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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Opera in two acts. Libretto by Felice Romani after Eugène Scribe's Le Philtre. English version by Arthur Jacobs
Barry Banks (tenor), Mary Plazas (soprano), Ashley Holland (baritone), Andrew Shore (baritone) Philharmonia Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry 'Barry Banks Nemorino could hardly be better: flexible, secure in intonation and silken in tone… he was an inspired choice for the part.'
The Observer | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Original 'Prague' version. Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, English translation by Amanda Holden
Garry Magee (baritone), Clive Bayley (bass), Majella Cullagh (soprano), Barry Banks (tenor), Vivian Tierney (soprano), Andrew Shore (bass), Dean Robinson (baritone), Mary Plazas (soprano) Philharmonia Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry 'We have come to know that an operatic performance recorded under David Parry is likely to be strong in its convictions, and this Don Giovanni is no exception… Personally, I found myself gripped…'
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| |  | Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, after a scenario by Auguste Mariette with the English version by Edmund Tacey
Peter Rose (bass), Rosalind Plowright (mezzo-soprano), Jane Eaglen (soprano), Gregory Yurisich (baritone), Dennis O'Neill (tenor), Alastair Miles (bass), Susan Gritton (soprano), Alfred Boe (tenor) Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry ''…devotees of Peter Moores's Opera in English project will not want to miss this, surely one of the best in the series to date" BBC Music Magazine | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Patrizia Ciofi is Alaida (The stranger) with Mark Stone (Il barone di Valdeburgo), Darío Schmunck (Arturo), Enkelejda Shokas (Isoletta), Graeme Broadbent (Il Priore), Roland Wood (Il signore di Montolino) and Aled Hall (Osburgo) Geoffrey Mitchell Choir and The London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry Three of Bellini’s operas – La sonnambula and Norma (both 1831), and his last work, I puritani (1835) – remain classics of the bel canto repertoire, yet the slightly earlier La straniera (The Stranger) remains curiously neglected. In fact, this highly romantic melodrama, first staged at La Scala in1829, was initially a success and only fell from grace when the bel canto style itself became unfashionable. Its plot centres on the identity of the mysterious woman who roams, heavily veiled, through the landscape of Brittany. Ignorant peasants suppose her to be a witch, little suspecting that she is the castoff wife of the King of France. But she has attracted the attention of the local Count, Arturo, who is supposed to be engaged to Isoletta, and who finds himself jealous of her visitor, Valdeburgo. The result is confusion, violence and a tragic ending. The score points forward to Bellini’s greatest works and on its own account includes superb dramatic writing and those characteristic ‘long, long melodies of which he alone had the secret’, as Verdi put it. Opera Rara’s cast boasts singers with the vocal skills and dramatic insight to enliven this neglected masterpiece of romantic opera, which has been lost to Bellini fans for far too long. The 2CD set comes with a lavishly illustrated book including a complete libretto with an English translation. Article and synopsis by Benjamin Walton – Lecturer of Music, Jesus College, Cambridge. | 
| Opera Rara - ORC38 (CD - 2 discs) Normally: £25.49 (£21.69 ex. VAT) Special: £22.99 (£19.57 ex. VAT) |
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Laura Claycomb, Alastair Miles, Joan Rodgers & Sébastien Droy Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Litton In recent years there has been increased interest in the works of Ambroise Thomas, particularly in his ambitious setting of Hamlet (1868), which has been revived with success at London’s Covent Garden, the New York Met, Barcelona, Paris and elsewhere. His other major success was Mignon (1866), which had more than 1,200 performances at the Opéra-Comique up to the end of the 19th century. Opera Rara now takes a further important step in the rediscovery of this fascinating figure with a new recording of his 1855 opéra-comique La Cour de Célimène (Célimène’s Court). Set in 1750 in a château near Paris, the opera deals with a young widowed Countess who has no fewer than 14 suitors. The role was written for the legendary coloratura Marie Miolan-Carvalho, who also created roles in four of Gounod’s operas, notably Marguerite in Faust, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette and the title-role in Mireille. Here, the Countess is sung by Laura Claycomb, with Alastair Miles, Joan Rodgers and Sébastien Droy at her side. Given the large cast, it’s not surprising that the work’s ensembles have been picked out by scholars as highlights of a score that is sure to delight lovers of French opera.
