Meyerbeer

A few decades from now, someone will put together a series of recordings devoted to “the greatest tenors of the 21st century”. Will Ben Heppner be featured on one of these? Most likely more than one. What other conclusion can you reach after hearing these splendiferous performances of French arias, presented as the Canadian singer’s debut under his new, exclusive DG contract? To begin with, there’s nothing really typical about this recital, from the choice of repertoire–extended arias from some of the less-traveled operatic territory–to this revered label’s confirmation of big-budget stature on an artist who’s neither a “three tenor” nor a singer under the age of 14. No, this is really grown-up stuff, and Heppner proves not only a seasoned and commanding presence, but an artist of the highest magnitude, with the vocal equipment and musical intelligence to at once rivet an audience to its seats and compel it to spontaneously rise in a collective ovation.

Following his Rossini recital (Alpha 791), Florian Sempey shares another of his passions: his enthusiasm for the world of knights and medieval narrative. For him, “a mysterious force emanates from castles and other antique buildings; their ancient stones have always fascinated me.” Ferrum Splendidum (the Latin for ‘Resplendent Metal’) recalls the singer’s ancestors, who were blacksmiths in the Périgord region. Though not following in that family tradition, Sempey concentrated instead on forging and moulding the metal of his brilliant baritone voice.

Anna Bonitatibus (born in Potenza) is an Italian mezzo-soprano. She is one of the most wanted mezzo-sopranos of our time, admired in particular for her interpretations of roles by Rossini and Mozart. The music on this new album spans from 18th century (Jommelli, Caldara, Porpora) until early 19th century (Meyerbeer, Rossini, Garcia). Most of the arias and scenes are WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS. Some pieces are even performed for the first time after more than 150 years. ANNA BONITATIBUS is one of the best mezzo-sopranos of our time, well trained in performing in a "historically informed" manner. A very special highlight: A Semiramide aria (“Preghiera”) by Manuel Garcia. He has been the first Almaviva in Rossini's “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”. He was an amazing composer as well: he composed a Semiramide after Rossini that everybody considered lost. The score was discovered and newly edited by Anna Bonitatibus.

"The Chopin Project" is French-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas' most ambitious project to date, comprising a trio of albums that pay tribute to Chopin's favourite instrument.

Feodor Chaliapin - The Complete Recordings (2018) {13CD Set Marston 51301-2}
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© 2018 Marston | 51301-2
Classical / Vocal / Opera / Folk / Bass / Russian Traditions / Historical

Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938) (bass) was in the opinion of many the greatest singing actor of the 20th century. Like Enrico Caruso, the name Chaliapin continued to be a household word long after his death. A case in point is that the Sobranie tobacco company continued to market their “Chaliapin” cigarettes into the 1970s. Producing a Chaliapin set has long been a desire of Marston, yet due to the size of the compilation, the production costs, and the time involved, this project has been pushed to the back burner time and time again. With the financial assistance of some of our generous supporters, we have finally released a thirteen-CD set containing every known recording of Feodor Chaliapin numbering well into the two hundreds.

The "100 Years of Italian Opera" series released by Opera Rara is unique in the annals of opera recordings. However, this installment is especially exciting as it documents the evolution of Italian opera during the 1820's, the decade when romanticism truly began to come into its own on the operatic stage. Opera Rara has lovingly compiled a variety of arcana written by composers famous and forgotten. Included is everything from overtures to arias, duets, ensembles, and entire scenes.