For the month of February, we’re celebrating Giovanni Pacini. All digital downloads of our Pacini recordings are discounted 20% for the month. Follow us on our social media channels for insights into this composer’s works and Opera Rara’s recordings.
Pacini was hugely prolific. Born in the Sicilian town of Catania in 1796, he wrote his first opera, Don Pomponio, while a teenager. A spate of works followed. He produced a dozen comedies in four years, then won recognition with Adelaide e Comingio in 1817. Moving to Rome in 1820, he wrote La gioventu di Enrico V in just 24 days for the opening of the Carnival season. Pacini found time for some sub-contracting work too, helping out Rossini, who had fallen behind with work on Matilde Shabran: Pacini obliged with three numbers. Read more and see our recordings of Pacini’s operas here…
Opera Rara presents a new Opera Rara Classics boxset, Rossini in 1819, with a limited edition of three sought-after opere serie by Gioachino Rossini, performed by international bel canto champions, including Gregory Kunde, Jennifer Larmore, Carmen Giannattasio and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. An online launch event to celebrate the release will be held for Opera Rara’s members and press on 17 February and will include special guests David Parry, Carmen Giannattasio and Eleonora Di Cintio. For more information on this event, click here. The Rossini in 1819 Box Set is available to purchase from 18 February. For purchase information, click here.
Premiered only ten months apart in 1819, these three operas fell out of the repertoire soon after Rossini’s death but have, over the last few decades, been rehabilitated in the operatic canon for the joy of Rossini lovers. Remastered to the best audio quality and featuring a specially commissioned essay by Rossini specialist Eleonora Di Cintio, these recordings, unavailable for many years, will delight opera collectors and Rossini fans.
Opera Rara Classics Rossini in 1819 8CD BOX SET Three complete operas Ermione La donna del lago Bianca e Falliero
Ermione is, without doubt, one of the greatest operas by Rossini, despite it being perhaps the least immediately successful. The composer was resigned: ‘It is my little Guillaume Tell in Italian,’ he said, and will not see the light of day until after my death.’ Rossini was right, since after Ermione’s revival in Pesaro in 1987, it has been unanimously recognised as a lost masterpiece.
La donna del lago was the first Italian opera to be based on a work by Sir Walter Scott, the narrative poem The Lady of the Lake. This opera marks a milestone in the development of romanticism in Rossini’s composition and was one of the most successful of all his serious operas, yielding many performances throughout European venues, as well as being presented in Cuba and in many major South American houses until the end of the 1860s.
Bianca e Falliero is set within war-torn Venice in the 17hth century. It tells the story of Bianca, in love with the Venetian general Falliero, and her resistance to marry Capellio, a member of a rival clan. This opera, which is one of Rossini’s most sumptuous and ornate, is considered very difficult to sing due the intensity of its coloratura writing.
Unfortunately, due to illness, Carlos Álvarez has had to withdraw from our upcoming production of Leoncavallo’s opera Zingari. In his place, Stephen Gaertner will record and perform the role of Tamar. You may remember Gaertner’s acclaimed performance in the performance of Leoncavallo’s Zazà at the Barbican back in November of 2015, as well the positive reviews he received about his participation in our recording of the opera. We are incredibly grateful that he is able to join us for this project at such short notice. Click on the link to read more about Stephen Gaertner.
On Friday 3 December 2021, Opera Rara presents the complete opera of Leoncavallo’s Zingari as it was first heard over 100 years ago at its London world première. Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi will conduct the restored original version of the opera whose creation has been spearheaded by the company. Presented in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Cadogan Hall, Rizzi will be joined on stage by Łukasz Goliński making his Opera Rara debuts, Krassimira Stoyanova (Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan, ORC44), Stephen Gaertner (Leoncavallo’s Zazà, ORC55) and Arsen Soghomonyan (Puccini’s Le Willis, ORC59). Premièred in September 1912 at London’s Hippodrome Theatre and conducted by the composer himself, Zingari was commissioned by the theatre which, the previous year, had invited Leoncavallo to present his first opera Pagliacci. Based on Alexander Pushkin’s poem The Gypsies of 1827, the one-act Zingari marked Leoncavallo’s return – both musically and in length – to the verismo style of Pagliacci written 20 years earlier and already part of the established repertory. Despite Zingari’s huge success – with long runs both in London and the United States – Leoncavallo cut down the original version of the work in subsequent revivals. Following extensive research of the opera’s sources, Opera Rara discovered the original vocal score which reveals many new aspects of the drama which have been forgotten over the last century, and from which long-time collaborator Martin Fitzpatrick (English National Opera’s Head of Music) has been commissioned to re-orchestrate missing passages.
There are still a few seats available for sale, so BOOK NOW if you don’t have your tickets yet!
We are extremely proud to hear that Anima Rara, Ermonela Jaho’s first recital album, has been short-listed by the members of the Jury of the 2021 gramophone Awards in the category Voice & Ensemble.
Recorded in Valencia in November 2019 with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and Andrea Battistoni, this recording brings together music championed by the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio who created the role of Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly premiered in 1904 at La Scala, Milan. Alongside well-known arias from Madama Butterfly and Verdi’s La traviata – both operas with which the Albanian soprano is closely associated – Jaho sings excerpts from operas by Boito (Mefistofele), Catalini (La Wally), Giordano (Siberia), Leoncavallo (La bohème), Mascagni (Iris, Lodoletta and L’amico Fritz) and Massenet (Manon and Sapho).
