Our May Recording of the Month is now available in full on our YouTube channel.
Our recording of Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan is of the original two tenor version first heard in Vienna in June 1843. The album also includes some of the appendices from the revised version for Paris which premiered in November of that same year. The most significant change here was the fact that Donizetti changed the tenor role of Armando di Gondì to a mezzo-soprano.
As the late Donizetti expert William Ashbrook said, this is the composer’s tautest, most melodramatic opera.
Featuring Krassimira Stoyanova as Maria, José Bros as Riccardo, Christopher Purves as Enrico and Brindley Sherratt as Die Fieque.
This Sunday 1 June from 4pm BST, we’ll be streaming the first of two streams this summer featuring Ellie Neate and Florent Mourier in a recital of songs by Donizetti and his contemporaries: Marietta Brambilla, Franz Liszt, Maria Malibran, Giovanni Pacini and Pauline Viardot.
This recital was filmed in London in March this year and is part of our Salon Series for emerging artists. Ellie Neate will make her Opera Rara main-stage debut this December as Lisette in our revival of the final 1921 version of Puccini’s La rondine.
Released on Friday 21 March, reviews for our latest release – the first studio recording of the 1857 version of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra – have been streaming in over the past couple of months.
Opera Rara performs yet another important service to opera lovers with a first-class release of Verdi’s original 1857 Simon Boccanegra… The cast deserves high marks for musicality. Germán Enrique Alcántara endows Simone’s vocal lines with smooth tone, even legato, and an affecting range of expression. William Thomas as Fiesco rolls out warm bass tones, summoning power without effort. Eri Nakamura is a lyric Amelia, also admirable for the evenness and consistent loveliness of her sound… American Record Guide
Sir Mark Elder is a true expert when it comes to Verdi and his Simon Boccanegra … Alcántara and Nakamura in particular make a strong impression, thanks in part to the beautiful orchestral accompaniment by The Hallé and the inspiring leadership of Elder… Both choirs truly rise to the occasion here… The remaining roles, both major and minor, meet the high standard of Opera Rara. Der Gelderlander
Mark Elder’s sense of theatre remains electrifying, while his thoroughness in observing every detail of Verdi’s score pays constant dividends… the players of the Hallé cover themselves with glory throughout this performance, as do both choral ensembles… Opera
Germán Enrique Alcántara in the title role impressed me greatly… And Iván Ayón-Rivás truly shines here as Gabriele Adorno. This is absolutely first-rate Verdi singing.Opera Lounge
Germán Enrique Alcántara portrays a Boccanegra of noble humanity, carried by his bronzed baritone, cello-like legato, and perfect diction. Opposite him, William Thomas’s Fiesco impresses with his authority. Iván Ayón-Rivas is a passionate and generous Gabriele, while Eri Nakamura delivers an intense, dramatically convincing Amelia. A precious document. L’Incorrect
Germán Enrique Alcántara portrays a Boccanegra of noble humanity, carried by his bronzed baritone, cello-like legato, and perfect diction. Opposite him, William Thomas’s Fiesco impresses with his authority. Iván Ayón-Rivas is a passionate and generous Gabriele, while Eri Nakamura delivers an intense, dramatically convincing Amelia. A precious document.
