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Mercadante: Il Proscritto

Ramón Vargas (Giorgio Argyll), Irene Roberts (Malvina Douglas), Elizabeth DeShong (Odoardo Douglas), Sally Matthews (Anna Ruthven), Iván Ayón-Rivas (Arturo Murray), Goderdzi Janelidze (Guglielmo Ruthven)

Britten Sinfonia, Opera Rara Chorus, Carlo Rizzi

Mercadante: Il Proscritto

Awards:

Mercadante cocks an intelligent ear in the direction of a young Verdi. However, Mercadante is no faithful follower of fashion, as Carlo Rizzi, who rediscovered the opera in the Naples Conservatory...

BBC Music Magazine, July 20235 out of 5 stars

More reviews

Mercadante: Il Proscritto

Ramón Vargas (Giorgio Argyll), Irene Roberts (Malvina Douglas), Elizabeth DeShong (Odoardo Douglas), Sally Matthews (Anna Ruthven), Iván Ayón-Rivas (Arturo Murray), Goderdzi Janelidze (Guglielmo Ruthven)

Britten Sinfonia, Opera Rara Chorus, Carlo Rizzi

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Awards:

Mercadante cocks an intelligent ear in the direction of a young Verdi. However, Mercadante is no faithful follower of fashion, as Carlo Rizzi, who rediscovered the opera in the Naples Conservatory...

BBC Music Magazine, July 20235 out of 5 stars

More reviews

About

Set in Edinburgh against the backdrop of Oliver Cromwell’s rule, Il proscritto saw a marked return to melody by Mercadante who retained the orchestral richness of his “reform” operas but restored aspects of bel canto lyricism.

With Ramón Vargas, Iván Ayón-Rivas, Irene Roberts, Elizabeth DeShong, Sally Matthews, Goderdzi Janelidze, Susana Gaspar, Carlo Rizzi (conductor) and Britten Sinfonia.

  • Release date: 14th Apr 2023
  • Label: Opera Rara
  • Catalogue number: 9293800622
  • Length: 2 hours 3 minutes

Contents and tracklist

Mercadante: Il proscritto, Act 1
Work length48:42
'D'amistà le soavi catene' (Chorus, Osvaldo)
Track length5:09
'Ah! dite, Arturo?' (Guglielmo, Chorus)
Track length1:25
'Vieni... abbracciami' (Guglielmo, Arturo)
Track length0:57
Act 1, 'Son del tuo volto immagine' (Arturo)
Track length2:22
'Lord Arturo' (Anna, Arturo, Guglielmo, Chorus)
Track length0:59
'Soffri o cor' (Arturo, Anna, Chorus)
Track length2:52
'Giungesti alfin!' (Clara, Odoardo, Malvina)
Track length4:26
'Il mar che freme' (Malvina, Odoardo)
Track length4:27
'Vieni all'altare' (Chorus, Odoardo, Malvina)
Track length0:59
'Ah! vieni...' (Odoardo, Malvina, Chorus)
Track length3:50
'A Clara dunque?' (Osvaldo, Giorgio)
Track length2:58
'L'aura ch'io spiro' (Giorgio)
Track length2:34
'Guglielmo qui!' (Giorgio, Malvina, Anna, Odoardo, Osvaldo, Guglielmo, Arturo, Chorus)
Track length4:10
'Omai l'arcan terribile' (Guglielmo, Osvaldo, Anna, Clara, Arturo Odoardo, Malvina, Chorus)
Track length6:09
'Murray, non è l'origine' (Guglielmo, Malvina, Anna, Arturo, Odoardo, Clara, Giorgio, Chorus)
Track length3:18
'Il cor ne avvampa' (Guglielmo, Osvaldo, Malvina, Odoardo, Arturo, Clara, Anna, Chorus)
Track length2:07
Mercadante: Il proscritto, Act 2
Work length53:08
'Col proscritto, dicesti?' (Arturo, Osvaldo, Giorgio)
Track length3:41
'Sì, lo giuro' (Giorgio, Arturo)
Track length1:59
'Ah! perché rovente acciaro' (Arturo, Giorgio)
Track length2:19
'Già morte inevitabile' (Arturo, Giorgio)
Track length1:13
'Surto appena il dì bramato' (Arturo, Giorgio)
Track length2:35
'Ha steso la notte' (Chorus, Odoardo)
Track length4:03
'Udiste quel suono?' (Chorus, Odoardo)
Track length2:58
'Ahi! del giorno sanguinoso' (Odoardo, Chorus)
Track length4:43
'Qual mai speme a te soccorre' (Chorus, Odoardo)
Track length1:30
'Colui che m'ha quest'anima' (Odoardo, Chorus)
Track length3:23
'Più mia non è' (Giorgio, Odoardo)
Track length5:21
'Deh! t'affretta Malvina' (Odoardo, Giorgio, Malvina)
Track length2:58
'Stretto agli avanzi fragili' (Giorgio, Malvina)
Track length4:32
'Son tua sposa' (Malvina, Arturo, Giorgio)
Track length1:48
'Ed osi?' (Arturo, Guglielmo, Odoardo, Malvina, an officer, Anna, Clara, Chorus)
Track length2:01
'Tutta in lui piombò del fato' (Malvina, Odoardo, Clara, Anna, Guglielmo, Osvaldo, an officer, Chorus)
Track length4:15
'D'obbedirti' (an officer, Giorgio, Odoardo, Guglielmo, Malvina, Arturo)
Track length1:46
'Al rivale perdona la vita' (an officer, Odoardo, Guglielmo, Malvina)
Track length2:03
Mercadante: Il proscritto, Act 3
Work length21:43
'Ah! ritorna Odoardo' (Malvina, Giorgio, Odoardo, Arturo)
Track length4:58
'Vanne dunque' (Arturo, Malvina)
Track length6:01
'Dovea cotanto affetto' (Malvina, Arturo)
Track length2:45
'Che far degg'io' (Arturo, Giorgio, Malvina)
Track length3:24
'Nel sepolcro' (Malvina, Arturo, Giorgio)
Track length4:35

