Notes and Editorial Reviews
"Yes, L'Oracolo is often crude, often tawdry, but Leoni knew enough about voices to give them long and singable lines that Gobbi, Davies and Sutherland are properly grateful for." -- Gramophone, on Franco Leoni
Franco Leoni was born in Milan in 1864, the same year as Richard Strauss. In 1892, he moved to London and achieved some popularity as a song and opera composer. His fourth opera was his most successful work: L’Oracolo, based on the drama The Cat and the Cherub by Chester Bailey Fernald. The opera premiered on June 28, 1905 at Covent Garden with Antonio Scotti in the role of Cim-Fen. This became Scotti’s best-known role, which he sang for many years at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. The piece was a repertoire
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staple from 1917 to 1926, then again after 1931. Scotti also chose it for his 1933 farewell from the Met; this was the opera’s 55th performance. Amazingly, however, the work disappeared almost completely from opera stages following this. Franco Leoni died on February 8, 1949 in the British town of Hampstead.
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Works on This Recording
1.
L'Oracolo by Franco Leoni
Performer:
Franz Mayer (Tenor),
Peter Sidhom (Baritone),
Ashley Holland (Baritone),
Katharina Magiera (Voice),
Annalisa Raspagliosi (Soprano),
Pere Llompart (Voice),
Ricardo Iturra (Voice)
Conductor:
Stefan Solyom
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra,
Frankfurt Opera Chorus
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1905
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