The young Germán Enrique Alcántara in the title role possesses a velvety, well-focused baritone and precisely the pride Verdi envisioned. Fiesco, sung by William Thomas, also represents Simon’s dark side vocally, while Iván Ayón-Rivas, whose supple tenor doesn’t dominate, forms a fine pair with Eri Nakamura’s soprano, which shines even in the high notes with delicate vibrato. Mark Elder conducts The Hallé, along with the two excellent choirs of Opera North and the RNCM Opera Chorus, with dramatic intensity on a large scale and meticulous attention to detail on a small scale. Oper!, Recording of the Month
This is now the definitive reference recording of the original Simon Boccanegra… The cast is another revelation, with several noteworthy discoveries. The Argentine baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara makes his debut as Boccanegra with a nuanced and colorful performance, while the Peruvian Iván Ayón-Rivas delivers an ideal spinto as a passionate and elegant Adorno. Also outstanding is the imposing and moving Fiesco from young British bass William Thomas…Scherzo, Recording of the Month
Under Elder, the Hallé excel producing an abundance of drama whilst remaining alert and focused, playing outstandingly… The forces of the Chorus of Opera North and the RNCM Opera Chorus are combined and are a rousing success; their singing is terrific, both unified and highly expressive… MusicWeb International
The four principals are young singers with fresh and vital voices and all rise to the occasion… Topping all this is Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura’s Emilia – with passion and fire, hitting notes with precision and purpose. She’s stunning vocally and totally believable emotionally.Midlands Classical Music Review
This new recording is on another level entirely, with a compelling cast, an orchestra in full glory and a chorus alive to every dramatic moment… it also captures one of the great achievements of Sir Mark Elder’s tenure at the Hallé… Germán Enrique Alcántara makes a wonderful impression in the title role… Eri Nakamura’s Amelia… with the silky flexibility of her voice and her moving, expressive performance are a joy. Iván Ayón-Rivas is a stirring Gabriele, William Thomas a fine Fiesco – and with none of the other singers a weak link, it’s an all-round striking display of excellence… Limelight, Editor’s Choice
All lovers of Verdi will relish this excellent studio recording of the first version of Simon Boccanegra… it is the Hallé that is as much of a star of the show as many of the principals… The Chorus of Opera North, plus tenors and basses of the RNCM, are as full-throated as one could wish… He is a bereaved lover, a tender father, a strong-willed leader and, at the last, a dying man yearning for his old life as a corsair. Alcántara is utterly convincing in all these aspects of his role…. Mark Elder… conducts a performance of such vitality that I kept expecting applause. Gramophone, Editor’s Choice
Baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara takes on the role of Simon with conviction, young Eri Nakamura is moving with an adolescent fragility… Special mention goes to bass William Thomas, a Fiesco of understated authority. This release is not to be overlooked. Opéra magazine
One experiences rather a different Verdi. This is a much stronger engagement with leitmotifs… this is mid-period Verdi at its finest – and incidentally, sung by a harmonious and a highly committed group of singers. Conductor Mark Elder presents one of his finest interpretations for the British label. rbb3
Exceptional vocal performances from Argentinean baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara in the title role, rising bass William Thomas as his foe Jacopo Fiesco and Peruvian tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas as his enemy turned supporter. BBC Music Magazine
One of the biggest surprises of the recording is the young bass William Thomas, who was not yet 30 when it was made. Hearing him without knowing his age, one might assume he’s a more mature bass: his voice is robust, dark in tone, with flawless technique and raw sensitivity. His singing line is impeccable, and he inhabits the role with natural style… Pro Ópera
The strength of this performance from Mark Elder and the Hallé is the way everything comes off the page with such vigour and immediacy, you believe in it from beginning to end. Especially remarkable is that two of the leads I gather were late replacements, and it’s a fairly young cast… Germán Enrique Alcántara is singing his first major Verdi role as the Doge, and his final scene with William Thomas as his adversary Fiesco in Act III is a marvellous piece of theatre. BBC Radio 3 Record Review, Record of the Week
Germán Enrique Alcántara portrays a firm-voiced Simon… Iván Ayón-Rivas as Gabriele deploys a radiant voice with triumphant high notes… Eri Nakamura gives great depth to this strong character notably in the scene where she describes her abduction. One of the most interesting voices in this recording is young bass William Thomas as Fiesco: a bronze-toned voice full of nobility, whose colouring recalls the great Ghiaurov… let’s hope this artist garners attention for his magnificent voice, which is still blossoming – and which embodies a truly moving Fiesco. The double chorus and orchestra provide a nearly ideal setting for this fine cast… Forum Opéra
Germán Enrique Alcántara is a magnificent Simon. His softly grained, malleable voice sidesteps declamatory pitfalls, speckling the line with affable pathos… Eri Nakamura and Iván Ayón-Rivas are superb as Amelia and Gabriele Adorno. Ayón-Rivas’ rock-solid, bronze-coloured middle register invites comparison to a younger Plácido Domingo, while Nakamura melds the bel canto style of Sì, sì dell’ara il giubilo with profusions of finely spun lyricism. But the real standout is William Thomas whose Fiesco may quite simply be the best in recent memory. He phrases generously, much like Nicola Ghiaurov… OperaWire
Not only does the present recording, conducted by Mark Elder, make the original Simon Boccanegra accessible, the performance itself is riveting with idiomatic orchestral playing for the epoch of the work… The two choirs (Chorus of Opera North and Royal Northern College of Music Opera Chorus) and the soloists are absolutely committed…MusicWeb International
