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)

Iván Fischer Conducts and Directs Festival "Don Giovanni"

Hungarian conductor Iván Fischer will be joined by Budapest Festival Orchestra on August 4 & 7 at Rose Theater in New York City for the Mostly Mozart Festival to perform Don Giovanni. The production will be fully staged and conducted by Maestro Fischer. The production focuses on the human body with 16 stage actors forming the sets and props. Singers for the production will include Greek soprano Myrtò Papatanasiu as Donna Elvira, American soprano Laura Aikin as Donna Anna, Korean soprano Sunhae Im as Zerlina, Hungarian tenor Zoltán Megyesi as Don Ottavio, Italian baritone Riccardo Novaro as Masetto, Portuguese baritone José Fardilha as Leporello, Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson as the Commendatore and Greek baritone Tassis Christoyannis as Don Giovanni. [Source]