This Sunday 16 March from 4pm GMT, we’ll be streaming our fourth ‘Donizetti & Friends’ recital captured at London’s Cadogan Hall on Monday 10 March. Michael Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Giulio Zappa present rare Donizetti songs featured on our latest Donizetti Songs Volumes 3 and 4 albums, as well as those by his contemporary Hector Berlioz.
Reviewing the live concert, Bachtrack said: Michael Spyres throughout the evening, he showed a constant sense of the text and a palpable feeling of savouring the French language.
Like Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s every syllable was carefully phrased in a voice of mescal smokiness. Her higher register was secure and generous, blasting out the top notes with cheerful abandon, and her ample lower voice cavernous.
Vividly accompanied by Zappa – one scarcely missed the full orchestra – this was a visceral performance. This was a thoroughly rewarding evening that, despite Berlioz and Bizet’s best efforts, showcased Donizetti’s fecund facility for the song.
Revealing our March Recording of the Month: Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira written when the composer was only 21 (1813) and in the same year he produced three other operas!
Kenneth Tarver is Aureliano with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maurizio Benini. The cast is completed by Catriona Smith as Zenobia, Silvia Tro Santa Fé as Arsace, Ezgi Kutlu as Publia, Julian Alexander Smith as Oraspe, Vuyani Mlinde as Licino, Andrew Foster-Williams as The High Priest and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir.
This world premiere studio recording was released in 2011 with Opera News commenting at the time: Kenneth Tarver employs his light lyric tenor to great effect in the title role. He tosses off the high-flying role with ease and purity of tone… Without question, the vocal honours here go to the Arsace, mezzo Silvia Tro Santafé, who contributes a fear less and virtuoso performance that is both fiery and passionate, finding many vocal colours and nuances that illuminate character and emotion.
Rossini lovers will recognise that the overture now available on our YouTube channel was recycled by the composer in a handful of his other scores most notably… Il barbiere di Siviglia!
On Friday 21 March, we will be releasing the first ever studio recording of the original 1857 version of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.
For this recording, we teamed up with its former Artistic Director Sir Mark Elder, The Hallé and the choruses of Opera North and the Royal Northern College of Music. Argentinean baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara takes up the title role and is joined by Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura as Amelia and British bass William Thomas as Jacopo Fiesco.
We recorded Simon Boccanegra a week prior to a concert performance at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall in April 2024 which received five stars from The Times, The Daily Telegraph and Bachtrack, amongst others, and was described by Opera as “a monumental performance, and another worthy revival by Opera Rara” and a “ground-breaking collaborative event” by The Arts Desk.
The Spring 2025 issue of Opera Now is now available and we’re delighted that our Artist Ambassadors Michael Spyres and Ermonela Jaho are on the cover.
Taking time out of recording sessions with our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi, Michael and Ermonela sat down with Opera Now’s Mark Pullinger to talk about their relationship with Opera Rara including their first projects with us as well as reflecting on being part of our multi-year Donizetti Song Project.
Jaho is full of admiration for the label. ‘It’s run by love. As artists, you need to feel loved and appreciated to give your best and Opera Rara does this.’ ‘It’s nurturing,’ Spyres interjects. ‘Exactly,’ Jaho replies. ‘And you don’t feel judged. You become a better singer and a better human being. To do that in harmony is something very difficult to do in opera houses today.’ Because of the time constraints in staging opera with minuscule rehearsals? Jaho nods.
Our February Recording of the Month is Jules Massenet’s Le Portrait de Manon – a one-act follow up to his most well-known opera Manon.
For this live recording – also featuring Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été – we worked with four singers and two conductors from Royal Ballet and Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme.
I would certainly recommend this recording, especially to fans of Massenet’s operas who want to see the character of Des Grieux in his maturity and to hear how the composer quotes his most popular work effectively in its sequel – American Record Guide
We’re delighted to announce the forthcoming release of Donizetti Songs Volumes 3 and 4 on Friday 21 February.
The prolific and versatile Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti was not only one of the central figures of Italian bel canto opera but also wrote around 200 songs. Here we present songs for tenor and mezzo-soprano which are rarely performed and some, until recently, completely unknown.
Our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi at the piano performs with American tenor Michael Spyres on Volume 3; and on Volume 4, Canadian mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux performs with Italian pianist Giulio Zappa.
Our first Recording of the Month of 2025 is Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro featuring Carmen Giannattasio in the title role and Colin Lee as Gerardo. The cast is completed by Troy Cook, Vuyan Mlinde, Graeme Broadbent, Sophie Bevan and Loïc Félix with David Parry conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers.
