Mercadante: Orazi e Curiazi
Published:
COMPOSERS: Mercadante
LABELS: Opera Rara
WORKS: Orazi e Curiazi
PERFORMER: Alastair Miles, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Nelly Miricioiu, Jennifer Rhys-DaviesPhilharmonia Orchestra/David Parry
CATALOGUE NO: ORC 12 DDD
This year marks the bicentenary of Mercadante’s birth and, since he was regarded as the most distinguished of Rossini’s followers for much of the 19th century, this recording provides a welcome insight into his dramatic, often lush, musical scoring. Although there is a great deal of formulaic writing, Mercadante does vary the traditional forms of the set numbers. Miricioiu alternates between a sensational and a quite wild vocal sound; Michaels-Moore and Miles are both excellent. Elise McDougall