Rare Complete French Opera Recordings From Roberto Alagna

In what seems to be a collaboration between tenor Roberto Alagna and the Orchestre National de Montpellier, Deutsche Grammophon releases its second rare French opera recording featuring the two. The first release in 2009 was Massenet's Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame and this time around it is Lalo's Fiesque. The latter is taken from a 2006 concert performance and is finally seeing the light of day.

"Le jongleur de Notre-Dame is an opera in three acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Maurice Léna. It was first performed in Monte Carlo on February 18, 1902. It is based on the story of the same name by Anatole France, which was in turn based on a 13th-century medieval legend by Gautier de Coincy, c. 1220. The role of Jean the juggler was popularized in the United States by the famous soprano, Mary Garden, which, according to some sources, horrified composer Massenet, who meant the role for a tenor. Garden's undertaking of the role was in the tradition of actresses of that era playing Peter Pan. The opera was popular in the early part of the twentieth century, due partly to Mary Garden's appearances in it, but it soon disappeared from the world's stages, as did many of Massenet's other operas. In the mid-1970s, the complete opera was recorded in stereo for the first time, and this recording, with the late tenor Alain Vanzo as Jean and the late baritone Jules Bastin as Boniface, was released on compact disc most recently in 2003, closely followed by another CD containing a live performance of the work, again with Vanzo. This has subsequently led to new revivals of the opera in the United States, usually in more modern dress." [Source]

"Fiesque (The Genoese Conspiracy) is an opera by the French composer Édouard Lalo. The libretto, by Charles Beauquier, is based on Schiller's 1784 play, Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua, an account of the conspiracy in 1547 led by Fiesque against the ruling Doria family. It had its first staged performance at the Nationaltheater, Mannheim on 16 June 2007. The concert premiere was on July 27, 2006 at the Festival de Radio France et Montpellier with Roberto Alagna in the title role. The UK premiere took place on March 10, 2008 in a production by University College Opera." [Source]

If you can't get enough of Mr. Alagna, his former label EMI is putting out a 3-CD set of what they deem to be his best works from the back-catalog (well, most of the French works at least that make up most of the set). This compilation takes excerpts from albums of arias, duets and even full opera recordings dating back to 1996. A complete track list for Mes plus grands rôles à l'opéra is after the jump.

And if you're looking for something on the less operatic side, wait until DG releases Pasión in November 2001. The album will feature Cuban boleros and Argentinean tangos.