Written in the extremely productive last period of Donizetti’s life – between Don Pasquale and Linda di Chamounix – Caterina Cornaro was, in fact, the very last of his operas to be premiered in the composer’s lifetime. One of Opera Rara’s founder Patric Schmid’s favourite works, this is one of Donizetti’s most deeply felt, atmospheric and dramatically truthful scores. As David Parry explains: This is the only opera of this later period not to have had the benefit of a decent modern recording… the opera requires a prima donna with a wonderful voice, extraordinary technique and exceptional histrionic ability, which we have in Carmen Giannattasio: the role could actually have been written for her.
Recorded in November 2011, The Guardian at the time of the release said: Powerhouse performances by Colin Lee (Gerardo) and Troy Cook (Lusignano), whose big duet together is very classyindeed;and Gramophone said: Giannattasio shows once again how admirably suited she is to the bel canto repertoire. Her opening Romanza encapsulates her virtues: a good legato line… followed by an equally expressive cabaletta.
Head over to our YouTube channel to listen to excerpts from the opera and look out for track reveals over the coming days and weeks:
We’re happy to share the news that the first two volumes of our Donizetti Song Project cycle have received reviews from critics across Europe including Spain, France, Germany and Poland, as well as of course in the UK including coverage on BBC Radio 3’s Record Review and being picked as one of Presto Music’s Top 100 Recordings of the Year. Volume 1 was also nominated for a 2024 International Classical Music Award.
Lawrence Brownlee’s voice is sweet and pure, and he phrases like a true connoisseur of bel canto. His diction is excellent… Both singers are sensitive to the texts, some of which are in French and German… Carlo Rizzi’s pianism is a boon to both singers. He knows how to shape this music, where to indulge the singer and where to lead.American Record Guide
With a velvet tone, refined legato, ease in high notes, depth in low notes, nuanced dynamics, and varied colours and characterizations, Nicola Alaimo shines in this new album…. Carlo Rizzi, setting aside the baton, serves as an ideal partner for the two singers, breathing with them and adorning their voices with delicate shades. The editorial work is remarkable. Diapason
This is a project of considerable musicological significance that gains further credibility from its exceptionally high-performance level… Lawrence Brownlee displays an excellent command of the Italian language and a voice that is both agile and expansive in the upper range… Rizzi’s qualities as an accompanist are even more evident in the second volume. Alaimo, with a resonant voice, brings the sung words to life effectively, not only in Italian and the delightful Sicilian dialect but also in French and even in German. Musica
Listening to these songs highlights the fallacy of claiming that German art song – and German music in general -was inherently superior to its Italian counterpart. This cliché is akin to the still-widespread belief among German music enthusiasts that Italian and especially French operas are more superficial than German ones… The fact that 80 minutes of songs never feel monotonous is largely due to Carlo Rizzi’s accompaniment, which perfectly captures the mood of each piece. More importantly, Rizzi, an experienced opera conductor, demonstrates a deep love for vocal music and the Italian repertoire, skillfully guiding the singers while allowing them freedom. Opus Klassiek
Nicola Alaimo, often seen on stage, is here in a more intimate setting with these chamber pieces. In all the tracks, he balances weight and intimacy, delivering a voice capable of filling the Teatro Massimo in Palermo – the largest theatre in Italy – while skilfully adapting to the inward, reflective nature of these rare works.Il Trillo Parlante
Alaimo demonstrates excellent voice control, strong text projection, and fine nuance. Carlo Rizzi is again at the piano, and together they deliver heartfelt performances, further enriched with harp tones inspired by Donizetti and played by Daniel de Fry. Opera Rara’s Donizetti Song Project deserves praise for its interesting and beautiful presentation. The anticipation for the next instalment is high. Luister
The opening track of Volume 1 is a charmer, and Brownlee nails it, his flexibility demonstrating why he’s a go-to for Rossini heroes… Carlo Rizzi, Opera Rara’s Artistic Director, is the ideal accompanist, playing with imagination while always letting the voice take centre stage… Whatever the mood, Brownlee’s is a voice to sit back and enjoy… In Volume 2, Alaimo is always acute to the sensitivities of the material… An auspicious start, then, that should introduce audiences to an endlessly attractive yet mostly forgotten world of 19th-century Italian song.Limelight, Editor’s Choice
The first two albums are now available, from tenor Lawrence Brownlee and baritone Nicola Alaimo, both sympathetically accompanied at the piano by Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi… Brownlee, an ideal ‘Donizetti tenor’, brings immense warmth of tone and charm to his performance, and is ardent and affecting where the material demands… This is Donizetti the Romantic [in Vol. 2], glancing over the Alps to his northern-European contemporaries, and Alaimo coaxes every drop of Gothic drama from this music. Neither of these albums sounds quite like Donizetti as we are used to hearing him, and to understand the complexity of the man you will want to hear both. BBC Music Magazine
Lawrence Brownlee showcases a fluid Italian diction and legato singing style, supported by Carlo Rizzi’s varied and attentive accompaniment… Nicola Alaimo’s presence adds great depth with his tasteful phrasing and resonant voice, delivering both quality and variety. Opéra Actual
