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Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama)

Michael Spyres (Vasco da Gama), Claudia Mahnke (Sélika), Brian Mulligan (Nélusko), Andreas Bauer Kanabas (Don Pédro), Thomas Faulkner (Don Diego), Kirsten MacKinnon (Ines), Bianca Andrew (Anna), Michael McCown (Don Alvar)

Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Antonello...

Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama)

Awards:

What has kept the piece in the repertoire is singing and it’s the cast that make this new recording, with Michael Spyres every inch the heroic explorer Vasco de Gama...He dominates the Act 1...

BBC Music Magazine, July 20245 out of 5 stars

More reviews

Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama)

Michael Spyres (Vasco da Gama), Claudia Mahnke (Sélika), Brian Mulligan (Nélusko), Andreas Bauer Kanabas (Don Pédro), Thomas Faulkner (Don Diego), Kirsten MacKinnon (Ines), Bianca Andrew (Anna), Michael McCown (Don Alvar)

Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Antonello...

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Awards:

What has kept the piece in the repertoire is singing and it’s the cast that make this new recording, with Michael Spyres every inch the heroic explorer Vasco de Gama...He dominates the Act 1...

BBC Music Magazine, July 20245 out of 5 stars

More reviews

About

At a late stage in its composition Meyerbeer changed the name of his opera L’Africaine to Vasco da Gama and completed it the day before he died in 1864. Changes were then made by the Belgian musicologist and composer François-Joseph Fétis who prepared a performing version from the extensive score material, retaining the title L’Africaine, before the opera’s premiere in April 1865. The plot concerns the famed Portuguese navigator and his series of love entanglements cast as a magnificent grand opéra. This production is based on the critical edition of the full score and reflects Meyerbeer’s original intentions.

Artists

Michael Spyres (Vasco da Gama), Claudia Mahnke (Sélika), Brian Mulligan (Nélusko), Andreas Bauer Kanabas (Don Pédro), Thomas Faulkner (Don Diego), Kirsten MacKinnon (Ines), Bianca Andrew (Anna), Michael McCown (Don Alvar)

Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Antonello Manacorda

  • Release date: 10th May 2024
  • Label: Naxos
  • Catalogue number: 8660558-60
  • Length: 3 hours 20 minutes