The 2CD set comes with a lavishly illustrated book including libretto with an English translation. Richard Langham Smith gives a detailed account of the composer, the opera and its composition. “Andrew Litton and his cast deliver this high-class froth with verve and lightness of touch. Alastair Miles impresses as the affably cynical Commander, more excited by property than love. Sébastien Droy delivers his lovesong with honeyed elegance, while Laura Claycomb's Countess pirouettes into the stratosphere with easy grace.” The Telegraph, 7th June 2008 “We are in Opera Rara's debt again as they offer another obscure delight… Both sopranos manage the florid work with apparent ease… Alastair Miles enjoys himself in this role of worldly aristocrat… Chorus and orchestra contribute splendidly; Andrew Litton conducts with stylish zest; recorded sound is clear and well balanced.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2008 “La cour de Célimène is an utterly charming work. Within just a few bars, the overture evokes an atmosphere of the ancien régime, and the music remains graceful and lively throughout. There is plenty of listening pleasure here in another well-recorded Opera Rara gem.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2008 **** |
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| |  | Mayr Rediscovered
Daniela Barcellona, Bruce Ford, Eiddwen Harrhy, Della Jones, Yvonne Kenny, Diana Montague & Antonino Siragusa Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra of the Teatro Lirico ‘Giuseppe Verdi’ Trieste & Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry & Tiziano Severini Giovanni Simone Mayr was born in Mendorf, a small village not far from Ingolstadt in Bavaria, on 14 June 1763. Ever ambitious to study in Italy, he travelled to Bergamo and on to Venice. He is particularly remembered for Medea in Corinto (Naples, 1813), but many of his works enjoyed great success and were widely heard in their day. In 1803 he was appointed maestro di cappella of S. Maria Maggiore, the great Romanesque basilica of Bergamo, a position which gave him a home-base and a stability enjoyed by few composers at the time. It was in Bergamo that he also became famous as a teacher, founding in 1806 his celebrated lezioni caritatevoli or ‘charitable lessons’, which were designed to train the sons of indigent parents as choirboys. His most famous pupil was Gaetano Donizetti. He was one of several composers credited with the invention of the so-called Rossinian crescendo. He is also believed to have been the first to introduce the harp and the cor anglais among the instruments of the Italian operatic orchestra. Believing that ‘the simplest means are always the best’, he concentrated on purity of melody, and on choosing instruments, especially solo instruments, for their timbre and colour. Consequently one has to listen ‘inwardly’ to his music: to harmonies, to instrumental colours and textures, to the unfolding of melodies, to the expression of words and emotions. As Louis Spohr remarked, Mayr has, ‘if not so much imagination as Rossini, yet, certainly, more knowledge and aesthetic feeling’. The introduction in English, French, Italian and German and accompanying booklet notes are by
Jeremy Commons. |
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| |  | Great Operatic Arias - Sir Thomas Allen (Volume 2)
Sir Thomas Allen with Claire Rutter (soprano), Susan Gritton (soprano), Gwyn Hughes Jones (tenor) & Philip Tebb (bass) Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry Over a long and still flourishing career Sir Thomas Allen has given benchmark performances in several
operatic roles of which Mozart and Verdi operas figure strongly. With two spicy exceptions, every item
in this programme comes from an opera by Mozart or Verdi. Part of the design of this recital series is to
highlight the particular type of voice and explore its repertoire. The works chosen for this disc provide a
unique showcase of Sir Thomas Allen’s unique gifts and that of the baritone in general. The Sunday
Telegraph wrote of volume one, “How good to have this anthology of Thomas Allen’s versatility in a
wide range of his operatic roles… anyone who cherishes good singing will rejoice in this great baritone’s
smooth legato, perfect diction, subtle characterisation and, of course, beautiful and unmistakable voice,”
and The Guardian noted “As always, Allen was a supremely intelligent recitalist, matching sound with
sense, probing the meaning of a text without fracturing the vocal line.”
