DONIZETTI
Don Pasquale (complete opera) / Il campanello di notte (one act opera) Alfredo Mariotti, Anna Maccianti, Alberto Rinaldi, Ugo Benelli / Coro e Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Ettore Gracis [ Deutsche Grammophon Opera House / 2 CD - released 1/May/2006 ] "This welcome issue provides a good introduction to two of Donizetti's lighter compositions and at bargain price" (MusicWeb May 2006) |
AMILCARE PONCHIELLI
Ponchielli: la Gioconda (complete opera recorded in 1958) Anita Cerquetti, Franca Sacchi, Mario del Monaco, Cesare Siepi, Giulietta Simionata / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Gianandrea Gavazzeni [ Decca SBS Australian Eloquence / 2 CD - released 1/Jun/2019 ] 'To compare Anita Cerquetti's Gioconda with Callas's is a revelation. Cerquetti brings to the role intelligence, musicianship, and an appealing voice' High Fidelity |
DONIZETTI
L'elisir d'amore (Complete opera) Barbara Bonney, Gasta Winbergh, Bernd Weikl, Rolando Panerai. Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Gabriele Ferro [ DG Opera House / 2 CD - released 1/Jul/2005 ] 'A performance that bubbles along as brightly and affectionately as the music itself' BBC Record Review |
GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Rossini: Armida (complete opera recorded live in 1952) Maria Callas, Francesco Albanese, Mario Filippeschi / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Tullio Serafin [ Warner Classics Maria Callas Live Remastered / 2 CD - released 1/Feb/2019 ] Rossini is a pillar of bel canto opera, but he was less central to Callas's art and career than Bellini and Donizetti. She performed two of his comic works - Il barbiere di Siviglia and Il turco in Italia - and in 1952, with her mentor Tullio Serafin... |
GASPARE SPONTINI
Spontini: Fernando Cortez (La conquète du Mexique) (complete opera) Dario Schmunck, Alexia Voulgaridou, Luca Lombardo, Gianluca Margheri / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Jean-Luc Tingaud [ Dynamic / 3 CD - released 1/May/2020 ] Gaspare Spontini's rare opera 'Fernand Cortez' is now available as a triple disc on DYNAMIC. Recorded in October 2019 at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, this production is the first modern times recording of the original 1809 version. |
W. A. MOZART
Fernando Corena: Arias for Bass Fernando Corena (bass) / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden [ Decca Australian Eloquence / CD - released 20/Sep/2015 ] "'Corena sings with a fine, resonant, clean tone. His production is easy and completely natural, and his diction, phrasing and general musicianship are most praiseworthy" (Gramophone) |
PUCCINI
Il Trittico (Suor Angelica, Il Tabarro, Gianni Schicchi) Fernando Corena, Robert Merrill, Mario del Monaco & Giulietta Simionato / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Lamberto Gardelli [ ALTO / 2 CD - released 25/Nov/2013 ] For the first time on only 2 discs |
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Verdi: Ernani (complete opera recorded in 2022) Francesco Meli, Roberto Frontali, Vitalij Kowaljow, Maria José Siri / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, James Conlon [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 16/Feb/2024 ] Victor Hugo's 1830 stage drama Hernani won overwhelming admiration, and over a decade later Verdi's attention was drawn to it as an operatic vehicle that would give him opportunities for full dramatic unity. |
VERDI / MEYERBEER / LEONCAVALLO / PUCCINI / BOITO / etc
Opera Recital Giuseppe di Stefano (tenor) / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Bruno Bartoletti [ DG Spotlight / CD - released 24/Aug/2006 ] 'His voice is of faultless beauty and remarkable expressive power; it possesses the velvety richness which we have not experienced since the days of Gigli and Lauri Volpi', wrote an eminent American critic in 1948 following Giuseppe Di Stefano's... |
DONIZETTI
L'elisir d'amore (Complete opera) Hilde Gueden, Giuseppe di Stefano, Fernando Corena / Orchestra e coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli [ Decca Heritage Masters / 2 CD - released 20/Sep/2011 ] "Hilde Gueden's Adina is properly coy and sweetly sung, Giuseppe di Stefano an affecting Nemorino, but Fernando Corena's Dulcamara steals the show." (BBC Music) |
Beethoven,
Fidelio, Der Konsul, Euryanthe, Der fliegender Holländer, Aido, Andrea Chénier, Der Troubadour, Die Dubarry, Eva Inge Borkh, Orchester der Städtischen Oper Berlin, Orchester des Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchester der Opéra de Mont [ ORFEO / CD - released 10/Oct/2006 ] |
