Domenico de Simone

Il Marito Disperato was a very popular opera in the late 18th century, premiered in 1785 and revised for more performances in 1798. The fact that it has such a long and illustrious performance history and has since fallen into oblivion explains why the San Carlo Theatre thought it worthy of revival. The score is exceedingly lively and clever, based on a libretto that is clever as well as hilarious, so much so that even Mozart, in his Don Giovanni, saw it fit to ‘borrow’ from Il Marito Disperato (the statute scene)./quote]

Domenico Scarlatti’s La Dirindina and Albinoni’s Pimpinone are two 'intermezzi buffi', which were comic operatic interludes inserted between acts or scenes of an opera seria.
Pimpinone was performed for the first time in Venice in 1708, as the interlude for Astarto, Albinoni’s own opera seria. The work was an immediate success and was given many further performances, both in Italy and abroad. La Dirindina was composed seven years later, in 1715, by Domenico Scarlatti, son of Alessandro.

Den zu seiner Zeit ungemein beliebten Buffa-Fabrikanten Cimarosa hat von allen seinen etwa 80 Opern nur Die heimliche Ehe überlebt. Diesem Meisterwerk dichtete Eduard Hanslick eine Liaison mit Mozarts Figaro an, womit er die stilistische Stellung des Werkes geistreich umriß. Die Uraufführung in Wien (1792) führte zu einem kaiserlich verfügten, sensationellen Dacapo der ganzen Oper noch am selben Abend. Lobenswertes findet man in jeder der existenten Einspielungen, auch an diesem Live-Zusammenschnitt aus dem Teatro Pergolesi von Jesi, an dem sich das Orchester mit relativ dünnem, flachem Klang beteiligte.

With Ninna Nanna the haunting tones, dramatic intensity and richly characterized singing of Pino De Vittorio once again grace a recording project led by Franco Pavan. Call it Wiegenlied, berceuse, nana, ninna nanna – or countless other terms from around the world – the lullaby, with the rocking of the child’s cradle, is possessed of a captivating charm, all neatly captured in this new collection with the lulling of De Vittorio’s hypnotic voice.

Known for her idiosyncratic performances of baroque repertoire and eccentric personal style, the German coloratura soprano Simone Kermes trained in her native Leipzig, with early successes including the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition. Bach has not, however, figured prominently in her career since then – Kermes gravitated towards Vivaldi, Handel and the Neapolitan composers who wrote for the great castrati, such as Riccardo Broschi, Alessandro Scarlatti and Porpora. (She has recorded several solo albums of such repertoire for Sony, including Dramma, and Colori d’Amore – reviewing the latter, BBC Music Magazine described her as ‘a remarkable artist, charming, fascinating and boldly risk-taking by turns’).