Anima Rara features among the 72 recordings that form the second round of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2021. In the Voice & Ensemble category, Anima Rara is running against Sandrine Piau’s album 2Clair-Obscur2, the recording of Mahler’s Lied von der Erde by Dame Sarah Connolly and Robert Dean Smith, “Amici e Rivali”, the album by with Larry Brownlee and Micheal Spyre, Lise Davidsen’s second solo album dedicated to Beethoven, Wagner and Verdi and last but not least, Ludovic Tezier recording “Verdi”.
From this list of celebrated recordings, an album will be chosen as the winner, and from that shortlist, a single album will be named ‘Recording of the Year’. Winners will be announced on October 5th.
Later this year, on 8th July, we had hoped to bring Donizetti’s Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo to life in a live, in-person performance with the Britten Sinfonia, a wonderful line-up of international soloists and our own Opera Rara Chorus at the Barbican Centre. Unfortunately, due to the continued uncertainties around the current pandemic, the Barbican has cancelled our concert.
Having been away from live performance for so long, we’d like nothing more than to welcome our loyal audience to a live concert. However, restrictions around the numbers of performers that can occupy the concert hall stage are likely to remain in place for some time and so the Barbican has regretfully decided that our performance of Il furioso will not now take place.
If you have already purchased tickets for the concert on 8th July, the Barbican Box Office will be in contact with you in order to arrange a full refund. Please feel free to be in touch at info@opera-rara.com if you have any questions.
The Jury of the 2021International Classical Musica Awards (ICMA) has announced that Ermonela Jaho’s debut recording Anima Rara won the award in the category Vocal Music. The album was short-listed along with Elsa Dreisig’s album Morgen and Marina Rebeka’s recording Elle. The Jury wrote about Anima Rara in their press release:
“The superb Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho shows great dramatic artistry. Her charisma and ability to trigger goosebumps and emotional sympathy in the listener distinguish her outstanding singing, which benefits from a very characteristic and recognisable timbre. Her consistently warm and powerful voice is projected evenly over the whole range of the soprano registers and is capable of all the necessary dynamic and colourful nuances required.”
The winners will be presented their trophies during a gala concert in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on June 27th, with the Sinfonirorchestre Liechtenstein conducted by Yaron Traub. Other winners comprise soprano Edita Gruberova (Lifetime Achievement), Pablo Heras-Casado (Artist of the Year), Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings (Label of the Year), Saint-Saëns’s Le Timbre d’Argent (opera recording), and Beatrice Rana’s Ravel/Stravinsky album (solo instrument recording).
For the complete press release and list of awards, click here.
As a life-long opera fan and a long-time admirer of Opera Rara’s work, I am thrilled for the opportunity to support and help ensure the future of this influential company. Opera Rara’s recordings are how I first connected with its work, as I’m sure many of you share a similar story. As we continue to celebrate the past 50 years of stunning successes, I look forward to working with you, our supporters, to secure the next 50 years.
Of all art forms, opera has the unique power to connect with the human soul in its blending of many diverse artistic forces. As we experience the truly Olympic feats of the singers onstage and the overwhelming swells and the intimate beauty from the orchestra, it is easy to lose oneself to the moment and to the connection felt by fellow audience members. For me, it is an experience close to sacred.
Opera Rara’s mission is unique and exciting, preserving the past and securing a sustainable future for the artform. As someone who has worked with world-class companies, Opera Rara is revered and highly-regarded in the field. In my first week with the organisation, it has also become evident just how much Opera Rara truly is a family. I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks and months, and I can only say how incredibly grateful I am for the warm welcome I have already received.
The Jury of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) has chosen Ermonela Jaho’s debut recording Anima Rara as one of the releases competing in the finals for the awards 2021. The initial list, with a total of 365 nominations, has been reduced to three recordings per category.
Anima Rara has been shortlisted along with Elsa Dreisig’s album Morgen and Marina Rebeka’s recording Elle in the category Vocal Music.
The names of the winners, who will receive their trophy in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on 18 April 2021, will be published on Wednesday 20 January 2021.
Soprano Ermonela Jaho, chooses our September Album of the Month
In the fifth instalment of our series highlighting particular jewels from our catalogue of over 60 full length opera recordings, our Soprano Ermonela Jaho, chooses our September Album of the Month. In this short video he explains why Puccini’s Le Willis is special to her.
Recorded at the Henry Wood Hall, London, November 2018
“First-class treatment for Puccini’s haunting debut” Opera Choice – 5 stars BBC Music Magazine
Presto Classical, Recordings of the Year 2019 – Our Top 100
Opera category nomination for 2020 BBC Music Magazine Awards
We’re offering 50% off this title in our online shop for the entire month of September. Click below to take advantage of this fantastic time limited offer’.
Chairman, Charles Alexander, chooses our August Album of the Month
In the fourth instalment of our series highlighting particular jewels from our catalogue of over 60 full length opera recordings, our Chairman, Charles Alexander, chooses our August Album of the Month. In this short video he explains why Donizetti’s Les Martyrs is special to him.
Click here to listen to Michael Spyres sing the famous Top ‘E’ Charles refers to in his video.
Recorded at St Clement’s Church, London, October/November 2014
“The cast that Opera Rara has assembled for this production is unbeatable…Stunning sound, stunning presentation” Limelight
Winner of 2015 Prix Francisco Cavalli from the Académie du Disque Lyrique
Winner of 2016 International Opera Award for CD (Complete Opera)
Shortlist 2016 Gramophone Awards (Opera)
Limelight Recording of the Month
BBC Music MagazineOpera Choice
OperaDisc of the Month
GramophoneEditor’s Choice; Critics’ Choice for 2015
We’re offering 50% off this title in our online shop for the entire month of August. Click below to take advantage of this fantastic time limited offer’
