Coming Soon,
Maometto Secondo from Garsington
Now firmly ensconced in their new home at Wormsley Park Estate in Buckinghamshire, the innovative British company Garsington Opera are set to release their first commercial recording - Rossini's 1820 opera Maometto Secondo, which received its British premiere at last year's Festival.
Garsington has real form when it comes to Rossini (a dozen of his operas have been staged there in the festival's relatively short lifetime), and the production was greeted with stellar reviews: The Guardian's George Hall observed that 'All four principals acquit themselves honourably in Rossini's taxing vocal writing, while conductor David Parry leads a bold general assault on the score', whilst the Financial Times opined that 'Garsington makes it seem one of Rossini’s best operas...brilliantly orchestrated...[and] dramatically powerful'.
The cast includes Darren Jeffery as the eponymous Sultan, Paul Nilon as his Venetian adversary Erisso, rising star Siân Davies as his daughter Anna (a hugely demanding role originally written for Rossini's future wife, Isabella Colbran), and bright young Australian mezzo Caitlin Hulcup in the trouser-role of Calbo; bel canto specialist David Parry conducts the Festival Orchestra & Chorus. Maometto Secondo will be released later this year on Avie Records.
Recent recordings by the Maometto Secondo team:
Katherine Cooper - Head of Editorial
