The first misconception that the Rossini Renaissance has gradually corrected is that Rossini was only able to excel in the comic genre. Rossini’s serious operas, as a matter of fact, are not only overall of high artistic quality but also quite original. Indeed, they had a huge influence on the Italian Romantic output of Donizetti, Bellini, Pacini, Mercadante and of the first Verdi. We could go as far as to say that Rossini was not merely an Italian phenomenon but a European one, whose arrival had the explosive effect of a bomb sweeping away centuries-old conventions and manners of speaking and introducing, in their place, a series of new codes and attitudes which all 19th-century opera drew upon; also and perhaps especially in the serious genre. This collector’s boxset offers an interesting selection of Rossini’s main opera seria (and semiseria, with reference to La Gazza Ladra) played by great interpreters, conductors and directors, recorded live in prestigious venues such as Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) with the philological approach granted by Fondazione Rossini of Pesaro. Such titles as Torvaldo e Dorliska, Ermione, Bianca e Falliero are less knowns works as well.

A lifelong friend of Prokofiev and frequently performed outside of Soviet Russia in his lifetime, Nicolay Myaskovsky is best known today for his 27 symphonies. His lyrical and intensely passionate First Cello Sonata was one of his first important works, finished not long after completing his studies in St Petersburg. Premiered by Rostropovich, the Second Cello Sonata became immediately popular amongst cellists for its imaginative blend of folk-music styles with a sweet Romanticism that recalls Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. The award-winning duo of Kehayova and Miller complete this recording with the perfect encore – Rimsky-Korsakov’s melodious Serenade.

A successful musician in the early 19th century, Giovanni Simone Mayr composed the opera Medea in Corinto in 1813, the same year it premiered at the San Carlo theatre in Naples. The two act tragedy with libretto by Felice Romani was Mayr’s most popular theatrical work. The story is that of the Greek myth of Medea. “Michael Spyres, in the role of Jason, confirms to be one of the finest belcanto performers of the moment, endowed with a nimble voice and pure and solid high notes.” (Dynamic)

Picture Format: NTSC, 16:9
Sound Formats: Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM 2.0
Subtitles: Italian, English, French, German, Korean
Region Code: 0 (All)
Running Time: 167 mins

Margherita D’Anjou was Giacomo Meyerbeer’s fourth opera in Italian and his first true success. After an absence from the stage of one and a half centuries, it returned at the 43rd Valle d’Itria Festival in an exemplary production: the ironical setting of the director Talevi- the War of the Roses takes place at the London Fashion Week- is perfectly matched by the elegant direction of Luisi, at the head of the Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia. The opera, which belongs to the semi-serious genre, moves from the warlike tones of Act One to the idyllic ones of Act Two, where both female protagonist appear: the queen, a soprano, and the wife, a contralto; both seeking the love of a heroic tenor equally daring in battle and in music.

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L’Empio Punito is the first opera where the character of Don Giovanni (Acrimante) makes his appearance. It was first premiered in Rome on February 17th, 1669 and this release is the recording of the first modern times performance that took place at the historical Teatro di Villa Torlonia in Rome in October 2019, 350 years after its debut. The fundamental dramaturgical lines that characterize the following versions, in particular Mozart’s, are already here: the complicity between Acrimante (Don Giovanni) and Bibi (Leporello); the despair of Atamira (Donna Elvira), abandoned by Acrimante; Acrimante’s attempt to seduce Ipomene (Donna Anna), betrothed to Cloridoro (Don Ottavio); the duel between Acrimante and Tidemo (Commendatore) and the latter’s death at Acrimante’s hand; the graveyard scene, where Acrimante invites Tidemo’s statue to dinner; the eternal damnation of Acrimante and the finale, in which all the main characters appear. As Conductor Alessandro Quarta points out, Acrimante’s seductive power brings chaos and pain in the lives of the other characters but a lot of energy as well. “[Acrimante’s] sentimental and emotional disorder disrupts the personality of the other characters who revolve around him He messes them up, makes them suffer and makes them behave in relation to the turmoil he creates”.

Also available on CD

Jules Massenet’s five act opera-comique is presented on this new release by Patrick Davin and his Orchestra of the Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege. Manon is Massenet’s most performed opera, which has maintained its spot in the repertoire since its composition. The enduring opera “quickly conquered the world’s stages.” Annick Massis stars in the title role. The French soprano has enjoyed a long stage career, frequently performing in Mozart’s operas and many bel canto roles.