As in previous issues, the solos are interspersed with longer excerpts, duets and ensembles, including
performances with Susan Gritton and Claire Rutter. With Ford’s monologue in Falstaff, Sir Thomas
extends his lyrical voice to encompass the more theatrical style of late Verdi and in the lighter Weill
‘September Song’, he extends it further, albeit in a different direction altogether. Other repertoire
includes an aria from Meyerbeer’s Dinorah, recitatives and arias from Verdi’s Macbeth and La Traviata,
arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and duets from The Magic Flute. “The voice is beautifully captured by the clear recording and, as ever, David Parry and the Philharmonia provide sterling support. Pure pleasure. ” Gramophone Magazine, June 2008 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Nicole Cabell, James Westman, Massimo Giordano, Frank Lopardo & Brindley Sherratt Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Mark Elder The 2 CD set comes with a lavishly illustrated book including a complete libretto with an English translation. Jeremy Commons gives a detailed account of the story behind the opera and its composition. “[This recording's] strengths lie in powerhouse performances from James Westman as Bonifacio and Massimo Giordano as Imelda's appalling brother Lamberto. Nicole Cabell's Imelda, though exquisite, seems disengaged in comparison. Mark Elder's conducting is wonderfully insistent, while the dark, period sound of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment adds immeasurably to the oppressive atmosphere of it all.” The Guardian, 18th April 2008 **** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Laura Claycomb, Dean Robinson & Mark Wilde London Philharmonic Orchestra & Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry The 3CD set comes with a lavishly illustrated book including a complete libretto with an English translation. Jeremy Commons gives a detailed account of the story behind the opera and its composition. “Jennifer Larmore – vocal fireworks” (Erica Jeal, The Guardian, reviewing the concert performance) “Giovanni Pacini (1796-1867)… was a rival of (in turn) Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi. Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore and Laura Claycomb bring their roles to a vivid life, and David Parry is a persuasive conductor.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2008 **** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Entre Nous: Celebrating Offenbach traces the extraordinary career of one of the great personalities of the 19th century: the composer, entrepreneur and satirist Jacques Offenbach. He composed over 100 stage works, yet only a fraction of Offenbach’s output is regularly performed today. This new recording assembles some of the finest moments from forgotten works – arias, duets and ensembles – performed by a glittering array of singing stars. Offenbach’s composing life was driven by commercial success. He opened his first theatre, the Bouffes-Parisiens, in 1855 with a mission to revive the art of high-quality comic opera. Yet the notorious jester who spent so much time poking fun at the leading figures of his day longed to be taken seriously by the musical establishment. He pinned great hopes on his works for the Opéra-Comique, including the delightful Vert-Vert, which brought him closer to his ‘serious’ style. Along the way there is much Offenbachian charm and wit; discover the once wildly popular Geneviève de Brabant, the risqué La Jolie Parfumeuse, and Le Roi Carotte, where Prince Fridolin’s kingdom is taken over by vegetables! Find out about the personalities of Offenbach’s world – including Hortense Schneider, whose life-story is dramatised in the preposterous La Diva!
Laura Claycomb, Elizabeth Vidal, Colin Lee, Yvonne Kenny, Jennifer Larmore & Alastair Miles Geoffrey Mitchell Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry This two CD set is accompanied by a 240 page booklet containing notes and texts for each excerpt by Offenbach enthusiast Nicholas Jenkins. World Premiere Recording | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Building a Library
Gramophone Magazine
Gramophone Awards 2008