For all lovers of 19th-century opera, this is now the version of the original Simon Boccanegra to have; it will afford hours of absorbing listening. The greater stylistic consistency and compelling drama of this version are thoroughly convincing. EuropaDisc
With Sir Mark Elder, Opera Rara has found a conductor for this production who brings a new freshness, passion and fire to Verdi’s music. The Argentinian baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara sings the title role with absolute aplomb, a great, multi-faceted voice and plenty of dramatic power. The Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura shines as Amelia with a beautifully pure soprano voice, full of warmth and color, and gripping expressiveness. The role of Gabriele Adorno is sung by Peruvian tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas, a tenor with an outstanding heroic timbre who is able to express his emotional outbursts without restraint. The British bass William Thomas shines as Jacopo Fiesco with a strong and secure bass voice. This opera recording is an all-round success, with an excellent cast, magnificent orchestral sound and convincing choral singing. Pizzicato
This new recording is not just remarkable but even unique, in a way representing the first modern performance of a score that Verdi himself had once withdrawn… Elder draws not only an immense richness of colour from The Hallé but also a strong dramatic force. From the very first bars of the preludio composed in 1857 to Boccanegra’s death scene, the entire performance is one long, electrifying musical gem—Italian operatic drama of the highest order, with a wealth of nuances and phrasing… When it comes to timbre, vocal colours, nuances, and conveying emotions, this young Argentine baritone [Germán Enrique Alcántara] delivers an interpretation that many seasoned singers would envy!… Iván Ayón-Rivas once again proves to be an outstanding singer…The full sound of the recording is a delight, and the presentation is as elegant, clear, and solid as we have come to expect from Opera Rara. Opus Klassiek
Mark Elder conducts with his customary superb attention to detail. He is not one to rush a phrase, but at the same time manages to keep musical tension. The Hallé plays magnificently, and the two choruses are also excellent… Germán Enrique Alcántara was a stand‑in for the title role and proves most impressive. His baritone is youthful and rich, the phrasing long and with a great range of colours. Act II shows him at his very best, when Boccanegra falls into a reverie from which he bursts with thrilling tone before leading the trio that ends the act. It is a most impressive assumption. Alcántara is up against a formidable Fiesco in William Thomas, whose bass also has the bloom of youth and a suave resonance reminiscent of Nicolai Ghiaurov (and I know no higher praise).ConcertoNet
With his long operatic experience, Sir Mark Elder conducts a scrupulously prepared performance cast with young voices. Germán Enrique Alcántara has the right grit and authority for the plebiaen Doge of Genoa Boccanegra… Iván Ayón-Rivas is convincing as the Genoese nobleman Gabriele Adorno and William Thomas belies his youth as aristocrat Jacopo Fiesco. Financial Times
You know you’re in for something special with the prelude’s stabbing opening chords: an early sign that Elder knows exactly how to generate tension… The singers, also deliver the goods. Germán Enrique Alcántara’s flexible baritone easily weathers the hero’s switches from corsair to patrician to tender father, while Eri Nakamura, as Boccanegra’s long-lost daughter, makes beautiful sounds in a score with relatively few set arias. Meanwhile, Iván Ayón-Rivas’s impassioned tenor voice finds perfect home in the role of Gabriele… The Chorus of Opera North and RNCM Opera Chorus contribute with gusto, helped along by spatial separations that impart stage atmosphere to this vivid recording… this splendid resurrection of the original can’t be ignored. The Times
At the heart of it all is the Argentinian baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara, who stepped into the project at very short notice to make his recording-debut and first appearance in a major Verdi role. It sounds like Boccanegra has been in his repertoire for years: no nuance is lost on him (the recognition-scene with his daughter and his eventual death-throes will make your eyes prickle), and the high tessitura of the role holds no terrors. Let’s hear more from him on record as soon as possible. Presto Music, Recording of the Week
The casting of the four main roles is particularly striking: Argentinian baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara lends the title role a darkly velvety fullness; Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura, though vocally fragile, brings passionate intensity to Amelia; Peruvian spinto tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas is a robust and powerful Gabriele, her lover; and British bass William Thomas, with a timbre reminiscent of Ghiaurov, is an imposing Fiesco. Their performances do more than just convince – they are bound to make any opera lover’s heart beat faster. In the supporting roles, Sergio Vitale (Paolo Albiani), David Shipley (Pietro), and Beth Moxon (Amelia’s maid) deliver solid performances.Online Merker
Elder, a great Verdian, has given us here a thoroughly prepared performance of a visionary piece that demands to be heard and I commend it to you wholeheartedly.MusicWeb International
Sir Mark Elder conducts with great fluidity and care in volumes a very light-sounding orchestra and chorus in a score without the evident drama of the revision. The 1857 vocals are more bel canto and high in the baritone roles of Simon and Paolo. Germán Enrique Alcántara (Simon) sings with flexibility and good phrasing… Lyric soprano Eri Nakamura’s Maria/Amelia reflects a brighter part in the middle and high than in 1881. Tenor Iván Ayón-Rivas (Gabriele) shows good projection and a velvety middle with ease in the high. Baritone Sergio Vitale is an attractive Paolo in interpretation and technique.Opéra Actual
We are hiring for a Digital Content Manager to join our team from September before the start of our 55th season.
