COMPOSERS: Mayr
LABELS: Opera Rara
WORKS: Medea in Corinto
PERFORMER: Jane Eaglen, Yvonne Kenny, Bruce Ford, Raúl Giménez, Alastair Miles, Anne MasonGeoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra/David Parry
CATALOGUE NO: ORC 11 DDD
It is a credit to Opera Rara that this complex but neglected work (by a German with a profound influence on Italian opera) is available on CD.
Outstanding among the excellent and largely anglophone cast of eight are sopranos Yvonne Kenny, who unites fearless coloratura with gleaming, limpid legato, and Jane Eaglen, thrilling in the title role. Of the four tenors, noted Rossinian Bruce Ford is remarkable, particularly in his ability to control top notes so steadily.
Only a cavernous and dead acoustic mars the sound. Claire Wrathall