JANACEK
The Cunning Little Vixen BLU-RAY Isabel Bayrakdarian, Lauren Curnow, Quinn Kelsey, Judith Christin / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Seiji Ozawa / Laurent Pelly (director) [ Arthaus Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 15/Jan/2014 ] Based on an illustrated tale published as a newspaper serial, this fanciful opera is one of Janácek´s true masterworks - at once charming, frightening, tragic and, in the end, life-affirming. The Cunning Little Vixen has been seldom staged in Italy,... |
JANACEK
The Cunning Little Vixen Isabel Bayrakdarian, Lauren Curnow, Quinn Kelsey, Judith Christin / Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Seiji Ozawa / Laurent Pelly (director) [ Arthaus DVD / DVD - released 15/Jan/2014 ] The cast of unbelievable 13 soloists is lead on by the Armenian/Canadian soprano star Isabel Bayrakdarian as a sensual Bystrouška (vixen) and American Quinn Kelsey as the brash yet reflective Gamekeeper. |
JEAN-BAPISTE LULLY
Lully: Acis et Galatée Jean-François Lombard, Elena Harsányi, Valeria La Grotta, Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli / Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Federico Maria Sarde [ Naxos / 2 CD - released 20/Oct/2023 ] Jean-Baptiste Lully's unrivalled position at the Sun King's court gave him freedom to produce numerous grand theatre works. Acis et Galatée is acknowledged as one of his masterpieces with its adroit alternation of effects and situations and its... |
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (complete opera recorded in 2019) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Bruno de Simone, Francesca Longari, Anna Maria Chiuri, Dave Monaco / Valerio Galli (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 21/Aug/2021 ] "Bruno de Simone is an amiable, bespectacled Schicchi who could win anyone around with his mellow voice and floral shirt. He sparks off nicely against Anna Maria Chiuri, an unusually young 'vecchia' Zita, who brings a welcome vocal freshness" BBC Mus |
GASPARE SPONTINI
Spontini: Fernando Cortez (La conquète du Mexique) (complete opera recorded in 2019) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Dario Schmunck, Alexia Voulgaridou, Luca Lombardo, Gianluca Margheri / Jean-Luc Tingaud (cond) [ Dynamic DVD / 2 DVD - released 1/May/2020 ] Gaspare Spontini's rare opera 'Fernand Cortez' is now available on DYNAMIC. Recorded in October 2019 at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, this production is a WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO RECORDING of the first modern times performance |
FERRUCCIO BUSONI
Busoni: Doktor Faust (Complete Opera recorded in 2023) Blu-ray Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Dietrich Henschel, Daniel Brenna, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Joseph Dahdah, Olga Bezsmertna, Florian Stern / Cornelius Meiste [ Naxos / Dynamic Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 15/Mar/2024 ] "Meister [acquits himself well], conducting by turns with sensitivity and vigour, and capturing effectively the haunting, mysterious sound world of the piece. The orchestral playing could be more refined but doesn't lack for commitment." Gramophone |
GAETANO DONIZETTI
Donizetti: Linda Di Chamounix (complete opera recorded in 2021) BLU-RAY Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Jessica Pratt, Teresa Iervolin, Francesco Demuro, Marina de Liso / Michele Gamba (cond) [ Dynamic Blu-Ray / Blu-ray Disc - released 3/Dec/2021 ] "Deploying her voluminously secure soprano with artistry, [Pratt] gives us a sweetly innocent 'O luce di quest'anima' and skilfully navigates the once-famous Mad Scene. Her romantic partner is attractively voiced by Francesco Demuro." Opera |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (Complete Opera recorded in 2021) Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Maria José Siri, Ksenia Dudnikova, Martin Muehle, Paolo Antognetti / Daniel Harding (cond) [ Naxos / Dynamic DVD / DVD - released 9/Sep/2022 ] Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world. |
FRANCESCO CILEA
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur (Complete Opera recorded in 2021) Blu-ray Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Maria José Siri, Ksenia Dudnikova, Martin Muehle, Paolo Antognetti / Daniel Harding (cond) [ Naxos / Dynamic Blu-ray / Blu-ray - released 9/Sep/2022 ] Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world. |