The Digital Content Manager will report to the Development and Communications Director. Working as part of a small team, they will help the charity achieve a digital transformation of its work. Strategically highlighting all artistic and educational activities of Opera Rara, they will manage and produce engaging and exciting content and communications to grow Opera Rara’s reach globally to help us accomplish our new vision to our 60th anniversary in 2030. The successful candidate will work remotely from home with proximity to London for occasional work from Opera Rara’s offices in addition to regular off-site work for content creation with artists, musicologists, and others. Opera Rara’s headquarters are in attractive offices, next to Battersea Park, London
The deadline is Monday 2 June. Read more here including a link to the full recruitment pack: https://opera-rara.com/careers
We’re delighted to announce our 55th season of live operatic archaeology featuring performances and record releases celebrating the past made new. Our new season launches on 26 September with the release of Donizetti Songs Volumes 5 and 6, featuring Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and Artist Ambassador Ermonela Jaho. Our Donizetti Song Project, launched in September 2023, will culminate this season with the further releases of Volume 7 with Rosa Feola and Volume 8 with Nicola Alaimo. The latter will also feature in Opera Rara’s final ‘Donizetti & Friends’ recital at Wigmore Hall in June 2026.
Spearheaded by Rizzi and curated by Repertoire Consultant Roger Parker, our multi-year Donizetti Song Project has seen the charity collaborate with some of the world’s greatest singers to record and perform Donizetti’s entire corpus of solo songs, nearly 200 in total, many of which have never been heard before. Volumes 3 and 4, released in February this year, feature Artist Ambassador Michael Spyres and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. In November, we will aunch a new partnership with the Donizetti Festival in the composer’s hometown of Bergamo where, over the course of three years, all the songs will be performed as part of the festival’s young artist programme Bottega Donizetti.
Rizzi and Jaho will also lead our 55th season full-scale opera production: the final, 1921 version of Puccini’s La rondine. The version of the opera we know today is that created in 1917; yet this is in fact the version with which Puccini was least satisfied. Following its premiere in Monte-Carlo, the composer made two further revisions. Our revival is based on a new performing edition of the third version (1921), created by Ditlev Rindom. For the first time ever, this third version will be heard publicly in its entirety and recorded in the studio; new material from the second version (1920) will be included in an appendix. This will be our second Puccini project, following the revival of the original version of his first opera, Le Willis (ORC59), also featuring Jaho.
The concert performance on 5 December at London’s Barbican Centre will see Carlo Rizzi conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers with Ermonela Jaho as Magda de Civry. Iván Ayón-Rivas, Nicola Alaimo, Joanna Harries, David Shipley and William Thomas return to Opera Rara, whilst Juan Francisco Gatell, Ellie Neate, Jessica Robinson, Julieth Lozano and Robert Lewis make their main-stage debuts with us. The studio recording of La rondine, created a week before, will mark the recording debuts for Neate, Robinson, Lozano and Lewis.