It is notable that Lawrence Brownlee, nurtured on Rossini’s music, kicks things off with an album recorded in the studio in September 2023. The American tenor, at nearly 52 and still in excellent vocal form, embodies the ideal bridge from late bel canto to Donizetti’s neo-belcantist romanticism, which both cultivates and departs from that legacy. Armed with a precise technique, Brownlee successfully meets the challenge. Opéra magazine
Brownlee is adept at high notes, maintaining a consistent colour even in the upper register. He skillfully differentiates the more lively, rhythmic songs from the more intimate ones… This recording project offers an excellent opportunity to evaluate the evolution of the art of the composer from Bergamo… It is a collection to be listened to over and over again. Carlo Rizzi, essential to this project, accompanies each piece with style, turning every track into a little gem. Il Trillo Parlante
Combined with his unshakable vocal accuracy and diction, Brownlee’s performances are indeed satisfying… Alaimo is a highly engaged storyteller… when it’s all finished, I imagine some potentially great anthologies being drawn from the eight volumes. Gramophone
This is an essential edition. The collection allows us to follow the evolution of the composer, from his youthful works set to Italian texts of brief length, to those of his more mature phase, in French and even German, where the structure shows greater complexity… The interpretation of the tenor pieces is performed by Lawrence Brownlee, who displays his beautiful and brilliant light-lyric tone, with carefully crafted phrasing and impeccable musicality. Nicola Alaimo, for his part, envelops his singing with the use of his rich mid-range, bringing the necessary character to the declamations and showing a notable sensitivity in modulating his delivery. Carlo Rizzi perfectly understands his role, accompanying with restraint so that the soloists can fully showcase Donizetti’s writing. Scherzo
In this selection of tenor songs, Lawrence Brownlee can fully utilize his vital singing skills, creative abilities and the radiant height of his voice to maximum effect… In the first track (Al campo della gloria) of the second disc of baritone songs, Nicola Alaimo sings with energetic verve, and in the second (Ov’è la voce magica), with lyrical cantilena… both recordings whet the appetite for the continuation of this cycle. Opera Lounge
Opera Rara has won the award for outstanding classical record label of the year which is a just reward for its unstinting devotion to rare repertoire, especially the music of Donizetti… Both singers excel and show their versatility in songs that in the 1830s, when Donizetti’s Italian operatic career was at its height, focus on archetypally Romantic figures – the world of Walter Scott’s novels and Byron’s poetry is never far away. In the next decade, when resident in Paris and Vienna, the sources become more modern and the harmonies more daring. Both volumes are full of surprises even for those who know Donizetti’s operas well. Opera Rara’s presentation is, as always, exemplary. Midlands Classical Music Reviews
We’re pleased to announce that Anthony Freud OBE has joined Opera Rara’s Board of Directors. Opera Rara is one of three UK charity boards he has recently joined, alongside Opera North and Music Preserved.
“I have enjoyed Opera Rara’s outstanding artistic excellence for many years. It is a unique and immensely distinguished organisation which, for more than half a century, has rediscovered, restored, performed, recorded and championed some extraordinary operas and songs. I am really delighted to be joining Opera Rara’s board and look forward to working with the team to ensure its evolution and development.” – Anthony Freud
Anthony Freud served as General Director, President, and CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago for thirteen years before retiring in July 2024. He was previously General Director of Houston Grand Opera (2006-2011) and Welsh National Opera (1994-2005), and former board chair of both Opera America and Opera Europa.
Having studied law at King’s College, London and qualified to become a barrister, Anthony Freud chose instead to follow his passion for opera and started his professional life at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre (1980-1984) where he worked as theatre manager and company manager. Following a period as Welsh National Opera’s company secretary (1984-1988) and then Director of Opera Planning (1998-1992), Freud worked at Philips Classics as an executive producer (1992-1994) managing recording projects for some of the world’s leading classical artists before returning to Welsh National Opera as General Director.
Anthony Freud has served on the juries of numerous international singing competitions and was jury chair for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World for 10 years. A former board member of the National Opera Studio in London (1994-2005), Anthony is currently an emeritus board member of Opera America.
Our final 2024 Recording of the Month is Donizetti’s Belisario featuring Nicola Alaimo in his Opera Rara debut as Belisario, Joyce El-Khoury in her recording debut as Antonina and Camilla Roberts as Irene.
Generally acknowledged to be one of Donizetti’s finest achievements, Belisario dates from the high watermark of Donizetti’s maturity. It received its premiere in 1836 (the year after the debut of Maria Stuarda in Milan and Lucia di Lammermoor in Naples) and proved a triumph on stages throughout the 19th century.
We recorded the work in the studio in October 2012, a week prior to a concert performance at London’s Barbican Centre. At the time, The Telegraph described Opera Rara’s revival as a revelation.
Head over to our YouTube channel to listen to excerpts from the opera and look out for track reveals before the end of the year:
