of St Martin in the
Fields, David Parry – conductor
Although it was Donizetti’s first theatrical
success, the original version of this 1822 opera
was never given a complete performance. Here is
the entire opera for the first time – together with
selections from the 1824 version.
‘A major discovery’
– Michael Oliver, Classic FM Magazine
Recommended by Classica
UGO CONTE DI PARIGI
★★★ ❂
Janet Price, Yvonne Kenny, Della Jones, Maurice Arthur,
Eiddwen Harrhy, Christian du Plessis, Geoffrey Mitchell
Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alun Francis – conductor
An opera with three sopranos! Some of
Donizetti’s most energetic and inspired vocal
writing is on show, particularly in the many
beautiful and intricate ensembles.
‘An irresistible addition to Opera Rara’s
collection’
– Frank Granville-Barker, Records and Recordings
ORC1 (3 disc set)
24
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00012
1
ORC17 (4 disc set)
7
92938 00172
2
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
DONIZETTI
SCENES & OVERTURES
Nelly Miricioiu, Rockwell Blake, Garry Magee,
Majella Cullagh, Sara Fulgoni, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Includes previously unknown material from
Anna Bolena and Caterina Cornaro as well as
selections from Marino Faliero, Maria di Rohan,
Gianni da Calais, Maria Stuarda, Parisina, Ugo
conte di Parigi and L’ajo nell’ imbarazzo.
‘Captivating from the first to last moments’
– Michel Parouty, Diapason
ORR203 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02032
7
‘Della Jones brings an attractively warm vocal
timbre and a superb coloratura technique to
every piece’ – Charles Osborne, BBC Music Magazine
Diapason d’Or / Opera Pick of the Month – BBC Music Magazine
DELLA JONES SINGS DONIZETTI
With Eiddwen Harrhy, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia
Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra,
David Parry and Alun Francis – conductors
A bel canto treat, including pieces from Maria
Padilla, Alfredo il Grande, Francesca di Foix, Ugo
conte di Parigi, Enrico di Borgogna, Gabriella di
Vergy and L’assedio di Calais.
ORR207 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02072
3
www.opera-rara.com
25
DO N I Z ETT I
DO N I Z ETT I
RENÉE FLEMING: DONIZETTI
ROSMONDA D’INGHILTERRA
With Bruce Ford, Nelly Miricioiu, Alastair Miles,
Diana Montague, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
The sensational world-class American soprano
demonstrates her acclaimed skills as a superb
Donizettian. One of the best of the composer’s
neglected operas.
’One of the most lovely voices to be heard
in our time’
– John Steane (reviewing this recording), Gramophone
★★★
DONIZETTI DIVAS
With Nelly Miricioiu, Renée Fleming, Yvonne Kenny,
Ludmilla Andrew, Eiddwen Harrhy, Majella Cullagh,
Diana Montague, Della Jones, Nuccia Focile
Opera Rara celebrates the work of some
wonderful ladies in its unusual Donizetti revivals.
Selections from Maria de Rudenz, Gabriella di
Vergy, Ugo conte di Parigi, Emilia di Liverpool,
Alfredo il Grande, Rosmonda d’Inghilterra and
Maria Padilla.
‘An outstanding disc of Donizetti rarities’
ORR213 (1 disc set)
26
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 02132
4
ORR214 (1 disc set)
RE-RELEASED MAY 2010
7
92938 02142
3
DO N I Z ETT I
MAY R
17 6 3 - 18 4 5
GINEVRA DI SCOZIA
❂
Elizabeth Vidal, Daniela Barcellona, Antonino Siragusa,
Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Lirico
‘Giuseppe Verdi’ Trieste, Tiziano Severini – conductor
Ginevra di Scozia opened the opera house in
Trieste in 1801. Two hundred years later a revival
was staged to commemorate the opening and
Opera Rara was there to capture it on disc.
Astonishing vocalism serves Mayr’s opera well.
‘Elizabeth Vidal is spectacular, Daniela
Barcellona’s tone gloriously rich and firm’
– Penguin CD and DVD Guide
Classical CD of the Week – The Guardian
THE YOUNG DONIZETTI
Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh, Diana Montague,
Jennifer Larmore, Annick Massis, Yvonne Kenny,
Della Jones, Paul Austin Kelly, David Parry – conductor
This selection of music taken from Donizetti's
earlier works – up to Anna Bolena (1830), which
marked the beginning of his international career
– gives the listener a surprising new view of the
young composer perfecting his craft.
‘With such outstanding bel canto artists,
one could hardly go wrong’
– American Record Guide
ORR229 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02292
5
ORC23 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00232
3
www.opera-rara.com
27
MAY R
MAY R
Diapason d’Or / Record of the Month – Opera Now
Music Retailers Association Award for Excellence
JANE EAGLEN
SINGS MEDEA IN CORINTO
With Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Alastair Miles,
Raúl Giménez, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
The British soprano Jane Eaglen has been hailed
in Europe and America as a great Wagnerian
specialist. Here she does a complete stylistic
turnaround, displaying the full force of her
impressive bel canto skills.
‘Jane Eaglen’s voice is revealed here at its
freshest and firmest’ – Penguin CD and DVD Guide
MEDEA IN CORINTO
Jane Eaglen, Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Raúl Giménez,
Alastair Miles, Paul Nilon, Anne Mason,
The masterpiece of Donizetti’s illustrious teacher,
Mayr. The title role is one of the most dramatic
vehicles to be written for Isabella Colbran,
Rossini’s wife and the first Semiramide.
‘Jane Eaglen meets the florid demands of this
title role head on’
– George Hall, Opera Now
ORC11 (3 disc set)
28
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 0 0 1 1 2
8
ORR215 (1 disc set)
7
92938 0 2 1 5 2
2
MAY R
M E R CADA NT E 1 7 9 5 – 1 8 7 0
EMMA D’ANTIOCHIA
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Roberto Servile,
Maria Costanza Nocentini, Colin Lee,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic
The story of a passionate love affair that
disrupts the lives of four people inspired one
of Mercadante’s most beautiful scores.
Vocal and orchestral effects abound as the
plot works its way to the heroine’s suicide.
❂
‘Thrilling’ – Classic FM Magazine
MAYR REDISCOVERED
Daniela Barcellona, Bruce Ford, Eiddwen Harrhy,
Della Jones, Yvonne Kenny, Diana Montague,
Antonino Siragusa, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Mayr composed over 60 operas between1794
and1824. His works explore characters'
psychology with deeply satisfying
thoughtfulness, as this absorbing selection of
excerpts demonstrates.
‘Another encyclopaedia entry springs into life
at Opera Rara’s loving touch’
– Warren Keith Wright, Opera
ORR244 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02442
4
ORC26 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00262
0
www.opera-rara.com
29
M E R CADA NT E
M E R CADA NT E
VIRGINIA
Susan Patterson, Paul Charles Clarke, Charles
Castronovo, Stefano Antonucci, Andrew FosterWilliams, Mark Le Brocq, Katherine Manley, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Maurizio Benini – conductor
This opera tells a grand tale of injustice, bravery
and desperation in ancient Rome. Premiered at
the Teatro San Carlo in 1866.
‘The energy and passion are infectious’
– Fiona Maddocks, The Observer
4 Etoiles de Classica / Critic’s Choice – Opera News
CD of the Week – The Observer
ORAZI E CURIAZI
❂
Nelly Miricioiu, Marcus Jerome, Anthony MichaelsMoore, Alastair Miles, Paul Nilon, Geoffrey Mitchell
Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry –
conductor
In ancient Rome, a feud between two noble
families erupts in violence. Mercadante’s
complex and demanding vocal and orchestral
writing brings this classical tragedy vividly to life.
‘Impeccably performed, recorded
and documented’
– David Gyger, Opera Australasia
ORC12 (3 disc set)
30
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00122
7
ORC39 (2 disc set)
M E R CADA NT E
M E R CADA NT E
PAVENTA INSANO – Pacini and
Mercadante, Arias and Ensembles
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh,
Kenneth Tarver, Laura Polverelli, Alan Opie,
A glimpse into the operatic worlds of Pacini and
Mercadante, featuring scenes from Virginia,
Il corsaro, I Normanni a Parigi, Stella di Napoli,
Il contestabile di Chester and Leonora.
'White-hot emotions leap from these generous
fragments of operas’- Andrew Stewart, Classic FM
MERCADANTE REDISCOVERED
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh,
Alastair Miles, William Matteuzzi, Yvonne Kenny,
David Harper – piano, David Parry – conductor
With selections from Virginia, Orazi e Curiazi,
Gabriella di Vergy, Zaira, Emma d’Antiochia
and Les Soirées Italiennes, this is the perfect
introduction to Mercadante’s music.
‘This CD is filled with wonderful singing of
music by a fascinating composer’
– Robert Levine, International Record Review
ORR226 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02262
8
ORR236 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02362
5
www.opera-rara.com
31
MEYERBEER
17 9 1 – 1 8 6 4
MEYERBEER
IL CROCIATO
★★★
❂
IN EGITTO
Diana Montague, Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Della
Jones, Ugo Benelli, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Royal
Meyerbeer’s elaborate use of vocal and
orchestral forces is unique in the development
of 19th-century opera. Opera Rara’s edition
features all the music written for productions
the composer supervised.
‘The key to Meyerbeer’
– Ronald Crichton, Opera
DINORAH
❂
Deborah Cook, Christian du Plessis, Alexander Oliver,
Della Jones, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, James Judd – conductor
Transparent orchestral textures and dizzying
vocal gymnastics feature strongly in this
delightful story of a lost treasure, a mad heroine
and her goat! The opera was a favourite of the
diva Adelina Patti.
