Mercadante: Virginia (Remastered) London Philharmonic Orchestra & Maurizio Benini

• Saverio Mercadante (1795 - 1870): Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1:
• 1Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: Introduzione03:22
• 2Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Qui Roma" (Chorus)03:14
• 3Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Ahime! ... Ahime! ..." (Chorus)02:54
• 4Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Si vegga la gioia" (Chorus)02:20
• 5Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Di sozza la gioia" (Appio)03:59
• 6Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Alfin tu giungi! ..." (Appio)02:48
• 7Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Al cor furente ed ebro" (Appio)03:28
• 8Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "La, della madre" (Tullia, Maidens)04:32
• 9Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Figlia, ti scuoti" (Tullia)05:26
• 10Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Icilio, quel magnanimo" (Maidens)05:22
• 11Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Tullie, se m'ami" (Virginia, Tullia, Appio)01:57
• 12Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Virginia?" (Appio, Virginia, Icilio)06:00
• 13Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Come! ... Il ver discerno?" (Appio, Virginia, Icilio)01:40
• 14Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Paventa insano" (Icilio, Appio, Virginia)05:09
• 15Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Dell' odio antico" (Appio, Virginia, Icilio)01:32
• 16Mercadante: Virginia, Act 1: "Calcando il mio cadavere" (Icilio, Appio, Virginia)04:11
• Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2:
• 17Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Eccomi alfin" (Virginio)02:48
• 18Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Oh! quante volte" (Virginio)03:18
• 19Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Oh! me infelice! ..." (Virginia)04:49
• 20Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Virginio!" (Icilio, Virginio)02:32
• 21Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Allor che avvinti" (Icilio, Virginia)02:48
• 22Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Eccone a te" (Tullia, Maidens)01:45
• 23Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "La gioia di quest' anima" (Icilio, Virginia)03:17
• 24Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Dallo stellato empireo" (Priests)07:24
• 25Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Fermate ..." (Marco)03:58
• 26Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Iniquo!" (Icilio)05:09
• 27Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Ne ti ritraggi" (Icilio)02:38
• 28Mercadante: Virginia, Act 2: "Ah! perfido!" (Icilio)03:10
• Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3:
• 29Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Si, ch'egli lasci" (Appio, Marco)02:31
• 30Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Ad ora Tarda" (Icilio, Appio)00:53
• 31Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Si opporrebbe" (Appio, Icilio)03:08
• 32Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Tant'osi?" (Appio, Icilio)04:54
• 33Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Come insensata giace" (Tullia, Maidens)04:24
• 34Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Sacri Penati" (Virginia, Virginio)06:09
• 35Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Che fia?" (Tullia, Maidens)03:21
• 36Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "In vestimenti squallidi" (Populace)05:23
• 37Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Mira d'innanzi" (Appio)02:20
• 38Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "All' empia sentenza" (Virginio, Virginia, Tullia, Valerio, Populace)07:45
• 39Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Nera idea! ..." (Virginio)00:54
• 40Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Ah! m'odi almeno" (Virginio)03:08
• 41Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Ch'io t'annodi" (Virginia)06:41
• 42Mercadante: Virginia, Act 3: "Or sian divisi" (Appio)01:55
• Total Runtime02:34:56

Info for Mercadante: Virginia (Remastered)

Many 19th century Italian operatic composers had problems with censors. Verdi's disputes over Rigoletto notorious, but many other works by Rossini and Donizetti were rewritten to appease the arbiters of what was deemed morally, religiously or politically correct. Another victim was Saverio Mercadante. 'Virginia', completed in 1850, was not performed until 1866 because the composer refused to make alterations. The work is set in ancient Rome where the heroine, daughter of the soldier Virginio, is assailed by the corrupt and powerful Appio as part of an ongoing conflict between patricians and plebeians. It ends with Virginia's father stabbing her rather than relinquish his daughter to their oppressor.

"Maurizio Benini draws a strong and stylish performance from the London Philharmonic, and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir makes vivid contributions. Susan Patterson... delivers her opening cabaletta with bravura and generally discloses a soprano of impressive amplitude." (BBC Music Magazine)

"Maurizio Benini conducts with appreciative understanding of the traditions and his players bring out the full flavour of Mercadante's imaginative score. ... the only soloist of whom much is asked in the way of florid singing is the soprano, and Susan Patterson has mastered the technical difficulties of her role with impressive success." (Gramophone Magazine)

Susan Patterson, soprano (Virginia)
Stefano Antonucci, baritone (Virginio)
Paul Charles Clarke, tenor (Appio)
Charles Castronovo, tenor (Icilio)
Andrew Foster-Williams, bass-baritone (Marco)
Katherine Manley, soprano (Tullia)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Maurizio Benini, conductor

Maurizio Benini
After his debut at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with Il Signor Bruschino and engagements in major Italian opera houses and festivals, Maurizio Benini made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala in 1992 with La donna del lago and Don Carlo, followed by Pagliacci, Don Pasquale and Rigoletto. In the same year he also conducted La scala di seta at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, where he returned subsequently for L’occasione fa il ladro, Le siege de Corinthe and again for La scala di seta. He appears regularly with the Opéra de Paris and has also conducted at the Wexford Festival, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden where he conducted the concert performances of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux recorded by Opera Rara (ORC24). For Opera Rara he has conducted concert performances at the Edinburgh International Festival of Rossini’s Zelmira (ORC27) and La Donna del lago (ORC34) plus studio recordings of Mercadante’s Virginia (ORC39) and Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira (ORC46) and in the autumn of 2015 will conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra in our studio recording of Leoncavallo’s Zazà which will also be given in concert at London’s Barbican on Friday 27 November 2015. Maurizio Benini is Associate Conductor for Opera Rara.

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