NEW ON NAXOS | DECEMBER 2023
Francesco CAVALLI (1602–1676) Il Xerse Dramma per musica in a prologue and three acts (1655) Libretto by Nicolò Minato (c. 1627–1698) Critical edition by Sara Elisa Stangalino and Hendrik Schulze (2019) – abridged version Sung in Italian Dioklea Hoxha, Carolina Lippo, Ekaterina Protsenko, Sopranos • Gaia Petrone, Mezzo-soprano Carlo Vistoli, Countertenor • Orchestra Barocca Modo Antiquo • Federico Maria Sardelli Francesco Cavalli was successor to Monteverdi and the most influential opera composer in Venice during the mid-17th century. His dramma per musica , Il Xerse , was innovative for the period, with a tangled plot of affections and relationships based on history rather than mythology. Its enormous success was due in no small part to Xerse’s bizarre and overblown character and his famous declaration of love for a tree, ‘Ombra mai fu’. Cavalli’s Il Xerse is commedia dell’arte theatre that creates an exotic world aimed at inspiring awe in its audiences, enhanced with music that conveys an avalanche of emotions. Key Features: • The audiovisual premiere performance of this release has previously been available from the Dynamic label (DYN-37983/DYN-57983) released in June. • The strong cast for this production is led by countertenor Carlo Vistoli (Xerse) who has worked closely with conductors such as William Christie and John Eliot Gardiner. • Award-winning Italian mezzo-soprano Gaia Petrone (Arsamene) graduated magna cum laude in singing at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and has performed widely as a soloist in numerous leading roles. • Soprano Carolina Lippo (Romilda) has worked in numerous renowned Italian and international theatres and festivals, and recorded a variety of roles for record and audio-visual labels.
8.660536-37 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Italian baroque opera
NEW
8.660187-88 8.660529-30
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Click to listen to Act I: Sinfonia –
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WORLD PREMIERE RECORDINGS
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Concertos Nos. 19 and 25 (arr. Ignaz Lachner) Alon Goldstein, Piano • Fine Arts Quartet
Mozart’s return to Vienna in 1781 initiated a remarkable period of inventiveness and productivity. In late 1784 he wrote the Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major , a work Mozart performed in Frankfurt on the occasion of Leopold II’s election as Holy Roman Emperor and which is notable for its rhythmic vivacity and sense of colour. In 1786 he wrote the Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major – a work that stretched the concerto genre considerably with its operatic qualities and dramatic dialogue. Ignaz Lachner’s ingenious transcriptions show a complete grasp of Mozart’s idiom, incorporating much instrumental detail and reinventing the music’s underlying dramatic scheme within a chamber context. Key Feature: Pianist Alon Goldstein performs on Volume 24 of the complete Scarlatti keyboard edition which can be heard on 8.574196. Crescendo (France) wrote, ‘The ornamentation is precise, the accents are deliberately striking, even provocative, the beautiful overall architecture well thought out. We ask for more Scarlatti to be played like this!’
8.574477 Release Date: 1 Dec 2023
Companion Titles – Previous releases in Mozart’s Piano Concertos series
Click to listen to Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K. 459: III. Allegro assai (cadenza by Mozart)
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