Contents and tracklist

Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk): Ouverture
Work length4:40
Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk), Act I
Work length43:06
  • Kirsten MacKinnon, Bianca Andrew, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Kirsten MacKinnon (soloist), Bianca Andrew (soloist), Kirsten MacKinnon, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Kirsten MacKinnon, Thomas Faulkner, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Hyun Ouk Cho, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Thomas Faulkner (soloist), Andreas Bauer Kanabas (soloist), Hyun Ouk Cho (soloist), Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Thomas Faulkner, Magnús Baldvinsson, Michael McCown, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Magnús Baldvinsson (soloist), Michael McCown (soloist), Michael Spyres, Michael McCown, Magnús Baldvinsson, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Thomas Faulkner, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Michael Spyres (soloist), Michael Spyres, Magnús Baldvinsson, Thomas Faulkner, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Thomas Faulkner, Brian Mulligan, Claudia Mahnke, Michael Spyres, Michael McCown, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Brian Mulligan (soloist), Claudia Mahnke (soloist), Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Michael McCown, Thomas Faulkner, Magnús Baldvinsson, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Michael Spyres, Magnús Baldvinsson, Thomas Faulkner, Michael McCown, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda
  • Oper Frankfurt
  • Antonello Manacorda
Anna, qu'entends-je (Inès, Anna)
Track length3:49
Romance. Adieu, mon doux rivage (Inès)
Track length4:57
Mon père, par votre ordre (Inès, Don Diégo, Don Pédro, L’huissier)
Track length5:24
Dieu que le monde révère (Don Pédro, Don Diégo, L’inquisiteur, Chorus, Don Alvar)
Track length5:08
J'ai vu, nobles seigneurs (Vasco, Don Alvar, L’inquisiteur, Don Pédro, Don Diégo, Chorus)
Track length5:36
Un mot encore avant que vous délibériez (Vasco, L’inquisiteur, Don Diégo, Don Pédro)
Track length1:02
Esclaves, approchez! (Don Pédro, Don Diégo, Nélusko, Sélika, Vasco, Don Alvar)
Track length1:27
Mais parle donc, parle, Sélika (Vasco, Sélika, Nélusko, Don Pédro)
Track length2:48
Il faut avec ardeur seconder sa vaillance! (Don Alvar, Don Diégo, Chorus, L’inquisiteur, Don Pédro)
Track length5:36
Le conseil souverain (Don Pédro, Vasco, L’inquisiteur, Chorus, Don Diégo, Don Alvar)
Track length7:19
Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk), Act II
Work length33:31
  • Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Michael Spyres (soloist), Claudia Mahnke (soloist), Claudia Mahnke, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Brian Mulligan (soloist), Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Michael Spyres, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Claudia Mahnke, Michael Spyres, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Kirsten MacKinnon, Brian Mulligan, Bianca Andrew, Michael McCown, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Andreas Bauer Kanabas (soloist), Kirsten MacKinnon (soloist), Bianca Andrew (soloist), Michael McCown (soloist)
  • Oper Frankfurt
  • Antonello Manacorda
Entr'acte - Vogue, vogue, mon beau navire (Vasco, Sélika)
Track length4:22
Air du Sommeil. Sur mes genoux, fils du soleil (Sélika)
Track length3:37
Nélusko! - Pour l'honneur de notre souveraine (Sélika, Nélusko)
Track length2:20
Air. Peut-être! - Achève!… (Sélika, Nélusko, Vasco)
Track length3:15
Recitative. Le maître a-t-il faim? - Duo. Terrible et fatal promontoire (Sélika, Vasco)
Track length5:37
Final. On nous l’avait bien dit! (Don Pédro, Vasco, Sélika, Inès, Nélusko, Anna, Don Alvar)
Track length14:20
Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk), Act III
Work length40:58
  • Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Andreas Bauer Kanabas (soloist), Isaac Lee (soloist), Patrick Henckens (soloist), Thomas Charrois (soloist), Hyeonjoon Kwon (soloist), Kirsten MacKinnon (soloist), Michael McCown (soloist), Brian Mulligan (soloist), Michael Spyres (soloist), Claudia Mahnke (soloist), Bianca Andrew (soloist), Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Michael McCown, Kirsten MacKinnon, Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Isaac Lee, Frankfurt Opera Chorus and Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra featuring Antonello Manacorda
  • Oper Frankfurt
  • Antonello Manacorda
Entr'acte
Track length3:20
Le rapide et léger navire (Chorus, Don Pédro)
Track length3:34
Debout matelots, l’équipage debout! (4 Sailors, Chorus)
Track length2:41
L’Appel au déjeuner
Track length0:51
Ronde bachique. Il faut du vin - Adieu, rives du Tage (A Sailor, Chorus, Inès)
Track length2:51
Ah! c’est vous, Don Alvar? - Holà! matelots, le vent change! (Don Pédro, Don Alvar, Nélusko, A Sailor, Chorus)
Track length6:02
Ballade. Tra, la, la… - Ah! Vous bravez, insensés que vous êtes (Nélusko, Chorus)
Track length2:19
Recitative. Un navire, portant pavillon portuguais - Duo. Eh quoi, d’une perte certaine (A Sailor, Nélusko, Don Alvar, Vasco, Don Pédro)
Track length8:45
Recitative. Au mât du vaisseau qu’on l’attache (Don Pédro, Vasco, Sélika, Inès, Nélusko, Chorus)
Track length1:25
Septet. Pour Inès - Vile esclave - Dans l’effroi (Vasco, Chorus, Don Pédro, Anna, Don Alvar, Sélika, Inès, Nélusko)
Track length2:50
Qu’on l’entraîne à l’instant (Don Pédro, Don Alvar, Inès, Sélika, Nelusko, A Sailor, Chorus)
Track length6:20
Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk), Act IV
Work length40:07
Entr’acte - Entrée de la Reine - Marche indienne
Track length4:25
Nous jurons par Brahma - Recitative. Jamais, tu l’as juré (High Priest, Chorus, Nélusko, Sélika, A Priest)
Track length4:02
Soleil, qui sur nous (Chorus)
Track length1:03
Air. O ciel! Que vois-je? (Vasco, Chorus, Sélika)
Track length7:18
Sélika! - Vouloir le soustraire au supplice! (Vasco, Nélusko, High Priest, Chorus, Sélika)
Track length3:43
Cavatine. L'avoir tant adorée! (Nélusko, Chorus, High Priest, Sélika, Vasco)
Track length4:05
Final. Brahma! Wischnou! Schiva! Gloire à vous! (High Priest, Chorus, Sélika, Vasco)
Track length5:21
Final. Où suis-je? Quelle extase m’inonde de plaisir? (Vasco, Sélika)
Track length3:53
Final. Duo. Toi? Mon amant? (Sélika, Vasco)
Track length6:17
Meyerbeer: L'Africaine (Vasco da Gama, Ed. Jürgen Selk), Act V
Work length37:53
  • Kirsten MacKinnon, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Kirsten MacKinnon (soloist), Kirsten MacKinnon, Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Michael Spyres (soloist), Claudia Mahnke (soloist), Claudia Mahnke, Kirsten MacKinnon, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Brian Mulligan (soloist), Claudia Mahnke, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Claudia Mahnke, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda, Claudia Mahnke, Brian Mulligan, Frankfurt Opera Chorus, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra and Antonello Manacorda
  • Oper Frankfurt
  • Antonello Manacorda
Entr'acte - Recitative. Là-bas, sous l’arbre noir (Inès)
Track length2:53
Ne m’abusé-je pas? (Inès, Vasco, Sélika)
Track length3:02
Duo. Avant que ma vengeance (Sélika, Inès)
Track length8:05
Recitative. Emmenez cette femme! (Sélika, Nélusko)
Track length3:31
D'ici, je vois la mer, immense… (Sélika)
Track length3:40
Cavatine. La haine m'abandonne (Sélika)
Track length2:47
Recitative. Ô riante couleur! - Air. Quels célestes accords! (Sélika, Chorus)
Track length10:16
C'est ici le séjour (Chorus, Sélika)
Track length1:12
Final. Ah! Je veille encore, je suis terre! - C'est ici le séjour - Ô douleur! (Sélika, Nélusko, Chorus)
Track length2:27

Awards and reviews

  • International Classical Music Awards
    2025
    Nominated - Opera

July 2024

What has kept the piece in the repertoire is singing and it’s the cast that make this new recording, with Michael Spyres every inch the heroic explorer Vasco de Gama...He dominates the Act 1 finale with a ringing top that could launch an expeditionary fleet singlehanded...All credit too to conductor Antonello Manacorda for steering so straight a course through all five acts.
5 out of 5 stars

Opera Now Autumn 2024

The performance is wonderful and the cast is up to Meyerbeer’s punishing vocal demands…[MacKinnon’s] soprano is clear and flexible… Manacorda conducts with a great sense of structure, but also highlighting the delicacy of much of Meyerbeer’s scoring.
5 out of 5 stars
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