Disc 1
01	De grâce, demeurez! - No. 4 Madrigal: Ange adorable (Roméo/Juliette): Roméo et Juliette, ACT I  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Orchestre du Capit
02	No. 7 Cavatine: L'amour! l'amour!...Ah! lève-toi, soleil! (Roméo): Roméo et Juliette, ACT II  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/M
03	Ah! jour de deuil et d'horreur et d'alarmes (Roméo/Le Duc/Capulet/Stéphano/Benvolio/Choeur): Roméo et Juliette - Highli  -Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Choeur du Capito
04	Va! Je t'ai pardonné: Roméo et Juliette  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Orchestre du Capit
05	Acte V: C'est la!...Salut! tombeau! sombre et silencieux!: Roméo et Juliette - Highlights  - Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Choeur du Capito
06	Je ne sais si je veille (Werther): Werther  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
07	Acte II: Un autre est son époux...J'aurais sur ma poitrine: Werther  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Thomas Hampson/Pat
08	Acte II: Pourquoi trembler devant la mort...Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage, avant l'heure: Werther  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/Thomas Hampson/Pat
09	Toute mon âme est là!...Pourquoi me réveiller ô souffle du printemps? (Werther): Werther  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
10	Act I: J'ai marqué l'heure du départ...Nous vivrons à Paris tous les deux: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
11	En fermant les yeux je vois là bas (Des Grieux/Manon): Manon, Act II  -Roberto Alagna/Orchestre Symphonique de la Monnaie
12	Act III: Je suis seul! Seul enfin!...Ah! fuyez, douce image: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
13	Act III: Toi! Vous!...Oui, c'est moi!: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Earle Patriarco/Jo
14	Ah! Des Grieux: Manon  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Orchestre Symphoni
Disc 2
01	José! / Micaëla (Don José/Micaëla) No.7 Duo: Parle-moi de ma mère (Don José/Micaëla): Carmen, Act I, No.6 bis Récit  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre National du Capitole de T
02	La fleur que tu m'avais jetée (Don José): Carmen, Act II, No.17 Duo (continued...)  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestre National du Capitole de T
03	Acte III: Va-t'en, va t'en, tu feras bien: Carmen  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Inv
04	Acte IV: C'est toi! C'est moi!: Carmen  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Inv
05	Acte I: Sur la tombe de mon père...: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
06	Acte III: Tombes de mes aïeux: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
07	Acte III: O bel ange, dont les ailes: Lucie de Lammermoor  - Natalie Dessay/Ludovic Tézier/Roberto Alagna/Marc
08	Fontainebleau ! Forêt immense et solitaire ! (Don Carlos): Don Carlos - Acte I - Récit et romance  - Antonio Pappano - Orchestre De Paris - Roberto Al
09	Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes (Don Carlos/Rodrigue/Choeur/Un Moine): Don Carlos, Act II, Premier Tableau  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Csab
10	Au revoir dans un monde où le vie est meilleure (Elisabeth/Don Carlos/Philippe/L'Inquistieur/Charles-Quint/Choeur): Don  - José Van Dam/Roberto Alagna/Eric Halfvarson/Csaba
11	Il Trovator! Io fremo / Deserto sulla terra (Il Conte/Manrico): Il Trovatore, Parte Prima - Il Duello, Scena terza  - Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/London Symphony Orch
12	Ah, si ben mio, coll'essere io tuo (Manrico): Il Trovatore, Parte Terza - Il figlio della Zingara, (Scena sesta)  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
13	Di quella pira l'orrendo foco (Manrico/Leonora/Ruiz/Soldati): Il Trovatore, Parte Terza - Il figlio della Zingara, (Sce  - Roberto Alagna/Angela Gheorghiu/London Symphony Or
14	Madre non dormir: Il Trovatore  - Roberto Alagna/Larissa Diadkova/London Symphony Or
Disc 3
01	Che gelida manina (Rodolfo): La Bohème, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/Antonio Pappano/Philharmonia Orches
02	Ehi! Rodolfo! ... O soave fanciulla (Schaunard/Colline/Marcello/Rodolfo/Mimì): La Bohème, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Simo
03	Dunque è proprio finita! (Rodolofo/Mimì/Marcello/Musetta): La Bohème, Act III  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Ruth
04	O Mimì, tu più non torni (Rodolfo/Marcello): La Bohème, Act IV  - Roberto Alagna/Thomas Hampson/Philharmonia Orchest
05	Acte IV: Sono andati?: La Bohème  - Roberto Alagna/Leontina Vaduva/Thomas Hampson/Simo
06	Acte I: Dammi i colori!...Recondita armonia: Tosca  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Ruggero Raimondi/M
07	Acte I: Mario Mario Non la sospiri la nostracasetta...Mia gelosia: Tosca  -Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/Ruggero Raimondi/M
08	E lucevan le stelle (Cavaradossi): Tosca, Act III  - Roberto Alagna/Orchestra of the Royal Opera House,
09	Parigi! è la città dei desideri (Ruggero): La Rondine, Act I  - Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Orchestra/Antonio P
10	Paulette! I nostri amici son gia partiti (Ruggero/Magda): La Rondine, Act II  -Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Or
11	Ma come puoi lasciarmi (Ruggero/Magda): La Rondine, Act III  - Angela Gheorghiu/Roberto Alagna/London Symphony Or
12	Avete torot!...Firenze è come un albero fiorito: Gianni Schicchi  - José Van Dam/Angela Gheorghiu/Felicity Palmer/Robe
13	Torna ai felici di (Act 2) (Roberto): Le Villi  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna/London Voices/Londo
14	Morire?  - Antonio Pappano/Roberto Alagna

