SAVERIO MERCADANTE (1795-1870): Maria Stuarda regina di Scozia.

Description: The best 79 minutes of this 1821 opera which appears to have had only four other perfomances ever after its premiere. Opera Rara attributes part of the reason for that to the incredibly difficult role for the lead soprano. The work is also very delicate in many places, requiring much piano and pianissimo singing and, shorn from some of the poor libretto's superfluous characters, what remains here is as glittering and beautiful as anything Mercadante wrote. Italian-English libretto. Judith Howarth (soprano), Jennifer Larmore, Manuela Custer (mezzos), Colin Lee (tenor), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra; Antonello Allemandi.