‘A fascinating recording’
– Peter Davis, New York Times
ORC5 (3 disc set)
32
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00052
7
ORC10 (4 disc set)
7
92938 00102
9
MEYERBEER
MEYERBEER
The Gramophone Awards Nomination 2004
CD of the Week – The Observer
MEYERBEER IN ITALY
Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Alastair Miles, Diana
Montague, Della Jones, Philharmonia Orchestra,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
Meyerbeer is remembered chiefly for his French
grand operas, but it was his Italian operas that got
him to France in the first place. These are
the ‘hits’ – the arias and ensembles from his six
Italian operas which charmed the public most.
‘A composer of real dramatic flair and musical
inventiveness’
– David Cairns (reviewing this recording), Sunday Times
MARGHERITA D’ANJOU
❂
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Daniela Barcellona,
Alastair Miles, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London
Was Meyerbeer really a Rossini imitator? Or did
he take operatic conventions apart and rebuild
them his way? Here is where to find out. In this,
the fourth of Meyerbeer’s Italian operas,
astonishing vocalism dominates a score filled
with brilliant orchestral effects.
‘Annick Massis has an almost superhuman
ability to sing coloratura’
– Robert Thicknesse, The Times
ORC25 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00252
1
ORR222 (1 disc set)
7
92938 02222
2
www.opera-rara.com
33
M O Z A RT
1 7 5 6 – 1 7 9 1
The mail-order specialist
for rare recordings
Secure online ordering for all
Opera Rara and
Opera Rara Direct recordings
MOZART
THE SUPREME DECORATOR
Diana Montague, Elizabeth Futral, Majella Cullagh,
The Hanover Band, Sir Charles Mackerras – conductor
This recording shows how Mozart ornamented
his own music to heighten the expressiveness or
the brilliance of an aria – and how he turned his
borrowings from JC Bach into some of his most
divine inspirations.
‘Majella Cullagh and Elizabeth Futral brilliantly
confront the challenges of the music’
– Raúl González Arévalo, Mundoclasico.com
ORR232 (1 disc set)
34
www.opera-rara.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 2858 or
Fax: +44 (0)20 7613 2261
Email: [email protected]
7
92938 02322
9
www.opera-rara.com
O F F E N BA C H
1 8 1 9 – 1 8 8 0
Toby Spence rehearsing for Offenbach’s Vert-Vert
The dead parrot
flies again
The word inexhaustible might
have been coined to describe
the prolific creativity of Jacques
Offenbach, who effectively
created the new genre of
operetta in Paris in the mid-19th
century. Opera Rara’s association
with his music goes back a long way, to the
company’s revival of his 1867 opéra-comique
Robinson Crusoe (ORC7), and the creation of a
new piece, Christopher Columbus (ORC2), with
a libretto by Don White, drawing on a host of
the master’s scores. In 2007 we resumed our
exploration of the huge output of the ‘Mozart of
the Champs-Élysées’ with Entre Nous (ORR243),
a collection of excerpts from more than 20 of his
lesser-known scores. Now our new release
presents a complete recording of the delectable
Vert-Vert, the follow-up to Robinson Crusoe at
the Opéra Comique and one of no fewer than
five stage works the composer produced in
1869 alone! Toby Spence, who starred in ENO’s
scintillating La Belle Hélène, takes the role of
the charming young man who is nicknamed
Vert-Vert after the deceased favourite parrot
of the pupils at a girls’ boarding-school.
Jennifer Larmore is the exotic singer La Corilla
in this witty, sophisticated and subtle piece.
It is sure to enchant all Offenbach fans.
VERT-VERT
❂
Thora Einarsdottir, Ann Taylor, Lucy Crowe, Toby Spence,
Mark Le Brocq, Mark Stone, Anne-Marie Owens, Franck
Leguérinel, Loïc Félix, Jennifer Larmore, Sébastien Droy,
Franck Lopez, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia
ORC41 (2 disc set)
www.opera-rara.com
35
O F F E N BA C H
O F F E N BA C H
ROBINSON CRUSOE ★★★
❂
John Brecknock, Yvonne Kenny, Marilyn Hill Smith,
Alexander Oliver, Sandra Browne, Geoffrey Mitchell
Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
Alun Francis – conductor
Robinson Crusoe and friends have to face
drunken pirates and waltzing cannibals as
they try to get back home. Don White’s excellent
English version is superbly sung by a strong cast.
‘Yvonne Kenny and John Brecknock are
outstanding’
– Penguin CD & DVD Guide
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
❂
Maurice Arthur, Anna Dawson, Marilyn Hill Smith,
Alan Opie, Christian du Plessis, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
London Mozart Players, Alun Francis – conductor
A joyful and infectious pastiche that marries
some of Offenbach’s best music with Opera Rara
co-founder Don White’s witty and irreverent
English version of the discovery of America.
‘A complete delight’
– Peter Davis, New York Times
ORC2 (2 disc set)
36
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00022
0
ORC7 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00072
5
O F F E N BA C H
PA C I N I
17 9 6 - 18 6 7
Critics’ Choice – Gramophone
Outstanding – BBC Music Magazine
ALESSANDRO NELL’INDIE ★★★
❂
Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Laura Claycomb, Dean
Robinson, Mark Wilde, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London
Premiered in Naples in 1824, Pacini’s splendid
Alessandro nell’Indie tells the story of Alexander
the Great’s campaign in India, of his defeat of the
Indian king Poro and of his infatuation with an
Indian queen, Cleofide.
‘Bel canto fans wanting something new ought
to snap this one up immediately’
– Stephen Francis Vasta, Opera News
Critic’s Choice – Opera News
❂
Best of the Year – Opera News
ENTRE NOUS:
CELEBRATING OFFENBACH
Laura Claycomb, Elizabeth Vidal, Colin Lee,
Yvonne Kenny, Jennifer Larmore, Alastair Miles,
A magnificent line-up of singers offers us a
treasure-trove of enchanting rarities from
lesser-known operas by the ‘Mozart of the
Champs-Élysées’, Jacques Offenbach.
‘Outstanding’
– The Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide
ORR243 (2 disc set)
7
92938 02432
5
ORC35 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00352
8
www.opera-rara.com
37
PA C I N I
PA C I N I
Discovery of the Month – Classic FM Magazine
MARIA REGINA D’INGHILTERRA
❂
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Mary Plazas,
★★★
José Fardilha, Alastair Miles, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
This fascinating opera dates from Pacini’s
richest and most mature period. Victor Hugo’s
passionate play about Mary Tudor provides
ample opportunity for music that is at once
dramatic yet compellingly lyrical.
‘Listeners are likely to find themselves playing
straight through from start to finish’
CARLO DI BORGOGNA
❂
Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Elizabeth Futral, Roberto
Frontali, Garry Magee, Academy of St Martin in the
Fields, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry – conductor
A completely forgotten opera proves to be a gem,
with a wonderful melodramatic plot and nearly
three hours of Pacini's most effective vocal
writing. The many arias, duets and trios provide a
highly entertaining vehicle for this splendid cast.
‘Any lover of Italian opera will find this
recording an absolutely essential purchase’
ORC21 (3 disc set)
38
www.opera-rara.com
7
92938 00212
5
ORC15 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00152
4
PA C I N I
PA C I N I
PAVENTA INSANO – Pacini and
Mercadante, Arias and Ensembles
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh,
Kenneth Tarver, Laura Polverelli, Alan Opie,
A glimpse into the operatic worlds of Pacini and
Mercadante, featuring scenes from Virginia,
Il corsaro, I Normanni a Parigi, Stella di Napoli,
Il contestabile di Chester and Leonora.
'White-hot emotions leap from these generous
fragments of operas’- Andrew Stewart, Classic FM
PACINI REDISCOVERED
Annick Massis, Jennifer Larmore, Majella Cullagh,
William Matteuzzi, Bruce Ford, Academy of
St Martin in the Fields, Philharmonia Orchestra,
Music of magical enchantment and lyrical
beauty is revealed on this inspiring collection.
‘A hugely enjoyable disc’
– John Allison, BBC Music Magazine
ORR238 (1disc set)
ORR236 (1disc set)
7
92938 02362
5
www.opera-rara.com
39
R O SS I N I
17 9 2 - 18 6 8
Carmen Giannattasio rehearsing Rossini’s Ermione
Rage and
ferocity explode
in Naples
40
During the years from 1815 to
1822 when his career centred
on Naples, Rossini composed
a sequence of works for the
Teatro San Carlo, which at
that time boasted an
outstanding orchestra and
a company of resident singers that was the
leading ensemble available anywhere. A string
of masterpieces resulted, including such works
as Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra, Otello,
Ricciardo e Zoraide and La donna del lago (all
featuring in Opera Rara’s catalogue). One opera,
however, failed spectacularly: Ermione was
received with incomprehension at its sole
performance in 1819 and was never revived in
Rossini’s lifetime. The composer was resigned:
‘It is my little Guillaume Tell in Italian,’ he said,
‘and will not see the light of day until after my
death.’ Since its first stage revival in Pesaro in
1987, Ermione has been recognised as a lost
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masterpiece. Set in the aftermath of the
Trojan War, the opera’s novelties begin with
an overture interrupted by a choral lament of
Trojan prisoners. Tension and staggering
originality are maintained right to the very end.
