Pergolesi: Il Prigionier Superbo / La Serva Padrona (complete operas recorded 2009 & 2011)

The Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini, which has been devoting itself to the research and performance of Pergolesi's music for years now, had his operas recorded live at the annual Music Festival in Jesi.

Released on this BD are two productions from Jesi of one almost forgotten opera, Il prigionier superbo, and one of Pergolesi's most popular works, La serva padrona, combined like they were at the original premiere. Il prigionier superbo tells the story of two rival kings and a princess in distress. In order to strengthen his power, Metalce imprisons his rival Sostrate. Further, he tries to obtain Rosmene's love. Proud like her father Sostrate, she persistently thwarts the tyrant, while on the other hand she forces herself to hate her beloved Viridate. La serva padrona is the short comedy of Serpina and Uberto: the wily maidservant, hell-bent on her willing to become the mistress of the house, thinks up a plan in order to convince her master to marry her.

Both operas were directed by Henning Brockhaus, who placed Il prigionier superbo within a contemporary setting inside a cave and La serva padrona in a circus. The casts both brilliantly show their versatile voices in numerous virtuosic arias accompanied by the Baroque specialists of the Accademia Barocca de I Virtuosi Italiani, conducted by Corrado Rovaris.