Own Every Note Joan Sutherland Recorded For Decca Studios

To commemorate the one year anniversary of Dame Joan Sutherland's death, the label she spent her entire career recording for will release a 23-CD box set complete with a 48-page booklet. Chances are that most opera fans will already own much (or all) of the material in the recitals left by the soprano known as "La Stupenda," but the many will not be able to pass up the original cover art sleeves and commentary by opera critic George Hall. Dame Joan would have turned 85 on November 7, 2011. This limited-edition box is set for release on October 3, 2011. A complete track listing is after the jump.

Sutherland devotees can opt for a slightly less extravagant package by getting The Prima Donna - Deluxe Edition. Issued on three CDs, you'll get the set as it was originally released plus a 73-minute interview CD that Dame Joan recorded in 2002. The package also comes with an 80-page booklet packed with photos. Release date is also set for October 3, 2011.



JOAN SUTHERLAND: THE COMPLETE DECCA RECITALS

CD 1: Operatic Arias

Scenes and arias from Lucia di Lammermoor, Ernani, I vespri siciliani, Linda di Chamounix

Orchestre des Concerts du Conservatoire; Nello Santi; recorded April 1959

CDs 2 & 3: The Art of the Prima Donna

Arias from Artaxerxes, Samson, Norma, I puritani, Semiramide, La sonnambula, Faust, Roméo et Juliette, Otello, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, La traviata, Hamlet, Lakmé, Les Huguenots, and Rigoletto

Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; recorded August 1960

CDs 4 & 5: Command Performance

Arias from Oberon, Le Cid, Dinorah, Pagliacci, I masnadieri, Luisa Miller, La cambiale di matrimonio, Beatrice di Tenda; songs - The Gypsy and the Bird, Parla!, Io non sono più, Ideale, Il bacio, La Serenata, Mattinata, Lo! here the gentle lark, The Last Rose of Summer, Scenes that are brightest may charm awhile, I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls, Home sweet home

London Symphony Orchestra; Richard Bonynge (conductor & piano); recorded October-November 1962

CDs 6 & 7: The Age of Bel Canto

6. Arias from La buona figliuola, Atalanta, Meraspe, Samson, Semele, Astarto, Artaxerxes, Rosina, Il re pastore, Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Angéla ou L'Atelier de Jean Cousin

7. Arias from Semiramide, La Muette de Portici, Der Freischütz, Beatrice di Tenda, Don Pasquale, Lucrezia Borgia, Attila, La straniera, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Arditi: Boléro

with Marilyn Horne (mezzo), Richard Conrad (tenor), New Symphony Orchestra of London (CD 6); London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (CD 7); recorded June 1963

CD 8: Joy to the World

Joy to the World, It came upon a midnight clear, O holy night, O divine Redeemer, What Child is this?, Adeste fideles, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Good King Wenceslas, Hark! the herald angels sing, The Virgin's Slumber Song,

Ave Maria, The Holly and the Ivy, Angels we have heard on high, Deck the hall

The Ambrosian Singers, New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded May 1965

CD 9: Noël Coward Album

Songs from Conversation Piece, Bitter Sweet, Operette, After the Ball, Pacific 1860

Chorus and Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded July 1966

CDs 10 & 11: Love Live Forever

Songs from operetta: The Student Prince, The Boys from Syracuse, The Desert Song, Music in the Air, Rose Marie, The Only Girl, Show Boat, The Maid of the Mountains, Tom Jones, La Périchole, Chérubin, Der Vogelhändler, The Dubarry, Die geschiedene frau, Die spanische Nachtigall, Die Dollarprinzessin, Madame Pompadour, Der liebe Augustin, Eva, Ein Walzertraum, Der Opernball, Casanova, The Merry Widow, The King Steps Out, The Chocolate Soldier, Balalaika, Paganini