‘Carmen Giannattasio’s performance
was a triumph’ – Geoff Brown, The Times
(reviewing the concert performance)
ERMIONE
Carmen Giannattasio, Colin Lee, Patricia Bardon, Paul Nilon,
Loïc Félix, Bülent Bezdüz, Graeme Broadbent, Rebecca
Bottone, Victoria Simmonds, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
ORC42 (2 disc set)
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010
R O SS I N I
R O SS I N I
BIANCA E FALLIERO
Jennifer Larmore, Majella Cullagh, Barry Banks,
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra,
This opera, one of Rossini’s most sumptuous
and ornate, was written for La Scala in 1819.
Stylistically in complete contrast to the
better-known Neapolitan works, it has received
few revivals.
‘Larmore gives one of her best recorded
performances’ – William R. Braun, Opera News
Editor’s Choice – Opera News
ADELAIDE
★★★
DI BORGOGNA
Majella Cullagh, Jennifer Larmore, Bruce Ford,
Mirco Palazzi, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus,
Giuliano Carella – conductor
Florid bravura writing, ravishing duets and
patriotic military choruses are all featured in this
glorious live recording from the 2005 Edinburgh
International Festival.
‘Show-stopping’ – Tim Ashley, The Guardian
ORC32 (2 disc set)
7
92938 00322
1
ORC20 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00202
6
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41
Opera Rara at work…
Alessandro Corbelli and Sir Mark Elder
Carmen Giannattasio
Rebecca Bottone
Christopher Purves
Thora Einarsdottir
Eglise Gutiérrez
Colin Lee and David Parry
Maurizio Benini
42
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Jennifer Larmore
Loïc Félix and Mark Le Brocq
Stuart Stratford
Judith Howarth
Ludovic Tézier
Krassimira Stoyanova
Stephen Costello
José Bros
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43
Maurizio Benini, conductor for Rossini's Aureliano in Palmira
R O SS I N I
44
An Emperor
Moved by
Love
One of Rossini’s rarest scores,
the dramma serio Aureliano in
Palmira was written during his
miraculous 21st year (1813),
when he produced four operas
in all: the other three – the
comedies Il signor Bruschino
and L’italiana in Algeri, plus the tragedy Tancredi
– indicate not only the amazing fertility of his
inventive powers but also the staggering quality
of his youthful writing. Even so, Rossini fans will
recognise the overture to Aureliano, which he
recycled in three other scores, most notably
Il barbiere di Siviglia! The opera is set in 272 AD
in the ancient city of Palmyra (in modern Syria),
where the queen, Zenobia (Annick Massis) and
her lover, the Persian general Arsace (Silvia Tro
Santafé), are defeated in battle by the Roman
Emperor Aureliano (Kenneth Tarver). Aureliano
agrees to free Arsace if Zenobia will give herself
to him, but she refuses. Eventually he is won over
by the lovers’ devotion, and frees them when they
pledge loyalty to Rome; but on the way to this
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happy ending there is plenty of extreme emotion
to fire up some of Rossini’s most exciting vocal
writing. A success in its day, Aureliano promises
to thrill another generation of listeners in this
new studio recording under Maurizio Benini.
AURELIANO IN PALMIRA
Annick Massis, Silvia Tro Santafé, Kenneth Tarver,
Andrew Foster-Williams, Ezgi Kutlu, Geoffrey Mitchell
Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Maurizio Benini – conductor
ORC46 (2 disc set)
AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2011
R O SS I N I
R O SS I N I
LA DONNA DEL LAGO
Carmen Giannattasio, Patricia Bardon, Kenneth Tarver,
Gregory Kunde, Mark Wilde, Robert Gleadow,
Francesca Sassu, Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Scottish
Chamber Orchestra, Maurizio Benini – conductor
La donna del lago was not only the first Italian
opera to be based on a work by Sir Walter Scott,
it was also a milestone in the development of
Romanticism in Italian opera. Recorded live at
the 2006 Edinburgh International Festival.
‘Carmen Giannattasio – a prima donna is born’
– Andrew Clark, Financial Times
CD of the Week – Sunday Times
ELISABETTA
★★★
REGINA D’INGHILTERRA
Jennifer Larmore, Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford,
Antonino Siragusa, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London
Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuliano Carella – conductor
What would Romantic opera have been without
the British nobility? This work was one of the first
of many on English royal subjects and was an
immediate success. Rossini’s music is given the
very best treatment by Opera Rara’s starry team.
‘Marvellous ensembles beautifully performed
by a strong cast led by Jennifer Larmore’
ORC22 (3 disc set)
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ORC34 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00342
9
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45
R O SS I N I
R O SS I N I
Record of the Week – Sunday Times
RICCIARDO E ZORAIDE
Nelly Miricioiu, William Matteuzzi, Bruce Ford,
Della Jones, Alastair Miles, Paul Nilon,
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Academy of St Martin
in the Fields, David Parry – conductor
This serious opera demonstrates the originality
of mind that made Rossini the outstanding
figure of his age.
‘An exemplary performance’
– Alan Blythe, The Daily Telegraph
OTELLO
★★★
❂
Bruce Ford, Elizabeth Futral, William Matteuzzi,
Otello (1815) is one of the most innovative scores
composed during Rossini’s Neapolitan period and
contains some of his most inspired music.
Meyerbeer considered its third act ‘godlike’,
praising its ‘impassioned recitatives
and accompaniments full of vocal colour’.
‘Bruce Ford reveals himself as a Rossinian
without equal today’
ORC18 (3 disc set)
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7
92938 00182
1
ORC14 (3 disc set)
7
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5
R O SS I N I
R O SS I N I
Classical CD of the Week – Sunday Times
ROSSINI – THREE TENORS
Bruce Ford, William Matteuzzi, Paul Austin Kelly,
Nelly Miricioiu, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Three distinguished Rossini Tenors (with a special
appearance by Nelly Miricioiu) combine forces
in nine duets and trios from Otello, Ricciardo e
Zoraide, Armida and La donna del lago.
‘One comes away from this recital, not bored
or sated, but thrilled and satisfied’
– The Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide
Record of the Week – Sunday Times
ZELMIRA
Elizabeth Futral, Bruce Ford, Antonino Siragusa,
Manuela Custer, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and
Chorus, Maurizio Benini – conductor
Composed in 1822, this is the ninth and last of
Rossini’s Neapolitan operas. Beautiful melodies
are matched by inventive harmony and skilled
orchestral writing. Presented live at the
Edinburgh International Festival, this is the
first complete recording of the opera.
‘I was throughout on the edge of my seat
listening to this one’ – Rodney Milnes, Opera
ORC27 (3 disc set)
7
92938 00272
9
ORR204 (1disc set)
7
92938 02042
6
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47
R O SS I N I
R O SS I N I
Opera Pick of the Month – BBC Music Magazine
BRUCE FORD –
★★★
SERIOUS ROSSINI
With Nelly Miricioiu, Elizabeth Futral, Della Jones, Barry
Banks, Paul Austin Kelly, William Matteuzzi, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of
St Martin in the Fields, David Parry – conductor
As one of the foremost Rossinians of his
generation, Bruce Ford displays a near-perfect
technique in selections from four of the
composer’s Neapolitan operas.
‘A superior kind of compilation’
NELLY MIRICIOIU – ★★★
❂
ROSSINI GALA
With Bruce Ford, Enkelejda Shkosa, Alastair Miles,
Barry Banks, Academy of St Martin in the Fields,
The Romanian soprano has established herself
as one of the chief exponents of the bel canto
school today. Here she offers excerpts from
Rossini’s serious operas, including Armida,
Mosè in Egitto, Zelmira and Vallace.
‘A brilliant recording’
ORR211 (1 disc set)
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ORR218 (1disc set)
7
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T H O MA S
1811 – 1896
V E R D I
1813 – 19 01
Diapason Découverte / Diapason d’Or
MACBETH
★★★
Peter Glossop, Rita Hunter, John Tomlinson,
Kenneth Collins, Ludmilla Andrew, Christian du Plessis,
BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra,
John Matheson – conductor
This is the first in the Verdi Originals series from
the BBC archive. If you think you know Verdi’s
Macbeth then this, the original1847 version,
has a few surprises for you.
‘Rita Hunter is totally engrossing, with Peter
Glossop a powerful, psychologically intense
Macbeth’ – James Jolly, Gramophone
LA COUR DE CÉLIMÈNE
❂
Laura Claycomb, Alastair Miles, Joan Rodgers,
Sébastien Droy, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Litton – conductor
Opera Rara rediscovers the art of Ambroise
Thomas with a world premiere recording
of this1855 opéra-comique. Set in1750 in
a château near Paris, the opera centres on a
young widowed Countess who has no fewer
than14 suitors.
‘This is one of Opera Rara’s best!’
– Charles H. Parsons, American Record Guide
ORC37 (2 disc set)
7
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ORCV301 (2 disc set)
7
92938 03012
8
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NOTES AND LIBRETTO IN FOUR LANGUAGES
VERDI ORIGINALS
LES VÊPRES SICILIENNES ★★★
Jacqueline Brumaire, Jean Bonhomme, Neilson Taylor,
Ayhan Baran, BBC Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra,
Mario Rossi – conductor.
Ballet music – Ashley Lawrence
Originally composed in French, this opera was
almost always given in a highly inaccurate Italian
translation, which prevailed for most of the 20th
century. This BBC recording of the opera finally
restores the original French libretto.
’The quality of this performance is so
consistently excellent’ – Denise Gallo, Opera Today
SIMON BOCCANEGRA
Sesto Bruscantini, Josella Ligi, André Turp,
Gwynne Howell, BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra,
The Verdi Originals series continues with the
BBC performance of the seldom-heard1857
version of this opera. The added bonus with
this recording is the preservation of Sesto
Bruscantini’s only performance of the title role.
