Our Prom concert performance of Rossini’s Semiramide has received huge critical acclaim. Read just a few of the reviews here.
Semiramide Prom: The Reviews
Author: Operarara_admin
The Opera Rara Appeal
Find out more about how you can support our forthcoming projects through The Opera Rara Appeal. Read Sir Mark Elder’s Appeal letter (see attached pdf) and view the brochure here
Sir Peter Moores – Announcement
It was with great sadness that we heard the news of Sir Peter Moores’ passing last week. Opera Rara’s long and close association with Sir Peter goes back to the early 1970’s when we took our very first steps as a company drawing attention to lesser known 19th-century Italian operas. He remained a loyal and generous supporter for the subsequent 40 years, enabling us to bring to light operatic masterpieces and enlist the best possible operatic talent to help us bring these works back to life. Thanks to his unwavering support, Opera Rara has been able to create and build an invaluable catalogue, which includes more than 60 recordings. Sir Mark Elder, Artistic Director of Opera Rara, paid tribute:
“He was undoubtedly one of the most significant musical philanthropists of our time. Throughout his long life, he showed unstinting generosity in support of several crucial musical visions. In particular, his long support of Opera Rara allowed the company to develop and flourish when without his annual investment, it would have disappeared. He showed great faith in Opera Rara’s vision and we will do all we can to ensure that his outstanding legacy is built upon for future generations to enjoy.”
Henry Little – appointed new Chief Executive
Charles Alexander, Chairman of Opera Rara, is delighted to announce the appointment of Henry Little as the new Chief Executive of Opera Rara. Please see the attached press release for further details and we look forward to welcoming Henry to Opera Rara.
Click here to download File
Click here to download File
Académie Du Disque Lyrique Award
We’re absolutely thrilled that Les Martyrs has been awarded an Orphée d’Or from the Académie du Disque Lyrique in France. Congratulations to the entire cast, Sir Mark Elder and the OAE! Find out more about the Académie du Disque Lyrique here.
Les Martyrs – Critical Acclaim
We’ve been receiving some fantastic reviews for our studio recording of Donizetti’sLes Martyrs. Here’s a round up of what the critics are saying about this release.
Click here to buy this recording on CD or download.
Caterina Cornaro – Press Release
Donizetti’s CATERINA CORNARO – JUNE 2013 new release
In a bid to encourage consumers to buy direct from Opera Rara, this stunning new recording of Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro will be made available FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS exclusively through its website, after which the box set will be on general release. The recording will also be available as a digital download direct from Opera Rara’s website as from 3 June 2013.
Caterina Cornaro was written in the extremely productive last period of Donizetti’s life (between Don Pasquale and Linda di Chamounix) and was the last of his operas to be premiered in the composer’s lifetime. Like every other work of this period, it is intensely original, in this case being unusually dark in both subject matter and general musical tone.
This is the only opera of Donizetti’s later period not to have had a quality modern recording. Conductor David Parry says: “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.
“The story is resonant and believable, a woman forced into a political marriage with a king she does not love, but who turns out to be noble and good, so that she feels that she cannot abandon him, and who is assassinated at the instigation of a bitter enemy, leaving her to rule on her own. This calls up from Donizetti one of his most deeply felt, atmospheric and dramatically truthful scores. It is concise and hard-hitting, and I simply cannot understand why the opera is not in the repertoire; it is badly in need of a proper studio-recording.”
The 2CD set is accompanied by a complete libretto with an English translation alongside an article and synopsis by the eminent 19th-century musical scholar, Jeremy Commons.
Buy the recording: Caterina Cornaro
Below: David Parry (conductor), Colin Lee (Gerardo), Colin Lee, Troy Cook (Lusignano) and David Parry, Carmen Giannattasio (Caterina Cornaro) with Troy Cook
FANTASIO – WINNER – International Opera Awards
OFFENBACH: FANTASIO
WINS 2015 INTERNATIONAL OPERA AWARD
FOR CD (COMPLETE OPERA)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Sir Mark Elder, conductor
Opera Rara’s recording of Offenbach’sFantasio (ORC51) was last night announced as the winner of the CD (Complete Opera) category at this year’s International Opera Awards, often described as “the Oscars of the opera world”. Released in October 2014,Fantasio is considered one of the composer’s most beautiful and refined works. A heady cocktail of charm, gracefulness and gentle melancholy, of bad-tempered jokes and poetry, the opera marks the crucial step in Offenbach’s path towards Les contes d’Hoffmann.
Conducted by Sir Mark Elder, Opera Rara’s Artistic Director, the cast for the recording includes Sarah Connolly (Fantasio), Brenda Rae (Elsbeth), Russell Braun (Le Prince), Brindley Sheratt (Le Roi) and Neal Davies (Sparck). As The Daily Telegraph commented, “British label Opera Rara has been recording neglected Offenbach pieces intermittently since the Seventies, but recent years have seen a closer engagement with the composer… Thanks to the Offenbach scholar Jean-Christophe Keck, that lack of an edition has now been rectified.”
Click here to buy the recording on CD or download
Les Martyrs CD release
We are delighted to announce the release of Donizetti’s Les Martyrs with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Sir Mark Elder and a star cast led by Joyce El-Khoury, Michael Spyres and David Kempster. Find out more on the attached release information sheet.
The Prima Donna and Opera
Join us for a talk and discussion on the fascinating subject of ‘The Prima Donna and Opera’ with Susan Rutherford, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Manchester and Opera Rara’s repertoire consultant, Professor Roger Parker on Thursday 21 May 2015, 6.30pm in the Opera Rara Music Library. To secure a place email us at: info@opera-rara.com or call Kim Panter on +44 (0)20 7613 2858 (tickets £15.00, which includes a glass of wine or soft drink). See the attached invitation for further details.