Our work with emerging artists also continues this season with our Salon Series of recitals providing public performing opportunities in venues across London. Starting on 10 October, baritone Germán Enrique Alcántara will present a recital featuring rare Donizetti songs with pianist Anna Tilbrook. Alcántara made his studio opera recording debut as the title role of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra in its original 1857 version, released last month (ORC65). Alcántara will be followed by two further recitals featuring soprano Julieth Lozano, winner of the 2023 Cardiff Singer of the World Audience Prize; and tenor Robert Lewis, a member of the ensemble at Opéra National de Lyon, together with soprano Soraya Mafi, a graduate of the English National Opera Harewood Artist scheme.
Named Gramophone magazine’s Label of the Year in October 2024, we appointed Carlo Rizzi as Artistic Director in 2019 and he will remain in post through to our 60th anniversary in the 2030/31 season. Committed to its mission not only to restore, record and perform but actively to promote the forgotten operatic heritage of the 19th and early 20th centuries, our latest initiative is Lives in Song, a livestream podcast series exploring musicians’ biographies through their music. For the 55th season Lives in Song will turn its focus from Donizetti to Puccini; it is hosted by Flora Willson, who will be joined by Puccini experts and musicians specialising in his music.
It’s nearly the end of the month which means that the next in our series of complete operas on YouTube is now available!
Our April Recording of the Month is Bellini’s Il pirata – the composer’s third opera, written when he was only 27 and his first for the brand leader of Italian opera houses: Teatro alla Scala in Milan. It also represented Bellini’s first collaboration with Felice Romani, the leading librettist of the day, who was to become his regular artistic partner.
French magazine Classica said of our revival with London Philharmonic Orchestra and David Parry: This release by Opera Rara must be praised triple-fold: for the luxurious product which is the trademark of this label; for its audacity, especially in our current times, to capture in the studio an opera so far with a poor discographic history; and above all, for producing a recording of such leading quality.
With Carmen Giannattasio as Imogene, Ludovic Tézier as Ernesto and José Bros as Gualtiero… discover it today.
Opera Rara’s recording project, spanning a total of eight albums, is truly extraordinary – the words from one of our first reviews of our latest installment of our Donizetti Song Project recording cycle: Volumes 3 and 4 released in February with our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi on the piano and our Artist Ambassador tenor Michael Spyres, and mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux and pianist Giulio Zappa.
Michael Spyres’ stylish and gorgeous singing is irresistible… With Carlo Rizzi’s canny collaboration, this album is a splendid success… In Volume 4, Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s outstanding singing is deftly accompanied by Giulio Zappa… This project makes a convincing case for Donizetti as a key figure in 19th-century song repertoire and for the importance of the ‘Italian’ school in a field long dominated by German and French composers. American Record Guide
Michael Spyres is a delight to listen to, with his perfect diction, sensitivity to the texts, precise intonation, refined French elegance, and, of course, beautiful ornamentation… Carlo Rizzi provides sensitive accompaniment, always clear in support of the melodic line. The recording, made in a church in the suburbs of London, gives both performers an ideally balanced sound. Finally, the accompanying booklet texts are noteworthy for their wealth of information. ON-mag
The complete collection of Donizetti’s chamber songs which began excellently with Volumes 1 and 2 entrusted to Lawrence Brownlee and Nicola Alaimo, continues just as thrillingly with the contributions of Michael Spyres and Marie-Nicole Lemieux… Both singers are excellently accompanied by Carlo Rizzi and Giulio Zappa…Musica
These are by no means just melodically pleasing, tenderly seductive, or strikingly triumphant pieces in which the piano merely plays an accompanying role. They come from the composer’s French years, and Spyres sings them with superb technique, flawless diction, and eloquent pronunciation. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
For this third volume, Michael Spyres, well known for his fondness for the French language – which he delivers with mastery and eloquence – joins the venture… The result is nothing short of remarkable… He performs these songs with remarkable ease, shaping the emotions with finesse and subtlety… Expressiveness, emotion and warm charm intertwine to create moments of vocal bliss. Carlo Rizzi, a pianist of great elegance, proves to be an ideal partner, attentive to every nuance. An absolute delight, not to be missed under any circumstances. Crescendo
