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Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou

Annick Massis (Margherita d'Anjou), Bruce Ford (Duke of Lavarenne), Daniela Barcellona (Isaura), Alastair Miles (Carlo), Fabio Previati (Michele), Pauls Putnins (Duke of Gloucester), Colin Lee (Bellapunta), Roland Wood (Orner)

Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry

Margaret of Anjou, the widow of Henry VI, is more familiar to us as the embittered old crone in Shakespeare's Richard III. In the opera she's relatively young and beautiful, and loved by the... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 10th Sep 2003
Catalogue No: ORC25
Label: Opera Rara
Length: 2 hours 52 minutes

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Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou: Sinfonia Militare

Work length6:30

$1.30

$1.70

London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Parry

Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou, Act 1

Work length1:27:27

$37.70

$49.30

Della Jones (mezzo-soprano), Colin Lee (tenor), Alastair Miles (bass), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano), Bruce Ford (tenor), Fabio Previati (baritone), Annick Massis (soprano), Nelly Miricioiu (soprano), Linda Kitchen (soprano), Robin Leggate (tenor), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Roland Wood
David Parry

"Quattro! Cinque!" (Bellapunta, Orner, Chorus of Soldiers, a Soldier, Chorus of Provisioners, Carlo)

Track length5:43

$1.30

$1.70

"Miei fedeli, queste prove" (Margherita, Chorus, Carlo)

Track length2:10

$1.30

$1.70

"O speme d'un regno, mio solo sostegno" (Margherita, Carlo)

Track length2:07

$1.30

$1.70

"Ma qual suono da lunge si ascolta?" (Soldiers and Provisioners, an Officer, Margherita, Chorus)

Track length1:41

$1.30

$1.70

"Il contento e il piacer di vittoria" (Margherita, Chorus, Carlo)

Track length2:11

$1.30

$1.70

"Profittiam del tumulto ..." (Carlo, Voices, Michele)

Track length2:12

$1.30

$1.70

"Alfin respiro! I voti miei son paghi" (Isaura, Michele)

Track length2:13

$1.30

$1.70

"Ah! Tu non sai com' io l'adoro" (Isaura, Michele)

Track length4:42

$1.30

$1.70

"Questa speme che mi avanza" (Isaura, Michele)

Track length3:23

$1.30

$1.70

"Insomma, mia signora" (Michele, Isaura)

Track length1:24

$1.30

$1.70

"Fra gli applausi e lieti evviva" (Chorus of Soldiers)

Track length2:11

$1.30

$1.70

"Regina, al nostro, oprar" (Lavarenne, Margherita)

Track length2:30

$1.30

$1.70

"E riposta in questi accenti" (Lavarenne)

Track length1:57

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$1.70

"Da cosi bell' impresa" (Lavarenne, Isaura, Michele, Margherita, Chorus)

Track length4:34

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"Per noi di gloria gia splende un raggio ..." (Lavarenne, Margherita, Chorus, Isaura, Michele)

Track length2:30

$1.30

$1.70

"Maesta, due Francesi" (Bellapunta, Isaura, Michele, Margherita, Lavarenne)

Track length2:15

$1.30

$1.70

"Non vi e riparo, e guinto alfine, e guinto" (Lavarenne)

Track length0:50

$1.30

$1.70

"Eccolo ... o caro sposo" (Isaura, Lavarenne)

Track length3:02

$1.30

$1.70

"Si mesto e pensoso" (Isaura, Lavarenne)

Track length4:40

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$1.70

"Secondiam si dolce istinto" (Lavarenne, Isaura)

Track length3:10

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$1.70

"Regina, in questo istante" (Lavarenne, Margherita, Carlo)

Track length0:45

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"Eccovi, o prodi ..." (Margherita)

Track length1:20

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"Fra gli applausi e i lieti viva" (Chorus, Michele, Bellapunta)

Track length1:22

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"E carlo ancor non torna?" (Gertrude, One of the Chorus, Another of the Chorus)

Track length2:40

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"Fra quest'ombre, e queste rupi" (Isaura, Lavarenne, Michele)

Track length9:32

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"Ciel m'assisti ..." (Margherita, the Highlanders)

Track length2:30

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"Crudel cimento!" (Isaura, Margherita, Lavarenne, Carlo, Michele)

Track length3:01

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$1.70

"Fissami gli occhi in fronte" (Carlo, Margherita, Lavarenne, Michele, Isaura, Chorus, the Highlanders, Bellapunta)

Track length7:07

$1.30

$1.70

"Ma piu d'appresso squilla la tromba" (Everyone)