‘No Verdian should be without it’
- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com
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7
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VERDI ORIGINALS
NOTES AND LIBRETTO IN FOUR LANGUAGES
DON CARLOS
Joseph Rouleau, André Turp, Robert Savoie, Edith
Tremblay, Michelle Vilma, BBC Singers, BBC Concert
Orchestra, John Matheson – conductor
The fifth and final in the Verdi Originals series is
the first ever recording (1973) of the original
1867 five-act French version of Don Carlos,
including music cut before the first performance
and rediscovered by Andrew Porter.
'This set is utterly necessary in any collection'
- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com
Best Recording for 2006 – MusicWeb International
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO
Martina Arroyo, Kenneth Collins, Peter Glossop,
Don Garrard, BBC Singers, BBC Concert Orchestra,
First thoughts always have an interest of their own,
and anyone who knows and loves La forza del
destino in its later form will find differences in
these discs to fascinate and surprise them. First
heard in1862 in St Petersburg, this version is darker
and with a grittier integration of text and music.
‘Martina Arroyo is grandly passionate and in full
command’ – George Hall, BBC Music Magazine
7
92938 03052
4
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51
Judith Howarth rehearsing Mercadante’s I Normanni a Parigi
ESSENTIAL OPERA RARA (HIGHLIGHTS WITH COMPLETE LIBRETTO)
52
Norman
invaders besiege
Paris
Opera Rara continues to explore
the fascinating figure of Saverio
Mercadante with this world
premiere recording of substantial
highlights from I Normanni a
Parigi, written for Turin in 1832.
With Rossini in retirement,
Mercadante was then in competition with Bellini
and Donizetti for the crown of Italian opera, and
this work shows the composer at his most creative.
Mercadante expert Michael Rose describes the opera
as ‘one of the highlights of this period’. Having scored
a triumph at its premiere, it circulated widely. The
libretto by Felice Romani, the finest practitioner of
the art in his day, is set in Paris, following the death
of the mighty King Charlemagne, with the city
threatened and eventually besieged by Norman
invaders. The complex plot centres on Charlemagne’s
widow, Berta (Judith Howarth), who was previously
secretly married to Ordamante (Riccardo Novaro) in
a relationship that produced her equally secret son,
Osvino (Katarina Karnéus), now guarded by the loyal
Odone (Barry Banks). When Ordamante leads the
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Normans against the Carolingian forces, father
and son are pitted against each other, though
the latter initially knows nothing of their
relationship. The scene is set for personal and
political drama of the highest order in this
gripping work from the bel canto repertoire.
MERCADANTE – I NORMANNI A PARIGI
Judith Howarth, Barry Banks, Riccardo Novaro, ❂
Katarina Karnéus, Graeme Broadbent, Aled Hall,
Stuart Stratford – conductor
ORR249 (1 disc set)
ESSENTIAL OPERA RARA
Recording of the Month – MusicWeb International
MERCADANTE – ZAIRA
❂
Alastair Miles, Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford,
Garry Magee, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia
This recording was the first in our acclaimed
Essential Opera Rara series. It contains a selection
of the important and most beautiful moments
in Mercadante’s setting of Voltaire’s tragic tale.
A vivid impression of the opera is captured on a
single disc.
‘Majella Cullagh flaunts a to-die-for top
register’ – George Hall, BBC Music Magazine
MERCADANTE –
❂
MARIA STUARDA REGINA DI SCOZIA
Judith Howarth, Manuela Custer, Jennifer Larmore,
Colin Lee, Pauls Putninš, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Antonello Allemandi – conductor
Mercadante’s opera deals with the earlier period
of Mary Queen of Scots’ life, when she was
struggling to maintain her authority and her
independence. Mercadante pours out lashings
of bel canto melody and bravura for our delight.
‘Judith Howarth and Jennifer Larmore on
spectacular form’ – Tim Ashley, The Guardian
ORR241 (1disc set)
7
92938 02412
7
ORR224 (1disc set)
7
92938 02242
0
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PAER – SOFONISBA
★★★ ❂
Jennifer Larmore, Paul Nilon, Rebecca Evans,
Colin Lee, Mirco Palazzi, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Marco Guidarini – conductor
Paer's glorious opera, composed in1805, was
one of Rossini’s favourites. Set in ancient Rome,
it tells of the political intrigues and emotional
traumas of the beautiful Sofonisba, daughter
of the Carthaginian general, Hasdrubal.
‘A fantastic addition and the most original
of the series’
– Raúl González Arévalo, Mundoclasico.com
MEYERBEER – L’ESULE DI GRANATA ❂
Manuela Custer, Mirco Palazzi, Laura Claycomb, Paul
Austin Kelly, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Academy of St
Martin in the Fields, Giuliano Carella – conductor
While Meyerbeer clearly embraced the
innovations of Rossini, he was his own composer.
From the very start of L’esule di Granata we are
aware he is working on a larger canvas,
employing all the resources at his disposal –
choruses, stage bands, scenic effects and, above
all, brilliant vocalism.
‘Opera Rara pull out all the stops’
– Robert Levine, ClassicToday.com
ORR234 (1disc set)
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7
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7
ORR237 (1disc set)
7
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4
FEDERICO RICCI –
❂
LA PRIGIONE DI EDIMBURGO
Nuccia Focile, Elisabetta Scano, Christopher Purves,
Nicola Rossi Giordano, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Gabriele Bellini – conductor
Walter Scott’s The Heart of Midlothian provided
the plot for one of Federico Ricci’s most popular
operas, featuring stolen babies, smugglers and
burning buildings – all set to beautiful music.
‘Opera Rara on top form again – whetting the
appetite for another neglected work’
FEDERICO RICCI –
❂
CORRADO D’ALTAMURA
Dimitra Theodossiou, Dmitry Korchak, James Westman,
Ann Taylor, Andrew Foster-Williams, Cora Burggraaf,
Camilla Roberts, Mark Wilde, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
Philharmonia Orchestra, Roland Böer – conductor
Set in12th-century Sicily, this highly dramatic
opera tells of betrayal and revenge between
former friends. Premiered at La Scala, Milan,
in 1841.
‘An exciting, unfairly neglected work’
– Eric Myers, Opera
ORR246 (1 disc set)
ORR228 (1disc set)
7
92938 02282
6
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A RT I ST
C O L L E CT I O N S
A RT I ST
BRUCE FORD – ROMANTIC HEROES
With Renée Fleming, Alastair Miles, Diana Montague,
Includes pieces from Virginia (Mercadante),
Carlo di Borgogna (Pacini), Alfredo il Grande
and Rosmonda d’Inghilterra (Donizetti),
Il marito e l’amante (Ricci), La stella del Nord
(Meyerbeer) and Ricciardo e Zoraide (Rossini).
‘Bruce Ford has few equals today in this kind
of music’
– Charles Osborne, Opera
YVONNE KENNY –
★★★
19TH CENTURY HEROINES
With Diana Montague, Della Jones,
Includes pieces from Rosmonda (Coccia),
Gabriella di Vergi (Carafa), I Baccanali
di Roma (Nicolini), Il crociato in Egitto
(Meyerbeer), Alahor in Granata (Donizetti)
and La Semiramide (Portogallo).
‘Yvonne Kenny’s beautiful and agile lyric
soprano is at its best in this fascinating disc’
ORR201 (1disc set)
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9
ORR202 (1disc set)
7
92938 02022
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E SRS TE INSTTI A C
L OOLP LE E
RA
A
C TR IAORNA S
A RRTTI SI ST T C OCLOL LE L
C TE I CO TN ISO N S
A
WILLIAM MATTEUZZI –
FERME TES YEUX…
With Bruce Ford, Enkelejda Shkosa, Elisabetta Scano,
Majella Cullagh, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Academy of St
Martin in the Fields, David Parry – conductor
Includes Il castello di Kenilworth and La Fille du
Régiment (Donizetti), Le Comte Ory and
Il viaggio a Reims (Rossini), Alessandro nell’Indie
(Pacini), Le Pont des Soupirs (Offenbach) and
Gabriella di Vergi (Carafa).
‘A vivacious programme of rarities’
Editor’s Choice 2001 – Gramophone
DIANA MONTAGUE
BELLA IMMAGIN – BEAUTIFUL
IMAGE
With Yvonne Kenny, Keith Lewis, Bruce Ford, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Academy of
St Martin in the Fields, David Parry – conductor
A fine compilation featuring this superb mezzosoprano in her early work with Opera Rara. An
unissued alternative aria for L’Italiana in Algeri
(by Julius Benedict) gives the album its name.
‘Montague’s ability to imbue every phrase she
sings with meaning is without compare’
– Michael Quinn, Classic CD
ORR210 (1disc set)
7
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7
ORR216 (1disc set)
7
92938 02162
1
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A RT I ST
A RT I ST
Critics’ Choice 2001 – BBC Music Magazine
BRAVURA DIVA
Jennifer Larmore, Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford, Geoffrey
Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Antonello
Allemandi, David Parry, Giuliano Carella – conductors
Jennifer Larmore’s interpretation of, and affinity
with, the bel canto repertoire has allowed us to
record on this album some of the most difficult
vocal music of the 19th century. Features works
by Costa, Rossini, Pacini and Mercadante.