Picture Format: NTSC, 16:9
Audio Formats: PCM 2.0, DD 5.1
Subtitles, French, English, Italian, German, Korean
Region Code: 0 (All)
Running Time: 162 mins

It is rather curious for a musician whose family name is Clementi to perform the works of a composer who lived two centuries ago and bears the same surname… could she be a descendant? Muzio Clementi’s music has long been underestimated, even though there have been great admirers of it among pianists, first and foremost Vladimir Horowitz, whose repertoire included the three Sonatas here recorded by Maria Clementi. They are works that are both spectacularly virtuosic and musically relevant, and the young pianist from Milan highlights this with the freshness of her truly innovative and quite original reading. Born in Milan, Maria studied with Piero Rattalino at the Conservatory “Giuseppe Verdi” in Milan, graduating summa cum laude. Thereafter she continued studying at the International Piano Academy “Incontri col maestro” in Imola under Lazar Berman, Boris Petrushansky and Alexander Lonquich. A very young winner of many piano competitions, a first prize at the International Competition for Piano and Orchestra of Cantù in Italy, at the age of 16 a third position at the International Music Competition “G.B.Viotti” of Vercelli and she won the second prize at the 38th National Piano Competition “Premio Città di Treviso”.

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Premiered on May 21st, 1892 at Milan’s Teatro Dal Verme under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, Pagliacci was immediately a huge success, and today it’s Leoncavallo’s most represented operas as “Vesti la giubba” is perhaps one of the most famous operatic arias of all times. The composer drew inspiration from a real incident that had occurred in a Calabrian town, an incident steeped in love and death, which inspired him to write his personal contribution to the new stylistic-aesthetic trends of Italian opera. In the Prologue, Leoncavallo inserted an outright manifesto of Verismo (“real theatre”). His aim was to “paint a scene from real life” and since “the artist is a person, […] he should write for the people. Therefore, he took inspiration from real life.” In the story of Nedda, Tonio and Canio we therefore find a well combined mix of art and reality, operatic theatre and life, with the second almost taking over the first, to the extent that the chorus, towards the end, exclaims, “This scene seems so real!” This production was recorded at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in September 2019 and it was acclaimed as a great success by the critics. Conductor Valerio Galli “reads the score with the proper technique, succeeding in enhancing all the various shades for each scene … Pagliacci is conducted with passion… a careful eye to the dramatic development of the story and the sound is rendered with a variety of shades and colors”.

 

REVIEW:

 

This is good, solid, Italianate, passionate singing, notably from the tenor and soprano. The picture is sharp, with subtitles easily found. The sound is crystal clear, bringing out the best of the timpani and brass to good effect. The voices are well to the fore. There is a short extra with the directors discussing the production. For those who like their verismo full-blooded and idiomatically led, this is for you. Highly recommended.

 

– Fanfare (David Cutler)

Also available on Blu-ray

Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia is a dark and scandalous tale of murder and excess. Initially criticised for its audacious nature, the opera has since become appreciated as one of the great masterpieces of Italian bel canto repertoire with glorious arias and stirring choruses. Created using Roger Parker’s new critical edition and with acclaimed soprano Carmela Remigio in the title role, Andrea Bernard’s spectacular Donizetti Festival production is ‘gripping and intense at every moment… this production ranks among the best all year’ (operawire.com).

REVIEW:

Andrea Bernard creates a dark and violent modern world which is highly convincing for this disturbing work. Splendidly played and sung throughout it captures the vigour of Hugo’s play which underpins the narrative as well as he archly romantic musical lines Donizetti spins for our delight.

– Lark Reviews

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Premiered on May 21st, 1892 at Milan’s Teatro Dal Verme under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, Pagliacci was immediately a huge success, and today it’s Leoncavallo’s most represented operas as “Vesti la giubba” is perhaps one of the most famous operatic arias of all times. The composer drew inspiration from a real incident that had occurred in a Calabrian town, an incident steeped in love and death, which inspired him to write his personal contribution to the new stylistic-aesthetic trends of Italian opera. In the Prologue, Leoncavallo inserted an outright manifesto of Verismo (“real theatre”). His aim was to “paint a scene from real life” and since “the artist is a person, […] he should write for the people. Therefore, he took inspiration from real life.” In the story of Nedda, Tonio and Canio we therefore find a well combined mix of art and reality, operatic theatre and life, with the second almost taking over the first, to the extent that the chorus, towards the end, exclaims, “This scene seems so real!” This production was recorded at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in September 2019 and it was acclaimed as a great success by the critics. Conductor Valerio Galli “reads the score with the proper technique, succeeding in enhancing all the various shades for each scene … Pagliacci is conducted with passion… a careful eye to the dramatic development of the story and the sound is rendered with a variety of shades and colors”.