Ambrosian Light Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded March & July 1966

CD 12 & 13: Romantic French Arias

Arias from Robinson Crusoé, Dinorah, Louise, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, Manon Lescaut, Fra Diavolo, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Cendrillon, Mireille, L'Étoile du Nord, Le Tribut de Zamora, Robert le Diable, Le Coeur et la Main, Les Noces de Jeannette, Faust, Vasco de Gama

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1969

CD 14: Songs my Mother taught me

Songs by Dvorák, Mendelssohn, Del Riego, Massenet, Gounod, Nelson, Delibes, LaForge, Juncker, Hahn, Abt, Grieg, Liszt, Delibes

New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded August 1972

CD 15: Operatic Duets

Duets from La traviata, La Sonnambula, Linda di Chamounix, Otello, Aida

Luciano Pavarotti (tenor); National Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1976

CDs 16 & 17: Serate musicali

Songs by Rossini, Leoncavallo, Donizetti, Respighi, Bellini, Verdi, Cimara, Ponchielli, Mascagni, Gounod, Godard, Massenet, Lalo, Thomas, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Bizet, Meyerbeer, Chaminade, Delibes, Hahn, Adam

Richard Bonynge (piano), recorded June 1978

CD 18: Wagner recital

Arias from Rienzi, Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Die Walküre, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde

National Philaharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge

CD 19: Mozart recital

Arias from Il re pastore, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte; Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio, K418; Chi'io mi scordi di te... Non temer, amato bene, K505

National Philharmonic Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded November 1978

CD 20: Bel canto arias

Arias from Il castello di Kenilworth, Attila, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Betly, La Favorite, L'Africaine, Guillaume Tell, Il barbiere di Siviglia

Orchestra of Welsh National Opera; Richard Bonynge; recorded September 1985

CD 21: Talking Pictures

A tribute to films and Hollywood musicals

English Chamber Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded April 1986

CD 22: Romantic Trios

Songs for soprano, horn and piano

Songs by Denza, Panseron, Kreutzer, Nicolai, Proch, Skroup, Donizetti, Lachner, Kücken, Massenet, Berlioz

Barry Tuckwell (horn), Richard Bonynge (piano), recorded October 1987

CD 23: Rarities and first recordings

Arias by Bononcini, Paisiello, Piccinni, Arne, and Handel (Acis and Galatea, Alcina)

Philomusica of London; Granville Jones, Adrian Boult, Anthony Lewis; recorded 1958 and May/June 1959

Russian songs by Stravinsky, Cui & Gretchaninov

Gliere: Concerto for Coloratura soprano

London Symphony Orchestra; Richard Bonynge; recorded May 1968

Donizetti: La Fille du régiment: Par le rang... Salut à la France

Chorus and Orchestra of ther Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Richard Bonynge; recorded July 1967

Angela Gheorghiu Pays Homage to Maria Callas on EMI

Now that the vast majority of operatic recordings made by Maria Callas are in the public domain, EMI Classics needs to figure out how to keep profiting from its #1-selling artist. How do you do that when said artist has been deceased since 1977? Perhaps the answer lies in taking one of the current divas that signed onto your roster in 1998 and create a new tribute album of sorts. That is exactly what the public gets from the latest release from Angela Gheorghiu: Homage to Maria Callas. The soprano is joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of conductor Marco Armiliato and the part-time colleague tenor James Valenti for his offstage singing on the Traviata track. The curious part of this project is that Ms. Gheorghiu has always professed that fellow Romanian Virginia Zeani is the soprano she most admires
and practically modeled herself after once deciding to become an opera singer (listen to an audio interview here). Before becoming an exclusive artist with EMI, Ms. Gheorghiu had signed with competitor Decca records. It was for this label that Virginia Zeani herself recorded two full studio albums. One recording was an all-Puccini program of arias from Gianni Schicchi, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La Rondine and more, with conductor Franco Patanè. The second operatic recital with conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni featured coloratura arias from prime Callas territory including La Traviata, I Puritani, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Bohème and