Spotlight on this release

Awards and reviews

  • Presto Editor's Choice
    April 2023
  • BBC Music Magazine
    July 2023
    Opera Choice
  • International Opera Awards
    2023
    Winner - Complete Opera Recording
  • Presto Recordings of the Year
    Finalist 2023
  • Presto Recordings of the Year
    Finalist 2023
    Shortlisted - World Premiere Recording (Rediscovery)
  • International Classical Music Awards
    2024
    Nominated - Opera

July 2023

Mercadante cocks an intelligent ear in the direction of a young Verdi. However, Mercadante is no faithful follower of fashion, as Carlo Rizzi, who rediscovered the opera in the Naples Conservatory archives, demonstrates in a vivid performance...Mercadante wrote for a stellar cast, and Opera Rara field fine singers too.
5 out of 5 stars

Nov/Dec 2023

The entire cast, in fact, is excellent, and the experienced conductor, Carlo Rizzi, skillfully brings out the drama and beauty of the score. The Britten Sinfonia plays very well, and Opera Rara’s recorded sound is natural and well balanced... anyone who enjoys exploring the byways of early Romantic opera is likely to enjoy Il proscritto.

28th April 2023

This recording’s selling point is a performance that feels urgent and viscerally exciting — indeed thoroughly Italianate.

The key performer is conductor Carlo Rizzi, who heats up the drama, and probably the fine Britten Sinfonia, to boiling point. Ramón Vargas brings Latin flair to the role of the tongue-tied husband, Giorgio Argyll.,,Throw in some innovative finales to each act and Il proscritto deserves its rediscovery.
4 out of 5 stars

July 2023

Rizzi by and large makes a strong case for it, conducting with care and considerable verve throughout, and, with the Britten Sinfonia on fine form, places due emphasis on Mercadante’s striking orchestration.

April 2023

Lots to enjoy both vocally and orchestrally on the world premiere recording of this shamelessly melodramatic 1842 opera about political and romantic conflicts in Cromwellian Scotland, not least the rare opportunity to hear two tenors and two mezzos going head-to-head in a couple of riproaring duets. Ramón Vargas spars thrillingly with impressive newcomer Iván Ayón-Rivas in their big Act II face-off, whilst DeShong and Roberts are beautifully contrasted as the Douglas siblings - and Rizzi conducts like he believes in every bar.
Katherine Cooper

27th April 2023

[Rizzi] conducts with pace and conviction...It all ends with a poignant yet compact death scene for Malvina, an unusually complex heroine beautifully sung here by Irene Roberts, her mellow mezzo-soprano drawing in the ear. If the structure feels a bit unbalanced, it still works.
4 out of 5 stars
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