GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901): Hymn of the Nations, Libera me, Domine from Messa per Rossini, La vergine degli angeli from Act 2 of La forza del destino, 4 pezzi sacri.

Description: After a disc of Italian opera intermezzi two months ago, Chandos again offer something not really Chandosian - this collection of choral Verdi, anchored by the much-recorded "Four Sacred Pieces" and including his own piece of the multi-composer mass for Rossini, a short excerpt from La forza and the rarely recorded Hymn, written for an international exposition in London in 1862. The latter also includes a beautiful melody for tenor and closes by putting the English, Italian and French national anthems into a grand contrapuntal mixer. Italian-English texts. Barbara Frittoli (soprano), Francesco Meli (tenor), Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro Regio, Turin; Gianandrea Noseda.