Viva a França

Gioachino Rossini’s opera Adelaide di Borgogna was completed quickly even for that quite prolific composer, premiering less than seven weeks after his previous work, Armida, in a different theater (Teatro Argentina) in a different town (Rome). The libretto, by Giovanni Federico Schmidt, is an old-fashioned opera seria about an Italian queen, Adelaide, whose husband has been defeated and killed by the usurper Berengario and his son, Adelberto in 10th-century Italy. Adelaide’s apparent only choice is to be ignobly forced to marry the son to give a degree of political legitimacy to the new regime.

Here are two comic operas by Paisiello, taped live in July, 2002 at the Martina Franca Festival. In Le due contesse, when the Countess and her suitor Leandro leave for vacation, and a widower–Cavaliere–comes to the door looking for the Countess, the servants Livietta and Prospero tell the Cavaliere that she, Livietta, is the Countess. Cavaliere begins to court her. Guess what? Yup–the real Countess and Leandro come back and Livietta tells the Cavaliere that she’s allowing her servant, really the Countess, to act like a Countess. Prospero tries to convince the real Countess to pay attention to the Cavaliere (who, by now, is confused), and this makes Leandro jealous. Anger/mirth ensues; a duel is suggested but is averted. The real Countess, in fact, falls for the Cavaliere, and somehow Livietta gets together with Leandro.

The classic music station Catalonia Música celebrates its 30th anniversary. This 3CD edition brings together thirty years of history, not only of the station but also of other musical events that have taken place over these years, as well as news from other areas, which have as much to do with the art as with everyday life. As a musical memory, it offers a collage of headlines that summarizes three decades: each record includes ten years: from May 10, 1987 to May 10, 2017. The listener will travel through more than thirty large-format recordings. historical value, accompanied by some of the most reputable interpreters and directors: Pablo Casals, José Cura, Joyce DiDonato, Angela Gheorghiu, Henryk Gorecki, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Herbert von Karajan, Rafael Kubelik, Alicia de Larrocha, Sir Neville Marriner, Yehudi Menuhin, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Riccardo Muti, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Mark Turner, among others.