La Sonnambula. In some ways it may seem that Zeani was Decca's answer to EMI's Callas. Recording repertoire wasn't the only thing they shared. In 1952, conductor Tullio Serafin replaced Maria Callas with Virginia Zeani as Elvira in I Puritani at the Teatro Communale in Florence. The bass that evening was Nicola Rossi Lemeni, future husband to Ms. Zeani. So it seems odd that Decca never took advantage of their exclusive rights to Ms. Gheorghiu when they had her in order to make a dedication album to her homeland heroine. One thing that Ms. Gheorghiu does share with Madame Callas is that this "homage" will feature music that dips into mezzo-soprano repertoire (Samson et Dalila, Le Cid, Carmen), something that the latter began to record once vocal decline began to set in. 2012 will mark the 60th anniversary of Callas joining the EMI family and that just might prompt an increase in sales of her greatest recordings. [Source]
Label Divas: Maria Callas (l) and Virginia Zeani (r) strike similar poses:"Homage to Maria Callas is a collection of beloved French and Italian operatic masterpieces performed by Angela Gheorghiu, the defining diva of this century. The programme is inspired by the career and recordings of Maria Callas, the greatest diva of the last century. The arias are shared favourites of both Callas and Gheorghiu, and Angela’s new recording demonstrates once again her extraordinary vocal and emotional range. Angela Gheorghiu said recently, 'Callas was original in everything she did; she was a phenomenon. In every performance she gave her all. She was the most wonderful painter and you can always hear exactly the right colour in her voice. Just hearing her sound, you understand all the power or fragility of her emotions. That’s a rare talent and a great gift.' Gheorghiu continued, 'EMI was her record label and it’s mine too. It feels like a family.' Recorded at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios in London and in New York, the repertoire of Gheorghiu’s first studio recital in six years (during which time she recorded several complete operas, including a multi-award-winning Madama Butterfly), shows her versatility in lyric, spinto and mezzo roles, with each of which she feels a strong emotional connection. These include Mimi (La bohème), Marguerite (Faust), Imogene (Il Pirata), Adriana (Adriana Lecouvreur – an opera which Gheorghiu added to her repertoire in 2010 to great critical acclaim), Maddalena (Andrea Chénier), Nedda (Pagliacci), Wally (La Wally), Medea, Chimène (Le Cid) and Delilah (Samson et Delilah). The new album also includes two arias from the opera that launched her career: La traviata by Verdi, New York Magazine praised at the time that 'Her lady of the camellias is a worthy successor to Garbo and Callas.' [Source]
Did Angela Gheorghiu inadvertently pay tribute to Maria Callas
while still on the Decca label with this 1998 release?
Paul Pelkonen reports, "...the most controversial addition to the disc is a digitally built duet between La Gheorghiu and the late Maria Callas. The two sopranos, one living, one very dead, will sing 'L'amour c'est l'oiseaux rebelle,' the Habañera from Act I of Bizet's Carmen. According to a press release (received today from EMI Classics) the new 'duet' was created from the original master tape of Callas' 1961 recording of the aria. The engineers chose this over the '63 recording of the complete opera, because it lacked the usual choral accompaniment. In the engineering booth, the original orchestra (the Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française under the baton of George Prêtre) was scrubbed out. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Marco Armiliato re-recorded the music, with the players using a special click track to match the original. Ms. Gheorghiu also chose to learn Callas' particular sense of rhythm and meter, enabling the two divas to warble together, or seperately. Leaving aside obvious reservations (the biggest one being that the Habañera is intended for one singer!) the new disc will hit New York's few remaining record shops in October [sic], shortly before Ms. Gheorghiu's scheduled appearance with the Opera Orchestra of New York. In the OONY performance, she will sing the title role in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvrer." [Source]

