The A-Z Of Mozart Opera

   in Early Music Today (Jun, 2014)
This is a reissue of a disc that was originally released in 2007 on Sony BMG. It consists of arias and ensembles from most of Mozart’s operas between Apollo et Hyacinthus (1767) and Die Zauberflote (1791), the excerpts from Idomeneo, Le nozze di Figaro and Cosi fan tutte preceded by the relevant recitative. The chronological approach makes for some odd tonal juxtapositions – the A major of the duet from La clemenza di Tito followed by the B flat of the quintet from Die Zauberflote, for instance – but there are sufficiently long pauses between the numbers for this not to be too serious.

The main interest lies …
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   in Opera Now (May, 2014)
Pointing out that Mozart’s operas run chronologically from A-Z (Apollo and Hyacinthus to Die Zauberflote), Ian Page conducts the Orchestra of Classical Opera in a selection of arias and ensembles from the canon. It makes for an uneven experience. The orchestral playing is crisp and directional, but a lot of the singing is rather mimsy, launching gently into phrases before swelling them and all sounding somewhat pious and awfully English. Thankfully there are some exceptions, singers who just get on with it, with real style. Anna Leese makes a particular hit of her aria from Lucio Silla, her tone even and clean, yet with a sensuous edge. In ‘Ruhe sanft’ from …
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