‘A stellar production on all levels’
– Wynne Delacoma, Chicago Sun Times
Critic’s Choice – Opera News
NELLY MIRICIOIU –
BEL CANTO PORTRAIT
With Mary Plazas, Alice Coote, Ashley Holland,
Includes scenes from Belisario and Parisina
(Donizetti) and L’assedio di Corinto (Michael
Costa), as well as the great final scene from
Mercadante’s Emma d’Antiochia, which
concludes in a duet with Mary Plazas.
‘Miricioiu gives a formidable display of
technique and flair’
– Edward Greenfield, The Guardian
ORR217 (1disc set)
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7
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ORR231 (1disc set)
7
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0
I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
Il Salotto – Volume 2
❂
LA POTENZA D’AMORE
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, William Matteuzzi,
Majella Cullagh, Enkelejda Shkosa, Garry Magee,
Paul Watkins – cello, Nigel Black – horn,
Susan Drake – harp, David Harper – piano
In the second volume of Opera Rara’s recital
series we present songs, scenes and extended
cantatas written by Rossini, Tadolini,
Mercadante, Paer, Mayr, Carafa and Pacini.
‘Opera Rara’s production is a real class act’
❂
MERCADANTE –
LES SOIRÉES ITALIENNES
Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Alastair Miles, Nelly Miricioiu,
William Matteuzzi, Garry Magee, David Harper – piano
The first volume in Opera Rara’s series devoted to
exploring the salon music of the19th century.
Mercadante’s series of eight songs and duets rivals
the more familiar Serate Musicale by Rossini.
‘Spectacular singing is what is required,
and the soloists here don’t disappoint’
– Tim Ashley, The Guardian
ORR206 (1disc set)
7
92938 02062
4
ORR208 (1disc set)
7
92938 02082
2
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I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
L’Evénement du Mois – Diapason
Il Salotto – Volume 4 – IL SIBILO
❂
Nuccia Focile, Donata D’Annunzio Lombardi, Ildebrando
D’Arcangelo, Paul Charles Clarke, David Harper – piano
Here is after-dinner entertainment at its most
charming. These songs were published as part of
the1840s Neapolitan gossip journal Il Sibilo
(The Whisper). Once you’d read the week’s gossip
you were treated to new songs by some of the
best composers of the day. A delightful addition
to the Il Salotto series.
‘Charming repertoire, delightfully performed’
– Patrick O’Connor, Gramophone
❂
CENDRILLON – Pauline Viardot
Sandrine Piau, Paul Austin Kelly, Elizabeth Vidal,
André Cognet, Jean-Luc Viala, Jean Rigby, Susannah
Waters, Nicholas Kok – pianist and conductor
Viardot’s charming chamber operetta is a
delicate drawing-room version of the classic
fairy-tale. Reminiscent of Gounod and Massenet,
the music anticipates Debussy, Satie and Poulenc.
‘This specialist label has unearthed few more
enchanting opera rarities than this’
ORR212 (1disc set)
60
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ORR219 (1disc set)
7
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I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
❂
LA PARTENZA
Laura Claycomb, Bruce Ford, Manuela Custer,
Roberto Servile, Nicola Rossi Giordano, Brindley
Sherratt, Dominic Natoli, Dean Robinson,
Richard Bissill – horn, David Harper – piano
Donizetti and Rossini are joined by Mexican bel
canto composer Melesio Morales plus Achille Peri,
Angelo Savinelli and Lauro Rossi. Included
is Michael Balfe’s cantata for Maria Malibran.
‘Everyone here is in top form (would they dare be
otherwise for Opera Rara?)’ – American Record Guide
❂
LA RIMEMBRANZA
Jennifer Larmore, Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford, Manuela
Custer, Antonino Siragusa, David Harper – piano
This volume of Il Salotto explores the music of
the salons of Milan and London. Songs, duets
and trios by Gabussi, Gomes, Arditti, Costa and
Verdi display virtuosic vocal writing, interpreted
here with flair and brilliance by Opera Rara’s
accomplished team of singers.
‘This CD is perfect – a glorious evening’s
entertainment’
– Robert Levine, Classics Today.com
ORR223 (1disc set)
ORR227 (1disc set)
7
92938 02272
7
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I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
❂
NOTTURNO
Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Alastair Miles,
Paul Austin Kelly, Patrizia Biccirè,
Jaime Martin – flute, Antoine Palloc – piano
Notturno is the eighth volume of Opera Rara’s
acclaimed Il Salotto series and is essentially
an album of duets,fourteen in all.
‘Here are all the virtues
of an Opera Rara release’
– Christopher Cook, BBC Music Magazine
❂
IL PRIMO DOLCE AFFANNO…
Elizabeth Vidal, Bruce Ford, Laura Claycomb,
Manuela Custer, William Matteuzzi, Roberto Servile,
Alastair Miles, David Harper – piano
Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnets, sung so passionately
here by Bruce Ford, are interspersed out of
sequence with music by Liszt’s contemporaries –
Meyerbeer, Saint-Saëns, Poniatowski, Federico
Ricci, Gomes and Verdi.
‘The music is quite enchanting’
ORR230 (1disc set)
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ORR235 (1disc set)
I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
❂
PAULINE VIARDOT AND FRIENDS
Frederica von Stade, Vladimir Chernov,
Anna Caterina Antonacci, Fanny Ardant – narrator,
David Watkin – cello, David Harper – piano
A celebration of the remarkable life and
colourful world of Pauline Viardot both through
her own compositions and those of her illustrious
friends, in this live recording from London’s
Wigmore Hall. 2 CDs for the price of 1
‘A delightful and enjoyably informative set’
– George Hall, Opera Now
❂
ORA DIVINA
Majella Cullagh, Diana Montague, Bruce Ford,
Elizabeth Vidal, Paul Austin Kelly, Barry Banks,
Mark Stone, Sine Bundgaard, Roland Wood,
Susie Beer – cello, David Harper – piano
The ninth volume of the popular Il Salotto series
brings together an extraordinary collection of
passionate songs, from Donizetti, Offenbach,
Mercadante and others, which explore the
serious side of love.
‘Breathtaking’ – Joel Kasow, Fanfare
ORR239 (1disc set)
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ORR240 (2 disc set)
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I L
SA L O TTO
I L
SA L O TTO
❂
LA LAITIÈRE DE TRIANON
Jean-Baptiste Wekerlin
Joan Rodgers, Yann Beuron, Jeff Cohen – piano
First performed in 1858, this delightful
drawing-room operetta, set in the Versailles of
Marie-Antoinette, centres on two aristocratic
cousins who are betrothed to each other even
though they have never met. Includes three
appendix items.
‘Opera Rara offers a captivating performance’
– Andrew Porter, Opera
Recommended – Gramophone
❂
LA SERENATA
Bruce Ford, Diana Montague, Barry Banks, Majella
Cullagh, Mark Stone, Elizabeth Vidal, Paul Austin Kelly,
Roland Wood, Sine Bundgaard, Susie Beer – cello,
Richard Simpson – oboe, David Harper – piano
Taking its title from a song by Ambroise Thomas,
this volume also includes his most famous song,
the enchanting ‘Le Soir’, as well as others by
Mercadante, Offenbach, Pacini and Donizetti.
‘Performed in high style by a starry clutch of
soloists’ – Anthony Holden, The Observer
ORR242 (1disc set)
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ORR245 (1disc set)
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I L
SA L O TTO
A NT H O L O G I E S
A HUNDRED YEARS OF
ITALIAN OPERA 1800 –1810
Yvonne Kenny, Eiddwen Harrhy, Della Jones, Keith Lewis,
Diana Montague and others, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir,
The first volume in Opera Rara’s survey of Italian
opera composers of the19th century features
Paisiello, Mayr, Pucitta, Cimarosa, Zingarelli,
Paer, Nicolini, Winter, Mosca and others.
‘Nothing anywhere near so ambitious and
scholarly in this field has appeared before’
❂
ROSSINI SONGS
Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Larmore, Catherine WynRogers, Mireille Delunsch, Brindley Sherratt, Mark
Wilde, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Nicholas Bosworth –
harmonium, Malcolm Martineau– piano
Opera Rara continues to explore the music of
the 19th-century salon with this rare selection
of songs by the great master Rossini.
‘With a first-rate team of singers
and Martineau's deft contributions,
resistance is futile’
– Stephen Pettitt, Sunday Times
ORR247 (1 disc set)
ORCH101 (3 disc set)
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Music Retailers Association Award for Excellence
A HUNDRED YEARS OF
Bruce Ford, Yvonne Kenny, Alastair Miles,
Nuccia Focile, Ivan Sharpe, Paul Nilon and others,
The third volume of the anthology, which features
the work of composers such as Cordella, Bellini,
Balducci, Conti, Carafa, Coccia, Ricci, Pacini,
Donizetti, Rossini and Meyerbeer.
‘A privileged glimpse into a forgotten world’
– John Freeman, Opera News
A HUNDRED YEARS OF
Chris Merritt, Diana Montague, Della Jones,
Yvonne Kenny, Paul Nilon and others,
Volume two of Opera Rara’s series investigates
the second decade of the 19th century with
music by Rossini, Donizetti, Mayr, Meyerbeer,
Carafa, Generali, Mercadante and others.
‘An awesome recording in every respect’
– John Freeman, Opera News
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C O M P I L AT I O N S
DUETS TO DIE FOR
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Renée Fleming,
Alastair Miles, Jennifer Larmore, William Matteuzzi,
Jane Eaglen, Yvonne Kenny, David Parry – conductor
An outstanding selection of bel canto specialists
sing duets from1801 to1846. Donizetti, Rossini,
Mercadante, Pacini, Carafa, Coccia, Mayr and
Lavigna provide the music for this survey of
duet writing.