Indeed, the combination of Opera Rara Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and American “baritenor” Michael Spyres is a match made in heaven… What makes this album unique, however, are the more unusual items… Singers should be queuing up to welcome these miniature masterpieces into their portfolios.Recorded in natural sound, the voice pulled forward just a touch, this is a peach of a recital, whetting the appetite for the rest of this important and highly enjoyable series.Limelight, Recording of the Month
Spyres gives us a youthful, brilliant voice with radiant high notes. The baritonal quality of his voice adds darker nuances to his phrasing, making his voice sound virile and well-grounded. It is a unique pleasure to listen and relisten to this CD… Carlo Rizzi on piano is always a guarantee, respecting and supporting the voice in perfect harmony. Il Trillo Parlante
A couple of months ago, I enjoyed the first two volumes in a projected series of eight. Volume Three, released alongside an equally enjoyable Volume Four with the feisty spirited Marie-Nicole Lemieux, is if anything even better. Indeed, the combination of Opera Rara Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and American “baritenor” Michael Spyres is a match made in heaven… Opera Rara’s CD presentation, booklets containing essays, full texts and translations plus notes on the individual songs, are luxurious and complete two perfect musical packages. Midlands Classical Music Review
Since its inception, Opera Rara seems to follow the principle: ‘If you do something, do it well.’ This applies not only to performances and presentation but also with regards repertoire… As on the first CDs, Spyres is accompanied by great finesse by conductor Carlo Rizzi… on Volume Four, Rizzi is replaced by Giulio Zappa… and the result remains excellent. Opus Klassiek
If the listener is in the mood for a flow of beautiful, exquisitely produced tone, with the words and dramatic situations secondary, then the Michael Spyres – normally billed as a ‘baritenor’ but here as ‘tenor – absolutely never disappoints. If on the other hand the need is for more drama, more involvement, more variety and uncertainty then go with Marie-Nicole Lemieux. With her, even a simple strophic song with gondolas like Sull’onda cheta e bruna becomes both a dramatic scena and a showpiece. The pianists for both singers are exceptional and production quality is superb. We occasionally get a pleasant surprise from a guest – like organist Edward Batting on the harmonium – and the amount of work that has gone into filling the booklets with good writing and scholarly resource is unbelievable. The Arts Desk
Opera Rara’s recording project, spanning a total of eight albums, is truly extraordinary… Another fascinating aspect is how Michael Spyres, now established as a Wagnerian singer handles this primarily lyrical repertoire. The result is astonishing: Spyres, with his highly agile and uniquely wide-ranging tenor voice, unveils an inexhaustible array of elegant phrasing, breathtaking messa di voce, and seamless legato lines. Combined with his natural temperament, he once again demonstrates his exceptional sensitivity to vocal colour, subtle poetic interpretation, dynamic nuance, and a seamlessly robust vocal approach—qualities that have made him so renowned.Online Merker
Written for various reasons—commissions, tributes, or artistic collaborations – these melodies cover a wide range of emotions, all marked by theatricality, elegance, and an effortless musicality that makes them instantly captivating… This third volume also offers a rare opportunity to hear Michael Spyres in the romantic repertoire, where he remains unrivalled. The American tenor once again demonstrates his deep understanding of the bel canto style and his mastery of the French language, delivering each prosodic nuance with clarity that makes every word intelligible.Forum Opéra
This romantic repertoire suits Marie-Nicole Lemieux [in Volume 4] perfectly. She skilfully balances the intimate moments with the theatrical passages, thanks in part to the assertive pianist. Compared to the masterpieces of Schubert and Schumann, the songs of the maestro from Bergamo are often more sensual, charming, and exuberant, though at times more stereotypically tailored for the salon. However, they always allow the voice to shine beautifully, while the piano part remains equally rewarding… The beautifully illustrated 64-page booklet also leaves nothing to be desired. I am already looking forward to the second half of this enchanting song collection. Der Gelderlander
These two new releases from Opera Rara continue to uncover Donizettian wonders in the hands of two talented performers… Spyres displays a lyrical timbre full of nuance and comfort in the high and middle registers… [In O ma harpe, mon seul heritage] he transports us to that salon atmosphere, demonstrating his liederistic qualities accompanied by Rizzi who is an indispensable co-performer… Lemieux and Zappa form a well-connected duo whose fluidity together from the exposition of their Volume leaves the listener wanting more music by the end. Opéra Actual
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.