Inspired by hearing performances of Handel’s oratorios during his visits to London, Haydn composed Die Schöpfung (‘The Creation’) in 1798. Through a series of accompanied recitatives, arias, duets and choruses, the music depicts the creation of the universe and the carefree existence of Adam and Eve. Haydn drew on the full complement of his symphonic and vocal prowess which reach peaks of almost operatic intensity. With rich harmonies and sonic magnificence in abundance, Die Schöpfung represents the apex of the Viennese oratorio tradition.

Handel: Rodelinda, HWV 19 (Live)

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Gaetano Donizetti's La Favorite was rather laborious in the making: it started out as a re-working of L'Ange de Nisida, to which the composer added parts taken from some other operas of his. The work, which was premiered at the Opéra of Paris, is set in 14th-century Castile and tells the story of the hapless love between Fernand, who has second thoughts about taking holy orders and leaves the monastery of Santiago de Compostela, and Leonor, the mistress of king Alphonse XI. It is an intimate drama, where history and politics are but the backdrop to the protagonists' passions and torments. Fabio Luisi's conducting is both measured in balancing the orchestral sounds, and personal, varied and vigorous. The orchestra is crystal-clear, neat in its accompaniment, neither subject to the voices nor prevaricating. Veronica Simeoni (Leonor), Celso Albelo (Fernand) and Mattia Olivieri (Alphonse) give excellent vocal and acting performances.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Mascagni’s first and most successful work has become an opera classic as it features elements of the Greek tragedy, mixing up religious and archaic elements. It’s a story of love, passion, jealousy and restored honor in bloodshed. Directors Di Gangi and Giacomazzi set this traditional Cavalleria in a Sicilian village of the 1940s where the buildings are rather bare and the piazza is the stage for private as well as public drama. Conductor Valerio Galli is at the head of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, one of the best in Italy. Good performance reviews for the whole cast. “The star of the show is Angelo Villari, who plays an impeccable Turiddu. Thanks to his warm and fiery voice, the Italian tenor adds credibility to a complex character, torn between passion and sensitivity… Soprano Alexia Voulgaridou portrays a perfect, melancholic Santuzza. She possesses an excellent vocal instrument and her voice is lyrical, dramatic and emotionally engaging … Marina Ogii is a Lola imbued with charm and sensuality, with a warm and cleverly projected voice … Elena Zilio is a well-centered and engaging Mamma Lucia, with a magnetic stage presence and an incredible expressive talent… Lorenzo Fratini is at the head of the chorus which provides excellent and powerful contributions to the performance.” (connessiallopera.it)

When Il trittico premiered at New York's Metropolitan Opera in December 1918, Gianni Schicchi became an immediate hit. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The action in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi takes place in Buoso Donati’s bedroom in 13th-century Florence, immediately after his death, as his greedy relatives feign grief and search for his will. The mood shifts to anger when the relatives discover that they have been disinherited. They seek out the clever and resourceful Schicchi to make a counterfeit will. Schicchi, however, turns their scheme against them, bequeathing most of the dead man’s fortune to himself while the relatives, all parties to the crime of forgery, are forced to sit by silently. The aria O mio babbino caro is one of Puccini's most popular arias for soprano. Bruno de Simone plays the character of Gianni Schicchi. As Italy's finest basso buffo, he is perfect for this role. Puccini completed the score on 20 April, 1918, eight months before the scheduled premiere. At that performance it was presented as the third part of a trilogy of newly written one-act operas by Puccini billed as Il trittico (The Triptych); the first two were Il tabarro (The Cloak) and Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica). Il tabarro was a dark tragedy and Suor Angelica a sweet one, so by closing with Gianni Schicchi Puccini rounded off the night with a high-spirited comic farce. Critical reaction at the time judged that Gianni Schicchi was “an uproarious delight”, and it was the most favorably received of the three.