‘Opera Rara’s genius lies in its ability to attract
talent’ – Claire Wrathall (reviewing this recording),
BBC Music Magazine
THE OPERA RARA COLLECTIONS
VOLUMES 1 & 2
These collections are filled with highlights from
Opera Rara’s extensive catalogue of rarities.
Includes music by Rossini, Donizetti, Mayr,
Bellini, Pacini, Carafa, Winter and Mercadante,
celebrating 20 years of reviving and recording
the neglected repertoire of the 19th century.
‘A feast and a temptation to the ears’
– David Johnson, Fanfare
ORR205 ORR209 (1disc set each)
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ORR220 (1disc set)
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SOGNO TALOR...
SOMETIMES I DREAM
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore,
William Matteuzzi, Antonino Siragusa, Renée Fleming
2 CDs for the price of 1
Opera Rara celebrated 25 years of recording with
this two-disc album. Covering more than 50
years of the19th century, the rich cross-section
of excerpts is matched by a superb roster of
contributing artists.
‘One of the best anthologies on disc’
TYRANTS AND LOVERS
Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Elizabeth Futral, Jennifer
Larmore, William Matteuzzi, Rockwell Blake, Majella
Cullagh, Garry Magee, David Parry – conductor
Heroes and slaves, kings and peasants, or tyrants
and lovers – these larger-than-life, opposing
forces were the source of every composer’s
inspiration. Includes previously unreleased pieces
from Donizetti’s Torquato Tasso, Buondelmonte
and Balfe’s Falstaff.
‘Singing about as bel canto as it gets’
– George Hall, BBC Music Magazine
ORR221 (1disc set)
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ORR225 (2 disc set)
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
Jennifer Larmore, Colin Lee, Susan Patterson,
Christian du Plessis, Carmen Giannattasio,
William Matteuzzi, Yvonne Kenny, Toby
Spence, Annick Massis, Nelly Miricioiu,
Della Jones, Bruce Ford, Thora Einarsdottir
To celebrate its 40th anniversay, Opera Rara
has compiled this stunning collection of
highlights from its incomparable catalogue.
It includes excerpts from the very first
recording, Donizetti’s Ugo, conte di Parigi,
through to the recent, Rossini’s Ermione.
VOCAL TEAMWORK
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh, Alastair
Miles, Jennifer Larmore, Mirco Palazzi, Laura Claycomb,
Peter Glossop, Della Jones. John Matheson, James
Judd, David Parry, Giuliano Carella – conductors
The19th century was the great age of ensemble
writing. This disc begins with the elaborate
formality of the duet from Rossini’s Bianca e
Falliero and ends with the emotionally charged
nonet from Donizetti’s L’assedio di Calais.
‘A truly thrilling recording’
– Thorvald Petterson, KulturNytt
ORR233 (1disc set)
ORR248 (1disc set)
AVAILABLE MAY 2010
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69
THE CRUEL MADNESS OF LOVE
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Elizabeth Futral,
Antonino Siragusa, Jennifer Larmore,
Roberto Frontali, Nelly Miricioiu
Created with Opera magazine to promote
our recording and concert performance of
Donizetti’s tragic opera Pia de’ Tolomei, this
collection shows love in its many guises and
diverse manifestations as the root cause of
jealousy, regret and despair.
Only available direct from Opera Rara
LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED…
Renée Fleming, Bruce Ford, Nelly Miricioiu,
William Matteuzzi, Jennifer Larmore
Mercadante’s Emma d’Antiochia is a woman with
a problematic love life. This delightful group of
similarly doomed operatic heroines was
assembled in this compilation CD produced for
Opera magazine to promote our recording and
performance of Mercadante’s beautiful opera.
ORO3 (1disc)
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ORO4 (1disc)
SCEPTRE, CROWN & SCAFFOLD
Diana Montague, Bruce Ford, Nelly Miricioiu,
José Bros, Eiddwen Harrhy, Yvonne Kenny, Paul Nilon,
Graeme Broadbent
The mixed fortunes of kings and queens through
the ages have provided composers with infinite
musical possibilities. However, not all royal roads
lead to the scaffold, as is demonstrated in this
glorious disc, produced again in collaboration
with Opera magazine to promote our recording
and concert of Pacini's opera Alessandro nell'
Indie. Only available direct from Opera Rara
VILLAINS BY NECESSITY
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Bruce Ford, William Matteuzzi,
Barry Banks, Paul Austin Kelly, Christian du Plessis,
Alastair Miles, José Bros, Antonino Siragusa, Sesto
Bruscantini
There are villains behind villains, and some of
them are women, though this CD, created in
association with Opera magazine, is – unusually
for Opera Rara – a diva-free zone. Every note is
sung by men.
ORO5 (1disc)
ORO6 (1disc)
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CROSS & CRESCENT
Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh, Annick Massis, Nelly
Miricioiu, William Matteuzzi, Alastair Miles, Paul Nilon,
Geoffrey Dolton, Giuseppe Filianoti
The conflict between Christianity and Islam,
of such concern today, was already a rich source
of subject matter in 19th-century Italian opera.
In collaboration with Opera magazine, we
present an anthology, which we hope may prove
both thought-provoking and musically
stimulating.
MEDIEVAL MAYHEM
Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Alastair
Miles, Diana Montague, Paul Nilon, Yvonne Kenny,
Pietro Spagnoli, Della Jones, Clive Bayley
So many Opera Rara recordings deal with
clashes of arms or passions in medieval times
that, in collaboration with Opera magazine, we
have assembled this rich and varied anthology,
though we deliberately end it with an item
that represents a welcome return to order
and tranquillity.
ORO7 (1 disc)
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ORO8 (1disc)
19th-Century
Opera meets
the 21st Century
www.opera-rara.com
73
Artist & Composer Directory
Allemandi, Antonello15,17,39,53,
72
Andrew, Ludmilla18,26,49,67
Antonacci, Anna Caterina 63
Antoniozzi, Alfonso17,19,67
Antonucci, Stefano 30
Archer, Neil 28
Ardant, Fanny 63
Arroyo, Martina 51
Arthur, Maurice 18,24,25,36
Ashe, Rosemary 36
Ashman, David 25
Bailey, Norman 20
Bailey, Simon18,41,48
Banks, Barry 41,46,48,52,63,64,67,
68,71
Baran, Ayhan 50
Barcellona, Daniela 27,33,69
Bardon, Patricia 40,45
Bayley, Clive19,71,72
Beer, Susie 63,64
Bellini, Gabriele 55,70
Benelli, Ugo 32,33,56
Benini, Maurizio 23,30,44,45,47,
68,70,71
Berthon, Cassandre 37
Best, Jonathan 27
Beuron, Yann 64
Bezdüz, Bülent 40
Biccirè, Patrizia 22,48,62,67
Bickley, Susan 27,38
Bissill, Richard 61
Black, Nigel 59
Blake, Rockwell 25,67–71
74
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Böer, Roland 55
Bonhomme, Jean 50
Bovino, Maria 33,70
Bowden, Pamela 50
Brecknock, John 36
Bregonzi, Alec 36
Broadbent, Graeme13,16,23,40,
52,71
Brocq, Mark Le 12,13,30,35,37
Bros, José12,13,16,22,23,68,71
Browne, Sandra 36
Brownlee, Lawrence 65
Brumaire, Jacqueline 50
Bruscantini, Sesto17,50,67,68,71
Bundgaard, Sine 63,64
Burggraaf, Cora 55
Cabell, Nicole19
Caley, Ian 21,25,32,72
Carella, Giuliano18,41,45,54,58,68,
69,71
Caruso, Carmelo Corrado 15
Cashmore, John 39
Castronovo, Charles 30
Catling, Ashley 41,47
Chernov, Vladimir 63
Cicogna, Adriana19,68,70
Ciofi, Patrizia13
Clark, Graham 21
Clarke, Paul Charles 30,60
Claycomb, Laura 37,49,54,61,
