Riccardo Geminiani

This is the first EuroArts release in cooperation with the San Francisco Opera, internationally recognized as one of the top opera companies in the world Renée Fleming as “America's most-loved and most-lauded opera singer”(The Times, London) played Lucrezia Borgia with passion and outstanding virtuosity in line with a top-notch cast: Michael Fabiano, Elizabeth DeShong and Vitalij Kowaljow. Fleming plays a femme fatale renowned for her ruthless pursuit of power that reveals poignant vulnerability when she comes face to face with her long-lost son. Led by internationally acclaimed conductor Riccardo Frizza.

In this recording Riccardo Chailly directs Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera for the first time in his function as General Music Director of the Leipzig Oper on the 2nd of November 2005. Un ballo in maschera is as exciting as a thriller, but with a passion that can only be experienced in a Verdi opera. It stands to reason that only a man of equal passion would have the ability of bringing this spectacle to the stage adequately.

Premiered in 1821, Matilde di Shabran was Rossini's 32nd opera. It is a semi-serious work, with a plot that concerns a woman-hating, militaristic, hypochondriacal Lord (Corradino) whose doctor (Aliprando) tries to get him to fall in love with his ward, the sharp-witted Matilde, in order to make him happy. There are buffo characters and Corradino, after falling for Matilde, almost has her executed when he's duped by a Countess who loves him into thinking Matilde loves another. But a comic character, Isidoro, the court poet, saves the day and all ends happily.

Chatka (1978) is released in the period when dance music is at its heights. This contaminated some of Tullio De Piscopo’s rhythmic movements, often employed in this album - bass drum in 4 and the hi-hat on the off beat. It is a moment of strong social contrasts. Supported by some private radio stations, Riccardo Zappa starts a tour in high school and university halls in Milan. Radio Popolare holds a referendum with its listeners to individualize the theme tune for its radio news programme. A theme by Bob Marley and Riccardo Zappa’s “Chatka” win with equal merit. Since then, and for a period afterwards, both themes were played alternately on the daily programming. Chatka, like the previous album and the two that followed, also climbed the TV & sorrisi, Ciao 2001 and Musica e Dischi charts. As far as we know it’s possible on track 3 to hear the first example of tapping, which had never been applied to the acustic guitar.

The inaugural production of Riccardo Chailly’s era as La Scala’s music director, Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco stars Anna Netrebko “ablaze in the title role of warrior-saint” (The Observer) and features an imaginative production by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier. The first performance of the opera at La Scala in over 150 years.