This is the first recording of works by the Portuguese composer, Jeronimo Francisco de Lima [1741-1822]. The Royal Court Opera was an essential element in the reigns of D. José I (1750-1777) and D. Maria I (1777-1816), even after the disastrous earthquake of 1755 destroyed the magnificent opera house that stood on the banks of the Tagus river.

Obviously operatic composition was not merely a sideline for Lima, but rather an area to which he was seriously dedicated, and which he mastered. Moreover, his instrumental writing went far beyond a simple harmonic support to the melody of the singer but plays a prominent part in its own right, a characteristic which certainly stems from his Neapolitan training. The overtures of the four works featured on this CD are in no way inferior to the sung parts that follow. Medea, the witch in 'Teséo', has the most expressive music of all Lima's characters, here impressively sung by Monika Mauch.