62,69
Cognet, André 37,60
Cohen, Jeff 64
Colecchia, Gabriella 41
Collins, Kenneth 49,51
Cook, Deborah 32, 67–69
Coote, Alice 58
Corbelli, Alessandro14
Costello, Stephen14
Crowe, Lucy 35
Cullagh, Majella
18,22,24–27,31,34,39,41,45,53,
57–59,61,63,64,67–70,72,
Custer, Manuela18,22,45,47,53,
54,61,62,70
Daniels, Claire 31
D’Arcangelo, Ildebrando 41,46,48,
58,60,67,68,70,71
Davies, Joan18,21
Davies, Lynne 27,72
Davies, Ryland 41,46,48
Dawson, Anna 36
Dean, Stafford 50
Delunsch, Mireille 65
Dickerson, Bernard 50
Dixey, Amilia 36
Doghan, Philip 56,72
Dolton, Geoffrey17,33,39,71,72
Douglas, Nigel20
Drake, Susan 59
Droy, Sébastien 35,49
Eaglen, Jane 28,67,69
Earle, Roderick 21,32
Einarsdottir, Thora 35
Elder, Mark14–16,19,72
Elkins, Margreta 21,26
Elvin, William 50
English, Gerald 50
Hargreaves, Matthew20,24,27,68
Harper, David 31,58–64
Harrhy, Eiddwen18,20,24–27,39,
65,67,68,71
Hartle, Enid 33
Hausmann, Mathias 47
Hill Smith, Marilyn 27,32,36,67,
68,72
Holland, Ashley 58
Howarth, Judith 52,53
Howell, Gwynne 50
Howlett, Neil 50
Hudson, Paul 50
Hunter, Rita 49
Janes, Fiona 58
John, Kevin 27,57,71
Jones, Della18,20,21,24–27,29,32,
33,46,48,56,65,67–69,72
Judd, James 21,32,68,69,71
Karnéus, Katarina 52
Kasarova, Vesselina15
Keenlyside, Simon15
Kelly, Paul Austin
19,24,27,47,48,54,60,62–64,67,
68,71
Kennedy, Roderick 21,36
Kenny, Yvonne17,24–29,31–33,36,
37,39,56,57,59,65–72
Kitchen, Linda 25,32,33,56
Kite, Celia 36
Kok, Nicholas 60
Korchak, Dmitry 55
Kunde, Gregory 45
Larmore, Jennifer15,17,27,35,
37–39,41,45,53,54,61,62,65,
67–70,72
Lazzara, Marco 27
Lee, Colin18,29,31,33,37,40,45,
53–55
Leggate, Robin 23
Leguérinel, Franck 35
Lessiter, Michael 23
Lewis, Keith 57,65
Ligi, Josella 50
Lipinski, Rebecca von 29,55
Litton, Andrew 49
Lloyd, Prudence 49
Locatelli, Damiano 27
Lombardi, Donata D’Annunzio 60
Lopardo, Frank19
Lopera, Juan José 46
Lopez, Franck 35
Mackerras, Charles 34
Magee, Garry 25,38,48,53,59,67,
68,70
Manley, Katherine 30
Martin, Jaime 62
Martineau, Malcolm 65
Mason, Anne17,28,33,71
Massis, Annick 15,17,27,31,33,39,
44,68,69,72
Matheson, John 49–51,69
Matteuzzi, William 31,39,46–48,
57,59,62,67–72
McCullough, Susan 39
McDonall, Lois 21,26
McFarland, Robert20,67
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Evans, Rebecca 54
Fardilha, José 38
Félix, Loïc16,35,37,40
Filianoti, Giuseppe15,72
Fisher, Jonathan 23
Fleming, Renée 23,26,56,67,68,70
Focile, Nuccia20,25,26,55,60,66,
67,70
Ford, Bruce
15,17,19,20,22–24,26–29,31–33,
37–39,41,45–48,53,56–59,
61–64,66–72
Foster-Williams, Andrew 30,44,55
Francis, Alun18,21,24,25,36,68
Frontali, Roberto 23,38,39,70
Fulgoni, Sara 25,68,70
Futral, Elizabeth
34,38,39,46–48,67,68,70
Ganassi, Sonia 23,70
Garrard, Don 51
Giannattasio, Carmen 12,13,22,
40,45,
Giménez, Raúl 28,67,71
Giordano, Massimo 19
Giordano, Nicola Rossi 55,61
Glanville, Mark20,68,71
Gleadow, Robert15,45
Glossop, Peter 49,51,69
Grassi, Luca 27
Guidarini, Marco 54
Gutiérrez, Eglise14
Haddock, Marcus 31,67,68,71
Hall, Aled13,52
75
Merritt, Chris17,33,66–68,71
Michaels-Moore, Anthony 30,
31,67,68,71
Miles, Alastair15,23,26,28,30,31,
33,37,38,46,48,49,53,56,59,62,
66–72
Mills, Bronwen17,33,71
Miricioiu, Nelly20,23,25,26,29–31,
38,46–48,58,59,67–72
Montague, Diana 23,24,26,27,29,
32–34,37,56,57,63–67,70–72
Monti, Elena19,68
Moreno, Myrna 27,57,71
Nathan, Regina20
Natoli, Dominic 24,25,27,38,41,46,
48,58,61
Nicoll, Harry 33,70
Nilon, Paul20,27,28,30,31,33,39,
40,46,48,54,66,67,70–72
Nocentini, Maria Costanza 29
Novaro, Riccardo 52
Oliver, Alexander 21,32,36,67,
69,71
Opie, Alan 31,36,39,72
Owens, Anne-Marie 35
Palazzi, Mirco18,22,41,47,54,69
Palloc, Antoine 62
Parry, David12,13,17,19,20,22–33,
35,37–41,46–48,53,56–58,
65–72
Pastorello, Cristina 27
Patterson, Susan 30
Peters, Johanna 36,67
Piau, Sandrine 60
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Piunti, Giuseppina 27
Pizzaloto, Mariana14
Platt, Ian20,25,32,33,56,68
Plazas, Mary 31,38,58,67
Plessis, Christian du18,20,21,24,25,
32,36,49,67–69,71
Polverelli, Laura 31,39,72
Praticò, Bruno19,67,70
Previati, Fabio 33
Price, Janet 24,26,67
Purves, Christopher16,55
Putninš, Pauls 33,53
Rhys-Davies, Jennifer 30,31,71
Rigby, Jean 60
Rippon, Michael 46
Roberts, Camilla 55
Roberts, Joy 36
Robinson, Dean18,37,48,55,61
Rodgers, Joan 49,64
Rossi, Mario 50
Rouleau, Joseph 51
Santafé, Silvia Tro 44
Sassu, Francesca 45
Savoie, Robert 51
Scano, Elisabetta19,55,57,67,68,70
Schmunck, Darío13
Serbo, Rico20,25
Servile, Roberto 22,29,61,62,68
Severini, Tiziano 27
Sherman, Alexandra 37
Sherratt, Brindley12,13,16,19,54,
61,65
Shkosa, Enkelejda13,16,39,46,48,
57,59,67,70
Sikora, Elizabeth14
Simmonds, Victoria 12,13,40
Simonetti, Riccardo 16
Simpson, Richard 64
Siragusa, Antonino 27,29,45,47,61,
68,70,71
Slater, Andrew15
Smythe, Russell20,27,33,56,57,61,
71,72
Solari, Dario 22
Sotgiù, Antonia 25,48
Spagnoli, Pietro15,17,19,72
Spence, Patricia 33
Spence, Toby 35,46
Stade, Frederica von 63
Stone, Mark13,35,37,63,64
Stoyanova, Krassimira16
Stuart, Stratford 52
Szabó, Bálint14
Tarver, Kenneth 31,39,44,45
Taylor, Ann 22,35,55
Taylor, Neilson 50
Tézier, Ludovic12–14
Theodossiou, Dimitra 55
Thornton-Holmes, Christopher17
Tomlinson, John18,49
Treleaven, John 20
Tremblay, Edith 51
Turner, Christopher 16
Turp, André 50
Ulivieri, Nicola 22
Veira, Jonathan 27,37,60,62–64
Viala, Jean-Luc 60
Vidal, Elizabeth 27,37,60,62–64
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir12,13,
15–26,28–30,32,33,35–41,
44–49, 52–58,65
COMPOSER INDEX
Adam 57
Arditi 58,61,70
Auber 57,68
Balducci 66
Balfe 61,63,68
Beauplan 64
Belgiojoso 61
Bellini 12,13,62,66,72
Benedict 57,61,63
Berlioz 63
Blangini 62
Burghersh 63
Buzzolla 62
Cammarano 60
Campana 62–64
Carafa 56,57,59,66,67,70
Carlini 63
Chopin 63
Cimarosa 65
Coccia 56,62,66,67,69,70,71
Conti 66,72
Coppola 64
Cordella 66
Costa 58,61,62,70,72
Crescentini 60
Czerny 61
Donizetti 14–27,56–58,60–64,
66–72
Elwart 64
Fioravanti 66
Gabussi 61,62
García 62.63,66
Generali 65,66
Giuglini 63
Gnecco 65
Gomes 61,62
Gounod 63
Lavigna 65,67
Lillo 60
Liszt 62
Manfroce 66,70
Mariani 63,64
Mayr 27–29,57,59,65–72
Mercadante 29–31,52,53,56–60,
63,64,66–72
Meyerbeer 32,33,54,56,57,62,63,
66–69,71,72
Morales 61
Morlacchi 66
Mosca 57,65,66,69
Mozart 34
Nicolini 56,65
Offenbach 35–37,57,63,64,68,70
Pacini 37–39,56–60,62,64,66–68,
70–72
Paer 54,57,59,65,69
Paisiello 65
Pavesi 65,66,71
Pedrotti 61,70
Peri 61
Poniatowski 61,62
Portogallo 56,65
Pucitta 65,66
Ricci, Federico 55,56,60,62,68,70
Ricci, Luigi 60,66,71
Righini 65
Rossini 40,41,44–48,56–63,65–72
Rubini 63
Saint-Saëns 62
Sarmiento 60
Tadolini 59
Thomas 49,64
Unger 63
Vaccaj 60
Vera 63
Verdi 49–51,61,62,69
Viardot 60,63
Weber 66,68
Weigl 65,72
Wekerlin 64
Winter 57,65,66,68,72
Zingarelli 65,68,72
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Vilma, Michelle 51
Vinco, Marco 22,47,71
Waddington, Henry 31,39
Waters, Susannah 60
Watkin, David 63
Watkins, Paul 59
Westman, James 19,55
Wild, Claire 31,53
Wilde, Mark18,22,37,41,45,55,65
Williams, Helen 38
Winfield, John18
Wood, Roland13,18,31,33,39,57,
58,63,64
Wyn-Rogers, Catherine 65
77
Worldwide Distribution
78
ARGENTINA Casa Piscitelli, San Martin 450,
Buenos Aires 1004. Tel: 00 54 1 14 394 1992
[email protected] www.piscitelli.com
AUSTRALIA Select Audio-Visual Distribution
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NSW 2093; PO Box 691, Brookvale, NSW 2100.
