Michele Garruti Intimate & Classical

Early Rossini has something buoyant, vibrant, youthful about it – even when it is a “dramma per musica” such as “Sigismondo”, a dark swirl of an opera revolving around a mad king and his delusions, his wife who is allegedly dead but very much alive, the fate of Poland and much more. Premiered in 1814 but rarely played thereafter, the work deserves to be resurrected, if only for its many beautiful and original arias and ensembles, some of which were such brilliant little masterpieces that he reused them in his later successes such as “Il turco in Italia”, “La Cenerentola” and “Il barbiere di Siviglia”. The work was given its first performance from the critical new edition at the 2010 Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. The press hailed the production as a “perfect symbiosis of music and stage work” that yields “truly brilliant theater”.

Verdi's opera Attila takes as its starting point Attila’s plans to storm Rome with his army of Huns and the Romans’ attempts to prevent him. As with Nabucco and I Lombardi, Verdi spiced up the action with a number of patriotic choruses, guaranteeing that – against the background of the Italian movement for unification – the opera was a great success. 'Michele Mariotti owes much to the fact that this evening became a celebration of voices' (Opern-Kritik). Ildebrando D´Arcangelo is 'perfect for the serious Verdi roles', Fabio Sartori has a voice of immense brilliance' (Opern-Kritik), 'Simone Piazzola was an impressive Ezio' (theoperacritic.com) and 'the real warrior of this Attila is the soprano Maria Jose' Siri … with her voice, touching each primordial sentiment in every note of the opera, she commanded ‘Attention’ from everybody' (La Repubblica).

In his ‘new life’ as a baritone Plácido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role in La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi’s darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with Die Soldaten and Il trovatore. Domingo is joined by two of Italy’s most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo’s performance, calling his interpretation of the role ‘sublime’.

I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata is an operatic drama in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The work is based on an epic poem by Tommaso Grossi, which was “very much a child of its age; a grand historical novel with a patriotic slant.” Verdi dedicated the score to Maria Luigia, the Habsburg Duchess of Parma, who died a few weeks after the premiere. "I Lombardi best encapsulates the spirit of the Italian people’s desire for nationhood. One would be pleasantly surprised, full as it is, of rousing choruses and musical numbers of great beauty, with music wonderfully expressive and perfectly in accord with drama at times.

Student of Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Geminiani was counted among a handful of Baroque-era violin virtuosos and was equally active as a composer and educator. As someone who out of necessity wrote a great deal of music for his own instrument Geminiani was also an innovator, his music beginning to bridge the gap from the late Baroque into the early Classical. Though he is known best for his violin works, Geminiani wrote for other instrumental combinations, as well. This Concerto album highlights the six sonatas of Op. 5, scored for cello and basso continuo.

Sliding marble walls, a mosaic-like fl oor, a leafless tree centre-stage, elegant costumes – with its young cast and a superlative performance by Roberto Frontali as Simon Boccanegra, this production has all the ingredients to leave a lasting impression. The Italian baritone is a regular guest at the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala Milan, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Zurich Opera House, the Staatsoper Berlin and Dresden’s Semperoper.

The Metropolitan Opera give this live performance of Rossini's work based on the poem by Sir Walter Scott. Michele Mariotti conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus with Joyce DiDonato as Elena, the lady of the lake, who loves the heroic Malcolm (Daniela Barcellona). However, King James V (Juan Diego Flórez) arrives in the Highlands and sets his sights on Elena while her father Douglas (Oren Gradus), who is rebelling against the King's rule, promises his daughter to clan chief Rodrigo (John Osborn).

In his ‘new life’ as a baritone Plácido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role in La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi’s darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with Die Soldaten and Il trovatore. Domingo is joined by two of Italy’s most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo’s performance, calling his interpretation of the role ‘sublime’.

The opera that few tenors dare sing and which Flórez has made his own throughout his career. Recorded at the 2012 Pesaro Festival, Flórez reprises the role that shot him to stardom in 1996 aged twenty-three. Conducting is the up-and-coming young Italian maestro Michele Mariotti who was praised for his pacing in this long opera. The performance also features the much-admired Olga Peretyatko - a fine stage artist and a consummate performer of Rossini’s fiorature - in the title role.