Track length3:45

$1.30

$1.70

Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou, Act 2

Work length1:06:37

$23.40

$30.60

Annick Massis (soprano), Colin Lee (tenor), Robin Leggate (tenor), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano), Della Jones (mezzo-soprano)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Parry

"Che bell'alba!" (Chorus)

Track length6:21

$1.30

$1.70

"Dolci alberghi di pace" (Margherita)

Track length4:43

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$1.70

"Che mai giova il serto?" (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)

Track length5:43

$1.30

$1.70

"Incerto palpito" (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)

Track length2:52

$1.30

$1.70

"Ritiratevi, amici, ognun di voi" (Carlo, Michele, Isaura)

Track length4:43

$1.30

$1.70

"Finche della tenzon l'ora s'appressa" (Lavarenne, Bellapunta)

Track length0:36

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$1.70

"Ah! Si. Pur troppo, io sono il piu infelice" (Lavarenne)

Track length1:59

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"Tu, che le vie segrete" (Lavarenne)

Track length3:17

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"D'un tal piacer la piena" (Lavarenne)

Track length1:29

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$1.70

"Eccomi di chirungo e di dottore" (Michele, Carlo, Glocester)

Track length3:04

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"Pensa e guarda, amico, all'erta!" (Carlo, Glocester, Michele)

Track length5:50

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$1.70

"Ecco, alterzza, a voi davanti" (Carlo, Glocester, Margherita, Michele)

Track length4:11

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$1.70

"Oh! Rabbia! Oh furore!" (Lavarenne, Isaura, Margherita, Carlo, Glocester)

Track length4:16

$1.30

$1.70

"Piomba il fulmine del cielo" (Margherita, Isaura, Lavarenne, Carlo, Michele, Glocester, Chorus)

Track length1:49

$1.30

$1.70

"Bravi, bravi, amiconi!" (Bellapunta)

Track length2:04

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$1.70

"O ciel! Qual mai contrasto" (Isaura)

Track length2:02

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"Mio pianto rasciuga" (Isaura, Chorus, Michele, Margherita, Lavarenne)

Track length6:59

$1.30

$1.70

"Ah! Sposo adorabile" (Isaura, Chorus)

Track length4:39

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Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou, Appendix, Act 2

Work length11:35

$3.90

$5.10

Annick Massis (soprano), Robin Leggate (tenor)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
David Parry

"Dolce albergo di pace, ombrose piante" (Margherita)

Track length3:38

$1.30

$1.70

"Perche mai sedurmi amore" (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)

Track length4:57

$1.30

$1.70

"Cabaletta incerto palpito" (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)

Track length3:00

$1.30

$1.70

Reviews
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Reviews

2010

Margaret of Anjou, the widow of Henry VI, is more familiar to us as the embittered old crone in Shakespeare's Richard III. In the opera she's relatively young and beautiful, and loved by the tenor, a married man. The action takes place in Scotland where Margaret's forces are being pursued by Richard's. The tenor's dilemma is whether to follow his strong inclination to remain the Queen's lover or to return to his loving wife, Isaura, who, unknown to him, has followed him to Scotland in disguise.
The opera is called a melodramma semiseria, which is appropriate partly because from the very first bars of the Overture it's clear that we can't be expected to take it seriously, and partly because another principal role is that of the comical army surgeon, Michele, who in the nick of time summons a doughty troop of Highlanders to thwart Richard, who at that point has the rest of the cast at his mercy.
The first notes – 'diddly-diddly um-pom-pom' – may well deter the listener from going further, especially as the fatuous motif is heard six times more, plus twice in the minor and several times Opera Meyerbeer 748 referentially in crescendo. But that would be a pity.
The singing and orchestration are good, and the semiseria element stimulates invention and interest: Isaura's plaintive aria and hopeful cabaletta are combined with a buffo subtext for Michele, and in the cottage scene of Act 2 the tension of Richard's unsocial visit is partly diffused, partly increased, by Michele's prevarications, a surreal situation along the lines of Richard III-meets- Benny Hill. Margherita has a gentle and rather beautiful solo. Particularly charming are the choruses that come just before, slightly suggestive of the villagers in Cavalleria rusticana.
Daniela Barcellona as Isaura has a rich contralto that takes flight in the final solo, surprisingly snatched from the eponymous soprano.
She, Annick Massis, is a great find, pure and warm in tone, and accomplished in technique.
Bruce Ford gives special pleasure in his cantabile aria 'Tu, che le vie segrete'. Fabio Previati plays Michele effectively, singing well and keeping the patter on its toes without too much clowning.
Alastair Miles's Carlo, potentially the most interesting character, is admirably fluent in passagework but rather lacking in colour and bite.
Chorus and orchestra are in good form, David Parry helping to bring out the best in them, as in Meyerbeer, too.

Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou

3 CDs

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