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[email protected] www.preiserrecords.at
BELGIUM Codaex, Larenstraat 58, 3560
Lummen. Tel: 00 321335 2060
[email protected] www.codaex.com
CANADA SRI Ltd, 638 The Kingsway,
Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7C8.
Tel: 00 1 705 748 5422 Fax: 00 1 705 748 5628
www.sricanada.com
CHILE TODO Classico, Cerro La Parva 766,
Dept 204, Las Condes, Santiago.
Tel/Fax: 00 56 2 208 7929 [email protected]
CZECH REPUBLIC Classic Music Distribution,
Biskupcova 26, 130 00 Praha 3, Prague.
Tel: 00 420 2 2258 3272
[email protected] www.classic.cz
DENMARK Danacord Distribution,
Nørregade 22, DK 1165, Copenhagen.
Tel: 00 45 331 51716
[email protected] www.danacord.dk
FINLAND Ars Musica Oy/Ltd, Eerikinkatu 20,
20100 TURKU. Tel: 00 358 (0)2 233 3663
[email protected] www.arsmusica.fi
www.opera-rara.com
FRANCE Abeille Musique, Usine Springcourt,
5 Passage Piver, 75011 Paris. Tel: 00 3314926 9770
[email protected]
www.abeillemusique.com
GERMANY Note1 Musikvertrieb GmbH,
Carl-Benz-Strasse 1, 69115 Heidelberg.
Tel: 00 496221 720351
[email protected] www.note-1.de
GREECE Classic Disc Centre, 57 Akademias Street,
10679 Athens. Tel: 00 30 210 338 7756
HONG KONG Shun Cheong Record Co. Ltd,
Unit No. 1 & 2, Winning Centre, 11/F,
29 Tai Yau Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon.
Tel: 00 852 2332 2397 Fax: 00 852 2388 4070
[email protected]
www.shuncheongrec.com
HUNGARY MEVex Kft, Fóti út 56, H-1047
Budapest. Tel: 00 361435 0420
Fax: 00 361435 0419 [email protected]
IRELAND Select Music and Video Distribution Ltd,
3 Wells Place, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 3SL.
Tel: 00 44 (0) 1737 645600
[email protected] www.selectmusic.co.uk
ITALY Warner Music Italia Srl,
Piazza della Repubblica, 14–16, 20124 Milano.
Tel: 0039 02 637831 Fax: 0039 02 63783298
[email protected]
www.warnermusic.com
JAPAN Arbre Inc, 1F, 173-9 Shimosakunobe
Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken,
213-0033. Tel: 00 81-44-860-2752
Fax: 00 81-44-860-2753 [email protected]
MEXICO Vergel Musical, Clavel #6
México D.F. 10200. Tel: 00 52 55 5683-6665
Fax: 00 52 55 5595-3719
[email protected]
NETHERLANDS Codaex Nederland,
Prinsengracht 17, 1015 DK, Amsterdam.
Tel: 00 31 (0)20 612 9724 [email protected]
NEW ZEALAND Select Audio-Visual
Distribution Pty. Ltd, 6/14 Roseberry Street,
PO Box 691, Brookvale, NSW 2100, Australia,
Tel: 00 61 2 8966 3307 Fax: 00 61 2 99485085
[email protected]
POLAND MK Net – Club CD, ul. Samborska 10,
71-018 Szczecin. Tel: 00 48 501 061 002
Fax: 00 48 91 4831 138 [email protected] www.ccd.pl
PORTUGAL Diverdi SL, Eloy Gonzalo 27,
E-28010 Madrid. Tel: 0034 91 447 7724
Fax: 0034 447 8579 [email protected]
www.diverdi.com
RUSSIA A-Ram, Office 38, Sushevsky val 50,
Moscow 127018. Tel: 00 7 095 689 0463
Fax: 00 7 095 689 0476 [email protected]
SLOVAKIA DIVYD s.r.o, Trstinska 11,
Bratislava 84106. Tel: 00 421 2 5443 3888
[email protected] www.divyd.sk
SPAIN Diverdi SL, Eloy Gonzalo 27,
E-28010 Madrid. Tel: 00 34 91 447 7724
Fax: 00 34 447 8579 [email protected]
www.diverdi.com
SWITZERLAND MusiKontakt, Forchstrasse 136,
CH-8032 Zürich.
Tel: 0041 44 381 0295 Fax: 0041 44 381 0265
[email protected] www.musikontakt.ch
TURKEY A.K. Muzik Yapim Org, Muellif Sk
No:20/6 Tunel, Beyoglu 34420, Istanbul.
Tel: 00 90 212 243 41 51 Fax: 00 90 212 243 4118
[email protected] www.akmuzik.com.tr
UK Select Music and Video Distribution Limited,
3 Wells Place, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 3SL.
Tel: 00 44 (0) 1737 645600
[email protected] www.selectmusic.co.uk
UNITED STATES harmonia mundi USA,
1117 Chestnut Street, Burbank, California,
CA 91506. Tel: 001 818 333 1500
[email protected]
www.harmoniamundi.com
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Naxos of America Inc, 1810 Columbia Avenue,
Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
Tel/Fax: 001 615 465 3808
[email protected] www.naxos.com
SOUTH AFRICA Amaranth Digital,
866 Harcourt Street, Lisdogan, Pretoria,
PO Box 2755, Brooklyn Square, 0075.
Tel: 00 27 (0)21 342 7517
www.amaranthdigital.com
www.opera-rara.com
Worldwide Distribution
MALTA D’Amato Bros. Ltd, 98/99 St John Street,
Valletta VLT 1165. Tel: 00 356 21 23 43 48
[email protected]
79
Help fund the rare and beautiful operas
“Opera Rara really is doing something special… how much the poorer our
personal libraries would be without them” Gramophone, November 2009
Above: Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Stephen Revell (Managing Director),
Sir Mark Elder (conductor) and José Bros (tenor) rehearsing Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan in the Opera Rara music library
80
www.opera-rara.com
of the 19th century
We, at Opera Rara, specialise in researching, recording and presenting concert
performances of the rare, forgotten operatic masterworks of the 19th century.
CD sales alone cannot cover all of Opera Rara’s costs and this gem of a label simply
cannot survive without financial support. Over many years, philanthropic
individuals and organisations have funded much of its work, most notably the
Peter Moores Foundation, to which we offer thanks for its enormous generosity.
The Foundation is reducing its funding programmes and, to ensure that this ‘lost’
vocal and operatic heritage survives through the label’s work, we would like to
invite you to help support Opera Rara’s future.
We welcome our supporters to special events, rehearsals, recording sessions, to
meet our artists and much more. If you would like to learn more about Opera Rara
and how you could help us, we would be delighted to hear from you!
Stephen Revell
Managing Director, Opera Rara
Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 2858 Fax: +44 (0)20 7613 2261 Email: [email protected]
Opera Rara is a registered charity. Charity no. 261403
www.opera-rara.com
81
Supporting a unique
We would particularly like to thank the following individuals
Opera Rara Association Members
DONIZETTI PATRONS
Glenn Hurstfield
Dr Trifon A. Natsis
MERCADANTE ASSOCIATES
Michael Conroy
Patrick and Marian Griggs
Imogen Rumbold
Colin Webster
Suzy Webster
ROSSINI ASSOCIATES
Geoffrey Collens
Dr Costas Kaplanis
Barry Kernon
Chris and Dominique Moore
Alison Nicol
John Paine
Michel Plantevin
Gerry Wakelin
MEYERBEER ASSOCIATES
Mr and Mrs Garf Collins
Alan Godfrey
Michael and Margaret
Heathcote
Virginia Lawlor
Barry Lock
Stratton Mills
Mr and Mrs N. Woolner
For more details on how to donate to Opera Rara or to become an Opera Rara
Association member, contact Stephen Revell, Managing Director:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 2858 Fax: +44 (0)20 7613 2261 Email: [email protected]
82
www.opera-rara.com
organisation
and organisations for their continuing generous support…
PACINI ASSOCIATES
Barry D. Adamson
David and Lynne Casstles
Anthony Diamond QC
Peggy Y. Hui
Bette and Michael
Marks Cohen
Katie Mavity
Lord F.S. Phillimore
Margaret Pollock
William Rathbone
Gillian Reynolds
Mr and Mrs P.J.H. Rogan
Michael Romain
Martin and Pat Spiro
Roger and Maria Spiro
Ann Tooth
Penelope Treadwell
Rosemary Yablon
Opera Rara is also hugely
indebted to the generous
contributions and support of:
Peter Moores Foundation
Trifon and Thespina Natsis
The Estate of Wendy Thompson
The Mercers' Company
Glenn Hurstfield
John S. Cohen Foundation
Peter Rosenthal
Joan Mavity
The city beverage company Ltd
Boucheron
William J. Conner
www.opera-rara.com
83
Shop stamp
NEW RELEASES
–
OPERA RARA RECORDING THE WORLD’S RAREST OPERAS
ORC41
ORR249 AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2010
ORR248
ORC43
AVAILABLE MAY 2010
ORC42 AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010
ORC44
AVAILABLE MAY 2011
Opera Rara
134 –146 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3AR UK
Opera Rara is a
registered charity.
Charity no. 261403
T: +44 (0)20 7613 2858
F: +44 (0)20 7613 2261
E: [email protected]
W: www.opera-rara.com
ORC45 AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2011
ORC46

Opera Rara

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