VERSIONS AVAILABLE:
- Deluxe Edition comprises a CD encased in a hardcover book containing an essay from Angela in three languages, a gallery of glamorous new photos and exclusive access to a video and mini-feature on the making of the CD.
- Standard Edition consists of a CD in a digipack with a booklet excerpting Gheorghiu’s essay. Both Deluxe and Standard editions feature song texts in English, French, German and the original language, if different, as well as booklet text in all three languages.
- Standard Digital Version offers the entire standard CD contents.

RELEASE DATES: USA (9/28),  UK (11/7) and Germany (11/18)
Sample tracks by clicking here.
TRACK LISTING:
1. "Donde Lieta Uscì" (Mimì's Farewell): La Bohème, Act Iii
2. "O Dieu! Que De Bijoux" (Jewel Song ): Faust, Act Iii, Scene 6
3. "Col Sorriso D'innocenza": Il Pirata, Act Ii, Scene 3
4. "Qual Fiamma Avea Nel Guardo!...Stridono Lassu": I Pagliacci
5. "Mon Coeur S'ouvre à Ta Voix": Samson Et Dalila
6. "Ebben?...Ne Andrò Lontana": La Wally
7. "L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle" (Habanera): Carmen
8. "La Mamma Morta": Andrea Chénier, Act Iii
9. "Dei Tuoi Figli La Madre": Medea, Act I, Scene 1
10. "De Cet Affreux Combat...Pleurez Mes Yeux": Le Cid
11. "Poveri Fiori": Adriana Lecouvreur
12. "È strano! È strano!...Ah, Fors` è Lui": La Traviata
13. "Follie! Follie!...Sempre Libera": La Traviata - with James Valenti

NEW Harmonia Mundi: Gheorghiu, Mehta and Pendatchanska

Harmonia Mundi will be making three fall releases that may grab the attention of vocal enthusiasts. The first is a disc with soprano Teodora Gheorghiu titled Anna de Amicis with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques on the subsidiary label Aparté. "The pre-classicist programme is dedicated to the historic figure of Anna de Amicis, famous soprano who first created the role of Giunia in W.A. Mozart's Lucio Silla. Besides works of the young Mozart the programme comprises arias by N. Jomelli, J. C. Bach, C.W. Gluck and others." [Source] Watch a video (below) featuring the recording of some wonderful music that has been forgotten for many years. (Release dates: Germany - September 11, 2011; UK - October 3, 2011)

The second disc is a follow-up for countertenor Bejun Mehta to his debut disc with Harmonia Mundi (Ombra Cara featuring Händel arias). This time around the singer chose to work with pianist Julius Drake to focus on English songs of the 19th & 20th centuries on a disc called Down By The Salley Gardens. Included are such legendary composers as Howells, Finzi, Tippett and Britten. To listen to some audio clips from the album, click here. (Release dates: USA - September 13, 2011; Internationally - September 16, 2011)

Lastly is a complete recording of Händel's opera Agrippina featuring Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Jennifer Rivera, Sunhae Im, Bejun Mehta, Marcos Fink, Neal Davies and Dominique Visse with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin under the direction of René Jacobs. Ms. Pendatchanska has performed on other Harmonia Mundi recordings with René Jacobs including Mozart's Don Giovanni, Idomeneo and La Clemenza di Tito. This particular recording is taken from a live stage version done in Berlin and there will be a limited edition of the opera put out with a DVD. Watch (below) Alexandrina Pendatchanska sing "L'alma mia fra le tempeste" from Agrippina. (Release dates: USA - October 11, 2011; Internationally - January 1, 2012)